I have talked to my political contacts in Rankin County and I have been informed Knox Ross is thinking of running for State Auditor on the Republican ticket next year. As a CPA and a mayor of a small town (Pelahatchie), he has the credentials to be an excellent State Auditor.
Here are the things working in his favor:
1. He is a CPA. The last time a CPA was State Auditor was when Hamp King held the post. He left in 1984. Since then, ambitious politicians have served in the post. Ross knows what constitutes a good audit and would be very effective as a State Auditor.
2. He has electoral experience. He is in his second term as mayor. Being a mayor of a small town (1100 people ain't big.), he would have hands-on experience on city financial matters. He would already understand a lot of the municipal financial and other governmental sector financial audits.
3. Being a CPA in Pearl, I know people who know him. They think very highly of him. Unlike the extremely arrogant pretty-boy Phil Bryant, Ross would be down to earth and easy to talk with. People tell me he is very polite and humble. They also tell me he knows his taxes and accounting.
4. If he is elected State Auditor, I think he will stay in that position and not use it as a
stepping stone for higher office. Hamp King never ran for higher office and he was one of the most respected public officials the state has ever had.
Nevertheless, he faces hurdles. First of all, he has no name recognition. Even in Rankin County, not many know him. Pelahatchie is on the far eastern tip of the county, far away from the urban areas. I know who he is, but I'm a political and accounting junkie.
Secondly, he will be running against a "name" candidate in the GOP primary: State Sen. Stacy Pickering. He is related to Congressman Chip Pickering and the Congressman's father, Charles Pickering. The Pickerings have money and contacts. Look for them to use them to help Stacy. And don't think Stacy is going to stay on for more than a term or two as State Auditor. He'll have other political ambitions.
Third, Ross is going to need money. Ross, like me, is a small-town CPA. He doesn't have the coins to finance his own campaign. He's going to need some big donors to help him. At least Ross is from GOP-rich in votes Rankin County. Rankin County casts between 15% to 25% of the GOP vote in a state Republican primary.
When I vote in the primary, I'll definitely vote for Ross (if Ross runs). If the State Attorney General's office requires an attorney to serve in that post, shouldn't the State Auditor's position require a CPA to serve in that post? Ross would not only know what is going on as a State Auditor when it comes to audits, he also wouldn't use it as a political post.
Ross is not a pretty-boy blow-dried politician. But he is intelligent, hard-working, honorable and has the qualifications to be an excellent State Auditor. He would be great for the state if he was elected to that post.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Bush Hatred
I'm no big supporter of President George Walker Bush. I did not vote for him in 2000 (I voted for Pat Buchanan). I did vote for Bush in 2004, but there wasn't any choice. He was pro-life and promised to appoint conservatives to the Federal courts (A promise he has kept.). I bitterly disagree with his big spending policies and his big government programs (especially Medicare Part D). Plus, I do not think we should be fighting in Iraq. As an old rightist (philsophy, not age) , I think we should not be involved in any foreign affairs other than to protect the national security of the United States.
Nevertheless, I do NOT hate Bush. I have been in politics since I was ten years old--the 1960 Presidential campaign. With the exception of Nixon in his last year of office due to Watergate, I have never seen such hatred against a President than I have seen against Bush. Not even Reagan (My hero) faced such vile hatred. Yet Bush is more of a liberal than Reagan ever dreamed of. Bush can spend those Federal dollars. In fact, Bill Clinton was a tightwad compared to Bush. Yet the left goes bonkers in hatred over Bush.
Right now, a movie is being produced on the assassination of President Bush. The left-wing moonbats passionately hate the man. I know liberals who literally foam at the mouth if you say ANYTHING good about Bush. For laughs, I read some liberal publications. Believe me, they hate Bush with a vile passion. These moonbats would literally rejoice if Bush were killed.
I know there were conservatives who hated ex-President Bill Clinton. But there were none in the conservative movement who advocated his assassination. Conservatives hated his policies, but couldn't hate the guy. Look, I didn't like his policies and I thought he was a shameless womanizer and liar. But I actually LIKED the guy. He seemed like a fun fellow. He would have made a good fishing buddy.
I'm really sick and tired of the Bush hatred and the Bush-bashing. To have a movie on Bush's assassination is a sick low blow. These people shouldn't be in politics. They should be in a nuthouse and fed underneath the door. They are sick.
Nevertheless, I do NOT hate Bush. I have been in politics since I was ten years old--the 1960 Presidential campaign. With the exception of Nixon in his last year of office due to Watergate, I have never seen such hatred against a President than I have seen against Bush. Not even Reagan (My hero) faced such vile hatred. Yet Bush is more of a liberal than Reagan ever dreamed of. Bush can spend those Federal dollars. In fact, Bill Clinton was a tightwad compared to Bush. Yet the left goes bonkers in hatred over Bush.
Right now, a movie is being produced on the assassination of President Bush. The left-wing moonbats passionately hate the man. I know liberals who literally foam at the mouth if you say ANYTHING good about Bush. For laughs, I read some liberal publications. Believe me, they hate Bush with a vile passion. These moonbats would literally rejoice if Bush were killed.
I know there were conservatives who hated ex-President Bill Clinton. But there were none in the conservative movement who advocated his assassination. Conservatives hated his policies, but couldn't hate the guy. Look, I didn't like his policies and I thought he was a shameless womanizer and liar. But I actually LIKED the guy. He seemed like a fun fellow. He would have made a good fishing buddy.
I'm really sick and tired of the Bush hatred and the Bush-bashing. To have a movie on Bush's assassination is a sick low blow. These people shouldn't be in politics. They should be in a nuthouse and fed underneath the door. They are sick.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
A Rankin County Dilemma: Ross or Bryant
Next year, two leading politicians in Rankin County will be running for the most powerful job in the state of Mississippi: Lieutenant Governor. They will face off in the Republican primary. And believe me, it will be a heated primary.
On paper, Phil Bryant has the most political experience. He was a state representative from Jan. 1992 to Nov. 1996 and State Auditor from Nov. 1996 to the present. Charles Ross has been a state representative and later a state senator from Jan. 1997 to the present. Phil Bryant has more name recognition and probably more money.
I know both of them. Phil Bryant is friendlier, but he has lied to me and I have no use for him. As his race develops, I will post more information. I had the misfortune to serve with him on the Rankin County Republican Executive Committee for a couple of years (1988-1990). I could not stand him. I did not consider him to be very smart. I know former employees in the State Auditor's office who think he is a dim bulb. One former employee told me he is nothing but a pretty boy who probably gets his hair coiffed at Monique's.
Charlie Ross is arrogant and aloof, but he is very intelligent and honest. I've dealt with him before and found him to be straightforward, even though I was no friend of his. Charles Ross has served as State Senator for a couple of terms and he knows the legislative process quite well.
I believe he would be honest and fair in his dealings with the State Senate if he became Lt. Governor.
As far as looks and charm go, Bryant has Ross beat by a country mile. If you want brains and knowledge, Ross beats Bryant by miles. If I were to bet, Bryant would beat Ross in Rankin County and the state in the primary. But in the general election, I think Ross would be a lot tougher to beat. In a debate with the Democrat, Ross would club the Democrat but the Democrat would cream Bryant.
In Rankin County, Bryant would win. Chances are excellent Bryant would carry every major section of the county. He would easily win Pearl. But that is today's forecast. As I wrote before, this will not be a pretty primary. In a debate, Bryant would look handsomer and more debonaire but would be exposed as an empty suit. Ross would slaughter Bryant in a debate. It wouldn't even be close. You'd have to pick Bryant off the floor because he would be so badly beaten.
I'll make no bones as to whom I will vote for: Charlie Ross. At least he is honest and forthright. That is a lot more than what I can say for Bryant.
As for the general election, I'll wait and see who's the Democratic nominee. There's no way I would vote for Barbara Blackmon or State Rep. Jamie Franks, two flaming liberals. But if the Democrats can nominate a conservative, I could vote for him (her). If Ross is the nominee, I could vote for him no matter who the Democrats nominate. But there is no way on God's green earth I would ever vote for a phony like Bryant. I would either vote for the Democrat or leave it blank.
As time goes on, I will place more postings on my blog about this race. It promises to be a doozy.
On paper, Phil Bryant has the most political experience. He was a state representative from Jan. 1992 to Nov. 1996 and State Auditor from Nov. 1996 to the present. Charles Ross has been a state representative and later a state senator from Jan. 1997 to the present. Phil Bryant has more name recognition and probably more money.
I know both of them. Phil Bryant is friendlier, but he has lied to me and I have no use for him. As his race develops, I will post more information. I had the misfortune to serve with him on the Rankin County Republican Executive Committee for a couple of years (1988-1990). I could not stand him. I did not consider him to be very smart. I know former employees in the State Auditor's office who think he is a dim bulb. One former employee told me he is nothing but a pretty boy who probably gets his hair coiffed at Monique's.
Charlie Ross is arrogant and aloof, but he is very intelligent and honest. I've dealt with him before and found him to be straightforward, even though I was no friend of his. Charles Ross has served as State Senator for a couple of terms and he knows the legislative process quite well.
I believe he would be honest and fair in his dealings with the State Senate if he became Lt. Governor.
As far as looks and charm go, Bryant has Ross beat by a country mile. If you want brains and knowledge, Ross beats Bryant by miles. If I were to bet, Bryant would beat Ross in Rankin County and the state in the primary. But in the general election, I think Ross would be a lot tougher to beat. In a debate with the Democrat, Ross would club the Democrat but the Democrat would cream Bryant.
In Rankin County, Bryant would win. Chances are excellent Bryant would carry every major section of the county. He would easily win Pearl. But that is today's forecast. As I wrote before, this will not be a pretty primary. In a debate, Bryant would look handsomer and more debonaire but would be exposed as an empty suit. Ross would slaughter Bryant in a debate. It wouldn't even be close. You'd have to pick Bryant off the floor because he would be so badly beaten.
I'll make no bones as to whom I will vote for: Charlie Ross. At least he is honest and forthright. That is a lot more than what I can say for Bryant.
As for the general election, I'll wait and see who's the Democratic nominee. There's no way I would vote for Barbara Blackmon or State Rep. Jamie Franks, two flaming liberals. But if the Democrats can nominate a conservative, I could vote for him (her). If Ross is the nominee, I could vote for him no matter who the Democrats nominate. But there is no way on God's green earth I would ever vote for a phony like Bryant. I would either vote for the Democrat or leave it blank.
As time goes on, I will place more postings on my blog about this race. It promises to be a doozy.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Romney's Religion Problem
There is no doubt Mitt Romney is running for the Rpublican nomination for President. He seems like a fine person, an excellent husband and father and a good governor of Massachusetts. He is the only current governor running for President (although he has not announced). I followed his career as governor and I can tell you he was a good governor--considering he had a 6-1 Democratic margin in the state legislature. And most of those Democrats would make Lenin look like a flaming John Bircher.
Nevertheless, Romney is wasting his time running. My box turtle Pokey Jo would stand a better chance of getting on the Republican ticket in 2008 than Romney. Why? His religion.
Romney is a Mormon and a fairly devout one. Romney can call himself a devout Christian and tell people he believes in Jesus. It may play with liberal Protestants and some Catholics. But it will not play with fundamentalist Christians (which I am one). The great majority of fundamentalist Christians live in the South, which is the cockpit of Republican Presidential primaries.
In the Deep South, the Southern Baptist church is the main church of fundamentalist Christians. In the Baptist church, there is a thing called "Discipleship Training" (It used to be called "Training Union.") This training is usually held on Sunday night, an hour before the evening service (For more time, some of them are held on Wednesday nights.). During this training, one of the classes deals with cults. The Mormon church is considered a cult.
In one very large (5500 members) fundamentalist Baptist church, I remember going to a class years ago on the Mormons. We all freaked out when we read their beliefs and theology. The Mormons believe Jesus is a lesser prophet or god than Moroni. They believe you can baptize your dead ancestors. They believe if you follow the book of the Mormon, lead an exemplary life and have a large family, you can become a god on another planet. It is a secretive religion, which definitely conflicts with the openness of the Baptist faith. And Mormons wear some sacred clothing, which spooks a lot of us Baptists. The polygamy thing didn't use to bother us. But with the Supreme Court overturning sodomy laws and Massachusetts allowing homosexual marriage, will polygamous marriages become legal?
There is no doubt Romney is very charming and intelligent. At first blush, he'll appeal to Southern audiences. But once his religious beliefs become common knowledge, he'll be toast. He will have a horrible time explaining his beliefs to fundamentalist Baptists.
His religion will not be openly discussed. But in most Baptist churches, there is an organization called the "Men's Brotherhood." It's a bunch of men meeting very early (6AM) on a Sunday for breakfast. We discuss church mission projects and what to do, church events and secular politics. There are tens of thousands of meetings like this throughout the South. You can rest assured Romney's religion will be discussed. And you can also rest assured Romney will get no votes from Baptists who are aware of Romney's religious beliefs. If you think fundamentalist Baptists will vote for a Mormon, you are new in the South or you have been living in a swamp free from civilization.
Romney can have ten thousand people trying to mute Romney's Mormon beliefs and do all they can to convince us he's a Christian. Under NO circumstances will I vote for Romney if he's on the ticket. And take my word for it, there are hundreds of thousands of people like me throughout the entire South who feel that way.
If you want more information on Romney's religion problem, go to www.RealClearPolitics.com. and check the link on Romney. I wrote a little commentary on Romney. The website is excellent and very informative.
Nevertheless, Romney is wasting his time running. My box turtle Pokey Jo would stand a better chance of getting on the Republican ticket in 2008 than Romney. Why? His religion.
Romney is a Mormon and a fairly devout one. Romney can call himself a devout Christian and tell people he believes in Jesus. It may play with liberal Protestants and some Catholics. But it will not play with fundamentalist Christians (which I am one). The great majority of fundamentalist Christians live in the South, which is the cockpit of Republican Presidential primaries.
In the Deep South, the Southern Baptist church is the main church of fundamentalist Christians. In the Baptist church, there is a thing called "Discipleship Training" (It used to be called "Training Union.") This training is usually held on Sunday night, an hour before the evening service (For more time, some of them are held on Wednesday nights.). During this training, one of the classes deals with cults. The Mormon church is considered a cult.
In one very large (5500 members) fundamentalist Baptist church, I remember going to a class years ago on the Mormons. We all freaked out when we read their beliefs and theology. The Mormons believe Jesus is a lesser prophet or god than Moroni. They believe you can baptize your dead ancestors. They believe if you follow the book of the Mormon, lead an exemplary life and have a large family, you can become a god on another planet. It is a secretive religion, which definitely conflicts with the openness of the Baptist faith. And Mormons wear some sacred clothing, which spooks a lot of us Baptists. The polygamy thing didn't use to bother us. But with the Supreme Court overturning sodomy laws and Massachusetts allowing homosexual marriage, will polygamous marriages become legal?
There is no doubt Romney is very charming and intelligent. At first blush, he'll appeal to Southern audiences. But once his religious beliefs become common knowledge, he'll be toast. He will have a horrible time explaining his beliefs to fundamentalist Baptists.
His religion will not be openly discussed. But in most Baptist churches, there is an organization called the "Men's Brotherhood." It's a bunch of men meeting very early (6AM) on a Sunday for breakfast. We discuss church mission projects and what to do, church events and secular politics. There are tens of thousands of meetings like this throughout the South. You can rest assured Romney's religion will be discussed. And you can also rest assured Romney will get no votes from Baptists who are aware of Romney's religious beliefs. If you think fundamentalist Baptists will vote for a Mormon, you are new in the South or you have been living in a swamp free from civilization.
Romney can have ten thousand people trying to mute Romney's Mormon beliefs and do all they can to convince us he's a Christian. Under NO circumstances will I vote for Romney if he's on the ticket. And take my word for it, there are hundreds of thousands of people like me throughout the entire South who feel that way.
If you want more information on Romney's religion problem, go to www.RealClearPolitics.com. and check the link on Romney. I wrote a little commentary on Romney. The website is excellent and very informative.
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