The mega-caravan headed south

"What if all these idealists get to South America and find out that 'Hawaii is not like the brochure'? That is when we tell them their journey only had a one way ticket with it. In other words - adios amigos!"

Just heard on the news this morning, a new caravan in forming in Central America. That would make three caravans which are either on their way north, or getting ready to leave. Well guess what? The total numbers in all three caravans are dwarfed by the numbers in the mega-caravan which is getting ready to head south from the United States. What mega-caravan? Are you talking about snow birds? Not hardly. This caravan is made up of mostly younger people who have been brainwashed in high school and college. All now, call themselves socialist Democrats. They have had it with life under Trump, and want to leave. They want to live in a true Socialist country. Venezuela, here they come!

Unlike the migrants heading to America, the people in this mega-caravan headed to South America are not walking. Are you kidding me? Walking? Nope - they are driving their mommy and daddy provided BMW's Austins, VW's, or whatever. No electric cars, because your know - no charging stations once you get south of the border. How many young and foolish will be in this armada? Current estimates put it somewhere between a million or two. 

Hey! Life in Venezuela will be good! None of these young people believe all that fake news planted by Donald Trump. News like starvation. Dying from exposure. No medicine. Living on the street. Eating zoo animals. Nope - that is just fear mongering. The professors told them that life under socialism is good - very good. Equal opportunity? Phooey on that! These youngins were told everyone in socialism gets equal outcomes. Now we are talking! No matter how much or how little you do, everyone gets the same. America can just shove their selfish capitalism!

Are we going to try and fence these young people in to keep them from leaving? Nope - this is a free country. I sure hope that Mexico will let them pass. Mexico does have some entry laws which are stricter than ours.

In the minds of these young people, they are being driven by the promise of a promise land. A Nirvana of sorts. A shining city on a hill. Just make it to Venezuela, pull up a section of beach, and let the good times roll. The people of Venezuela will be waiting for them with open arms!

To be fair, there is another much smaller caravan forming to head northward. It is starting in Hollywood and headed straight into Canada. These are the artists and actors who live in tinsel town who cannot take living in a country governed by Donald Trump any longer. By leaving, they feel the entertainment industry will be so decimated, the good people of America will beg them to return. So much so, they will impeach the President to get them to come back. 

Well, there you have it. The story of the mega-caravan headed south. There is still room should you want to hop on. What if all these idealists get to South America and find out that "Hawaii is not like the brochure"? That they have been tricked by their professors? That is when we tell them their journey only had a one way ticket with it. In other words - adios amigos!

A week from tomorrow...

"One day in the near future, the cauldron will become so hot, it will boil over once again. When that happens, we will be living in another ugly period of history. Will that purge the bitterness? Probably not. It will just make it worse." 

It has been said elections settle things. The team with the best ideas usually wins. That may have been the way it once was a long time ago, but not any longer. The election next week will settle nothing. It will do nothing to "bring us together". All it is going to do is make the losing side that much madder. That much bolder. How do I know that? Listen to the Left. James Cromwell for example - "If the Democrats lose, there will be blood in the streets!" And if people on the other side were saying the same thing? What does that mean? No more elections, just civil wars and coups?

Some have said they will be glad when a week from tomorrow comes. Because the discourse in the nation will simmer down? Not hardly. So we can be done with the non-stop political commercials. Some on the Left feel that if only they could get rid of Donald Trump, things would be so much better. We could all go back to la la land. Like under the days of Obama. What the Left has failed to grasp is we have Trump BECAUSE of Obama. Trump is not just a "one off", he typifies what many, many out here in flyover land feel. Anger. Anger at what is happening to our country. When Trump is gone, there will be another, then another, and so forth. 

I have said many times before, the best way to calm the seas, to smooth our discourse, is for both parties to start following the Constitution in the way we govern. But when one party starts to tinker with the Bill of Rights, that is when problems start. When lawlessness overshadows lawfulness, that is when things really start to spin out of control.

Some historians have said the month of May 1970 was one of the worst in how we coexisted with each other. The simmering social unrest erupted at Kent State, and when it was all over, students lie dead and wounded in the streets.

This type of thing is the natural conclusion when words, discussions, debates  and arguments fail. You end up with actors like James Cromwell telling us to go out and shoot each other. Well Mr. Cromwell, this is not Hollywood. There are not actors shooting blanks out in the streets. Real people, being shot with real bullets, will die. You need to weigh your words carefully, sir.

Who is to blame for how things are today? All of us. Not one person may be excluded. Those on the Left are just as guilty as anyone else. Please - no pious blathering. And with Antifa roaming the streets devoid of incrimination, that just makes the cauldron hotter. 

The President is going to be met by protesters when he lands in Pittsburgh today. As President, during a time of national tragedy, he needs to be the "healer in chief" as well as "commander in chief". Will the protests solve anything? Not a thing - except making the cauldron even hotter that it was yesterday.

One day in the near future, the cauldron will become so hot, it will boil over once again. When that happens, we will be living in another ugly period of history. Will that purge the bitterness? Probably not. It will just make it worse. 
  

Possible now, possible soon, maybe possible later

"When someone comes to your door asking for your vote, ask about not only the future, but also about today. If the candidate offers only status quo and dogma, wish them a good day and move on." 

I read an interesting article this weekend about climate change. It was fun to read as some of it was common sense, some was the direction we are headed, and some made so sense what-so-ever. It spurred my thinking, thereby giving me some fodder for deeper thought. Besides all of which, today I need to take a brief break from all politics, all the time. Like everyone else, it is starting to wear on me, as we get closer to a week from tomorrow.

Okay - maybe this will not totally devoid of politics. What we need today, with people representing us, are change agents. I'm sorry - every time I hear someone from the Left say they are "progressive", I need to chuckle. Why? They are not progressive - not even close. They are tied up in dogma. And no progressive exemplifies that better than Education Minnesota. More of the same, more of the same, more money, same results. Meanwhile, the system remains broken, the achievement gap has not budged, inner city schools continue to be failures, many kids don't graduate, and many kids who do graduate don't know spit. 

Every tool needed to fix our sagging education system is available today. Right now. Jeff Johnson knows that. He wants to fix our education system. However, by doing so, he will need to smash the status quo. Destroy dogma, the nesting ground of the school unions. That is why Education Minnesota can't stand Jeff. He is a threat to them. 

During my days at Control Data, Plato, a computer based learning system, was developed. However, in the 1980's, society was not ready for for Plato. But Plato, and others like it (and better than Plato), are around today. I could go on for ten pages on how education could be reshaped using today's (and even yesterday's) technology - but I won't. I will only say this much - education reform, getting more for less, is possible today. VERY possible. 

The article on climate change was dripping with doom and gloom, like most of them are. "We MUST get out of our carbon producing transportation devices!", the article said. And soon. Is that possible today? Yes and no. Yes, in that many companies can offer more telecommuting jobs, but don't. Why not? Trust and dogma. Today, thousands of jobs which are not home based, could be. Again, we need to break the status quo. Otherwise, we will remain stuck in the muck of dogma with jobs like we are in education.

There will be MASSIVE changes by 2025, or shortly thereafter. Trust me - this is fact. I have addressed this issue many times before, so I will only touch on it today. In less than ten years, people who cannot work from home, will be whisked to their employment location at 80+ mph. They will travel on roads which are filled with other autonomous vehicles also going the same speed. You will have no need to park, as you will be let off at your place of employment. When you want to go home, you just order up a ride on your smart phone. 

Everything will be all electric. Most homes will have durable solar roofing resting over their shingles. Their efficiency rating will be at least double of what it is today. Capacitors will be in every house, to retain the excess power collected during the daytime. Most every item in the house will contain IoE (Internet of Everything). There will be no more cable as all communication will take place over the newly released 6g internet. Hyper-sonic transportation will start to be available for trans-Pacific flights. Robotic services will be prolific in many jobs which were once low or no skill. 

Then what will be possible later? Not even futurists can fathom that one! Some articles I have read have discussed by 2050, we will not only have explored the Moon, but also started mining the vast amounts of Helium 3 which resides there. We will have finally explored all the unexplored areas of our oceans and Antarctica. We will have colonies on Mars, and will have started interstellar exploration. Electric transportation will be over, as hydrogen will be the fuel used on most everything that moves us. Keep in mind - 2050 will only be 25 years after the year which starts the era of the Great Change - that would be 2025.

When someone comes to your door asking for your vote, ask about not only the future, but also about today. If the candidate offers only status quo and dogma, wish them a good day and move on. If however, they offer positive change by what we have today, to smash the status quo, to keep an eye on the future, you might have someone to vote for.   

Lawfulness vs. Lawlessness

"The wisdom of the Framers was awesome to say the least. They must have foreseen a day like this coming. So, to keep our Constitution intact and valid, they made it very hard to change."

Lawfulness. Lawlessness. Two words which appear to be close in spelling, but have such different meaning. By nature, most (if not all) patriots I know choose to live by the rule of law. And what is the rule of law? Our Constitution. Plain and simple.

Elected or appointed lawmakers can do what they want to subvert it, but until it is legally amended, our age old legal compass remains the law of the land. Those who follow it are lawful. Those who do not are lawless. Lesson over, now on to the next topic.

Just kidding. There is no next topic, and I am not nearly done with this one. Right now, with President Trump in the White House, there seems to have been some permission slips handed out to the street thugs. Do what you want. Stop traffic. Destroy things. Harass people. Yes, even hurt people. Why do they do that? Why are they lawless? Because they can be. Nobody seems to be stopping them. It is "anything goes" to try and suppress the vote of the Red Team in November. Resist the President. Overturn the 2016 election. Well, a hard rain is about to fall on their parade.

Patriots are lawful because they choose to be. They love our Constitution. They are lawful - but they are not patsies. If the Democrats take over the House next month, all eyes will be on them. The Red Team is not going to sit back in their rocking chairs and go to sleep. They are not going to think, "Okay - maybe next time."

The patriots will not allow the Democrats to run rough shod over our rule of law like they did under Obama. All the grace that could be mustered, has been used up during the eight years of Obama. This time, if the Democrats try and ruin the government again, subvert our Constitution, we just might make Antifa look like a gathering of the Red Hat's. 

The Left has already put the country on notice that the Resistance! will continue. Even if they win the House, they will use our government as a more powerful tool for the Resistance!. They will try to impeach the President as well as others. The mobs will still be in the streets, only this time there will be even less of a deterrence to keep them in check. Borders will become more porous, sanctuary cities and states will proliferate, and Central American gangs will prowl our streets like hungry lions. All taxes will escalate (only on the producers however), GDP and growth will decline, and we will all be on a rapid decent to the Carter and Obama days.

Then, the Democrats will try their best to change the Constitution. To have it look more like they want it to look. To modernize it. One big problem however - they can't. To LEGALLY modify our Constitution is a complicated process, which takes the majority of the country to agree to. The wisdom of the Framers was awesome. They must have foreseen a day like this coming. Therefore, to keep our Constitution intact and valid, they made it very hard to change.

Just to be clear to those on the Left side of the street, let me rephrase a couple of key points. Patriots are not loyal to a government, UNLESS that government is wrapped tightly around our Constitution. AND (this is critical), patriots believe (as the Framers did), the government serves the people, not visa versa. 

Once the election is over, and if our government operates within the parameters set forth in our Constitution, everything is cool. Life goes on. If however, Blue Team takes over the government, and tries to operate outside the Constitution, the lawfulness of the patriots might quickly morph into lawlessness. Think about it. Yes, the stakes are that high.   

"Mr. Perfect"

"If you run into Cal, shake his hand. He is a rare breed these days. If you get a chance to be the friend of Cal and Ellen, consider yourself blessed. 31B is in good hands so long as we have someone like Cal Bahr representing us. And I am blessed to call him friend." 

This is not a satire. This is not a cut. On the contrary, it is nothing but praise. Besides all of which, besides being my Representative, Cal is also my friend. Then why come up with a smarty so-so title like "Mr. Perfect"? Many already know this - some do not. Calvin (Cal) Bahr was the ONLY Representative to receive a 100% grade from the Taxpayer's League. A perfect score.

Some on the Left might read this and turn up their noses. "So what? Anyone can vote NO all the time! That is not lawmaking!" True statement - and I agree. But with Cal Bahr it is different. Cal has the unique ability to practice the lesson most of our parents tried to teach us. The difference between "want" and "need".

Please don't get me started. On second thought, listen to Jeff Johnson for a while. He is chomping at the bit to get into the Governor's chair so he can weed out ALL the programs which were passed solely on "want", rather than "need". The cost of our state government has gone up like a Roman candle due in part to useless "want" programs. With law makers like Cal, there would be no more "want" programs - only "need". And if perchance one slipped through the cracks, Governor Johnson would NEVER sign it into law.

What makes Cal Bahr so special then? Nothing really. Hard working man. Good family man. Army veteran. Oh, one more thing. He has studied and believes in the United States and Minnesota Constitutions. In fact, when he raised his hand and promised to uphold and protect, he meant it. 

In less than two weeks, the election will be over. Voting for Cal to represent 31B for another two years was as easy as falling off a log. Cal does not have to do this - it certainly is not for the money. No, Cal does this because it is the right thing to do. Cal is first and foremost, a patriot. He loves Minnesota and does not want to see it devolve any further.

If you run into Cal, shake his hand. He is a rare breed these days. If you get a chance to be the friend of Cal and Ellen, consider yourself blessed. 31B is in good hands so long as we have someone like Cal Bahr representing us. And I am blessed to call him friend. 

Our vanishing "Old Guard"...

"The patriots today, feel our country is not lost. There is hope. However, there is also a culture war going on with those who want our country denigrated or maybe even destroyed." 

Yesterday, when we were at Menards, we were in line behind an elderly gentleman (I know - hearing "elderly" from me is a scream). He had a "Korean War Vet" hat on. He had brought a younger (not much) friend with him to drive him, and to help with his shopping. When I saw the trouble he had signing his name to his purchase (he was almost blind), my mind wandered back to a time years ago. When my wife and I went to the commissioning of the USS Chosin down in Pascagoula, MS.

The USS Chosin was named after a very famous battle in the Korean Conflict. It was a battle up by the Chosin Reservoir. It was late in 1950, shortly after Thanksgiving. The weather was brutal, and for the first time, the Red Chinese entered the war. The small Marine detachment at the reservoir was heavily outnumbered and outgunned. However, in the middle of a pitched battle, they did manage to break free - and inflicted heavy causalities on the Chinese by doing so. But the Marines also paid a heavy price, with over 1,000 killed and 5,000 missing.

At the commissioning, many of the survivors of the battle were invited to attend. Some spoke of their experiences. It was a solemn and awesome event. The history which was there, live and in color, defied description. I will never forget it.

The Korean War, sometimes known as the "forgotten war", was a very important time in history for us. It was the first time the former allies from the recently concluded World War II went after each other in battle. It was the Cold War going hot. 

I am always reminded that our "Old Guard", our World War II and Korean War vets, are starting to leave us. They lived through the worst of times in two brutal wars, and the best of times, in the period of history right after they were over. The "Greatest Generation" spawned the "Baby Boomers". People my age who would grow up in a time unparalleled in history.

As I watched the vet slowly walk out of the Menards store yesterday, I could not help wondering what he thought of our country today. The hate and discord. The mass shootings, the mail bombs. The course language and the immoral culture. It saddened me. For the World War II and Korean War vets to give so much, to want so much for this country to flourish, and now to see what it has become. 

However, patriots today feel our country is not lost. There is hope. However, there is also a culture war going on with those who want our country denigrated, or maybe even destroyed. We owe it to the "Old Guard" who is vanishing rapidly, to maintain what they fought and died for. And we owe it to our children and grand children to preserve America's greatness.   

October Surprise? Not this year!

"This is America today folks. We can either fix it, or watch it devolve further. I have said this for a while lately - we are one match away from a huge fire. And when the fire starts, it might be impossible to put out. Just saying..." 

How badly do the Democrats want a Blue Wave next month? Like there is no tomorrow, badly. What will they do to make this happen? My guess - the sky is the limit. This morning, on one of the cable stations which still reports real news, a former NY cop was interviewed about the pipe bombings. He jumped right on it. "False flag" he said. The hosts on the show were stunned. "Too early to make that assumption" one host said. "No credit of blame was been given so far". Well, that is not really true.

Schumer, Pelosi, and a host of other Lefties are blaming Trump's tweets for inciting someone to do these bombings. Excuse me - I thought there was no blame so far. Oh, the blame is coming - and in spades. Even though it was Holder, Waters, Pelosi and a gaggle of others on the Left who have said their side needs to confront our side more, Trump is being blamed. When everything else fails, pull out the biggest "October Surprise" imaginable. And are these bombings part of this "October Surprise"? Many on our side think they might be.

Would I be surprised if these bombs were sent to the Lefties by a patriot? Yes - surprised, and mostly saddened. Our side does not operate this way. Once in a great while they have, but it has not been mainstream patriots. The Left on the other hand, has shown a propensity for using bombs. Just look back during the Viet Nam protests. The Uni-bomber. 

If this was orchestrated by the Left to be the long awaited "October Surprise", it will not work. You see, the Right has their own "October Surprise" ready to be unleashed. It is called voters. The Red Team is more motivated right now than the Blue Team could ever be. Whereas the Blue Team motivation is only hatred towards Trump for "stealing" the 2016 election, our motivation comes from the injustice of Kavanaugh hearings. The non-stop caravans. The constant attacks on the Second Amendment. Socialism. Bloated government. Sanctuary cities and states. Single Payer health care. The list goes on and on.

Those who would love to pin these "bombs" on the Red Team, need to think again. It is not the way we operate. We don't go to ball fields and target Democrats with assassination. We don't destroy campaign signs. We don't drive people off of campus because we don't agree with their speech or ideas. We don't drive people out of restaurants just because they are not on our side of the argument. We don't "sucker punch" candidates from the other party. 

Don't get me wrong - the Red Team wants to win this election very, very much. To quote Karin Housley, we will do it by "playing fair". We can still play hard and fair at the same time. Am I blaming the Democrats for planting these bombs and then blaming it on us? Not yet. Would it surprise me if it was them who did it? Sadly, no. But - until the FBI makes a rock solid determination, I will keep my powder dry.

This is America today folks. We can either fix it, or watch it devolve further. I have said this quite a bit lately - we are one match away from a huge fire. And when the fire starts, it might be impossible to put out. Just saying... 

Is there a hill worth dying for?

"Join me folks. Join the Red Team in making this happen. We can do it. We have the right leadership nationally, and the right leadership waiting in the wings in Minnesota. As my friend Donna Bergstrom likes to say - 'Let's do this!'" 

I got a kick listening to the debate between the very informed Jenifer Zielinski, and the very uniformed Ilhan Omar. But hey - this is to represent CD 5. No offense peeps - but this CD does have some very odd voters therein. Not a whole lot of Republicans. Not a whole lot of conservatives. Heck, not even a whole lot of capitalists. What does it have a lot of? Somali refugees, progressives, millennial's, socialists, punks and poverty. Unfortunately, the kind of people who would vote for an alleged bigamist over a very informed person like Jenifer. Go figure. 

But unlike CD 4 and CD 4, who have been stuck with progressives, statists, socialists, and worse (for decades) - what is the hill worth dying for this election? We know what the Blue Team has been trying to sell. What hill they want to die for. We have heard this just recently from Omar. Their "hill" is to impeach Trump. To roll back tax cuts. To kill the Second Amendment. To increase the number of sanctuary cities and states nationwide.

In a different world, this election would be a huge nothing burger. Unlike Obama's first mid-term, when the economy was deep in the tank, Obama came through smelling like a rose. Congress however, did not. The people wanted a change in Congress to prevent this country from turning into a socialist mecca.

With President Trump however, our economy is smoking hot. For everyone. As the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". In the 2010 midterms, the economy certainly was broke. It needed fixing. In the 2018 midterms - not a bit broken. HOWEVER - if the Democrats take the House back, we will start going in reverse very fast.

What does all this mean? The hill worth dying for (nationally), is status quo. DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING! We are on the right track! In Minnesota however, we are not on the right track. Not a bit. Our Minnesota "hill" worth dying for, is to OVERTHROW THE STATUS QUO!

For seniors, regardless of party, WAKE UP! Minnesota is getting hosed on taxes! Not just Social Security tax for seniors, but our way higher than average income tax rates. Tim Walz has no interest in fixing Social Security. None. His mouth to our ears. Suck out seniors. And our state income taxes, Walz wants to take higher! And more gas tax, to boot!

Jeff Johnson is not a populist. Not a progressive. Not a socialist. He is a citizen who wants to be our Governor. He KNOWS our Social Security tax on seniors needs to be fixed - pronto visto. But he can't do it if he does not get elected. He can't do it unless we keep the Minnesota House Red. Jeff wants to fix our state income tax rates, so we are not a high SALT state. Again, he can't do that if he is not elected and we keep the Minnesota House Red. 

Minnesota needs to change. Our status quo is killing us right now. Walz will just pour gas on the fire. Jeff Johnson on the other hand, will overthrow the status quo. Make Minnesota more livable for seniors and higher income people. Jeff's vision for this state (and trust me, I have heard it dozens of times on the campaign trail), is to make Minnesota better for EVERYONE. Not just one economic class like Walz wants to do. That is nothing but DFL status quo.

What are the twin peaks worth dying for in November? Nationally, keep the status quo. Let the President keep on keeping on. If we do, we will all prosper. In Minnesota, overthrow the status quo. Elect the first conservative Governor we have had in my lifetime. Keep the Minnesota House Red. Elect Doug Wardlow as the first Republican Attorney General in almost five decades. Elect Pam Myhra as our State Auditor and John Howe as our Secretary of State. Those two positions, as well as the AG spot, need to be cleaned out and fumigated. 

Join me folks. Join the Red Team in making this happen. We can do it. We have the right leadership nationally, and the right leadership waiting in the wings in Minnesota. As my friend Donna Bergstrom likes to say - "Let's do this!" 

Voting uninformed

"Jeff and the rest of the team have done their part in informing the electorate. In two weeks, it will be our job to vote them into office." 

Late this past summer, a whole lot of people were complaining that the number of voters might be low in the coming November election. Particularly the Red Team voters. Then came the Kavanaugh hearings. Then came the "in your face" mob harassment of Red Team lawmakers and politicians. And now comes the caravan. All of a sudden, this perceived lethargy by the Red Team seems to have vanished. As has the myth of a "Blue Wave". 

That being said, I have said this before - if our numbers are low two weeks from today, our chances are gone. Our state will end up bluer than toilet cleaner. To complicate things, I am starting to think there might something as bad, maybe worse, than a non-voter. That would be an uninformed voter.

Like how? Many uninformed Minnesota voters might look at Tim Walz, and think he looks like the real deal. That he would make a good Governor. Why? First, he looks like a grandfather. Kindly and kind. He is a former soldier, a former high school teacher, a football coach. He spent some time in Congress, representing the good folks in the First District. Now he wants to be our Governor, so he can "bring us all together".

Jeff Johnson, on the other hand, who does he think he is? For the uninformed voter, Jeff might just appear to be a rich kid, who went to expensive schools, worked for a exclusive law firm, and now serves on the Hennepin County Board. According to the DFL commercials, all Jeff wants to do is cut, cut, cut, to serve the Republican Party better. Whereas Tim Walz wants to give, give, give. Two chickens in every pot. For the uninformed voter, who never reads the fine print during election season, this is what they are hearing.

Here is the truth, the imitable facts. The "kindly old grandpa", Tim Walz is nothing more than a progressive. In fact, if you read his platform, he is more progressive than Mark Dayton. We wants to raise your income taxes, raise the gas tax, screw with our gun rights, and make our state a sanctuary for gangs, drug runners, and outlaws. In my book, "Grandpa" Walz pretty darn progressive. 

Jeff, on the other hand, is not this "rich kid" of privilege. He grew up in Detroit Lakes. Graduated high in his class and then went to Concordia College. TRIPLE majored, and was accepted into a very good east coast law school. Graduated, was accepted into a law firm in Chicago, worked there for a few years, and then moved back to his beloved Minnesota. Here, he set up his own consulting company for labor and employment issues. Besides all of that, he has served in the Minnesota House, and the Hennepin County Board. His pedigree is as good as anyone who has ever run for the Governor of this great state. Actually, I think he is MOST qualified to ever run for Governor. 

This coming Thanksgiving season will be the two year point since Jeff and I had coffee. There, he asked my opinion of him taking another run for Governor. Since that time, I have had a lot of time to spend with Jeff, and get to know his platform and positions. I knew he was the right solution for many things in Minnesota which need to be fixed. 

Most anyone who has met Jeff, had a chance to talk to him, believe in his vision for Minnesota. Most do - but not all. We are after all, still a purple state trying to get redder. 

The vote in two weeks will be a numbers game. If more Red Team vote than Blue Team, like 1.0 to 1.3M of them - we will. If we get closer to the 1.3M, we will win many of the seats we are contesting for. Also, the more informed voters we get, the better our chances are.

Jeff and the rest of the team have done their part in informing the electorate. In two weeks, it will be our job to vote them into office. 




  

Smelling a rat down south

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"You come to our border the wrong way, you get sent home. Period. Until we get smarter and fix this, the caravans will continue to come. And come. And come." 

Some friends of ours recently moved to Florida. Not that far from the Tampa Bay area. If tomorrow morning, my wife and I decided to take that 1,500 mile drive down to see them, it would result in three very tough, very long days of travel. If per chance, I was in the shape of my lifetime, and decided to make the trip on foot, it would take me two months - if at all. And that is walking 25 miles a day. 

But in that epic journey, there would be some minor logistic problems. Like, where and what to eat? Where to sleep? How many pairs of shoes would it take? Safety issues. The list could go on and on. For someone to make this 1,500 mile trip, the type of shape that person would have to be in would be beyond excellent. Are you getting where I am going with this?

I am calling BS that this mob of people magically appeared at the Guatemalan border, made it across the river into Mexico, and then grew to almost 8,000. And to do it all with barely the clothes on their backs. No way, Jose! There is a puppet master somewhere pulling the strings on this deal.

But that is not the kicker yet. They are going to try and make it to our southern border by the time our elections are held in two weeks. Huh? Make a political statement. How is that going to happen? This caravan of people, some old, some kids, would have to average 100 miles a day to make it by the election. 

Here is the rub. No matter which day they arrive, no matter what mode of transportation they use, we are going to have a big problem. If this caravan of migrants make it to our border, and then set one foot on one inch of American soil - we are screwed. It will be deja vu all over again. Our laws mandate we must give them an amnesty hearing. So here we go again. Separation of families. Kids being put in storage. Families disappearing into the wind once they get a court date. We know the drill - we have been through this dozens of times. 

However, here is our biggest problem. Even though we are getting a lot of good lip service from the Mexican government, they either can not, nor will not, stop this caravan. Some think they might even be helping the caravan. Heck, they don't want these people in Mexico either.

What I find interesting is this. If the shoe was on the other foot, and there was a mob of 8,000 Canadians trying to make it on foot to Mexico, this country would be all over it. If Mexico asked us to stop this caravan and send it back to Canada, we could do that in a heartbeat. We could stop that caravan dead in its tracks, no matter where it was in our country.

For the next few weeks, we will be watching this caravan continue to make progress to the north. It will grow. There will be hardship. Maybe even some death. We will be blamed for it. The Republicans will once again using this as an example of how broken our immigration laws are. The Democrats are licking their chops. They are seeing 8,000 more voters getting closer to the homeland. 

When will this end? It won't. That is, unless we change the board. By changing the board, I mean changing our laws. No more catch and release. No more getting a court date in the future. You come to our border the wrong way, you get sent home. Period. Until we get smarter and fix this, the caravans will continue to come. And come. And come. 

Minnesota's two blue zits

"We are not 'One Minnesota' Mr. Walz, we are two, maybe more Minnesota's right now. Your side caused us to be so. And there is nothing your policies can do to fix that. In fact, they will only make it worse." 

For those of my friends who live deep in the bowels of the Twin Cities, please don't be angry. But this needs to be said. So, let me start this off the right way. Those who are leading the cheer about making Minnesota Red again, guess what? It already is. That is, except for two bright blue zits in the south central part of the state. That would be the Twin Cities. If the tens of thousands of takers and frauds who live deep in the inner cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, voted in another state instead of ours, Tom Emmer would be running for his third term as our Governor. 

And because Tom Emmer would be running for this third term, we would not have Tina Smith as a fill in Senator. Why not? Because we would have never have had Al Franken either. Nor ObamaCare. Nor MNSure. But because we have these bright blue zits called the Twin Cities, the entire state has a bluish tinge. And thus, we ended up with Dayton, Franken and Smith.

In the paper this morning was some interesting polling. Polling on the narrowing race between Walz and Johnson. When you read between the lines on the geography of the poll, Johnson is way ahead in the suburbs surrounding the Twin Cities, slightly ahead up north. and about even in Walz's home area - southern Minnesota. But in the Socialist mecca of the Twin Cities? Walz (aka Santa Clause) is way ahead. The takers in the Twin Cities don't much care for Jeff Johnson. Why? All Jeff can promise them is opportunity. Walz promises two chickens in every pot, plus the kitchen sink.

Those who have spent some time recently in Minneapolis, know this. This City of Lakes, with its rich heritage, is NOTHING like it used to be. Today, it is a microcosm of California (politically), existing in the middle of our state. Yet, 25 miles in any direction from Minneapolis and St. Paul, you find red blooded citizens. Patriots. People who are not afraid to vote for candidates who promise only opportunity. St. Paul is almost as bad as Minneapolis is, but in my book, Minneapolis really takes the cake.

How are we doing on that "One Minnesota" theme Mr. Walz? Because of what the Democrats have done to the Twin Cities, most folks from the burbs (or further out), spend as little time in the Twin Cities as possible. And the city dwellers feel the same way when then get outside of their Blue Bubble. We are not "One Minnesota" Mr. Walz. We are two, maybe more, Minnesota's right now. Your side caused us to be so. And there is nothing your policies can do to fix that. In fact, they will only make it worse. 

How does the Red Team overcome these two bright blue zits come election time? As I have said a hundred times before, we need one more vote than the Democrats can muster. All hands on deck, and everybody votes. 1.3M Red Team votes would really do the trick. If we can do that, we can offset the Socialists in the Twin Cities. If we can't - get ready to live in a sanctuary state with even higher taxes. 

Time to privatize rail?

"Is it time to privatize rail? Not a bit. It is time to kill this money eating pig. The old question keeps popping up - lanes or trains? Most of us would like the lanes, thank you. Put the LRT in the dustbin of history - right next to the Edsel." 

Did you ever wonder why Tim Walz has such hair brained ideas? Like, to raise our already sky high gas tax? What sense would that make? For starters, our roads have been neglected. Anyone who drives on them can tell you that. Also, the traffic flow has grown so much, it has outstripped the infrastructure. Whose fault is that? The Metropolitan Council. After the 610 freeway was done, they said no more. We will just have to make do with what we have. If you don't like it - take a train. 

Why do I bring up Walz's gas tax proposal again? For two reasons. First, because we are limited (thanks to the Met Council) on how many roads we can have, any new gas tax will do NOTHING to help our congestion. Second, if we started using our transportation dollars for roads ONLY, and not part of it for trains and bike trails, we would be much better off with our road maintenance. Like so much better off, we would not need any increase in gas tax.

"Okay, smart guy", some might say, "just how are we going to fund our light rail then?" Privatize them. The whole kit and caboodle. What? Do you know how much that would cost? Yes, I do. But if this was privatized, they should cost less than they do now. Why? Companies, motivated by P/L would be doing the job. 

"But what about the cost of a ride? If the government won't subsidize, who will ride these things?" That is a good, and a very important question. Not only would the cost to acquire and build need to be amortized, but also the operating costs would need to be rolled in. In the business world, it is called the TCO - Total Cost of Ownership.

Here is the irony. If we privatized rail, even being able to make it and maintain it cheaper, NOBODY would ride it. It would still be way too expensive. Right now the North Star, has a  round trip subsidy of about $40. And that is just operating costs. Roll in the amortization costs, and you would end up with a ghost train on each ride.

This now brings us full circle. Of course, we would never privatize trains. No business with an ounce of sanity would jump into that quicksand. Only the government would. So, to keep building and maintaining trains, more dollars need to be taken away from roads. The more dollars taken away from roads, the more progressive populists like Tim Walz will cry out for more taxes. They cry for more, more, more from already overtaxed Minnesotans. 

Is it time to privatize rail? Not a bit. It is time to kill it. It is just a money eating pig. The old question keeps popping up - do we want lanes or trains? Most of us would like the lanes, thank you. Put the LRT in the dustbin of history - right next to the Edsel. 

Our non-stop invaders

"If we practice open borders, and allow everyone in, our national 'lifeboats' would become swamped. They would sink. We would not survive as a nation. People in this world need to fix their own countries first. Lord knows, they get enough funding from US to do it."  

Here they come again. I know. This is a tired old song. Like a bad penny, they keep showing up. Some might think we are racist from not wanting Central American folks in this country. That could not be further from the truth. We don't want LAW BREAKERS in the country. And yes, we would feel the same if they were from Canada, Europe, or where ever. 

The last caravan which came to the border, ended up being a huge cluster. Big time. The Administration tried to do the right thing, to operate within our goofy immigration laws, and it backfired. Families separated, court orders, demonstrations, yuck. Not this time. Our President practices the age old adage of "once burned, twice learned". He is not going down that rabbit hole again!

Besides threatening the countries from where these caravan folks come from, Donald Trump said he is also going to mobilize the military. If he has to, he will order them to be on the southern border and keep these people from crossing. He also has the cooperation of Mexico, as they will try to keep this caravan from reaching our border. Do I think they will try hard to do this? No - just look at history.

In our country, like many others around the world, there are laws which define the right way and the wrong way to do things. That includes immigration. When fence hoppers come in the wrong way, it is unlawful. Period. The Democrats however, seeing all these potential voters so near, yet so far away, start to scheme. They don't give a rat's butt which way the fence hoppers come into the country, as long as they get in. It boils down t this. Step one - get them here. Step two - get them a voting card.

I have said this a thousand times before, and I will say it again. If these Central American countries are truly "sh*t holes" like our President says they are, it is up to the United Nations to help them out. If they are beset by violent gangs, and the local government can't control them, send in the blue helmets. If the governments are corrupt, have the UN sanction new elections. I have been to Central America. It is beautiful country down there with wonderful people. Heck, some people in this country choose to retire down there. For a variety of reasons.

When the Titanic sank, there were more passengers on board than there were life boats. Some passengers survived by being on lifeboats, many others did not. If everyone tried to hop into a lifeboat, all the lifeboats would have sunk, and nobody would have survived.

If we practice open borders, and allow everyone in, our national "lifeboats" would become swamped. They would sink. We would not survive as a nation. People in this world need to fix their own countries first. Lord knows, they get enough funding from the US to do it.  

RIP Chivalry

"One of these days, a punch or a kick to a woman might be the match which lights the fire. We are at that point right now. Dangerous times for sure."  

Chivalry. That rusty and dusty term from the past. It is so very yesterday! Today, we have entered a new realm. The realm of Antifa. Of anarchy. Of political war. Some women are still okay. The ones who favor the killing of babies are okay. But conservative, pro-life women? It is open season on them.

As much as I miss my Dad, I am happy he is not here to see this. It would have broken his heart. Ever since I was a young lad, my Dad always taught me the importance of treating a women with respect. With dignity. It was a high honor to so so. Seems that it is no longer true.

Here are the new rules folks. The Democrats are playing for keeps. The political season is no longer sport - it is a blood sport. In Minnesota this past week, a female Republican politician was punched in the arm by a Democrat man. What? A man hitting a woman? You mean like when Keith Ellison (allegedly) mishandled his girlfriend? And that is okay? Or in another state, where a Democrat man did not like what a Republican woman said, and then grabbed her so hard by the arm, it left bruises. Like I say - new rules.

As much as those of us on the Right recognize this is the season of new rules, new rules on how to handle a woman, we refuse to follow suit. Some of us - no most of us - still practice the age old tradition of chivalry. We may tell a women we disagree with her hair brained, populist ideas, but that is as rough as it gets. 

I have been saying this for weeks. There will come a day, when the wrong man assaults the wrong woman. How do I know this? I know a lot of women who carry. Lots. And if a woman feels she is in danger, she will ventilate the man abusing her. It is as simple as that. And there is not a court in the land who would convict her for doing so.

Recently there was some "punked out" butt head who decided to drop kick a defenseless, pro life woman. Kicked her right in the head. Knocked her to the ground. It really is too bad there were no gentlemen present when it happened, This loser who kicked her is about 155 pounds ringing wet. Big enough to kick a woman, but not big enough to do that to a man his size - or larger. 

This lack of chivalry is just one part of the loss of civility we have seen in our country as of late. Words have morphed into threats; threats are morphing into punches; soon punches will morph into something much more violent and final. This is the road we are on. And this road is heading to a dead end. 

One of these days, a punch, or a kick to a woman might be the match which lights the fire. We are at that point right now. Dangerous times for sure.  

The health care folly

"If he had known how McCain would have torpedoed the ObamaCare rescue effort, or how the Democrats would try to blame us for the sky high costs, Trump probably would have left it alone. I wish he would have. But - no good deed goes unpunished." 

I know I am not the only one who has noticed this. Frankly, I would be amazed if ANYONE on the Red Team has not. What is it? Health care. I'm sorry - wrong term. ObamaCare. That is what healthcare is today. Yes, even after almost two years of a Trump Presidency, we still are saddled with ObamaCare - and the sky high costs which come with it.

Here is the best part. The part which takes gonads the size of Texas. The Democrats are running ads on how un-affordable healthcare is. Like it is our fault or something. We tried, we really tried, try to fix this thing. The Republicans have had numerous bills brought forth while Obama was President. Bills to kill ObamaCare. The only things which got killed in the process, were the bills.

Then the best chance we had to kill ObamaCare, was right after Trump became President. It was nip and tuck, but we could do it. Heck, we had the House, the Senate, and the White House. PLUS - this was a promise we made to the American people.

The "Death to ObamaCare" Bill passed the House - and then it was on to the Senate. Once it passed the Senate, Trump was ready to sign it. His pen was locked and loaded. Then our last Republican, came up to vote. The Senior Senator from Arizona. The Senator who could have brought this very important bill over the finish line. To put an end to this nightmare, for once and for all. And then, our winning vote, our Republican Senator who not that long ago ran for President against Obama, turned out to be the losing vote. The Senior Senator from Arizona put "thumbs down" on the bill. So, ObamaCare remains the law of the land.

John Adams said "Facts are stubborn things", so I will not bore you with any more facts. ObamaCare was 100% Democrat owned, and now the Democrats are trying to tar and feather the Republicans for the sky high cost of healthcare. It is kind of like blaming the United States for starting World War II. 

Did I tell you yet what the solutions are to healthcare? The ones the Democrats have put forward? Euro style single payer. Some call it "Medicare for all". Others call it the $30T money trap. I call it VA for all. Those who have lived it, call it rationing for all. 

Margaret Sanger would have loved it. Abort babies which are not up to snuff, nor wanted. Then euthanize old folks who have lived long enough. Heck, everyone knows that most of our medical costs come from dealing with the old folks. Get rid of them. With rationed care, once the old get sick, give them some happy pills, then put them someplace nice to die.

Donald Trump had it right as soon as he became President. He said, "Part of me wants to leave ObamaCare alone. We own 0% of it, and the Democrats own 100% of it. But that would not be fair to the people suffering under the costs of it."

If he had known how McCain would have torpedoed the ObamaCare rescue effort, or how the Democrats would try to blame us for the sky high costs, Trump probably would have left it alone. I wish he would have. But - no good deed goes unpunished. 

"I got this"

"We can't ask anything more of our candidates. They have been all in since the get-go. Hard, hard work, and many miles traveled. It is no longer up to them. They have been the right messengers delivering the right message. Now it is up to us."

I got this. Is it not a wonderful feeling, when it is your turn? Like Jack Morris in the World Series, when he told the coach in the ninth inning - "I got this". When the rest of the team is looking at you to clinch the victory. That one special moment when you turn to not only the coach, but also the rest of them. You smile, and maybe wink, and say, "I got this". It is like, don't worry - it is in my hands now.

Well, in less than three weeks, that is what we all can say. "I got this". Because in less than three weeks, all the traveling, all the door knocking, all the lit dropping, all the money collected - won't mean spit anymore. The only thing which will count is if more of the Red Team get to the voting booth than the Blue Team. Each member of the Red Team needs to look back at our candidates who have worked so hard to get this far, maybe smile, maybe wink, and say - "I got this". 

In 2012, the last time Amy Klobuchar ran, almost 2.7 million people voted. Amy received 2/3 of those votes. Beat Kurt Bills by about a million votes. Ouch! What does this tell me? We need 1.4 million people to vote for Jim Newberger this time around. 

In 2014, the last time Al Franken ran, almost 2 million people voted. Al Franken got 53% of the vote, or slightly over a million votes. Karin Housley needs to have at least 1.1 million people to vote for her this time around.

In 2014, in the race for Secretary of State, Steve Simon received a hair over 900.000 votes. "Doc" Severson received a hair under 900,000 votes. For John Howe to win this seat in 2018, we need a million people to vote for him. 

In 2014, Lori Swanson got just over a million votes to win the Attorney General race. Scott Newman from the Red Team, was far behind. To put Doug Wardlow as our next AG, we need somewhere between 1.1 and 1.3 people to vote for him.

Now here is the big one. In 2010 and 2014, Mark Dayton did not crack the one million vote mark. Neither did Tom Emmer or Jeff Johnson. For Jeff Johnson to win this year, we need (at a bare minimum) one million people to vote for him. If a million people had voted for Jeff in 2014, he would be running for re-election this year. If a million people had voted for Tom Emmer in 2010, he would be running for this third term. 

Now comes the big one - the grand prize. If the Red Team gets out in numbers like we have not seen during the past two state wide elections, if we can garner 1.3 million votes for our Republican candidates, we might just be able to run the table. Turn this state a very bright red. If however, we vote in numbers like we have in the past, we will be at the bottom, looking up (again).

We can't ask anything more of our candidates. They have been all in since the get-go. Hard, hard work, and many miles traveled. It is no longer up to them. They have been the right messengers, delivering the right message. Now it is up to us. We need to look ourselves in the mirror, as well as the person next to us, and say one simple thing - "I got this". If we say it, and then do it, we will have victory in 2018. And how sweet it will be!