Boca event no longer on Santorum schedule

THIS EVENT NO LONGER APPEARS ON SANTORUM CALENDAR – SO ASSUME IT IS CANCELLED!!!

As you may know, Senator Santorum had to send surrogates to events in Florida today due to his daughter’s illness.

Santorum is currently scheduled to participate in a candidate forum organized by the Orthodox Union in Boca Raton, FL tomorrow, Monday, January 30th at 9am.

Location:
Boca Raton Synagogue
7900 Montoya Circle North
Boca Raton, FL

Prior to going to the event, I suggest that you check both  Rick Santorum’s Event Calendar and the Synagogue.

Time’s up for FL GOP Primary. Vote on January 31st.

The GOP Presidential Preference Primary is Tuesday, January 31st.  You knew that – and now, if you’re like me and have put off your decision as long as you can, it’s time to Vote! 

The Supervisor of Elections website has the precincts listed for this election.  If you’re not certain about your precinct and can’t find your voter registration card, then look it up at the Precinct Finder.  When in doubt, call the Supervisor of Elections,  at (561) 656-6200.  The polls are open from 7am to 7pm.

Remember (since it was in today’s paper as another ‘problem’ with Florida) – the only candidates of the many listed on the ballot still in the race are Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum.

Good luck to all of us!

No more excuses! Early voting begins on Saturday.

You watched the debates, you took our survey (or didn’t), attended the PPP Event or looked at the Voters’ Guide. Now it’s your chance to vote for the GOP Presidential Candidate of your choice. For most of us, it’ll be a difficult choice – but don’t use that as an excuse! If you anticipate for any reason that you won’t be able to make it on Election Day, January 31st – then vote early – by either going to an Early Voting Location or voting by Absentee Ballot.* Always check with the Supervisor of Elections if you have any questions either on their website or at (561) 656-6200..

Important – if you aren’t registered as a Republican – you will not be able to vote in the Presidential Preference Primary.

EARLY VOTING STARTS THIS SATURDAY!

Presidential Preference Primary Election

DATES

Saturday, January 21, 2012 through Saturday, January 28, 2012

HOURS OF OPERATION

Monday – Friday 10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Saturday & Sunday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm

VOTING LOCATIONS

Jupiter Branch Library, 705 Military Trail, Jupiter 33458

Palm Beach Gardens Library, 11303 Campus Drive, Palm Beach Gardens 33410

Supervisor of Elections Office, 240 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach 33415

Wellington Branch Library, 1951 Royal Fern Drive, Wellington 33414

Hagen Ranch Road Library, 14350 Hagen Ranch Road, Delray Beach 33446

Lantana Branch Library, 4020 Lantana Road, Lake Worth 33462

Belle Glade City Hall, 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd West, Belle Glade 33430

Boca Raton City Hall, 201 West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton 33432

*ABSENTEE BALLOTS can be requested in many ways – by phone, online, requests can be faxed, a designated person can pick one up for you, you can mail in a postcard. You can also select in advance for which upcoming elections you desire an absentee ballot – so if you already know that you will be out of town for the primary in August or for the General Election in November – do it now – while you’re thinking about it. For more information on how to get your Absentee Ballot and when/how to send it in click here. Or go directly to the online form.

Opportunity to see Newt Gingrich – RSVP Required

South Florida 912 encourages all of its members to see the GOP Primary Candidates as they come to our area in the next two weeks.  Here is an opportunity to hear Newt.  Note that RSVP is Required.

RJC Florida Region presents
An Exclusive Event with
Speaker Newt Gingrich

Friday, January 27, 2012

The RJC Florida Region

is Proud to Present:

An exclusive opportunity to meet with

Presidential Candidate

Speaker

Newt Gingrich

Friday, January 27, 2012

Registration is at 2:30pm

Program is at 3:30pm

South County Civic Center

16700 Jog Road

Delray Beach, FL

 Click here for map and directions.

RSVP Required / Seating is Limited

We are sorry, but we cannot accommodate those who do not RSVP in advance

RSVP to Leah Sabin at (561) 995-9445 or by

e-mail: florida@rjchq.org.

The Republican Jewish Coalition does not endorse any single candidate in the Republican Primary for President. We offer the opportunity for any major candidate or their designated surrogate to address our membership.

South Florida 912 and Palm Beach County Tea Party Host PPP Event

Do you know for whom you’re going to vote for in the GOP Primary?  Do you know why?  How much do you really know about your candidate?

Find out at our Presidential Preference Primary Event – a joint project between South Florida 912  and Palm Beach County Tea Party. 

When:  Tuesday January 10th  6:00 p.m Meet and Greet, 6:30-8:30 Program
Where:  First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach, 1101 South Flagler Drive

Our volunteers have researched the candidates’ policies. The campaigns have responded to questions about their candidates’ core values: such as Leadership, Character, Worldview, Quality of Solutions, and Governing Style, so we can get beneath the surface. There will be high-profile candidate surrogates at the forum to explain the answers and to answer your questions

The format will allow ample time to explore both core values and policy positions.

First take our survey – based on your current knowledge of the candidates.  Then hear from the campaign surrogates as they present their candidates’ views, moderated by Brian Mudd, Program Director for WJNO and WBZT and co-host of the Palm Beaches Morning Rush, on Tuesday, January 10th at 6pm at the First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach at 1101 S Flagler.  Pick up a copy of our short Voters’ Guide at our event and then check out the complete guide on our websites.  Survey results will be presented at the end of the meeting.

Still feel the same about your candidate?  Have a new one?  In either case, help out the candidate of your choice during the final 3 weeks of the campaign leading to the GOP Presidential Primary on 1/31.

The event is free, donations are welcome.  Bring your friends.

If you need additonal information, contact info@southflorida912.org

Venue Map:

Wreaths Across America

Presidential Preference Portfolio Event

South Florida 912 and the Palm Beach County Tea Party are jointly hosting a Presidential Preference Portfolio event for January 10 at the First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach on Flagler Drive. It will be moderated by Brian Mudd, Program Director 1290 WJNO & 1230 WBZT, Financial Analyst & Co-Host for The Palm Beaches Morning Rush.

The introduction of our 2012 Grassroots Presidential Preference Primary Voter’s Guide is a key part of preparation, and it will be made available at the event.

Each of the eight major Presidential campaigns are being asked to participate, and have been sent a series of questions designed to “get beyond the sound bites” and help us get to know the contenders on the basis of how they would approach the job, and how well suited to it they are.

The project has three parts – the questions, the event itself, and a member survey that asks each of us to score the candidates in the key areas of Leadership, Character, Worldview, Quality of Solutions, and Governing Style. The results of the survey will be included in the Voter’s Guide (available the night of the event), along with the candidate’s answers and our analysis of their policy positions. Following the event, after you have seen how they answered, we will ask you to take the survey a second time and we will record the changes (if any).

The Voter’s Guide will also have a section for the candidates policy positions, either provided by the campaigns or determined by our researchers from publically available campaign collateral and websites. Through this process, we hope to help you (and others who use our voter’s guide) to make an informed selection in the January 31 Florida Presidential Preference Primary.

Member Survey

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We need your views of the candidates for the process. Please CLICK HERE to take the survey now. You must be logged in to register your results.

Background

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The 2012 Elections are both a referendum on the stewardship of Barack Obama, as well as a choice of what kind of country we are going to become. The Republican standard bearer will carry enormous responsibility to offer a compelling alternative to the progressive, anti-business, social-democratic future that the last 3 years has foreshadowed.

So much damage has been done to our country through enormous deficits, out of control spending, suffocating regulations, erosion of property rights and the rule of law, and a feckless and incoherent foreign policy, that stopping the damage is not enough. The next President must roll back the excesses of the past few years and restore our Republic to one of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.

It is a unique time. The country is gripped by fear and crushed by pessimism, yet we are yearning for leadership and open to new ideas. Not since the Carter Administration has there been such malaise, and polls show many think America’s best days are behind her and their children are destined to a lower standard of living and crushing debt. We fear our liberties are being eroded by a massive and growing federal government, that crony capitalism has corrupted the highest reaches of government, corporations and the banking system, that our traditional values of the family, the community, and the nation have been morphed into something unrecognizable. Yet there is some leadership to be seen away from Washington as the states press their case to overturn Obamacare and take the initiative on immigration policy from a failed federal bureaucracy. We as a people are resilient and capable, and will respond to a leader with bold new ideas and a commitment to fixing America.

The next President must have the right policy prescriptions for today’s known problems, and most of our candidates do, but that is not enough. Whoever assumes the position must also be able to meet and triumph over the challenges that lie ahead in an increasingly dangerous world, for a country left in a weakened state from fiscal irresponsibility, a decade of war, and a business sector left reeling from suffocating regulations and economic hardship that has led to the highest sustained level of unemployment since the Great Depression.

How can we determine who can carry this mantel?

We believe the qualifications of our champion can be found in five key dimensions:

• Leadership – who can inspire us to greatness? Who has the ability to clearly lay out the problem, communicate the urgency, convince us to make the necessary sacrifices to achieve success?
• Character – who can we trust? Who is loyal to their principles and their countrymen, respects others’ points of view, yet has the courage and confidence to make politically difficult choices?
• Worldview – who sees the world as we do? Who sees America as exceptional, its people capable and motivated, its strength in the individual efforts and decisions of the many,not the central wisdom of government?
• Quality of Solutions – who has proposed solutions that really get to the crux of the problem? Who understands that changes have consequences and can explain the broader ramifications of their tax plan or their entitlement reform proposals?
• Governing Style – who is likely to see their solutions implemented? How will they work with Congress, particularly the other party to form governing majorities on issues? Who can use their political capital and support from the voters to realize a mandate for change?

Candidate Questions

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In order to explore these dimensions for each of the candidates, we have prepared the following set of questions. The campaigns have been asked to answer them both in an absolute sense as well as how their candidate’s values may differ from their competitors for the nomination. Obviously, there are no wrong answers, but their responses will help us understand them better.

1. Leadership
a. What are the characteristics of a great leader?
b. What leader has most influenced you in your life?
c. In what leadership roles that you have held have you been most effective and whatdid you accomplish?

2. Character
a. Some of the dimensions of character include trustworthiness, loyalty, warmth, respect, courage, and reverence. How do these attributes guide your behavior and how much do they influence your view of others?
b. Who was the major character influence in your life? How and why?

3. Worldview
a. What do you see as America’s role in the world for the next 20 years?
b. What level of debt, deficit and taxation is “reasonable” and why?
c. What are the top 3 economic problems that “must be solved” to secure our future?
d. What are the top 3 foreign policy challenges of the next decade?

4. Quality of Solutions
a. Explain the major advantage and the most important side effects of your tax plan.
b. What is your “doctrine” regarding the intervention in foreign conflicts?
c. What should be “done” about the United Nations?
d. Close to 50% pay no income taxes – how do we change that?

5. Governing Style
a. How would your style differ from George Bush? From Barack Obama?
b. It is difficult for a President to “change Washington” – how will you work with the existing DC environment and avoid both frustration and/or corruption by it?

Policy Positions

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Policy positions on today’s key issues are also important, and we will attempt to profile each candidate based on their campaign collateral, public statements and debate performances. If a campaign wishes to specifically provide material to us on policy we will feature it in the assessment. The policy areas of interest are found in the following 10 questions:

1. Tax Reform – what are the key aspects of the tax reform initiatives (if any) that you would attempt to implement if you become President?
2. Spending and Deficit – Our $15T debt is the largest single threat to our institutions and our way of life. What are your top policy prescriptions to address this issue?
3. Size of Government – the federal government has become a major factor in everything we do and would be unrecognizable to the founders. How will you “make Washington inconsequential in our lives?” What federal programs would you eliminate or turn over to the states?
4. 10th Amendment – the states have asserted themselves in the last couple of years over immigration policy and health care. There are additional moves coming over EPA overreach, education and energy. Where would you draw the line between federal jurisdiction and that given to the states by the constitution?
5. Health Care – Most agree that Obama care must be stopped and 26 states are taking their judicial challenge to the Supreme Court. A legislative solution is needed and there is some fear that the PACA has already made turning back the regulations almost impossible. What steps would you take to deal with this issue and what priority would you give it?
6. Federal Regulations, EPA, NLRB, FCC – The Obama administration has greatly increased the regulatory assault on business and citizen alike. What can be done to reign in the entrenched bureaucracy and how will you approach this task?
7. Trade policy, China – What is your position regarding fair trade with China concerning currency manipulation, intellectual property protection and dumping? Should our trade policy favor certain countries or regions or should we treat everyone equally? What do you see as the future of manufacturing in this country?
8. United Nations, NATO, European Union – In what way would you change the relationship between the US and these organizations from what the current administration has done?
9. Radical Islam, Arab Spring, Iran – Contrast your approach in these three areas to the Obama administration. What should be our future posture towards the emerging regimes in the middle east and Maghreb and how should we deal with Iran’s weapons program?
10. Role of the Military – Our force composition has changed in response to the asymmetrical threats we face, yet our experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has illuminated many shortcomings in regards to “nation building” projects. How does the military factor into your vision of America’s role in the world for the next decade and what changes would you make in structure, weapons systems and human resources in the military forces?

Disabling the Electoral College before 2012 Election?

National Public Vote Compact, NPVC, is the method. The Presidency is the prize.

What a challenging debate Americans are having! The National Popular Vote Compact, NPVC, is the talk of state capitals from Columbus, OH, to Albany, NY, to Austin, TX. Our state legislators are casting critical votes to change our electoral process and, of course, we the people have an important voice in it all.

No wonder we insist on being highly engaged in this decision. From American history we know our electoral system was designed by the Founding Fathers to insure the most careful balance possible of votes and voices for America’s Presidential elections, to protect minority rights while recognizing and empowering the majority.

We are well aware that state by state adoption of the NPVC, also known as the National Popular Vote, NPV, would change the founders’ design for our Constitutional Republic and could circumvent those minority protections from what Alexander Hamilton called the possibility of oppression by the majority. Oh, the talking and debating…the discussions about Constitutional design…the weighing of the pros and cons… a discussion merited by the enormity of the proposed change.

Whoa! Wait just a minute here! Did you say you haven’t heard these debates? Did you say the NPVC is just meaningless alphabet soup to you? The vigorous debate over a change to this so called “direct vote” or democratic vote” didn’t get your attention?

You should know that your state has probably already adopted NPVC or is in the process of doing so.

Of course you didn’t hear this important debate about NPVC only because there is none. The NPVC, or NPV, is sold as harmless and described as a more democratic electoral method to give each American a direct voice in the election of our president. However, in a legal memorandum, Oct 27, 2011, Heritage concludes that:

Consequently, the NPV[9] scheme proposes an interstate compact in which participating states agree in advance to automatically allocate their electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, disregarding the popular vote results in their states or what the relevant legislatures might then desire. The NPV would “put the fate of every presidential election in the hands of the voters in as few as 11 states and thus…give a handful of populous states a controlling majority of the Electoral College,”[10] undermining the protections of the Electoral College.

Passage of this insidious compact is very close because 170 of the required 270 votes are from states already signed on. States where NPV is being considered or is close to passing are more than sufficient to implement the NPVC. Then it will apply to the 2012 election and every one after that so that a candidate can be elected by a few of the most populous regions in the USA. Since this is likely to increase the number of third and even fourth party candidates, one could win as little as 30% or 40% of the popular vote and be awarded the necessary 270 electoral votes. We could see European type elections with so many candidates that none has enough support to govern effectively.

Who exactly would benefit from a change in the electoral college system that has worked effectively for so many elections? Who would want to circumvent our founders’ intentions for the most balanced and representative selection of the president? This has been in progress, on a state by state basis, with stealth and steely determination since 2006. Multiple websites push the “Direct Vote” and “NPV” and “Democratic Vote” to create the impression this is truly popular when, in fact, it is being funded and pushed by those with their own political agenda.

The RNC recently voted to condemn this change to our electoral system, but too much damage has been done already. Some conservatives have voted for this and their lack of understanding of the issue is deplorable.

NPVC will bring out the grizzly in many of us who will not stand for deception and the manipulation of our constitutional safeguards. Our first task is to educate ourselves by checking some links here, and then we must alert others. Next, our state representatives must be informed, in no uncertain terms, that we strongly oppose this unconstitutional compact.

Calls, handwritten letters and visits to our state legislators must make it clear that if in process, NPVC must be stopped. If already passed, NPVC must be repealed. If introduced, NPVC must be rejected at once. Any legislator who votes for this does not know the constitution and is not protecting our freedoms.

Also, search on “National Popular Vote” and you will find countless sites advocating this “logical and fair” change to an outdated system. Watch this topic wherever it is posted because immediately someone will post comments insisting the NPVC is a good thing for America. Who is so closely tracking the issue and attacking every negative? Who is so determined NPVC must succeed? What do they have to gain?

In the Federalist Hamilton explains the need to protect the public good and the rights of the minority from the possible oppression by the majority in a “direct democracy” or “popular” vote:

When a majority is included in a faction, the form of popular government, on the other hand, enables it to sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens. To secure the public good and private rights against the danger of such a faction, and at the same time to preserve the spirit and the form of popular government, is then the great object to which our inquiries are directed.

Alexander Hamilton; Federalist Papers # 68

Some related articles:

• Destroying the Electoral College The – Anti Federalist National Popular Vote Scheme
• Eliminating the Electoral College Eliminates States Rights and Obama Remains President
• Progressives NPV Plan for White House Control
• Fed 68
• A Veto for Voter’s Good
• Iowa Republicans Oppose NPV Plan

Senator Nelson Calls for Investigation of Conservative Activists

Some of you may have received this letter from our Democrat Senator. He is claiming that

“..a handful of super-rich conservative activists are behind an orchestrated effort to keep millions of seniors, younger voters and minorities from casting ballots next year…”

and he is calling for a Senate investigation to

“..see if Florida’s law was part of a plan that led to similar voting law changes in more than a dozen other states this year.” and then “.. I have asked the Justice Department to look into who’s behind these changes. “

This is chilling. Where was Senator Nelson when Acorn was subverting the election process all across the country and Black Panthers were intimidating voters at the polls. This is a part of an organized effort to weaken our election laws and all the more reason why everyone who is able should volunteer as a poll worker or watcher to help keep elections fair.

Getting Mobilized for 2012 – SFL912 meeting for November

November 6, 2012 is just around the corner.  Really – it will be here before we know it and there is a lot of hard work needed to get to the changes we want to see in that election.

Date/Place: Thursday, November 10th at the Lantana Rd Branch of the Palm Beach County Library **
Time:  6:15-6:30 – Meet & Greet; 6:30-8:30 meeting

The theme of our meeting will be the Election Cycle.

First, we will begin with a video about Truethevote.org (http://truethevote.org), a Texas-based grassroots group focused on rooting out and preventing election fraud.   Citizen involvement at all stages of the election cycle is key to doing so.
 
Our keynote speaker will be the Supervisor of Elections,  Susan Bucher.  Ms. Bucher will give us an update on the upcoming election calendar, changes in voter registration rules, early voting and any other pertinent changes.  We also would like her to describe the importance of being a poll-worker – since that is a key way to be part of the process and ensure the legitimacy of the voters and the vote.

Mark Hoch, Political Director of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County, will speak about another way one can validate the vote and that is by serving as a poll-watcher.

We will have our value of the month, and of course, announcements by any candidates/candidate reps who wish to speak briefly at the end of our meeting.

Bring your questions, think about what motivated and mobilized you over the last couple of years and why you got involved in the first place and then get ready.  To quote our governor “Let’s Get to Work!”

** This program is not sponsored/endorsed by the Palm Beach County Library

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