By: David A. Franklin, Jr.

We wait with bated breath - some to enjoy and others to be horrified with  the excitement, restlessness, ferment, debacle at this 2012 GOP Convention with all the rival factions, the undercurrents, the dictates of big Super Pac donors, et al.  It’s a must see!!!
   
 As far as the intrigue is concerned I focus on the VP pick.  There are those with mouthwatering desire to be picked and those who are convinced that they have the ‘big axe’ to dictate their wants and demands.  The first category of the “drool-ers” includes Marco Rubio the Senator from Florida and Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana and we cannot rule out the secret wishes of one such as Michelle Bachmann being a woman and all, who she thinks could help the Presidential Candidate with this demography in which he is trailing so badly.  Don’t forget she thinks she could be president so why not vice-president?

The second and larger category includes the million-dollar donors, together with those who are afforded un-tethered and unbridled access to conservative news organs – the Rush Limbaughs of this world, the Christian Conservative groups, the Fringe Right Republicans, the Tea Party and those who the “Unfair and Unbalanced” Fox Network breeds to feed their festered hatred and tension while causing the proverbial pus and infection among GOP base. Each player in this group with absolute certainty thinks that they can dictate who should be or should not be picked. 

And last, but by no means least let us not forget the indomitable Ron Paul with his resolute, stubborn, spirited and determined persona who is expected to inject a level of excitement we could truly enjoy or which could be cringe-worthy depending on which side of the isle of the theater you sit.

 I will get my glass of lemonade, and I invite those who prefer soda or beer to join me and my popcorn and be a part of the 2012 GOP Convention and whether to sympathize, or with vicarious pleasure be a part of what threatens to be the most exciting party Convention ever!


GOP TOOLS OF TRADE:
Conspiracy, plot, deception, scheme, stratagem, maneuver, ruse, subterfuge and trickery which have been applied and traded among fellow Republican Presidential hopefuls during the primary season and currently in the Presidential Campaign against President Obama and the Democrats will be for those few days later this month of August (27 through 30, 2012) expected to be directed inwardly at the Convention. It will be inbreeding of a sorts, of the bile that is so much a part of their character. All we have seen and can anticipate is that they will go against the very laws of nature: the human body for example recognizes organs and tissues as its own and does not attack them with antibodies but the GOP has never and cannot be expected to adopt this law of nature.  Great theater for some and horror for others!

Sarah Palin & the Tea Party Shadow:
Can we expect some covert side shows with Sarah Palin’s silhouette hanging over the happenings?  I think we already are seeing this.  In an article of “The Ballot 2012” Rebekah Metzler on July 5th, 2012 wrote: Experts: Romney Won't Pick Woman VP Because of Sarah Palin.  Further the article says “the long shadow of Sarah Palin still hangs over vice presidential politics, says Jennifer Lawless, director of American University's Women and Politics Institute. John McCain's decision to share the ticket with the former Alaska governor in 2008 was widely panned after a series of missteps by Palin,..” http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/ballot-2012/2012/07/05/expert-romney-wont-pick-woman-vp-because-of-sarah-palin 

Sarah Palin is still the darling of the Tea Party and although she spouts nonsense they continue to buy into her idiocy and insanity, hook line and sinker for reasons obvious to some but which escapes the understanding of most logical thinkers.  BUT Governor Palin is definitely one of the flies in the ointment.

Ron Paul and the Obscure Rule 40

RNC rule No. 40(b) states: “Each candidate for nomination for President of the United States and Vice President of the United States shall demonstrate the support of a plurality of the delegates from each of five (5) or more states, severally, prior to the presentation of the name of that candidate for nomination.”

Four years ago, the Republican National Committee (RNC) instituted the Rule 40 which opens a window of opportunity for the Paul camp to cause major heartache and nuisance for Mitt Romney in the nominating his choice for VP at the convention. 

Ron Paul and his loyalists control majority delegates in at least three states (Maine, Minnesota and Iowa) a fact not to be forgotten and which has been clouded by all the other shenanigans being played out over the past few months in the party. 

In an email in June, Paul said “…When it is all said and done, we will likely have as many as 500 supporters as delegates on the Convention floor. That is just over 20 percent!
And while this total is not enough to win the nomination, it puts us in a tremendous position to grow our movement and shape the future of the GOP!"

Tell me – how better to “shape the future of the GOP” than to demand and succeed in choosing the VP pick? 

 Ron Paul backers fight effectively for GOP goals: 
The rest of the world may have moved on, but loyal followers of Rep. Ron Paul of Texas are still fighting a rear-guard — and effective — battle for delegates at the state level with just weeks to go before Republicans gather for their national convention in Tampa, Fla. A federal judge this week allowed delegates supporting Mr. Paul to file an amended complaint in a case in which they accuse the Republican National Committee of manipulating the delegate allocation process” David Sherfinski of the Washington Times, August 8, 2012 

Although some of the Paul camp says they do not plan to cause ruckus at the convention, I know the GOP Establishment is on edge. Is a speaker position for his son Rand enough pay-off to stop this possible show?  

Friends, neighbors, believers and non-believers all - the intrigued, and those who belong to the group that think “it’s not funny”… sit back, relax let the show begin because I believe there will be fun for all!

Why Rick Scott Is A Joke & Florida has become The Jerry
Springer Show of American Politics
 
By David A. Franklin, Jr.
 
And it came to pass in those trying economic times, when political madness ensued in our beloved Sunshine State of Florida! Hardships there are but Florida is where beaches are beautiful, the gorgeous women make guys suffer debilitating whiplash and the weather is hot 24/7--- as is the case with politics in America today. 
 
States with Republican Governors, with the help of their State Legislatures, SUPER PACs and other big money “outside” donors, go through extreme lengths to see to it that voter’s lists are scoured and certain groups
of people disenfranchised because of the following: 
  
a)   Having a past criminal record and/or prior arrest/incarceration although they have paid  their debt to society as   
      society dictates
b)   Have a history of voting for the Democratic Party
c)   They belong to a Minority Group (i.e. Black, Hispanic, Woman, Disabled, Legal Immigrant able to vote, and they 
      incude the poor of all ethnic groups)
d)   Unable to show what Republicans have determined to be “proper” I.D. to vote
e)   Don’t speak English fluently
 
How low and despicable can the actions of one person be? Rick Scott rode into the Governor’s Mansion because some careless voters took it for granted that populist progressive Democrat, Alex Sink, was able to defeat him – so they did not turn out to vote. Scott was coming off that Medicare scandal investigation that exposed a scam of Healthcare providers who shafted the system of billions of dollars. Any educated voter would push for a criminal trial for the guilty to be charged and put in prison for a long time. Instead with the veil of impropriety hanging over the head of Scott, he ran successfully for Governor of Florida. It is Florida after all what can we say?

Everything that is supposed to be in the playbook fundamentals in basic human decency spiraled out of control making the people of the State look foolish, backward and ill-informed. Sometimes one wonders if an uncomfortable number in America who vote aren’t in this category of persons. We witnessed this in the recent recall attempt in Wisconsin and the continued efforts by at least twelve (12) States using intimidating guerilla tactics to disenfranchise some of their citizens. Nazi Germany would have been proud of today’s current Republican leadership in using scare tactics, outright intimidation and the use of fraud to win by any means necessary. It is their way or no way at all! In the good old days of Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neal there was the art of compromise. There wasn’t blind political ideology or greedy corporate vampires like the Koch Brothers who try to control everything because they threw money around recklessly. It was always about putting America first and how we can move to the next level where the country, on a whole, benefits. Not the few in the 1% but the whole.
 
The Occupy Wall Street Movement (OWS) has turned out to be a bust. My suggestion is that they organize by getting
people registered to vote for more progressive candidates who share their ideals and common political goals. The Tea Party was able to do that brilliantly. The results saw their fringe (i.e. crazy) candidates being elected to Congress in droves as well as in State Legislatures and Governorships across the country. Sitting idly by in public parks, communicating through Social Media and chanting kumbahya has failed miserably. Bill Maher was correct in mocking OWS ever so elegantly when he made the point that the Tea Party mobilized and were both effective and successful. That is what the OWS must do if they want real change and be taken seriously. Maher was right! Meaningful change will not come from hippies, and other socially progressive movements, sitting around on their butts in public parks “protesting”. If that shouting mentality isn’t changed to actual mobilization then America is screwed! It’ll only lead to more frustration and nothing being done to make effective change. 
  
Florida puts the “fun” in  dysfunctional:
Can the State get anymore screwed up than it already is? Florida leads the way in being dysfunctional. In fact, Florida puts the “fun” in dysfunctional. The State brings it to new heights starting back to the 2000 presidential snafu. Then till
now, Florida has been in the public eye. As it stands now, I boldly predict that it may come down to Florida and/or Ohio in the Electoral College vote. Rick Scott is doing his part to rid Florida of some 182,000+ registered voters. The Federal Government is counter-suing Florida as a result. A great majority of residents in Florida “dislike” Governor Rick Scott. Even people in his own Republican Party not a fan of his. I guess they are having buyer’s remorse and are unable to do jack about it. Why? Because, before demitting office, Jeb Bush signed a bill into law stating that no Florida Governor can ever be challenged in a recall election. The typical response in Florida was to go along with that and do nothing. When will Florida ever learn? 
 
Florida is fast taking over as the poster child of everything backward. Fast and surely Florida has become the next Jerry Springer Show of American politics. Thanks in large part to Rick Scott and Republican demagogues who so successfully appeal to the people’s prejudices and are so efficient in their manipulative and dangerous actions. They put ideology above practicality/pragmatism. The madness must end Floridians! Stop Rick Scott by electing progressive people come August 14th, 2012. From County and Citywide Judgeships, Commissions and School Boards to Local City Councils, the State House and State Senate. This is the only way to curb Governor Scott’s crazy enthusiasm and bring back some semblance of order and respect to the great State of Florida. Failure to do so would be detrimental and have epic negative ramifications come election-day this November. 
 
Stop being the laughing stock of America and do the right thing Florida. The entire nation - the World, is watching! Take your Democratic rights back from rapacious Corporatists and SUPER PACs.  
 
Return true power to the people.