Guest Blog: Tag Team Debating

Tag Team Debating

Part of a series of articles on Political Events in Connecticut by Tim D. Enchanter

Watching the political debates, I noticed something that nobody seems to be talking about.  Then again, most people are concentrating on just the Presidential Debates between President Obama and Governor Romney.  Some people are talking about the Vice-Presidential Debate between Vice-President Biden and Congressman Ryan.

But just two hours before the Vice-Presidential Debate I also watched the Senatorial Debate between Congressman Chris Murphy and Linda McMahon.  This gave me a perspective on the Vice-Presidential Debate that continued to be validated in all the subsequent debates, Presidential, Senatorial, and Congressional.  It seemed like I was watching Tag Team Debates.

Maybe the involvement of McMahon, famous CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly known as the World Wrestling Federation), inspired this thought.  But it was the consistency of the other side which made me think this way.

It is one thing to have similar ideology, similar ideas, and similar solutions to similar problems.  That is expected of a political party.  But it is quite another matter to see the same personal attacks used against different opponents, no matter who they are, even when those attacks make no sense.

For example, Chris Murphy accusing Linda McMahon of being part of the fictitious “War On Women” is blatantly slanderous and incredibly stupid considering that Linda IS a woman.  Even when she points this out, Murphy continues the mantra like a brainwashed cult follower.  This quickly stops sounding like an argument and starts sounding like a script reading.

Watching Murphy versus McMahon seemed to me to be watching Obama versus Romney, except Romney wasn’t there and Obama looked like a pasty white college kid trying to act tough.  In fact, if you have ever gotten a call from a college kid paid to read from a phone script you would see the similarities immediately.  Trying to get one of these hapless drones to talk to you is an exercise in frustration.  If the answer isn’t written on the sheet in the designated order, your only hope of intelligent conversation is the phrase, “Let me get my manager.”CONTINUED:

Guest Blog: All Politics are Local except when they are Not

All Politics are Local except when they are Not
Part of a series of articles on Political Events in Connecticut by Tim D. Enchanter

For many months, I have been walking the streets of my neighborhood as part of a health regimen. Once in a while, one or two of my neighbors will stop by and compliment me on both my resolve and the obvious weight loss. During one of these little talks, I received a little insight which inspired this series of articles.
During another chance meeting, Karen and Rick Patrick gave me permission to use their names and one of their business cards. They run a landscaping company named Garden Keeper. As a believer in Free Market Capitalism and in gratitude for the inspiration, I will give them a little free advertising here by giving you their website: www.GardenKeeperCT.com
     The inspiration came when we were discussing the Connecticut race for United States Senate and how Linda McMahon seems to be leading in the 2nd Congressional District. Rick asked me a question which got my mental gears running: “Wouldn't  it be interesting if Mitt Romney won this state on Linda McMahon’s coattails?”
     For those of you not familiar with political terminology, this refers to a candidate at the top of the ticket helping candidates further down the ticket. Imagine a formal gathering where the men are wearing tuxedos. The men’s coats are split in the back. Cartoons often draw analogies between tuxedos and penguins because of the similarity in appearance.
     Now imagine a political cartoon where an important man is entering an important event. His coattails are so long that they drag on the ground behind him. Sitting on those coattails are a couple of less important men who are riding into this event on the coattails of the more important man. Everyone is so happy to see the more important man that the lesser men benefit from his popularity and gain entrance as an afterthought.
Now look at the 2008 Presidential Election. The idea of voting for the First Black President gave Barack      Obama the kind of coattails the Democrats have been dreaming of for decades. People who normally would not vote came to vote for history. Because these people were not familiar with other races, they would just vote for all the other candidates on the same line of the same political party. That is what politicians refer to as coattails. People show up to vote for one candidate and vote for the entire political party. Those who cannot get people to come and vote for them hope to ride into office on someone else’s coattails.
     Those of us running that year as Republicans knew we were all running against Obama. Some of us hoped Sarah Palin would give us the coattails of the First Woman Republican Vice President. Eventually, it seemed that the National Race provided competing coattails that dragged so far along the ground as to affect every race down to the State General Assembly.
      To me, this became evident in Connecticut’s 13th State Senate District, involving the towns and cities of Cheshire, Meriden, Middlefield, Middletown, and Rockfall. Two seats in the General Assembly, the 100th and 103rd Districts, demonstrated this effect as two popular State Representatives lost to challengers benefitting from Obama’s coattails. Ray Kalinowski and Al Adinolfi lost their seats to challengers Matt Lesser and Elizabeth Esty.
     The temporary effect of these coattails became evident when Adinolfi won back his Assembly seat in 2010. http://cthousegop.com/al-adinolfi The voters in the 103rd District remembered the Representative who always cares about their welfare and the vacuum left by Obama’s absent coattails dragged Esty down in defeat.
     Esty is now the Democrat running for the 5th Congressional District, hoping that Obama’s Presidential coattails will help her enter the House of Representatives. Lesser, on the other hand, was able to solidify his power. He did this so well that I feel he deserves his own article. Read my opinions here and form your own:
CONTINUED:

Guest Blog: Presidential Debate Round One & One Person's Story

Presidential Debate Round One --- Obama vs Romney
Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012 from 9–10:30pm on CT FOX Channel WTIC
Part 2 of a short series of articles by Tim D. Enchanter

What can be said about this debate which has not already been said? Perhaps the best indication of how good this debate was for the Republican Party was the published Unemployment Rate two days later. Seeing it drop below 8% for the first time in 4 years told me volumes about Mitt Romney’s debating skills.

Apparently, there are two surveys used to determine this rate as well as an estimate of how many people are still looking for work. The survey most people are familiar with is conducted with about 150,000 companies and has reported the creation of 114,000 new jobs. The other survey we are not familiar with is a phone survey of about 50,000 homes asking if anyone is working or doing anything to earn money. That survey shows 873,000 new jobs.

If someone is selling things they found in their attic on eBay to try to make ends meet then apparently that counts as someone now working or earning money. How they extrapolate 873,000 jobs from a phone poll of 50,000 homes is unknown to me but we are told that the government employees know what they are doing.

Meanwhile, the total population of people looking for work has decreased as those who have been unemployed for over two years are no longer eligible for unemployment insurance compensation. Apparently, the decrease of the estimated number of people looking for work and the increase of the estimated number of people working has resulted in a decrease in the unemployment rate, dropping that rate to 7.8%.

This good news will probably affect the expected “bounce” that Mitt Romney will receive from his debate performance, lowering that bounce by increasing President Obama’s Approval Rating.

It is certainly plausible that the poll numbers comparing President Obama to Mitt Romney will reflect the good news of the unemployment rate as well as Mitt Romney’s good debate performance. So when you see those poll numbers, you can assume that any increase in popularity Mitt Romney experiences would have been higher if the unemployment rate had not improved.

On a personal note, allow me to give some insight on how my life is affected by all this.

Presidential Debate Haiku Contest Winners!

The Insider did not get many participants, but instead we got two great locals who did a fabulous job with the Presidential Debate Haiku challenge! And to our surprise and delight we got a bi-partisan response! Our first thought for prizes was cheese with our logo - in homage to government issued blocks of cheese, but the submissions were so good we are offering more "beefy" prizes and choose 2 contest winners! The Insider staff will be mailing Jane Flanders Majewski and John Brush (aka SteadyJohn) each $15 Gift Certificates to Five Guys Burgers and Fires on Washington Street! Thanks to both Middletown poets! 

Haikus:

Romney zested up

Obama needing prompter

Mile high air defeats

By John Brush (SteadyJohn)

Romney is your man?
Rude,loud and flip flop platform
LYING is his plan!

Romney still your man?
Defunding education
Big bird gets the can?

Obama lost debate
Voters know what really counts
He's still our candidate!

By Jane Flanders Majewski

New Yorker Cover Oct 15, 2012

When the oh so liberal New Yorker Magazine turns against Obama you know he is in deep do-do! Here is a peek at the cover for Oct 15, 2012

h/t Fire Andrea Mitchell (blog)

Presidential Debate 2012 Haiku Contest

Did you watch the presidential debate last night between Obama and Romney? The web is buzzing with opinions on who won, who said what, and who's facts were on point.  Express your thoughts in a friendly reader contest! Write a debate haiku, email to middletowninsider@gmail.com- we will post those we receive by Saturday at midnight. Winners may vote in comments and selected Tuesday, and an exclusive collectable Middletown Insider prize will be sent to the winner. Hey, maybe we will even do a snappy graphic to accompany the winner's piece!
What is haiku?
Haiku is a Japanese poetry form. A haiku uses just a few words to capture a moment and create a picture in the reader's mind. Traditionally, haiku is written in three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third line. 
update: in the spirit of Middletown this contest will also be judged according to the Councilman Tom Serra rules of what makes some one qualified to be given a City, BOE police officer or chief job: someone  who is related, and who "lives and worships in Middletown." will be given preferential treatment and all others intimidated into coercion.

Guest Blog: A Review of 2016 Movie

"2016" --- Movie ReviewBy Tim D. Enchanter
     Let me preface this by saying that I value Truth and loathe Lies … always have … always
will. Regardless of my political and ideological leanings (which will not be discussed today),
I believe there is never a good excuse to lie about your political opponent. Whether the
subject is Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Ron Paul, or Barack Obama, my feelings are the same.
There is no need to lie when you have truth on your side and can present your ideas logically,
rationally, calmly and explain them in ways everyone can understand.
     That is why I liked the movie, 2016 by Dinesh D’Souza. He is an academic professional
who researches the truth and postulates his theory without lies or malice. If you are
expecting a hit piece which will tell you what a horrible person President Obama is, then you
will be sorely disappointed. There is nothing insulting or slanderous presented, regardless of
what some avid Obama supporters may think.
     For example, the interview with the President’s brother in Kenya does not show anyone
saying anything nasty about Barack Obama either Junior or Senior. In fact, contrary to Rush
Limbaugh’s idea of the President not helping his brother, said brother does not want a single
thing. He holds no bad feelings and proudly says that the President of the United States has
greater things to deal with and should not waste time taking care of a brother who needs no
help. That singular moment struck me because I was expecting some character bashing. Talk
to each of my two brothers and you may hear about two different people, each of them being
me.

George Romney: Civil Rights Activist

I know what you are saying, just because George Romney marched for Civil Rights doesn't mean that Republicans still aren't racists.  Hell, that Lincoln guy just freed the slaves right before the election in order to get a second term.. No passion at all!  Remember how the left disregarded Herman Cain and threw him to the wind because of sexual harassment charges?  It was okay when Bill Clinton and JFK had many different woman and allegations against them (Democrat), but when an African American non-Democrat candidate for President of the United States has unsubstantiated allegations him he is quickly labeled and eventually forced off the ticket.  Gee, what's racist now?