Many believed this day would never come. Most of us hoped and prayed that it would, but few of us actually believed we would live to see it. Racism is an ugly thing in all of its forms and there is little doubt that if this man had moved into this house fifteen years ago, there would have been a great outcry – possibly even rioting in the streets.
Today, we can all be both grateful and proud that no such mayhem will take place when this man takes up residency in this house.

This man, moving into this house at this time in our nation’s history is much more than a simple change of addresses for him – it is proof of a change in our attitude as a nation. It is an amends of sorts – the righting of a great wrong. It is a symbol of our growth, and of our willingness to “judge a man, not by the color of his skin but by the content of his character”.

There can be little doubt now that the vast majority of us truly believe that this man has earned both his place in history and his new address. His time in this house will not be easy – it will be fraught with danger and he will face many challenges. There will be many times when he asks himself how in the world he ended up here and like all who have gone before him, the experience will age him greatly.

But do not waste an ounce of worry for his sake – because in every way a man can, he asked for this.
His whole life for the past fifteen years appears to have been inexorably leading this man toward this house.
It is highly probable that that in the past, despite all of his actions, racism would have kept this man out of this house.
Today, we should thank the lord above that we are Americans and that we live in a nation where wrongs are righted, where justice matters and where truly anything is possible.

The man being discussed:

Inaugural Fun Facts:
George Washington’s was the shortest inaugural address at 135 words. (1793)

William H. Harrison’s was the longest inaugural address at 8,445 words. (1841)

Abraham Lincoln was the first to include African-Americans in his parade. (1865)

Women were included for the first time in Woodrow Wilson’s second inaugural parade. (1917)

Lyndon Johnson was the first (and so far) only president to be sworn in by a woman, U.S. District Judge Sarah T. Hughes. (1963)

Ronald Reagan’s second inaugural had to compete with Super Bowl Sunday. (1985)

The first ceremony broadcast on the Internet was Bill Clinton’s second inauguration. (1997)

All but six presidents took the presidential oath in Washington, D.C.The exceptions were:
• George Washington-1789, New York City; 1793, Philadelphia
• John Adams-1797, Philadelphia
• Chester Alan Arthur-1881, New York City
• Theodore Roosevelt-1901, Buffalo
• Calvin Coolidge-1923, Plymouth, Vt.
• Lyndon Baines Johnson-1963, Dallas

Theodore Roosevelt’s 1901 oath was the only one not sworn in on a Bible.

Only four retiring presidents have not attended the inaugurations of their successors. Those who were absent:
• John Adams missed Thomas Jefferson’s inaugural.
• John Quincy Adams was not present at Andrew Jackson’s.
• Andrew Johnson was not at Ulysses Grant’s ceremony.
• Richard Nixon was not present at Gerald Ford’s inaugural.

Here we go once again America. Game on.

This is relevant because it’s imperative that you understand that the crowd was made up entirely of the cool kids. The hipster tastemaker, under 30 crowd. The crowd was incredibly diverse. Blacks, Hispanics and the additional mix of many other cultures that is the beauty of NYC.

And there were plenty of white boys & girls.

What you are about to read is absolutely NOT a pro-McCain piece by any means.

Definitely not a fan.

It’s also not an anti-Obama piece.

It’s simply an observation of pop culture written for the purpose of starting a conversation. That being said… the rap artists that performed were unabashedly pro-Obama. And there were MANY pro-Obama comments from the stage. And overwhelmingly, the previously-mentioned diverse crowd absolutely ate it up. And I’m here to tell you that it was DEFINITELY a “black thang.”

And let me be clear that is NOT a narrow-minded, race-specific observation. The hip-hop influence over popular culture in undeniable. So it’s absolutely a reality that a Chinese 20-year old, or a teenage white kid from Idaho can take part in a “black thang.” I’ve personally taken part in more than I can count.

If you’ve never witnessed Bootsy Collins live… you’ve never properly received the funk.

My point is that Barack Obama is deeply infused into pop culture. He has beyond all doubt connected. The handling and marketing of the Obama brand has been flawless. You simply have to give that machine some serious credit.

They’ve out-MTV’d MTV itself.

Here’s where I’m left scratching my head. Obama has made no bones about his intentions. Socialized health care. Re-distribution. Higher taxes. (Regardless of specifically to whom) Tax money give-aways. All of these things equal bigger government.

What absolutely drives a lot of conservative-leaning individuals crazy-nutz (myself included) is the amount that The Bush Administration has grown the Federal Government. And I absolutely acknowledge that EVERY administration has grown it in relation to the previous administration.

Even Reagan.

But the Bush Administration had hardly been an example of fiscal restraint.

And Obama has been looking right into the camera and telling America exactly what he wants to do. He’s not even trying to be vague or hide his intentions behind sales gimmicks. And people are cheering in droves.

Passionately. And the enthusiasm is very real. It’s very intense. And if I may quote one of the artists performing on stage at the event I attended:

“On November 4th we gonna make history. We gonna change this muthaf@%$*!”

Thunderous response. Cheers on-par with Super Bowl win.

Help me understand. How is continuing to grow the Federal Government beyond the bloated-dirty-swine that it already is worth cheering that passionately about?

How?

One of two things is happening here:
ONE – They really, truly believe that growing the Federal Government will benefit everyone and it’s for the greater good.

TWO- The fact that all this awesome stuff he is proposing (just socialized healthcare alone!) would grow the Federal Government to enormous size… is completely lost on them. They don’t even stop to consider that.

If #1 is true… how did we get this point?
If #2 is true… how is that possible? He’s been absolutely up front about his intentions. Is it simply that they got swept up in the “feel good” vibe of the campaign?

Is there another possibility?

None of this is relevant to the McCain Campaign. There’s close to zero genuine, street-level enthusiasm of any magnitude at all. But not Obama. The enthusiasm is undeniable.

Help me understand the change we need.

More importantly… help me understand how further bloating the size of Federal Government became cool and hip?

There’s an extremely large segment of the politically engaged that has been screaming for a third-party option for some time now.

It’s certainly not hard to understand that sentiment.

But the Oct 7^th Belmont University Obama/McCain Debate served as a shining example that it’s become necessary to beat the drum of a mantra that has been around at least as long as the invention of television:

It’s hard to distinguish the difference between the Democrats and the Republicans.

McCain wants to buy bad debt. Obama looked straight into the camera and said that healthcare is a right. And both back the bailout/rescue package financial enema we’ve all been taxed with.

There is ONE PARTY my friends (McCain fans… drink now) … it’s called Washington. And while that community has long since been a cesspool of greed, immorality and arrogance… Washington in its current state could gag a frickin’ ringworm. Any non-liberal is basically not represented. Period.

Please take a moment to watch the video below and listen to what Ron Paul had to say just a few months ago. And let it be known that this was one writer that was not on-board the Ron Paul phenomenon earlier in the season. His non-intervention stance on foreign policy seemed a bit naive for the times we live in. But his behavior while serving in The House was about as close to admirable as one could expect out of a Washington politician.

When watching this video, remember two things:

1. About 16% of the American people elect the President

2. Carroll Quigley’s quote from the book “Tragedy & Hope”

“The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps, of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead, the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can “throw the rascals out” at any election without leading to any profound or extreme shifts in policy.”

This has never been more obvious than after watching the McCain/Obama exchange on Oct 7^th

U.S. President Bill Clinton named Quigley as an important influence during his acceptance speech to the 1992 Democratic National Convention.

Let me be perfectly clear (Obama lemmings… drink!) there is an incredible amount of anger bubbling up from the masses of normal, everyday people. From all walks of life. Arm-yourself/Pull-all-your-money-out kind of anger.

One can only imagine what Israel is thinking right about now.

Before we start high-5ing or arguing… let me begin by saying I’m glad you are here. You are part of what will quickly become an entertaining and informative discussion database. Discussion is important. Over the years we’ve all experienced countless examples of everyday people (of all ideologies) passionately expressing viewpoints and opinions based solely on media soundbites.

People hear something enough… they absorb it.

There’s no better recent example than the Obama campaign mantra of “change”. It’s been repeated endlessly to the point where everyday people are basing their voting privilege on this one word slogan. Yet when asked… very few can express in any specific detail exactly what this change might be. Generalities are easy and shouldn’t count towards actual substance.

Change is sometimes good, but I like my change exact and counted out.

Cashiers out there: Try giving a customer a random handful of change and let me know how that works out for ya.

Kudos to those in charge of the Obama branding and marketing strategy. Whether or not it wins him the presidency, it would be ignorant not to acknowledge the Obama campaign’s effectiveness.

On this part of the continent anyway, and within reason… we are free to discuss whatever we want. It’s my experience that there is a significant portion of modern day Americans, Canadians (and yes… Europeans too) who don’t sincerely appreciate that wonderful freedom. And by sincere I mean evangelically feelin’ it. Shallow appreciation is also easy and shouldn’t count either.

The majority of us are extremely fortunate to live the lives we do. We’re so fortunate and comfortable (in relation to say… I dunno… Mexico, Afghanistan, Haiti!!!) not only is it an inarguable fact that a size-able chunk of the population is apathetically unengaged… there’s a significant portion of the passionately engaged mindlessly repeating marketing slogans as well. All ideologies included.

And please spare me the specific sob stories. Most of us acknowledge that there are some extremely unfortunate circumstances out there. Thankfully we live in a country where there is an enormous amount of religious and secular philanthropy. In general, more than anywhere else on the planet… we’re very fortunate as a whole.

It’s also my opinion that we are at a cultural tipping point. The ever-present tug-of-war between left and right has created extremes on both sides that continue to push the limit of what is considered normal and acceptable. We get numb pretty quick.

A lot of time is spent arguing over titles. Let’s not waste each others time doing that here. For the record and sake of further discussion (and since it’s my playground) please refer to the chart below for BabyReagan.net’slay of the ideological landscape. If you don’t agree with the assessment… that’s OK. But it’s my assessment. And until I’m convinced or proven otherwise… that’s where I’m at.

You’ll notice there at the dividing line sits the tolerance and respect for Christianity. Not religion… Christianity.

No doubt there’s plenty of fertile, passionate discussion ground surrounding this alone. And I welcome it. But again, that’s the view from where I stand.

So let’s get to it. There’s plenty of topics to get started with more coming all the time.

Glad you’re here. Here we go.

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Engaging the youth has always been a tricky art-form. Sometimes art is good. Sometimes it’s not so good.

Below are some examples of exactly what NOT to do if the goal was to get the kids interested in Christ.

It’s wouldn’t be surprising if the Big Guy himself has these gems bookmarked.

Enjoy.

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Not too long ago, the Bush Administration facilitated the nationalization of two enormous banks… Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

There are at the very least two enormous points of discussion here:

1. Fannie Mae’s Daniel Mudd and Freddie Mac’s Richard Syron stepped down but are helping with the transition of their companies into federal conservatorship under the Federal Housing Finance Agency. The agency has not said how much they will earn in their new roles.

Mudd earned $11.6 million last year, and Syronmade $18.3 million. In both cases, a large portion of their pay packages included stock that was valued much higher at the end of 2007 than it was as of Sept 8th, when it was trading at less than $1 a share.

By conservative estimates, Mudd, 49, and Syron, 64, will leave with an additional $7.3 million and $6.3 million, respectively, as part of a severance package, according to an analysis by Paul Hodgson at the Corporate Library.

“Had they left at the end of December, they both would have walked away with more than $20 million, but the drop in the stock price has had a dramatic impact,” said Hodgson, a senior research associate. “It’s still a substantial payoff for an executive who has managed a company so badly that the federal government has had to step in and save it.”

Simply put… these two were rewarded for failure. The dollars that they both received in their severance packages came from somewhere. Contracts are contracts. Understood. But don’t you think the money they did receive could’ve been applied to the situation at hand.

Because, as usual… guess whose paying the final bill?

Where is the public outcry? Hell… where are the lynchings! (semi-kidding)

2. Banks under federal control. Now we are being handed even more federal bail-outs. Do most folks realize that technically… the federal government doesn’t have any money in which to bail-out anyone out of anything?!?!?

They either print more currency (ummm… inflation anyone?) or they utilize tax money. (ummm… gee… wonder where they got that?)

When other countries federalize banks, we call it Communism/Socialism or worse.

Why is this OK?

Pitchforks and a road-trip to DC anyone?

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Every once in awhile there is an actual letter to the editor.

But 90% of the time that wonderful little newspaper has provided space for anyone with something to say and give them a voice to be heard. God Bless them for doing so. Some colorful characters have chimed in over the years and provided entertaining, informative and sometimes downright annoying commentary.

There have been some classic back-n-forths that lasted over several issuses.

In that same spirit comes the Cheatham County section of BabyReagan.net – Cheatham County is a wonderful place to call home. But make no mistake.. it’s not perfect and there are discussions that need to be had. BabyReagan.net will make a sincere and fair attempt to provide a forum where B.S be damned.

Please submit topic suggestions to cheathamcounty@babyreagan.net

Topics will roll out every Friday morning and the discussion will begin below.

To get things started… a multiple choice question. The topic: Elementary and Middle School Fundraising – You know… cookie dough, magazine subscriptions and “book club” catalogs that contain a significant number of non-book choices such as sticker books, posters and toys.

With elementary and now middle-school parental experience under my belt, I’ve always had a problem with the kids being used as sales leads. Aside from just feeling “wrong”, it got old real quick. There’s no shortage of opportunities for one to take an order form to work and hawk over-priced Carmel popcorn in deco containers. It’s for the kids of course.

It’s no secret that the schools are strapped for cash. That’s a WHOLE OTHER topic. And of of the things I hope to do with this site is try and find out why that is. Gather together the people that actually know the facts and figures of the dollars flowing in and out of the school system. Highlight what is working and identify the waste and mis-management. There are multiple revenue streams coming in. It’s hard to phathom there’s absolutely no room for improvement.

About that multiple choice question…

What makes more sense?

1. Have the children sell cookie dough for Otis Spunkmeyer and be rewarded a minimal percentage of the total sale for their noble little efforts. Just an example, but you get the spirit. When the kids are selling items for a third-party… they (the school) will only ever receive a small piece of the overall profit. We all know this.

2. There’s carnival day, field day, open house, family bashes… why not an annual “Give” day. On that day, families would simply give what they could to the schools. It could be hyped and presented as a fun annual challenge. Try to top the previous year. No selling anything. Just giving. And the schools keep all the money. It’s a good bet that the local generosity would be overwhelming.

3. Perhaps you-the-reader might have an even better suggestion. Let’s hear it.

Keeping the schools strong, in order and running like well-oiled machines is essential. Let’s discuss how to do it better. Opinions run very deep when talking about the schools. Understood. These are our kids we are talikng about. Passion will be tolerated. Idiocy will not.

Let’s adhere to the Aretha Franklin Principle OK?

Please.

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