Feb
25
Dumped? Blame Washington
By Katie Kieffer
Does this sound familiar? You were two peas in a pod. You wanted to grow old together. You never fought. About anything. Except money, that is. Now, the two of you are history.
Quit throwing darts at your ex’s photo. Pull up a chair in my office, and I’ll give you some therapy.
May I trade you a cup of coffee and a tension ball for those darts before we begin?
Now that you’re relaxed, let’s get down to business. Here’s my message for you today: If you feel like your love life is doomed to failure, you may be putting too much blame on yourself.
I’m not saying that you aren’t responsible for your character and actions. If you’re immature, manipulative, dishonest or unfaithful, then you are largely to blame for your romantic detours. On the other hand, if you are a genuinely good person, and finances were the main source of tension between you and your former partner, you may be justified in blaming big government for your breakup.
I saw your eyebrow go up. You think I’m trying to connect big government to everything. Well, I wouldn’t have to if it weren’t so pervasive. First, I want to tell you about a recent study commissioned by PayPal called “Can’t Buy Me Love,” that found:
- “Money and finances are the No. 1 reason participants said they argued with their significant other.”
- “Forty-five percent of couples fight at least once a month about finances, and for those ‘traumatized by the current economy,’ the arguments are more frequent.”
- “One-third of people said they’d wait to marry someone until that person’s credit score improved.”
- “More than one-third said they would consider not marrying or moving in with someone unless he or she ‘makes a fair amount of money.’”
- “65%, said they wouldn’t want to date someone with significant debt.”
So, by this study, financial compatibility issues and financial hardship can tear an otherwise strong relationship asunder. The PayPal study’s findings are relevant today since the U.S. economy is experiencing one of the darkest financial downturns in history.
Here’s the story of government intervention that most media professionals won’t tell you about: It is the story of Clinton-era loose home ownership policies. While there certainly were unscrupulous real estate brokers, lenders and mortgage bankers who took advantage of loose government policies and exacerbated the recession, they did not cause the recession. The entire recession and the woes of any industry can be traced back to government intervention, not capitalist greed on Wall Street.
This story of government intervention that spiraled into a residential real estate crisis, and eventually an economy-wide recession begins in the Clinton era, when President Clinton’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Henry Cisneros, persuaded Clinton to drastically ease mortgage restrictions for first-time home buyers.
Rather than increasing home ownership, these loose policies, including relaxing appraisal rules, eliminating the five-year stable income requirement for first-time home buyers and lowering the standards of Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac, opened the doors to home ownership to an additional 10 percent of the U.S. population that did not qualify to become home owners.
Clinton was able to tinker with the economy because he had the luxury of coming into office after Reagan, a staunch believer in the free market system. The Reagan administration prepared a wonderful gift for the Clinton administration, a vibrant economy. The nonpartisan National Bureau of Economic Research reported that the Reagan era unleashed the “longest sustained period of prosperity in the 20th century” from 1982 to 1999.
Clinton’s policies had a devastating ripple effect on the entire economy. Foreclosures sprang up, consumer spending went down, the credit markets froze and jobs disappeared.
There is an uncanny parallel between the foreclosure-related relationship strife and community unrest that traumatized Cisernos’ pet real estate development in San Antonio, Lago Vista, and the results of PayPal’s study, conducted during a recession.
Cisernos’ failed experiment shows that government intervention induces financial hardship. PayPal’s study shows that financial hardship leads to romantic strife. Thus, if you were one of the unlucky or naive souls who thought that government was your friend – and now have a foreclosed property and a text message from your ex that says, “We r over” on your hands – you can feel free to swap your ex’s photo for an image of Congress on your dart board.
Well, that concludes our therapy session. Have fun hitting the Congressional bullseye.
Feb
24
Should’ve said no Taylor Tax
By Katie Kieffer
Taylor Swift
Do me a favor and turn on your radio. Wait five minutes and you’ll probably hear a DJ venting about the recording industry’s push for legislation that could effectively tax the next Taylor Swift or T.I. off free local radio.
I think local radio DJs are right to question this proposed legislation, since this hefty “tax” or fee would make it difficult for new artists to emerge. It would work as a financial disincentive for radio stations to take on the risk of featuring new artists.
The fee that current legislative proposals ask radio stations to pay in order to air a record would be split between the performer and the copyright owner. While some performers own the copyright for their record, often times a foreign-owned record company owns the copyright. So, in addition to moving cash away from the emerging artistic community, the performance tax would move capital out of the U.S. during a recession.
On the other hand, it is difficult for me to sympathize with music-based free local radio. Similar fees are already imposed on the more technologically advanced digital radio broadcasters, but traditional analog radio broadcasters think they deserve a break. Music-heavy local analog radio cannot expect to receive special treatment and exclusions from music distribution fees because it offered the “first” broadcast format. There should not be “squatters’ rights” in music distribution.
Local radio frames its concern over the proposed performance tax legislation thus: “The recording industry wants to impose a performance tax that would financially hurt local radio stations, stifle new artists and harm the listening public who rely on free local radio.” I think local radio needs to offer up a more convincing argument, or at least prove that the “listening public” will be harmed if “free local radio” disappears.
Free local radio should have to compete – and I mean really compete – with digital radio. If I can listen to the songs I want, when I want, on my iPod or computer, local radio needs to show me why I should tune into a local station with commercials and self-aggrandizing DJs that repeat Top 40 hits all day long.
Unless you are an antique radio collector, you’re probably not going to sit down and stare at a refrigerator-sized radio (like the girl below) when you could be multitasking with your sleek iPod playlist at the gym or blasting your personal set of tunes from Pandora on your laptop as you make dinner.
Image credit: Franklin D. Roosevelt Library Public Domain Photographs
There is no Constitutional right to listen to free music on the radio. There is also no evidence of inevitable “public harm” if the crass DJs who monopolize the local morning airwaves with ridiculous games and “news” consisting of celebrity gossip suddenly disappeared.
The public might breathe a sigh of relief if blasé local radio stations went extinct. Silence might be better than having Bad Romance perpetually in your head because it was played for the umpteenth time – in one hour – on multiple stations. Clearly, free local radio needs to make a better case for why it deserves an exclusion from the performance tax.
That said, government intervention will not resolve the issues facing the radio industry and the recording industry today. The government negatively intervened in satellite radio by severely restricting the number of radio spectrum licenses to two. This is why we only have one major mass-market broadcaster of satellite radio in the U.S., Sirius XM Radio, Inc., when there could have been multiple competing providers.
It is inconsistent for many elected officials to protest performance tax legislation where local radio stations would pay a fee to air records, while they seem to have no issue with fees imposed on digital radio, the modern broadcast format.
Let’s bring radio broadcasting back to a free market system where internet radio and free local radio compete with each other on a level playing field, and consumers can vote with their ears. In talk radio, the results just rolled in: Of the top ten radio talk show hosts, nine have conservative leanings.
Top conservative talk radio hosts, Hannity, Beck and Limbaugh. Image: Diamond/WireImage; Corkery/News; Lovekin/Getty
Neither the government nor the recording industry should be able to stalemate the future careers of up-and-coming young artists with a performance tax, impose a monopoly on new forms of radio or have a double standard for local and internet-based radio.
Feb
22
Make a ‘Big Trade Up’
By Katie Kieffer
Katie & Amie's 'Big Trade Up.' Art copyright Amie Kieffer 2010.
There is always a better and more efficient way to do things, including donating to charity. During this recession, many non-profits are hurting. Government grants and private donations are beginning to dry up. But, local creative entrepreneurs and real estate professionals, Tony DelDotto of NorthMarq Real Estate and Chad Commers of Roseville Properties, have taken on the challenge of raising funds for charity in a down economy.
The concept is called the Big Trade Up. It raises money for Mind The Future scholarships that help inner-city students graduate from high school and move on to college. I want to promote the Big Trade Up’s goal for two reasons:
First, this is a non-profit venture that is overseen by two guys with a lot of business sense. Many non-profits fail to execute their mission, as BusinessWeek reports, because they spend more money than they bring in. Some executive directors and board members think their charity will survive on the mission alone, and consequently lose sight of financial management.
Whereas the Wise Giving Alliance recommends nonprofits limit fundraising expenses to 35 percent of their budget, some non-profits are literally going into debt to woo donors. The Big Trade Up is an efficient, low-cost idea to maximize revenue donated to charity and minimize the cost of attracting donors. This is because the Big Trade Up is spreading by word of mouth and viral online marketing – no costly postage, high-gloss pledge cards or rubber-chicken dinners needed.
Second, I applaud the Big Trade Up because it is an example of what the Cato Institute has shown: The private sector is better at solving social problems than the government. While our government is racking up debt to pay for social programs, the Big Trade Up is successfully raising funds for charity independently.
So, when Tony and Chad called and asked the Kieffer sisters to support the Big Trade Up, we were happy to help. My sister, Amie, painted a majestic, patriotic eagle soaring over a lake against a sunset and offered it up for their sixth trade.
Art packed up for delivery to the Big Trade Up. Copyright Amie Kieffer 2010
I would encourage you to participate in the Big Trade Up. It is a fun and effective way to help inner-city youth become high academic achievers. Tony and Chad have created a short video that explains the story behind the Big Trade Up. Please take a few minutes to check it out:
Feb
16
Shred recession to gnar gnar
By Katie Kieffer
Image credit: Red Bull
Wouldn’t it be fun to shred the U.S. recession into oblivion the way a skier shreds the Jackson Hole gnar gnar? It would be as exhilarating as finding a cure to cancer – on an economic level. Well, the U.S. does have a nearly fail-proof template to follow for ending the recession and creating jobs: Lindsey Vonn.
Vonn is often hyped for her amicable personality and good looks. Lost in this hype is the bigger story: the tale of sheer American grit, rugged persistence, sacrifice and goal-focus. Vonn’s story shows that America can shrug off her recession if she acts like a champion.
Many athletes at one point appeared to be all-around champions, and then disappointed, such as Tiger Woods, Mark McGwire and Marion Jones. But, Vonn is the template we’re looking for. Below is her recipe for bouncing out of recession. Let’s rip.
Champions race when it hurts.
There is a disease in America called apathy. Symptoms include a lack concern for anything deeply meaningful. Apathy is different from liberalism. It is disengagement from the entire civic arena. When you hear someone say something like,”I don’t get into politics. It stresses me out. Besides, Jersey Shore makes me happy,” they’re probably apathetic. We cannot bounce out of recession if we sit and widen our bums while China’s economy grows. We need to get up and take action. A fall, even as big as our economy has taken, is no excuse to disengage.
When Vonn crashed in the 2006 Torino Olympics and was helicoptered away, she was visited by her life-long idol, three-time Olympian, Picabo Street, in the hospital. Street bluntly told Vonn, “A real champion would get up and race.” Vonn proved her metal by racing two days later in excruciating pain and still finishing eighth overall.
When Vonn fell again in the Feb. 2, 2010 pre-Vancouver Olympics practice run in Austria and badly bruised her shin, she didn’t have a bailout. As loved as she is, there was no sponsor, no coach, no friend who could do it for her. Last week in Vancouver, she was not even able to take an injection to fully dull her pain, but has had to suffer through with ordinary painkillers to avoid violating Olympic antidoping guidelines. Still, she plans to grit her teeth, and race.
Likewise, the U.S. can stand up and race her way back to the top if she is able to handle some pain and stops trying to mask it with government stimulus packages, proven to fail.
Champions are coachable
“Don’t hunch over,” Street recalls telling the young Vonn. “Stand up straight. Stand tall. Be proud.” Vonn has made a concerted effort throughout her career to reach out to other champion skiers, like Street, and model her game after their success. Once-respected champions like Tiger Woods fell from favor with fans and sponsors partly because they became so self-absorbed that they forgot to listen to reason and wisdom.
Vonn is almost always accompanied by her husband, coach and spokesman, Thomas Vonn. Rather than imitating Woods and filling her mobile phone with the contacts of hot ski-patrols, Vonn works hand-in-hand with Thomas Vonn to achieve success. Vonn also has a deep respect for other members of her “team,” including her ski technician and communicates frequently and openly with them.
Lindsey and Thomas Vonn. Image: Clive Rose/Getty Images North America.
Similarly, the U.S. could recover from economic wipe-out if our elected officials would start listening to their best coaches, constituents. Americans are tired of government spending, bribery and growth. We want the government to start listening to us, and to our small businesses.
Champions work hard
Lindsey Vonn celebrates her World Cup victories with her ski technician, Heinz Haemmerle. Image: Doug Haney/NYDailyNews.com
Lindsey Vonn does a lot of behind-the-scenes hard work for her big wins. Vonn’s professionalism and work ethic are extraordinary. Her “ski man,” Heinz Haemmerle says, “She’s very focused on where she wants to get. She wants to win every race,” he says. “I get so many informations from her about skis.”
Unlike many super-star skiers, Vonn goes the extra mile and provides her ski trainer with detailed notes every day. Vonn has made notes after skiing in different weather conditions and she tried between 20 and 25 different skis in 2009. In skiing, even a fraction of a second can make a difference, and she puts in the work necessary to conquer time. “I never had anybody else do this,” says Haemmerle. “After each run on the chair or whatever, she writes it down. It’s very professional. Every day she makes her notes.” And, Haemmerle is no newcomer to the sport. He is the “best available” ski technician.
Washington could take a lesson from Lindsey’s work ethic. Instead of blowing up the budget, Washington needs to do its homework, treat the American people like a team, as Vonn treats Haemmerle, and be transparent about new legislation instead of bribing Senators to clandestinely pass unfavorable health care “reforms” on Christmas Eve.
The U.S. can take inspiration from Vonn’s willingness to put in the extra effort to come up from behind to become the strongest female skier in the world:
Some argue that Julia Mancuso, another member of the U.S. Ski Team, who won gold in the giant slalom in Turin, was the “naturally gifted junior, a fine all-round skier who occasionally took her talent for granted.“ Today, “Lindsey Vonn” is practically a household name and Mancuso has faded to oblivion. I think this is because Vonn spent the past four years working hard in a challenging Austrian-based training program, mastering men’s skis, and focusing on developing as a skier, while Moncuso proclaimed that, “I think underwear is my calling” and channeled part of her time away from the slopes to develop a lingerie line called Kiss My Tiara.
Image: Getty Images/AFP-Fabrice Coffrini.
Unsurprisingly, rugged grit and persistent hard work proved a better strategy than living like a ski princess since Vonn, not Mancuso, emerged to become the most decorated American female skier in World Cup history, winning back-to-back overall World Cup championships in 2008 and 2009.
Likewise, the U.S. can no longer flaunt herself as the “biggest and the best” – she has to go out there and prove herself again on the world stage. But, in order for this to happen, big government needs to step out of the way and give individuals, banks and small businesses breathing room.
Champions make sacrifices for their goal
Luck is not a strategy to win. Having fun is not a strategy for success. Blood, sweat and tears are.
Think of how much sacrifice goes into being an Olympic skier. You never have an off-season. For four years you are working towards a few minutes on the slopes. Vonn often sacrifices leisure to achieve her goals. According to Parade, ‘Between practicing, competing, eating, and sleeping, it’s tough to work it (watching other Olympic events) in. “I highly doubt that I’ll have time to watch any other events, but if I get a chance, I would really like to watch figure skating. Or maybe speedskating. We have a lot of pressure, a lot of obligations.”‘
Like Vonn, the U.S. can use setbacks to grow stronger. “It is important to note that Vonn always comes through. She has skied with an injured hand taped to one of her ski poles and still won. Her back was a mess after the fall in Turin and still she competed. If she can stand up, she’ll attempt to make it down the hill,” the Pioneer Press reports.
Americans have something special. We have a unique Constitution that provides opportunity, independence and freedom for all. As long as we uphold the Constitution and respect the proven success of capitalism and the free markets, our economy will flourish. But, if the U.S. continues to increase its dependence on unnatural governmental supplements, such as bailouts and stimulus packages, it will perpetuate its floundering economy.
Similarly, Vonn’s sacrifice and focus has made her so strong that Street says of Vonn’s Olympic odds, “As embarrassing as it is for the rest of ‘em, I’m sorry but, yes, she can spank you on 80 percent.“
Even now, with a severely bruised shin, Vonn “spanked” the rest of the competitors on the slopes this week. She tore up the gnar gnar and brought in the fastest time in the women’s training run.
Similarly, America is bruised and her economy is in a sling, but she need to grit her teeth and deal with some of the pain of this recession in order to move forward. As Glenn Beck implies nearly daily on his radio show, it will hurt Americans a lot more if we allow government to grow bigger and rely on Washington to patch up our oozing economic wounds with freshly printed junk dollar bills.
Ultimately, whether Vonn, who is still experiencing “throbbing” pain when she skis, but plans to “grit my teeth and fight through it on Wednesday,” wins five, one or zero gold medals in Vancouver, she has proven herself on the world stage. Vonn is a champion.
Take on the recession like a Vonn, America.
Additional articles cited for this piece:
St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Vonn will try to ski today,” by Frank Fitzpatrick on Feb. 2, 2010. “NOT AGAIN!,” by Tom Powers on Feb. 11, 2010, “Shin injury and all” by Tom Powers and “Street: Vonn can still win” from the Associated Press on Feb. 12, 2010.
Feb
15
Whiffed up Olympic politics
By Katie Kieffer
Image credit: The Green Blazer blog
Want to embarrass yourself on the golf course? Whiff, whiff and whiff away. Fail to make contact with the ball and you’ll tee yourself up for a tense round of ridicule from your golfing partners.
Golf may have just whiffed itself into a potentially embarrassing situation during the 2016 Olympics – by participating in the Olympics. Rio de Janeiro is not a great golf town (Chicago is, no thanks to the First Couple), and Rio de Janeiro is where golf will debut as an Olympic sport. Here’s the story of golf’s unhealthy relationship with the Olympics:
Thanks to pressure from Tiger Woods, on Oct. 9, 2009, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to include golf and rugby in the 2016 Olympic Games.
Sound exciting? It’s only exciting if you like to keep your game in the sand bunkers and water hazards.
There are more than a few things to question about golf’s push for inclusion in the Olympic Games. They all stem from the fact that the success of golf as an Olympic sport depended on the integrity of one man who fell hard, Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods pushed the IOC to include golf in the Games, arguing that the Olympics is “the grandest of stages,” and golf is a “global” and “honorable game.”
Throughout the history of the Games, the IOC has never had a vested interest in golf. Logically so: “sports in which the gold medal is not the ultimate prize are never quite as riveting as the other competitions. And there isn’t a tennis player alive who wouldn’t rather win the Wimbledon silver cup and plate, or a golfer the Masters green jacket,” Mark Starr with GlobalPost points out.
Meanwhile, the selection process for the new game of Olympic golf is sketchy at best, but Tiger-approved.
Gold medals image: Getty Images.
So what explains the IOC’s sudden interest and acceptance of golf? The IOC was betting on Tiger’s celebrity status to extraordinarily boost Olympic sponsors and TV rights-holders during a time when sports sponsors are increasingly hard to attain.
Woods’ motivation appeared to be a new platform to garner sponsorships and international acclaim. Tiger would turn 40 in 2016, and a gold medal in the Olympics would be a perfect crown to retire his laurels on. Pre-affair leak, Tiger committed to playing in the Olympics if he doesn’t retire first.
While fans might still enjoy watching Tiger take on the Olympic gold at age forty, Tiger does not draw a crowd like he used to. Including golf in the Olympics appears to be a short-sighted vision of the sport of golf and golf fans.
Baseball’s lack of celebrity player participation motivated the IOC to drop baseball from the Olympics after the 2008 Beijing Games and now the MLB plays continuously through the Olympic Games. Currently, hockey is in a similar situation. Frustrated with the suspension of regular season play for the Vancouver Olympic Games, NHL Commissioner, Gary Bettman, has indicated this may not continue going forward. So who’s Tiger to say that golf won’t suffer the same predicament now that his dirty laundry is out to dry?
Who could benefit from golf’s inclusion in the Olympics? Certainly not fans, sponsors or players. They have already tuned out from watching golf and in six years they will be far less likely to tune in. In the wake of Tiger’s admitted affairs, the PGA Tour has seen a noticeable dip in America’s interest in playing and sponsoring golf as well as a continued dip in viewership. The IOC stands to benefit the most.
Tiger had an impeccable image of a devoted husband, father, philanthropist and athlete. He was the badge of honor in golf. As former vice president of programing for CBS Sports, Jay Rosenstein put it, “Tiger Woods is golf. The concern is that for a sport whose identity is so closely tied to the idea of honor, what he’s gone through has to be incredibly damaging.”
The IOC essentially based the sport of golf’s inclusion on the honor, integrity and talent of one athlete, Tiger Woods. This is called throwing all your eggs in one basket. It’s a foolish risk to take, especially if you don’t have insurance on the basket if it breaks. The Olympics will lose their appeal if the IOC continues to make political moves to garner sponsorships and base the inclusion of an entire sport on one celebrity athlete within that sport.
Feb
11
Stupid Cupid’s trophy case
By Katie Kieffer
Angels from Raphael's Sistine Madonna.
Italian prodigy, Raphael, once painted two angels in the Sistine Chapel. This angelic pair has celebrity status if you consider how often they are photographed by the art world’s paparazzi of art connoisseurs and entrepreneurs. Political historians like myself surmise that these cherubs are also known as “Stupid Cupid” and “Smart Cupid.” Ideally, you want to be hit by Smart Cupid on Valentine’s Day. This will be difficult, since Stupid Cupid had a red hot 2009.
If there are trophies for bad romance, then Stupid Cupid has a shelf full of hardware. I’m proud to announce that I discovered Stupid Cupid’s top eight trophies, or victories, from 2009. I’ve mentioned them all on my blog before, and I thought you might like me to line them up neatly in the trophy case for you to see:
- Sheldon Adelson. His reckless lust to build luxurious, Vegas Strip-style real estate – without regard for the market – overwhelmed his common sense and destroyed his massive fortune. He’s a mini mirror of Washington’s impetuous spending that has driven the U.S. into recession.
Sheldon Adelson. Getty Images.
- Sen. Ben Nelson. Sen. Nelson was a sucker for sweet-talker, Stupid Cupid, when he appeared in the form of a big-time health care bribe from Washington.
Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE). Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images
- Michael Moore. You’ll remember that the Kieffer Sisters busted Moore hypocritically drooling over capitalism. In 2009, Stupid Cupid lit Moore’s fire for a capitalism-bashing blockbuster, so Moore hides his current love affair with capitalism from his liberal fans. No more invitations to my New Year’s Eve parties, Moore, until you become transparent and admit that capitalism made you successful.
Michael Moore unveils 'Capitalism' at the Venice Film Festival, 2009. Getty Images.
- Dan Rooney. Stupid Cupid threw Rooney a pass and Rooney ran for a touchdown, scoring Presidential photo ops, the Ambassadorship to Ireland and free political advertising in return for throwing NFL owners, coaching applicants and fans under the bus.
Steelers' owner Dan Rooney Sr. walks with President Obama during 2008 campaign. Image: Andy Starnes/Post-Gazette.
- Terry O’Neill. Ms. O’Neill presides over the not-so-secret society of bitter women, NOW, so she was quick to take the bait when Stupid Cupid suggested she declare Tim Tebow’s courageous Super Bowl ad a promotion of “violence against women.”
- Tiger Woods. Apparently Stupid Cupid whispered, “Trophy wife, trophy life!” into Woods’ ear so often that it literally went to his head. Woods began to think he could develop a feline’s multitudinous life span by adding more trophy women to his life.
Tiger Woods smiles with Australian Masters trophy. Image: golf365.co.za
- Ben Bernanke. When not reminiscing about his only business experience, waiting tables in a poncho at South of the Border in college, Chairman Bernanke succumbs to Stupid Cupid’s temptations to hurt the U.S. economy by harshly regulating banks and printing junk money.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner confers with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke before testifying about the AIG bonus scandal. Image: Matthew Cavanaugh/EPA
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi. Rep. Pelosi is Stupid Cupid’s “Super Trophy” that makes the Saints’ “Who Dat? Super Bowl Trophy” pallor in comparison. Rumor has it that Stupid Cupid flies military jet-loads of Ghirardelli chocolate into Rep. Pelosi’s office. When she’s sufficiently high on sugar, she will agree to any of his crazy Congressional suggestions.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) talk to the media at the White House. Image: Erika Dimmler/CNN.
If you are concerned that Stupid Cupid might hit you with his arrow this Valentine’s Day, know this: the aforementioned individuals hit by Stupid Cupid were by no means innocent victims. They asked for it. In 2010, love responsibly. Espouse conservative principles and don’t get hit by Stupid Cupid’s arrow.
Feb
10
Clues to the GOP’s growth
Part 3 of 3
By Katie Kieffer
Happy Hour tonight anyone? It’s my final day as Undercover Boss for the GOP, and I need a stiff drink after my GOP shareholder meeting this morning.
The GOP’s shareholders are frustrated with the party’s lack of growth. At first they were patient, but after 20 years of donating money, votes and volunteer hours to a party that seems to be on more birth control than Europe, they are fed up.
These shareholders, loyal Republican donors who have been the GOP’s bread and butter for years, want to know when they are going to get a return on their investment. One gray-haired benefactress raised her hand and asked me, “Is the party going to substantially increase the number of young people in its fold before I die? Otherwise, I’m ready to throw in the towel and give my money to the Tea Party movement.”
The overall consensus by GOP shareholders was that the party needs to focus to have a shot at adding new blood. And, these GOP donors knew exactly what they wanted the party to focus on in 2010: jobs.
Laser focus on jobs
I walked into this shareholder breakfast meeting thinking it was going to be one big brunch of GOP elephant ear pasties. And KT loves her elephant ear pastries. 
Well, I should have eaten breakfast before I came. These donors were ready to get down to business on straight coffee and bottled water.
One of the shareholders lectured as he passed out large stacks of paper: “President Barack Obama is presiding over the largest expansion of government in history and sixty-six percent youth, ages 18-40, voted for him in 2008. This is why you need to read this new study out of UCLA which shows that young people who live through a recession are more likely to believe that wealth and career success is the result of ‘luck’ rather than ‘effort,’ and they will therefore be more open to supporting more government redistribution of wealth via higher taxes.”
He continued, “Young people need to see the connection between capitalism and prosperity. This same study out of UCLA indicated that young people ‘hit with a negative macroeconomic shock have a significantly lower level of confidence in Congress and the executive branch of the federal government’ Said differently, young people have not yet turned against capitalism, and they have a healthy distrust of big government – but if they become convinced that “luck” and the redistribution of wealth are the only ways to achieve the American Dream, these views will outweigh their distrust of government and stay with them throughout their voting years.”
AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
My undercover takeaways for the GOP: Neither “high taxes” nor “wealth through luck” are part of the GOP platform. They are liberal mantras. The time to act is now, if the GOP wants to show young people that the real sources of wealth are thriving free markets coupled with individual hard work and perseverance.
The GOP needs to hunker down and focus on showing young people that their future, and their ability to achieve the American Dream, will depend on reducing the size of government and lowering taxes so that small businesses – the fuel of our economy – can hire and innovate.
If the President succeeds in spending his way to a short-term recovery, the UCLA study suggests that many young Americans will become life-long believers in the liberal mantra that big government and big spending are real solutions. If the GOP lets the President ride his way into a second term on this short-term sugar high of fake job creation, it can kiss young voters and a growth trajectory goodbye.
Distractions that could kill job focus
After this meeting, my assessment is that one way for the GOP to achieve this laser focus on job creation is by avoiding distraction. Yesterday, I showcased a good example of negative distraction in the MN CR’s ‘Frankenstein’ You Tube video. Here’s another good example:
When Sarah Palin dug back into a private meeting held last summer by White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, where he called a proposal to air attack ads on conservative Democrats who opposed Obamacare “f—ing retarded,” she made a mistake that seemed out of character. Her Facebook announcement last week, appeared to be an attempt to pick a petty fight with Emanuel on a misguided statement he made to his peers nearly half-a-year ago that was not even directed at people with intellectual disabilities.
Palin’s call for Emanuel’s firing based on this comment rather than his performance sends the message that conservatives are hypersensitive name-callers who are afraid to tackle real issues and are thirsty for a fight.
No wonder young people vote for liberals. Liberals speak to the “feel-good” emotions, and Palin’s comment speaks to the “feel-bad” emotions. It tells young people that conservatives are angry bullies. Palin is strong, as I’ve blogged before, when she focuses on principle. Palin made a mistake in digging up this petty dirt, and hopefully the GOP will not make similar mistakes in its campaign to attract youth.
White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. Image: REUTERS/Jim Young (U.S.)
Now, the unintended consequences of Palin’s comment include:
- Wasted time and distraction from ending the recession and cutting the deficit.
- An unnecessary opportunity for liberal media outlets like The Huffington Post to make conservatives look like laughingstocks.
- New, anti-American legislation. In this case, it led to increased calls for speech codes and a move to ban the term “mental retardation” from legal and medical terminology in favor of “intellectual disability” to appease PC watchdogs.
This is dangerous because as Jason Lewis stated on his talk show, “You do not have a right not to be offended in America. Get over it! … The purpose of the First Amendment is to protect speech that offends.” Additionally, the Washington Post reports that some advocates for the intellectually disabled feel, “the long campaign to change the term has been a waste of time, because the lexicon of insults is likely to expand to include any new terms and because it has distracted from more pressing needs.”
GOP’s Undercover Boss recommends
The GOP needs to focus on jobs and minimize petty distraction to grow its base with young professionals. Young people want jobs and job security. They want the opportunity to achieve the American Dream. The GOP has the opportunity to be the party that helps them achieve these goals.
Feb
09
Uncovering the youth vote
Part 2 of 3
By Katie Kieffer
I’m back from my first day as Undercover Boss for the GOP. I’m ready with a crucial report on how the GOP can bring young voting power back into the party.
If the GOP is bold enough to execute this plan, it will not be an easy Kobe Bryantesque slam-dunk to win the youth vote. It’s going to be a Rudy-like journey to achieve success.
I’m offering constructive criticism of the GOP that I think most conservatives (other than Jason Lewis) would be too afraid to announce publicly. But, isn’t that the point of Undercover Boss – to let the “Boss” know what is really happening in the trenches? So, if you’re used to brownnosing and political gaming, I’m warning you, my report isn’t going to be butterflies and smiley faces.
Here are the first two of my top recommendations to the GOP on how it can win young voters:
Marketing:
The GOP is not marketing its ideas in a way that is resonating with college students. A quick contrast of the national College Republicans’ website with the College Democrats’ website reveals that both are aesthetically boring. Neither sites would keep you coming back for more. This is an area of opportunity for the GOP. Locally, the Minnesota College Republicans’ (MN CRs) site is also a yawn, as well as a designer’s nightmare of inconsistent font sizes and style types everywhere.
Still, I decided to give the MN CRs the benefit of the doubt on its website design and check out its You Tube site. This was a bigger letdown than its website. The showcased video (below) was probably fun for the CRs to create, but it appears completely ineffective in attracting youth.
Rather than focusing on Sen. Franken’s numerous illogical ideas, the video personally attacks Sen. Franken, making him out to be “Frankenstein. Monster of the People.” It’s fine to use humor to get a point across: I do this in my own You Tube videos. But focus on defending a good idea, like capitalism, not on tearing down an individual.
In this video, a CR dressed like Frankenstein shouts out to other students, who mostly ignore him. If I weren’t a grounded conservative, I’d almost be inclined to feel sorry for Sen. Al Franken after watching this video, and I certainly would not join the MN CRs. The tone is petty, negative and borderline disrespectful. Watch and see if you think this is a group your non-GOP friends would like to join:
My assessment is that videos like this send the message to young people that the GOP is more concerned about picking a fight than solving real problems, like the labor crisis. This video sets up the stage for an “us vs. them,” “donkeys vs. elephants” mentality.
Being a conservative needs to be seen as cool, socially acceptable and the answer to America’s social and fiscal problems today. Otherwise, young people will choose to be liberals. I believe that conservative philosophies offer practical and rational solutions, but the GOP has yet to effectively market how it will be the party to implement conservative solutions.
To be fair, I’ve heard rumors that blogger and recently elected Deputy Chair of the Republican Party of Minnesota, Michael Brodkorb, would be tasked with overseeing a program to draw young people into the GOP. This is a huge job – bigger than one person – and Brodkorb will need many dedicated helpers and a killer strategy to succeed.
Intellectual inclusion
Here are the facts: 66 percent of young people voted for President Obama. The GOP has a long history of failing to connect with young voters. So, if the GOP wants to grow it needs young people to identify with its platform.
The time is ripe, because and young people always thirst for change. They have optimistic visions for improving the world and their lives. Now that President Obama’s promises of positive hope and change are failing to materialize, a Harvard poll reveals that even far-left young Democrats are beginning to have buyer’s remorse.
While young people are still attracted to the President, former Obama campaign volunteer coordinator, Ben Katz, says, “I do feel disappointment, yes.” Many young people had “Hollywood-like” expectations for change, and now, they feel let down.
You can’t forcibly change a bleeding heart liberal, but you can follow through on your promises and open the door to young people who feel like they do not belong to either major party. These young people fall into two main categories:
- Tea Party conservatives. They belong to a grassroots network frustrated with over-sized government growth and exorbitant spending. They feel disenfranchised by the two major political parties in America. Welcome them into the GOP, or understand that they will grow into their own distinct and powerful force.
- Censervatives. These are centrist conservatives who, as David Frum puts it, “support national defense, are eager to cut other federal spending and are hostile to Democratic attempts to regulate the economy.” But, they seek a middle ground on many other issues.
Pure-bred conservative young people are attracted to the bold, fresh ideas and activism that the Tea Party offers. Moderate conservative or disenchanted liberal youth are looking for solutions and flexibility, so they float towards the DFL or abstain from the political process entirely. Both groups could be brought into the GOP’s tent if the GOP opens itself to the Wisdom of Crowds. The GOP needs to open itself to more intellectual diversity while maintaining a solid, principled core.
The GOP will attract more young people of diverse viewpoints by simply following through on its promises, involving young people in the election process, asking for their opinions and bringing the “fun” and “social” aspects back to conservative debate. Let young people know that you don’t have to be a suited-up intern on Capitol Hill or a tent-abiding hippie, tattooed with peace symbols, to participate in the civic arena.
Humans are meant to learn and grow – not to fight and call each other names, like the MN CRs seem to do in the ‘Frankenstein’ video. I attract liberal readers to my blog, for instance, by giving them a voice in my conversation. Without changing my core beliefs, I can engage a wide range of minds by giving them the opportunity to voice an opinion, which I might learn from.
The GOP still has a stigma of being a white male cigar club, and this has to go. It will be hard to remove this stigma, and the GOP must make a genuine effort – not just a cosmetic effort – to remove it.
I have more major findings on young professional voters and the GOP to share with you. Please join me again later this week and I will reveal all.
Now, if only I could figure out how to create an “invisible ink” feature on my blog…
Feb
08
GOP gets Undercover Boss
Part 1 in a series
By Katie Kieffer
Image copyright Katie Kieffer. All rights reserved.
The GOP is at risk of losing key votes from young people. Young professionals are considered “swing voters” or “Supervoters” because of their powerful ability to determine elections.
I know jealousy is wrong, so I was trying to preoccupy myself instead of visualizing the Vince Lombardi Trophy in Brett Favre’s hands after yesterday’s Super Bowl game. My distraction of choice was to sort through a pile of research I’ve been collecting on young voters and the GOP, while watching the intriguing first episode of Undercover Boss.
Suddenly, a light bulb went off: “Why don’t I go undercover and dig up some of the reasons why the GOP has had 20 years of frustration in attracting young voters?”
Michael Steele didn’t tell me to clandestinely pinpoint why the GOP may look like moldy cheese to young professionals. I’m doing this out of curiosity and because I already have my ear to the ground. I’m a young professional myself and I move within the very circle of voters the GOP could be attracting.
I will debrief with my informants and report back to you tomorrow. You might be surprised whose fingerprints are on this story.
Until tomorrow,
Detective Kieffer
Feb
05
5 Super Bowl Party Ideas
By Katie Kieffer
The Vikings didn’t make the Super Bowl this year. You can still have an awesome Super Bowl Sunday. Instead of apathetically watching the Colts steamroll the Saints, take my suggestions to increase the “fun factor” at your Super Bowl party.
Pre Game
You could listen to dancing-sensation, Katie Couric, interview President Obama before the Super Bowl. Or, you could ignore politicians who are trying to control college football, act as sports commentators and snag prime pre-Super Bowl slots instead of focusing on their real job. (We all know Underwear Bombers could care less about football.)
If you’d like the President to start focussing on serious matters like national security and spend less time having fun, here’s a better pre-game idea: Have your guests make the President a paint splash Valentine. Just be sure to finish reading this post BEFORE you start splashing paint, or you’ll end up like my “twin” sister, Blair:
Before the game, give each guest a different colored can of paint and a huge blank canvas. Let them have fun – this is modern art – not Michelangelo. They should write a message to the President such as: “Leave Football Alone!” They can finger paint, spray paint, dump the entire can of paint on the canvas – whatever rocks their boat. Let the canvas dry, and on Monday ship the canvas to the White House for Valentine’s Day delivery.
Food
The Vikings are a good team. Let’s stop moping and celebrate how far they came this season with:
- Energizing Sack-Man Smoothies to honor Jared Allen‘s energy that, as Sports Illustrated reveals, carries fans on eagle’s wings. Or, as Brett Favre says, “Jared Allen is a beast, man.” Smoothies taste best Allen-style, when when you’re wearing your Wyatt Earp cowboy hat.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and wine to honor the strength, leadership and skill that Brett Favre brought to the Vikings this season. Wine and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese get better with age, as does Favre. Whether Favre stays with the Vikings or not, I’ve shown how his leadership has improved the team, and we should celebrate that.
Party Favors
Send your guests home looking like Joe Montana and give them all Super Bowl rings. Get the Vince Lombardi Trophy engraved onto an inexpensive ring for each guest. Now that Roger Goodell seems to think it’s fine to mess with the Holy Grail of NFL tradition and alter the look of the Trophy on the Super Bowl logo, you need to preserve it for your friends. Some changes, like going from Sen. Kennedy to Sen. Brown are uplifting, while pointless change for the sake of change is less exciting. 
After Party
TiVo Tebow: Record Tim Tebow’s confident tribute to life and free speech in his Super Bowl ad. Whenever you’re tired of hearing about Tiger Woods’ secret life, turn on Tebow’s ad and restore your faith in super star athletes.
