MUSIC TO MY CONSERVATIVE EARS

I have long described our president as the "Celebrity in Chief," because so much of the vote that turned out for him were people riding a Personality Cult Wave, flocking to this cool new guy who promised everybody ...what was that, "Change". And black people were voting for him because, first, he is black, and, let's see, he's smart, and articulate, has new ideas, and did I mention because he is black? They voted for him in droves, many for the first time because he was a fresh face...and also because, because, uh, because he is black.

And now that the aura has worn off, and it's business as usual...or maybe it's business as UNusual with so many people out of work -- Obama Fans see that their Messiah is simply a man; they have become complacent about going out and voting: "I can't vote tonight. I'd miss Dancing with the Stars!"

It seems that the party's over, and these folks -- the young, the blacks, and the starry eyed liberal whites -- just didn't show up for these recent statewide races. And that, my friend, is music to my ears.

"Said Tim Kaine, the Democratic National Committee chairman and the term-limited Virginia governor: 'We are disappointed.'

"In both states, the surveys also suggested the Democrats had difficulty turning out their base, including the large numbers of first-time minority and youth voters whom Obama attracted. The Virginia electorate was whiter in 2009 than it was in 2008, when blacks and Hispanics voted in droves to elect the country's first black president." http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_election_rdp

Here were Democrat candidates that our esteemed Savior in Chief campaigned for, yet, even with the force of his personal magnetism, articulateness, and powerful personal persona, he could not bring out the vote to elect his Democratic com padres. The luster has faded. People are a wee bit disappointed with Obama Stimulus, Obama Backhand to Allies, Obama Hesitancy Executing the Afghan War, Obama Bank Takeover, Obama Broken Promise of 8 million jobs because of Obama Stimulus, Obama Auto Takeover (remember the billions lent to GM and Chrysler? What's that?! -- a report today says that we taxpayers will probably never see that money repaid*). *Meanwhile, in a report from yesterday, Ford Motor Co., which didn't take the government loans, is posting huge profits! Music to my conservative (small government) ears.

They see that these Obama Plans are doing nothing but piling on increased indebtedness to our children and children's children with little to show. And now Our Messiah in Chief wants to revamp and take over Health Care to the tune of $900 billion (oops, that was two days ago, now it's $1.2 trillion)! Stop the Madness.

Maybe tonight's election results portend a reigning in or a cutting off of the widening tentacles of government as it greedily spreads its control over ever larger portions of our economy. Hey, what say we grab the government by the tentacles till it cries, "Uncle!" -- as in Sam, and we find more taxpayer-friendly, liberty-loving, business-savvy, and, yes, compassionate ways of governance. As for now, the election news is music to my ears. I feel like dancing the jig with Sarah Palin.

NEVER CONTRADICT A MAN WITH CLIPPERS IN HIS HAND

I made the mistake of getting into a political discussion with my black barber. I had vowed to myself to always avoid conversations about politics with my barber, especially while he was cutting my hair.

HE brought up politics, asked me a few questions that I tried to dodge, like "Who are you voting for?" Sure enough, he was crazy about Obama, as are ALL of the black barbers that I use. This guy was busy flailing and pontificating about evil white people and why he wanted Obama to be the next president -- all the while banging my head with the clippers and constantly working the back of my neck, buzz buzz buzz, comb comb comb, buzz, buzz buzz, thump thump thump...my 12-minute haircut turned into a 30 minute ordeal while this guy was loudly preaching about why Obama was the best choice for black people. In the raging anger of a Rev. Jeremiah Wright, this barber preached that all white people should be killed. I began thinking that underneath that mild-mannered barber uniform my barber might be a terrorist! I better be quiet and let him rant; the clippers could be replaced by a razor and a hair cut could turn into a neck cut.

When he finally finished, I ended up with a much shorter haircut than I wanted and the back of my neck felt like leather. I paid him, even tipped him, and finally addressed the question that I had avoided answering while my hair was being cut, or should I say, while my head was being assaulted. He asked, "You still didn't tell me who you're voting for?" I answered, "I am voting for the man who doesn't believe in killing babies in the womb." He asked, "And who is that?" (As usual, when confronted with understanding the specific positions of their candidate, Obama supporters usually have no answer.) I told him, "I guess you'll just have to look it up." Again, he queried, "Who are you voting for?" I answered, "I am voting for the man who doesn't believe in partial-birth abortion, killing unborn babies even in the ninth month of pregnancy." He answered, "Who is that?" Again, I said, "I'll guess you'll just have to do a little research, huh?"

And I ducked my skinned head into my van and said, "Later, brother."

Murdock "Doc" Gibbs
Sept. 13, 2008