Shoreline Caucus

Michael Steele is now out as chairman of the Republican National Committee, having lost his re-election bid this past Friday. Is Luke Esser going to follow a similar path when the Washington State Republican Party elects its chairman next Saturday?

Luke Esser (left) voted for National RNC Chair in Maryland last Friday.

There are three people running against Esser for a new two-year term as State Party Chairman – Kirby Wilbur, Curt Fackler, and Bill Rennie. After Steve Beren posted his interviews of both Esser and the first candidate to throw his hat in the ring, Wilbur, (http://www.redcounty.com/content/my-interview-luke-esser-our-party-always-re-energized-right), I put out a poll on the Puget Sound Conservative Underground website, asking whom should be the Chairman of the Republican Party – Esser or Wilbur? (http://www.meetup.com/PugetSoundConservativeUnderground/polls/259055/). Of the 53 conservatives who took the poll, an overwhelming 51 chose Wilbur. Read more »

The motto “Reaching the American Dream” has traditionally meant an American could transform from rags to riches if he or she worked hard enough. Over the past decades, there have been countless stories of Americans reaching the dream by starting with nothing but building up to success. A legal immigrant arriving in the U.S. with only the cash in his pocket could have reached his dream by years later being able to buy his own house. Or an even larger dream could have been a person beginning as the janitor of a company and then eventually becoming the company’s CEO. In our country’s first 200 years, the sky was the limit for what Americans’ dreams could be and what successes could possibly come true. That is why the U.S. has been the dream destination of people from other countries.

But fast forward to 2010, and due to the last two years of having a combination of a weak economy, a radical expansion of our government spending, and an unchecked majority party in charge, “Reaching the American Dream” may soon be out of the reach of our children’s and grandchildren’s generations. We could be just a few weeks away from permanently redefining what the “American Dream” is and making it less significant and meaningful. This is because the more progressive politicians want to limit the dream, and if they continue to hold the majority in Congress after November 2, they will believe they have been given a mandate to limit and redefine. Read more »

Now that their guy lost Tuesday’s Primary to Dino Rossi and Patty Murray, some Clint Didier supporters are acting as if they want to take their ball and go home and not let anyone else play! Clint himself gave a very “poor loser” message Tuesday night on KTTH’s election show. I somewhat can understand, as I too would be very emotional after a loss, and things that come out of your mouth before you have a night to sleep on it might sound very different the next day. But I sure wish Clint would have heard Paul Akers on the radio prior that evening. Paul gave a very gracious message about the race and about losing, ending with saying emphatically he was “100% behind Dino Rossi!”

As Clint is preparing to make an announcement Friday at 3:00 about his campaign and about Rossi, I would like him to listen to what he said on KTTH’s David Boze Show on May 28 – two days after Dino Rossi announced his candidacy, bringing the number of candidates to around 17. Today’s David Boze Show replayed that May 28th talk with Clint, and here is what Clint said:

“If it is Patty Murray and whoever – it’s whoever. Vote against Patty Murray. And we gotta stimulate this movement in the state of Washington that whoever comes out of that primary we gotta get behind. And believe me, if it’s not me, whoever it is, I’m gonna get behind them. I’m gonna work as hard for them as I did for me. Because it’s not about me. It’s about our kids, our grandkids, and assuring they have that same shot at the American Dream. It’s about America.”

You can listen for yourself at the 36:00 mark of today’s Boze show:
http://icestream.bonnint.net/seattle/kiro/2010/08/p_David_Boze_Show_20100819_4pm.mp3

Clint, you did an excellent job motivating conservatives over the past eight months. Thank you for all the time and heart you put into your candidacy. You are a patriot for wanting to serve your country! Now it’s time to keep to your word while continuing to motivate your supporters. But this time the motivation is to get them to work hard – as hard as they did for you – to help get Dino Rossi elected. After all, it’s all about defeating Murray.

The past two years have seen a rise in what I call the “apprentice activist.” I was one of them. I was not involved in politics prior to 2008 other than to vote in elections. But in 2009 I “woke up” and attended a tax day Tea Party in downtown Seattle (thank you, Keli Carender!) and also joined other similar-minded activists outside Jay Inslee’s office and near Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, protesting Obamacare. I then stepped up a bit and actually helped promote additional protests at Northgate, Mercer Island, Seattle, and Olympia. I felt pretty good about myself – I had made intelligently-worded signs mocking our current politicians and their outlandish legislation, took time out of my day to attend Tea Parties and sign-waving protests, and yelled, “No new taxes!” and “Stop Obamacare!” in unison with thousands of other Conservatives and Constitutionalists throughout the Puget Sound.

While liberals and progressives saw 2009 as the beginning of their messiah’s term in office and enjoyed more than ever the nanny-state they are living in, thousands of Conservatives and Constitutionalists in the Puget Sound area woke up in 2009 and realized our state and our country would soon be beyond rescuing if we didn’t do something. So we made intelligently worded signs mocking our current politicians and waved them at Tea Parties. We yelled in unison with other newly-awakened sleeping giants in Olympia, Seattle, Bellevue, and Everett, chanting “No new taxes!” and “You can keep the change!”

I’m not downplaying the significance and therapeutic benefits of Tea Parties, as it’s terrific that so many of my fellow citizens have awakened. But you have to admit it isn’t too difficult to participate in a Tea Party. When you stand around holding a sign and shouting with people you agree with, it can be both fun and fulfilling, but it’s also fairly easy. So I would like to persuade my fellow Tea Partiers, Conservatives, and Constitution-followers to do something more difficult. Read more »

In a recent poll of members of the Puget Sound Conservative Underground, immediately after Dino Rossi announced he would be running for the Senate, the question was asked if we should “Rally ‘Round Rossi.” Almost half of the 104 voters (48%) said Rossi is similar to Charlie Crist of Florida, and they checked the box that said Rossi is “so much of a RINO that it wouldn’t make much difference if he was elected instead of Murray.” (poll results at: http://www.meetup.com/PugetSoundConservativeUnderground/polls/238444/)

NJ Governor Christie

Another poll asked 72 Puget Sound Conservative Underground members if they would vote for a Republican like Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, as our state’s governor. An overwhelming 99% said they would. (poll results at: http://www.meetup.com/PugetSoundConservativeUnderground/polls/239071/)

What was the significance of these results, and what was the connection between asking these two poll questions? Conservatives (myself included) are in love with Chris Christie. We see him as one of us – someone who wants smaller government, less spending, and the return of sanity and common sense to government. He’s a breath of fresh air not only in New Jersey, but reaching all the way to our state, where Conservative Washingtonians would salivate at the possibility of having a Chris Christie-type candidate to run for office here. So if you’re wondering if my reason for the polls above and the verification of our fondness for New Jersey’s governor was to help set the stage to present our own Chris Christie-type candidate for our state’s Senate race, the answer is: Yes, it was. And if you’re assuming this Chris Christie-type candidate, the one we Conservatives love and would definitely vote for, is named Clint Didier, the answer is: No, it isn’t.

Read more »

Rest in Peace to John Wooden, the best basketball coach of all-time and arguably the best coach of any sport of all time. He died on June 4, at the age of 99.

I met John Wooden at his basketball camp in California when I was 16. His philosophy of life, not just of basketball, has always stuck with me. You can read more about him through his books “They Call Me Coach” and “My Personal Best.” http://www.amazon.com…

John Wooden coaching a UCLA game with his familiar rolled-up program

He is famous for his “Pyramid of Success,” a list of characteristics put together in a pyramid form to show the basic foundations that a person must build up in him/herself in order to reach the top – SUCCESS – which is defined by Coach Wooden as “Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” I was proud to have won a framed, autographed “Pyramid of Success” from Coach Wooden at his basketball camp for being one of the top campers. 

In order from the foundation/base of the pyramid and moving to the top, following is
John Wooden’s 15 “Building Blocks” of the “Pyramid of Success.” I shared this with my son when he was in junior high. It’s a good goal-setting roadmap for your children…or for yourself. Read more »