2012: A Storm is Coming

Everyday, the news makes it more and more apparent that the 2012 election cycle is going to shake up national politics in an unprecedented way. This election cycle, we will take back both the White House and Senate in one fatal swoop and begin to reverse the failed policies of the Obama administration.

Its almost hard to believe that the GOP primaries are just over a half year away, its seems just like yesterday that Obama took office and spawned the birth of the Tea Party in early 2009. The recall elections in Wisconsin show just how powerful the Tea Party has become, taking on the mobilization power that the unions possess and still winning.

The Tea Party is such a game changer that for the first time in years RINOs are being defeated by legitimate conservative candidates that are less willing to compromise. Because of the Tea Party, name recognition has become less and less vital, as experienced politicians are being examined for their actions and defeated in primaries.

All around the country, there have been shakeups in just about every race imaginable. Conservatives have had enough and are making it clear through the Tea Party that what has been going on in our country is not acceptable and will no longer be tolerated. 

In Texas, Ted Cruz has a good chance to legitimately defeat David Dewhurst, a matchup that four years ago would have seemed like David vs. Goliath. The Tea Party through activist enthusiasm has successfully broken political norms and made politics less about money and name and more about issues and accountability. 

From Kay Bailey Hutchinson to Ted Cruz would be an enormous and positive change for both the Senate and the State of Texas. With the power of the Tea Party only growing stronger and stronger, this is sure to be just one of many positive changes for US politics in the election year to come. 

2012 Election Effects on Texas Politics

Many have asked me what happens to the positions of Governor and Lt. Governor if Perry and Dewhurst win their bids for President and Senator. The answer is complicated, but essentially until the next election cycle the positions would go to 2 moderate Republicans in the Texas Senate.

Because Governor and Lt. Governor are elected during the mid-term elections and not during the same election period as Presidential elections, it would be two years before Texans were given a chance to elect replacements. The job would then go to the Texas Senate to elect two of their own to fill the vacant positions. To do this, the Senate pro tempore (Sen. Mike Jackson)  becomes de-facto Lt. Governor for up to thirty days to lead the Senate in its elections to fill the two positions.

What makes this even more complicated is that Sen. Mike Jackson is considering a run for congress (to take Ron Paul's vacant seat) which would leave Senate pro temore position vacant as well. In this case the next in line would take the position and act as temporary Governor/ Lt. Governor.

So the question remains, who would the Texas Senate elect? Judging by the composition of the Senate, it would be two moderate Republicans that are respected in seniority. The two that immediately come to mind are Sen. Robert Duncan and Sen. Steve Ogden, both powerful moderates popular with the Senate leadership. With these two presiding over the legislature for the 2013 (83rd) legislative session, Texas would surely have an even less conservative session than the last.

While this scenario seems farfetched and obscure, it is definitely possible given the political atmosphere in the air right now. However, like the weather, political climates can change overnight and are very much subject to many interacting factors. It is too early to predict the climate in November 2012, especially because we do not know who the victors of the primaries will be or what large scale events will happen between now and then.

Iron Man a Conservative?

Before Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. was best known as a talented actor that threw his life away on drugs and alcohol. After years of finding trouble, getting arrested, going to rehab and relapsing, Downey finally was tired of his rockstar lifestyle and decided to seek help and rehabilitate himself back into society.

In an interview years after being released from incarceration, Downey had this to say “I have a really interesting political point of view, and it’s not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here, but you can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can’t. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my proclivities and politics every since.” It is incredibly refreshing to see a Hollywood Celebrity reemerge from the grave, really turn his life around, and come out of it viewing the situation in a mature way.

Instead of blaming society and the "the system" for his situation, he in essence took personal responsibility for his actions and sought to make a positive change in his life through hard work and determination. So often, people blame their upbringing and the inequalities inherent to society for their position in life, instead of realizing that the deep rooted problem isn't anyone else but themselves. The government can handout all it wants to people to try and level the playing field for them in society, but at the end of the day it means nothing if the person them self doesn't put in the effort and aspire to greatness.

I am really impressed with Robert Downey Jr., not only is he very talented, but he is willing to work hard to succeed. I applaud him for taking responsibility for his actions and being a real life example of personal responsibility.

Perry Campaign Heats Up

In the last week or so, Perry seems to be popping up everywhere from my cellphone to my personal facebook account. I have received friend requests from two random people employed by the newly found Americans for Rick Perry (The U.S. counterpart for Texans for Rick Perry), Twitter requests from two separate Texans for Rick Perry Accounts, and a mass text yesterday "from" Rick Perry just checking in and saying God Bless. It seems to me that the stars are aligning and the announcement will be coming fairly soon. This late entry could prove to be a blessing or a curse for the Texas Governor. Time will only tell.

More on the Perry Race:

Tribune Post on "Perry Cronies"
Perry this year's Fred Thompson?