A Message from Mike (LME)

Good morning everyone!

If you're a follower of the blog, you've probably noticed I haven't updated it at all this week. I'm writing today to address that specifically.

Over the past year, The Elephant in the Room has evolved and grown beyond my wildest expectations. From an "insider" stand point, we started with three people, then we shrank to two, and now, aside from some help from an original admin, Pachyderm Pride, it has been pretty much just me... Mike (LME) running the show. It has been wonderful, and I'm glad to have taken on this role by myself. Don't worry, I'm not shutting things down; this isn't a break-up letter :-).

Sometimes, in life, other things do evolve, too. For me personally, I've accepted a new job at a start-up company, and my first day was Monday, January 28th. It's truly a great opportunity, and I feel very fortunate to have been accepted. It is vastly different from my previous job, however, and as you've probably noticed, it has an effect on the blog.

One of the biggest and best things I think this blog does is bring people together in an open manner. I'm HUGE on openness... from personal emails from "fans" (and non-fans alike), to getting to know the over 100,000 visitors, to daily debate engagements, the open blog format, in my opinion, has been a success. I'm also big on keeping The Elephant in the Room fresh and "with it" the best I can.

As I said, the new job is vastly different from the old one. At my previous employer, I was in the office 2 hours before anyone else, and I could research, write, and even post daily news headlines to stir debates. At the new job, as with any start-up, the hours are long, and I'm finding it difficult to make it to the blog each day. Additionally, in an open-office (ironically), Google-like atmosphere, I don't want to be working on the blog as I did at my last job. That was an uncommon luxury, and I don't plan on continuing it forward here.

So what does this mean for The Elephant in the Room? Well, I don't know yet. I've taken a one-week break (unintentionally) to assess how to go forward. The first thing I can readily affirm is that I won't be able to post Morning Headlines. I enjoyed posting these, and they were a great way to share with people some relevant news information as well as being the catalyst for civil and open debate. With the nature of the new job, I simply won't be able to keep these going. As far as "main" or "deeper" postings... I'm going to try my best to continue with these, but I'm not sure how many and at what frequency they will be posted. I tried to maintain at least two being posted live each week, but I don't know if that will continue. One of my pet peeves with other blogs is when they post so sporadically... like once every three weeks. I prided myself on not going down that road, but with these new conditions, I'm not sure how this will work out.

Where does this all lead? Well, first, employing the open blog format I love so much, I'm asking for feedback. As I said, I won't be posting Morning Headlines, and I do plan on writing main posts on a here-and-there (sadly) basis... but how do you think this should work? For example, I was thinking of starting a post every Sunday night that will be a week-long open board for people to post the week's news events as they come up. I might just keep the blog title and a set of instructions up and leave the comments section open to share and debate. Also, I was hoping to capture more Reader's Posts. Being a content-driven, open blog, this might help in fulfilling that segment.

But what else? What suggestions do you have? I'm truly sad that the blog will take a hit as I love politics and political debate, and I love facilitating and running a place where people can come to express themselves. I hope to keep it going with the largest capacity I can, but I'm just not sure it will be possible. I'm open to any and all suggestions, and if you don't want to post them in the comments section, please email me at loudmouthelephant@gmail.com.

Again, this isn't an "end" letter... just a major update. It has been a pleasure so far, and I hope to keep it going. I'm looking forward to hearing what everyone has to say! Thanks again!

Mike (LME)

P.S. Go Ravens!

Holiday Downtime

Good morning!

I hope anyone and everyone out there has had a wonderful holiday season so far. If you've stopped by the blog recently, you've probably noticed a relative "slowing" of the blog's postings. Naturally, during the holidays, just as blog visit traffic slows, blog postings slow, too. I anticipate this to remain until after the turn of the year. Rest assured, we'll be back and raring to go once 2013 hits! There will be tons of topics to talk about in addition to the usual debates, and I plan on continuing the series titled "Modern Federalism" as well.

Until then, since these issues have garnered many comments and opinions, I wanted to re-post the links to two of the hottest and most discussed topics as of late: the Fiscal Cliff and Gun Control:

Fiscal Cliff Open Forum: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/11/open-forum-fiscal-cliff-friday.html

Gun Control Open Forum: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/12/open-forum-gun-control-recognizing.html

With 100 comments between the two, these Open Forums have been great places for debate. It's wonderful to see so many people from both sides express their opinions on the subjects, and I hope it continues to grow. Stop in, check out what people have said, and share your views, too.

Of course, if you'd like to write your own post, Reader's Posts are a great way to be heard: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2011/12/readers-posts-our-open-forum-blog.html

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to email the blog. Also, listen to The Gang of 405 tomorrow at 10:00am EST here: http://www.the405radio.com/. If you've never heard the show, it's a great, round-table conservative broadcast and an opportunity to call in to express your opinions on the political topics du jour. I'll be on the panel as usual, and I'm looking forward to hearing what you have to say! Join us, listen live, and call in at 877-297-8022.

Have a wonderful New Year, and please be safe!

Mike (LME)
loudmouthelephant@gmail.com

Friday Fun - The End of the World Open Forum

Well, congratulations! It looks like we all survived. The Mayans were incorrect... who knew? :-P

With all the serious political back and forth, this "end of the world" prophecy has granted us some fun relief. It has kept its mark in the news, and it has given us something to talk about. Now that it has come and passed, why not open up an end-of-the-world open rant forum. I'm not sure how many takers there will be, but talk about anything - how the world will really end... now that we've survived, what are you dreading getting back to doing... how are you going to celebrate... who knows? Share whatever you want.

My rant: ugh... back to work! Have you ever seen the movie Office Space? Yes, that's where I work. Fun! I was hoping the Mayans had a remedy for this, leaving me alive, of course.  Oh well... if something comes up, I'm sure I'll share it, and I hope you share your rants, too!

Have fun, and congrats on... surviving? :-P

Mike

Politics and Violence - Steven Crowder Attacked by Union Thug... Where is the Media Outrage?

Yesterday, I posted an Open Forum debate for Michigan's new Right-to-Work law: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/12/open-forum-michigans-new-right-to-work.html

As most of you probably know, this "hot-button" issue was the talk of the day in political circles yesterday. Opinions have been flying, left and right, on social media, and they're surely continue to do so long after the fervor dies down.

What seems to be missing from the mainstream media's daily "news" reports is the violence that occurred on the lawn of the Michigan State Capitol during the union's protest of the passage of the Right-to-Work bills. A quick check of the MSM's websites does not mention that Fox News reporter Steven Crowder was viciously attacked by a union thug. Also missing is the union's violent destroying of an AFP, an organization that supports Right-to-Work legislation, tent. Is this deliberate? Are they intentionally not reporting the brutality and the animosity because it was a democratic faction that propagated it? Allegations, speculations and rhetorical questions aside, I think we can agree with some degree of certainty that if this was a GOP or Tea-Party rally and this kind of malicious attack occurred, it would be plastered front-and-center on every MSM news site out there. Of course, these occurrences are rare, and ones that do exist are simple propaganda. Republicans rarely act like this. We don't scream and yell and chant and attack when we don't get our way. It's just that simple. When Obamacare crossed key hurdles, (its passage and the Supreme Court's ruling), did republicans attack people? Did we threaten to riot if Obama was reelected. Of course not. We don't act like this... If we did, you'd hear a LOT more about it in the media.

Some New Things at The Elephant in the Room

Happy Friday! - As you can tell, there have been some slight "upgrades" to the blog. The major things you will notice are:

1. A new look. This isn't a huge change, but I think it's an upgrade that makes the blog cleaner and easier to read.

2. A new way to poll. I've started using Poll Daddy to conduct polls. It's easier to manage, and I can display results in graphs, too. Plus, the blog's poll kept malfunctioning and erasing people's votes. It was time to go in a new direction there.

3. The big one: CHAT! It's here! Who knows how well it will work, or how often people will participate, but it's now available at the bottom of the blog. I assume it won't be used much because people tend to leave  lengthier comments and synopses on blog posts only to come back from time to time, and a chat is better for quick engagement. It's tough to put out whole, well-thought responses in chat. But hey, it's there, and I hope people use it (also, you can sign in as a "guest" using whatever screen name you want - no personal info or email is required). Anything that can be done to make the blog an easier place for expression will be done, hopefully to success.

Of course, this is a people's blog. If you have any feedback at all don't hesitate to email me at loudmouthelephant@gmail.com or simply leave your input in the comments section below. It could be anything from, "this new look is terrible, bring back the old one" to "the chat sucks" to "the new look is clean, but change the colors." Whatever it is, if the people speak, it will be heeded.

Everyone knows Fridays are always a slow writing day, and that's why this post is what is it ( :-) ) but I do hope you enjoy the changes! Have a great weekend!

Where Do Republicans Go From Here? - A Message From the Blog

Good morning,

As all of you have undoubtedly realized, November 6th, 2012 was not a good day for the GOP. If elections and politics were a matter of winning and losing, we lost big time. In the presidential election and in most senate races, the republican party did not perform strongly. 

Fortunately for republicans, and for the nation, elections and politics are not about winning and losing; they're about ideas, proposals, and problem solving. While the pangs of Tuesday night will surely resound for weeks to come, this isn't a time to sulk, bicker, and blame. Reassessing the past and licking our wounds will do us little good. It's time to work together as a party, a coalition, and a cause to bring us together for not only the sake of our institution, but for the greater good of our country.

What is this about? Teamwork. It's as simple as that. It has been observed and reported that the democrats and Team Obama have a great "ground game" and that's what propelled the President to victory. I believe this is very accurate. There is something to learn from our losses, however. Since this isn't a game to be won or lost... since this isn't a battle by which we must hurt the other side in order for us to succeed, the best way to move forward is to work together, not only improving our "ground game," but our message, plans, and platform overall.

Team Obama's "My First Time" Ad

Here is the new controversial ad from Team Obama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o6G3nwhPuR4 #MyFirstTime

Does anyone see a problem with this? Is Obama's campaign seriously comparing voting for Obama to a young woman losing her virginity? Is this how democrats view women? That when they vote, it's like a hook-up? That voting for your unquestioned, unchecked king is something sensual? That they chastise republicans for a "war on women" and wanting to take away women's rights, but "hey, voting for us is like sex! Bring it on!?" Lena Dunham, in the clip, says that voting caused her to go from being a girl to a woman. Come on!

Honestly, in my opinion, this ad lacks class. Mixing sex, especially when sensitivities are high from recent statements about rape and sexuality in general have been made, with voting seems to be going too far. Yes, this is done by Team Obama. It's on their barackobamadotcom YouTube channel.

But maybe I'm way off on this one. I don't have kids, but I'm curious how mothers feel about this. How does the mother of a 16-18 year old feel about the innuendos in this ad. I'm not religious, but how do religious fathers of teenage daughters feel about this ad? I think, personally, that the ad sinks to a new low in campaigning. And, of course, I predict the media won't even make this a story. Can you imagine the media outrage if the GOP dared to put something like this out?

What do you think? Am I way off? Please share your opinions below. Happy Friday!

Who Should Get Credit for "Saving" the Auto Industry?

First, before I start, I need to get this out there: I was/am firmly against the auto industry "bailouts." I don't care who did it; I do not believe the government should have rewarded poor business decisions. It's quite simple in my book. If you make good business decisions, you survive. If you don't, you fail. By bailing out GM and Chrysler, the government ultimately mitigated risk away from a company and ensured that they would be preserved no matter how badly they performed. The cost of setting this precedent outweighs the short-term benefit of saving these companies. I wrote about this in one of my first ever blog posts: http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2011/11/too-big-to-fail-dangerous-precedent.html

But why am I writing about this now? For one, Vice President Joe Biden and Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan are set to debate tomorrow, and I'm sure this will come up. Joe Biden is often heard at campaign rallies touting the "Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive" line. Take a look: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120903/POLITICS01/209030369. He even said it in his DNC speech in Charlotte, North Carolina earlier this year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKCwQnIygcw

Barack Obama Logo on American Flag Mock-Up - Is This Going Too Far?

What do you think of the following item being sold at BarackObama.com? (https://store.barackobama.com/obama-2012-store-collections/artists-for-obama/our-stripes-flag-print.html) - Please vote using the buttons below. Instructions are in this post - click "Read More"

(Click the image for an expanded view)

For Voter Suppression: Look No Further Than The Media

I'm sure you've seen all the back and forth debate about voter ID laws. People on the right claim they're needed to preserve the integrity of voting while people on the left claim that they would hurt minorities and suppress their vote. We've had a reader write in a post about this:  http://loudmouthelephant.blogspot.com/2012/04/readers-post-14-voter-id-laws-racism-ha.html

I pose to you that there is a different kind of voter suppression occurring, and it's conducted by the media. First, an outline: I often discuss the concept of rhetoric... or, as I like to put it, "rhetoricing." Rhetoricing is the process the media uses to sway people's minds. If the media constantly headlines pro-Obama or anti-Mitt Romney headlines/articles, people will be swayed. ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC News, USA Today, and major print publications should be reporting news and not opinion. But that's not the way it is. Just take a look at cnn.com's front page from September 18th. If you visited the site, you instantly encountered the five following headlines: 

Don't Believe the "Red State" Lie

We conservatives say that one of the main reasons we should not re-elect President Obama is because of his failure to turn the country around. Often times we are met with the excuse, "well, it was soooooo messed up... George W. Bush left us with such a mess that Obama can't fix it in just four years."

Hmmm, what an interesting concept. If GWB was only president for 8 years, and it is unrealistic to expect the country to "turn" as we were promised it would... how long do you think it would take to turn a state or a group of states that have been blue for, oh, I don't know... many, many decades?

Quantitative Easing 3 (QE3) - Another Bad Move by The Fed

I'm sure by now you've heard the about the announcement by the Federal Reserve to start what it calls Quantitative Easing - Round 3. If you haven't, here is the an article from Bloomberg online that sums it up: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-13/fed-plans-to-buy-40-billion-in-mortgage-securities-each-month.html. Ron Paul supporters should be up in arms about this, and quite frankly, I am, too.

For my take, I will try my best to keep my thoughts simple. But first, I will attempt to explain this (who knows how this will go) with an analogy:

Have you ever had an issue with drafty windows in your house? It's a pain in the rear, isn't it? Have you ever tried to fix the issue by simply starting fires in your living room? Probably not. If you started a fire in the living room, sure, you'd be warm, but the draft would still exist, and most importantly, you'd have a new problem to worry about. As rough as this analogy is, it applies to QE3. The US has a problem (well, we have many problems). The economy is not recovering quickly enough, and too many Americans are out of work. So what does the Fed do? It creates another problem! It starts another fire for what it thinks will be a fix to the "drafty window" problem. It's bad policy, bad economics, and its potential benefit is certainly not worth the potential drawbacks. Let's get to some "technicals."

READER'S POST #20 - Romney Misguided on Egypt/Libya

By: whatsamattausa

Mere hours after Americans were killed in savage attacks in Libya and Egypt, Mitt Romney blasts the Obama administration for apologizing for freedom rather than condemning the attacks. Here is the 'apology' statement Romney is talking about: Link -  http://egypt.usembassy.gov/pr091112.html text:

September 11, 2012

The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others.

How Would YOU Handle This? - Bullied School Bus Monitor Incident (Video)

Disgusting. Appalling. Vomit-inducing. Horrifying. The list of negative adjectives goes on and on. When I first saw the headlines for this disgusting incident, I couldn't watch the video because I was at work. When I got home that night, I watched it the very first opportunity I could. I was speechless; it brought tears to my eyes. 

 

Source: Youtube

Time To Wake Up - Seth Leibsohn's Morning Monologue on Bill Bennett's Morning in America

The following transcript was sent to The Elephant in the Room by Bill Bennett's Morning in America radio show. For those that don't know, Morning in America is a radio show that airs live Monday through Friday from 6:00am to 9:00am, EST. It is hosted by Dr. William Bennett, the former U.S. Secretary of Education. Bennett's radio show is an insightful one, and he runs it just as we run our blog: respectfully, and guided with truth and fact. Bill does not engage in shouting matches and he slings no insults. His show is nothing but intelligent, fact-based debate where all viewpoints are discussed and respected regardless of platform.

Website: http://www.billbennett.com/

On Fridays, the show is run by a special guest host (usually Seth Leibsohn). The host runs the show in the same manner as Bill and never deviates from the values of thoughtful debate that Bill maintains throughout his broadcasts.

Below is the transcript from today's show. I think it raises good, fair questions about the President's record, his accomplishments, and his overall push for Obama-defined "fairness." Agree or not, in my opinion, it's a good debate especially with a general election that's 6 months away.