February Tornadoes Strike, Massive Loss Of Life

In Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas yesterday there was a late night surprise that cost almost 50 people their lives. Right before midnight, tornadoes started to strike small communities throughout the southern United States and many people had no warning before their homes were imploded by these massive storms. All day today I have been watching news coverage of the damage caused by these tornadoes and it is terrible. Buildings both large and small were completely destroyed and cars and trucks were thrown around like 'hot wheels' with some landing in trees.

Fortunately, I have never been in a war zone – but that is exactly the way many of these small southern communities appear today. The power of 'Mother Nature' can be more than any person can bear when one or more of these huge tornadoes strikes. When I was young, I lived in what was referred to at the time as 'tornado alley'. Why that name was created and stuck for so many years is something I don't know the answer to, but my family would be woken up in the middle of the night by loud sirens, during the spring time, and mom and dad would rush us all to a tornado cellar. Last night it does not appear that tornado warning were issues to some of these communities because of the large loss of life.

I'm almost 50 years old and during my childhood in the 1960's and 1970's I don't remember hearing about tornadoes during the winter time. I'm sure they happened back then, but not that often. Usually during the months of March, April, May and June we experience tornadoes. However, for the rest of the year we didn't see or think about them at all. I remember once my father was called to help with search and rescue after a tornado hit the Texas panhandle community of Sherwood Shores near Greenbelt Lake. When he returned the next day he told us stories of how badly some people were hurt and also how some people never had a chance at survival as their homes were completely destroyed.

The one thing he said that stuck in my mind for decades was that he saw a small piece of straw that had completely gone through a telephone poll. He tried to remove the piece of straw, but it was impossible to move. Later I found out that it was most likely the tremendous pressure of the tornado that caused the telephone poll to expand and that allowed that small flimsy piece of straw to become impaled through the pole. I believe the best thing most people can do to help out our neighbors in need after this tornado is to give money to the American Red Cross and let them find out what is really needed by survivors of these massive tornadoes.

Read more about Weird Weather:

Storms/Tornadoes Rock Mississippi River Towns
Terrible Weather Conditions Await Holiday Travelers
More Midwest/Northeast Snow Predicted Tomorrow
Heartland Ice Turns Into Northeast Blizzard
One Million People Could Lose Power By Tomorrow

February 6, 2008 Archives

McCain Huckabee Win, Romney Appears Doomed

There is talk today that Mitt Romney may be close to pulling out of the race for the GOP nomination in 2008. Last night, Mike Huckabee and front runner John McCain received the biggest headlines after all the vote were counted on Super Tuesday. While the conservative Republican establishment has jumped on board with Romney, not enough regular rank and file GOP voters have done the same. The past week, there was been nothing but nastiness coming out the mouths of some conservative leaders in regards to not only John McCain, but also Mike Huckabee. Proving that both the Republican and Democrat primary voters want change, the conservative establishment support of Mitt Romney could be hurting him more than helping.

Right now, the GOP might be looking at a John McCain/Mike Huckabee ticket this fall which would be a terrible disappointment to GOP heavy weights like Rush Limbaugh that believe McCain and Huckabee are too moderate to serve. Last night, John McCain proved that he can win in large northeastern states and Mike Huckabee ran very strong in the south. Neither McCain or Huckabee are considered strong social conservatives and the fact that both of these men continue to win elections in the GOP proves that Republican voters want change just as much as Democrats do.

As I have said before, President Bush is the driving force behind this American change movement because of his stubborn leadership style. Even people like myself that initially voted for and support his presidency have lost faith in him as an American leader. If the GOP ticket is made up of John McCain and Mike Huckabee I think they will run well against Hillary Clinton in the fall. However, if the democratic nominee is Barack Obama – I don't think they will be able to beat him. In so many ways, President Bush has changed the American political landscape in 2008. Early on, conventional wisdom was thrown out the window in favor of anything that did not look or sound like President Bush.

Now we are looking at a real possibility that John McCain and Mike Huckabee could be the GOP nominees for President and Vice President in 2008. No one except maybe these two men saw that possibility at the end of last year. When American voters want change, that is what they are going to get whether that change makes any sense or not. There is so much dislike for President Bush right now and the fact that he is seen as a social conservative is hurting that entire movement in 2008.

Read more about John McCain:

John McCain Wins Without Rush Limbaugh Support
John McCain Lead, Real Or Just Mainstream Media Driven?
South Carolina Memories For John McCain Campaign
John McCain Won New Hampshire, What Next?
John McCain Running Against Barack Obama In New Hampshire

Read more about Mike Huckabee:

Mike Huckabee Spoiler, Dividing Conservative Votes
Will Mike Huckabee's Poll Lead Turn Into Victory Tonight?
Mike Huckabee Aide Attacks Rush Limbaugh, Mistake?
Mike Huckabee's Religion/Foreign Policy Scares Me
Mike Huckabee's Weak Performance In Wednesday's GOP Debate

Voters Want Change, Not Experience In 2008

If Super Tuesday proved anything, it continued to show that most Americans want change in the office of President of the United States. The one person driving this change movement is not Barck Obama, but President George W. Bush. Millions of Americans believe that President Bush turned his back on them years ago with unpopular choices like the War in Iraq and President Bush never listened to or followed the will of the people. Most Americans wanted change before they ever heard the name of Barack Obama or his winning democratic campaign for President.

In an election year when Americans feel good about the service of the current President, a candidate like Obama would not be doing as well as he currently is. The big disapproval numbers of President Bush and the length of time they have stayed low is all the evidence that I need to prove that President Bush is the one man responsible for Americans in both the Democrat and Republican Party demanding change. President Bush was given a golden opportunity to be remembered as a great President after September 11th, 2001. I still remember that moving speech he made while standing with that firefighter at ground zero. However, it wasn't long before President Bush was moving American armed forces away from the people that attacked America on September 11th, in order to settle an old score with a man that tried to kill his father.

Without September 11th, 2001 there would have been no War in Iraq. Public opinion would not have allowed President Bush to pursue his old enemy Saddam Husein with the full force of the US military. At the end of the day, it was President Bush's decision to send American troops to Iraq that has caused the American people to now demand change in Washington D.C.. I personally believe that Barack Obama could be unstoppable in his bid for the White House. After each state votes, exit polling indicates that the American people want change more than anything else and no one in the current field of candidates for President represents greater change than Barack Obama.

For conservative Republicans that cannot image a President Obama for the next four years, they need to learn from this experience the next time a Republican President decides to declare war on a nation that did not strike us first. I am pleased that US troops are gaining the upper hand in Iraq, but the truth is they should not have been sent there in the first place and now a new President is going to be forced to find a way to win that war after President Bush invaded it in order to settle an old score.

Read more about 2008 Elections:

GOP Tax Cuts Fail To Rally Base
Brokered Democrat Convention Possible This Year
Super Tuesday Polls, Obama/McCain Winners
Super Tuesday, 20 State Primaries Vote Next Week
Conservative Third Party Presidential Challenge