First of all, a hearty congratulations are in order to President-elect Barack Obama.  The significance of his historic election is to be acknowledged and celebrated.

            What transpired on Tuesday, November 5 was not an ideological realignment in America.  Don’t believe when people tell you that the people of America want the country to move to the left.  We would all do well to remember how Obama got here: tax cuts and a promise to go line by line through the government to eliminate waste.  I confess up front my cynicism at a Democratic Administration working with a Democratic congress to hold the line on government waste—but this is a new day and I have—dare I say, hope?  The truth is, we really do not know how Obama will govern, since his time in the Senate has been brief and there appears to be no significant published positions of what he believes the purpose of government is as it relates to the people.  We do know that he did hang out with leftists and radicals previously; however, I believe that Obama is a very smart man and is (or should be) aware that the electorate has no appetite for European-styled socialism. 

As Jonah Goldberg wrote here, if Obama governs from the center, it will be good for America, if he governs from the left, it will be good for the Republican Party.  I’m old enough to remember 1993, when President Clinton took office he immediately tacked left and the electorate responded by putting the Republicans in power and empowering a conservative agenda from about 1995 to 2000.  Clinton, read the tealeaves and then moved back to the middle, co-opting such Republican issues as welfare reform and crime and was subsequently re-elected, all of us seem to look back so fondly on the 90s, right?

Here is Nathan’s silver lining on an Obama Presidency.  First, now we’ve elected an African-American as the most powerful man in the world.  Now, can we stop all the race-baiting and finally shut down the grievance industry?  I have no doubt that there are many people who could benefit from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton getting real jobs.  Second, since now the Democratic Party is in charge of things, they have to do something, it will be refreshing to see them doing instead of bitching about George W. Bush—in fact, I’m looking forward to political discourse which does not mention GWB by name (but I have one final thought about him, at the end of this note).  As an aside to my point, don’t look for the angry right wing bumper stickers akin to those produced by the left.  Reason?  We’re grown ups about this.  Well, most of us are and if you’re not, then don’t tell anyone you’re on the right—I don’t want you on my side.  Back to my main point, now that the Democrats have some political capital, they will now have to actually risk some of it by governing.  We’ll see soon enough if they do so wisely or foolishly as GWB did after 2004.  Third, we can look forward to the betting pools as to how long Vice President Joe Biden does or says something really, really stupid.  It’s like a return to the great-old Dan Quayle days, so fire away Joe.  Fourth, now can musicians, artists and movie stars get back to doing what they do best (entertain) and please, for the love of God, stop waxing political?  Is it just me or did the entertainment industry go into the toilet during the last eight years?  Reason? Too much politicking and not enough creating.  The Foo Fighters were so much better in the 1990s, you know it and I know it.  Now that there’s no pressure to craft a political message, they, like Green Day and others can get back to making albums that I will want to buy and not simply steal online.  Same with movies.  I like a George Clooney or a Sean Penn or a who acts and isn’t trying to evangelize me on the evils of GWB and Republicans.  In that vein, perhaps Keith Olbermann will go back to SportsCenter—wait, I didn’t like him there either.  But at least I won’t be flipping though channels and see one day where his head has exploded and it’s just a janitor on Countdown mopping up poor Keith.  Incidentally, there was a janitor mopping something up on the set of Hardball with Chris Matthews on Tuesday, but I’m not going to get into that (back story here).

Now, a final word about the last eight years.  This may sound angry, but it’s not, I say it all with the love of parent to child.  Do not let anyone deceive you, the Bush Administration was not a ‘conservative’ administration.  Being a social conservative does not give a politician or a party any credibility with me whatsoever.  What GWB gave us was a betrayal of what Reagan bequeathed us (see Rich Lowry’s article here), Reagan conservatism was and is a blueprint for electoral victory and domination for years to come.  GWB’s “conservatism” is a blueprint for close calls and bitter division.  GWB’s creation of a Federal Education policy (No Child Left Behind); Pharmaceutical Subsidies (Medicare Prescription Drug Program); an entire new government bureaucracy (Department of Homeland Security); disrespect of our borders (“Comprehensive” Immigration Reform); and the attempt to institute a national ID card (via the USA PATRIOT Act)—all of these betray conservatism yet they were pushed by a Republican Administration and enabled by a Republican Congress.  Is it any wonder the Republican base either stayed home or crossed over to the Democrats on Tuesday?

The party establishment’s treatment of people who dared question GWB’s parade of rash decisions—Iraq war, the Patriot Act, Immigration “Reform” and, finally (and most egregiously), the $700 billion (so far) bailout plan and the Nationalization of the credit industry.  The House Republicans momentarily stopped this—dare I say it?—fascist seizure of an industry before they were called to task by their president and presidential nominee.  Now, we see that the markets have lost $3.8 TRILLION since the bailout was passed.  Nice job everyone, you made us a little less stable financially and you pissed off the base—do you see how no one wanted to vote for you?

So where to from here?  Read The Conscious of a Conservative by Barry Goldwater (the godfather) to re-establish how that government is best which governs least.  Read the first inaugural address by Ronald Reagan.  Get your alternatives to Big Government ready, and be prepared to explain to a political generation born post-Reagan with no sense of history how Big Government if enabled to give a person everything they need is also powerful enough to take everything they’ve got.  They don’t know that because they haven’t studied the disastrous effects of the Great Society or the train-wreck that is Jimmy Carter—they’ve been watching MTV waiting in vain for music videos to appear.  We can show them that conservatism is born of liberty and it is above all about freedom for the individual.  We defend an individual’s right to self-determination; to make a choice about how they want to live their life; greater economic freedom; greater freedom of conscious.  We welcome the “social conservatives” insofar as we will not belittle their values and will support their right of exercise, but we do not impose their values on all of society—just as those who are in opposition to “socially conservative” values should not be permitted to impose their value systems.  Values belong to families and are not the within the purview of government. 

We need to re-establish the fact that government does not feel, does not live, does not create or empower.  It is what it is—useful bacteria.  Everyone needs some bacteria in their bodies to aid in digestion and takes care of the bad things we sometimes encounter, but too much bacteria is not a good thing, it can lead to sickness or even death.  Wow, just came up with that analogy as I was writing this.  Government should be looked at as a toilet, we should expect it to only do what it’s designed to do and nothing more—does anyone want coffee from their toilet?  Neither should we want nationalized healthcare or financial planning from the government.  If you’re wondering what the function of government is, I would refer all of us to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.  This is where the next generation of conservatism should begin—and for the love of God, let’s emphasize the libertarian aspects of our movement long and loud.

So that’s about it.  Recap: 1) happy for President Obama, I wish him Godspeed and the wisdom to govern effectively; 2) hope he governs from the middle; 3) silver linings about—notably in the realm of pop culture; 4) Bush Administration—not conservative; 5) Re-establish what it means to be a conservative: personal freedom, limited government; and 6) Educate the masses on the evils of a nanny state with a reminder that we are not going to be their “morality.”

Now, I’m done talking politics for a while, know any good jokes?

Tonight I was privileged to witness the majesty of student government.  Here are my observations:

(1) self importance

(2) waste of time

(3) no real definitive statements

(4) there are not enough Jews in University Park

(5) apparently there is a pissing contest between UP and Carlisle

(6) no side conversations are allowed

(7) the treasurer has his mom's ass

(8) things are going to last a lot longer because there is an argument brewing between the northern tribes and the southern tribes; but we have the temple

(9) lots of people have a lot to say

(10) we should be nice to each other as long as we obey our SBA overlords

(11) Patrick is my hero

(12) bagels are, apparently, a huge ordeal

(13) trophies are not allowed by the SBA unless they make an exception

(14) I don't like A/V hook up thing.

(15) I have lost interest in this meeting...

More clever banter during spring break.  Maybe.