For those who missed it, a certain button was actually allowed to be sold and worn at the Democrat National
Convention.  It read as follows:
 
“ONCE YOU VOTE BLACK, YOU NEVER GO BACK”
 
Can you imagine the Republicans allowing anything like this?  Not a chance. The GOP would instantly  remove anyone selling or wearing such offensive messaging, regardless of what race it preferred.
 
But then, our candidate—Mitt Romney—doesn’t endorse racism.  Does Obama? Ummm….well….truth be told….”endorse” is TOO WEAK A TERM.  “Embrace” would be more appropriate.  In word and deed, President Obama has pushed bigotry on a scale not seen in the White House for generations.
 
To understand how racist buttons could be openly displayed at Obama’s latest coronation, I’ll review and comment on some items from his past and present.  I’ve mentioned these before:
 
1. After terrible statements by his pastor, Barack Obama said, “I  can no more disown him than I can disown the black community.”
 
Really? Suppose Mitt Romney’s pastor said terrible things.  If Mitt said, “I can no more disown him than I can disown the white community,” how would that sound?
 
2. Referring to rural voters, Barack Obama said,“They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them.”
 
Really? They’re gun-toting, Bible-thumping bigots?  Who is stereotyping—them, or Obama?

3. After admitting he didn’t know the facts of the case, President Obama still assumed the Cambridge police “acted stupidly”in arresting a black professor, and he then decided this was a good time to discuss police officers
stopping people of color “disproportionately.”
 
Really? Are these helpful things to say—especially in light of how the story changed afterward?

4. President Obama gave us a Supreme Court Justice who actually said, “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experience would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life.”
 
Seriously?  Notice, she didn’t just praise wise Latina women.  She singled out white males—and Barack Obama chose her to judge over us.
 
5. President Obama also gave us Attorney General Eric Holder, who, after inexplicably failing to prosecute an open and shut case of voter intimidation by the Black Panthers, actually referred to African-Americans as “my people.”
 
Seriously?   Should the head of American law enforcement see people of one race as “his people”?  Should he look away when “his people” commit blatant federal crimes?
 
6. And finally, after the tragic killing of Trayvon Martin, President Obama felt it necessary to say, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
 
Again, seriously?  What if Mitt Romney were to say this of a white boy who had just died at the hands of a person of color?  Can anyone fail to see how divisive this is?
 
Earth to President Obama:  ALL people are precious, and ALL children are miracles.  No exceptions.  Pushing one form of racism is no better than pushing another, since doing so only fosters division, bitterness, and mistrust for future generations.  It teaches hate.  Elevating the war, ANY picking of favorites—especially when done by our leader—lays a terrible foundation for America’s children.
 
In his statements and appointments, President Obama divides people based on race, and empowers others to do the same.  Do I think this makes him a bad person?  Hard to say; but he’s a terribly unenlightened one.  He’s
the kind of person who allows racist buttons at his Convention.
 
In closing, as I’ve often said, ALL bigotry is liberal, since ALL bigotry requires evaluating people as members of groups—not as individuals.  Thus, Collectivism is the very lifeblood of bigotry.  Obsessing over groups and quotas, Collectivist Liberals measure society by what groups get what, while Conservatives stress individual merit and responsibility.  Liberals focus on group warfare—be it class, race, gender, age—while Conservatives focus on personal character and competence.  
  
The two are worlds apart.
 
And now, deciding which world America becomes after this election is simple:  Just look at a button.  Look at one candidate who feels no inner conflict when empowering such a button, versus another who would demand the removal of anyone wearing it—or anything like it.
 
Just look at that button, and choose which vision will lead our nation; and our children.  If it helps, consider this final thought:  
 
Would you want your children to wear that button?

I'm sorry, family and friends that don't like political comments, but I simply can’t sit idly by and not tell you how upset I am. If you think I’m over reacting, you’re wrong. And I don’t care if you call me names because of it. I have just seen that Obama's graphic design team has "redesigned" the American Flag is selling their version on items in their store*. Obama’s flag replaces the stars with the Obama logo. 
The tweet from the Obama campaign in regard to this design stated “A poster to say there are no red states or blue states, only the United States.” So this week I’ve watched protesters in other countries burn our flag, and now the President of the United States has endorsed his own flag. He could not have picked a better way to divide us. 

If you know the history of our flag, the thirteen stripes represent the original colonies; the 50 stars represent the states. It changed over the years as we added more states, but it was always based on the same principle – United States. 

Men and women have fought to defend our flag. The only reason other countries burn it in protest is that they know how sacred it is to the heart of all Americans. If you want to bring attention to your cause, burn an American Flag. You’re guaranteed to get airtime. 

I don't know why, but the fact that a president is more recognized and associated with his own logo rather than the presidential seal or the American flag has bugged me for years. I'm a designer, I appreciate art. As a marketing consultant, I appreciate branding. But I say our flag is our brand. I do not want to be the United States of Obama. 

I have to ask myself how dictators come to power. They are only one man, governing millions. It can only be achieved by a likable guy that convinces an army of people that his way is the right way. At some point in history I’m sure that Castro and Hitler were liked and admired. Bet they gave a good speech, and people thought they’d be great to hang out with. No one questioned, merely followed blindly.
 
I am embarrassed for the media. They make no bones about their opinions these days, and every story told has a slant. Most Americans watch the news, accept as fact, and move on. Never digging for the truth behind the story or even hearing the language that brainwashes them into believing that this is right, that is wrong. You’re not encouraged to reach your own conclusions, you’re told what to conclude. 

I saw this flag and literally almost threw up. May not be a big deal to you, and you think she’s gone off her rocker for sure. But, my fellow Americans, I don’t want an American Flag that represents one man. Visit his website to see it for yourself. However, if you buy one, please never wear it around me. 

The  quote that has gotten me thru the past 12 years has been this…‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ 

I know I am not changing any minds, but when history records who did what and what did they stand for, I certainly don’t want to be the one that watched the parade go by and didn’t scream the EMPERIOR HAS NO CLOTHES!

*items may have been removed from store by the time you read this post.

Much has been made of recent rules changes at the GOP Convention.  Do I oppose these changes?  Oh, that’s too limited.  Truth is, I oppose ANY changes at this time.  This is a time for unity—for reaching out—and my Party leadership has done the precise opposite of what I’ve been pushing behind the scenes.  I’m filled with misery, as misguided strategy threatens to derail a landslide victory.
 
So you won’t hear me defending ANY changes.

But, as one who has given all his heart and strength to unify my beloved Republicans with my cherished Tea Party and Libertarians, I hope I’ve earned one chance—just one—to plead for reason at this time of great strife.  Please, my friends; please hear me.
 
I understand the call for Third Parties right now, but this is the worst time to leave the Republican Party.  The very worst.  If I’ve earned any trust whatsoever, let me offer 3 reasons for my view:  The Trend, The Present Reality, and the Future.
 
1.  THE TREND: 

Why would anyone try to seize power and change rules at this time?  BECAUSE THEY’RE LOSING IT.  The GOP’s dominant trend leads toward a hybrid of Tea Party and Libertarian beliefs—there is no denying this. Not only inevitable, it is near, and by historical measure, rapid.  Even Ron Paul recently said his followers were "becoming the tent.”  I took issue with this, not because there’s no truth in it, but rather because I don’t believe ANY one group is becoming the tent. 
 
Ask several Paul supporters—separately—what they believe.  You’ll receive several different answers.  Hey,  they’re all over the map, AND I LOVE THAT ABOUT THEM. Why?  Because while Paul himself has many distinct views, his followers share only one:  Personal liberty.  They believe in the individual, and as such, they allow widely varying views within their “Revolution.”  This is exactly what Conservatism is supposed to embrace—Individual Freedom versus Collective Control—but the GOP often forgets the beauty of it.  At times, the GOP forgets that we’re supposed to be the Free Marketplace of Ideas, and the Paulites are trying to restore
this.
 
Unfortunately, these young Paulites—whom I adore, by the way—make one major mistake: They seldom extend that openness to those outside their group. Abounding in mistrust, they tend to lash out at anyone who doesn’t instantly support total non-interventionism, legalization of drugs, and so forth.   Instinctively,  THEY LOOK FOR FAULT, NOT WISDOM OR DIVERSITY, IN TRADITIONAL REPUBLICANS. For young Paulites (and some old ones), anyone who dares hold an opposing view is promptly written off as anti-Constitutional or outright evil. Folks, THIS IS NOT THE FREE MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS IN ACTION. 
IT IS INSTEAD THE SAME PUNISHING OF DISSENT THEY ALLEGE GOP LEADERSHIP JUST COMMITTED IN TAMPA. Like those party elders they self-righteously oppose, these young Paulites have already learned how to silence opposing voices.  How sad they so quickly become the “insiders”they despise.
 
But here’s the saddest part:  THEY’RE NOT SEEING THE TREND.  They don’t realize they’re winning; that the Party is moving their direction.  Thus, they’re surprised when Party elders make last-gasp maneuvers at a Convention.  Look, when trends occur so rapidly in a major party, the elders will fight back.  That’s true
everywhere, not just in Republican politics.
 
But these rules changes won’t last.  THERE’S NO CHANCE OF IT. The Libertarian/Tea Party trend in the GOP isn’t an adjustment; it’s an avalanche. And avalanches scare people, especially when rudely pushed on elders who spent decades struggling against biased media and schools.  Their emotions were already worn thin.  Today, when the new breed demands to be heard and then shouts others down, they’re not making things any easier.  But as I said, THE TREND IS WHOLLY IN THE NEW BREED’S FAVOR, AND ANY LAST-GASP ACTIONS AGAINST THEM WON’T LAST.
 
Does this mean that everyone in the GOP will soon agree with the Paulites on everything? My goodness, EVEN THE PAULITES DON’T AGREE ON EVERYTHING!  The GOP isn’t just switching sides, but rather opening up to new viewpoints. “Peace through Strength” is being balanced with healthy caution against interventionism.  The war on drugs is coming under scrutiny, and marijuana is being compared to alcohol. 
The GOP now calls for an audit of the Fed, warrants for drone strikes, and reaffirming that Congress—not the President—can declare war.  Bailouts are repented of, Entitlements are being reformed—and that’s just for starters, ladies and gents.
 
But the beauty of the Republican Party is that, rather than just changing stances, we’re once again the Free Marketplace of Ideas.  This requires people to listen and learn, not just debate and conquer. Neither the elders grabbing power in Tampa nor the Paulites doing the same in locales across the nation are the ultimate “tent” here.  Rather, ALL WHO VALUE INDIVIDUAL LIBERTY AND ARE WILLING TO LISTEN will be the new tent, and a glorious tent it will be.
 
So let me close this section with a guarantee:  I GUARANTEE THAT THE TREND TOWARD A TEA PARTY/LIBERTARIAN HYBRID IS UNSTOPPABLE, AND I WILL PERSONALLY PRESS FOR THIS FREE MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS TO ATTAIN DOMINANCE BY 2014.  You heard me. I want the “new breed” valued for restoring individual liberty to the highest Republican virtue, and I also want the “elders” respected for all they’ve done in restraining the Left till now. The “elders” compromised too much, the “new breed” shows too little patience, and neither listens enough, BUT BOTH WILL MAKE US WISER AND BETTER FOR THE NEW, EMERGING REPUBLICAN PARTY.
 
That is my pledge.  I only ask that you stick around and help me bring it about.  Please.
 
2.  THE PRESENT REALITY:  
  
Third Parties can be great.  They expose compromise, restore principles, and in time, can even rise to govern.
 
But not this time.
 
You see, the problem is not with a 3rdParty, but rather with the current Democratic Party.  Put simply, they’re just too unified; too numerous.  Thus, any splitting of their opposition will only assure their victory.  To all considering leaving, your departure could well finish us.
 
I KNOW THAT’S UNFAIR.  I’m sorry. I am so sorry.  But while Conservatives can disagree on how to apply principles, at least we HAVE principles.  Sometimes we fail them, and sometimes we fail each other; we’re just
people, after all.  Sometimes we make poor decisions that divide our ranks.  But please believe WE DO HAVE
PRINCIPLES.  That is why I sacrificed the fellowship of my family to become a Conservative.  I lost everything for principle—for truth.
 
But the Democrats have no such principles dividing them, so they have no group willing to split off over some crisis of conscience.  They have but one goal:  WINNING. And this unifies them.
 
One could say, “All those who follow Romney are just as guilty as those who would follow Ron Paul—or Gary Johnson.  They’re splitting us too.”  Perhaps. If Johnson had a better chance than Romney, I’d happily support him.  In fact, you’ll recall that Romney himself pledged support for any GOP nominee—back when both Paul and Johnson shared the stage.  But now, there isn’t time for Johnson to win, while Romney can.  As unfair as this seems, THE ONLY THING THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED BY LEAVING THE REPUBLICANS TO SUPPORT A THIRD PARTY IS OBAMA’S VICTORY.
 
In the end, a protest vote only achieves protest—one that will be forgotten after Election Day.
 
Look at it this way:  WHAT DOES OBAMA WANT?  Does he want us to unify behind his only numerically viable foe, and then continue our Tea Party/Libertarian trend after the election?  Or, does he want us splitting up over bad decisions made during Primaries and Conventions?  WHAT DOES OBAMA WANT?  The answer is obvious.  So if anyone leaves the GOP right now, they can only do so honestly by looking in the mirror and realizing, “I AM DOING WHAT OBAMA WANTS.”
 
My friends, I don’t say this to be nasty.  I say it to be honest.  DUE TO THE UNITY OF THE LEFT, any choice to leave Obama’s only numerically viable foe is a choice to help Obama.  Am I saying that “a vote for Third Party is a vote for Obama”?  No, I’m saying that evil triumphs when good men do nothing.  And come Election Day, protest votes will amount to doing nothing.  That is the cruel, unyielding math of the situation, and I can’t change it.  No one can.

And that, my treasured friends, is our Present Reality.
 
3. THE FUTURE:

I’ve seen all the arguments that supposedly equate Romney/Ryan to Obama/Biden, and I’ve defeated them with ease.  Time here forbids an analysis.  But if you wish to say Romney/Ryan have signed on to things with which you and I disagree, I’m with you.  At times, so are they.  
 
Remember, Romney was SERVING the people of a hard-left state while governing with an 85% Democrat Legislature.  He had 19 vetoes overridden, and he compromised to pass a healthcare plan that looks nothing like what he is advocating nationally—and even then, Massachusetts has no unelected 15-member rationing board. Romney opposed many of its most expensive items, and this compromise pulled back from a Democrat plan that was full universal healthcare.
 
Ryan also has votes he regrets, and has said as much.  But let’s cut to the chase by asking one very simple question: Whether at Bain, fixing the Olympics, or governing Massachusetts, DID MITT ROMNEY EVER MOVE ANY ORGANIZATION TO THE LEFT FROM WHERE IT WAS HEADING WITHOUT HIM?   The answer is an emphatic, “No!” Romney always pushed to the right.
 
But what of Obama?  Has he ever failed to move organizations further to the left?  My goodness, need I even ask?  He was described as the most liberal member of Congress!  Wow!
 
Rather than examine all the ways in which Obama will demolish America with another 4 years—watch “2016” for more  detail—I’ll just peek at one area:  The Supreme Court.
 
When John Roberts made his indefensible decision to spare Obamacare, many people missed the fact that he at least agonized over it.  Meanwhile, four other leftist Justices never gave it a second thought. It can truly be said that, for Justices like Elena Kagan, all arguments presented mean nothing, since these four only seek the most radical leftist direction for America.
 
If Obama wins re-election, this number will rise from 4 to 6.  Seriously, this is very possible.  Can you even imagine what this means?  Six Supreme Court Justices who are 100% advocates?  Imagine full amnesty for all illegals, thus creating a one-party system.  Imagine unlimited voter fraud—not that the Dems will need to after full amnesty. Guns?  You must be kidding.  Imagine an EPA with absolute power over industry.  Imagine churches being punished if they dare disagree with favored lifestyles—gotta stop that “hate speech.”  Imagine all aspects of Obamacare—on steroids.  Imagine many of our rights submitted to the UN.  FOLKS, I’M JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE.  I can’t begin to describe what will happen to freedom of speech.
 
I haven’t space here to discuss the crushing deficit FOR WHICH OBAMA PROPOSES NO SOLUTION.  I haven’t time to discuss Obama’s disastrous energy policies.  I haven’t time to discuss so much of what this man is planning to do to us.  There’s just too much.
 
So I’ll just close with this:
 
My friends, I sympathize greatly with your anger at recent events, but this is NOT just another election.  We can’t just let Romney lose, so we can shout “I told you so!” while America burns. Rome never came back, and neither will we.  We won’t just get it right four years from now.
 
My friends, I want so badly to undo some of what was done, BUT I CAN’T FIX IT IN TWO MONTHS.  I’m too small, and this will take time.
 
I’m begging you to give me that time.  I won’t even try to act proud.  I’m on my knees here.  I’m at your feet, pleading for America’s future.  I don’t care about my pride, your pride, the elders’ pride, Mitt Romney’s pride, or anyone else’s pride.
 
Remember the movie, “Independence Day?”  Remember how everyone had to unite because the threat facing mankind was greater than any of the awful things we had done to each other?  Yes, this situation is different, but the unity I’m requesting is the same.  We need to set aside our differences—even our valid concerns—until the greatest threat is defeated on Election Day. 
 
My friends, America won’t just crash and come back.  If you think it will, you are wrong.  You are terribly, terribly wrong. For our children and their children, we must unite.  Now.  
 
 
Please.