Not Falling For It This Time

Abigail and Dolley readers I have been an intense observer of politics and the media for many years - no more so than when I became a Tea Party Member in the early months of 2009.   Plugged into the 24 hour news cycle for four years was illuminating, because I understood what was going on I could easily pick out spin and lies when they were spoken from a podium or a news desk.  Thus, I can no longer be led about by my nose.

My friends over at the Patriot's Business Alliance, hypothesized that the 2012 election would be the last time major media controlled the narrative.  They were right.

George and I were discussing this morning how people are not buying the story the media is selling.  His theory is that the electorate have watched their candidates be skewered by false narratives spun by the establishment and the media.  As supporters of these candidates they know the truth and not the sound bites and have been infuriated by the personal destruction of men and women they supported.

Think about the last Presidential election, were you a Michelle Bachmann fan?  How did you feel about her treatment?  How about the Newsweek cover that made her look like a lunatic or a Iowa State Fair picture that made her look like a porn star?  Her campaign was scuttled while in its infancy.

Then let us talk about Herman Cain... A strong man of integrity and intelligence.  Surges in the polls in October with smart ideas about revamping Social Security, creating jobs, and turning the country from a left wing course that had us reeling.  Well, since he was a Black Man, it was easy to create a sex starved predator image.  Vindicated well after the fact, a good man's reputation and his family were drug through the mud on the way to anointing the impotent establishment candidate Mitt Romney.   

A Good Man Drug Through the Mud

Finally, let's look at Newt Gingrich.  Long term readers will remember that Newt was my candidate of choice.  I wrote in detail about my thought process, my support of Newt, and in the end the utter annihilation of an excellent candidate.  The destruction came from all sides, Romney's carpet bomb negative barrage of false campaign ads, the Fox News hatred of him and negative coverage, and then finally what was a death blow at the time, Beck's character assassination.  Had Newt become President, the country and the world would be a vastly better and different place.

Destroyed by Negative Ads

This story is repeated over and over again - Sarah Palin and Dan Quayle were absolutely destroyed by the press and the elite.  Even folks like ultra liberal Howard Dean have seen momentum destroyed by a single incident, gaffe or not, that sunk their careers and bids for public office.

The infamous Dean Scream

The cumulative effect on the public is disillusionment and resentment.  How many people have watched their candidate of choice destroyed?  With the rise of the internet, alternative media, and cell phone video cameras discerning individuals can do their own research.  When a story comes out, they can find the source material and review it for themselves - thus, the ability of pundits and SuperPacs to set the narrative are greatly diminished, to their utter horror, I might add.

They are desperate!  The Huffington Post broke a story this week where GOP elite and tech ultra rich met in secret to decide how to stop the rise and nomination of Donald Trump.  Fifty four private jets... they will lie, cheat, and steal to insure they stay in power.  The illusion of political parties, is just that, an illusion.  What we see today is a ruling class, an elite, who will do or say anything as long as the cash cow of unfettered government spending continues to line their pockets.

The thing is, the American People aren't falling for it this time.  

Where Are the Political Posts?

Some of my long term readers will recognize that the Abigail and Dolley of today bears little resemblance to the blog of 2009/2010.  Born out of the Tea Party, Dolley was actually launched on a collaborative site founded by several conservative friends.  That blog was literally stolen and this site was born.  So you may wonder, "Why don't you write political posts any longer?"

The short answer is that I no longer believe that it makes a difference.  I began to cool off considerably after the rally of 2010 failed to produce a halt to the destruction of the country.  2011 was an extremely trying and difficult time for me personally and I had enough ageda of my own without rallying around the flag.  I engaged for the 2012 election and fought hard for my candidate, Newt Gingrich.  Toward the end, I even got on board the Romney train and supported his candidacy.

Two major occurrences soured me on politics forever.  The first was about a week before the election when I posed the question to my fb friends if anyone was actually still undecided.  The answers were amazing... I realized that all of my writing, all of my persuading, all of my educated had been for naught.  I had dozens of friends who had not been positively influenced by my four years of crusading.  The second occurred about 2 am on election morning, I wept for my lost country but have never looked back.

You see, I believe that the only hope for this lost world is found in the salvation of Jesus Christ.  The 24 hour news cycle is not going to save us, the turning of the tides is not going to happen because we are simply too close to the end of the church age for that to occur.  Daily we are seeing the fulfillment of prophecy and the foundations and systems for the last kingdom are being laid before our eyes.

I now view world events through the lens of a Watcher.  I stand on the wall and call warnings but even these are now quieter.  My prophetic zeal changed no one's minds either, it was simply just more noise to my friends and family.  So I simply write about my journey, about our business, about my life walking with the Lord.  At the end, it is Christ and Him crucified that has the power to save, I am merely a humble servant trying to make it through the day.

Conservatives and Liberals - Common Ground

Abigail and Dolley readers it may surprise you to know but I find that there are certain things I can agree with the liberals.  In this swirling stew of social and economic upheaval that is 2012 America, common ground may be hard to come by but I will endeavor to make a few proposals.  For if we can find issues of agreement perhaps we can find ways of working together to accomplish these goals.

The fundamental challenge facing liberals and conservatives is not what we can agree on but our worldviews and the appropriate mechanism for solving these problems.  I have expounded on worldview exhaustively in this blog over the years and find that this is not a post to rehash all that I have written before.  I have also written extensively about the flaws in the reasoning and worldview on the topics that I find I have more common ground with the Liberals than I previously considered.

Care for the Environment:  We can agree that no one wants to live on a polluted Earth.  As a Christian, I take very seriously the admonition to be a good steward of the Earth and the possessions that the Lord has given me.  I was at Earth Fare the other day and handed the cashier my well used brown paper bags.  I commented that a client was teasing me about having them in my trunk and the cashier answered, "Well it shows you care about the environment."  I thought about it for a moment and said, "That's not really my motivation, to not reuse them is wasteful.  I believe in being a good steward."  I could tell the cashier was a bit taken aback but in the end had to agree with my sentiment.  Same result, different motivations, and different worldview but something we can agree upon.

Crony Capitalism is bad:  Once again, the solutions and the worldview are very different but we can  agree trillions of dollars to Solyndra, Archer Daniels Midlan, ConAgra, GE ect is crooked and serves the greed of politicians and business people alike.

Organic Food and Farming:  It tastes better, it is more nutritious, and it is healthier for the people and the land.  Big Ag and Genetically Modified food, animals, and seeds carry risks that I am not willing to take with my health or my family.

Newt Gingrich was very articulate on building bridges and understanding this concept.  His infamous Nancy Pelosi commercial was intended to demonstrate that we can indeed find common ground.  Perhaps as well, I have learned to look around the worldview difference to determine that as Americans there are many things we have in common.

GOP Media Betrayal

Abigail and Dolley have you ever seen such a spectacle as we have witnessed in the past month?  Tried and true, trusted media outlets, commentators, and institutions have betrayed the faith we have placed in them.  It is baffling and disconcerting to realize that there is almost no one left to turn for news that is not propaganda force fed to us by a GOP establishment bent on their own power and control.  No where is this more evident than at Fox News; with the exception of Greta, Hannity, and Brett who are still playing it straight.

Rush has said for years, the reason he lives in Florida and not NYC or DC is that being human, you want to hang out in your social group.  You want to be liked and respected, you want to be invited to the right parties, you can not help it you are human.  What is the best way to fit in?  You must conform to the crowd, you remember high school?  Well, we don't change that much.

The truly shocking thing to me is the vitriol directed at Newt, as if he was the enemy.  Really?  When did a Conservative Icon become the enemy?  When did one of the greatest idea man of our age become worse than BHO?  I just shake my head and say that we are indeed living in strange times.

There are several that have struck a deep chord in me and my trust and respect in them is gone forever:  Beck, Coulter, Hume, and Drudge.  Thank God for Rush and Brietbart...

Conspiracies EVERYWHERE!

Abigail and Dolley readers it is a testament to the age we live in, where trust of the media and public officials has reached such a low level that anything is plausible.  The libertarians are the absolute worst about spreading this kind of thing.  There is a rumor running rampant among the Paulbots that the FEMA prison camps are opening back up and they are all going to be herded into them before the election, presumably so Ron Paul won't be elected President.  They buy into this garbage with a fervor that is amazing.

Another Libertarian lie is that Newt Gingrich is a big government  Progressive who believes in a New World Order.  They are compiling videos of Newt speaking of historical politicians who are on their "Progressive Enemies Lists."  There is no context to these videos, no more that 10 second snippets, and they prove nothing except that the compilers are out to paint Newt as an evil enemy.


If you want to look at someone's beliefs is it really necessary to dig into their nuances when the surface level behavior does not support your hypothesis?  Think about it, if Newt was a Progressive wouldn't his speeches, his institutions, his books, and his movies reflect his core beliefs?  I would venture a guess that in the dozen years since Newt left public office he would be free to pursue his Progressive Agenda uninhibited by the need to be reelected.

Just look at Gingrich Productions, does this site seem a Progressive media site to you?  Look at the DVD titles:

• A City Upon a Hill - Rediscovering American Exceptional-ism
• America at Risk - Post 9/11 dangers facing the USA
• Nine Days that Changed the World - The Pope and Poland and how it was the first shot in destroying the Iron Curtain
• Ronald Reagan: A Rendezvous with Destiny
• Rediscovering God in America Part 1 and Part 2 - Our Godly History
• We Have the Power - American Energy

 Does that seem like Titles a Progressive would produce?  No?  Me either.

Newt - the Progressive?

Is Newt Gingrich really a Progressive in disguise?  Glenn Beck seems to think so and is absolutely tearing up the airwaves to insure everyone who is still paying attention to him hears it, too.  I heard the interview that Beck did with Gingrich last week - I also saw it.  I saw how Beck was rolling his eyes, not paying attention to answers to his questions; the man had clearly made up his mind before the interview started and it was a sham to try to prove to his audience that he "gave him a chance to explain these things."  Immediately after hanging up with Gingrich, he got Bauchmann on the line and they held a Newt bashing.  Beck is publicly supporting and endorsing Bauchmann, so take this assault with a grain.

I've been a long time fan of Beck's and have caught him on the radio in the weeks leading up to this "interview" and was appalled at the lies he was spouting.  I kept yelling at my radio, "That is propaganda, Glenn!  Do your research."  I was relieved when Newt agreed to do the interview and figured that once they had a chance to speak and once Beck had done his research he would quit with the smear, alas I was wrong. Beck has revealed himself to the public, what others in the industry have known for a while now, he is a charlatan. 

Many pundits have been open about their dislike of Newt and while I don't agree with them, I respect their right to feel that way.  Beck has taken it several steps further and he is dead to me.  He has incorrectly labeled Newt a Progressive - a label that Beck has raised to the level of evil incarnate to his audience.  He has then gone on to say that anyone that supports Newt over Obama is doing so because they are a racist.  Then he goes on to say the furor over his remark comes from the Progressive GOP media...ummm, no Glenn, it's from your former audience.

Now the Tea Party is once again racists.  The liberal media will make hay out of this one.  Glenn's attack on Gingrich is absolutely irrational.  Thanks a lot Glenn.  I would venture a guess, he will have Paulbots swarming to his side but what of the 35% of GOP voters that are supporting Newt?  What of the Reagan Democrats who are emerging from hibernation?  What of the 45% of Tea Party folks that are supporting Newt?  They are gone and once you loose folks in a manner like this, they don't come back.  Bye Glenn, you broke my heart.

Solutions - Not Talking Points

Abigail and Dolley readers, people are hungry for concrete solutions.  I, for one, am sick to death of campaign slogans and political positions.  Without an actual plan, political positions are defacto advocation of the status quo.  We elected Barack Obama on "Hope and Change" without specifics, and the fact of the matter is that he has led with no specifics.  Obama has abdicated his role as President to the czars and the liberals in Congress to absolute disastrous consequences.

Ultimately, that is why I could never get behind Ross Perot.  He did not have a plan, simply stating we need to get to Washington and have a look under the hood and let the experts fix things.  It rang hollow then and it still does today.  We the people, want some meat on any candidates proposal.  Perry's talking point about, "We need to get America workin' again" was great the first 5 or 6 times he said it, but when you went looking there was no plan to actually accomplish anything.  He has since released a plan but in the interim proved to most Americans that he's not up to the task of taking on the smooth debating Barack Obama.  In a stroke of complete irony, it was ultimately a poor debate and a mangled explanation on illegal aliens that sunk his campaign.  Perry has been handled horribly by the same people who parted ways with Newt early in the summer... Now, Newt grabs that third rail and in the end may actually strengthen his candidacy and have it play in the general election.  Put your big boy pants on folks, Newt is on a roll! 

Finally, everybody is up in arms about immigration.  People are politically posturing all over the place with impassioned absolutes.  They feel quite righteous in their political purity, but therein lies the rub.  Where is your plan?  It's great to have principals and positions, but what are you actually going to do about it?  I believe we have to stop being Political about this.  We need to leave our Party/Candidate jersey's at the door and finally do what is right for our country. 

Here are a couple of links to detailed solutions, no matter the outcome of the election, these serious proposals should be examined and adopted in whole or in part.

Immigration Overhaul
Newt on Immigration

Why I Left the Cain Train

Abigail and Dolley readers I find that I am increasingly insulted by the arrogance of some who subtly suggest that I have been fooled into supporting Newt Gingrich.  Others assume that I left the Cain camp because of the media firestorm over the sexual harassment charges; the facts declare a different story.  I left several days before that story hit the headlines.  I determined, in the end, that while I like and admire Herman Cain, his grasp of the issues is too shallow for this election.  His inexperience in the field for the job he is seeking is a major strike against him.  Honestly, we have had a novice in the White House for three years and I don't think the country can take more on the job training.

I have serious questions about 999 and sent them to the Cain campaign for clarification.  Eight weeks later, I still have not received and answer.  I went to his web site and searched for solutions on the most pressing items of the day.  There is little more than a paragraph or two of surface level positions and answers.  I have to say, "Where's the Beef?", Cain is missing the substance that I require.  The difference between Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich was readily apparent in the Lincoln Douglas debate held in Houston.  There is really no comparison between the two when it comes to substance.

Further more, I am  astounded that after putting Obama in office with little experience and not much in the way of a voting record that we would seriously consider doing that again.  Herman Cain does not have years of public service and votes to substantiate his points of view.  I can live with that, but on the converse with over 7500 votes in the House, Gingrich opponents will single out a few to hold up as objectionable.  They refuse to place them in the context of the times and instead use 30 years of hindsight to pick apart a record.  If they actually bothered to look, they would find that Newt has addressed many of these votes in recent years and realized himself some of them were mistakes.  We have no such record on Cain, his supporters assert that we have to take the man at his convictions and that what he represents now is how he will govern; yet they will not apply the same logic to other candidates.

It is lamentable to me that avid supporters of the Cain Campaign have turned on Newt like a brood of vipers.  When the two candidates were hanging out in the 6% range, there was a camaraderie between the two camps.  During Cain's rise this mutual admiration remained.  I am sad to say though, that the friendliness from the Cain supporter has evaporated as quickly as his lead has disappeared.  The Newt Camp remains largely friendly to the Cain folks but the reverse does not seem to be true.  Cain supporters have been willing to jump on every attack with a vengeance, refusing to entertain the whole story and seizing upon the opportunity to proclaim a fellow conservative as a villain. 

For me, this election is about substance and real solutions.  Newt has said over and over again that he trusts the American people to sift through the rhetoric and the hyperbole and make a good decision.  I can only hope he is right.

Political Purity, Flip Flopping, and Changing Positions

Abigail and Dolley readers, I have been a busy girl.  Since declaring myself a supporter of Newt Gingrich, I have become a social media warrior for the cause.  Much of my creative energy, writing, and talents have been given to persuading my fellow conservatives to join me.  I believe I have been moderately successful in this endeavor.  None the less, my sweet little blog has been terribly neglected and I shutter think what my once so important Google Analytics would tell me if I had the heart to look!  I will strive to do better.

Now, on to the subject of the day:  the consideration of political purity, changing positions, and flip flopping, all of which are playing a part in this primary season.  Many will hold up their esteemed candidates and declare ideological purity.  They claim that purity to cause and ideals must trump governmental compromise.  They proudly proclaim that their candidate never strays from absolute purity.  They fail to recognize that purity and inflexibility in our form of governance translates to ineffective and non-existent leadership.  Purity of purpose leaves no room to actually accomplish the things we elect leaders to do.  The purists do not seem to understand that even the Founding Fathers had to compromise, flex, and sacrifice some of their beliefs to actually get things done.  The case in point, the northern delegates that were against slavery.  If they followed in the "Purity" model, they would have never compromised and then where would we be?  I guess speaking with English accents...

Then we have the flip floppers.  These are the political animals that hold no position or conviction other than the ones help by whatever audience they are addressing at the time.  They stand for everything and hence stand for nothing.  The flip flopper does not hold a firmly held conviction and it is said that a double minded man is unstable in all of his ways.  The flip flopper is the lukewarm drink of water that voters spit out of their mouths in disgust.  These political opportunists are interested only in power and position.  They care for nothing except their own personal aggrandizement and as such must be rejected completely.

Thus, we are left with the Position Changer.  This is the politician who once believed, spoke, or campaigned for an issue and has since changed their mind.  The purists rail against this claiming that the perfect candidate would never do such a thing.  The flip floppers gladly post videos showing the perceived flip flop and accuse the Position Changer of being a pot calling the kettle black, yet therein lies the rub.  People change.  People grow and learn, adapt and study, they take some ideas and strengthen them and they take others and say, "No, upon further review I don't believe that anymore."  Contrary to showing weakness, those who can grow and learn from their past positions show an emotional and intellectual growth that the purist lacks and the flip flopper will never know.

Given the choice between the three, I will take the position changer because at least they have thought about it.  They have studied it and examined it and researched it - whatever that may be.  Typically they have the intellectual honesty to say that in the past they were wrong, they made a mistake, and here is why they now believe as they do. The position changer is also in the unique position to engage with others who believe as they used to about and issue and come to a solution that solves the problem and moves the country forward.  That my friends is what we elect them to do in the first place.

Newt Gingrich - The Environment

Abigail and Dolley readers some of you long time readers will know that I have written extensively about the Environment.  Most of my articles have focused on the misguided policies on one hand to the fanatical religion on the other.  One of the reasons why I initially rejected Newt Gingrich for President was the commercial he did with Nancy Pelosi on "Climate Change".  Honestly, it still disturbs me.  It was a horrible idea and one of those missteps people make.  To all the critics out there who will post a link to the You Tube video of Gingrich on the couch with Pelosi, I would say that with a character such as Gingrich there are about 17 layers to the man and we can not define a career or a person by segments.


I do not pretend to understand all there is to know about this complicated man and his beliefs, I will tell you this is what I have been able to extrapolate from my research.  He is an avid naturalist, he loves animals, and he views the Earth with a stewards heart.  He is a Christian, he believes in a Creator, and thus he takes the biblical view that man is given dominion over the Earth with a responsibility to care for it.  He will also tell you he is not a scientist but that there is enough concern in the scientific community that we need to be cautious.


When asked what role he felt man played in global warming, he admitted he did not know but in typical Newt style told the crowd what he did know from a historical perspective. The Earth at various points has been much colder than it is right now, but it has also been much warmer.  He shared the common sense scientific view that the sun is the primary driver of our climate and that it is well documented that sun spots have direct correlation to the Earth's temperature.  He went on to add that he doubts that humans are more important to climate than the Sun.

On policy, you do not want the Federal Government trying to manage local challenges.  He wants to completely disband the EPA and replace it with a business and solutions organization.  There is a direct correlation between environmental policy and energy policy but that is for another blog.

If you have some time, here is a link to a conversation:  
http://fora.tv/2008/03/20/The_Business_of_Going_Green_with_Newt_Gingrich#fullprogram

Getting Back Together with Newt Gingrich

Abigail and Dolley readers, I have had a ton of fun this year "dating" the candidates.  At one time or another, I entertained them all, as I wrote about in Dating the Candidates.  I am pleased to announce that I am sporting a big ole engagement ring and have made my choice:  Newt Gingrich.  As my previous blogs have covered, Newt and I go way back and I initially rejected him out of hand (Newt Gingrich - The Candidate I Did Not Want to Like).  He IS like an old boyfriend that you get back together with, one where you know his flaws, one where you know his mistakes, but one where you decide the good far outweighs the bad.

Your best friends are quite skeptical, your Mother is heartbroken, and your Father looks across the dinner table and sends him "You better be good to my daughter" looks.  You try to convince them that you've made the right choice and if they love you, they will give him a chance.  In the end, it's his responsibility to convince them, not yours.  Newt is smart enough and articulate enough to win them over.

Why have I come to this conclusion?  Well, I have been leaning this way for several weeks and have watched all of his interviews and speeches - I mean all of them, since he announced.  I have read just about every news article written; at least the ones written by people who don't believe that conservatives are minions of evil.  I have researched the 21st Century Contract With America.  I have dug into the dirty laundry. and looked at the high profile mistakes, missteps, and scandals.  I've prayed about it.

What finally convinced me?  I have to say it was the video embedded below.  I have worked with manufacturers and distributors my whole career.  As a salesperson, I have watched manufacturing sputter and in the case of furniture, textiles, and woodworking, all but die in the great state of North Carolina.  My livelihood depends on a healthy manufacturing environment and at the end of this video I was imagining the big fat commission checks that were going to grace my bank account if this man becomes President.

Alas, I am not merely voting my pocketbook.  I have chosen to support the candidate with the best ideas, the clearest understanding of the issues facing the country, and the greatest experience and credentials in the field.  If you have not already done so, I encourage you to give Newt a serious look.

Newt Gingrich - The Candidate I Did Not Want to Like

Abigail and Dolley readers some of ya'll might remember a few weeks ago, I wrote about dating the GOP candidates.  I concluded the blog with the statement that I was not even considering Newt Gingrich because he felt like an ex boyfriend and I was not going back.  Well, keeping with that theme let's just say that Newt showed up at my door this weekend with flowers, candy, and a bad ass old sports car that I certainly would look good driving around in.

He smiled his big ole smile and sweet talked me into taking a ride with him.  I had forgotten how much fun he could be and most of all I forgotten how darn smart he was and I do so love a smart man.  The more we cruised around, the more I remembered our first romance.  I remembered the balanced budgets, I remembered the reforms, I remembered all the great times... then he started telling me how he had changed since we broke up.  He told me of his plans for our future and the thing about Newt is, I believe him.  Not only do I believe his intentions, but I believe in his ability to get the job done.

We spent a lot of time together this weekend.  He wooed me with talk of judicial reform, lean six sigma, training and governmental transformation, repealing Obamacare and Dodd/Frank, and the appropriate executive orders... that new 21st Century contract with America, well that will get this Tea Party Girls heart thumping.  Stay tuned.