Barstool Politics

In the last post I said I would talk about some of my soul searching I have been doing during my hiatus. Well here it goes. When I first started blogging last year it was for talking about Mike Huckabee and letting readers know about Mike Huckabee. Then I switched over to support of Fred Thompson. He dropped out of the race, so I supported Mitt Romney, until he left the race. Then my only available choice was John McCain. At that time I decided that being a Republican and not being thrilled with “McAmnesty” I figured I would stay neutral on that front. I was more worried about gaining Republican friends then being honest. I decided that I would write about conservative issues for conservative readers.

I have realized that I am a blue collar worker who struggles to put food on the table and pay bills according to who threatens to shut off my utilities first.  I have also realized that neither political party gives a rat’s rooty tooty about blue collar workers. Oh sure they pander to no end to my people. Why? There is more of us then the rich or even the comfortable middle class.

Democrats say they care about the poor. Yet, they don’t do diddly to keep illegals out. They try to get more legal immigrant workers into this country. While there are tons of people recieving welfare benefits. The Democrats want to give more entitlements to welfare recipients. This causes higher taxes for all the American people. But it hits the blue collars the heaviest, financially and emotionally. Blue collar people get ticked off that here we are, working our booties off and some chicky-poo sits on her butt collecting all kinds of benefits, that you and I are paying for.

So, in my soul searching, I want to blog from the perspective of being blue collar for blue collars.  Let me explain what “Barstool Politics” is.  Barstool Politics is the local yocals who sit at the local watering hole complaining about politicians and the government.  Ya have the guys down at the bar talking about how they think both Republicans and Democrats are crooks.  One guy, or gal, will say something to the effect of, “I used to vote, but the candidates I voted for screwed me over.  I gave up on believing in the system.  I haven’t voted since (fill in year here).”

I want to inspire the working stiffs to care again.  If you do nothing, nothing will happen.  And you will have nothing to complain about.  If you don’t vote, you have no right to complain.  If you vote and the candidate you voted for doesn’t win and the winning candidate does jerky stuff that is against the interest of Michigan, American or your own state’s citizens you have every right to grab your soap box and speak out on the proverbial town square.  Or worse yet, if the candidate you voted for wins and doesn’t keep his or her promises you better speak out against it.

Look, both the parties speak about how much they care about “working moms and dads.”  Yet, they seem to only pander to party insiders.  I understand that they need to work with the party insiders.  They need the money to come in to keep their campaigns going.  But they still need to work with those they claim to “care” about.  Here is my deal.  If they say they care about us, let’s challenge them.  I am one of a few blue collars who actually gets involved in party politics.  I am not just talking about my volunteering for the Republican Party, but also I don’t believe there are that many blue collars getting their hands dirty for the Democrats.  Here’s my challenge to you.  Let’s take on these candidates and their parties.  You, the blue collar worker, needs to volunteer for the party or candidate of your choice.  Get involved and go to as many events as you can.  The more working stiffs who get their hard working faces seen the more the “pooh-bahs” will realize that we are watching them and speaking out about the issues that matter to us.  If they know they are being watched, they will keep their promises.

I am thinking a few things here.  Democrats talk about “Fat Cat Republicans.”  Republicans talk about “Limousine Liberals.”  Ya know what?  They both are right.  For every one Limousine Liberal, there is one Country Club Republican.  I think it is funny that both parties say “I am not rich, the other guy is rich.”  They both are.  I have nothing against rich people.  I am against the attitudes of rich people.  I think it is good for someone to work to get a great education and make money.  But it should be done honestly, without screwing over people.  Another thing I am thinking is something a guy said to me on a Greyhound bus when I was heading out to the Iowa Straw Poll to volunteer for the Huckabee campaign.  He said that “the only difference between Republicans and Democrats is that Republicans use lubrication.”  I will let you fill in the blanks.

Speaking of both the Straw Poll and Barstool Politics, I recall after I got back to my room from the hot 90 freakin degree weather at the Straw Poll, I decided that I would walk on down to the local dive in Ames, Iowa that was near the hotel I was staying at.  I had a couple whiskey sours and was talking to a local working stiff who was sitting by me.  He was a Democrat.  But he was willing to listen to me about Mike Huckabee and the issues.  I was willing to listen to him about the issues.  We didn’t agree on everything, but we did agree on some things.  I remember one thing he said to me.  He said that even though he didn’t agree with everything I said, he did respect that I had passion for what I believed in and that I wasn’t unwilling to listen to him.  Although, he did get into an argument with some Tommy Thompson supporters.  This proves why I truly believe that the only way anything can get accomplished is when people actually listen to an opposing view, without caving in.

I am going to try to keep up my blog.  More so than what I have been doing in the past couple weeks, but less than what I had been doing before that.  This week I am going to try to look for a second job for the Summer.  I am going to be looking in town and I will also be trying to find a job on Mackinac Island.  The room has it that the Straits Area is bringing in one third less H-2B Visa workers than in previous Summers.  The local businesses are desperate to hire people.  They have already “stolen” a few workers from St. Ignace.  I have heard they are paying locals between $9 and $10 an hour, along with paying ferry fees.  So if I get a second job, plus continue with my Czech correspondences I won’t have as much time to keep up my blog.  Please wish me luck to find a second job.