Mount Virtus

"Happy to come back to Michigan, but I miss the mountains!"

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Mount Virtus?

Every day is seeking to rise to the challenge, 'neath the shadow of the mighty Rockies.

Colorado Ballot Reviews

Sometimes the choices are daunting or confusing, sometimes they're as clear as a Mile High view.

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Of Coloradans, Michiganders, and Hoosiers

Driving in the car this evening, the conversation somehow turned to what the recognized names are for residents of different states. As my wife and I talked through the list, some were easy: Californians, Texans, Coloradans. But a few stumped me. I have to admit ... Connecticut? Utah? Wyoming? What do these people call themselves? Those of us born and reared in the Great Lakes State know that the proper and unique term to reflect our grand marine heritage is Michigander. What other state adds -der to the end? Nope, none of 'em. We're proud of that ... and of our 11,037 inland lakes. For the almost official list, I found this handy page from a Web site called "The Morning News." It even seeks to find geographical correlations by … [Read more...]

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NYT Spotlights Free Market Think Tank World

Anyone out there who may wonder what exactly it is I do for a living, this terrific piece from the New York Times (gulp ... yes, I said it) - complete with a photo of my boss Jon Caldara and a quick mention of my place of employment - gives a glimpse into the working world I inhabit. You may get an inkling of what it is I do ... just an inkling, though. A great weekend to all, and M GO BLUE ... Beat the Buckeyes! … [Read more...]

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“Fiscal Conservatives, Don’t Despair”

Please read my post-election analysis on the fallout from the Democrats' victory in Colorado, published today in The Denver Daily News, including this stirring conclusion: The Independence Institute’s role could hardly be more important now. More than ever we will work to expose the big government agenda and to educate Coloradans about the value of personal and economic liberty in addressing the issues our state faces. The “eternal truths of the Declaration of Independence” will help to guide us through the rough waters of the near future. Conservatives need to stop and do some serious reflection, then press forward. Unlike the Statist Left, our hopes don't rise and fall alone on who is empowered by the reins of government. I … [Read more...]

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Beauprez Down 22? Hardly

Do I think Beauprez's campaign is in bad shape? Yes, I'm not stupid. But the Republican running for governor is NOT trailing by 22 points - as reports the Rocky Mountain News this morning. Take a closer look at the poll numbers, conveniently released on the day before the Republicans' big Get-Out-The-Vote kicks off. Among other things, this same survey showed Amendment 43 losing 41-40, which is way off from what other polls have shown. The sample of "likely voters" is 37% Republican, 38% Democrat, and 25% Independent. That turnout model is a little skewed, I suspect. And doing phone polls during the day on Monday through Wednesday will likely distort results, too. (One other note: The one-note anti-Beauprez vitriol of ToTheRight's … [Read more...]

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Thank You, John Kerry

Apparently, John Kerry has grown jealous of Howard Dean's record-setting propensity to say stupid things that help Republicans. I was going to write a detailed post about the stuffed shirt Massachusetts Senator's comments, but then I read Jonah Goldberg's column on the topic: Kerry insists he was making a joke about President Bush, not a joke about students who aren't smart enough to do better than the military. While there's virtually nothing in the text or video of his remarks to lend support for this, save for a wan smile he offered to the mute audience, it's possible that was his intent. After all, Kerry is an awful politician, a human toothache with the charisma of a 19th-century Oxford Latin tutor. One can't rule out the … [Read more...]

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Two Noteworthy Trends

Two stories in today's Washington Times (free log-in required) highlight fascinating potential trends in this year's midterm election, one to cause concern for each political party's leadership. "Former Republicans Campaign as Democrats" shows upstart candidates in selected GOP-held districts are running to the right of the party incumbents, showing that uncontrolled government spending and uncontrolled immigration have harmed the party of Lincoln & Reagan. While the GOP has started to turn it around on these fronts, it will be interesting to see whether they acted in time and whether they will stay in shape starting in 2007. Otherwise, it will be a long and wasted road in the political wilderness. My prediction for the House is that … [Read more...]

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Marriage Amendment on Track

Thousands of Coloradans have already cast ballots through the early and absentee voting process. And a new 9NEWS poll shows that the voters are giving a thumbs-up to Amendment 43 (55-38), which would enshrine traditional marriage in the state constitution. At the same time, Referendum I's "counterfeit marriage" scheme has dipped dangerously below the 50-percent mark (48-44). Support has slipped much more for the latter since initial polling was done. A purely political explanation for the trend is the quality and extent of advertising. Opponents of Amendment 43 launched the lame ad with an actor portraying President Bush that never came around to give voters a real reason to oppose it. On the other hand, opponents of Referendum I have … [Read more...]

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Tigers Clinging, Can Claw Back

Have I been disappointed thus far by my Detroit Tigers' performance in the World Series? Yes. Now that they're down 3-1 to St. Louis, have I given them up for dead? Certainly not. This team has been counted out before, and it makes my day to see ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski not only write off the Tigers' chances as dead and buried but also spit on the fresh grave. Of course, Cardinals' fans should be indignant, too, as his East Coast disdain for us flyover hicks shines through (nobody's watching, because who could care without any teams from New York or Boston in the Fall Classic?): To the tens of baseball fans who are watching the lowest-rated World Series in history, hang in there. It's almost over. Only nine innings and one more victory … [Read more...]