It's all in the game.

I have finally gotten past my emotional frustrations and attachments to this year’s political shenanigans. My hopes have been dashed and disappointments have weighed heavy but are starting to fade. Those of you who were pulling for Obama 4 years ago know what I am talking about. All that talk of hope and change we have been fed turns out to be nothing more than the same old smoke and mirrors we have seen over and over again for years and years. 2012 is shaping up to be nothing less…or more for that matter.

The Republicans have assembled the same old mix of challengers (as is usually produced by the challengers), none of which can deliver the whole package that everyone would love to see. All have some fine qualities and bring some valid ideas to the table but they all come up short in other areas leaving much to be desired. It would be nice to have the ability to create a composite candidate that represented the best of all the rest. I am certain there are those that have tried to pull this off by presenting themselves as such but because it was not the person they really were they quickly faded out in superficiality. Looking for the candidates that stand on their own character without pandering to the polls and swaying their positions based on the desire of their financial supporters, is like searching for a soda that doesn’t use high fructose corn syrup. The cost of searching, finding and obtaining just doesn’t seem worth the effort.

The other thing that continues to amaze me in these races is the ability to call the game early. How many of you have gone to a basketball game and with the jump ball to start the game the announcer comes on and says first one to score a basket wins? Or who has tuned into the Boston Marathon just to see the start of the race and see who makes it to the end of the block first figuring surely they have it all sown up?

Surprise, this one is going past the first point scored but in my opinion, big fat hairy deal. The game will still be called before half time. A few states will get their 15 minutes of fame and then fade into obscurity with 38 of the other states that don’t garner a passing fancy. Nothing meaningful is coming of it and sadly doesn’t seem to matter. The talking points are the same old rhetoric and the solutions, or rather the appearance of solutions, are the same as well. I am getting tired of it all and have started to tune out which I am sensing is the same for many of the others out there. Besides, there is a football game coming up.

Some points to be made out of all this. Like a marathon race or a NASCAR race all the camera time and attention is given to those in front. If you are not in front then your only chance of catching some attention is when the guys in front come around to pass you or you are involved in a horrible crash and then you get the same amount of attention that is given to all wrecks (woo, glad that wasn’t me, check out the replay, alright commercial, time for a potty break). You might have some good ideas Rick and Ron but you are way behind at the moment and that means you will have to quadruple your efforts just to catch back up to the leaders and be considered as a candidate at this point. Most do not have the energy or stamina to accomplish this as you can see by the number of candidates that have dropped out already. Some never even made it to Iowa. Some are too dumb to realize just what it takes to create inertia.

The sad thing is the media in general and the public at large generates this inability to focus on anything beyond A vs. B. The reality of the matter is that the average person out there is way more interested in choices C,D,E,F,G,H… and has been for quite some time. Look at the channels on cable and the fact that there are more viewers collectively following them than the big three networks. The internet is full of niche players that cater to the interest of individuals. Their audience isn’t meant to be everyone, it is only meant to be those who enjoy a like view. Until the mainstream realizes this and figures out a way to serve the many individuals, we will remain stuck with the bland clichés that sway many but serve no one.

So why is the media so quick to focus on just this or that? I am guessing that cost might be one thing since it cost money to cover everything and they don’t think they can generate enough interest to justify worthwhile coverage of back of the pack.

Also, they have a distinct bias (no matter what they claim or choose to believe). Owners and operators of the media have pushed their points of view since their respective mediums were first invented. Don’t expect anything different at this point in the game. They all do. And we tend to tune into those that most closely align with our points of view or at least give us the most entertaining stirring of emotions.

The media also has the self perception of (and reality to some extend) of being influence peddlers. In other words, they say stuff, people listen and they think and feel and do based on what they are told. This is called power and the media likes to use this power to persuade their audiences in the direction they would like them to go. Sadly, reality suggests that it works. Therefore they frame the debates and topics of discussion only upon those areas they deem serving their purpose. “But Ed, I have seen polls that state that America is interested in this or that, and that our most pressing problems are this or that. How can you say the media is driving the agenda when they are just reporting what the polls show America is wanting?” Take any news story that you are familiar with and have some real knowledge about and then look at how it is covered and not just by one source but by several. Then tell me those slight differences in wording, sentence structure and turning of a phrase don’t hint at bias. Even the headline that tops many articles gives clues to the desired reader’s response. Some headlines are completely out of sync with the article, and are totally misleading but then there are many that don’t read beyond the headline.

Only two areas escape this treatment, one being the generic story report that is copied and pasted as is into several outlets (look at Google news feeds and read a story covered by many sources and you will notice that the articles referenced are all exactly the same, word for word), while the other is the only slightly interesting local interest story that is churned out by the local reporter because ‘we have to have so much of this kind of thing in our paper and I was the one that got stuck with it’ piece. The really juicy stuff, the stuff that gets you noticed, praised and awarded, requires an injection of something more. You are writing to please your audience, and your audience is always prioritized by the desires of the boss and owner coming first, the writer coming next, and the reader/viewer in the end. Just be aware of this next time you feel yourself jumping on the bandwagon. It might be time to take a break from it all, change channel or pick up a good book.

The next point I still find amusing is that the challengers may load the gate with a dozen horses for the race and quickly boil things down to one prime challenger but the incumbent party is pretty much stuck with no choice. They have to dance with their leftover. Oh sure, they might pretend at some point to offer up another choice or two but that would be like admitting making a mistake and that won’t do for the guys on top so they must continue to show (and sometimes “show” is all it is) support for their candidate. Mediocrity thrives on just this kind of practice. Kinda sad really.

Do you realize that there are probably another half dozen parties out there besides the Republicans and Democrats and we seldom if ever hear about any of them? They don’t even make first cut and because someone is deciding that there is no chance or probability for them to win, we lose the opportunity to choose for ourselves and learn of them and from them and sure enough their probability of winning becomes nil. A self fulfilling prophecy?

Last point of things to notice this go around is that everyone loves a bandwagon. There is nothing more fun that to jump on a bandwagon, but you have to be very careful and choose the right bandwagon to jump on. If you choose the wrong bandwagon you might have to explain yourself or worse yet jump off one bandwagon and quickly jump on another. You can’t be “seen” as having picked the wrong bandwagon; it could harm a guy’s reputation. Rush has built his reputation around the fact that “I told you so”. He has had to be extra careful with his wording so that he will have just the right sound bites to fall back on when he needs help convincing you that he was right all along. And of course the Donald can do no wrong (just don’t look at his record too closely) so he is really going out on a limb this early in the race by declaring his support of Romney.

But it is all part of the fun of the game we call American politics and if you have gone through more than one race with an active interest or seen a couple of decades of elections come and go you will start to see that this really is a silly season. It is sad that we have to take any of it seriously because it is all so laughably absurd but there are serious outcomes and gravely serious consequences, and that forces us to participate. Once again I find myself wishing it didn’t really mean so much and because it does mean so much I am wishing we had better choices.

I wonder if we really do get what we deserve. That’s a scary thought.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Really, a gang of six?

It is time to comment on the state of the nations budgetary affairs. They are pathetic and only getting worse by the minute. Take the Gang of Six for example. A lousy name which means they have already been placed in the discredit category so no matter what the plan is they came up with, it has already been written off by those who wish to eliminate them as a possible contender for solutions.

And that is all right by me. The gang of six plan is really weak. It does not go far enough. Not nearly enough. To talk of cutting 4 Trillion dollars sounds austere but over a 10 year period it is really just more political ramblings designed to give them bragging rights back home, never meaning to be taken seriously. Even if it was honestly considered by anyone, you would notice that it is very vague in application merely pushing political hot topic buttons but doing very little in the way of reforming a very broken system that is on the verge of an implosion.

No one in Washington D.C. is taking the role of a true leader. No one dares stick their neck out and speak the truth and then take action based on truth. Everyone knows that the first person to present any kind of definable plan is the first one to get slaughtered because know the others have a target with which to aim their slings and arrows. Failure by consensuses is a far safer path for the average politician. And sadly we don’t even have average politicians anymore. They are all sub par.

Congress has never been known to ‘win the day’ on their own. They need someone to take charge, providing direction and purpose while providing the salesmanship necessary to placate the American public into non-confrontational acceptance of their new deal. Presidents have traditionally carried that burden or assumed that role. Don’t look for that this time around. This is one lesson that Obama didn’t quite learn from the Clintons and he is paying the price.

I don’t think he will pay the price nearly to the degree he deserves. There are still far too many people that are blindly in love with whatever they think he is. I hope they don’t wake up too late to realize the party is over and they have wasted the whole evening waiting for a prince charming who will never arrive.

As for the debt problem, reality says to me that we have it every bit as bad as Greece, and some of the others, we are just living in denial big time. The deadline will come and go and very little will be noticed by most. The real damage is yet to come as a last minute knee jerk reaction deal will be made that will allow the politicians to take a photo op, slap each other on the back and proclaim victory for our side (which ever that might be). Then the slide down hill will continue until the next masqueraded crisis rears its ugly head causing us all to take anxiety pills will our leaders forestall the inevitable. And all the while we are in our day of reckoning now and most don’t even recognize it.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

I'm Back

Hello everyone. I'm afraid I've been a little busy lately, and more than a little distracted, but I have returned to share thoughts and insights but probably just to rant and vent.

In fact I have been so upset and angered by this countries lack of discipline, integrity, and sensibility while being driven by an overwhelming self-centered selfishness and an overpowering level of stupidity that my emotions got caught up in it all and I couldn't quite bring myself to compose from a reasonable centered me so I gave it up for awhile.

Anyone that has been watching the news for awhile will have noticed the insanity that has laid claim to the world around us and often makes it tempting to retreat into hibernation or at the very least begin practicing the life of a hermit.

But alas I am too far entrenched in day to day living to commit that form of social suicide. And neither should you if you are experiencing the same level of frustration of that external world that tries so hard to dominate our lives. It is at this point that we must stand and say "nuts to you" and move on with what we do, and that is to live the good life and fight the good fight. To accept anything less is to deny our true inheritance.

So what was the trigger that brings me back around. A little news article on the radio this morning that reported President Obama praising someone other than himself, a republican no less that goes by the name of Mitch McConnell. You have got to know that you are way off base when no less than Obama and Harry Reid are calling your ideas a 'serious proposal'.

So what is this 'serious proposal'? How about letting the President raise the national debt ceiling without GOP support. That's right, the Senate minority leader is suggesting that Congress forgo its duties and responsibilities and hand the President the last keys to national destruction. I don't know why they would bother since all three branches seem to be working in a concerted effort to accomplish the same willful degradation of the remnants of a once upon a time fine upstanding and well respected country.

If you understand the debt crisis at all, or even just a little you are shaking in your boots right now along with the rest of us, but it is not the core of the problem. It is not even center stage of our drama or worse yet in the eyes of the people that matter most, the citizens of this nation. It is also just one symptom of a long list of symptoms plaguing our country right now and its future is hanging in the balance.

Someone from the White House said "never let a good crisis go to waste" but the scary truth that walks hand in hand with that is 'if you don't have a crisis now, make one'. I don't know how much of what is happening is fabrication and deliberate manipulation but I have seen enough to make me think that there is a definite plan being played out and there are some who think they will gain power by allowing events to unfold the way they have. Over the past several years (and decades and beyond) these types of events have led those in power to excuse themselves in taking action that has undermined our freedoms and our liberties. And for all intense and purposes it is happening again. Just as we now joke at the cliche of 'do it for the children' (although I still hear that one used time and again) we are not laughing at the effects it has had on our lives. Last time we were all too willing to do 'whatever it takes' to maintain our homeland security. This time we will do 'whatever it takes' to maintain our economic security. And all the while we have willingly done 'whatever it takes', we have done so without really realizing what was taken. The physical and economic security that was once in our hands as been placed in the hands of another, and now we have neither.

Where is that country that was so highly praised for freedom and liberty and was hailed as a land of opportunity and righteousness? Where is that people that stood proudly for one nation under God and valued it so highly that many would willingly give their lives in defending it? Where are the voices of reason in the tumultuous din of stupidity?

It is not all gone...yet. It is not all forgotten...yet. Fear not to add your voice to reason. If it sounds like stupid and feels like stupid, please don't be afraid to say so. When stupid looks itself in the mirror, truth is revealed and reason can stand. It is time to let laughter and ridicule drive stupidity back into the long forgotten shadows from whence it came.

History is replete with examples where stupidity runs rampant, but it only last for awhile. For those of us looking for the better way, having lived it and knowing what it is, there is still a light of hope that all is not lost. There is still a chance for the return of sanity. And although I am predicting that there is the potential for some serious hard times ahead, both economically, politically and socially, there is still an opportunity for much good to come from all this. That is what I continue to look for, hope for and pray for. I hope that you will be doing the same.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

The automakers dilemma

I have been thinking a little bit about the auto industry lately and the mess they have made for themselves. I can't say that I am surprised by a lot of this. I am very disappointed however.

I am a car nut, an enthusiast even and for the car industry to turn to the very establishment that helped put them in this predicament is truly a situation that will create many a business school doctorate thesis for years to come. What possible good can come from this?

I could be saying I told you so, but I had a hard time finding anyone to tell. No one was listening. The American car makers have had major problems for several decades now, not just the last couple of quarters. They have been given their wake up calls on more than one occasion.

Sure some within the industry heard and heeded the call and some were able to come up with some really good and compelling products. Strides were made in quality improvement but not across the board and not enough to convince consumers that they had caught up with or passed the competition. There were glimmers of hope interspersed with packets of ‘more of the same’.

I feel sorry for anyone that has to turn to the government for a handout or subsidy. Sad to say we all are in that boat now and there doesn’t seem to be any turning back. As those who have had their hands outstretched for a gimme have recently found out, these government handouts come with strings attached. Some are o.k. with that while others prefer their independence. Some are beginning to have regrets.

So what do I make of the current state of affairs for the three? First Chrysler, which lost its way once and found it only to lose it, again, is perhaps in the weakest position of all. It is not currently being run by car guys though it seems to have many car guys within its workings. The shotgun wedding to Fiat seems inevitable if those holding the shotguns have their way, but I think it would be a mistake. Chrysler would do better to maintain its independence and build from its strengths. In order to do that it would need capital, true business management, and leadership with vision. These three components it lacks and therefore I see Chrysler fading away into oblivion even if a merger with Fiat is accomplished.

Second is General Motors, a company that is too big to know which way it is headed and too big to change the direction it is headed even if it wanted to. GM is the prime example of why mergers and acquisitions do not always work in the auto industry. Companies are created for a variety of reason but they all tend to try and differentiate themselves somehow, in other words, not all hamburger joints are McDonalds. Each company in order to do business will come up with its own solution to a consumer need and present it to the buying public. If successful it thrives but if not it goes back to the drawing board or goes away. Some companies will have a few outstanding ideas but will be lacking the rest of the components such as marketing, production, administration and such that make up a well rounded business. These are the companies that become prime targets for a takeover, not to obtain the company but to obtain the patents on the great ideas and incorporate them into your own product line. Many a merger has been done to obtain legal rights rather than finding synergies.

The problem in a merger comes when you try to combine two different cultures, as eventually they will also merge and become one and the same. As this happens, the setting that was the perfect ground to cultivate that great idea slowly fades into the mother company, the same company that was unable to create the idea in the first place and had to buy the other company to acquire. This is very evident in the GM of the 80’s when you the term ‘cookie cutter car’ was coined to describe the fact that all too many cars looked and acted exactly the same. The fact was they were exactly the same with exception of the name badgeing and a few accent trim pieces. You could find the same vehicle at Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, and on occasion Cadillac. Take a look at the pickup offerings from Chevrolet and GMC to see the most obvious example of sameness.

So what does this mean exactly? It means that the accountants and management took control of decision making for future product and decided that it would be less expensive and more profitable to develop one car and put several different labels on it thereby getting two (or three or four) items for the price of one. Sounds good on paper right? It doesn’t work out that way and here is why. Instead of developing and providing to the consumer two (or three or four) solutions to their needs, you have presented one solution and just changed the packaging. This is not an alternative solution to their needs; therefore competition can come in and offer a true difference. Consumers eventually will become savvy enough to know that when they are comparing solutions, they need only look at one of GMs offerings (rather than each one individually) and compare it to what the rest have to offer. And they wonder why their market share has dropped off.

GM has already killed off some of its brands, Oldsmobile is no longer for example. Is it missed, yes and no. If Oldsmobile were still here today wouldn’t it look just like Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Buick? Other than the slight visual clues for demographics they are one and the same. If they close Pontiac or Buick will they really be giving up that much? When Chrysler shut down the Plymouth name was there really much of an impact? They all have histories and we have fond memories of special cars from the past but was there any guarantee of recreating the magic of those one or two items?

So what is GM proposing to do to salvage itself but cut off some of the acquisition lines that gave it some distinction, namely Saturn, Hummer, Saab. Rather than working to make these somewhat independent lines profitable (and not being an insider it is hard to tell if they were or were not profitable) they have decide to cut them loose. This will create a very shallow corporation with dwindling product line with which to compete going forward. And as the product line going forward will now be determined by divine government intervention which will make decision not based on sound business doctrine but by political correctness, it is hard to say if there will even be a GM 5 to 10 years from now. Do you think the fun cars like Corvette and Camaro will even stand a chance of seeing a next generation under these conditions?

So that leaves us with Ford, the only hold out to the handout. I have to admire that and for that alone give them a standing ovation. I am sure there was a lot of pressure to bow. So Ford becomes the last hope for an American original. It is facing the same problems and constraints that the others are of underfunded pension plans, bureaucratic red tape, poor management, conformist and homogenized product line but it at least seems to be working from a plan and fighting for its continued independence. For this there is hope.

Fords product line is sufficiently diverse in the near term though they have the same problem of cross teaming between their Ford/Lincoln/Mercury lines. They have worldwide ties that should help enormously with product development if used prudently, the future 2011 Ford Fiesta is a prime example. (Ford if you are listening, please don’t over Americanize this car for our country. The European version sounds like the one I would want to own and drive.) The company still has a unique identity and some products still retain character such as the Mustang.

I do not understand the current design direction though. What is it with the 3 big flat chrome piece grill work? It is pathetic and reminiscent of the creased line loot the Art and Technology boys did that made me lose all interest in a Cadillac. I hope it is a short lived fade. They also added it to the full size vans as you can see. This is what being hit with an ugly stick does to you. Why do I always think of the station wagon in National Lampoons Vacation movie when I see these multi-level light treatments? Please run these design changes past someone that has taste before putting them out there?

Will Ford make it? It is hard to say for the same reasons it is hard to say if the other two will or not. The only reason Ford held out is that they had more cash on hand to allow them to stay in the game a little longer. How long it can last is anyone’s guess. I hope they all survive, because I don’t like to see anyone fail for one thing and because I think the open competition is good for the industry and the consumer. We all benefit from the raised bar.

The final note that should be made is that these are not the only American car makers today even if they get all the attention as if they were. Cars made in America include Toyota, Honda, Nissan, BMW, Mercedes, Tesla and others. Are they entitled to equal consideration, or are some ‘animals more equal than others’ in this Obama Nation? Will the rules apply equally to all and apply to all equally? And will those rules be the rules of business with the freedom to succeed and the freedom to fail based on the dictates of the marketplace or will the rules change yet again to fuel the fancy of a few? Time will tell as we wait and watch.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Are their any grownups in Washington DC?

I am upset, disappointed, frustrated, infuriated, and all types of angry over what has happened in this country by our government and its people as it pertains to the economy.

I know I am not the only one.

The absurdity is overwhelming. I could not conceive of this as a reality scenario in even the most horrific Stephen King novel. I am completely dumbfounded and in a state of shock to think that there is even a remote possibility that the things I have seen and heard lately concerning our government and the economy are somehow based on anything approaching real life let alone the mind of a very imaginative fiction writer. How could any of this be real?

Hypocrisy is running rampant in Washington DC. The blame game is in full swing and no one but the other guy is to blame for the current mess we are in. I am amazed at the way Congress and the President are showing their disgust at employees of AIG receiving their agreed upon and contracted for bonuses totaling $165,000,000+ yet no one is saying much about the rest of the $2,000,000,000,000 of tax payer dollars that has been spent or promised for their solution to the economic downturn. (If you don’t understand the magnitude of those numbers and the actual difference between them, you are not alone, Congress does not either.)

They are now talking about taking legal action to ‘reclaim’ the bonuses if they can’t get them back voluntarily through shame or guilt. They are even talking about writing legislation to create new tax laws specifically aimed at taking back these peoples pay checks. Honestly, who is more guilty of a criminal act and gross negligence?

I am not defending the employees for their action as employees, their performances or whether they met the terms of their bonuses or not. I am not focusing on the management at AIG who felt it was necessary to make such agreements to obtain and retain the kind of employees they deemed fit for the positions they had. I am talking about our government’s actions to help. They stepped in and threw money at the problem without understanding the problem or asking questions or checking facts. They gave the money without any strings attached, (though that is hard to believe as anytime the money gives out anything there are strings attached). And now because a business that was labeled ‘too big to fail’ tries to continue to run business the way it always has (which is partly why it is in the shape it is) and we are supposed to be outraged and focus our attention on the employees because they got paid to do what they are paid to do? I don’t think so.

If Congress had let AIG fail, as businesses are supposed to be allowed to do when things don’t work out, the house of cards could have fallen, the damage would have been assessed and the remaining goods sold to valid companies at fire sale prices if need be, but then life and business goes on. AIG under bankruptcy law would have been able to renegotiate with court approval such things as employee agreements, pensions, and creditors payback. Congress could have let any of this happen and actually could have directed regulators to help facilitate the process in an orderly fashion but instead they chose to take the knee jerk reaction that threw money at the problem in the misguided notion that they had to do something. Hence they nationalized the bank (which is scandalous in any situation) without really taking anything over. They became the very noisy and boisterous silent partner. Unfortunately they did it using our tax payer money.

Though all of this is really sad and pathetic and Congress should voluntarily shut down and close shop from shame and embarrassment, the really scary thing that worries me the most is the way they are going after a target (the employees) with a vengeance that is unwarranted. If anything, Congress is every bit as culpable as the employees they are attacking and more so because this is only the tip of the giant iceberg they have created to take down the Titanic we fondly refer to as the USA.

My wish is that they would work at least as hard to renege the bailout/stimulus package they put in place, reclaim our hard earned tax dollars, both present and future, and cut their drag on my economy. Go ahead President Obama, cancel all the lousy financial actions Congress and you have passed in the past 6 months with the same vigor that you are trying to wipe out any actions taken by the previous administration. If you did that, I really would begin to have ‘hope’ again as that is a real ‘change’ I could believe in. Until then….

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Is the Obama threat real?

I have written a few articles lately that have condemned the political candidates in this year’s elections. I have generally meant exactly what I have said about this being one very scary election with the threat of a bloodless take over by socialist and socialism that would shock anyone that has participated in the writing of the story that is America. From the founding fathers to the warriors and soldiers that stood up to dictators and communism, I think that there is a great disappointment over the fact that Obama was even allowed to make it this far and that the only answer put forth against is a McCain.

Have we forgotten the lesson of our past? Do we not recall what our forefathers worked so hard to establish? Did we even really know? Do we no appreciate what we have? I fear that we have no clue what we have done to ourselves.

In any case, I have heard rumor that the Obama campaign has enlisted the help of volunteers to search out blogs that speak poorly of their candidate and flood the comments with countering viewpoints. I have not seen any indications that that is the case. So in order to test this out I have added the above title in an effort to draw them in. No worries as this is still one of the least read blogs in blogosphere land but what the heck.

I do wish to understand what it is, or should I say how it is Obama supporters think. I know that there is the blind allegiance to party that can claim a large percentage of supporters. I know that there is the projection of a person’s personnel values onto the candidate’s platform whether true or not in an effort to believe that the candidate actually represents their views. Many turn a blind eye to anything that might cast the light of truth if it reveals their candidate for who they really are. It is easier to “hope” that things are different than to realize that reality falls far short of their ideals.

So why on earth would anyone be for Obama? I know he has used the traditional political illusions of being able to make everything better without actually offering an actual plan. Are you buying into them? Did you buy into the Clinton approach that everything wrong was someone else’s fault while taking credit for anything that went right even if was in spite of their actions? Is cause and effect that easy to manipulate? For some it must be.

So will anybody reading this respond? Is there really a program in the Obama camp that reads and responds to these blogs? If there are genuine Obama supporters out there that want to respond I will add any and all comments sent my way. That goes for McCain supporters also. Just keep the language clean. That is really the only thing I will edit on.

Maybe with a better understanding of what we are seeing out there and what we are wanting to see, we will be able to come up with better solutions to the common problems we all face and not have to rely so much on the windbags that continually sell us short.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Politicians promise scary Halloween

I have been hearing a lot of very scary things this Halloween. I understand there is an election going on where the very fabric of our Society is at stake. It appears that there is an attack on the core values that made America great, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (Property).

I also understand that we are down to two finalist, (were there really ever going to be any more than two?) and both our out to destroy your way of life. Our job is comparing too what degree of destruction we are willing to accept.

This nation struggled throughout its lifetime to obtain and maintain the values that have stood the test of time as being preferable to anything else the world had to offer. But, at this point in its history, all of those past efforts are threatened to become null and void by the results of one election.

The reason it is different this time, is that those that oppose American values have stacked the cards in their favor. Whichever candidate gets the nod this time is a move in their direction. They win, we lose. And whichever candidate wins, they will take it as a mandate for them to continue to pursue and implement their Socialist policies and agendas.

And of the two remaining candidates that are essentially running unopposed, by far the worst offender to grace the stage has to be Barrack Hussein Obama. Where McCain is an old hand Democrat and has worked hard to one up the traditional Democratic party by pandering to its traditional campaign plans, Obama has raised the gamut completely past that stage to full on socialism.

(Lest ye think otherwise, I have been warning of and calling the traditional Democratic party socialist for far longer than the recent use by host and pundits on the airwaves.) The warning extends now to this fact. The next step beyond Socialism comes when it is no longer able to be enforced by persuasions political correctness but needs to be enforced by force and that is usually representative of Communism, and Dictatorships.

So do I really think we are on the verge of destruction? Actually I am not sure. I do find it hard to believe that this nation has spent so much time and energy to defend and promote these two candidates and in particular Obama as he appears to be the furthest removed from traditional American values. Obama seems poised to ruin the fabric of democracy from the first day in office whereas McCain might take an extra week to get there. It really scares me that a seeming majority of America's citizens would actually embrace what these two are proposing. Once we have gone over the half way point is there hope of bringing things back?

Actually there is hope. I have talked to quite a few Americans that still believe in America, what it stood for and what it stands for. They still have America's core values at their core. They do not want to give up and will not give up. They are just struggling to know what action to take to try and help ensure that those American values are not threatened. They want to put their voice with others and be heard. They want to have something to vote for, but once again they have a contest of choosing what to vote against. If you have to vote against then by all means vote against, but be sure that you make your vote against the absolute worst possible scenario, then work like mad to make sure that next time really will be different, and work like mad to preserve real American values.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Biden, really?

Obama chose Joseph Biden to be his running mate? Really? This truly is a socialist ticket from the socialist party.

I can't think of one good thing Biden has ever done but I do know that my memory has him associated with some pretty terrible legislation. Hopefully that will come out but I am sure the media love feast will continue and the kid gloves will be extended to one and all.

No really, is Obama trying to lose the race? I mean I can understand why he wouldn't want to have a Clinton on the ticket (too much baggage for even Charles Atlas to carry), but is the pool of Democratic socialist so thin that this is the best he could come up with?

Perhaps I should stop here because an old phrase is running through my head. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. I know I am unable to follow that all the time and when it comes to opinions shouldn't, but what if the rest of the media followed that saying just a little bit more themselves? The local and national news hours might last about three minutes, (and that is after the two minute commercial break).

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Sometimes you need to tune out to tune in

I was just glancing at the news and nothing is catching my attention. I know I am supposed to be swayed by the headlines to delve into the altogether typical journalistic fare that is offered but this morning none of it looks the least bit appetizing. So I am not going to write about any of it. No Clintons, no Obamas, no McCains, no Congress, no celebrities, no weather, no sports, no science, no tech, no anything.

I have been watching that stuff all week long and frankly it has just brought me down with woes and worries that are unnecessary. I really don’t need to know what these other people are doing all the time. Sure some of their actions make an impact on my life, especially when they are prone to passing stupidity on to the rest of us, but from a day to day stand point most of what they do is pointless and should remain in that category when compared to my own importance to me.

What I am saying is that from time to time I notice that I tune in to way too much of the noise (and it is really just noise) and it starts affecting how I am and how I am thinking. If I listen to too much talk radio on the way to and from work it tends to make me just a little bit on edge to a whole lot on edge and driving in public is enough to do that on its own so I am pretty sure I don’t need any additional catalyst working to compound the problem. If I start the day out with the local news cast I notice that my sarcasm meter is pretty close to pegged before I even leave the door.

When I find myself getting this way, the first thing I try to do is to tune it out. To do this I generally need to start tuning into something else. This is where music comes into to play, at least that is what works best for me. I also find that tuning into another station in search of music doesn’t always work because of the insistence on all that intermittent chatter that clutters things up and gets in the way of playing any real music. Current stations are lousy that way. It is a good thing a have a fairly large library to choose from.

My musical tastes are fairly large and I like a wide range of music. There are also some definite areas of so called music that I do not care to go and will actively avoid whenever possible. Music is almost magical in that it can lift us up, energize us, commiserate with us, console us, give us hope, and share our joys. It can bring back fond memories of happy times, sad times, and romantic times.

Because music has the power to magnify good thoughts and feelings it also has the power to magnify the bad. If used unwisely, it can take you farther down the path that you are trying to get away from. Be mindful of this, as you are being mindful of yourself.

If you notice that you are not in the place you want to be, then it is time to start changing the place that you are or start moving to a new place. Sometimes it is as simple as changing the noise around you. When the noise coming from the outside is impacting the noise you make on the inside, then it is time to start tuning out what you don’t need and start tuning in to what you do need. Follow the admonitions of Paul. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after those things.

And that is why today I am tuning out all of those things that seem to get in the way of being able to tune in to those things that matter most. I am pretty sure I will be better off for it.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Rudy Taft for President

If you took the time to look at the election results from yesterday’s events and you did not focus on the typical stories that inundate us about the Socialist candidates running but rather looked at the actual results and bottom line numbers, you would have noticed on the Republican side of the ticket that McCain running unopposed again only garnered about 75% of the vote. That means that 1 out of every 4 people is choosing someone else even though there is zero chance of that other person being the nominee.

Well it has started to happen like I thought it would. Although I didn’t search long and hard or tune into as many news cast as I normally would, I came across one Oliver Willis who wrote an article on the Huffington Post who made note of just this startling trend. Granted this is not a mainstream site or very widely covered (but with a higher viewership than my own humble pages) it does mean that someone else has noticed this fact. Where will it go from here?

If we are really stuck this term with deciding the lesser of three evils, then we truly are in a world of hurt. Perhaps it is time to bring back Rudy Taft.

Who is Rudy Taft you ask? I don’t know where the idea came from or how it started but back in my junior year in high school a group of students decided to run a campaign for student body election for treasurer for one Rudy Taft. Of course there was no such student so whenever there was a debate or rally the other students would campaign in his place. There were posters and banners and his symbol, a toilet plunger on the end of a cane. The faculty were not amused and even less so when Rudy won by a landslide. Of course those results were never made public. The second place finisher was made treasurer, we didn’t want hurt feelings and high school life went on as normal.

This Presidential campaign is in bad need of a Rudy Taft. If it truly is too late to come up with a really real candidate for this election then a write in campaign is needed to let the political system know that it is broken and needs fixing and we can no longer take it seriously. A write in campaign on a large enough scale could just send that message if anyone is still listening. If Rudy Taft is too hard to remember then use me, Ed Nef, because you can’t get much simpler than that. Or if you do know how to spell pick one of the radio show host such as Glenn Beck or your favorite cartoon character, it doesn’t matter just so long as it is something that people will be able to identify and know that we have had enough. We deserve better. If there is enough interest we could unite our efforts under one banner and one candidate and see just how far we could take this. Who knows, real change may come from our fictional character rather than theirs.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Just another disappointing week in politics

So what did happen in the news this last week? The first thing that comes to mind is the Clinton interview with Fox’s O’Reilly who promised to be fair and balanced. Although I did not get to hear the entire interview I did catch enough to know that it was a kid glove treatment if ever there was one. The next day Bill was defending the way the interview went so I am sure I am not the only one to think that he was soft on her. I know why, but really, why? One of her campaign promise points is that she is tough enough to do what it takes, so why would Bill feel like he had to back off the tough questions that we have all wanted to ask.

Oh sure, he said that he asked them and listening to the bit I heard he did ask some tough questions such as the why the promises to make New York better while in office actually made things worse, but he never pressed her to get an answer. In fact he asked some questions and went on to the next topic before she even had to come up with her take of events. She was actually pleased with the way things went if that tells you anything.

Of course Fox had to make sure this was a success as did Bill O’Reilly. They have scared off many politicians with their so called fair and balanced reporting which makes it hard to compete for news stories let alone those all important interviews. But if you alter your style to match that of all the others then what use are you? You have lost the thing that makes you unique among a world of cookie cutter platforms.

The other big story continues to be Obama and his ties to his minister. I wrote about this before when the story was about Romney and his religion in “Does religion matter in our politicians?”. I still think that the beliefs and standards of an individual do matter and that it helps define who the person is.

So should Obama be held responsible for the views and opinions of his minister? Of course not. He should be held responsible for his own views and opinions. When the story first broke my thoughts went to another story of a political figure at the local level. I was just a youngster of 17 or so but I was well enough aware that the mayor of our town (who also happened to be the vice principal of the local high school) would increase his attendance at church profoundly during election time. In fact, if it hadn’t been for the upcoming election I probably wouldn’t have known that he went to our church. That is why my first thoughts about Obama is that he was going to church mostly for political clout and his choice of church reflected his true desire. Whether it is true or not, I cannot say, but it does make me wonder.

As far as that is concerned, you don’t hear much about the Clintons and their choice of church. I have seen the occasional story of them attending but it usually seemed like they were more in search of attention than being spiritually fed. I don’t mean to make unrighteous judgments and hope that I am not but the appearances that comes across for the actions of most politicians is totally self centered and self serving. Hopefully with all of this exposure, some of it might just rub off.

So what is the one thing that I did take away from the interviews I have seen this last week, from Clinton’s talk with O’Reilly to Obama’s chat on meet the press to McCain’s press conferences? That none of the candidates are anywhere close to being ready to run a nation. None of them seem to have a very good grasp on domestic issues, economics of supply and demand, foreign affairs, or true cause and effect relationships. They represent exactly what we have seen coming out of congress for the past many decades. This means that we will continue to see short term knee jerk poll driven reactions to actual or created crises without regard to the true welfare for the future of our nation.

If there is one thing that politicians have learned it is that you can bend perceptions to their needs. They have used repetition and innuendo to create the illusion myths that we stumble on today. Cold hard facts are irrelevant if they can convince you to ‘feel’ that their vision is the way things are. They can and have changed the definition of words to meet their needs. (Has anyone seen a recession lately?) They have ended the contest before it is over and they have extended the contest beyond its end, just by playing word games with us.

So I will remain skeptical and continue to question the stories and their sources as they come. It often makes me wonder where some of the media’s stories come from and the timing for when they get reported especially when you know that the subject matter was known long before it was publicized. Always be looking for the truth of the matter because in the end it is the truth that matters.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Media focus misses again

While many of us were tuned into the Pennsylvania Primary to witness the latest fiasco, most all of the media attention was on the battle between the two socialist candidates, Clinton and Obama. While I do not care for either candidate, or their politics, or the way they have run their campaigns, I must respect that at least this is a contest. As I have said before, anyone not willing to stay in the race, at least through Super Tuesday but really until the very end, was never really a viable candidate to begin with. Much as I can’t stand her let alone trust her to hold my pocket change, I have to give credit to Clinton for staying in the race. But that is as far as it goes.

I give her credit, not because she had a good showing and not because I think she has a leg to stand on. Listening to her supposed plans of reform is enough to keep me up at night with the heebee jeebees. I am opposed to Socialism and increasing government intervention but almost all the candidates are taking us down that path. Nor do I think that her motives are anything other than an ego trip and a play for the power and control that she yearns for. You just know that she is loving all the attention and isn’t about to give it up anytime soon. I do however respect that fact that she hasn’t given in yet and that her desire is strong enough to keep her and her followers disillusioned enough to continue.

So will the 10% win in Pennsylvania be enough to change the race. There is still quite a way to go to the finals and there are still a lot of stories to be played out. Do you think Rush Limbaugh’s antics had anything to do with Tuesday’s events?

No, the real story that should have been told and should have come out of this whole Tuesday mess, the one for which none of the media even made mention of is that the Republicans also had a primary election and though the turnout was far less than that of the Democratic party the results were far more telling of the other story.

McCain won in Pennsylvania,… but he only obtained 73% of the vote. He has clinched the Republican nomination for all intents and purposes and yet he only got 73% of the vote. Who got the remaining 27%? It was split between Ron Paul with 16% and Huckabee with 11%. Huckabee has officially dropped out of the race and he still picked up 11% of the votes. Huckabee isn’t even running and he picked up 1 out of every 10 votes.

Ron Paul has a campaign that seems like a lost cause yet he continues to hang in there, and unlike Clinton he is fighting the good fight. He has practically no media coverage and seemingly no support yet he is stilling hanging in there. And why does he hang in there? Because he has a message that none of the other candidates have. He also has the backing of supporters that are strongly behind him and his message. Though he has no chance of being the party’s nomination and practically no chance of being the runner up, he should, thanks to his strong show of support, be able to gain enough influence to help shape and define the party platform at the convention.

I say he should but others have tried only to be quickly swept aside and forgotten as a footnote on the pages of our political histories. Ross Perot’s efforts come immediately to mind, as do other independents that were unable to garner influence in their parties of choice such as Nader and Jesse Ventura. Even after the win of the governorship in Minnesota as an independent, Ventura’s influence for change was not as great as one would have hoped, nor is its permanence assured. I’ve heard him speak of the difficulties he faced in working with the old ways and the old parties.

I have a feeling that the Ron Paul story will eventually surface again, if only as a side story to the Republican convention, but it is an important story none the less. I have often seen races much closer than this, battles on community issues that went down 51 to 49 and when the dust settled, the winner has no recollection of the voice and concern of those 49. In fact, all the winners will tell of how they received a ‘clear mandate from the people’ that their side is the only side that matters. Will this time be any different? Time will tell.

Real reform generally starts from without and must work its way to within. If you are an insider, chances are you got there, not by rocking the boat or trying to create change, but by being one of a like mind with those on the inside. In the political arena, there are very few individuals that have enough true power to be able to speak their own minds. Most are stuck speaking the party line in order to appear to be a person of influence. It is those that can define what the party line is that are the true leaders and yield the real power. All of the others are just taking polls and leading popularity contest.

So back to the real story from the Pennsylvania primary, will this showing of a lack of party solidarity and singular support for the Republican nominee cause concern for the real power brokers in the party? Is McCain an individual or is he just a party member? Will he continue to ignore the criticisms that have been leveled on him from members of his party or will he pander to them in order to garner their support? Is the Republican party facing divisiveness in the same manner the Democratic party is? Is this the time when a strong third party candidate, one who truly stood for the values this country was founded on could take hold of America’s hearts and break us from the tyranny of a two party system?

I say a third party candidate because we have already excluded any chance of their being a valued candidate from the existing two parties. I also think that a third party candidate is the only option because as I have said in the past, our election process for the last few decades have not been about voting for something as it has been about voting against someone. With about half of each party disenfranchised over their parties candidate, this seems like the ideal time to offer them something better. And this time around it wouldn’t take much at all to come up with a better alternative. I’m not holding my breath, but we can still dream can’t we.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Do we get what we deserve with our elections?

You know I was just wondering if anyone else felt the way I did about this whole election fiasco when suddenly I have heard three times now on the national media, both radio and television reference to the Democratic Party as Socialist. This is something I wrote about recently http://farrwestview.blogspot.com/2008/01/limbaugh-taught-me-wrong.html but have been thinking for several decades now. While this is comforting on some levels (knowing I am not the only one thinking this way) it is disturbing on other levels (what if it is true and intentional). Sometimes even when you are right you don’t really want to be. I want to be positive, optimistic and hopeful about the future but some of the possible scenarios are scary.

What if the Presidential election is really down to the final four media selected entrants of Obama, McCain, Huckabee and Clinton? What if no other candidates step up to the plate? What if Republicans and Democrats are really just two sides of the same coin? What if there is no viable third party competition? What if all this talk of change is just more of the same old line we have bought into time and time again?

If this really is the sum total for choices we have been granted this November, what difference will it make who gets in? They will once again promise us pie in the sky high living and the solutions to all life’s ills, then get into office, take care of their closest friends, play high and mighty while they live the good life off the back of taxpayers, and try to pass some more useless legislation to make them feel like they are earning their keep all the time looking for a reason to be patted on the back.

And there is such a large selection of problems from which to choose. International relations or lack there of, failing economy that is selective in its rewardings, universal health care from an overly regulated yet out of control medical industry, and designing and running neighborhoods that just don’t quite look the way they should on their own, and the only way to cure it is to do more of the same only with more meaning.

Whoever wins (?) the next election will truly inherit a collection of challenges that will require some extreme talent to convince the American public that they made the right choice in picking them. But then again, if they were good enough to convince a majority to vote for them why shouldn’t we expect them to keep the magic alive. After all, Bill Clinton still has admiration and popularity. Is that really all it takes is a little charm and favorable media to remain in good standings?

Funny thing about reality and time, they eventually show the true handy work of everyone’s own making.

Sounds pretty cynical doesn’t it? Sorry. It’s just that it seems like I have seen this all too often and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. As long as a majority of the people remain in their ignorance, they will be susceptible to manipulation, and through that manipulation, they will slowly give away their liberties. We have already handed away so much of what our forebears fought so hard to pass on to us. The promises of a better life by giving away your responsibilities is just too enticing for some. Greed and selfishness are winning out over integrity and self determination in this age. If this pattern doesn’t change soon we really will be able to notice what George Orwell warned us about, some animals are more equal than others.

There is a lot of talk even from die hard Republicans that they will not vote this round, that they are left without a viable candidate that can represent their values. This is especially hard for the conservative groups as Mitt Romney seemed to be the only candidate beside Ron Paul talking about the conservative viewpoint. Romney wasn't as hard core as Paul so at least he had a shot. If they sit this one out, it will in essence hand over the election to the Socialist. Then depending on the type of Congress that is elected (and why should we expect anything different there) we will either see a continuing slide or an actively pursued slide away from the ideals that defined the American dream of the last century and those of its founding.

(By the way, did you know that the approval rating for Congress is only about two thirds that of the President. Everyone hears about the Presidents poor approval ratings but does the media ever give us the full picture. It really is time for a change but we’ll not see it from the bunch that has been selected for us.)

How bad do things have to get before the voice of the people crying ‘enough is enough’ can be heard? I actually take optimistic hope in all of this. As I have said before, I want to vote for something instead of always voting against something. From some of what I am hearing there are others out there feeling the same way. We deserve much better than what we are getting this election. We have been deserving of it for a long, long time. If ever there was a time for “None of the Above” this is it http://farrwestview.blogspot.com/2008/01/they-endorsed-who.html . But even then, is there enough of the voting public willing to stand for something, or do we really get what we deserve?

If the percentage numbers of actual voters that vote in an election to the total population at large is any indication, there maybe a whole lot more of us out there waiting for something to vote for than not. Perhaps that is were the real majority can be found. Perhaps they are just waiting for someone with true principles and values to stand up and really be a representative for America. Perhaps we should have given Ross Perot more credit. Perhaps we should be more demanding of exellence in our political parties and process. Perhaps we should be active in defining the platforms of our parties to insure they represent our true values and beliefs.

Perhaps we really do get what we deserve.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Limbaugh taught me wrong.

Rush Limbaugh did us all a great disservice. Before I name this vast blunder to the English language let me blather on about Rush for just a moment. I was once a fan, listening when I could and even making the journey the great bake sale in Colorado. I enjoyed his frank criticism of the politics of the time and his ability to make sense at a time when so few where even trying to. Does anybody even remember the silliness of the Hightower report?

But somewhere along the way Rush became famous and then his ego was courted and from the sounds of this listener became little more than a mouth piece for the Republican Party. All his attacks were directed at the Clintons and very little criticism was leveled against the Republicans even though they were still making the same kind of bone headed moves that Rush used to thrive on. I got tired of the same old grind and tuned out for some time simply catching a tidbit here and there at lunch time or on a very long road trip. I must admit I did hear him this past week making a point against a Republican though I couldn’t tell you what or who. The fact that he did was enough to catch my attention.

So what was the big Rush faux pas of which I speak? Rush broke the sum total of his us versus them argument into two labels, Liberals and Conservatives. This would have been fine except for two things. First, his agenda broke down over time to be a Republicans versus Democrats discussion and not much more. Second, Rush created a new definition for what a Liberal and a Conservative is and because of his popularity his faulty definitions took hold on the American people.

http://www.wikipedia.com/ has many wonderful articles including much subject matter on just these kinds of definitions. I suggest a surf over there to explore in depth Liberalism, Conservatism as well as many other ism’s to understand why I am so disappointed with Rush’s new dictionary creations. From Wikipedia I will take a portion of the definitions for both.
“Conservatism is a term used to describe political philosophies that favor tradition and gradual change, where tradition refers to religious, cultural, or nationally defined beliefs and customs. The term is derived from the Latin, com servare, to preserve; "to protect from loss or harm". Since different cultures have different established values, conservatives in different cultures have differing goals. Some conservatives seek to preserve the status quo or to reform society slowly, while others seek to return to the values of an earlier time, the status quo ante.”
“Broadly speaking, Liberalism emphasizes individual rights and equality of opportunity. Different forms of liberalism may propose very different policies, but they are generally united by their support for a number of principles, including extensive freedom of thought and speech, limitations on the power of governments, the rule of law, the free exchange of ideas, a market or mixed economy, and a transparent system of government. All liberals – as well as some adherents of other political ideologies – support some variant of the form of government known as liberal democracy, with open and fair elections, where all citizens have equal rights by law.”

The definition given conservatism seems to fit Rush’s position in many ways so maybe his use of it is not so far off though it doesn’t seem to fit across the board for his depiction of the Republican party.

His labeling of Democrats as Liberals is far from valid. He has given the name Liberal a bad conotation using it in a derogative manner but according to the classical definition of Liberalism, the ideals are similar to the definition he associates with that of a conservative. In fact, by the above definition I would consider myself a Liberal though I think I am much too diverse to be limited by a label.

So what label should be used to best describe the Democrats policies and platforms? There is only one that comes to mind time and again and that is Socialism. As I have listened to the political debates of the Democratic party, I can’t help but worry what this country has come to. The founders of this great nation must be tossing and turning too realize that all of their efforts to create a nation based on liberty and freedom and to be protected of the people, for the people, and by the people has spiraled into the political processes we find ourselves today.

To borrow another definition “Socialism refers to a broad array of ideologies and political movements with the goal of a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. This control may be either direct—exercised through popular collectives such as workers' councils—or indirect—exercised on behalf of the people by the state. As an economic system, socialism is often characterized by state, worker, or community ownership of the means of production, goals which have been attributed to, and claimed by, a number of political parties and governments throughout history.”

With the exception of state ownership the definition is pretty close. If you consider that control through taxation and legislation provides pretty much the same results as direct ownership, the definition becomes very close indeed.

Listening to the debates, the common theme I hear from Obama, Clinton, McCain, Huckabee and such is ‘Put me in charge and I will take care of all your problems’. It seems like such an easy solution to just turn over all your responsibilities to them and they will take care of all your problems and provide all your solutions. Trouble is, their plans don’t seem very thoroughly thought out and what they have done in the past hasn’t really solved anything let alone provided any confidence that this time will be different.

The real problem is that I am not willing to give in just yet thank you very much. I want to solve my own problems. I want to be my own person and come to my own conclusions. I want to make my own mistakes and my own successes. ‘When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man I put away childish things.’ 1 Corinthians 13:11.

Maybe that is why I am liking Ron Paul. He doesn’t have the solution to all mankinds problems, and he doesn’t always have a good understanding of what the problems entail as evidenced by his answers in the debates. By the way, none of the other candidates do either. What he does have is an understanding of the Constitution as a guiding principle. It is that fundamental principle that tells him that the government is not supposed to be the nurse maid for every passing whim of the people. It defines the role of government in very limited terms beyond which it should not venture. Though he is not as polished in his presentations, his message is still getting through to many people who are looking for the one thing that is missing in this run up to the 2008 presidential election, balance.

He won’t be allowed to make it to the finals but wouldn’t be grand if some of the basic principles this nation was founded upon did. May we not forget the past as we work on building a better tomorrow. A lot of effort was made to give us that opportunity.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.