Ironic, Don’t you think?

Unlike rain on your wedding day, or 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife, one can’t help but notice the irony over Proposition 8 in California. More on that in a sec.

This will probably come as a shock for many people who like to stereotype people like myself — Christian, conservatives who live in the south — but I am 100% for Prop 8 and any other similar gay marriage amendments.

The reasoning is simple. As a Christian, the government has zero role in determining the status of my marriage. When I got married, my (now ex, but that’s another story) wife and I had to stand in line at the DeKalb County courthouse to get a license. We had to fill out a couple forms, take a blood test, and get a piece of paper that had to be signed by the officiant. After that, we had a ceremony in keeping with the tradition to our faith.

Now, imagine if, two months from then, we got a knock on the door. A friendly sheriff’s deputy is there, telling us that due to some form of clerical error, the state does not recognize the forms we filled out, and therefore we are not married as far as the state is concerned.

What happens next? Would my wife and I look at each other, say “well, it’s been fun….see ya!” and I move out into a hotel? Of course not. Why? Because our marriage is a covenant between me, my wife and our God. The state has nothing to do with it.

The state, however, does have the authority to determine who is and who is not married solely for earthly matters — your estate, insurance, taxes, etc. In other words, the only role the state has in my marriage is validating a contract between two parties, granting us certain rights and benefits to each other.

So, if the state is not forcing my church — as a religious institution — to recognize gay marriage, what business is it of mine if two men or two women want to enter a contract similar to me and my wife?

Are there cultural issues? Certainly. But then again, that’s what the states and local communities are for. Let the validation of gay marriage take place at the ballot box at the local level where it belongs — not in the hands of judges. That is democracy in action, and that’s what our country stands for.

Again, I know this puts me at odds with many of my Republican bretheren. However, my general rule is that we should make as few laws restricting one’s freedom as necessary, and allow laws granting people as much freedom as possible. Measures against gay marriage are a restriction of freedoms for no apparent reason.

So why is there such vehement outrage towards measures like this? I believe it’s because some so-called Christians find it easy and convenient to hate homosexuals. Now, I believe that homosexuality is a sin. But then again, we are all sinners, and we are taught to love all sinners. However, since pretty much everyone has lustful thoughts or not kept the sabbath or used the Lord’s name in vain, it’s tough to hate those sins. But if you’re not a homosexual? It’s much easier to hate that which you are not, or do not know.

I think issues like this go to my larger point about the demise of the GOP in recent years. While I know there are many people on “my” side who disagree with this, there are also many more in my demographic group who are more willing to let people live and let live. And by putting a nationwide focus on these types of items — When they need to be kept on the local level where they belong — it just feeds into the stereotype many younger people have about the Republican party and gives Democrats cheap fuel to flame their rhetoric. In short, it’s not an issue that has legs.

Oh, and I almost forgot: the irony. The latest numbers I see is that California passed the gay marriage ban 52% – 47%. African-Americans voted overwhelmingly for the ban. In a year where we saw a record number of African-Americans head to the polls to elect Barack Obama, is it not ironic that it was perhaps the reason prop 8 passed? Maybe, maybe not. But I do know that making that rhyme is well above Alanis Morrisette’s pay grade.

What’cha gonna do?

I’ve had a few days to let it sink in. Barack Obama will be my president in a couple of months. I don’t really like it, I don’t want it to last longer than four years, but it is what it is. He’s my president, and I wish him well, and really hope he does what’s in the best interest of our nation.

I’ve also listened to a lot of talk radio, and discussions amongst my friends. And what I hear is a lot of whining and complaining. So here I am to throw down the gauntlet.

Shut up and do something about it.

Let’s face it. Obama is a force of nature. He came on at a time when the country was ready for new leadership. He used his cult of personality to rally thousands of new voters and had an amazing grassroots organization.

What did the republicans give us? A candidate (an amazing person in his own right) who is, for lack of a better term, more of the same. No, not in his policy. But in his attitude. In his organization. In his appeal.

Obama and the democrats are coming after our generation hard. They’re coming after us — the children of the baby boomers — Gen X, Y and beyond. They’re recruiting, they’re gaining popularity and they are amassing a movement.

The Republicans aren’t doing squat.

I don’t know about you, but I was disgusted with the way the campaign was run. Anecdote: I live in Georgia. Red state. One of the reddest counties there is. You’d think there would be McCain/Palin signs and stickers everywhere. Nothing. The only way I got any McCain paraphernalia this year was when I happened on a table  on vacation in Charleston a few weeks ago. That’s pathetic.

Look on Facebook. Look on the rest of the Internet (or series of tubes). Obama’s everywhere. We’ve got to search for conservatives.

We are the next generation of conservatives and Republicans. We are the ones who will lead this party into the future. With all due respect to the leaders of the party, we thank you, but you need to step aside, and allow the next generation to make inroads.

It will be hard, but we have to do it. Heck, what’s one of the main tenets of conservatism? Do it yourself. Don’t expect people to do things for you. Sacrifice and work hard to make success, don’t sit back and hope people will give you stuff.

I admit, I didn’t want to join a political party. Partly for my job, partly because I don’t agree with everything the republicans believe in (mainly on social issues). In fact, if the democrats had more Joe Liebermans and Scoop Jacksons, I may have a donkey sticker on my car. But now that the democrats are treating Joe Lieberman like they did Joe the Plumber, I’ve realized they’ve left me forever. So I made the big step and joined my county’s republican party. I’ve made the personal commitment to working in my community to shore up support amongst my neighbors. Yeah, I’m busy with my son’s activities and my work, but so were our parents and grandparents who worked for their republican campaigns.

Will I run for president? No freaking way. Congress? Perhaps. County commission? More likely. Regardless, it’s people like you and me who will build the revamped Republican party. It will take a lot of work to make up the ground the Democrats have gained. But it needs to be done, and done now. Use the frustration you have about this election and turn it into action.

Yes we can.

To my conservative bretheren: Stop it.

I’ve heard and read several of my fellow conservatives with bitter feelings and general sour grapes over the loss.

Stop it now.

I have some liberal friends who, when it came to politics and world events, say things like, “Well, I didn’t vote for him, so he’s not my president.” or “you guys (republicans) got us into this mess, you get us out.”

It’s no better than the 6 year old who takes his ball and goes home when he starts losing. It’s petty, immature and unbecoming.

Realize this: Obama’s election is a history-making event. It is amazing to me that we’ve gone from Jim Crow to this in just a couple generations. It’s an amazing accomplishment and something we, AS AMERICANS, should all be proud of. I will be in Washington D.C. for the inauguration because I don’t want to miss it.

As conservatives/republicans, we are tasked to be the loyal opposition. And we need to be intelligent, mature and smart about it. Our ideas are better, and we need to win because of that. If we are petty and shrill, it’s all too easy to be dismissed as racist, sexist, immature, elitist, etc.

Our arguments will be proven correct over time. Sit back, take some time for the wounds to heal, and go for it. Let the other side rub salt in our wounds if they wish. Be the better person and don’t take the bait.

Thanks to John McCain

In my previous post, I talked about how the GOP needs to completely revamp its platform and how they work to fit with the modern times and the new voting populace.

However, I also want to mention that I believe that while John McCain was pretty much doomed to lose from the get-go, he did a decent job given the circimstances.

John McCain the man is a true American hero, and should go down in history as such. I would hate to see him portrayed as the next Admiral Stockdale. Here’s a man who was crippled in a POW camp and served the state of Arizona and the country the best way he knew how. He was a man who refused to accept earmarks, and was his own man through most of his senate career. Disagree with him if you wish (and trust me, I do on many things), but respect him.

I will say that the campaign around him was horrible. In my county, that almost always overwhelmingly republican, McCain was absent. I went to the GOP headquarters 3 times — it’s right down the block from my house — and it was always closed. The only way I got a sticker was when I happened upon a McCain headquarters while visiting Charleston, SC.

Combine that with the poor economy, the general malaise over the Bush presidency, the fantastic organization of the democrats and the dynamic personality that is Obama, McCain really didn’t have a shot.

But again, Mr. McCain, thank you for an honorable campaign and one of the best concession speeches I’ve ever heard.

My Guy Didn’t Win.

As a reluctant supporter of John McCain, I came to that realization early yesterday evening when Pennsylvania went blue.

I could throw a fit, send off some vitriolic emails to friends, call Neal Boortz and Rush Limbaugh to complain, and talk about how our world is going to hell in a handbasket with “that guy” as president. Maybe I could put a “don’t blame me, I voted for McCain” sticker on my car.

But I’m not going to do that. And I’m calling on all my conservative/republican colleagues to stop it as well. Because, above all else, I love my country. We are all greater than just one party or one person.
Barack Obama is my president for the next four years. And since he’s run his campaign on “hope and change,” here’s what I am hopeful for and want to see changed.

I hope that President Obama makes the African American community (particularly young males) realize that hard work and education are important. For far too long, many black kids have thought that the only way to be successful was to be the next AI or the next TI. You make good grades? You’re acting “white.” Speak and write in proper English? You’re a sellout. I want to believe that Obama, as a real-time role model for African-American youth, will change that.

I hope this election will finally start to close the chapter on the undeclared race war in this country. I wasn’t alive during Jim Crow, and I grew up on the west coast, where racial animosity was minimal at best. I would love for people to see Obama as a true symbol of change, where we are finally perceived as a country that places value on the content of your character, not the color of your skin. In an ideal world, that would mean an end to all race-based admissions and hiring policies, but I’ll take it one step at a time.

I hope that President Obama will be able to give the rest of the world the kick in the pants it needs to face the threats looming in the coming years. Middle East terrorism and Iran; the rise of the Russian bear; and China/North Korea’s rising threats to Taiwan, South Korea and the rest of the Far East. We can’t deal with this alone. And we can’t deal with it just at the negotiating table. We need to speak softly, carry a big stick, and have the rest of the world behind us. Bush failed in this endeavor. I only hope that Obama has the spine to face our enemies and not blink.

I hope the Republican Party learns the right lessons. The GOP blew it big time over the past 15 years. When the Gingrich revolution came to power in 1994, it did so on the mantra of changing Washington and creating a smaller government. What did we get? Bloated social programs, trillion dollar debt, extra spending, earmarks and corruption everywhere you turn. When real, substantive overhaul was needed (see Social Security), they were too weak to play the game the Democrats were so good at. In the spirit of bipartisanship, the GOP acceded to the Democrats, and was taken advantage of.

What we need is a new Republican revolution. Obama won by capturing a new generation of the politically involved. The President-elect ran on an ideal. He was the face of a new movement, a new political movement. He beat the baby-boomers (the Clintons) at their own game in the primary, and the previous generation was no match. I am afraid that G.O.P. used one of its most important future leaders too early, and Sarah Palin will be useless in later elections. The media and the Democrats tried to portray her as this generation’s Dan Quayle, and largely succeeded (with no small help from her). Palin could have been a force four years from now, I’m afraid she will now be a footnote. But there are others, mainly Bobby Jindal in Louisiana. With the looming challenges domestically (mainly the debt and the pending Social Security implosion), we will need strong leadership on both sides. I’ve met Jindal, and believe he’s the real deal. We need others who understand Gen X and Y to step up, get involved and make their voices heard.

Sorry this is so long. I could go on for five more pages about this. But I hope and pray that President-elect Obama is up to the massive challenges he will face in the next 4 years, and that we as Americans support him.