Report from 9/12 March on Washington - Part 6 (Conclusion)

Latest report filed from our man-on-the-street in Washington DC:

Okay, we're on the way home and I'm reflecting upon yesterday's Tea Party/9-12 Project/Freedom events.

There is much to savor. Prodigious crowds. Great Speakers. Committed conservatives. But there is one aspect of these events that is sobering, at least to me. Participants at these rallies are true believers, which means they hammer both political parties. In fact, participants seem to have a special disdain - like a jilted lover - for Republicans who enable and facilitate liberal agendas.

One rally speaker remarked that Republicans are the Democrats of the 1980s. There was huge applause. And today's Washington Post quoted a protester who hails from Tennessee on its front page: "Nobody's standing up for us, so we need to stand up for ourselves..."

Protesters are not monolithic, that's for sure, but it's also a pretty safe bet that many don't have any brand loyalty to the GOP. It may be a mistake, therefore, for Republicans to take this dynamic movement for granted. If we want to capitalize on these events, Republicans may do well to clarify and embrace our own conservative identity.

Who are we? Why are we protesting? Can we make a difference? We are Americans who believe liberty is essential to America and we're protesting the liberal vision for our country. I believe these ongoing events will boost conservative morale, but they may provide another benefit, too. It will be difficult for politicians seeking reelection in 2010 to ignore this political freight train coming down the track...

Keith Simpson (Sunday, September 13th, 2009; flying home to SAN)

Report from 9/12 March on Washington - Part 5

Latest report filed from our man-on-the-street in Washington DC:

Okay, this is a drag. We can't get close enough to see the speakers and the darn sound system isn't loud enough. But wait a second. These problems are good problems to have. After all, if the crowd were small, we could see and hear. That may not make sense, but things are kind of crazy here.

We're doing the best we can to listen and then we cheer when everyone else cheers. Nothing will dampen our enthusiasm. There is something hugely exhilarating about being in a huge crowd that believes in the same things you do. Marchers are still flowing in from Pennsylvania Avenue. The guy next to me said there was a million people here. I think he's crazy.

Someone else said the official government estimate is sixty thousand. That's crazy, too. I went walking around and tried to take it all in. When I see the masses on the hill, around the lake, and beyond in the National Mall, it looks to me there are about two or three football stadiums full of people. My official (if completely unprofessional) estimate is 150,000. But what do I know...

Who are we? Why are we protesting? Can we make a difference? We are Americans who believe liberty is essential to America and we're protesting the liberal vision for our country. As I think about it now, I'm sure this event will lift the morale of conservative Americans. Tens of thousands will take personal stories home and millions will see these events on TV. Look for the next post later, on the way home...

Keith Simpson (Saturday, September 12th, 2009; 12:43 pm; at the rally)

Report from 9/12 March on Washington - Part 4

Latest report filed from our man-on-the-street in Washington DC:

We arrived at Freedom Plaza two hours early, but the music and speakers never got going. There were too many people to move freely. Spirits were high. The collective mood was like a wonderful warm family reunion.

The only problem was that, before we know it, the throng overflowed onto Pennsylvania Avenue so we joined the current flowing towards Capitol Hill. The signs were incredible. My personal favorite: "It's time to give Obama-Care End of Life Counseling..." Runner-Up: "Obama Bin Lying..."

The river of people filled the banks from side to side of the wide street and we chanted politely at periodic intervals. The Capitol grounds were nearly flooded by the time we arrived and staked out a small area under a shady Elm.

Who are we? Why are we protesting? Can we make a difference? We are Americans who believe liberty is essential to America and we're protesting against the liberal vision for America. But I'm still asking myself if these events will have an impact? Can all these posters and protests build conservative morale, stop Obama's momentum, and win the hearts and minds of most Americans? Look for the next post after the rally...

Keith Simpson (Saturday, September 12th, 2009; 10:43 am; on march)

Today's TEA Parties in San Diego a Huge Success

A report from today's TEA Parties in San Diego:

Ramona kicked it off first with several hundred patriots showing up and even drew some counter protesters I understand. A great event, organized by grass roots volunteers - contrary to the continued talking points of the Administration that these are organized mobs. How insulting.

At 2 PM today the East County TEA Party kicked off out in El Cajon. No counter protesters showed up at this event. I was told "there are no liberals out here". Hilarious.

Barry Willis kicked it off with prayer and pledge and then it was off to the races with several speakers to warm up the crowd for the first 2010 race for Sheriff debate later on in the program.

However, the crowd didn't need much warming up. There must have been at least 400 patriots, all wearing patriotic gear and flags galore. Most brought home made signs featuring lots of very creative messages and slogans.

First up was Jeff Olson, candidate for San Diego County Assessor/Clerk/Recorder who spoke about the importance of protecting Proposition 13 and maintaining the 2/3 requirement in the California legislature in order to raise taxes. Electing Jeff would put an ardent taxpayer advocate in that position.

Next we heard from former east county Assemblyman Steve Baldwin who recently moved back to our fair county and he spoke about some of the outrageous encroachments of our freedoms that our out-of-control federal government is engaging in. He has a couple of projects he's working on, among them a book and a conservative think-tank.

Then we heard from Nick Popaditch, a retired Marine, author and potential candidate for the 51st congressional district (currently occupied by Bob Filner - ugh), who spoke not about politics but about the traditional, American values which are under attack by this administration and how that drove him and his wife to step up and get involved.

The crowd loved it and no doubt identified with the sentiment. Looking out at the sea of people, you could clearly see a cross-section of Americans. Not political labels or parties but just regular Americans who have had enough of our government encroaching on our freedoms with out of control spending, taxes and regulations.

Next up was Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, candidate for United States Senate against Barbara Boxer. That introduction alone won him a standing ovation. He explained that this was his sixth (!) TEA Party of the day, and that combined with yesterday's marathon legislature session, he pretty much hadn't slept for nearly 36 hours.

Chuck talked about the challenges we face in California, and the liberal Democrats' unwillingness to deal with them due to their allegiance to public employee labor unions and the radical environmental movement. He further talked about his campaign to unseat Barbara Boxer and how out of touch she is with regular Californians.

Other speakers followed, and the debate for the 2010 race for Sheriff ensued, moderated by KCBQ 1170 AM's own Rick Amato. The event was very well attended, including several elected officials and many candidates for office. Sadly I didn't see much (any?) media there. Too bad. They missed an opportunity to see ordinary San Diegans in action.

Report from 9/12 March on Washington - Part 3

Latest report filed from our man-on-the-street in Washington DC:

Proceeding to Freedom Plaza: The weather is unlikely here in Washington DC, just like the events around us. It's cloudy and 65 degrees as we depart the hotel. Groups of fellow freedom-lovers fill the lobby. Some groups have red t-shirts that say: "SILENT NO MORE". Other groups are wearing blue shirts that say: "PARTY LIKE 1773". I met up with some folks from Georgia. Those guys were wearing boots, back-packs, and tents. Yeah baby! We're off to Freedom Plaza, which is near the White House.

There's going to be speeches, music, and mingling before the march begins at 11:30. We'll proceed east-bound on Pennsylvania Avenue carrying posters and waving to everyone we see. The trek will conclude on the West lawn of the Capitol building and the official rally starts at 1:00 pm. Of course, these events are non-partisan. Citizens are here to reaffirm the constitution and our founding principles. Notwithstanding the non-partisan nature of this event, it feels great to represent San Diego Republicans here in Washington DC.

Who are we? Why are we protesting? Can we make a difference? We're Americans who believe liberty is essential to America. And that also explains why we're protesting. We're not simply against certain issues. We're protesting because President Obama and liberal Democrats have a fundamentally different vision - a more totalitarian and repressive vision - for America than we do. Look for the next entry from Freedom Plaza...

Keith Simpson (Saturday, September 12th, 2009; 7:19 am)

Report from 9/12 March on Washington - Part 2

Latest report filed from our man-on-the-street in Washington DC:

Okay, we landed about 3:11 pm, got our car, and checked into the hotel. We already ran into some fellow 9/12 activists on the airplane. Now we're going down to the lobby to look for more fellow Republicans, which shouldn't be too hard. Conservative protesters, it seems to me, are different than liberal protesters.

I remember during one event, I saw strange girly-men whipping each other on the National Mall. I'm pretty sure they didn't subscribe to National Review. And just last week on TV, thugs with prefab signs beat a black guy who was against Obama-care. Those guys probably didn't carry a picture of Ronald Reagan in their wallet. Yes, it's good to be a Republican.

Who are we? Why are we protesting? Can we make a difference? We are Americans who believe in freedom. Not like confused liberals who say they believe in liberty and then vote for taxes and tyranny. We believe in authentic, tangible liberty that allows us to raise our kids the way we want. That allows us to keep our wealth. And that keeps tyranny at bay. Look for the next post tomorrow morning before activities begin...

Keith Simpson (Friday, September 11th, 2009; 5:08 pm; Washington DC)

Report from 9/12 March on Washington - Part 1

For those who are unable to attend the nationwide 9/12 March on Washington, we'll be offering the perspective of committee member Keith Simpson who is on location and will be reporting in from time to time:

It is a good day to be a Republican. We just took-off from San Diego and I can see lots of boats crisscrossing Mission Bay . There are three of us traveling together. I've been waiting for an uprising for a long time, so this trip was never a decision for me. When I heard about the march in Washington DC, I immediately rearranged my schedule and booked the flights. Todd is sitting across from me doing emails. It was difficult for him to get away, but he's got a wonderful wife and they have three young sons. I guess some things are more important than work. Andrea is a few rows back. She's an intern for a nonprofit in Escondido. It's nice to see someone so young and pretty with so much passion.

Who are we? Why are we protesting? Can we make a difference? Basic questions come to mind and there's lots of fun ideas to talk about. It's about healthcare. But it's also about spending. But it's also about government tyranny. I think it's about lots of different ideas that are connected to one essential idea. Look for the next post a little later, after we arrive and get settled in.

Keith Simpson (Friday September 11th, 2009; 09:12 am; on a Boeing 737 from SAN to BWI)

Republicans Widen Lead Over Democrats

Republicans widen lead over Democrats on Rasmussen's generic congressional ballot test. 43% vs. 36% - a new low for the Democrats. I, for one, think Obama, Pelosi and Reid are doing a great job. Granted, it's still very early and no doubt the polls will shift, but the revolution is brewing. The wave is slowly building. If it materializes, it will be up to Republicans to catch it.