The democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg is confident that the Republicans are finished: “Absent huge Democratic mistakes in the next few years, the Republican Party's road back could very well be a long one. Their coalition no longer works in the changing demography of the day, and is dangerously old; their Southern strategy, so critical to their ascension, has become a relic of the past; their tech and media tools have not kept up with the times; their ideas have become spent and discredited; their leaders, particularly in Washington, seem content to ankle bite rather than lead. They are an aging and frayed bunch, living off the fumes of a day and politics gone by…. I really believe there is a strong argument to be made that the GOP is further from power, more discredited and more out of touch with the American people than any time since the days of FDR and Truman.”

But before we get too depressed, Obama’s presidency remains a high-risk work in progress. He’s one of the most inexperienced presidents in U.S. history. He has people lining up for handouts with new expensive entitlements ready to launch, but his pump-priming, big-spending prescriptions for economic recovery haven't worked anywhere. Add to that the continuing global terrorism threats and his untested military and diplomatic prowess, and he’s facing unprecedented challenges.

Conservatism is not finished. A post-election Pew research poll indicates that just one of five Americans say they’re liberal (21 percent), while 38 percent call themselves conservative, and 36 percent say they are moderates -- a ratio that has remained unchanged over the past eight years. Not everyone was jumping for joy when Obamamania hit Washington.

So what happened to the Republican Party? Republicans earned our recent election losses the old fashioned way…by deserving it.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal speaks with candor and confidence few Republicans possess: “The Republican Party needs to do two things: One, we need to stop worrying about the Republican Party and start worrying about our country. Second, we need to stop worrying about the messenger and start worrying about substance. We will deserve to be a majority party again when we show the American people we are competent, we truly believe the principles we espouse and we’ve got relevant solutions to the things they care about, whether it’s the economy, health care or international terrorism.”

Yes, Republicans are disheartened and warn down, but it’s time to get out of the rearview mirror and into making decisions now to find our way back to relevance. History tells us that the midterm-election cycle almost always results in the party in power losing seats in Congress. With the cards Obama has been dealt, there’s no reason to change that expectation. We aren’t going to win by being Democrat-lite; we’ve tried that. You can’t out-promise or out-spend the Democrats, but what should we do? It’s time to lead and educate! The biggest difference between a vision and a hallucination are the number of people who can see it.

Neil Postman, a critic or our society, has said that Americans have a short attention span, a constant need to be entertained and an inability to look at anything in depth. Makes sense to me! Man-on-the-street interviews frighten me when you hear their responses to political questions. They have no clue, and they vote. They won’t watch Fox News or talk radio; they’ve been trained to believe they are evil. We must meet them where they live. I’ve included short five-minute videos explaining Republican principles on YouTube. They won’t listen long, and they won’t listen if it’s boring. We must fight for the mind of American voters one day at a time—one message at a time! You can see many of my messages as “Featured Posts” on my www.PaulsonOnPolitics.com Blog. 

Republicans must repent for the sins of our party—no blind cheerleading for leaders who aren’t walking the talk. You can’t be the party of smaller government and fiscal discipline and tolerate the kind of growth in military and domestic spending that we initiated with a Republican President and control of both houses. If Democrats would have done what we did, we would have been screaming. Republicans went to Washington to change Washington, and Washington changed us.

We must start by admitting our mistakes, telling the truth about the problems and then educate citizens about the practical, common sense solutions we propose. That means making them aware of the pain Democrat policies have created, and let them know that we are the aspirin they need to take away that pain. Reagan was not just a great communicator; he was a great educator. He spoke principles in a way that Americans could understand. 

Transparency is critical. Obama is promising transparency, but he’s getting complaints from the media already about how much he’s falling short. Republicans have to take the lead and use it to keep themselves accountable. If you want to build trust, you have to promise and deliver on that promise. There is no better way to do that than to unite behind a shared vision. It’s time for another Contract with America. We must craft it, claim it and then become relentless in pursuing it! Here’s my top five promises:

*We will stand for smaller government by actually decreasing the size of government and eliminating unnecessary government regulations.

*We be a force to lower personal and corporate taxes to reward success and generate positive economic growth and more jobs.

*We will continue to promote national and homeland security by maintaining and deploying strong and viable military and security forces.

*We will sustain the American Dream by putting a strong commitment to personal freedom and responsibility.

*We will foster a sound, free-enterprise economy and openly participate and compete in a dynamic global economy.

Republicans must continue to stand for less government spending! We could start by every Republican saying an emphatic “No” to the current Obama stimulus package. He is courting our party members for one reason—He wants cover for a plan he knows won’t work. His plan won’t stimulate the economy; it just stimulates the Democrat Party. He does not need many Republican votes to pass his plan, but he wants those votes to make sure that his plan can’t be used as an election issue in 2010. The stimulus package punishes the successful to fund the incompetent. Such stimulus packages have not done the job and, in many cases, they have made things worse.

Tell the truth about Japan, who, facing a deep recession, implemented ten separate spending stimulus packages between 1992 and 2000. Spending on public infra¬structure was a major part of each package, yet the Japanese economy refused to cooperate. After eight years of “stimulus,” Japan’s economic growth remained anemic growing at an annual rate of only 0.6 percent between 1992 and 2007. Eight countries using more free-market responses surpassed Japan’s per capita income during that period.

Tell the truth about the growing deficit and the need to stop digging a deeper hole. The U.S. national debt now stands at $10.8 trillion and president Obama and a Democratic-controlled Congress and Senate ready to make that over $13 trillion to stimulate the economy. Currently we’re paying over $412 billion a year just to pay the interest on that debt. This is nothing compared to the $58 trillion of unfunded Social Security and Medicare liabilities. There’s no money in a fund to pay these expanding benefits. Ask people: When your debts are out of control, do you take on more debt or do you try to cuts spending and pay down what you owe? If it is good for your household budget, it’s good for government and for the future generations who will have to pay the bill if we don’t. One of our core principles is smaller government and less government spending. It’s time to live that by voting no for costly new entitlements and taking Obama at his word on cutting what isn’t working. Let’s start by taking a stand against earmarks; if you can’t sell funding in the light of day, don’t hide it in unrelated legislation.
 
Take a stand for smaller government by getting politicians out of our lives. Start by reminding them of the ridiculous laws and regulations that are squashing our freedoms and curtailing our opportunities. Point to the locked playgrounds and signs prohibiting children from “running” because of the fear of frivolous lawsuits, to the ban on peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches because of the possibility of an allergic reaction of a few, to the increases in gas taxes so that we are forced to buy fuel-efficient cars, to the choice of light bulbs you use, and to the endless list of label warnings that speak to the absurd lengths we have gone in protecting citizens from our own freedom! Tell me, why are Obama and Democrats demanding expensive environmental requirements from auto manufacturers at a time they are close to bankruptcy to fight supposed “global warming” after America experienced the coldest year in decades? This is madness!

Our legal culture is killing common sense and sapping the freedom and life out of our culture. Everyone is not entitled to a life without danger, disappointment or aggravation. We have become a culture victimized by litigious “victims” fueled by greedy trail lawyers who won’t settle until every part of our lives are controlled.

Government intrusion is in! After the recent sub-prime mortgage meltdown and the Madoff Ponzi scheme ripoff, Democrats will be clamoring for more regulatory controls over business. The regulations after the Savings and Loan debacle did not stop us from Enron and WorldCom disasters. The changes after Enron didn’t protect us from the more recent sub-prime disaster we now face. Regulators don’t have magical powers. They are like poorly paid blood hounds chasing after well rewarded greyhounds. Con artists are good at what they do, and regulators have far too many leads to regulate.   

What’s the answer? Republicans must stress a major American principle--personal responsibility. Personal responsibility is tough love—if you don’t do your due diligence, you pay the price. After reading the first two pages of a Bernard Madoff prospectus, there would have been enough warning signals that would have scared off any thought of investing. Do you trust poorly paid regulators who lose nothing when investments fail or do you trust motivated individual investors who must do their own due diligence, because if they don’t, they lose their money! Brutal self-correction is never fun to go through, but it is better to go through than to extend the pain for years and go on the illusion that regulations protect us. They don’t; they just punish the ethical and responsible businesses.

While we are talking about personal responsibility; it’s time to make personal responsibility the cornerstone for reforming health care. There is real pain out there and it is getting worse. The healthcare benefit is tied to employment for far too many Americans. Employees thought they had a good deal, but, now, the loss of jobs means loss of benefits and more Americans without coverage. Something has to be done. Do you want to be depend on government or a corporation for your future health care or do you want to own your plan and have control of your own choices? It’s time for Republicans to take a stand for personal ownership of every citizen’s major medical plan.

Create mandatory insurance coverage with no exclusions allowed. Create a standard of insurance and treat companies who want to play in the major medical insurance business like utilities—if you want to play in the game, profits are controlled. To protect the insurance companies for not having exclusions, provide a large secondary insurance fund to protect companies from unexpected losses. Medical clinics are sprouting up where demands for cost effective service is needed; it’s time to bring the market back to healthcare. Milton Friedman said it before, “If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it is free.”

Republicans must take a stand for free enterprise and stop talking calling a desire to succeed “greed.” The self-interest that is built into the free-enterprise system is what drives the American dream. It isn’t the problem; it’s the answer. America is in desperate need of someone to defend the market forces that will free up the innovation and risk-taking that will generate the economic growth that means jobs and revenue for Americans and government. One need look no further than history for proof; the Kennedy tax cuts of 1964, the Reagan cuts of 1981 and the Bush reductions of 2001 through 2003 all helped revitalize lagging economies. Republicans must stand for rewarding growth not funding failure.

Republicans must stand for a tax strategy that encourages economic growth. As unemployment rises, businesses need incentives to expand and hire. The Republican stimulus plan must be explained and defended. We must reduce America’s corporate income tax rate (currently the second highest in the world) from 35 percent to 25 percent, cut the capital gains rate for corporations from 35 percent to 15 percent and index capital gains taxes to offset inflation. These three provisions will allow businesses to forestall layoffs and increase hiring. If it costs the government a trillion dollars to create 4 million jobs with no real future, that’s a cost of $250.000 per job. Freeing up and rewarding American ingenuity is a much better plan than hiring more bureaucrats in Washington to micromanage our economy. Instead of watching lines for relief and handouts from Washington—free the innovators to seek rewards for succeeding and watch that success create the jobs people need and the revenue our city, states and country desperately want.

Finally, as Obama is learning, we have motivated enemies in this world. Strength does not just come from how just the cause but on whether you have the might to back up what is right. In a world with more rogue countries and terrorist groups capable of attacking our homeland or vital global interests, America, in order to defend its freedom and way of life, must invest adequate resource to remain strong, progressive, and technologically sophisticated. To maintain our world leadership role independent of UN control, we must continue to walk softly but continue to carry a big, technologically-advanced stick that is positioned to deal with new, smaller engagements wherever necessary. The new realities in a free world open to terrorism, investing in homeland security is a necessary and expensive priority we must fund.

If you don’t like my Contract with America, what would you suggest? What would you add?

It has recently been reported in the Washington Times (http://washingtontimes.com/news/2008/dec/22/bush-cheney-comforted-troops-privately/) that President Bush has sent personal letters to the families of every one of the more than 4,000 troops who have died in the two wars. This enormous personal effort has consumed hours of his time and escaped public notice.

The task, along with meeting family members of troops killed in action, has been so wrenching. He's had to balance the anger, grief and pride of families coping with the loss symbolized by a flag-draped coffin and handle all of his other taxing duties as president.

President Bush said in an interview with a Washington Times reporter, "People say, 'Why would you do that?' And the answer is: This is my duty. The president is commander in chief, but the president is often comforter in chief, as well. It is my duty to be - to try to comfort as best as I humanly can a loved one who is in anguish."

The president often leaned on his faith and wife, Laura, for emotional support, but he knew it was his duty to do. I applaud him for his thoughtful commitment to make these contacts, and I wanted to acknowledge that action. Bush gets blamed for everything; he deserves far more accolades for what he has done in his eight years. 

Both parties will say they support the American Dream, but Republicans want to ensure equal opportunity. Democrats want to promote more equal results!

The Democrats want  equal results for all whether they have earned it or not! They feel all Americans are entitled to healthcare, a living wage, affordable mortgages, and jobs that won’t go away because of foreign competition. To ensure equal outcomes, Democrats promise to enforce “unequal” tax obligations on “high-income” citizens.

Democrats promote more government solutions—They suggest freezing mortgage rates for those facing foreclosure, They want employers and “rich” taxpayers to pay for universal health insurance. They'd make pharmaceuticals provide drugs at a cost Americans want to pay and keep raising the minimum wage until citizens are paid what they "think" they’re worth. And, of course, they'd hire more government employees to administer their programs, make more regulations and ensure compliance!

Democrats never worry about employers or high-income Americans. After all, they can always afford a little sacrifice for the civic good!

In this age of anti-rich politics, Ayn Rand’s book, "Atlas Shrugged," is worth reading again. The story describes a time of recession where the government turns increasingly socialist. Independent business owners become the target of confiscation and interference. In an effort to save the country, capitalists strike—factories, farms and stores shut down. Out of the riots and economic collapse and then a better, freer society emerges.

Rand’s novel showed how badly a nation needs its innovators, its risk-takers and capitalists. Punishing the strong and successful doesn’t help the weak; poor people don’t hire anyone!

The Republican Party has always affirmed that the strength of America comes from its citizens, not its government. The American Dream isn’t an entitlement or a right; it’s to be earned anew in each generation. Instead of promising equal results, America has always been about ensuring an "equal opportunity to pursue happiness!”

Optimism doesn’t come from political promises; true optimism is earned the way it has always been earned—by each citizen overcoming obstacles on their way to success.

As Democrats campaign on confiscating more from wealthy Americans to give relief to “working Americans,” consider Abraham Lincoln’s caution, “I don’t believe in a law to prevent a man from getting rich; it would do more harm than good. So while we do not propose any war on capital, we do wish to allow the humblest man an equal chance to get rich with everybody else.”

Lincoln understood what most liberals don’t appreciate. In a creative, capitalistic society, there is movement between the classes.

In America, research supports that the same person can provide both capital and labor at different stages of his life. There will always be poor, but 95% who started poor don’t remain poor. Many aspiring workers work hard to save, then to invest and ultimately to become entrepreneurs or owners of capital that works for them to increase their own wealth.

Capital needs labor willing to work, spend and save; labor needs applied capital willing to take a risk on new dreams. Both need a government that’ll ensure that Americans remain free to makes dreams happen and to reap the rewards from their hard work.

President Ronald Reagan had a secret to attracting Democrat and independent votes. He appealed to our best hopes, not our worst fears, to our confidence, rather than our doubts.

This past labor leader’s rock-solid confidence in Americans came through when he would say: “I’m not taking your time this evening to ask you to trust me. Instead, I ask you to trust yourself. That is what America is all about… It’s the power of millions of people like you who will determine what will make America great again.”

As always, making the American Dream work is work. Life is difficult. Companies open, and companies close. Some careers thrive; others are no longer necessary. There are and will always be obstacles, but, with focused efforts, people can and still do succeed.

This isn’t a populist message that fits well in 15 second political ads, but it’s a message that is critical to the future of America.

In November, join me in voting Republican, the party that believes in you and your potential to earn YOUR American Dream.

Most Republicans are strong supporters of effective diplomacy and a strong military. As Teddy Roosevelt loved to say, “Talk softly and carry a big stick.”

National security is a central issue in this year’s election. With the progress now evident in Iraq and more and more assaults being handled by the Iraqi troops, this is not the time to leave prematurely. This is a war we can’t afford to lose.

Whether it was originally or not, the Iraq war remains one of the front lines on the battle of terrorism. If you don’t believe Republicans, then try Al Qaeda! They are calling more terrorists to join the battle in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Over 5,000 Al Qaeda troops have died. It’s a war Al Qaeda can’t lose. It’s a war we and our allies won’t lose if we have the will to win.

What if Democrats Roosevelt and Truman had responded to the loss of American lives at Normandy or Guam by withdrawing before the victory was complete? The quickest way to short-term peace is withdrawal and surrender.

The cost of victory and lasting peace has always been high, but the cost of premature withdrawal is far greater.

Republicans believe in a basic principle: In a world with more rogue countries and terrorist groups capable of attacking our homeland or vital global interests, America, in order to defend its freedom and way of life, must invest adequate resource to remain strong, progressive, and technologically sophisticated.

As former Secretary of Defense, Cap Weinberger, said years ago, "You don’t just go out to the store and buy high-tech weapons on the day you need them."

We need to sustain a strong investment in keeping our military one step ahead of our enemies. The new realities in a free world open to terrorism, require an equally strong investment in homeland security.

Republicans value diplomacy but are clearly aware of its limitations. Evil exists, and will continue to exist. Just look at history, the renewed tensions with Russia and the current atrocities that plague so many countries even today.

George Washington said in his first address to Congress, “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.”

In fact, when at our first Constitutional Convention, they proposed limiting the U.S. standing army to 5,000 men. George Washington responded by requesting a clause that would limit the size of the invading army to 3,000 troops. Laughter followed and the proposal was dropped.

Work for peace and always aggressively work diplomatic channels, but part of sustaining peace will always require an investment in military strength.
 
Many Americans want to know when we will leave Iraq. We will leave when the job is done and elected leaders in Iraq want us to leave.

If Democrats are so intent on getting soldiers back home, why don’t they start with bringing soldiers back from Japan, South Korea or Germany? 

They won't, because we remain for a reason. They still want us there. We are the only super power left and with that comes responsibilities.

General Norman Schwarzkopf at a program shared the comments of an appreciative Saudi officer as they were returning from the first Gulf War. Pulling the general aside, he said privately: “Thank goodness America is the only super-power left, because you are the only super power who would leave!”

We don’t go to war or pick allies for oil. If so, why do we support so many countries like Israel who have no oil?

People say America is hated, but we are often hated most by those who are enemies of freedom. What country is rated as the most important and trusted ally? You guessed it, the United States.

Keep America Strong. Help us win the war against terrorism so our children won’t have to face terrorism on our own soil. If you share this commitment, join me in voting Republican.

They say Republicans are mean-spirited! But the fact is that Americans, Democrats AND Republicans, have always been compassionate. They've been willing to help their neighbors in times of need.

But unfortunately, defining caring and compassion is not always easy in today’s political environment.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.” Unfortunately, whether you listen to talk radio or read the op-ed columns, the shrill nature of the comments made about the other party make serious political dialogue all but nonexistent. There are two Americas and few seem willing to talk across the divide.

In his book, The Case for Democracy, Soviet dissident, Natan Sharansky talks about the “Town Square Test:” “If a person cannot walk into the middle of the town square and express his or her views without fear of arrest, imprisonment, or physical harm, then that person is living in a fear society, not a free society. We cannot rest until every person living in a ‘fear society’ has finally won their freedom.”

America passes that test, but where are we exercising that freedom to talk across our divide? Free and open political discussions provide the fire that tests the metal of our convictions and the depth of our understanding. They aren’t to be avoided but harnessed in a way that risks influence without demonizing adversaries. In a free society, finding clarity is often as important as convincing others. Here are ten tips on how to disagree without being quite so disagreeable: 

Pope John XXIII once confessed what I’m sure all of our leaders in Washington are feeling, “Sometimes I awake at night and begin to think about a serious problem and decide that I must tell the Pope about it. Then I wake up completely and remember that I am the Pope!” We expect our leaders to have all the answers and label them as failures if they don’t. Fortunately, America is not built on belief in wise kings, but in belief in one another—“We the people” of this great country.

At the 1992 Republican Convention, President Ronald Reagan revealed the secret to his success, “I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence, rather than your doubts.” When facing tough times, this leader’s rock-solid confidence in Americans came through when he’d speak from the White House: “I’m not taking your time this evening to ask you to trust me. Instead, I ask you to trust yourself. That is what America is all about… It’s the power of millions of people like you who will determine what will make America great again.”

Today, as an American, you face important choices. Keeping one eye on the stock markets and another on our leaders in Washington, you worry about our future. Your choices will be driven by one of two basic reactions--panic or trust. By panicking and liquidating your savings or investments, you help push even more institutions to the brink. That, in turn, puts more businesses and jobs at risk.

The Top Ten Reasons to Elect John McCain: As you consider your choice for president, here are ten reasons to elect Senator John McCain.

1. He is a man you can trust; his ‘Straight Talk Express” is more than a slogan. When you’ve been tortured as a POW for refusing to comply, you know you have a leader who will not succumb to pressure. He will do what he feels is right. As he’s said many times, “I’d rather lose an election than lose a war!” He has the integrity and proven character needed to take the tough stands presidents must take.

2. His energy independence plan is an “all of the above” plan—Drill and Diversify Now!  He’d free states to allow off-shore exploration and drilling, encourage more clean-coal, speed processing and approval for more nuclear energy plants and refineries, and incentivize without subsidizing alternative energy innovation.

3. The U.S. has the second-highest corporate tax rate of all industrialized societies. McCain’s plan to reduce corporate taxes will keep more companies here and will encourage growth and more American jobs during these difficult economic times. McCain will keep the Bush tax cuts but wants more. In addition to promising a simplified tax code, McCain pledges to work to cut taxes on all and raise them on none.

4. McCain admits, “Government has grown by 60 percent in the last eight years. That is simply inexcusable.” He promises to reclaim “our good name as the party of spending restraint.” He’s promised a “top-to-bottom” review of federal spending and promised to veto any bill that earmarks money to pet projects of members of Congress. In addition to eliminating government waste, he wants government to shrink, not grow.

5. In a dangerous world where we finally have the extremists on the run in Iraq and the Iraqi leaders beginning to make progress, John McCain’s vision for peace through victory makes room for a strong, necessary commitment and the flexibility to adjust strategy as needed! McCain remains the president Americans would want called at 3 AM to deal with an international crisis!

6. McCain is a proven maverick “outsider” working from the inside of Washington; he has put America first in taking on his own party leadership. He may have voted with Bush as much as 95% in 2007, but Americans know he has what it takes to make waves and stand alone. McCain is a proven reformer committed to taking on corruption wherever it appears. In 2005, he called for more scrutiny and controls at Freddie and Fannie. McCain has no love for big business executives who profit while citizens and investors take the fall. McCain does more than talk about being a “uniter;” he has repeatedly reached across the isle to produce results.

7. McCain believes more in Americans than in our government. He’s committed to preserving the “American Dream” based on personal freedom and individual responsibility no matter what a person’s race, gender or age. Instead of glamorizing victimhood, he supports enabling, celebrating and learning from true achievement! He believes in you; he calls on Americans to trust his proven leadership in these difficult times!

8. To McCain, Americans don’t need renegotiated trade agreements or protection from competition; they just need freedom to compete in a free-trade, global economy! Americans can out-invent and out-perform anyone in a fair global competition. Obama’s plan to renegotiate NAFTA and increase tariffs will only increase our economic difficulties; McCain supports our longstanding commitment to free enterprise!

9. If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait until it is provided by the government. McCain’s plan for healthcare takes the responsibility and choices away from the government and employers and gives it to every American adding portable policies, tax credits and saving account options. 

10. He’s promised to pick Supreme Court Justices in line with Roberts and Alito. That same wisdom is shown in his bold selection of his kindred spirit, Governor Sarah Palin as VP. Palin brings her dynamic presence, her passion for reform, and her energy and executive experience onto his administrative team! This could be the most important election in decades. Take a stand for America and vote McCain/Palin!

The Top Ten Reasons to Reject Barack Obama: Here are ten reasons to reject Senator Barack Obama as your next president.

1. In these difficult times, Obama’s lack of a record and relevant experience that prepares him for making presidential decisions is frightening—the President of the United States should not be an entry-level position! Experience matters! It’s not a sufficient qualification, but is certainly a necessary one. Obama is not ready!

2. No experience fully prepares a candidate for the challenges a President will face. As a result, voters must consider a candidate’s judgment. Obama’s brief and uneventful political record makes his judgment in choice of friends and advisors even more important. His close associations with the controversial Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the political rainmaker Tony Rezko, and Weather Underground leader William Ayers invite concern.

3. At a time when a troop surge has reduced violence, damaged al Qaeda and allowed the Iraqi government to make progress on key milestones, Obama promises to “bring the war to an end in 2009!” He promises to save $9 billion a month by pulling out of Iraq, to cut investments in unproven missile defense systems and slow our development of future combat systems. Finally, he will set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons, promising to develop no new nuclear weapons. Such judgments project weakness as Commander in Chief; weakness is provocative!

4. He says that he is a “uniter,” but where’s the evidence? He voted with the Democrats 97 percent of the time. He’s a proven tax-and-spend Democrat with the most liberal voting record in the Senate. He’s only a “uniter” if you’ll unite with his partisan position.

5. Obama calls for “Change You Can Believe In,” but where’s the evidence of him championing positive change? There’s no record of reform in Cook County, in the Illinois legislature or in the US Senate. In the Senate, he’s authored no important legislation and hasn’t even convened a hearing on the one subcommittee he chairs. To this point, he’s devoted his many gifts to chronicling and selling his own life’s story and running his presidential campaign. Obama fits the Indian saying, "High wind, big thunder, no rain."

6. Obama doesn’t sell hope; he sells doom and gloom. He’s built his need for change on losing in Iraq and reframing our economic downturn as a recession or worse. When Obama asks if you are better off under Bush, he ought to look at the numbers from Investor’s Business Daily: “Americans are better off than when Bill Clinton was president.” Reporting data from the IRS showed that the average U.S. income had increased five straight years through 2006. Obama talks hope but sells pessimism.

7. His unrealistic and restrictive plan for energy independence is limited to investing in new, unproven sources of energy that are not ready to carry the load for our energy independence. His partial plan does not provide the reliable source of power that our economy and citizens require now.

8. For all his talk on self-reliance, Obama treats citizens as victims incapable of rising to the challenges they face. Obama’s “hope” rests in what government can do for you, not on what you can do for yourself or our country. At a time we are struggling to pay for the entitlements we already have, Obama calls for substantial government subsidies for healthcare, college, foreclosure relief, pension plans and alternative energies. Milton Friedman said, “There are no free lunches.” We can’t afford an Obama Presidency’s “free” programs!

9. Obama wants to raise corporate taxes, inheritance taxes, income taxes on the top 5% of wage earners, and social security payments. Most candidates avoid promising to raise taxes. Americans are wise enough to know that appealing to class warfare never works. Taking from the “rich” to give to “middle class” just results in those taxed charging more! You want Obama’s “Hope”—I hope you enjoy your change in taxes!

10. He chose Washington insider Joe Biden for his foreign policy experience. This man of experience voted against the first Gulf War, against the surge and wanted to break Iraq into three entities. Even Biden isn’t sure he was the best choice that Obama could have made! We agree; vote McCain/Palin!

Byline: Dr. Terry Paulson is a psychologist, speaker, author and host to the PaulsonOnPolitics.com blog. Contact him at terry@terrypaulson.com.

Ross Perot’s plain-speaking candor fits the times: “The deficit is like the guy that finds a rattlesnake in his pants. He knows he's got to shoot it, but he doesn't want to hit anything important.” No one’s shooting yet, but they sure know how to throw more of our money around!  Money’s the talk of the town in Washington, and all that money seems to be saying is “Good-bye!”

The “final” bailout plan is yet to be dissected, but Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Fred Bernanke deserve kudos for trying to do something to get ahead of the problem! Unfortunately, ratcheting up the fear of a pending economic calamity to get action required politicians to produce some “cure” or risk creating an even greater economic panic! Whether their rescue plan will stabilize the market and provide needed loan capital, history will be the judge, but America will find a way to bounce back. But much can be learned from what helped create this crisis that should have a bearing on your presidential vote.

Democrats and liberal pundits are blaming the free market, the Fed’s easy money policy, deregulation, greed, and, of course, President Bush. Certainly, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s monetary policy that has aggressively lowered interest rates helped drive down the value of the dollar and make loans overly attractive at unheard of rates. Certainly, unscrupulous financial institutions are also to blame for creating unsound and complex investment vehicles that fueled speculation and generated excessive profits without ever questioning the investments or the loans they created.

The administration is also not blameless, but an Opinion Journal column by Charles Calomiris and Peter Wallison documents the role of Congress in creating the current credit crisis. Accounting scandals at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac surfaced as early as 2003 when Federal Reserve and Congressional Budget Office economists found that, despite their subsidized borrowing rates, Fannie and Freddie had not significantly reduced mortgage interest rates. Instead of making mortgages cheaper for borrowers, they were making excessive profits and thus creating greater risks for the taxpayers, the economy, and mortgage payment-strapped homeowners.

In response to their lapses, Fannie and Freddie used a commitment to increase financing for "affordable housing" to curry Democratic support. Rep. Barney Frank openly admitted at a committee hearing on GSE reform in 2003: "Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have played a very useful role in helping to make housing more affordable . . . a mission that this Congress has given them in return for some of the arrangements which are of some benefit to them…."

Beginning in 2004, their portfolios of subprime and Alt-A loans and securities began to grow. Fannie and Freddie became their largest buyers between 2004 and 2007, with total GSE exposure eventually exceeding $1 trillion. In doing so, they stimulated the growth of the subpar mortgage market and magnified the costs of its eventual collapse.

When irregularities continued to surface, McCain and others warned of the coming mortgage crisis. In 2005, McCain spoke in favor of the Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005 from the floor of the Senate: "For years I have been concerned about the regulatory structure that governs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac…." McCain pointed to a $10.6 billion accounting scandal at Fannie Mae where their quarterly reports of profit growth were "illusions deliberately and systematically created" by the company's senior management. McCain called for reform.

A recent Glenn Beck article chronicles the repeated calls for reform by President Bush and his administration since 2001. They not only warned of the systemic consequences of a Fannie and Freddie failure but suggested thoughtful plans to reduce the risk. His warnings went unheeded and his attempts to reform were blocked by Democratic legislative maneuvering.

What was our champion of change and hope doing about the problem? Nothing! Records from the Federal Election Commission reveal a possible reason for Obama’s silence. In his three complete years in the Senate, he’s the second largest recipient of Freddie-and--Fannie-connected campaign contributions. It took Sen. Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate banking committee, eleven years to receive $165,400 in contributions from GSE PACs and individuals. Obama received $126,349 in just three years. 

WorldNetDaily’s Jerome R. Corsi reported on Obama advisors with strong Fannie Mae connections. James Johnson, earning millions as Fannie Mae CEO from 1991 to 1998, was appointed to head Obama's vice presidential selection committee until alleged questionable real estate loans from Countrywide Financial forced him to step down. Obama housing advisor, Franklin Raines, earned $90 million as Fannie Mae CEO from 1999 to 2004. 

Free market capitalism didn’t create this crisis. The Democrats’ "progressive" social policies helped stifle free market checks and limit appropriate regulatory oversight. The same politicians who today decry the lack of intervention to stop past abuses were the ones who blocked the legislative efforts that might have stopped them. While McCain is leading, Obama’s watching. Barack’s a great talker, but he’s remained inactive when he should have been part of the solution.

Byline: Dr. Terry Paulson is a psychologist, speaker, author and host to the PaulsonOnPolitics.com blog. Contact him at terry@terrypaulson.com. First appeared in Ventura County Star on Monday September 29, 2008 and on townhall.com on the same day.