Interview with Larry Kilgore

Here is my interview with Larry Kilgore--take it as you wish.

Q: I have read some on Wikipedia about you, but it was pretty limited, so tell me about
yourself. Schooling (primary and secondary)? School age programs and awards? Family? Career?
A: I was born and raised in Amarillo Texas across the street from Mesa Verde Elementary School where I attended school in the first grade. Due to the United States government forced busing program, I attended Robert E Lee Elementary three miles away during second through sixth grade. I attended Travis Junior High, Palo Duro High and Amarillo College. I was very involved in the Royal Ambassadors Program at First Baptist Church. I was employed at Sutphen's BBQ, Peking Chinese Restaurant and McKenzie's Interior Design.

At age nineteen I enlisted in the United States Air Force. After completing basic training, I attended electronics school at Keesler AFB. I served in Lajes Field, Portugal and Cheyenne Mountain NORAD. While at NORAD I volunteered to wear a key to participate in the launch of nuclear weapons if so ordered. After serving in the Air Force as a NCO, I started a career in wireless communications.

In 1989 I married my virtuous wife, Valerie. We have three teenage children. My 17 year old daughter and 15 year old son have graduated from home school and my 13 year old son is participating in athletics in government (public) school.

Q: You got 150,000 votes last election (in round numbers), how did you do it? How big was your campaign? Are you trying to replicate the "magic"?
A: Actually I received 226,649 votes in the 2008 Republican Primary. Money raised totaled 0.03% of what the opponent received. However, votes received totaled 18.5% of what the opponent received. The reason there was such a large vote percentage for myself without the advantage of large donations was due to Texans' desire for freedom via secession. And secession is still my main issue.

Q: Against Rick Perry raising $4 million in just 9 days, do you think you are a good enough fundraiser to compete?
A: Perry or Hutchison will win the fund raising war. However elections are won by votes and not by money.

Q: Do any "big name" Texans support you?
A: One thing I like about social networks is the ability to quickly identify supporters. And all of them are important, even the "small name" people.

Q: Texas Secession--why?
A: Washington continues to ignore the 10th amendment and Texas is not in a suicide pact with the US government. Until Texas independence, Washington's mandates on transportation, education, housing, health care and family issues will continue. Texas GOP Platform page 8 and 20: "We support state sovereignty reserved under the Tenth Amendment and oppose mandates beyond the scope of federal authority. We support downsizing of the federal government in order to re-establish states’ rights."

Q: Do you really consider the state to be a slave to the US?
A: Yes. 76% of the Texas budget is education, health & human services. And we receive federal funds for these programs only if we obey their mandates. Texas government has been overruled by US on the issues of alcohol, drugs, abortion, adultery, marriage, sodomy, death penalty, education, housing, employment, etc. Texans currently have no jurisdiction on Security, Immigration or Trade Agreements. Texans are forced to participate in Social Security & Medicare. Yes, Texans are slaves to the US government.

Q: Would the US really let its second largest state just leave?
A: The USSR peaceably separated and the USA can accomplish the same feat. The US Congress will need to work on a separation plan so the US government will be prepared to fairly and equitably divide assets & liabilities with states that request independence.

Q: Besides Texas Secession, what sets you apart from the other candidates?
A: Secession is so huge an issue that all others pale in comparison. I have not heard the other candidates speak about issues involved in running a new country with a new constitution.

Q: Perhaps I should rephrase that. Besides secession, what are your "pet peeves"?
A: Unlike my opponents I actually have a plan that will allow local communities to make decisions for themselves on the issues of Education, Health Care, Criminal Justice, retirement, etc. The other candidates may want to do something about these issue, but I am the only one offering a viable solution.

Q: What do you think of the other candidates (Perry, Medina, Hutchinson)?
A: Any of the candidates mentioned would probably do a wonderful job leading the nation of Texas via the parameters provided in the new Texas constitution. However, unless they pursue secession they will just become a slave governor reporting to their US masters.

Q: Do you honestly think you can win, or are you just trying to pull the discussion your way?
A: 2006 was Goliad. 2008 was the Alamo. 2010 is San Jacinto.

Q: If someone wanted to donate money or volunteer for your campaign, how would he/she go about it?
A: To volunteer or donate please visit www.larrykilgore.com or email info@larrykilgore.com or call 817-453-5744.

Minor(ish) Candidates

Debra Medina:
I must admit, I had never heard of Debra Medina until someone commented on a post of mine, and told me to check her out. So, I did. Unfortunately, I could not find out too much about her, but what I did was this. She is from Beeville Texas, with two children. Her education includes a Nursing Degree from Baptist Memorial Hospital System, and a Bachelor of Science and Business Management from Le Tourneau University. Apparently she is currently the President/CEO of Prudentia, a medical claims management firm. She is the chairwoman of the Wharton County Republican Party. As far as I can tell, she has never held office. Reading the "issues" section of her website, she sounds like pretty typical Republican fare. That is until I read two things, first she wants Texans to use ballot initiative to force Republican candidates to support, or at least not harm, the Republican platform. The second is that she was the state director for Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty. Now, I have this thing against Ron Paul since he and his supporters usually come across as moonbats. And before the election, I would have supported the ballot initiative idea, but I saw that the Democrats have a winning idea with allowing people to adjust to their districts, to be able to take the other party's turf. So, that is two strikes against her, in my book. However, it is still to far away from the election to pass judgement, so I will wait, and learn more about her before I decide who I am gonna support.

Larry Kilgore:
You can sum Larry Kilgore up in two words: Texas Seccession. I do believe that is enough to say about him, but I will give you his background regardless. He is from Amarrillo. He served in the USAF from 1984-88. He has run for a variety of offices, from congress (in CO) to US Senate against John Cornyn, but has never won. Here is a complete list:

• Colorado Republican Primary HD40 1994
• Colorado Republican Primary HD40 1996
• Colorado Constitution Party General Election HD40 1998
• Texas Republican Primary HD93 2004
• Texas Republican Primary Governor 2006
• Texas Republican Primary US Senate 2008
• Texas Republican Primary Governor 2010

It is not to early to make a call about Kilgore: no. While I respect that he is very religious, seccession is absolutely the wrong course of action to take, at the moment.

Kinky Friedman:
How could it be a race for Gov without him? Well, he is running again, this time around trying to get the Democratic nomination. Kinky was born in 1944, and was a singer/comedian, as well as a novelist, and a columnist for Texas Monthly. He gained notoriety for his 2006 campaign for Governor, featuring the themes of "How Hard Could It Be?" and "Why The Hell Not?" He gained 12.6% of the vote, to come in fourth. He has also run (1986) for Justice of the Peace in Kerrville, but, predictably, lost. As I said, he will be running as a Democrat, which is good, since many of his ideas are more towards the Democratic side. He is pro-choice, anti-death penalty, and pro-gay marriage. And being a joke, he should be a perfect fit over there.

I'm Back!

Well everyone,
I am back. I have not been posting because of a lack of news, rather I just have a lack of time. I have started writing a paper on how the Republican Party can return to dominance. I will be posting it here, piece by piece. I expect it to be a while since it is low priority, and I will be taking 21 hours of school. So, without further ado, here is the first section, which is a brief summary of the Republican Party.


Republican History
Is there a need for the Republican Party? This is a difficult question, and ties in with the next section. History repeats itself, so I will start with going over the history of the GOP.
The Republican Party was founded in 1854 in opposition to the Kansas Nebraska Act, which would have allowed the expansion of slavery into Kansas. At the time, the two major parties were the Democrats and the Whigs. The Republican Party was just filling a niche, somewhat like the Libertarian Party of today. They started gaining power through Congressional elections.
In 1860, the party’s second Presidential nominee—Abraham Lincoln—was elected to the nation’s highest office. The Republican’s platform was for "Free Soil, Free Labor, and Free Men".
The Civil War was followed by roughly 30 years of Republican dominance, with the Democratic Party limited to the South. This came to an end in the 1880s as the Democratic Party became competitive, winning the White House in 1884, and losing it in 1888. In 1892, the Democrat’s took control of the government, and the economy crashed. In 1894, in response to the economy, the Republicans won the biggest landslide (130 seats, comparable to 158 seats today) in their history.
In 1896, the Republicans recaptured the White House. This was seen as the resurgence of the Republican Party, brought about by honing their message, reviewing their policies, and the Democrat’s policies failing.
In 1912, the party split, allowing the Democrats to win again. In the 1920s, the party again gained power. They pushed through the agenda of big business. At that time, “social conservatives” were members of the Democratic Party. When The Great Depression came, the country turned to the Democrats, who established firm control of the nation. While the Presidency would go back and forth between the parties, the Congress would be controlled by Republicans for only 2 years between 1934 and 1994.
During the period of time following the Great Depression until the 1980s, the Republican Party was controlled by moderates. They also were repeatedly defeated. The first time the conservative showed their strength was in the nomination of Barry Goldwater, who was defeated by Lyndon Johnson.
In 1980, Ronald Reagan led the conservatives to victory. It was during this election that social conservatives abandoned the Democratic Party, and joined the Republicans. The moderates lost control of the party, and briefly regained it in 1996, followed by 2008, both of which ended in defeat.
In 1988, George Bush was seen as the heir to the conservative leadership. By 1992, conservatives saw that he was not a true believer and he lost to Bill Clinton. The majority people did not support Clinton, but many conservatives thought that Bush had lost his way, and would not vote for him, and Clinton won with only a plurality.
In 1994, America had had two years of liberalism, and decided that they did not like it. In combination, the Republicans defined their message with the Contract with America, and were brought to dominance in the House.
In 1996, the moderate candidate won the nomination, and was defeated. The Republicans retained control of the conservative House, however.
In 2000, the conservatives nominated George W. Bush, who many saw as a true conservative. He united both economic and social conservatives. The Republican Party rode his coattails to take tie control of the Senate. In the 2002 midterm elections, America had had a taste of conservatism, and they liked it. They gave complete control of Congress to the Republican Party for the first time since the 1950s. When the GOP took power, however, they lost sight of their goals, took part in wasteful spending, became corrupt, and failed at being decisive leaders. In many instances, you could not tell the difference between a Democrat and a Republican. In 2006, the nation resoundingly rejected this type of leadership. The aftershocks of this were still being felt in 2008, resulting in the GOP losing more Congressional seats, as well as the Presidency.
The one caveat to purifying the brand is that while it is needed at the Presidential level, the Democrats proved in 2006 and 2008 that they can run moderates on Republican turf, and win. Republicans may have to put this into their formula for finding candidates.
The Republican Party has accomplished many great things over the years, and they can again, if they follow their ideas, and don’t compromise to liberal pressure.

Texas Governor's Race 2010 (Continuation)

Well, I must admit something to you. I incorrectly predicted which race would be the really big one. I assumed that it would be for the Governor's Mansion, but I was wrong. The big race for 2010 (or a special election before that) is for Kay's Senate seat. Several of my main ideas for candidates have announced, or are discussing a run for her Senate seat (Michael Williams, Roger Williams, Greg Abbot, David Dewhurst, Bill White, etc). So, this post will conclude my analysis of the Governor's Race. I will soon start analyzing the Senate race.

Kay Bailey Hutchinson

Kay Bailey Hutchinson. Everyone has been talking about her. But who really knows who she is? Hutchinson was born on July 22^nd, 1943. She was raised in Texas City. She went to University of Texas, and got a Law degree. She was unable to get a job as a lawyer, and so she started working for a Houston news channel as a reporter. In 1972, she was elected to the State House, its first Republican woman. In 1990, she was elected to the office of State Treasurer. This was in a Republican year, which also swept Perry into office. Her big break came in 1993, when Lloyd Bentsen resigned his seat to become Secretary of the Treasury. In the election to finish his term, she won with 29%. In the runoff, she won 67% of the vote. Hutchinson cruised to easy victories every time she has run for re-election. In 2006, she became chairwoman of the Republican Conference, widely considered to be the number 3 position in the Republican leadership ladder. In 2008, she announced that she would not seek re-election to her leadership post, and that she would retire in 2010. On December 4^th, she formed an exploratory committee for a gubernatorial run in 2010.

Hutchinson is an extremely popular Republican who stands a good chance of defeating Perry. Perry really has only one issue that h can use. Kay Bailey Hutchinson is mildly pro-choice. This is unknown to most Republicans, and is a serious problem if they can be told that she is. She was a member of WISH List, which is the largest PAC for pro-choice Republican women. She has stated that she does not believe that abortion should be outlawed, and that Roe v. Wade was the correct decision by the Supreme Court. This is extremely alarming for me, as an ultra-conservative. I am extremely unhappy with Rick Perry, but I simply cannot support someone who is pro-choice. I will feel a little more sure about her if she resigns her seat. Soon.

Texas Governor's Race 2010

2010 Texas Gubernatorial Candidates

With the election over, it is time to start looking at the future. I will start discussing the 2010 gubernatorial election. I will be discussing each candidate, posting my article on each, one at a time. I will order the article with the first part being a biography of the politician, and the second part being my analysis of their chances. One thing is for sure: this election is going to be a battle of heavy weights, and it will be played for keeps. At the time of this writing, it appears that at least three of our most powerful politicians will be running, leaving only one of them an office when this is over. This will also create some room for younger politicians to move up the political “food chain” into the vacant offices.

Rick Perry

Rick Perry was born on March 4^th 1950, near the family ranch in Paint Creek, Texas. He received his Eagle Scout, and then went to Texas A&M University to study Animal Science, hoping to become a veterinarian. Becoming a veterinarian didn’t pan out, but he did spend time as a yell leader at A&M, a coveted position. After school he spent five years piloting C-130s in the Air Force. In 1977 he returned to the family ranch to take up the family trade. In 1984, he won his first public office, as a state representative. He was elected as a Democrat. He remained a Democrat until 1989, when he was passed up for a leadership position, and then switched parties. In 1990, an up and coming political consultant named Karl Rove saw an empty suit where he could put hi talents to work. Perry became one of his creations, and ran for his first statewide office, winning a surprise victory for the position of Agriculture Commissioner against a popular incumbent. This was one of the first signs that the Democrats’ control of the state was starting to fade. In 1998, Lieutenant Governor Bob Bullock announced that he was retiring, and Perry announced that he would run for the seat. Now, in many lesser states, the office of Lieutenant Governor is nothing more than an honorary, meaningless office. However, in Texas, the Lt. Governor is more powerful than the Governor, because no legislation can come to the Senate floor, and sub-sequentially be passes, without his personal approval. This puts him in an excellent bargaining position. He served in this office until 2000, when Governor George Bush resigned to become President. Perry survived his re-election, coasting to a 58%-40% victory even though he was outspent by more than 2 to 1. One of his more controversial issues was his role in forcing through the new redistricting plan that was masterminded by Tom Delay. He also pushed through a plan for a new superhighway from Dallas, through Austin, to the Mexican border. This was approved, but two years later, was stopped by the state legislature. The most controversial issue, was when he signed an executive order requiring all Texas teenage girls to receive the HPV vaccination. This made the conservative state incredibly angry, with the state legislature overturning his order with an almost unanimous vote. He won re-election in a 4 way race, with a 39% “majority”. This has caused his nickname of “Governor Goodhair” to be replaced with “39% Perry”. On December 21^st, he will become the longest serving governor in Texas history.

Perry has many problems with the conservative base of the Republican party, and must survive a definite nomination battle. However, he does have a few advantages. First, is that he has a fundraising advantage, with over insert number million dollars. Second, he is the sitting governor of the state which will cause many loyalists to vote for him. Third, he is 100% pro-life, which is in opposition to one of his primary opponents.

Ins and Outs

Let me explain the top two boxes on the right, labeled "Ins" and "Outs". These are my speculation as to who I think will and will not run for the GOP nomination in 2012. When I update it, I will always tell you in a post, why I am moving someone.

Ins:
Newt Gingrich-Many of his staff members are hinting that this may finally be his year. Also, Robert Novak, typically plugged in, seems to think that Gingrich is running.
Tim Pawlenty- He is non-commital, and after being runner up in the veepstakes, is widely expected to run.
Mike Huckabee-He has a Fox talk show, and is starting a nationwide book tour. Need I say more?
John Thune-He needs to win reelection to the Senate, and then he would be a powerful candidate.

Outs:
Rick Perry-He was considered by many as a candidate, but he told reporters:
"Being the Texas governor is the greatest job in the world and I'm not interested in change," he said. "As a matter of fact, I'm running for re-election in 2010." So, it sounds like he will not be running.

Palin definitely leaves the door open for a run for President

In an interview with Greta Van Susteren of Fox she was asked about future Presidential ambitions, and she said:
“You know, I have -- faith is a very big part of my life. And putting my life in my creator's hands -- this is what I always do. I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door. Show me where the open door is. Even if it's cracked up a little bit, maybe I'll plow right on through that and maybe prematurely plow through it, but don't let me miss an open door. And if there is an open door in '12 or four years later, and if it is something that is going to be good for my family, for my state, for my nation, an opportunity for me, then I'll plow through that door.”

Sooo, everyone has been speculating on this, but we can now add Sarah Palin to our list of definite "Ins" for the Race for President. We can also almost definitely remove Gov. Mitt Romney from the list. When speaking to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, he said:
"I think it's quite unlikely that I would run for office again," he said. "I gave this my best effort. My experience in politics is that the window opens rarely. It opened for me. I stepped through it, got on the stage and did my darnedest to win the nomination. John McCain was successful and I was not."

Cornyn for President!

Wow! In a couple of my last few posts, I mentioned "Cornyn '12". I had no idea that anyone else was echoing my sentiments until I read this (courtesy of the Houston Chronicle):
"[Running for Chairman of the NRSC] has prompted speculation that the senator [Cornyn] may establish a donor base that could position him for an eventual run for president."

This is incredibly exciting! This is just what the Republican Party needs to cure its woes. John Cornyn has the classic combination conservatism. He appeals to BOTH fiscal, and social conservatives (As opposed to McCain, Huck, Giuliani), he has no significant flip flops (Romney...), and sounds very intelligent in media interviews *cough* Palin*cough*.

Go Cornyn '12!

UPDATE: was reading the news and saw this. Popular governors don't go to Iowa right after an election when their candidate lost, without a very good reason. Looks like it is time to add another to the hunt, 4 years before the election...

We Did It!

Well my friends,
We did it! While John McCain lost (no surprise), but all 3 races that I mentioned earlier, Republicans won! Texas Republicans should congratulate themselves. I am too tired to write more now, but I will later.

This is it!

Well my friends,
Today is the day. Election Day. I urge you to go vote, and bring 5 friends with you. Some races I am most interested in:

US Senate: I fully support Senator John Cornyn for re-election. He is a strong conservative, and an advocate for our rights. He is pro-life. pro-gun, and supports an "all of the above" energy policy. He votes along my ideology almost all of the time, with one large exception.

Congressional District 22: I support Pete Olson, because he is also a strong conservative, running for Tom Delay's old seat against Nick Lamson. He served as chief of staff for John Cornyn.

Congressional District 10: I will always be interested in this race, as this is where I used to live. The DCCC has targeted Rep. McCaul for defeat. I strongly support Rep. McCaul, since he matches my ideology almost perfectly. I don't think he has ever voted "the wrong way".

So, go vote! Vote for John Cornyn! Vote Republican!

Go Vote!

The election is tomorrow. Many people are ready for it to have been over a few eeks ago. Now is the time for one final push! Call your local campaigns, and see if they need any help at the polls, or making calls. But the most important thing to do is vote! If no Republicans come vote, the liberal Democrats win by elimination. So, go vote (straight ticket Republican) and bring at least 5 Republican friends with you to vote. Then make sure that they bring 5 friends, and the movement will be started. Vote Republican!

Fiscal Week

A few months ago, the Cornyn campaign helped kick off a national debate over energy policy with their "Energy Days". Well, they are at it again. This week is Fiscal Week, where Senator John Cornyn has recorded videos on the issue that are available at www.johncornyn.com/news. Many Texans will be guest posting, as well as Gov. Mitt Romney, Grover Norquist, and Congressman Jeb Hensarling. Please help take part in this discussion.

Time to call Texas a Race

According to the most recent poll, John Cornyn has a 15 point lead in the Texas Senate race. 5 months ago, those numbers would not have been insurmountable, but 12 days from the election, there is no way to recover. In my opinion, Rick Noriega might as well concede now, no need to wait. Vote "Big John" Cornyn. Vote Republican.

Political Depression

My dear readers,
I have a confession to make: I am politically depressed. Now, this is not in reference to the state elections, as the Republicans future here still looks bright-ish. John Cornyn is expected to be swept into an easy victory, as well as the party keeping the State House and Senate, and Pete Olson may have a shot at winning District 22. No, I am referring to the national elections, and not just the Presidential Election. It is looking increasingly possible that the Democrats could get a filibuster-proof, 60 vote majority. The Democrats are also expected to pick up seats in the House. Barack Obama is trashing John McCain in the polls, both in the popular vote, and electoral. He is putting traditionally Republican states into play. I have yet to figure out how he does that! And then, in two years, I only have an inner party fight to look forward to. So, I am politically depressed. May God Bless America, despite the party which may be elected to govern.

Cornyn releases new website!

On Monday, the John Cornyn campaign will release their newly redesigned website. This will be in conjunction with the release of several tv ads, that you will be able to view on the website. As a Blogger For Cornyn, I was granted access to the new site, and can assure you that it looks like it will be a much better thought out design from the original. If you have a blog and would like to become a Blogger For Cornyn, and have your blog added to the blogroll, then email: vincent@johncornyn.com with the name of your blog, and its URL.

McCain is ahead!!!!

According to Gallup's daily tracking poll, John McCain is now ahead by 3 points!! This is surprising from just a few days ago when he was down by 7. But, as I mentioned in my last post, more people watched the RNC than the DNC, which should (and did) result in positive movement for the GOP.

McCain nearing Obama in polls

McCain is only 2 points (on average) behind Obama! Just 4 days ago, he was behind by 7. John McCain also set a world record by having more people listen to a single political speech than any other time in American history. He had 4 million more people watching than did the Olympic Opening. The convention averaged having 4 million a night more than the Democratic Convention. And 10 million more than the average night of American Idol. So, John McCain is generating interest, which usually results in positive movement.

Go RNC!!!!!!

I have been watching the festivities tonight with some apprehension about Sarah Palin would do in the spotlight, and I must say, Sarah Palin is ready for the primetime! She hit her speech out of the park. Romney laid down a very powerful economic speech, which Huckabee then followed up with a very good speech, ending with a very emotionally gripping story, and connecting as only he can. Giuliani was next, and was very aggressive, overall a great speech. He was even able to get in a bitter reference! And then Palin got up to speak, and just did incredibly well! Overall, a great night!

17 Years Old=Second Class Citizen

Memo to Senators Kay Baily Hutchinson, John Cornyn, Congressman Mike McCaul, and respective staff personnel (as well as all other interested parties):
I am fed up with being a second class citizen because I am not 18! Allow me explain: I must pay taxes, but I cannot vote (taxation without representation); I can earn money, but I can't invest said money; I can buy a book, but I can't sell a book; I can put money in a bank account, but I can't take it out; I can buy a cell phone, but can't get service for it; I am taxed, but I can't voluntarily contribute to a campaign; I could go on and on, but I will stop. And BTW all of this is because of either State or Federal Law. Either don't do things like tax me, or allow me to have the privileges of citizenship as well!

Texas is Not A Battleground State!

I apologize for not posting the last few days, i have been visiting two of my brothers, and my sister. Now, back to what I wanted to talk about. A few days ago (While I was gone) the DSCC put up a landing page on their site that said "11 Battleground States" and Texas did not make the cut! I would link you to it, but they took it down after realizing that they were admitting that they had lost already.