Wednesday, April 27, 2011

RedState Morning Briefing For April 27, 2011



1. Barack Obama Comes Out For Even HIGHER Gas Prices


2. Why Republicans Will Never Win the PR Battle on a Government Shutdown. And Why They Shouldn’t Care.



3. Daily Kos poll suggests Union movement no match for TEA Party


4. Shouldn’t Facebook Provide Equal Time?


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1. Barack Obama Comes Out For Even HIGHER Gas Prices


I realize Barack Obama graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and was Editor of Harvard Law Review, but I’m starting to think he’s not that bright — or at least lacks sense (never mind that he won’t release his college transcripts).


He’s definitely an amateur and it shows when, late yesterday, Obama came out in favor of even higher gas prices.


As a friend noted on Facebook, Obama’s popularity is falling so fast that Kenyans are now claiming Obama was born in the United States. This won’t help that.


Now, he does not say he is in favor of higher gas prices (though his Secretary of Energy does), but Obama wants Congress to “take ‘immediate action’ to end tax subsidies for oil and gas companies”


The two subsidies Barack Obama specifically wants Congress to kill are the “percentage depletion” and “intangible drilling costs (IDCs)” tax incentives.


Enter Democrat Congressman Dan Boren who explains why doing so would drive up the cost of oil production, make us more dependent on foreign oil, and — oh by the way — points out that getting rid of these would not affect Exxon, Shell, BP, Phillips-Conoco, etc. in the least little bit.


Please click here for the rest of the post.




2. Why Republicans Will Never Win the PR Battle on a Government Shutdown. And Why They Shouldn’t Care.


Conservatives are prone to lament a liberal bias in the media. There is another bias conservatives should play more careful attention to because it affects even the more relatively unbiased analysts and reporters that exist on television, radio, and in print. It is the “good government” bias.


The good government bias’s hallmark is the exasperated sigh of the Washington press corps longing for the “adults” to have an “adult conversation” and handle gridlocked issues in Washington as “adults in the room.” In other words, principles be damned, we need government to work. This is perhaps the most common press bias because it chooses to ignore or downplay real principled concerns in favor of practical, pragmatic, or “adult” solutions.


Republicans in Washington are scrambling trying to find a plan to stave off a government shutdown and reduct the debt to GDP ratio while looking like “adults” to placate a critical press. It won’t happen. The GOP is so fearful of a government shutdown and the media’s spin that the Democrats will be able to cajole them into doing less than they should.


Please click here for the rest of the post.






3. Daily Kos poll suggests Union movement no match for TEA Party


I took a look at this poll by PPP for Daily Kos and SEIU. Markos Moulitsas himself is hyping the poll as showing an enthusiasm gap, which of course was one big indicator of the electoral wipeout we saw in 2010.


I think that he’s right, to a degree. However I read the figures as having two conclusions: First, the TEA party effect is still there, and Republicans are slightly more engaged than Democrats at this early point in the cycle. Second, the Union activism of this year is not having the same engagement effect with Democrats, that the TEA party, the ARRA, and the PPACA had with Republicans.


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4. Shouldn’t Facebook Provide Equal Time?


Just last Wednesday, Barack Obama held a townhall meeting online at Facebook. It drew lots of publicity and was hailed as a campaign event. Heck, it clearly was all about Barack Obama’s re-election.


We know Facebook leans left. We know Mark Zuckerberg is happy to be taxed more. But what of the Facebook community? They aren’t all lefties.


When the GOP has a nominee, Facebook should be fair and give the GOP nominee equal time. Our sister site Human Events has a petition up that you can sign and ask Facebook for equal time.


Please note that we’re not seeking state action to compel Facebook. We’re just asking Facebook to do the right thing.


Please click here for the rest of the post.




Sincerely yours,


Erick Erickson
Editor, RedState.com

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