Rogers' Rants : Rogers' Rants

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Newt Sees the Gathering Darkness

It's obvious that Newt Gingrich reads this blog and is stealing my ideas. I've had these same pessimistic observations for a long while now. That is, he foreshadows doom for the G.O.P. in '08. Newt is a politician, so he states it much more diplomatically than I. But he foresees the same end result:

Second, there is a grave danger for the McCain campaign that if the generic ballot stays at only 32 % for the GOP it will ultimately outweigh McCain's personal appeal and drag his candidacy into defeat.

If the leading lights of conservatism are suspecting doom this soon, well...

Posted By Chad At 9:37 PM • Comments (0) Trackbacks (0)

Monday, May 05, 2008

Less Nudity? How About Less Government?

Here's the latest crazy legislation, by Sen. John Smith (D) of Leesville. It was sent to me by a character I often talk to when I'm doing radio, who calls himself "The Flaming Liberal." Here's the story:

Smith wants a statewide regimen of strict new regulations on businesses that sell sexually oriented entertainment and products, including exotic dance cabarets, adult book and video stores, and movie houses.Six of the bill's 13 pages are devoted to definitions of terms used in the law, including nudity, which is forbidden and seminudity is OK, but only if the seminude person remains on a fixed stage at least 6 feet from all patrons.Semi-nudes can't touch patrons.

No, I don't approve of stripping.

But I don't approve of hauling some twenty something college girl off to jail and charging her with a felony for getting naked and getting too close to a patron. There's just something creepy about jailing people for behavior that is taking place between consenting adults, in a place where ONLY consenting adults are allowed.

Call me crazy. It won't be the first time, and there may be some truth to it.

--Chad

Posted By Chad At 8:03 PM • Comments (2) Trackbacks (0)

Republicans Have Likely Lost Sixth District for Good

Politcally, I would describe myself as conservative with a few libertarian impulses here and there. Some people think that means that I am supposed to play along with any delusions that come out of Louisiana Republican machine. Sorry folks, but it ain't gonna happen.

The latest delusion concerns the results of the recent sixth district congressional race. Democrat Don Cazayoux has taken the seat formerly occupied by Republican Richard Baker. Moderate Republicans are claiming that Woody Jenkins lost to Cazayoux because he was too extreme.

They claim that if a more moderate Republican runs against Cazayoux in November, that the G.O.P. can take back the sixth district seat. Most of their hopes hang on Michael Jackson (an African American) running as an independent and taking black votes away from Cazayoux. If this happens, the G.O.P.'s moderate candidate will win back the seat.

That's a nice little fairy tale.

Here's the reality.

Michael Jackson thinks that his independent candidacy is a threat to Cazayoux in November. He also knows that he can't win. The likely reason behind any potential Jackson candidacy is leverage, pure and simple. He wants something, and will probably get it in exchange for dropping out of the race. The Louisiana Democratic party will make Jackson an offer he can't refuse to get out of the race and he'll probably take it.

But if Jackson runs and stays until the end, that doesn't improve the G.O.P's odds of winning the seat back. Those who think that Cazayoux can be beaten are overlooking one simple fact: in politics, most "get out the vote" operations are for sale.

All Cazayoux has to do is write checks to the people in the black communities responsible for getting out the vote, and Michael Jackson will become irrelevant.

And just who is the "moderate" candidate who the G.O.P. will run against Cazayoux? The rumor mill says that it's Louisiana Secretary of State Jay Dardenne.

Oh really? Let's remember that Dardenne has a history of floating his name for national elections, and then dropping out. His name was recently floated as a contender for the upcoming U.S. Senate race. It didn't happen. One suspects that he isn't especially crazy about running in vigorous, hard- fought campaigns against formidable candidates.

As proof, I submit the first time Dardenne ran for Secretary of State. In the election, his top rivals were Republican Mike Francis and former State Senator Francis Heitmeier. Dardenne came into that race with many adantages that he doesn't have for a congressional run. And neither Francis nor Heitmeier put up the kind of fight that Cazayoux will put up. For Cazayou will go into the race as the incumbent and therefore the favorite, with the kind of financial backing that such a candidate always has. And the Democratic Congressional Committee will fight tooth and nail to retain the seat.

Dardenne has never faced such a challenge, at least not in recent memory. If his past is any indication, he probably doesn't want to start now. I'm not a betting man, but if I were I'd bet on Dardenne not running once he sees what he's up against. And if Dardenne doesn't run, that leaves no one.

Republican opposition to Cazayoux in November of '08 will probably be token.

But even if Dardenne runs, the odds are stacked against him. What are the chances of the sixth district electing two U.S. congressman in the space of six months?

They are small.

The G.O.P. has likely lost the sixth district for good. Denial doesn't change anything.

--Chad

Posted By Chad At 9:51 AM • Comments (2) Trackbacks (0)

Friday, May 02, 2008

Missing the Point in the Gun Debate

Much of the debate about guns on college campuses is centered on the question of whether or not it will make things safer. In this great report by WAFB's Caroline Moses, the Southern University Police Chief complains that he won't know who is armed and who isn't.

Something needs to be explained. Concealed weapons are legal in Louisiana with the proper permit. Why should a lawful act suddenly become unlawful when a person walks onto a university campus? It shouldn't.

We shouldn't need a law allowing persons on a university campus to do something that is already legal in this state.

It makes no sense.

--Chad

Posted By Chad At 10:57 AM • Comments (3) Trackbacks (0)

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Which Would You Prefer? High Gas Prices? Or High Gas Prices?

Gas prices are nearing the $4.00 a gallon mark. Libertarians will argue that the free market takes care of things, and that is true. Drilling for more oil and increasing the supply would drive prices down in a free market economy.

But the market is not free- because drilling for oil in places like ANWR is forbidden. The free market can't work its magic if it doesn't exist- and it doesn't. This situation with ANWR is just one example of why. All presidential aspirants will ensure that there will be no free market solutions to high gas prices for many years.

Every presidential candidate left in the race opposes drilling for more oil, including the Republican candidate.

In January, The Weekly Standard Wrote:

JOHN MCCAIN'S STRIDENT opposition to drilling in ANWR provides a belated opportunity for clarity. Republicans would be better off viewing McCain as a Scoop Jackson Democrat living under the Republican "big tent." They should consider any typical Republican positions he takes aside from his unstinting correctness on national security issues a bonus. Especially if McCain should become president, this mindset could help millions of Republicans retain their sanity over the ensuing four years.

So. The Republican nominee is a Democrat who opposes free market solutions to high energy prices.

I feel great about '08!

Hey, that sounds like a campaign slogan!

ADDENDUM

Governor Bobby Jindal's name keeps getting floated again and again as a possible VP nominee. If nothing else, Jindal is intelligent when it comes to choices that further his career ambitions. It is the opinion of this writer that McCain's orbit isn't a safe place to be for someone who hopes to attain the presidency one day (if Mr. Jindal does).

Posted By Chad At 11:01 PM • Comments (5) Trackbacks (0)

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Jindal Must Act on Stelly Tax Bill

A bit of unpleasant news via the AP:

The Senate's tax committee on Monday approved a big income-tax break, despite objections from Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration that the state can't afford the $302 million loss of revenue.

The bill by Sen. Buddy Shaw would restore tax brackets that were changed as part of the so-called "Stelly plan" approved by voters in 2002. Under the bill, people who make between $12,500 and $50,000 would move from the 6 percent tax bracket down to the 4 percent bracket.

Jindal has often been criticized for his approach to ethics: he says one thing, and does another. I've never been one to criticize on such a basis.

Being inconsistent is one thing.

But acting in ways that clearly and unambiguously parrot BOTH former governors Kathleen Blanco and Mike Foster are a problem for this writer.

Former Governor Mike Foster is responsible for the onerous Stelly tax plan. As the above article suggests, it raised income taxes on the middle class. Former Governor Kathleen Blanco had opportunities to roll it back, but didn't in any meaningful way.

The problem with the tax has been repeatedly pointed out by CONSERVATIVES. Many folks voted for Governor Jindal operating under the assumption that he was, in fact, conservative.

In fact it was a conservative group called the Louisiana Family Forum that did a study on the Stelly Tax Plan, in which they pointed out the host of problems the plan did for working families (see it here).

We've been listening to Rush Limbaugh tell us who live down here that Jindal is the next Ronald Reagan.

DUMB QUESTION: What is exactly is Reaganesque about not cutting taxes aimed at the middle class? What's Reaganesque about objecting to tax cuts because "the state" can't afford it? Such an attitude could be perceived as "statist," which again, doesn't fit my idea of what they call "Reagan conservatism."

The good news is that Mr. Jindal has chance to make things right.

But if he fails to act, it will not be forgotten and he will not likely be able to live it down.

--Chad E. Rogers

Posted By Chad At 9:19 AM • Comments (1) Trackbacks (0)