Right Online: Saturday Morning, Part 1

Saturday began with a 3-hour general session and a great array of speakers. Here are the first ones:

The large general session this morning begin with an AFP video, the Pledge of Allegiance, and a word from Tim Phillips, executive director of Americans for Prosperity, which sponsored the Right Online conference (and provided my trip prize).

Our first speaker was Joe the Plumber. He pointed out quickly that we cannot let people take away our American heritage from us. The movement needs to be an “American movement,” not a left-versus-right struggle. After all, there are a lot of union members and other self-identified liberals and democrats who, if they understood the issues, would side with us. Let us not antagonize them. He also reminded us that political correctness is another way of keeping us down.

Joe summarized four things that will turn our country around: (1) Accountability—we have to hold Congress accountable for their actions (Joe pointed out that, like me and many others, he hates being lied to). (2) Responsibility—everyone needs to show responsibility, beginning with Congress. (3) Education—people need to know what’s going on. (4) Constitution—America needs to follow the Constitution and we Americans need to fight to see that it is followed.

Despite his identification as a plumber and the jeans-and-t-shirt appearance, Joe the Plumber is actually a very effective public speaker. I don’t recall this being mentioned in the MSM.

Next up was John Fund of the Wall Street Journal. He made referece to the fact that Net Roots Nation (the liberal counterpart to Right Online) just so happens to be meeting at the Convention Center across town right now, and then the liberals are worried about us. Some of the liberals are afraid that the democrats will lose 20-50 seats in the U.S. House next year (so be it!). The theme of his message dealt with Ronald Reagan, and the premise that those who are elected as moderate democrats cannot govern that way; those who “pay the bills” won’t let that happen. Quote to remember: “You are the new leaders of American government.”

Erick Erickson, managing editor of RedState.com, was up next. Paraphrasing Lincoln, he said, “If Obama succeeds, you won’t be able to make yourself”—a reference to the fact that the self-man made is iconic in America. He suggested we have a coup in this country—a coup of the political party structure. He suggested that people become precinct captains, get involved, and take the parties back.

A video message from Mike Pence followed.

Glenn Meakem, entrepreneur and radio host, spoke. His focus was the issues with Barack Obama’s leadership (i.e., he’s a liar), not knowing where the truth ends and the lies begin.

He was followed by Grover Norquist, from Americans for Tax Reform. Norquist is quite humorous. Conservatives generally want to be left along, with the government staying away from their guns, their educational decisions for their children, and their faith. [A reference was made to the hypothetical children’s book, Heather Has Two Hunters]. We are the “Leave Us Alone” coalition, while the left is basically a “Take It” coalition. The left “is made up of competing parasites,” Norquist said, all wanting a piece of the tax revenues we pay. He compared the stimulus packages as taking water out of one end of a lake, dumping it back into the lake—on the opposite side and in view of the cameras—and then assuming that the lake will then become deeper. He also said that most of the damage being done in D.C. right now is at the hands of Reid and Pelosi, not President Obama.

The tallest speaker of the day, 6’9” Jim Pinkerton, was up next. A contributor for Fox News, he showed appreciation for the online community and spoke about his own media experiences.

Time to run to the book signings….more to come!