Kentucky's First Republican Presidential Caucus on Saturday March 5th

Tomorrow March 5th will be for Kentucky Republicans the opportunity to participate in the state's first ever Presidential Caucus.  Until 2016, Kentucky voters in either party voted for their choice of party nominee for President along with the primary candidates of state and local offices in May.  However thanks to a questionable statute in Kentucky's Constitution and the efforts of Senator Rand Paul to run for both President and seek re-election as US Senator, republican voters of the commonwealth will get the opportunity to have more of a voice in who becomes the National Republican Party nominee for President.  Question many ask is why does this presidential caucus give voters more of a voice?  By the time May comes around, the GOP already has a clear front runner and candidates simply do not bother with coming to Kentucky to campaign.  This election cycle is different.  Having a March caucus allows Kentucky Republicans to have more of an impact on the choice of nominees and candidates have had to come to Kentucky to speak to voters.  Obviously with this being the first ever caucus in Kentucky, there will be problems, there will be issues, questions, misunderstandings, and frustrations.  Take my situation for example.  I live in one of nine counties of the 120 counties that does not have a caucus location.  This is due to my county simply not having a republican party apparatus in place to organize and staff and approve of a location for voters.  I am having to drive to an adjacent Jackson County in order to participate.  Perhaps this will spark individuals in my county to revive the presence of a Republican Party organization in Estill County.  It is my hope that republicans of this Commonwealth will seize this first time opportunity to have an impact on a national election.

Why Senator #TedCruz Will NOT Be the 2016 #GOP Nominee

Texas Senator Ted Cruz won the Iowa Caucus on Monday February 1st.  However, I would not necessarily bet on Senator Cruz winning the GOP nomination.  My reasons may be considered by some to be out in left field, but hear me out.  The Republican voters of Iowa have a horrible track record of voting for those unsuited for the GOP Nomination.  Take the last 2 election cycles going back to 2008.  Mike Huckabee in 2008 and Rick Santorum in 2012 both won the Iowa Caucus popular vote.  However, neither of them even came close to winning the GOP nomination.  It was Senator Cruz's fear peddling, war-mongering, religious zealotry that won the caucus goers over.  It was the same tactic used by Santorum and Huckabee in 2012 and 2008 respectively.

Today, in 2016, Americans have worn thin of the obviously failed "War on Terror" that has been going on since the 2002 invasion of Iraq.  After more than 10 years of undeclared foreign conflicts that have sent thousands of our bravest men and women back home in body bags, Americans are not thirsty for war.  The blood lust that was fresh after 9/11 has all but disappeared.  Our Youth today that side with the likes of Bernie Sanders and Rand Paul will NEVER vote for the likes of Ted Cruz.  Thanks to the internet and social media, Senator Cruz cannot hide the fact that he has on many occasions stolen talking points from Senator Rand Paul and attempted to claim leadership over movements such as de-funding planned parenthood and audit the fed.  After missing the Audit the Fed vote on January 12th, any true liberty minded conservative voter gave up their respect they had for Cruz.

What is becoming more apparent by the day is that Senator Cruz will use any sneaky tactic he can to gain an advantage including sending out mailers that attempt to shame voters for not participating in past caucuses, claiming that Dr. Ben Carson was ending his campaign, and flip flopping his position on Edward Snowden to get votes.  This will soon bite him in the rear and may do so as soon as the New Hampshire primary coming up.  His constant preaching about how Godly he is and how he wants to carpet bomb ISIS and make the sands glow will not be welcome in other primaries as it was in Iowa.

What is also becoming clearer is how arrogant Ted Cruz really is.  He took the position that he was the rightful heir of the Ron Paul vote.  How asinine do you really have to be to believe that as long as Ron Paul's son Rand Paul is running in the race that someone else will be the heir to his votes?  After last night's victory, The Cruz camp boasted that Cruz got a record number of Caucus votes.  Its as if he seriously believes the record turn out was because of him.

Every GOP nominee has been able to work with the majority of congress to get things accomplished in DC.  Perhaps even more so than Ron Paul, Ted Cruz can't work with anyone in DC to get anything done.  His antics on the Senate floor calling Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell a "Liar" is just an example of the unwelcome attitude he has presented in DC.  The difference between Ron Paul and Ted Cruz here is that Ron Paul never broke decorum to make his points.  Ron stood on unwavering principles to hold the fiscal/constitutional line.  Senator Cruz also has a very big problem and its the same problem Senator Rubio has.  That problem is his poor Senate attendance record.  Cruz has taken the position that if a vote isnt close or will politically favor him, that he will simply not show up to work.  Iowans might not care that Cruz and Rubio have chosen to run for a promotion instead of doing the work they take tax money to do, but that simply wont work in other primary states.

In the final GOP debate prior to the Iowa Caucus, Ted Cruz resembled more of a cry baby than a defacto front runner on stage after Donald Trump decided to boycott.  Complaining about panel questions and even getting into it with a moderator because his name was mentioned in a question and wanted to respond even though there was no debate rules allowing for such.  It was also exposed through video evidence that Ted Cruz flip flopped on his positions on Amnesty.

In conclusion, Senator Cruz better enjoy this victory, because if historical trends hold true, he will not get the GOP Nomination.  IF and this is a big IF, if Cruz is some how the GOP Nominee, he will lose embarrassingly to either Hillary Clinton, or if she is indicted, Senator Sanders.  THAT, is my unapologetic opinion!

Senator #TedCruz The Conservative Coward! #AuditTheFed

Republican Conservatives should be OUTRAGED at Senate Absenteeism by Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio

Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz have missed quite a bit of Senate votes in 2015 because of campaigning to be the Republican Party nominee for office. Senator Rubio attributed his absenteeism to basically saying his job is irrelevant. Note that he says his job is irrelevant but not his pay! Ted Cruz continues to refuse to address the issue. In the CNBC debate last year, Rubio basically took the position that since the media didnt crucify Senator Barack Obama for missing votes in the Senate that he shouldn’t be getting the questions now. Conservatives typically hold the position that people that have jobs should show up to work to do their job. They typically also hold that position to a higher level when it comes to elected politicians paid by the tax payers. So why the silence on the issue? Why would conservatives continue to accept an elected official or in this case two elected officials running for the nations highest office to be so derelict in their duties? The answer remains to be seen, but my extremely unpopular opinion on this is simply, Conservatives over the years have become much more aligned with their Liberal counterparts than either care to realize.

Senator Rand Paul also running for the Republican Nomination said it best in a recent ABC interview. “Tax payers are paying me, I figure I should do my job”.

Many Republicans are Hypocrites

I have wondered for many months now on whether I should write something like this. Considering that I am heavily considering a run for office as a Republican, one would think that writing something like this would be at the least counter intuitive. But seeing how the trends are leading up to the first primary elections of the new year, I have seen that I have no choice but to write this. I wont bother people with cliches like “No offense” or “I dont mean to offend you but”. The simple fact is that many republicans are indeed hypocrites. Ever since Barack Obama was elected President in 2009, it has been the rallying cry of “conservatives” that he is ruining America with his “Liberal Agenda” and reckless spending. Every time the President has something to say, Republicans out there are at the immediate to criticize and shoot down his efforts. Believe me, I do not support President Obama and agree that many of his efforts and that of the Democrat controlled Congress up until 2015 have led to the dire state of our government and our national debt. 

However Democrats and the President are not alone to blame for this. Republicans and Republican voters have supported many establishment and long serving politicians like former speaker John Boehner, and now senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. Republicans are also responsible for the abomination that is now House Speaker Paul Ryan. Other honorable mentions for horrible republican politicians that the GOP has supported include Rep. Peter King, Senator John McCain, Senator Lindsey Graham. The GOP sure loves to talk a good game on wanting limited government and their constitutional rights back. 

When it comes to actually demanding it and voting for it, they simply fall flat. The current presidential election cycle is proving no different for the GOP. The “polls” show that life long liberal Donald J Trump is leading….LEADING…. All Trump had to do is throw around phrases like “Build A Wall” and “Ban Muslims” and “Make Mexico Pay for it” and “Make America Great Again” and the GOP developed amnesia…. The Media has saved Trump alot of money by giving him all the Media Welfare that he desires by putting him in front of their cameras everyday. But enough about Trump, who else does the GOP support that doesnt represent true Conservative values? The GOP seems to like Marco Rubio even though he clearly supports Amnesty as proof with his support for the “Gang of 8” Bill. Considering the amount of vitriol thrown by the GOP at welfare recipients and elitists…One would wonder why they would support someone who misses so much work as a Senator? OF course, this might also apply to Senator Ted Cruz as well as he has only a slightly better Senate attendance record. But what cannot be ignored about Ted Cruz is that his wife works with Goldman Sachs that received a huge bailout in 2008 and he worked with the Bush family. But to me that only shows he is simply not the “outsider” that he claims to be. What grieves me more about Senator Cruz is his actions in 2015. During Senator Rand Paul’s filibuster, Cruz came on the floor to back stab Paul by whoring out the USA Freedom Act and claiming secret national security intelligence as proof that provisions of the Patriot Act need to continue swearing that this bill fixed aspects of the Patriot Act that were against the Constitution. The ultimate irony in this of course is that he believes that because HE had something to do with the bill that there would be no way whatsoever that the Federal Government wouldn’t abuse it. Then there is the TPP support that Senator Cruz worked with Mitch McConnell to get passed. He later would take to the Senate floor breaking decorum by openly calling McConnell a liar.

Just what is my point here? The point is that there is only one lone Republican in the GOP race for President in 2016 that has fought to defend the ENTIRE Bill of Rights. That has a proven fiscal and constitutional conservative record of service as an elected official. Only one candidate that does not thirst for war including the decade plus “War on Terror” which to this day continues to go undeclared. One lone republican that believes that our criminal justice system needs reforming. That you and I should get to dictate what we do and do not put inside our own bodies. That Republican is Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Republicans are not supporting him as they should. It is becoming safer by the day to say that many republicans are not any more functionally different than their democrat counter parts. 

As long as they are comfortable in their surroundings, they will continue to allow the Status Quo in DC to stand. As long as they continue to have broadband internet, satellite/cable tv, fast food, air conditioning, NFL, NCAA, MLB, NASCAR, etc., they will be very reluctant to push for any meaningful reforms and changes in the Status Quo. So while Trump has the nation fighting over who is the biggest sexist and enemy of women between him and the Clintons, Rand Paul is the adult doing his job in the US Senate of putting forth bills to prevent President Obama’s executive actions from infringing upon your second amendment rights and garnering more support for his “Audit the Fed” bill in January. Oh and he is showing up for votes and doing free eye surgeries in his free time. But yet the polls show Rand Paul struggling to stay in the top 5. BOTTOM LINE!! Republicans either need to step up to the plate and support the lone fiscal/constitutional conservative in the race, or they should resign to placing themselves on the “Bitch and Moan” bench for the next 8 years because no one else in the GOP race will be able to beat out Hillary Clinton. I stake my Twitter life on it..You can follow me @IrvinePatriot on twitter.

The #GOP Trump Factor

Ever since joining the GOP Race for the Presidency, Donald J Trump has been toward the top...Then at the Top of the polls... His obvious controversial comments about Illegal Immigrants has obviously struck a favorable chord with those in the Republican Party.  Of course then came the circus freak show that was the first GOP debate in Cleveland Ohio by FoxNews.  The unusual back and forth tension between Donald Trump and Megyn Kelly only served to invalidate the entire debate.  The events that occurred after the Debate only served to thus far thrust the GOP race into the tabloid reality TV realm.  Whether it was Trump's perceived comments about blood coming out of Megyn's wherever or whether it was Erick Erickson's revoking Trump's invite to the RedState gathering of 2015, or the Rosie O'Donnell spat about smearing period blood in people's faces.. Take your pick...All of these events have simply made for great entertainment television, but not good politics.  Of course does all of the times Trump has sided with the Democrats matter?  Does all the times Trump admitted to buying access to politicians for personal financial gain matter?  Does all the times that Trump took up leftist positions on Abortion, Guns, Healthcare, Taxes, matter?  Does all the times that Trump has switched parties matter?  It should... But what we have seen from those I have personally labeled as "Trump Humpers" is nothing short of a pure repeat of what we saw during both of Obama's campaigns for the presidency..Pure unadulterated blind devotion with a side of vile hateful often racist behavior.  Their desire for victory has clearly overshadowed their conservative values and can only be described as putting their Emotions over their Intelligence.. Of course this is only one step above Obama supporters which only have Emotions...

Then on the other side of the spectrum, you have the GOP Establishment pundits like George Will on Fox News telling people that Trump Supporters should join the rest of the GOP on the terms of the establishment...Not theirs... Of course this does absolutely nothing but make people support Trump even more.  Every time that someone of notoriety comes out and publicly attacks Trump, He retorts with something to the affect of they are Stupid or they are slobs or they have no chance..  and his fan base eats it up with the fervor not seen since the height of Hitler's rise in Germany.  Trump could cut the heads off of puppies and his fan base would cheer and take to social media with him holding the decapitated head declaring that he would be the leader that changes DC.  Ann Coulter took to twitter declaring that she didn't care if Trump allowed abortions as long as he took to task his "Immigration Reform".  This is precisely the sort of sycophant behavior that must not be allowed to continue to have influence in this race.

To Attack Trump or Not to Attack Trump....That my friends is the question... Many of Trump's beleaguered followers believe that Rand Paul has sunk in the polls as a result of his attacks on Trump at the Debate and afterward.  Simultaneously, they also believe that Ted Cruz's rise in the polls are a result of his refusal to attack Trump.  This in my humblest of opinions is hogwash because Rand Paul's numbers began to mysteriously drop after he came forward with his 14.5% Fair and Flat Tax plan.  It wasnt because his plan was bad...It was because his plan was bad for the special interests that are best served by politicians that are easily bought and sold that influence those polling organizations.  Both Trump and FoxNews released polling graphics of the first Iowa poll post Debate conducted by the CNN/ORC and they showed Rand Paul with 5%.....But They chose instead to show Jeb Bush who only polled at 4%.  This is nothing new to Fox News because they did the exact same thing to Rand's father Ron when he ran in 2008 and 2012.

In conclusion, This GOP Race has been a complete disgrace thus far.  As long as Donald Trump remains in the race, it will continue to be a complete disgrace.  If you believe that Fox News hates Donald Trump, then I have some ocean front property in Arizona to sell.  

#TedCruz and the #Cuckservative