BlueRidgeForum

We commend the conservative American Thinker for their willingness to publish articles against the grain of the presumed “mainstream” right — in this case, on the matter of whether Obama is a natural-born citizen.

(See late-breaking news, “Justice Scalia Refers Emergency Stay Application to the Full Court” here and here )

Today the American Thinker’s Randall Hoven in his “Obama and the Natural Born Citizen Clause” gives us his perspective. Continue Reading »

Last month, we wrote about Virginia military absentee ballots here and here and here, and the work of the National Defense Committee and others in behalf of military voters.

This week Hans A. von Spakovsky, former Federal Elections Commission member and Heritage Foundation visiting legal scholar, urged the Virginia attorney general to intervene against the position of the Virginia State Board of Elections.  Here is the text of von Spakovsky’s December 2 memorandum: Continue Reading »

UPDATE DECEMBER 15! John Fund asks today in his “McCain Returns to his ‘Base’” —

‘Is John McCain trying to re-ingratiate himself with the national news media that was so critical and hostile during his campaign against Barack Obama?

On ABC’s ‘This Week’ program yesterday, Mr. McCain failed to back up officials at the Republican National Committee who have been pounding Mr. Obama for his associations with corrupt Illinois political figures such as Governor Rod Blagojevich. Mr. McCain said the criticism was ill-timed and off-base. ‘Right now, I think we should try to be working constructively together, not only on an issue such as this, but on the economy stimulus package, reforms that are necessary,” he told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos.’I don’t know all the details of the relationship between President-elect Obama’s campaign or his people and the governor of Illinois, but I have some confidence that all the information will come out. It always does, it seems to me.’”

Extract from the WSJ’s Political Diary (subscription only).

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UPDATE! “Chambliss: Palin ‘allowed us to peak’” reports Andy Barr in Politico here — “‘I can’t overstate the impact she had down here,’ Chambliss said during an interview Wednesday morning on Fox News.’When she walks in a room, folks just explode,’ he added. ‘And they really did pack the house everywhere we went. She’s a dynamic lady, a great administrator, and I think she’s got a great future in the Republican Party.’ Chambliss said that after watching her campaign on his behalf at several events Monday, he does not see her star status diminishing within the party.” (Hat Tip Rick Moran at the American Thinker.)

Chambliss Reelected–But Will He Help Conservatives?

The good news from yesterday is that Georgia Republican senator Saxby Chambliss won decisively.  The myth of Obama movement invincibility was set back — at least for the present.  Of course, a statewide election in generally conservative Georgia is a low bar for testing how well the Obama movement can be slowed.

The unanswered question now is whether the good Mr. Chambliss will stand with conservatives against more bailouts to nowhere, for expanding our energy supply, and continue to stand firm against amnesty. Continue Reading »

Here are three illuminating takes: one from a conservative national-security perspective, one from a more grassroots-oriented conservative perspective, both suggesting what the president should do before leaving office; and one from a left perspective, reassuring Obama progressives about Obama’s foreign and defense post selections. Continue Reading »

We returned yesterday from the 86th meeting of the Maryland Center-Right Coalition (started eight years ago this month). We listened to eleven thoughtful presentations and many spirited exchanges, from participants ranging from their 20s to their 70s, including people of color and two Republican county chairs — all on  “where we go from here and  how we try to get there.”

Like center-right coalitions across the U.S., local values and fiscal and gun-rights (and, in Maryland, defense) voices come together to hammer out common positions.  What we heard was very blunt talk about rebuilding a Maryland and national Republican Party, chiefly focussed on smaller government and on preserving the culture.

There was no whining from these activists, but a hard determination to get the Party back to basics — or else. Continue Reading »

Last Thursday The Washington Post’s Ann Marimow wrote here in her “Montgomery Measure a Sign of the Times” –

“Whether an anti-tax measure on the ballot in Montgomery County eventually passes or fails, its relative success in Tuesday’s election is a sign of voters’ anxiety and rising unease with the tax policies of county leaders.

The measure, which would make it more difficult to raise the limit on property tax revenue in the traditionally liberal county, was leading by a few hundred votes yesterday. But the final outcome won’t be determined until more than 49,000 absentee and provisional ballots are counted in the next two weeks.”

 Yesterday Maryland Politics Watch declared here –

“Just as we predicted, Robin Ficker’s anti-tax charter amendment is picking up votes as the absentee ballots are counted.

When the precinct count was finished, 170,216 votes supported the Ficker Amendment and 169,603 opposed it - a margin of 613. Domestic absentees supported Ficker by 18,214 to 14,673 - adding 3,541 votes to what is now a total margin of 4,154. While precinct voters supported the amendment by a 50.1-49.9% percentage, domestic absentees supported it by 55.4-44.6%.

Ficker is now certain to win.”

Here is the text of Mr. Ficker’s Question B.

Kudos to this mega-county taxpayer advocate for never giving up.  His Charter amendment embodies the spirit of a Taxpayer Bill of Rights:  no government growth in excess of inflation.

UPDATE! Patrick Ruffini “Change Won’t Come from the Top Down” in TheNextRight –
“Today on the right we have social conservative groups, economic groups — subdivided into tax cutters and spending hawks, national security groups, gun groups, etc. but no truly mass-based conservative movement. Perhaps the best exponent of across-the-board conservatism is Rush, but he has no lists and no way to mobilize his audience directly to donate and volunteer. When conservatism was a minority we may have needed single issue groups to pick off, say, pro-gun union members. But since Reagan, an entire generation has grown up thinking of themselves as nothing but conservatives. And they have no representation among the 1980s-era groups. Whatever happened at that country estate will be irrelevant to the future of the movement.”  Read it all here.

Election Post-Mortems — Best Served Cold 

Conservatives in Maryland and Virginia have had nearly a week to reflect on last Tuesday’s not-entirely-unexpected results. 

Here are a few insights, all selected from National Review on Line, that you might find interesting and useful. Continue Reading »

UPDATE! “The U.S. Justice Department has replaced John McCain’s presidential campaign as the plaintiff in a lawsuit demanding that Virginia election officials count late absentee ballots from military personnel serving outside the state,”reports an AP dispatch in the November 17, 2008 Washington Times here.

Last month, we wrote about Fairfax County and military absentee ballots here and here, and the work of the National Defense Committee and others in behalf of military voters.

Today the National Defense Committee reports in its press release “US Attorney General Needs to Intervene to Protect Virginia Military Voters” that – Continue Reading »

Guest Columnist Patti Snodgrass Borda reflects on how a Palin rally in Leesburg is part of her personal odyssey.

Women, mothers, daughters, fathers, sons—families—rallied in Leesburg, Va., for Alaska governor Sarah Palin.  The day was October 27 in raw fall weather. The darkness-through-dawn wait before the vice presidential candidate’s arrival only increased the excitement of seeing her in person at last.

Governor Palin exuded humble graciousness, gratefulness, enthusiasm and optimism. Yes, optimism— for a victory in the upcoming election, and an underlying sense—shared, it seemed, by her fans—that if she and John McCain did not prevail, it would not dampen anyone’s basic optimism, faith in our country or in something even more durable. Optimism was the order of the day, despite the early morning chill and the threat of rain.

Some among the crowd of children present were old enough to understand what is at stake and what the governor represents. Some were too young to do anything but cling to loving mothers, who came to cheer another loving mother.

For Governor Palin represents a whole different angle on “success” for modern women—for me, as I am one.

It is a success that, while encompassing an outstanding career, embraces—rather than rejects—family, children, and husband; love of country, democracy, and freedom; appreciation of America’s singular role in a dangerous world; belief in the sanctity of life; and the deeply held faith of our fathers.

As a lifelong conservative, growing up in the era of ERA, when girls were urged to head for careers and shake off the “homemaker” bridle, I have long pondered the subject of political party affiliation, party inclination and what makes us lean the way we do.  

My own existence became the material for my informal researches as I went about living my life among liberal friends who dominated the theater and journalistic trades where I toiled 20 years (for low wages) before marriage. 

Never mind that “just getting married” (and volunteering in the community, church, politics, and PTA) was what I wanted to do.  Prep school and the times provided poor training to realize these choices. When I uttered my secret hopes, female friends on the career track belittled me. During political discussions (it was the Reagan era, and the liberals were sure it would spell the end of the arts and bring about apocalyptic nuclear war), I used to preface my remarks—when I dared to make any—with, “I’m a Republican with a conscience.”  I convinced a few to admit I was, but they claimed I was the only one.

I just had to laugh with them at myself when I uttered my “different” values. Incredulous, they were, amidst their guffawing and knee slaps when I said I would forego a late-night cast party so as to be able to get up early on Sunday morning. “What—are you going to church!” they snorted hilariously.  When I answered yes, not one of them supported the idea. Drinking, desecration, and mocking patriotism made more sense to them.

Since those days, I have drifted toward more like-minded people, but having those old friends, and knowing those sad people have souls to save, I have not stopped thinking about how we all come to see things so differently.

I can divide my acquaintances and most candidates into two camps: optimists and pessimists. The optimists see the USA as a country ever striving for greatness (with a record of often achieving it). The pessimists see the USA as fatally flawed, ever trying to fix something broken, nurse grievances and lick old wounds.

At the rally, the optimists surrounded Sarah Palin.

Parents by the hundreds apparently thought a day with governor Palin was worth a missed day of school. Veterans, mothers and spouses of service members at war shouted their optimism for success. Even a few brave people of color showed up optimistically despite likely “politically correct” admonitions not to.

There was “Tito the builder,” who introduced governor Palin. He described himself as a proud U.S. citizen, “born in Colombia, but ‘made’ in America,” owning a construction business in Northern Virginia.

Amidst concerns about the financial crisis, new threats of war, pessimistic media political predictions, raw weather, and reminders of “special-needs” children, around the Palin stage  there was nonetheless more happiness than bitterness, more looking for better times without griping—more genuine gratitude than “hope” or expectation, come what may.

Few can go to the heart of today’s crises as well as Mark Steyn, Mark Levin, Peter Kirsanow, and their NRO colleagues.

Here are their insights on yesterday’s election and their guidance for our next steps – Continue Reading »