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On today’s edition of Coffee and Markets, Brad Jackson and Ben Domenech are joined by Alex Pappas, a writer and reporter at the Daily Caller, to discuss the race for RNC Chair including, who’s running, and how the Tea Party may impact the race.

We’re brought to you as always by BigGovernment and Stephen Clouse and Associates. If you’d like to email us, you can do so at coffee[at]newledger.com. We hope you enjoy the show.

Related Links:

RNC chairman race narrows; Conn. chairman, Chris Healy, says he will not run
Dick Cheney hosts fundraiser for potential challenger to RNC chairman Michael Steele
Hotline Whip Count: The RNC Chairman’s Race
Alex Pappas’ articles at the Daily Caller

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Ninety-five Democratic Congressional hopefuls signed last week a pledge to support the Federal Communications Commissions proposed Net neutrality rules. On Tuesday, all ninety-five “net neutrality protectors” lost to their Republican opponents.

Among the measure’s endorsers–or victims, as some campaign insiders suggest today–were would-be senators Alexi Giannoulias, Jack Conway, Paul Hodes, Joe Sestak and Lee Fisher.

With the nation’s economic recovery still in uncertain territory, opponents to the FCC’s redesign of the broadband regulatory regime point to regulation fatigue as the critical precursor of Democratic losses Tuesday.

“Candidates who support creating burdensome new Internet regulations were handily rejected at the polls,” a blog post at Broadband for America (BfA) reads. “The message from voters is that unnecessary regulation is a losing tactic.”

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Pete Kesterson always seems to be talking to somebody about why he’s running for Congress in California’s 36^th District against the richest woman on Capitol Hill.

The day after the House – abetted by stealth liberal Democrat Jane Harman – voted to impose health care socialism, Pete is at it again.  This time, he’s introducing himself as a conservative Republican – he always makes sure to emphasize the word “conservative” – to the young woman at the Starbucks counter who just handed him his venti coffee.

“And thanks for helping pay for my medical insurance,” he says, smiling.  “Because that’s what this health care reform law means – young people like you are going to be paying for older folks like me.”  The barista thinks about it for a moment.  “Really?” she asks, not thrilled at the prospect.  But Pete offers her some hope even as she hands over his change.  “Yeah, but we can do something about it,” he answers.

Pete’s not polished like a professional politician, but his years in sales and in the one-on-one financial planning business gave him a head start in learning how to make personal connections with voters.  Later that day, at his campaign headquarters a block from the Pacific Ocean, within the space of a few minutes he makes his case to three different walk-in voters.  “I believe in free enterprise, in a strong defense, a balanced budget and freedom,” he tells them.  They like what they hear and leave with lawn signs.

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One of the few opportunities Americans have to witness and participate in true national unity happens every two years during the Olympic Games.  Spurred on by the tradition and spirit of the games, Americans come together to root for their favorite athlete or event, setting aside, almost wholly, entrenched political views to witness the raw power of…Capitalism.

In actuality, the setting aside of political views for the Olympics is done by only one side of the political spectrum, the Left. This is common with a polarized political system, for true political unity one side, more often than not, is forced to cave. What many liberals fail or refuse to recognize however is that they are caving to conservative principles daily and the Olympics helps to unveil the true liberal love affair with capitalism.

At the heart and soul of both the Olympic Games and the free markets you will find the same driving force, competition.

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On conservative talk shows, defenders of President Obama have frequently asserted that it is too soon into the term of the new administration to fairly judge the policies and performance of our President.  Well, nearly a full year has elapsed since the Obama administration took office and we’ve now all had plenty of chance to “give Obama a chance.”  The oft-repeated mantras that “It’s too soon to tell” and “It’s all George Bush’s fault” won’t hold beer any longer.   If his plummeting poll numbers are any indication, many who fell for Obama’s neatly packaged utopian vapors of hope, change, and transformation are finally starting to emerge from their media-induced slumber.  And, while many of us could easily predict that the shallowness residing at the core of Barack Obama would soon lead to a precipitous disillusionment, the speed with which that is taking place is actually quite breathtaking.

Despite what European Socialists may think of us, Americans are not entirely stupid.  While the well-oiled hype machine of the Left-biased news media and the air headed Hollywood crowd helped to induce the large scale brain freeze that got Obama elected, as his serious failures of policy have mounted and the significant impact of those failures is felt, no amount of propaganda will suffice to resurrect the messianic fervor that once surrounded the heady days of Obama’s campaign.  Daily some new facet of the administration’s incompetence (at best) and fecklessness (at worst) is displayed, and increasing numbers of those who initially fell under his thrall are awakening to the profound danger Obama’s Presidency poses to both world peace and our American way of life. (more…)