Pinch me, this has to be a nightmare

By Chris Ingram

The Water Cooler is an occasional feature of talking points about politics.

• Politics makes strange bedfellows. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton exchanged a lot of heated words during the Democratic Primary this year. Now it appears Obama is “considering” Ms. Clinton for Secretary of State. News reports say Clinton and Obama met in Chicago this week and that the Obama camp is doing nothing to deny speculation that she is being considered. CNN reports that (more…)

Washington just can’t say ‘No’

By Michael A. Matteo

Remember the I Love Lucy episode where Lucy and Ricky were in Italy and away from little Ricky on his birthday? In that episode Lucy finds a little Italian boy who claims it is his birthday so Lucy gives him a candy bar to ease her guilty conscience because she can’t be with her son on his birthday. The little boy tells his friends and before long you have all of these little Italian children asking for candy saying innocently, “Itsa my birthday too.” Lucy goes out and buys all of the children presents and they have a big party even. That scenario reminds me a lot of what is happening with the bailout situation as it relates to corporate America, except this party is at the expense of the average American and it just doesn’t provide the same humor as I Love Lucy. (more…)

Election 2008

By Michael A. Matteo

Another presidential election has come and gone.  The endless campaign rhetoric, primaries, conventions, and debates have shifted from current events and are now a part of history as the Obama administration positions itself to take control of the executive branch of the United States government. Here are a few observations about the 2008 election:

1. Guilt by presidential party association with an unpopular president is far more significant (and detrimental) than guilt of being a member of a party that rules the legislative branch (Congress) and is, thus, responsible for fiscal policy.  Republicans were never able to get the electorate to understand that (more…)

Are you kidding?

By Chris Ingram

I’ve taken a lot of heat for my column earlier this week titled “Get Ready for Obamalism.” The criticism has come from the left and right and the media in e-mails, postings, phone calls, and interviews.

I taped a local politics show here in Tampa yesterday (“Flashpoint” airing on Sundays on ABC following “This Week”). The host took me to task for questioning the intelligence of Obama supporters (which I did in a reply to a post after the above mentioned article). Hey, the site is called “Irreverent View.” I’m not writing for a scholarly journal, the church bulletin, or even some mullet wrapper of a newspaper. This is an opinion site folks! I write what I think (that’s my opinion) with a touch of sarcasm and snarkyness to keep it interesting. Anyhow, I looked it up online, and if someone had an 80 IQ, they would be considered (more…)

Or, how to make the best out of the current situation

By Chuck Muth

In a radio interview on Dave Berns’ “State of Nevada” program on KNPR out of Las Vegas yesterday, I said it was actually a great day for conservatives.  Not Republicans.  Conservatives.  To which my friend and political pundit Jon Ralston responded that I must be in denial and hung over from crying in my beer election night.  But I was, and am, dead serious.  Let me explain…

Without taking anything away from the impressive campaign that Barack Obama ran, the fact is voters didn’t reject conservatism on Tuesday.  They rejected the rejection of conservatism.  They rejected Republicans who claimed to be fiscal conservatives but governed as fiscal liberals. (more…)

I want to puke, but at least HRC isn’t the president-elect.

By Chris Ingram

My friends, George W. Bush has left our Republican Party in disarray. Make no mistake, John McCain ran a lousy campaign, but McCain could have run a lousy campaign and won had it not been for the pathetic eight years of the Bush presidency. Bush I believe will go down in modern history as our worst president — even worse than Carter.

Despite being outspent by hundreds of millions of dollars, and taking bad advice by a bunch of (Bush) people who never had his interest at heart, John McCain’s numbers on Election Night were actually respectable. Had George W. Bush been on the ballot for re-election to a third term, I’m not sure he would have even carried Texas. McCain for his part put up a good fight and managed to win enough states to show this wasn’t a clear mandate on Obamalism. (more…)

Yard signs. Polling problems explained. Obama voters switch to McCain. And more!

By Chris Ingram

• I drove my daughter to school this morning and the highway was covered with McCain/Palin signs and a handful of “Change” signs (whatever that means) as well. Yard signs placed on public right-of-ways don’t particularly mean anything as the road is not “endorsing” the candidate the way it is implied a homeowner does when he or she places a sign in their yard. But, it does give a bit of energy and hope when you see your (more…)

“As New Hampshire goes, So Goes the Nation”

By Mark Smith

Exit polls in New Hampshire in two small towns have begun the trend today that will elect Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States. In double digit votes beginning at midnight today, Obama came ahead of John McCain and Ron Paul.

What we are likely to see with “Double-Digit” Barack are Double-D inflation, unemployment, and interest rates all at, or about the third year (more…)