Hope Index – 1/25
In what was undoubtedly the most exciting week for conservatives in a long time, a series of freedom-promoting events has caused the Hope Index to trend upward. The events of the past seven days have simultaneously reinvigorated the conservative movement and debilitated the already floundering left. Victories like we’ve enjoyed this week have been few and far between of late, so bask in the glory, BanterNation…
As of 25 January 2010 the United States is
Increasingly More Free
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HOW WE GOT HERE:
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| White House Policy
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| Scott Brown Outshines Obama – The White House and Obama has a roller coaster week. After starting things off in Massachusetts at an emergency rally for the feckless Martha Coakley, Obama’s agenda and influence took severe blows in credibility and effectiveness. Even before Coakley’s historic loss in the race for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat, the White House was already pushing blame away from Obama. Regardless of their reasoning or the real reason for the loss, the country overwhelmingly agrees that Obama’s supposed “mandate” is all but destroyed.
After much deliberation, we’ve decided to score the White House’s response to the Coakley loss as a wash. On one hand, Obama said he was going to double down on his efforts to push his radical agenda. In the next breath, he admonished the Senate to hold off on any healthcare votes until Scott Brown was seated. Conventional wisdom says that the administration has no intention of listening to the voice of Massachusetts voters and public polling and will continue pushing the country left.
Score: WASH | Supplementary Links: Here, here
Bank Tax – How do you fight off an angry mob? Tax the bankers of course! How do you restore financial institutions to financial solvency and profitability? Tax them! As always, Obama insists on taking good advice and doing the complete opposite. Here he is leveraging the populous’ negative view of banks to appear as if he is doing something about the economy.
Ask yourself this question: will financial institutions being taxed make your life better? Will it give you a raise? Or a job? Or pay for your tax increase?
Absolutely not.
Not only is this a bad idea, some experts assert that this new bank tax is unconstitutional. At the very least, BanterNation thinks it is a freedom killer.
Score: -1 | Supplementary Links: Here |
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| Congressional Legislation
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| A Republican running on Conservative principles was elected to the Senate by the people of Massachusetts. Need we say more?
The implications of Scott Brown’s victory are far reaching. Not only has he indefinitely postponed the healthcare vote, but the rest of the Democrat’s radical agenda is on hold until further notice. While they still maintain large majorities in both houses, Democrat lawmakers are terrified about the consequences they’ll face if they ignore public opinion and support the Obama/Pelosi/Reid agenda.
Freedom has been exponentially preserved through one special election, appropriately dubbed the ‘Scott Heard ‘Round the World’.
Score: +3 |
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| Judicial Activism
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| In a big ruling on campaign financing, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of freedom of speech. Their decision to overrule 100 years of precedent (including certain provisions of McCain/Feingold) will allow corporations to finance advertisements during campaign season – good news for freedom.
You know this is a good decision because the left is up in arms.
Score: +1 | Supplementary Links: Here |
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| Culture
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Adios Air America! Their departure is proof positive that Americans will not support freedom-sucking hacks who wish to fundamentally change the sacred traditions Americans hold dear. Any time a staple liberal institution hits the proverbial fan, that’s a good day.
Score: +1 | Supplementary Links: Here |
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| BanterNation
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| For the first time since the advent of the Hope Index, BanterNation feel bullish about freedom in America. |
| Score: +1 |
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