Tag: 2012 (page 2)

Its 2012.  In 87 years we may have to duplicate this conversation, and I promise to save the Polaroid of this site as it was today, so we can laugh at the missing future as predicted by an already extinct civilization.  (though THAT has its own chilling undertones) We could have done the filler "top stories of the year" thing like the local papers have done. Mixing in minor updates with old stories that our A.D.D. selves will have forgotten already, or we can have YOU do it.

Yep.  This is a "collaborative" effort.  It says so right up in the tagline.

So put on your thinking caps, or pick up your thinking beer steins, and let us know.  Which RightMichigan.com article in 2011 was it that you found most interesting?  What was it that ticked you off, made you laugh, encouraged support (or dislike) of a candidate etc.?  Have we learned anything, or are we repeating the same information?  Was there a Michigan conservative blog elsewhere that you found particularly cool? Its time we sharpen our reading, RIGHTing and reviewing skills.

With an upcoming RightMichigan.com blog contest, a historic election season, and the upcoming end of the world as predicted by a long dead culture, its more important than ever to help us, this state, and our country finally get it RIGHT.

Oh, and yes, I did mention a blogging contest.

The lefties are in charge, their EPA is destroying business, the justice department is destroying our borders, the president is destroying our world standing as a super power, the treasury and fed destroying our currency, the previous congress has set the timer for self destruct on healthcare, and the current and presumably 'better' congress cannot even show the skills needed to stop the fiscal bleeding. Michigan's own congressmen have been stitching their fingers together ala super committees, and even the good doctor Dan has wrapped the gauze a little too tightly choking off the air that provides for common sense.

How important is 2012 to you?

Think death-star-about-to-blow-up-the-planet kind of important.

"It's not impossible. I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home, they're not much bigger than two meters. "

An article by John Hawkins on 7 Reasons Why Mitt Romney's Electability Is A Myth was a reminder that there are people who are more motivated by charisma, charm, and I might dare say 'gravitas', than by substantive policy concern. Hawkins starts off:

"1) People just don't like Mitt Romney: The entire GOP primary process so far has consisted of Republican voters desperately trying to find an alternative to Mitt Romney. Doesn't it say something that GOP primary voters have, at one time or another, preferred Donald Trump, Michele Bachmann, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, and now even Ron Paul (In Iowa) to Mitt Romney?

To some people, this is a plus. They think that if conservatives don't like Mitt Romney, that means moderates will like him. This misunderstands how the process of attracting independent voters works in a presidential race. While it's true the swayable moderates don't want to support a candidate they view as an extremist, they also don't just automatically gravitate towards the most "moderate" candidate. To the contrary, independent voters tend to be moved by the excitement of the candidate's base (See John McCain vs. Barack Obama for an example of how this works). This is how a very conservative candidate like Ronald Reagan could win landslide victories. He avoided being labeled an extremist as Goldwater was, yet his supporters were incredibly enthusiastic and moderates responded to it.

Let's be perfectly honest; Mitt Romney excites no one except for Mormons, political consultants, and Jennifer Rubin. To everybody else, Mitt Romney vs. Barack Obama is a "lesser of two evils" election where we'll grudgingly back Mitt because we won't lose as badly with him in the White House as we would with Obama. That's not the sort of thing that gets anyone fired up to make phone calls, canvass neighborhoods, or even put up "I heart Mitt" signs in their yards. "

Dr. Rob Steele, a cardiologist and popular Republican announced yesterday that he would seek the U of M regent position.  From a press release yesterday:

Ann Arbor - Dr. Rob Steele announced today that he is running for the University of Michigan Board of Regents. He will seek to be nominated at the 2012 Michigan Republican Party Convention.

"As a fourth generation Wolverine, I am deeply committed to the continued success of one of the world's finest institutions for research and higher learning. I am extremely concerned with the affordability and access to the University for the best and brightest students from the State of Michigan. Keeping these students in the State for their education is the first step in keeping Michigan's intellectual capital at home; a step that is critical in securing the state's competitiveness in the future. The University of Michigan's total budget is over $5.5 billion, with more than half of that coming from federal research grants and the University Health System. It is time that the Board of Regents have at least one member of the board who has personal experience with research and medicine," said Dr. Steele.

Dr. Robert Steele grew up in Greenville Michigan. He was educated at the University of Michigan, graduating from Inteflex, the 6-year integrated pre-medical/medical program with his bachelor's degree (High Honors) in 1978, and his medical degree in 1981. Dr. Steele served as a clinical assistant professor of medicine at UM Medical School for more than 20 years.

In 2010, Steele was the GOP nominee against John Dingell. He held Dingell to his lowest percentage of vote in his 55-year career in Congress.

A founding shareholder of Michigan Heart P.C., he served many years on the Board of Directors and chaired the Finance Committee of the practice that grew to include over 30 physicians, and 300 employees with seven permanent and two satellite offices in five counties.  In 2011, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System acquired Michigan Heart P.C. Dr. Steele continues in the full-time practice of cardiology. He has previously served on the Board of Directors of a large non-profit managed care organization, and multiple community non-profits, as well as various medical staff, and physician
organization committees.

Dr. Steele and his wife, Phyllis Boniface MD, a psychiatrist with a busy practice specializing in psycho-pharmacology, have four children, including a son and a daughter who have graduated from college. They have one daughter in college and one attending public school in Ann Arbor.

Dr. Rob Steele on the Michigan United States Senate Race

"We need real change in Washington and the only way to do that is by defeating Debbie Stabenow, President Obama and other liberal democrats in 2012. Stabenow and her democrat colleagues refuse to recognize that out of control government spending and over zealous regulators are killing the Michigan and U.S. economies.

Earlier this year, I announced that I would decide prior to the GOP Mackinac Conference my intentions in the United States Senate race. My challenge was having the time to commit to a statewide race while still serving my patients and colleagues. The campaign to defeat Debbie Stabenow will take a 100% effort, and right now I cannot give all of my time to a campaign. Because of this, I will not run for the United States Senate in 2012.

In the last few months, I visited with and received encouragement from people all over this State desperate for conservative leadership in Washington. I will not run but I remain committed to the defeat of Debbie Stabenow and Barack Obama.

The debt ceiling debate demonstrates the starkly different approaches the two political parties choose to address our nation's debt crisis. Democrats want to raise taxes to fuel excessive government spending. Republicans want to reduce spending and the size of government while balancing the budget without raising taxes. We need a freeze in current spending not the phony cuts in projected spending that we have seen in the past from both political parties. The problem this country faces is out of control government spending and excessive regulation."

Dr. Rob Steele

If you though it was bad already be prepared for "bad" multiplied by ___<--Insert large number here.

Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow had an opportunity to stand up for Michigan, and its economic interests, and the jobs of its residents.  They had a chance in a vote held yesterday to say to the EPA, that CO2 is NOT a pollutant to be regulated by the agency, particularly in light of the climate-gate scandal that demonstrates the science was never truly settled. They had a chance to demonstrate they actually are paying attention to those developments showing the climate change "science" to be a fabrication of grant seeking opportunists willing to exchange their souls for a few coins.

On the strength of his accomplishments in Utah, Governor Jon Huntsman is one of the GOP's real up-and-comers.  He's been touring early and key battleground states discussing the current recession, his passion for providing the very best for our kids via expanded parental choice in education and the future of the Republican Party.

He spent Friday and Saturday in Michigan on the Lincoln Day Dinner circuit and was at the beautiful new JW Marriott in downtown Grand Rapids this AM for a breakfast event.

I caught up with him there and he was generous enough to spend a few minutes speaking with Team RightMichigan.

Recently folks have been talking about personal responsibility and families (not family values).  These issues resonate with most Americans and speak truth.  If these issues are to be our rudder, our leaders can't be thrown off course by the "big tent" theory.  With that in mind, here is an e-mail I got from a friend of mine, Chuck Moran.  Enjoy!

I just wanted to throw out some thoughts I had this morning with regards to Saul Anuzis' run for RNC Chairman as well as the direction the Party is headed in the future.

Let me start right off by saying that I have spoken to Saul many times in the past and found him energetic and affable. He is a good speaker and is far from being lazy. At this point in time, I am not saying he is my candidate for the position of RNC Chair, but if he won I wouldn't throw myself out a window either. Please do your homework on this important issue.

My problem is the direction of the Party itself. Prior to the 2006 gubernatorial race in Michigan, I wrote Saul and Party Chief, Chuck Yob, that "the average voter cannot tell the difference between a Democrat and a Republican" after these men supported Joe Schwartz for U.S. Representative in Michigan's 7th Congressional District.  While I have no personal animus towards Joe, I believed he did not reflect the traditional Republican values his constituents desired such as protecting the unborn and not supporting embryonic stem cell research. This runs counter to the traditional GOP platform and blurs the distinction of who is the liberal in the race. My suggestion was to not support anyone in the race if they couldn't come right out and support Joe's conservative opponent. Mr. Schwartz lost to Tim Walberg in that race. Since that time, I believe Saul has gotten "Conservative Religion".   Read on....