Showing posts with label Jean Avery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jean Avery. Show all posts

Saturday, October 11, 2008

People Helping McCain Win

I've been wearing my Sarah Palin "Guns and God" tee-shirt in PA, and it's been attracting a lot of attention. You can get one by clicking on the Sarah logo on the sidebar. Tomorrow, as a former business speechwriter, I'll be writing on "A Speech for Sarah Palin."

Today on Clintons4McCain Blog Talk Radio (Saturday, 5-6 p.m. ET) our primary guest was Jean Avery, founder of http://moms4mccain.blogspot.com. You can find the archieved broadcast by clicking on the following link: http//:blogtalkradio.com/clintons4mccain

Jean Avery has turned her "little" group of American moms into a countrywide organization. She's one of the most innovative activists in the nation and has developed many fascinating concepts, including what she calls "nap-time politics."

Next week on the radio show we'll feature two African-Americans who are spearheading the campaign against Obama and for McCain-Palin. They'll be Lloyd Marcus and Tanya Crews.The co-hosts of the program will be Anne Franklin of Texas and Steve Maloney of Pennsylvania.

Our emphasis from now until the election will be on "ground-game" activities (calling, canvassing, e-mailing, etc.) that are essential to winning the election.

A second point: I'm asking everyone in our huge coalition to join the action-oriented group known as "Wake-Up America." You can join today by going to: http://wam08.com It will explain exactly what you can do to get out the vote for McCain-Palin. WAM will make common cause with ALL groups dedicated to the election of John McCain and Sarah Palin.

A final point: one of the country's best organizations at attracting Democrats and Independents to McCain-Palin has been: http://dncreform.org. They're influencing votes around the country, but they need your financial support -- even a few dollars will help -- to continue their efforts. Please assist them.

Again, I'd like to thank all of you for your efforts on behalf of Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin. The practical actions we take will ensure victory on Nov. 4.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Can McCain Get Women's Votes?

On my Pennsylvania blog Thursday afternoon, I put a posting about the last undecided Democrat Superdelegate in America -- Pennsylvania Rep. Tim Holden. Some compare Holden to Prince Hamlet, although I actually see a strong resemblance to Harpo Marx.

The material below this italicized section is from Jean Avery of Moms for McCain. A resident of Seattle, Washington, Jean is one of the most important political operatives "you've never heard about." She's an absolute VIP when it comes to understanding women voters -- and attracting them to the cause of John McCain. Her comments on "what do women want?" apply not only to the presidential election, but also to every race for the House and Senate. Thus, this is a high stakes discussion.

On my Pennsylvania blog today, I discuss how candidates in the Keystone State can pick up major support -- including financial contributions -- from voters who were committed to the candidacy of Hillary Clinton. Come visit! Jean Avery's comments follow:

"Last week, Howard Dean and friends gave delegates to someone who wasn't even on the ballot and took half the delegates from a candidate who was. And, by the way, she was also the first woman with a serious shot at the Presidency. Suddenly millions of American women who hung their hopes on Hillary are the Desirable Voting Bloc. (Sure, Hillary had male supporters, but because many women's motives differed, their response to her rejection may differ too.)

So, what happens now for Hillary's women? Do they ride what one disgruntled Mom called the "unity pony"? Do they stay home to 'send a message'? Or do they rise up like the poetic Scorned Women of yore, uniting as "PUMAs for McCain" (party unity my....well....you can figure it out).

Gloria Steinem and friends are confident (too confident?) that the same women screwed over by their own party will come home to roost because a lefty novelist thought he heard a nasty remark or because McCain refused to pander on an 'equal pay' lawsuit bill.

But I believe women voters are smart enough to look at what the remaining men have to offer as President, and can judge them on that basis. So what DOES McCain have to offer women?

Here are a few thoughts.

More money in your pocket(book). Despite humorous greeting cards to the contrary, most women I know are very careful with their money. We work hard for it and when we spend and save we have priorities in mind. We are more likely to drive the gas-guzzling minivan and buy the overpriced groceries. A McCain presidency maintains tax cuts which put more money into the pockets, purses, and bank accounts of the vast majority of Americans. This is not a vague promise, this is a specific, concrete commitment from both candidates - one of them will take more of your money than the other. Figure out your family's costs under Obama here.


More safety for your country. If Obama is elected, regardless of what is happening on the ground, he has to uphold his devil's bargain with the anti-war lobby and retreat from Iraq - even if maintaining a presence makes logistical and strategic sense. John McCain's positions on the war are shaped by a lifetime of personal investment - including heroic suffering, family sacrifice, and yes, logistical hands-on experience. Hillary said it best herself, when the phone rings at 3 am, I want someone answering it who has not only experience, but is unfettered by political fears and promises when making those split-second life-and-death decisions.

Hillary herself observed that McCain was much better qualified choice than Obama on national security issues. If she can see it, so should her supporters.

Education and healthcare. The only thing worse than having a seriously sick child in the middle of the night is getting an administrative run-around at the emergency room when you bring them in. Hillary made government-led 'universal healthcare' a cornerstone of her First Ladyship and her campaign. I personally dislike any system that takes money from your pocket and your paycheck FIRST and THEN you (hopefully) have a procedure they approved done by a provider they choose in a location they deem affordable and appropriate.

But for those Hillary supporters whose hearts were set on health care solutions, consider the viable, easily-implemented alternatives McCain proposes, including tax credits, drug price management, and increased portability of coverage.

Life and moral issues. Despite bellyaching to the contrary, a majority of Americans - including women - are against partial-birth abortion (sucking a baby's brains out), government funding of abortion at home and abroad, and other frightening policies espoused by Obama [like the hideous "live-birth abortion"]. If you're pro-life, McCain is your ONLY choice.

But even if you're pro-choice, you should ask yourself if this is how you want your tax dollars being spent - and if you're willing to put your country in a rookie's hands over this issue. Hillary herself knew it in her heart - John McCain will make a better President than Barack Obama.

You'll note that I have fought the (substantial) urge to rant about crazy pastors, terrorist friends, etc. - because all those distractions put together are less important than what each candidate will actually DO in office.

I believe women are smart voters, I believe we are capable of identifying good and bad judgment when we see it, and I believe we understand what is best for our families and for our country.

To all women who are politically 'homeless,' take some time to get to know John McCain. You'll like what you see.

Steve add: McCain needs to sell his proposals on pocketbook issues, family and community security, and moral issues in simple, compelling ways. He needs to distinguish between his straight-talk and Obama's endless blasts of hot air. He also need to attack Obama on the change issue, outlining how the Senator from Illinois is offering big government solutions that just don't work. Overall, he must emphasize how he advocates positive change, while Obama relies exclusively on -- in McCain's word -- "platitudes.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Hillary Supporters: NOT The Enemy

I wrote Wednesday (scroll down) about Hillary Supporters taking out revenge on Democrat "SuperDelegates" that supported Obama -- even though their districts or states voted for Hillary Clinton. When the angry Hillary backers get through with them those delegates will not feel very super.

Thursday a.m. (about 10:30 a.m.) on my Pennsylvania blog I'll attempt an answer to an overwhelming question: How exactly do Republican candidates for federal office -- including John McCain -- go about getting the votes -- and financial support -- of the Hillary backers? I can imagine Republican congressional candidates, some of them very dear to me, saying, "Hey, I don't agree with Hillary on much, so how can I can her supporters to back me?"

The first thing is to understand that Hillary Supporters aren't from another planet. As our fellow Americans, they share a lot more with us than we -- or they -- might imagine. For instance, the vast majority of Hillary backers do support our American soldiers.

In fact, Hillary's voters are a lot more likely to KNOW -- or to have in their family -- one or more American soldiers. The same is not true of Obama-philes. To them, soldiers are somebody they see on TV. Twenty percent of Democrats say they hope the U.S. loses the war in Iraq. Very few of them -- almost none, I'd guess -- voted for Hillary Clinton in the Dem Primaries.

Even though I have one wife and five daughters and various grand-daughters, I don't claim to be an expert on women. Even Dr. Freud (not a big favorite with feminists) felt called upon once to ask, "But what does a woman want?"

In coming up with an answer to that, I'm going to rely on my long-distance friend, Jean Avery, from Seattle, Washington. She's as good as it gets on understanding the hopes, fears, and thoughts of female voters. Jean blogs at http://moms4mccain.blogspot.com. She's the one who brought to my attention the avalanche of angry generated by Mrs. Clinton's loss of the nomination. I wrote about that on Tuesday on my Hillary Supporters for McCain site. I also provided the very long list of web sites for Hillary-ites who now intend to vote for McCain.

Caution: Jean, a mom herself, is also a Princeton grad (perhaps one of the few things she shares with Michelle Obama). However, she's promised me not to use too many big words. (When people found out I had been a college English teacher, they used to worry about their grammar! I think it cost me invitations to parties.)

Anyway, after I do the Pennsylvania piece, I'll steal some bits and pieces and add them to this site. As always, thanks for visiting. If you have comments, please either use the "comments" section or send them to me via e-mail at TalkTop65@aol.com.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Sarah Support Growing Rapidly

To regular visitors, I'll have a new column up about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The number of bloggers supporting Sarah Palin for V-P is mushrooming. Here are some:

Sarah Choice for VPBy Stephen R. Maloney(SJ Reidhead) My VP week on Moms for McCain would not be complete without mention of fellow Mom and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, another "rising star" in the GOP, who has a unique ability to appeal to several key constituencies.


...New Jersey for John McCain - http://newjerseyforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/
Matt's Plan for Victory for McCainBy Matty N(Matty N) ... could be beneficial…but because Obama has made the experience card moot, McCain could seriously consider pulling an untapped resource, one of the two major young, attractive, reform minded Governors, Sarah Palin or Bobby Jindal. ...Matty N's Blog - http://t0llenz.blogspot.com/


The Veep StakesBy seniledelinquent Other female candidates who would be more attractive to the ticket are Kay Bailey Hutchison, or Sarah Palin, the very young and popular governor of Alaska. As for adding color, Bobby Jindal, the newly elected Indian-American governor of ...Senile Delinquent's Blog - http://seniledelinquent.wordpress.com


AK/DC clippings for FridayBy Dillon More blogs agitating for Sarah Palin to be presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain's second in command. And another one here. The Alaska Journal of Commerce reports on NOAA cutting Southeast Alaska charters halibut ...An Alaskan Abroad - http://alaskanabroad.typepad.com/an_alaskan_abroad/


For (Counter-) Strategy Purposes, Here Is Hasslington's Top Half ...By Hasslington(Hasslington) Reasons: If I could (and, since this is my blog-site, I suppose I could...) I would put Senator Thune in a tie with Governor Palin for #1, but that would make me feel as though I were cheating. So he slides down one notch to #2, ...Hasslington - http://hasslington.blogspot.com/


If you're interested in another candidate who might one day end up in the White House, check out my piece on PA's Melissa Hart: http://pennsylvaniaforjohnmccain.blogspot.com/. I hope all Pennsylvania visitors will check out that site, one where I'm currently writing about key congressional races.


Gov. Sarah Palin -- beautiful, yes, but also extremely talented and a true patriot.



Jean Avery of Seattle, Washington, is one of those people whose name may be unfamiliar to you, but she plays a significant -- and growing -- role in American politics. She's a first-rate thinker and writer who is strongly backing John McCain


Jean, a Princeton grad and originator of the very popular Moms4McCain site on blogspot.com, wrote the following piece. In my view, Jean is in many ways just as much a star as Sarah Palin. This column appeared on http://mccainnow.com (which I urge everyone to join) and on Jean's own site. Hillary Supporters (and others) who are "moms" should consider getting behind Sarah as a vice-presidential choice. The DailyKos and Moveon.org crowds fear Sarah, which speaks volumes about her strengths. (There are growing rumors that Sarah is on John McCain's short-list for the VP nod, and I discuss that situation on: http://stevemaloneygop.blogspot.com.



Here's what Jean said:



My VP week on Moms for McCain would not be complete without mention of fellow Mom and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, another "rising star" in the GOP, who has a unique ability to appeal to several key constituencies.This election has been about breaking barriers, shattering glass ceilings, and overcoming stereotypes - and that's a good thing.



I have discussed before why I don't think merely being a woman or minority candidate is sufficient, in principle or in practice, to earn the votes of Americans and win an election.However, as my friends on McCain Now pointed out, the strategic reality before John McCain is that millions of would-be Hillary voters are about to come "up for grabs", a significant number have shown consistently they are willing to vote McCain.

Choosing a female VP would be a strategic move to show disenfranchised Hillary supporters that women have a prominent place in a McCain White House.That issue aside, Palin would be an outstanding pick even if she were equipped with different body parts. Palin complements McCain's strengths and would, I believe, strengthen the Republican party's national image.

With unheard-of approval ratings near 85-90%, former beauty queen Palin was not an obvious choice to lead a state that many of us associate with igloos and parkas. Like Jindal, she ran for office to fight the notorious corruption in her state (remember the "bridge to nowhere"?) and like McCain, fighting for responsible spending and accountable government has been a hallmark of her leadership.

Palin walks the walk on conservative values, as a cautious spender, avid sportswoman, 2nd-amendment defender, and true example of pro-life values in action. Already a mother of four, Palin became pregnant at age 44 and learned early in her pregnancy that her child would, most likely, have Down's syndrome.

Palin showed courage and character, leading throughout her pregnancy and even posing for Vogue. She went into labor early (been there, done that!) during a Governors' conference -- at which she had the opportunity to informally 'remove herself' from VP consideration, and didn't take it.

To be clear, I don't think we should hand this woman the vice-presidency because she gave birth a lot and in brave ways (although I have to admit, as a Mom, this appeals to my head and my heart). I also don't think we should take lightly the responsibilities of raising a special-needs child - but other women in Washington have done it, and it would be sexist and presumptuous to make that decision for her.

As long as she keeps her hat in the ring, I think McCain should try it on for size. For LOTS more on Gov. Palin, see http://palinforvp.blogspot.com/

Steve Adds: Even if you're not a mom or even a female -- to both of which I plead guilty -- I urge you to visit Jean's Mom4McCain site. Mothers are a critical constituency in this year's election, as they are in most. As for Jean, she's as good as it gets on the blogosphere.

Saturday, May 10, 2008

Coming Events: Campaign2008Victory

On my surprising popular "Hillary Supporters for McCain" site today I have a guest column by an outstanding political analyst and organizer, Jean Avery, of Seattle, Washington. Being me, I also comments on Jean's fine article. The Hillary blog is: http://hillarysupportersformccain.blogspot.com, and today's piece is entitled "The Agonies of Hillary Clinton." (Jean's blog is: http://moms4mccain.blogspot.com.

On Sunday right here, I'll be writing about some of the important resources available to McCain supporters. One site I've been promoting is: www.mccainnow.com. It's a great place to get information and share insights with other "McCain-iacs." See you later!