Three Days Till Caucus-Time - The Adventures of Mr. Ed and Little Punk

Tick, tock, tick, tock...
As I’ve been preparing for our journey to Iowa this weekend for the GOP Caucuses, I’ve found that my motivation and creativity has already landed in Iowa, making the focus on my business here a bit more difficult than usual, the week after Christmas. But, I must keep progressing as I take a few days away from my own business, leaving it in the hands of my trusted management team.

The Christmas wrapping is not even cleaned up yet, the race tracks are still littering the bottom of the tree and the half-eaten candy canes are still strewn across the living room. Riley played Pirate and steam engine builder all week (yes, I bought and built with him, a REAL steam engine) while I prepared myself for the weekend in Des Moines. The next few days will see - no exaggeration - thousands of alien politicos from around North America descend upon the corn fields for a piece of the pie as Presidential candidates give one last appeal to win Iowans’ vote on Tuesday, January 3rd. This is the non-stop, fast-paced crop circle I’ve chosen to jump into, and I couldn’t be more excited.

Other Parental Patriots from around the country are bringing their little buggers too, so I’m not the only one. However, I think I’m one of the few single parents crazy enough to try. Riley will be bringing a fresh Christmas load of presents to keep busy, but I fully intend on bringing him to events as much as possible. He’s at this stage now in his four and a half years of life where he listens to what people say then sounds out entire phrases with a question mark at the end. “Rick Perry is a cool guy?” he says. Yes, I expect him to have a significantly developed vocabulary by next Wednesday when we return home. “Caucus”, “ethanol”, “bailout”, “Texas” and “Constitution” are on the pre-school spelling list already. I’ll be sure Riley engages his Dora the Explorer Phonics iPad app all weekend so he’s prepared for this experience.

The only part of the trip I’m not looking forward to is the six hour drive through Chicago and the monotony of flat, government-mandated farm fields with a four-year-old that will be asking to stop at every gas station he sees. But I will be travelling with my cousin who is playing nanny for the week, and another political activist friend of mine; surely it will take the edge off.

The last three weeks have been a fascinating study in Primary politics, media news cycles and polling. When I last wrote here, Gingrich was surging on his ability to speak alone, and Cain was falling apart under the inability to discuss Libya without a water bottle. Governor Rick Perry has since gained steadily two to three percentage points per week as he tours the state to standing-room only crowds that, if nothing else, are interested to hear him speak their language on local and national issues with such confidence, even if they are still unsure of their support for him come next Tuesday. “Retail Politics” is what this is called, and no one does it better than Governor Perry. He now stands in third place in most local polls, and is second among GOP voters.The Texas Governor has been a public servant in various capacities over the last 25 years: State Legislator, Agricultural Commissioner, Lt. Governor and now 11 years as Governor, and has never lost an election. He has raised more money on the campaign trail in his years in Texas than any statewide public figure in American politics. As he often says, “This ain’t our first rodeo,” and in his last debate in Iowa stated gleefully, “I am starting to really like these debates, and would be there early to debate Obama” [should he get the nomination].

Any objective observer would have to acknowledge that Perry’s steady return from underdog to real contender while staying on message and improving every facet of his campaign is respectable, if confounding and surprising – but surprising only to those who don’t know this Governor. He's inspiring and determined, and he knows every day issues as well or better than anyone running.
Once I leave Saturday afternoon, I will continue to report from the field and look forward to sharing our travels with you. If there’s any random requests you have back home, let me know. Ronald Reagan figurines in Dixon, IL or famous Cream Puffs from Davenport, I’ll try to bring back what I can. I plan on bringing back a glowing smile of victory to Caledonia by next Wednesday!

America needs leadership and experience, and the support to make the case for the Governor. My son and I are merely a sample of the 2,000+ activists making their way to Iowa for Perry alone, from Bettina in California and Randy in New York, to Chrissy in Florida and us in Wisconsin. This is the kind of energy that wins elections, and the sort of believable enthusiasm America needs. It’s been 30 years since we’ve felt this way.

Soon, you will too.

Welcome to My 1/4 acre - The Adventures of Mr. Ed and Little Punk

Hello, my name is Ed.

OK, that’s how I start off every conversation in my sales career, and it feels just tad tripe.
How do I introduce myself? I’ve only recently joined the Patch community here, as a local blogger. And I’ve been spotty at best with active involvement in politics over the last several years, but I’ve always enjoyed writing about it. I’ve been tearing up Facebook with my rants, raves and misgivings for years now. So, a few of you know me because of my online passion already. But to a larger audience – the Community I live in – I want to have a part in adding to the character, the substance and maybe even the entertainment of the people that make up this virtual tax shelter I call home.

I moved to Caledonia in May of 2008, primarily because my family needed a larger home, but equally as important, the direction of the County I was in. I wanted lower taxes, more space, and a friendly community. Milwaukee County, despite the best attempts of its County Executive was simply headed in the wrong direction, so my wife and I moved to a wonderful ¼ acre lot in southern Caledonia, or as I affectionately refer to as, “So-Cal”. It’s my ¼ acre in “Cali,” and you can’t take that dream away from me.

The last three and a half years have brought me many joys (a new company that grows in a recession), various pains (an unwanted divorce) and new friends. I have the great privilege of raising my four-year-old son full-time. Having been raised as an only child by a single mother myself, I have a distinct, first-hand knowledge of the challenges and joys of living the life I have accepted.

From the time he was born, I’ve always given my son Riley the affectionate name, “Little Punk.” So for anyone potentially offended by this, understand it’s a term of endearment, not a reckless, burping, name-calling, and chauvinist bachelor showing a lack of tact. Little Punk and I enjoy riding his Power Wheel Jeep at Cliffside; late nights driving to Pick n Save because I forgot to buy milk, and playing ball at Crawford Park. We even got to enjoy some CRICKET with Indian men who stopped by this last summer. So far, it has already been an unforgettable experience living here, as I’m sure it has been for you.

Every March for the last five years, I’ve attended Spring Training in Phoenix, AZ to watch the Brewers play baseball in the sun. Learning the names of future major leaguers, meeting promising and current stars on the team and enjoying the AZ desert have been great traditions for me and now I get to share them with my son. This year will be his fourth Spring Training; yes, he’s only four… (I couldn’t even find an appropriate onesie for the little guy when we took him for the first time, so I just had him wear a Brewers bib every day.) We already have our tickets for this next March. Wanna come?

My childhood was a blessed one, being raised by a single mother who ran a bookstore, homeschooled me and raised me entirely on her own – Only God knows how… Superwoman? She led me through the high school years, getting her GED in the process, and teaching me most of all how to love experiencing new things, and HOW to actually learn. I graduated top of my class… har, har… went to college, the first in my family to earn a degree. My mom deserves the credit for being two parents in one for me. Blessed even more was the life I lived because she took me travelling to places all over the United States, and it taught me so much about the nation I love and the people that make it great.

I still remember, vividly, going to Washington, D.C. when I was five. Never mind the fire I started I the hotel sink with matches and plastic cups, it was an amazing experience, even at five. We travelled to Florida; journeyed over the mountains to California when I was seven; hoofed down to Texas for a business convention – where I rode a horse for the first time, experienced puppy love with a girl named April and swam in jeans in a Texas-shaped pool at a “Dude-Ranch” – experienced a Christian mission trip to Honduras when I was 9... I saw many parts of the world, and even though I was young, I still remember them like yesterday. I intend on giving my son the same incredible memories as long as I am able.

In the last year I’ve made no secret of my political interests, and having previous experience in various local, state and national elections I finally decided to pour myself this year into one particular candidate I used to despise in my ignorance and now admire with every fiber of my being. As of last month, I have been given the opportunity to travel to Iowa 26 days from now to help my candidate on his road to the White House. My son and I will be travelling to Iowa to help educate caucus goers, distribute signs and literature, make phone calls, meet residents and just have a good time in an old-fashioned political way, for my candidate: Gov. Rick Perry – America’s most experienced and successful public Executive.

Whether you agree with the politics I share with him or not, my goal for you in this Road Series is to be entertained by the adventures, educated by the details and engaged by the human experience of a single dad taking his only son on the trip of a lifetime, even if Riley doesn’t entirely understand what is going on. Yet.

I hope you enjoy reading the series as much as I will enjoy writing it. I invite lively debate, and hope it makes my community feel a part of this significant, Middle-American tradition: the Iowa Caucuses!

I’d be even more enjoyable for me if I could caravan a bunch of you all with me on this road trip to Des Moines late this month! Of course, only if you were voting for the same guy.
Just jokin’…

Rave: A Record That's Proven: Perry

Earlier this year, during their sit-ins and demonstrations, Wisconsin teachers compared their state’s (supposed) #2 ranking in ACT/SAT test scores directly to Texas (at #47). Their reason for comparing to Texas was that Wisconsin teachers are unionized while teacher unions are illegal in Texas. This direct comparison was intended to show the benefit of unionized teachers in educating our children.

However, those rankings were found to be: 1) obsolete, using 12-year-old data, and 2) used questionable methodology. The ranking was debunked by PolitiFact and the claim has since been removed from the union’s website, in other words, they stretched the facts to fit their agenda.

One facet that makes a Texas comparison to many other states is the racial makeup of the student population. Minority students – regardless of state – tend to score lower than white students on standardized tests, and the higher the proportion of minority students in a state the lower its overall test scores tend to be. Regardless of the reasons, the gap does exist, and it’s mathematical sophistry to compare the combined average test scores in a state like Wisconsin (4% black, 4% Hispanic) to a state like Texas (12% black, 30% Hispanic).

But let’s ignore that mismatch and compare them anyway – broken down by racial groups. We’ll compare some 2009 standardized test scores (the latest available) for 4th and 8th grade students in the areas of math, reading, and science. A pilot program for 12thgraders is being tested, but national comparisons are not yet possible for that grade. The data supporting the following rankings are found at the Nation’s Report Card website (link below the rankings).

2009 4th Grade Math
White students: Texas 254, Wisconsin 250 (national average 248)
Black students: Texas 231, Wisconsin 217 (national 222)
Hispanic students: Texas 233, Wisconsin 228 (national 227)

2009 8th Grade Math
White students: Texas 301, Wisconsin 294 (national 294)
Black students: Texas 272, Wisconsin 254 (national 260)
Hispanic students: Texas 277, Wisconsin 268 (national 260)

2009 4th Grade Reading
White students: Texas 232, Wisconsin 227 (national 229)
Black students: Texas 213, Wisconsin 192 (national 204)
Hispanic students: Texas 210, Wisconsin 202 (national 204)

2009 8th Grade Reading
White students: Texas 273, Wisconsin 271 (national 271)
Black students: Texas 249, Wisconsin 238 (national 245)
Hispanic students: Texas 251, Wisconsin 250 (national 248)

2009 4th Grade Science
White students: Texas 168, Wisconsin 164 (national 162)
Black students: Texas 139, Wisconsin 121 (national 127)
Hispanic students: Wisconsin 138, Texas 136 (national 130)

2009 8th Grade Science
White students: Texas 167, Wisconsin 165 (national 161)
Black students: Texas 133, Wisconsin 120 (national 125)
Hispanic students: Texas 141, Wisconsin 134 (national 131)

To recap: White students in Texas perform better than white students in Wisconsin, black students in Texas perform better than black students in Wisconsin, and Hispanic students in Texas perform better than Hispanic students in Wisconsin. In 18 separate ethnicity-controlled comparisons, the only one where Wisconsin students performed better than their peers in Texas was 4th grade science for Hispanic students (statistically insignificant), and this was reversed by 8th grade.

Further, Texas students exceeded the national average for their ethnic cohorts in all 18 comparisons; Wisconsinites were below the national average in 8, above average in 8. That bears repeating: Texas fourth and eighth graders outperformed the national average scores in all categories.

Perhaps the most striking thing in these numbers is the within-state gap between white and minority students. Not only did white Texas students outperform white Wisconsin students, the gap between white students and minority students in Texas was much less than the gap between white and minority students in Wisconsin.

In other words, students perform better in Texas schools than in Wisconsin schools – especially minority students.

Source: http://peskytruth.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/rick-perrys-negatives/

Rave: A Record That Counts: Perry

I have been researching Rick Perry for two years. I was tentative at first. Then late last year I finally began to realize this was the man for the job in D.C.

Since February I've been talking about him on my wall and social circles, and since April I've been actively pushing for his candidacy as U.S. President.

Upon the eve of his announcement and within 24 hours of his spokesman Mark Milner revealing his intentions to run, I have been barraged on threads, my wall, email and elsewhere on his lack of Conservative credentials. I will address each one effectively, absolutely, and with good conscience. At least begin to...

The first erroneous claim is that he blew up the state budget as Governor from $44 billion to $95 billion, and has created a debt per capita ratio higher than California.

First, one must understand that historically, Texas hasn't bestowed much control in the Governor's hands. That has changed slowly over time, and is now becoming more significant in the last few years. But until Perry came into office, very little could be done by the Governor to rein in spending unless he has a super majority in the legislature.

That being said, he presided over incredible population growth, a HUGE influx of poor (estimated 2-3 million illegal immigrants) and ballooning union-driven costs like pension, education and health care.
But... TWICE he lowered the year over year budget expenditures. THREE TIMES he managed to lower taxes by moving the collections to different columns of revenue sources. And finally, his reforms in the legal system have created the most business friendly state in the nation.

Let's focus first in this post on the claim he "blew up the budget... what would he do in D.C.?!"

The following puts Perry's budget into perspective:

Texas State Budget:
2000 - $44.2b budget / $49b net rev
2011 - $77.6b budget / $86b net rev
75% increase, with an on the books surplus of 10.8%.

U.S. Fed Budget:
2000 - $1.79t budget / $1.55t net rev
2011 - $3.52t budget / $1.80t net rev
96% increase, with an on the books deficit of -48%.

Perry managed to keep general state expenditures at his disposal (transportation, protection, some welfare) in check, with only about 25-35% growth, relatively speaking, while the state's population grew 21%, and a major influx of poor, mexican nationals and their children flooded the schools, hospitals and welfare rolls.

Meanwhile, uncontrollable, public-union driven expenses like healthcare, pensions and education increased 90-115%!!!!!

Health care alone increased from $12.5b in 2000 to $27.6 in 2009. He has since negotiated a decrease to $25.8b.

State pensions increased from $5.0b in 2000 to $9.6b in 2010. This also was finally cut slightly in the last budget.

Education (something difficult for ANYONE to cut when you inherit a state at the bottom of the education ladder) rose from $8.9b in 2000 to $18.5b in 2009!

Here, in our State of Wisconsin we have proven that with 100% control of leadersip by Conservatives the union grasp on local governments can be scaled back! I look forward to Perry and others like him in Congress helping to rein in the out of control spending older establishment big spenders have engaged in.

I believe lost in the media circus and establishment fear has faded the true message of what the candidates really represent based on not only their own words, but their records; in fact, lost as well is the reason why we elect leaders in the first place.

We need people who see beyond the title and position and see the power to change, based on the RIGHT principles. They don't merely manage, they transform. Howard Schultz, Steve Jobs and many other iconic chairmen and CEO's of our time have succeeded by focusing their respective entities on their original principles, and creatively insipiring their people to follow them to the vision they see.

Debates are not where this inspiration happens. It occurs at a podium with a Presidential seal on it; on headlines that report the progress of the right policies; in the communities that resemble the world in which we want our kids taught, entertained and raised in; and in the bank statements that reflect an economy that helps everyone.

I see beyond the title and position and I see a President Perry giving us 8 years of the kind of change we were hoping for.

BlogBlurb - Perry on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno: "Genuine"

In case you didn't catch the memo, Jay Leno taped a spot with Rick Perry today, and Michael Reagan was there too, even tweeted the photo back stage.


Afterthoughts.....


Perry and Leno exchanged experiences with bumbling or forgetting a couple of words. The laughter and the swagger that characterizes Rick Perry, as Texans have always known him was on full display. It was another great night for the ever confident Governor before millions of people curious to see if they'd witness the next news cycle drive-by. What they got was a feast of good Conservative meat with a nice dose of Texan charm for dessert.

It was a great exhange showing Perry's ability to converse quickly, humbly and effectively getting his point across. In response to questioning Perry's forgetting one of the three agencies (among hundreds of wasteful, pitiful, kicked around examples) that Perry would like to trim from the Federal budget, Perry quipped, "every now and then, I call my dogs by the wrong name". Touche.

Perry is well known for his strength at what's known as "retail politics", accessing voters on a personal level, increasing his likeability and affability with potential voters. This was no less apparent in his frequent use of people's names in the studio, including Darin, Rickie Miner, and Melissa McCreedy, the fellow guest actress on the couch next to him. Kindly patting her on the knee and saying "stay with me, I'm gonna need ya" was also a subtle, but effective way of coming across confident, lighthearted and convincing at the same time.

During the Thanksgiving Family Forum, hosted live and moderated by Frank Luntz with TheFamilyLeader.com and CitizenLink.com earlier last month, Perry showed a very genuine side where he briefly acquainted the audience with his story of meeting his wife Anita when they were children, and off and on dating until he finally convinced her to marry him. As he found her in the audience and described his most thankful moment in life was "getting her", he appeared almost giddy with excitement.

This was again apparent tonight as he referenced them and said they were somewhere in the audience. Once the cameras found them, he said "there they are" and smiled proud. It draws a clear contrast between him and the Cain issues, and might help to reestablish some of the sanity in voters' relationship with the GOP's family values platform, both spoken and unspoken. The expectations that voters have held over the GOP have last through years of affairs, trials, expose's on the left, and even a few on the right side of the aisle. These standards of faith, family and marital love have bound the GOP and Conservatives together and would risk becoming a losing distration in a general election next year if it were not a motivating factor in one or both candidates facing off. Perry gets high marks in every category, effectively serving all Christians of various streams and doctrines who are looking for a geniune man of character. He shined like a diamond on a stage such as Leno's, usually host to much less reputable personalities.

When the issue came up of making Congress a part time legislature, he appealed very convincingly to the millions watching, "the Texas Legislature meets for 140 days every other year. We're a part time legislature; we pay our legislators $600 a month, then they're back home living under the laws that they passed. They're doctors and lawyers, retired teachers, you name it... They're a truly citizen legislature, and that's what our found fathers originally set up... a part time [Congress]. I'm going to campaign [for this], and let me tell you... it can't get no worse!"

Absolutely.

Perry once again reaffirmed his belief that Social Security is a Ponzi Scheme, and made his case in typical Rick Perry fashion that has made him such a formidable campaigner - He turned to Melissa McCreedy next to him, and said "It's not going to be there for you. What you're paying into Social Security today, Melissa, it's not going to be there... those who are on it today, and those approaching the age, its going to be there for you... till the day you die." He then looke across stage and referred to Darin off camera, and repeated his case that we "need to have this conversation with America" and let people decide on their path. Something of a philosophy Perry holds, highlighted recently in a piece by Paulette and Brendan Miniter, "Optional Government". People connect with this. They want choices, and control. I believe he has a winning issue here.

Through issues like his 20/20 Flat Tax proposal, and his ubiquitous postcard "that even Tim Geithner could get in on time", withdrawing from Iraq, bringing home thousands of troops all over the world, Perry humbly and smoothly made his way through the 20 minute interview with class, relaxation and a strong, convincing style many voters might have not seen so far this season.

I believe this is only one of many public spotlights that will show Gov. Perry for who he truly is, and between his ground game in Iowa and his strong Evangelical ties in S.C. and Florida, you can expect that this Governor will show you it's a fool who counts out a Texan before he fully gets on his horse. We're in for a good race ahead.


Here is the video of the FULL INTERVIEW via RightScoop