The White House opposes health insurance competition across state lines

Interview with David Axelrod at CNN.com as he stumbles over and over trying to explain why the truth is wrong.

Simple economics here.  If you increase competition prices go down.  It doesn’t matter what industry it is.  The White House and most Congressional Democrats, and even some Republicans for that matter, NEED to understand the simplicity of this situation.  If we break down the state barriers than prices will decrease, guaranteed.  Any industry where companies are competing in price their products become more affordable.  Sure, you can argue that the large insurance companies will create an oligopoly on insurance but it won’t work.  Higher prices will enable entrepreneurs to enter the field and will allow those smaller companies to grow with lower prices.  It doesn’t matter which way you look at it.  By simply breaking down these barriers you are opening up a whole new world of cheaper health care and higher quality health care. Let’s ask President Obama WHY he’s against an obviously simple solution, and if you don’t agree it’s a solution it’s definitely a better starting point then any other proposal.

Know Your Role!

The founding fathers created this nation with a separation of powers between States and the Federal Government.  Since then our government system has evolved so much that often lines are blurred and sometime completely ignored.  It’s time we re-establish what was created and ensure each level of government understands their role.

Recently the Seattle PI reported that Mayor Greg Nickels has proposed a city rule banning guns in areas where children and families gather.  He “began efforts after a man shot and injured three people at the 2008 Folklife Festival at Seattle Center.”  This new rule would essentially ban guns in “more than 500 Parks and Recreations Department facilities across Seattle.”  To many this doesn’t seem unreasonable.  To many this is just like guns being banned at schools.  While this proposal made by Nickels is an infringement on our great Second Amendment, this is not the actual issue at hand.

The Attorney General for Washington state understands what the real issue is here.  The AG’s office reported that “cities lack the authority to ban guns because local laws would conflict with state regulations.”  This isn’t about gun rights, rather, it’s about government powers.  It’s about the government reaching beyond it’s constitutionally given powers to intrude upon other levels of government or to even intrude on our personal rights and freedoms.

We’ve seen the mayor of San Francisco, California, Gavin Newsom, do this time and time again.  He’s allowed gay-marriage despite what current California state law dictates.  He’s claimed San Francisco a safe-haven for illegal aliens.  Just this past week he had the audacity to assess a levy to stores that sell soda.  While he admits he will likely be sued over it he still moves forward as though he had all the power in the world to make San Francisco what he wants it to be.

While I can appreciate one’s vision to make change, this repeated over-reaching of power in the United States has gone on and on without check.  Now we see the Federal government trying to take control of the Internet.  They have invested in US Corporations and sold us out.  They want to take away our right to choose health care.  They want to give rights to those that are here illegally.  They are trying to suppress free speech on all levels.  They are wanting to build a civilian national security force.  And for what?

This type of behavior must stop.  Every level of government must know their role.  The lines must be drawn.  Our country was built  by uniting individual State governments under a small Federal government.  At no point was the Federal government to become more powerful than any one state in the Union or all of them combined.

There is only one answer to this problem – small government.  Vote the government out of your lives by electing officials that believe in your rights and the rights of your State, county, and city.  Leave no one unchecked and fight for a smaller government.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Nickels: Ban guns in places where kids go (seattlepi.com)
• State AG: Nickels proposed gun ban against the law (seattlepi.com)
• Mayor proposes gun ban at many Seattle Parks properties (westseattleblog.com)
• How will you remember Greg Nickels? (seattlepi.com)

Tweeter’s Boasts Lack Real Communication

As reported by the Baltimoresun.com and other news outlets, there is a study that came out reporting on the quality of tweets from Congressional tweeters.  The report found that only 7% of all (they mean 100%) congressional updates were actually communicating with the outside world.  They also report that 80% of these tweets were pure self-promotion -

“[L]inks to news articles and news releases, and status updates that chronicle the politician’s latest trip to the sawmill or the supermarket.”

This is a truly interesting issue. “Twitter by its nature is a very self-absorbed service,” said Jennifer Golbeck, lead researcher and assistant professor in the university’s College of Information Studies. “Politicians are very self-important people.”  What is the purpose of Twitter in the realm of politics?

It’s hard to say really.  From our past courses on Twitter (only available to charter members of ORS) we create a strategy and plan for building a quality following, tweeting quality tweets, and quick, easy communication.  I recall discussing the issue of bailouts with a fellow tweeter months ago.  After this discussion I actually lost followers and had someone comment that they would have followed me but they don’t want to follow long conversation.  The purpose of Twitter is for quick, short messages.  Conversation is in fact, not wanted in many cases.

What do people want on Twitter?  Many news outlets report on Twitter having never actually been on Twitter and assume it should work as well as television or YouTube.  Twitter will never have that degree of clear communication.  That’s not it’s purpose.  Tweets on Twitter are graded high if they involve shared links, pictures, videos, are “re-tweets” or replies.  Based on this criteria for evaluation the one most politicians lack are re-tweets and replies.  This is exactly where I think the study is pointing.

Fortunately, there is one simple solution.  Politicians need to tweet what the people want.  I don’t mean just say things you don’t believe because it’s what you think your audience wants to hear.  I mean to give them tweets they can retweet and forward on.  Give them a reply or two.  You don’t need to have conversations on Twitter.  Much like Senator McCaskill’s Twitter account.

“Her page is a compendium of personal replies to constituents and snippets of life that sound authentic. Here’s one from earlier this month: ‘Yes @tigeranniemac that was me at Target in the soap aisle. You shoulda said hi. Was with my daughter Lily. We’re very friendly.’”

There is no long dialogue here.  It is a quick and simple reply to one of her followers.  It has no political agenda.  It has no innuendo.  It is the type of conversation Twitter craves.

Let’s be honest, everyone on Twitter is boastful.  When I land a new client I’ve tweeted about it within minutes.  Then pile on the congrats from my followers.  There is nothing wrong with politicians promoting themselves; they just need to realize that to be in the Twitter elite, it requires just a little bit more.

Related articles by Zemanta

• 20% of tweets about brands (socialmediatoday.com)
• Tweeting: More Than Just Self Expression (innovationtoronto.com)
• Sen. Claire McCaskill Tweets to Show She’s Human, Not Cruella De Vil (usnews.com)

KentSorenson.com is LIVE!

We’re proud to work with Iowa’s very own House District 74 Representative Mr. Kent Sorenson.  He was one of the very first supporters of Operation Red State and continues to be an advocate.  A few weeks ago, when Kent came to us and said, “I need a website refresh Doug…can you meet a deadline?”  Being the optimist that I am…I said, “Of course how soon do you need it?” to which Kent responded, “I need it by September 22nd when I announce my run for Iowa’s Senate District 37.”

Indeed we met Representative Sorenson’s deadline (www.KentSorenson.com) and we’re so excited to see him take this leap into the Iowa Senate.  Please give him all of your support and please subscribe to his RSS feed to stay up to date on all of his campaign happenings.  Go get’em Kent!

Can Do Conservatives Chairman Brian Donegan on the Red Alert Hour

I was truly amazed to hear Brian’s story and how he’s faced adversity to become an advocate for the Conservative Disabled in America.  His message is manifold…but a key piece of his platform is that the Disabled cannot and should not be counted on to vote in lockstep with Democrats.  Brian was in town to speak at a Bob Vander Plaats fundraiser and is become quite a celebrity if you ask me.  Please take some time and listen to this great hour of inspiration.

Twitter Caught Benjamin Button Disease

ComScore, the media research company, has now reported that the young population, 12-18, is actually growing at the fastest rates.  It’s been common knowledge that Twitter was the network for old dudes.  As a matter of fact, based on the charts, individuals aged 35+ even became a super-majority back in 2008 making up over 60% of the Twitter-sphere.  While their “Twitter-share” has decreased over time, up until this summer they held on to a 50% majority.

ComScore credits celebrity tweeters with much of the youthful rejuvenation Twitter has seen in the past few months.  More specifically they mention the Ashton v. CNN, first one to 1 million followers event.  Whatever the circumstances are around Twitter’s reverse aging, this is changes a whole lot for businesses, politicians, organizations, and frankly, anyone that’s marketing themselves on Twitter.

Hyper-targeted followings will become even more important as online marketers try to increase their reach without wasting it.  Twitter has now reached over 21 million US visitors which doesn’t even include mobile users – which is also likely more popular among the younger 12-24 demographic.

One thing we can count on is that the Benjamin Button affect has likely ended as I don’t foretell 0-11 year olds tweeting a whole lot….then again, you never know.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Twitter Users Buy 77% More Music (financegeek.com)
• One billion users, $1 billion: how did Twitter get the numbers? (digital.venturebeat.com)
• Twitter expands rules to allow advertising (canada.com)
• Facebook Lite Goes Live – More Twitter Imitation (readwriteweb.com)
• What Should You Be Tweeting About? (momblognetwork.com)

Obama/Biden – Only Used Social Media to get Elected

I’ve blogged about this in the past and just noticed how awful this really is.  It is now nine months since PBO took the White house with his buddy Joe Biden.  Yet Biden’s Twitter account still says he’s a Senator! How many more ways will the Obama Team demonstrate they only care about communication when it comes to getting elected?

Off-Record, now On-Record through Social Media & the Internet

I’m sure everyone active on Twitter noticed this post ignite comments all across the Twitter-sphere.

To catch you up to speed, there was an interview with President Obama on CNBC where this so-called “off-record” remark was made by POTUS calling Kanye West a “Jack-ass.”  As you can see, Terry Moran of ABC News immediately tweeted about it.  Within a fairly short period of time ABC caught wind that it was an “off-record” comment and quickly deleted Moran’s tweet.  Unfortunately for ABC, CNBC, and POTUS, they were too late and this was merely the beginning.  TMZ, no surprise, managed to get some audio of this “off-record” jack-ass calling.  Check it out in the video below.

I don’t bring this up to merely spread the story because in all candor, I couldn’t care less about the actual story.  That said, this experience is of great importance for all politicians, whether or not you have an active online presence.  In less than one day a seemingly unnoticed comment that was apparently off-record, flooded every facet of the Internet.  Just think, that could have been you.

With the massive increase in communication/information accessibility there is no such thing as “off the record.”  In this day and age anything you say in a public and even private forum is not protected.  As Presidential as it may be to call celebrities, or anyone for that matter, a Jack-ass, I don’t think Obama or any of you want your “off-record” comments flooding the bandwidth of every news and blog outlet.

Just to show you proof of how broad the coverage was on one small comment.  Look below, it took me a small search in a Word Press plug-in to get those articles.  On Google if you limit your search as much as possible like, “Obama” & “Jackass” you’ll get over 3 million results.

As for this moronic journalists attempt to coin the phrase, “The Joe Wilson Treatment,” I pity him.  This is in no way similar, unless of course, you ignore the conservative side of the aisle and only look to the left drooling in awe of their majesty, POTUS.  Even then, I don’t recall POTUS getting any sort of award….hmmmm.

Related articles by Zemanta

• President Obama Calls Kanye A Jackass (ithinkheblogs.com)
• President Obama Calls Kanye West a “Jackass” (yesbutnobutyes.com)
• Even Obama Doesn’t Like Kanye! (perezhilton.com)
• Obama: Kanye West a ‘jackass’ for outburst (msnbc.msn.com)
• Obama: Kanye West a ‘Jackass’ (outsidethebeltway.com)
• ABC ’sorry’ for tweeting Barack Obama’s ‘jackass’ comment (telegraph.co.uk)
• President Obama Calls Kanye West a “Jackass” (mashable.com)
• Tweeting What Obama Said Off-the-Record About Kanye: Now THAT’s Terry (seminal.firedoglake.com)
• ABC Apologizes to White House, CNBC Over Off-the-Record Tweets (mediabistro.com)
• Obama Is Just Like Us! (dlisted.com)
• Kanye’s Apology, Obama’s “Jackass” (chicagoist.com)
• Whoops of the Day (mediabistro.com)
• Obama Calls Kenya A ‘Jackass’ (themoderatevoice.com)

Get the Facts Straight or you’ll get Caught

Charlie Diradour.  You probably don’t have a clue who he is.  I didn’t until about five minutes ago.  Charlie Diradour likely made history this week by being the first political candidate to launch his campaign by fabricating a completely false lie about the Republican Whip, Eric Cantor and getting caught IN THE SAME DAY.  Congratulations Mr. Diradour, you have now been pwnd!

The Internet is such a funny place.  Even funnier are so many attempts to brand oneself and getting completely and utterly denied.  Another great example of this is a recently exploded Internet meme, “Whose Responsible This?” (meme: a rapidly growing Internet catchphrase.  Usually used at the expense of another’s dignity). This meme, “Whose Responsible This?” has been turned into images and even songs on the Internet.  One of my favorites, is this image here.  Whose responsible this?  Without getting too off topic, you can read about the history of this meme here.

My whole point here is that when you mess up, you’re going to get caught.  Whether you’re making some stupid comment  or making things up.  The Internet is too much for one to get away with anything.

I’ll give Diradour props for his incredibly high quality video on YouTube, maybe he can get into video production since he’s obviously left the Hill before he even actually got there.  So sad was his attempt he even had the time stamp on Cantor’s tweets which explicitly show the tweets were sent AFTER the speech.  If you do plan on falsifying info on the web, do us a favor and don’t highlight the facts that prove you wrong.  Diradour didn’t even last one day on the web.

When it comes to building your online presence remember this.  It doesn’t matter how large or insignificant your mistake is.  It doesn’t matter if it’s an accident or intentional.  Anything from a fabricated lie to a simple grammatical error and misspelling.  You can come out looking like a complete and utter fool.  So watch yourself.

Introduction to Recording Audio

Recording audio is so easy that there are literally no barriers to you starting and keeping up with your own podcast. In this course we discuss the the hardware and software you will need to create professional sounding audio without tapping out the campaign fund. After taking this course, you should be able to record your audio file and get yourself to the point of posting the file to your blog based web site. If you enjoy this course, please tell a friend to subscribe to ORS to get the complete winning online campaign strategy.
Please Login or Register to read the rest of this content.

Next Page »

• 

• Social Media

  

• Categories

  • Campaign Technology
  • Classes
  • local politics
  • News
  • Online Fund Raising
  • Podcast
  • Red Alert Dossier
  • Red Alert Hour Webcast
  • Red Alert Video Tips
  • Social Media
  • Social Networking Demographics
  • twitter
• Technorati Profile
• NetworkedBlogs

  Blog:

  Operation Red State

  Topics:

  politics, Republican, technology

  Follow my blog

• Welcome to Operation Red State
• 

Copyright © 2008-2009 Operation Red State · Terms & Conditions · Privacy Policy