The Opinion Index, 11-15-12 November 16, 2012
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Politics.Tags: 10th Amendment, blacks, clarity, Democrats, Dennis Prager, DREAM Act, economy, election, free enterprise, GOP, government, individual, initiative, Jeff Jacoby, Justin Owen, liberty, Massachusetts, Medicaid, minorities, Mitt Romney, Mona Charen, reform, Republicans, Rick Perry, self-reliance, Several States, single, values, Washington, women
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The issue of Republicans trying to broaden their base is one that has obviously been on my minds within the ranks of the GOP, specifically, how do we bring in more minorities into our camp? Many people who just happen to be minorities no doubt share most of our values, but others, namely a large swath of blacks, seem not to. Many in the black community have kept themselves on Uncle Sam’s Plantation, much to their own peril economically, socially and spiritually. What must be done, according to Dennis Prager, is to bring more minorities towards our values, meaning that we must get the message to them, make it clear to them, and prove to them that our values are in their best interest, and indeed, in America’s best interest.
At the core of things is a particular challenge. We as Republicans stand for hard work, self-reliance, free enterprise and individual initiative. On paper, that seems like an easy sell. But it becomes a much tougher sell when the other side says “don’t worry, we’ll take care of you,” without regard for who will pay for all the goodies. This is part of the case that Mona Charen tries to make, along with the chilling reminder that the worse an economy gets, the more lots of people (single women, etc.) cling to government for security. To overcome this huge obstacle to preserving individual liberty and prosperity, we need to have more brains (and common sense!) and imagination than the Democrats.
One important thing to keep in mind is that some Republicans happen to win in places where they are least expected to, such as the People’s Republic of Massachusetts. How do they do it? Jeff Jacoby points out that they won with focusing on grassroots, and champion liberty, limited government, and low taxes. This, of course, flies in the face of conventional wisdom from campaign consultants, who think that GOP candidates must go wishy-washy and moderate positions. The message is clear: clarity, conviction, and the ability to put it in words people can understand wins, even in Massachusetts.
Meanwhile, lots of people within conservative ranks seem to be piling on Romney right now (hasn’t the poor guy taken enough grief?). Did he make mistakes? Of course he did. Taking Rick Perry to task over his stance on the DREAM Act was a fatal blow towards his hopes for attracting Hispanic votes, for example. But having said all that, it is more than worth pointing out what he did RIGHT. Who better than Hugh Hewitt to offer a nice, easily digestible list of things Mitt did well which future candidates would be well-served to emulate, and others which have set the GOP up for long-term success?
Finally, one important thing to note is an alternative solution to solving the mess in Washington. Instead of trying to change Washington — which we ought not to give up anytime soon — let us also devote just as much energy towards helping the Several States wrestle issues back into their sphere of control. Justin Owen offers a very timely piece on how some states have already challenged the Federal government in key areas such as environmental protection, Medicaid reform, and education. Let us never forget that we have something called the 10th Amendment.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
This must be remembered above all else, especially now.
The Opinion Index, 11-12-12 November 12, 2012
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Politics.Tags: Adam Corrolla, anchor, Barack Obama, Charles Krauthammer, conservative, culture, Democrat, demographics, Derek Hunter, DREAM Act, election, exit poll, GOP, Hispanic, Hugh Hewitt, immigration, John Boehner, Latino, liberal, Marco Rubio, Michael Barone, Republican, social democracy, Ted Cruz
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Ted Cruz, the junior senator-elect from the Great State of Texas: of Latino ancestry, he is a new, rising star in the Republican Party.
As conservatives are trying to sort through the wreckage (moderate though it was) of Tuesday’s election, certain recriminations are bound to be exchanged within Party and ideological ranks. Credit Charles Krauthammer for being the coolest head in the room. He offers simple, straightforward solutions to the problems that the GOP faces – the problems that were made abundantly clear thanks to the hindsight of the election and of exit polling.
Was this election an overall rejection of conservatism and a full-throated endorsement of European-style social democracy? Hardly. Krauthammer reminds us that the demographic issue of Hispanics supporting Obama can be solved by taking the forefront on immigration policy reform. He also reminds us that the GOP becoming a more moderate party is not the answer, but just becoming more effective in advancing good arguments. This is no time to lose our philosophical anchor, according to the esteemed psychiatrist. He hit the nail on the head by pointing out what some people have tried to say and need to keep saying over and over again:
“In a world where European social democracy is imploding before our eyes, the party of smaller, more modernized government owns the ideological future.”
If we succeed in persuading more Hispanics to come to our side – not an insurmountable task – then we can win more elections and thus succeed in implementing smaller, more modernized government.
But how does one expand the demographic base? Derek Hunter points out how we can bring in more Hispanics and other people, and does so from a different angle. Yes, leading the clarion call for meaningful, simple immigration reform will surely help. But Hunter reminds something I found to be somewhat reassuring. Hispanics voting for Obama was not so much that demographic rejecting conservatism as it was a reflection on insufficient efforts to offer conservatism to them. This naturally must change as we move, ahem, forward.
If that is not enough, Hunter also points out that ceding the culture to the left will doom conservatism as well. He points out a few successful examples where small archipelagos of conservatism thrive in a vase ocean of liberalism (Adam Carolla being a good example), and how they succeed. If conservatism is to succeed, we must emulate these models, and scale them into continents.
Speaking of the recent election, it was really a triumph of negative campaigning in key target states on the part of Obama’s team, according to Michael Barone. Combine that with a diminished margin of victory in the popular vote compared to Obama’s numbers in 2008, and he hardly has a mandate to make government even more intrusive in our lives as we move forward. Oddly enough, though, Barone hints that House Speaker John Boehner might have a slight mandate of his own.
Another thought: Texas just elected a new junior senator in Ted Cruz. He and Marco Rubio could effectively team up to lead the GOP in being proactive in immigration reform (a modified DREAM Act, perhaps?). But even more importantly, Cruz’ election, one could make the case, could portend of positive things to come. Hugh Hewitt points out that Senator-elect Cruz is, oddly and ironically enough, in the same position that Barack Obama was in 2004. Both Cruz and Obama are/were rising stars in their respective parties in 2012 and 2004, respectively. Both hail from states key to their respective parties. Both were elected to Congress the same year that their parties lost an agonizingly close election. What’s more, in both 2004 and 2012, a candidate from Massachusetts headed a losing presidential ticket. If that’s not enough, both men’s fathers were not born in America. Oh, and Cruz is said to be both a brilliant lawyer and orator. Hmmm….
College Football Week 11 Awards November 12, 2012
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: 1954, 1957, 1968, Aggies, Alabama, AP, Auburn, BCS, Bear Bryant, blowout, Boston College, Buffalo, Bulldogs, Charlie Strong, Cincinnati, Clemson, college, Cotton Bowl, Crimson Tide, Ducks, Florida, football, Gene Stallings, Georgia, Heisman, Horned Frogs, Houston, Indiana, Iowa, Jacksonville State, James Franklin, Jim Mora, John David Crow, Junction Boys, Kansas State, Kentucky, Kevin Sumlin, Lane Kiffin, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, Louisville, Mike Leach, Missouri, Missouri State, N.C. State, NCAA, Nick Saban, North Carolina State, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pat Fitzgerald, poll, ranking, Red Sea, Rocky Long, Rutgers, Samford, San Diego State, Senior Day, South Carolina, Southern Miss, standing, Stanford, Sugar Bowl, Syracuse, Temple, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Tommy Tuberville, Tulsa, UCLA, UMass, USA Today, USC, Utah, Utah State, UTEP, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Washington State, West Virginia, Western Carolina, Wildcats, Wisconsin, Wofford
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(Note: All rankings are current AP [post-week 11, pre-week 12] unless otherwise noted.)
COACHES
Wish I were him: Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
Glad I’m not him: Nick Saban, Alabama
Lucky guy: James Franklin, Vanderbilt
Poor guy: Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Desperately seeking a clue: Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech
Desperately seeking a P.R. man: Rocky Long, San Diego State
Desperately seeking sunglasses and a fake beard: Charlie Strong, Louisville
Desperately seeking … anything: Mike Leach, Washington State
TEAMS
Thought you’d kick butt, you did: No. 4 Georgia (beat Auburn 38-0)
Thought you’d kick butt, you didn’t: No. 3 Notre Dame (beat Boston College 21-6)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you did: Indiana (lost to Wisconsin 62-14)
Thought you’d get your butt kicked, you didn’t: Louisiana-Lafayette (lost to No. 7 Florida 27-20)
Thought you wouldn’t kick butt, you did: Tulsa (beat Houston 41-7)
Dang, they’re good: Oregon
Dang, they’re bad: Southern Miss
Ya’ know, they’re not so bad: Virginia
Can’t Stand Prosperity: Louisville (see below), notwithstanding Alabama (see below)
Did the season start? Utah
Can the season end? Iowa
Can the season never end? Texas A&M
GAMES
Play this again: No. 9** Texas A&M 29, No. 4** Alabama 24
Never play this again: Wisconsin 62, Indiana 14
What? No. 6 Florida 27, Louisiana-Lafayette 20
Huh? Missouri 51, Tennessee 48, 4OT
Are you kidding me? Syracuse 45, No. 9* Louisville 26
Oh – my – God: No. 15* Texas A&M 29, No. 1* Alabama 24
Told you so: Syracuse 45, No. 9* Louisville 26
* rankings are AP, Week 11
** reflects current, Week 12 AP rankings
NEXT WEEK
Ticket to die for: No. 14 Stanford @ No. 3 Oregon
Best non-Big Six vs. Big Six matchup: Samford @ Kentucky
Best non-Big Six matchup: Utah State @ No. 20 Louisiana Tech
Upset alert: N.C. State @ No. 13 Clemson
Must win: No. 12 Oklahoma @ West Virginia
Offensive explosion: No. 19 USC @ No. 18 UCLA
Defensive struggle: Tennessee @ Vanderbilt
Great game no one is talking about: No. 23 Rutgers @ Cincinnati
Intriguing coaching matchup: Jim Mora Jr. of UCLA vs. Lane Kiffin of USC
Who’s bringing the body bags? Western Carolina @ No. 4 Alabama
Why are they playing? Jacksonville State @ No. 7 Florida
Plenty of good seats remaining: UTEP @ Southern Miss (notwithstanding Buffalo @ UMass)
They shoot horses, don’t they? Wofford @ No. 8 South Carolina
Week 11: Another Two Bite the Dust
Two more undefeateds went down this week, one semi-expected, one hardly expected. Louisville’s first defeat of the season was semi-expected, and for a number of reasons. For one, most of Louisville’s wins were hardly overwhelming. Moreover, their defense seemed to be increasingly under-performing during most of the season. Their average margin of victory has been only 12.8 points, including an early-season blowout over Missouri State (35-7) and last week’s blowout over Temple (45-17). Add Syracuse’s unpredictable competitiveness at home to the mix (it was their Senior Day, after all), and in the back of my mind, something was about to give.
But all is not lost for the Cardinals. They are still in the running to win the Big East, and if they are able to defeat Rutgers in Piscataway on Nov. 29, they can clinch the conference total, though it nevertheless remains a relatively tall order.
The same cannot be said for as-of-yesterday No. 1 Alabama going down to surprising, almost shocking defeat (almost!) at home to No. 15 – and climbing! – Texas A&M. The game already had a special feel to it regardless of the rankings, given that this was the first time the Crimson Tide was to play the Aggies since the 1968 Cotton Bowl. Even Aggie and Crimson Tide legends showed up for Week 11’s aptly-labeled “ticket to die for”, including John David Crow (the only Bear Bryant-coached Heisman Trophy winner [1957, from A&M]), and Gene Stallings, both of whom were part of Bryant’s 1954 “Junction Boys” at A&M, the latter of whom coached against Bryant in the Cotton Bowl in ’68 (Bryant for Bama, Stallings for A&M), and who later coached Alabama to its last national championship (1992-’93), before Nick Saban’s tenure.
To observe the special meeting between the two teams, they even mimicked the uniform contrast of the opposing sides from roughly 44 years ago. In the 1968 Cotton Bowl match-up, Alabama showed up in all-white (helmets included) to contrast against A&M’s maroon helmets and jerseys. This time it was A&M who showed up in all-white (helmets included) to contrast Bama’s traditional crimson helmets and jerseys.
At right shows Alabama vs. Texas A&M in the 1968 Cotton Bowl. The Crimson Tide showed up in all-white to contrast the Aggies’ traditional maroon uniforms. In a nod to that game from over 44 years ago, this time it was the Aggies that showed in all-white yesterday (left) to contrast Bama’s traditional crimson unis. Look carefully, and notice how little the stripes on the teams’ pants have changed in four and a half decades!
The game itself, oddly enough, made things even more memorable. Before yesterday’s game commenced, Alabama’s defense only allowed an average of six points in the first quarter. In the first 15 minutes of this game, they allowed three touchdowns. Such lying down on the job is what made the game more interesting than necessary, and ended up costing Alabama the game, the top-ranking, and likely a shot at the national championship. One can quibble over whether a lapse of discipline on the part of a defensive player with 40 seconds left in the game cost Alabama just that with an offside penalty, thus giving the Aggies an automatic first down. But such a penalty would have been moot had Bama’s defense played up to its usual standards in the first half. Credit Kevin Sumlin for putting together a game plan that took the fight to the Tide in their home stadium.
The new championship race: Some have speculated that Bama’s unexpected loss has, if you’ll pardon the expression, parted the Red Sea in two for Notre Dame to walk into national title discussion. I might borrow Lee Corso’s famous line of “not so fast my friend” and remind such speculators that both Oregon and Kansas State are ahead of Notre Dame in the rankings, both the AP kind and the BCS kind. The latter standings are a result of superior strength of schedule on the part of both the Ducks and the Wildcats. It shall take a loss of one of those teams – not likely, but not impossible – for Notre Dame to be legitimate contenders. The same will have to be the case for Alabama to work its way back into such discussions, now that they are behind Georgia in the USA Today Poll (@ No.5), though ahead of them in the AP Poll (@ No. 4). Not an egregious fall, but one that might be just insurmountable enough without a little outside help. Can we say “Alabama-Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl” if these shadows remain unchanged? If nothing else, it would be another legendary match-up!
Quick uniform note: TCU once had one of the nicest-looking helmets in college football. That is, until they temporarily compromised the look by succumbing to the flat, matte helmet epidemic that seems to have gripped a number of teams. Thankfully, the team has chosen to grant themselves a respite from that visual impairment disease, at least temporarily. Last night in their valiant loss to Kansas State, the Horned Frogs sported helmets that closely recalled their traditional beautiful purple shells. Their helmets on TV seemed shinier than ever before; perhaps a special polish was put on the metallic purple, or, even better, they went for a chrome purple look. Whichever it was, here’s hoping they go forward with keeping this current helmet look and throw the matte shells onto the ash heap of regrettable trends.
My Open Letter to Coach Danny Hope November 9, 2012
Posted by intellectualgridiron in Sports.Tags: Big 10, Big Ten, Danny Hope, flexbone, Florida, Gary Nord, Georgia Tech, Kirk Ferentz, Navy, Ohio State, Purdue, Rob Henry, strategy, Texas Tech, triple option, veer, wishbone
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Purdue Quarterback Rob Henry (photo by Patrick “Sarge” Murray)
Dear Coach Hope:
Sir: As a friend and former aide, I have readily come to your defense over the past couple of years as fellow Purdue alums have grumbled at me about Purdue’s lack of progress. This past week’s result, I imagine, has done nothing to assuage the proverbial natives from becoming even more restless. You and I both know that whatever is going on right now offensively is not working. Might I humbly and amicably suggest that the best way to salvage the season is to make a sudden about-face in terms of offensive strategy?
Think about it from a potential opponent’s point of view. Iowa, Illinois and especially Indiana must be licking their chops right now, drooling over how they are going to shut you guys down. Surprising them would be a sure ticket to making them eat crow. The main current problem, I have concluded, is that you have under-skilled personnel trying to execute over-engineered plays. My idea is to simplify. Draw up some simpler plays, have your guys attack the defense, and you could potentially win by sheer surprise if nothing else.
Moreover, let us look at it another way. Mack Brown at Texas just announced that the Longhorns will run some of their plays out of the wishbone in tribute to the late, great Darrell K. Royal. Could we not do something similar as a fitting tribute to the late, innovative coach? You wouldn’t necessarily have to run out of the wishbone (thought it would be nice!), but you could keep Rob Henry under center and run out of the veer.
What if it does not work, you ask? I answer with a rhetorical question in turn: so what? The current offensive approach is clearly not working. What have we to lose? I can see Kirk Ferentz and company completely baffled if you were to come out with a different, simplified scheme. It will be the talk of the Conference!
Ultimately, though, the long-term solution is a totally new, original, offensive game plan. You and I both love Purdue, but both of us would acknowledge that this fine school is tougher to recruit than Ohio State, Florida or even Texas Tech. The relative difficulty in recruiting stems from its spotty-at-best Fall weather and its relatively rigid academic standards. What you need is a niche offense that nobody else does; a quirky offense that nobody encounters, nor has time to prepare for. It also has to be a ground-based attack so that you can, as mentioned before, take and maintain control of the game. My solution, therefore, is to install a triple-option wishbone/flexbone-style attack, not unlike that which they use at Navy or at Georgia Tech. Such a niche offense would attract niche players who would be overlooked by schools with more conventional offensive packages.
This suggested shift in offensive strategy could be just the key to turnaround and long-term viability for which the Purdue faithful have hungered. With your unswerving ability to motivate and Coach Nord’s mastery of the X’s and O’s, I have no doubt that the two of you will succeed in implementing this idea not only for a turnaround in the short-run, but better yet for an investment in long-term viability for the program. You can do it — Boiler Up!
your friend,
Sarge
intellectualgridiron 