The Sunshine Empire

In the winter of 1992, then Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton found his way back to second place in the New Hampshire primary. He’d climbed back from the brink of oblivion after revelations of marital misconduct and declared himself that night, “The Comeback Kid.” Last night former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney came back from behind to beat former Senator Rick Santorum and again staved off talk that his second bid for the presidency was dead. He won the state of his birth, and the one his late father was governor of. Much like Florida, Mittens stormed from behind in the polls to win another must-win primary against yet another anti-Romney. As much as the “liberal” media was once again waiting to give Romney’s political obituary, there’s no way to see anyone but him accepting the nomination in Tampa.

Many in the political punditocracy have been comparing the slow slog of the GOP 2012 nomination process to the historic battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Yet the only feature that seems the same is the length. While the 2008 Democratic race more resembled a 12 round championship boxing match, the 2012 GOP race seems more like the Bruce Lee movie Game Of Death. Romney hasn’t had one epic opponent as much as he’s been forced to go from floor to floor of the Republican Pagoda. On each floor Romney has faced another anti-Romney which he’s been forced to fight to the death. Each opponent has required a full scale barrage of non-stop vitriol to vanquish. As the GOP race drags on it seems much like the South toward the end of the Civil War. The outcome is really not in doubt, but there is much more bloodshed to come.

The effect of this bloodsport on Romney’s chances against Obama in the fall will be key. Romney is overcoming his rivals one by one, but his unfavorables are rising after every battle. Can this work at all to Romney’s benefit? In 2008 the extended battle forced the Obama campaign to build a ground game in states Democrats hadn’t bothered with for decades. The result was wins in places like North Carolina and Virginia. Michigan was the first traditionally Democratic leaning state and Romney fared far worse than he did four years ago (He had more votes but his margin of victory was down from 9 to 3 points). The rest of the anti-Romneys can never match Mitt’s money advantage, but they are intent to soldier on. There’s no doubt still that Mitt Romney will be the nominee when the Republicans gather in Tampa, but there’s much more political bloodshed to be had.

We discuss the literary legacy of the late Hunter S. Thompson, tough guys for Jesus, and we have another edition of This Week In Jesus TV.

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In February of 2008 former oil man and then president George W. Bush was asked about the coming prospect of $4.00 a gallon gasoline. His response to what he would advise working Americans was a basic, “That’s interesting, I hadn’t heard that.” President Bush’s conservative defenders at the time were quick to point out that the president has little power to directly dictate prices to the oil market. Despite his promise to “jawbone” the Saudi royals, Bush could little affect growing demand from China and a lack of American refining capacity. Despite this, Democrats on the election year stump regularly attacked Bush for the staggering price of gas. As that year wore on gasoline prices did spike to $4.00 a gallon, but the American economy was moving closer and closer to a historic cliff.

Policies having nothing to do with drilling, refining or producing petroleum products caused what is now known as The Great Recession. The gutting of financial sector oversight, the shifting of the tax burden from wealth onto the backs of the working class, and unregulated credit default swaps betting on the real estate bubble bursting all contributed to the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. Gasoline prices across the fruited plain dropped quicker than a Tom Brady pass to Wes Welker in the Super Bowl. Gas prices rise and fall according to economic demand. When the economy grows, more is shipped, more people travel to jobs, and emerging markets demand more and more of that black gold.

Now we find ourselves again in an election year with a growing economy again, and gas prices are on the rise. The same conservatives that argued against gas prices being Bush’s fault are now laying the current rise in pump prices at the feet of Barack H. Obama. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has been assuring voters on the stump that he sees no reason why he could not ensure $2.00 a gallon gasoline during his presidency. If elected I’m actually sure he could deliver on this promise. Because if he returns us to the economic policies of unregulated mass hysteria and doubling down on tax cuts, I’m sure gas will be $2.00 a gallon because of the second great recession.

It was seven years ago today that my literary hero, Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, ended his remarkable life much as his hero Ernest Hemingway did. To remember the good doctor here is his appearance on David Letterman’s old show.

Episode Three and we discuss Ghost Rider, Conservative Voltron and Linsanity

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As the Republican party’s rank apathy for its presidential field becomes more and more apparent, the party has been putting forward a series of wedge issues in an effort to steal the political momentum back from President Obama. After House Speaker John Boehner’s work to fire the American people’s passions over the proposed Keystone XL pipeline failed, Republicans have latched onto the administration’s contraception move as a violation of “Religious Liberty” or “Religious Freedom.” Grand visions of waves of traditionally Democratic Catholics streaming to the GOP standard after their proud pro-contraception stand must have filled Boehner and Mitch McConnell’s dreams after the Obama administration finalized their rule.

In reality Catholic public opinion with regard to the president has essentially remained unchanged since the ruling and Obama’s subsequent moves to accommodate Catholic beliefs. Newly pro-Catholic Republicans also were suddenly stridently for religious liberty. Republicans assure us that any person of religious belief, no matter what that is, shall not have their beliefs trampled on by the mob rule of the government. Yet this sudden dedication to the religious portion of the First Amendment seems completely counter to traditional Republican practice. Traditionally “religion” in GOP circles essentially means protestant Christianity. With this embrace of their Catholic brothers, Republicans have gone off the range in this regard. The move calls into question many of the Republican’s past stands on the matter of religious freedom.

Two years ago members of a major world religion were quietly arranging to build a sanctuary and religious center in lower Manhattan. Two major current GOP presidential candidates took very strong stands against this group’s right to build their religious center in lower Manhattan. Rick Santorum stated that president Obama was thwarting the will of the people by standing by these peoples’ right to build their center. Religious freedom apparently is only useful when it moves public opinion. Former speaker Newt Gingrich went so far as to compare these efforts to build a religious center in our free country to the work of Nazi Germany. So why the stark difference now and then with regard to religious liberty? Those people were Muslims.

Too often with conservatives and Republicans, “religious liberty” actually means only protestant Christian liberty. Conservatives have staged protests all across the country in communities to block the rights of Muslim Americans counter to their new found love of religious freedom. Conservatives regularly call for the institution of Christian prayer in public schools and even have passed laws in states requiring those seeking abortion get sonograms all in line with their religious beliefs. Republicans going all-in on attacking contraception policy is nothing but an awkward attempt to co-opt the Catholic vote and has nothing to do with religious freedom. This turn has done nothing but weaken their position on a host of other past matters.

Here in Florida, five Catholic Bishops including my own sent a plea to Governor Rick Scott to stay the execution of a convicted murderer on death row. No word yet on if Governor Scott plans to stand with Florida Catholics and their religious liberty this time around. The next time Republicans work to stop the construction of a Mosque, I wonder if they’ll remember that they are for religious freedom now?

This week on The Sunshine Empire Podcast Empire we talk This Week In Jesus TV, Rick Santorum, and the poetry of Occupy Wall Street.

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