Is It Time for Conservatives, Moderates, Independents and the GOP to Come Together? Especially After Super Tuesday?

Charles Krauthammer says, “The long primary process has ‘Diminished’ the GOP Brand”

In a recent interview:

Megyn Kelly, FOX News: Charles, a lot of Republican voters have been uncomfortable watching this primary contest so far with all the barbs being exchanged between the candidates and in Michigan, as we've seen in some of the earlier states, it got a little ugly in the end. Your take now at this point in the process on whether this extended primary process that was a choice by the GOP is working to the GOP's advantage?

Charles Krauthammer: No. I think it's hurting them terribly. And you're right about the fact that it is a Republican choice. And I think it was a really stupid choice. They decided that in 2008 they had gotten a candidate too early. A weak candidate in McCain and they got slaughtered. So they were going to undo that and have a long, drawn out process. Almost all the contests would be proportional, and let the voters decide over time.
The flaw in the reasoning, and it was pretty obvious, they'd be running against an incumbent president, unlike in 2008. The Democrats would not have any early contests. They wouldn't have any negativity. They wouldn't have all this expenditure in trying to decide who is going to be the nominee.

So they should have had a shorter race, but they designed it for a longer race in a year in which the Democrats have no race at all and therefore have an advantage. Nonetheless, I think the way Obama has performed as president is so disappointing that that will even out, and I think it is now an even contest between Democrats and Republicans as to the general election. But, it shouldn't be. Republicans should be way ahead, given how badly Obama has done and how weak the economy is. But this process has certainly hurt all the Republican candidates, and unfortunately diminished the brand.

The case for Mitt Romney

There are an awful lot of "true conservative" types dumping on Mitt Romney these days... some are saying that he is no better than Obama, and some are even threatening to not vote if Romney is the nominee. I don't get it... I know that Romney isn't perfect, but I don't understand the hatred of him.

Here was Mark Levin in 2008 arguing that Romney was the most conservative choice:

Let’s face it, none of the candidates are perfect. They never are. But McCain is the least perfect of the viable candidates. The only one left standing who can honestly be said to share most of our conservative principles is Mitt Romney. I say this as someone who has not been an active Romney supporter. If conservatives don’t unite behind Romney at this stage, and become vocal in their support for him, then they will get McCain as their Republican nominee and probably a Democrat president. And in either case, we will have a deeply flawed president.

Of course that was before Levin suddenly decided to hate Romney's guts. In 2008 he was calling Romney a conservative... maybe an imperfect conservative, but still a conservative. And now Romney is some sort of ultra-liberal who should be hated like poison?

Well, I don't see any perfect conservatives this time around either. I initially supported Rick Perry, but he just wasn't able to sell himself... so now that Perry is gone, Romney has become my second choice. Who else am I supposed to vote for? Rick Santorum may yet win the nomination, and I will vote for him if he does, but I don't see how he could possibly beat Obama in the general election. (I don't think that Newt Gingrich could beat Obama either, but I don't see him winning the nomination at this point anyway, so the question is probably moot.)

As our nominee, Mitt Romney would keep the focus on Obama's failed policies... Romneycare is a problem for Romney, but not an insurmountable one. I think Romney will do a much better job of exposing Obama as a radical leftist than Santorum ever could, mainly because Santorum is too eager to let himself get lured into lecturing us about things like Satan, sodomy, pornography, contraception, and whether or not Protestants are real Christians.

I've been fairly impressed with Mitt Romney's performance in the debates so far, and I think he would do just fine against Obama... but you don't have to take my word for it, here is Santorum himself endorsing Mitt Romney in 2008:

Posted by Crazy Bald Guy – Cross-Posted to the Watchers Council

Romney is a much more generous, outgoing, personable and relatable in person than he appears in debates or on TV.  He also does not toot his own horn as do both Obama and Gingrich… who love to toot theirs.  In one of the debates Romney said he did not inherit his money, that he is a self-made man and that is true.  What he didn’t tell us is that he did inherit money from his parents and gave it all away in their honor.  He gave much of it to develop the George Romney Management Institute at BYU and the rest to charity.

Romney also took no salary when he was the Governor of Massachusetts.

And because Romney does not sound his own horn and is steady and calm instead of boastful and grandiose a lot of people like to say that he isn’t tough enough and doesn’t show enough feelings. You really need to read this story to see another side of him.

And in the end, ROMNEY’S EDGE IS ELECTABILITY, which seems to be proving out as Romney is gaining momentum in Ohio.  In yet another bizarre twist to this roller coaster 2012 GOP Primary race, Rick Santorum's lead in Ohio has all but evaporated. What once was a double digit lead is now down to 2 points. Mitt Romney is making a late surge for the ever important electoral state of Ohio - but will it be enough to overcome Santorum? Why is Romney surging anyway? Could it be the bizarre interview of Santorum that Glenn played a portion of? See HERE.

When recently asked about a brokered convention Romney said: “That’s just not going to happen!”  However, if it does according to a Fox News online poll: Sarah Palin is the overwhelming choice if there is a brokered convention.  It would be a Game Change that many of us can believe in!

It is time for us to decide… Go with Romney who moderates and independents like and can vote for… or go for the real conservative who will really brings us hope and change and mesmerizes those who listen. If you have ever heard and seen Sarah Palin speak live, especially to a large crowd, and if you really know what she has done and what she stands for… not the Sarah Palin that Katie Couric, Tina Fey and the Progressive left have fed us… you know that she could win, if any true conservative can win!!

Conservative Super Star Sarah Palin: Brought the Red Meat to CPAC and They Loved It… Loved Her!

Video: Full Speech – Sarah Palin at CPAC 2012

Video: Game Change We Can Believe In

But perhaps in honor of the memory of a man who many called the the spiritual leader of the modern conservative, libertarian movement and ‘the’ conservative warrior by others, Andrew Breitbart, we should consider his words as he warned at CPAC:  "Unite or Perish!"  Or we draft the gal that will bring us real change and excites the conservative base… especially with his recent wins.  Why settle for Sarah light?

Strategist and author Dick Morris said, if there ever was a reason to pull together and vote for Romney, unless you are hoping for a brokered convention, it is the Michigan experience of last weekend.  Romney won by a large margin in both Arizona and with a large margin of Republicans and Independents in Michigan.  But 100,000 Democrats voted in Michigan against Romney, on cue from a combination of a robot call put out by the Santorum campaign and a movement organized by Team Obama (of unions and operatives).

Morris says if Democrats, Team Obama, start interfering and trying to change the outcome of the GOP primary to their preference, Rick Santorum, at least in this case, it tells us who they fear to run against most, Mitt Romney. And if the GOP lets this go beyond May or June without a clear chosen candidate, and worse yet all the way until September, after the Republican convention, Obama will win a second term. The GOP will not have enough time to mount a campaign against Obama between September 1st and  November 6th… and Team Obama knows that!

Wake-up, America… eyes on the price, which is defeating Obama. After Super Tuesday, if not before, unless there is a miracle and someone breaks out, if Santorum and Gingrich split the south and Romney takes  the rest or most, it is time to pull together or we will end up out foxing ourselves into losing our country because we played the wrong game for too long.

*Since this was originally written Mitt Romney won in Washington state (today) on Saturday, with Ron Paul predicted to come in at second at this time.  In the post election analysis, Charles Krauthammer said if Santorum and Gingrich have a weak showing on Super Tuesday, the Republican Establishment will start putting pressure on them to step aside, at least one of them, because they are damaging the GOP brand and are harming the outcome of the bigger goal… beating President Obama in the Fall.  Mitt Romney also appears to have had his best debate/forum performance ever on Saturday night from Wilmington, Ohio sponsored by and by and featured on Huckabee.

Mitt had a very personal and relatable moment with small business owner David McArthur from St. Louis, when he talked about his son. Romney was outwardly emotional during his response to a question from McArthur who is the father of a soldier experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and a traumatic brain injury after being wounded in Afghanistan. Governor Romney was obviously very moved by David’s story and clearly grateful for the sacrifice; Romney’s voice broke, crackling with emotion for a moment, as he responded. It was a great chance for people to see Romney’s humanity at a time when many voters say they have been unable to connect with him. Romney also did a great job explaining his economic plan in a simpler fashion yet in greater detail and was even funny during the forum... when Romney forgot to leave the stage for the next candidate, Santorum, to come on and give his final comments. Romney laughed, lightly grabbing Santorum at the shoulders saying, “I’m not leaving!” (All three candidates did well at the Huckabee Forum, focusing on jobs… Ron Paul opted not to continue campaigning in Washington State and not to participate in the forum, but Romney definitely came out on top!)

GB: Two Year Anniversary Review

Glenn Beck began his show on Fox the day before Obama’s Inauguration.  Neither he nor anyone on his staff thought they’d be around more than 18-months…

Video:  GB: Two Year Anniversary Review

--> The only debate that matters: The American Experiment -   Can Man Rule Himself?  <--

Video: Beck on the American Experiment

Why was the American experiment called an experiment? Because it never had been tried before. What had never been tried? Man ruling themselves.

Before the founding of America, no system of government had been established that allowed people to successfully rule themselves. Glenn said, “[The Founders] came up with a system that they thought could be the answer.  Can man rule himself?  They said yes.  Now, after that they had to create a system so man could rule himself.  But it required not only a good, brilliant system, it also required good, brilliant people and people to remain engaged and people to remain good.  When they say America was not built for an uneducated or not virtuous people, that’s what they mean.”

In the past, either the church or the king always ruled the serfs, or the common man. All the land was explored and in most cases owned by some lord. But in America, there was vast uncharted territory that was removed from the rest of the civilized world. Glenn said, “A man could go out in the woods and make his own way and people could gather around and they would start a little town.  And they realized, we can do this.”

Glenn said that George Whitfield was another key part of the creation of the American experiment. “He was telling people was you should have a personal relationship with God.  That was different.  The power structure was saying come to me, the priest or the cleric or whoever, come to me; I will tell you what God says and what God says is the king is good.”

“The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, the Declaration of Independence was to say man should rule himself.  The Constitution was put in as, okay, if you follow these things, you might have enough time to be able to really rule yourself.  But just follow these things,” Glenn said.

“Enlightenment. Reason and God. Reject the trappings of everything else.  Listen to God speak to you. Couple it with reason. If God’s like, you should have Snickers every day.  That’s probably not God. That’s not reasonable.  Reason and God.  Leads you to education because you cannot be a less than virtuous person or a dummy and rule yourself.  Which leads to empowerment of standing up and saying, okay, I got it, I have the situation, I know who I am, I know what I’m capable of, I know history.  I’m a smart person and I’m going to do it.  Which leads immediately to creation, which is E4, entrepreneurship.”

“Creation.  All thought is creative.  Remember that.  That is the system of our founders.  I believe that’s the system of God.”

Glenn said that the current educational system, which more and more seem to be run by Marxists and progressives, are churning out students who aren’t capable of creative thought. “Look at those studies.  They cannot reason.  They get out of school and they can’t separate fact from fiction.  Opinion and emotion, from truth.  There’s no reason being taught,” Glenn said.

Can man rule himself? Stu believes the answer is yes.

“An enlightened, educated, empowered, entrepreneurial man can rule himself.  We have to become those people.  We have to make sure that we’re people.  And when we are, we can.  And it’s exactly what the founders said,” Stu thought.

Video:  Glenn Beck Updates Miracles in Wilmington, Ohio

Related:  Notes from Dr. Charles Krauthammer’s Speech to the Center for the American Experiment – June 2009

A Morning of Victories… and Success

DREAM Act Dies in Senate

AP The weeks of rallies, hunger strikes and sit-ins and the thousands of phone calls placed to Senate offices didn't pay off for immigration activists.The decade-old DREAM

Act once again failed to break a filibuster in the Senate on Saturday morning, effectively killing the bill this year and shutting the door on what perhaps was the last chance for pro-immigration reform legislation until at least the 2012 election.

Senate Democrats came up five votes short of the 60 needed to advance the House-passed bill, which would provide a path to citizenship for up to illegal immigrants brought to the country as children if they attend college or join the military for two years. The 55-41 vote was mostly along party lines, though a handful of Democrats — perhaps fearful of their 2012 election outlook — also voted against the DREAM Act.

This latest vote really didn't have a chance in the current political climate, which has moved decidedly against liberalizing immigration laws in recent years.

The DREAM Act’s defeat was a resounding victory for conservatives who have denounced the bill as a mass amnesty plan, and a blow for top Senate Democrats and the Obama administration who enlisted a half dozen cabinet secretaries to lobby undecided lawmakers and embark on a media blitz, highlighting that the bill would send more people to college, boost military recruitment and help the economy.

“This bill is a law that at its fundamental core is a reward for illegal activity,” said Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) on the floor an hour before the vote. “It’s the third time we’ve tried to schedule a vote on it during this lame-duck session. It’s the fifth version of this legislation that has been introduced in the past five months.”

In the final minutes before the vote, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin pleaded with his colleagues from the floor to vote for the DREAM Act — or as he described it, an act of "political courage."

“Many of you have told me that you’re lying awake at night, tossing and turning over this vote, because you know how hard it’s going to be politically, that some people will use it against you,” Durbin said. “But I might say, if you can summon the courage to vote for the DREAM Act today, you will join ranks with senators before you, who came to the floor of these United States and made history with their courage. Who stood up and said the cause of justice is worth the political risk.”

After years of Congress failing to deal with the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants, Hispanic leaders and immigration activists expressed frustration at the vote, vowing to target senators who cast no votes in 2012 and future elections.

For the lawmakers who voted against the bill, “it will be a defining vote in their career,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of America’s Voice, an immigrant advocacy group which has been fighting for the DREAM Act.

“They’re standing at the schoolhouse door, saying no to the best and the brightest of the Latino immigrant community,” he said, “and they will have a lot of explaining to do if they run for reelection or aspire to higher office.”

Democrats in recent days had brought forth immigrants who might benefit from the legislation to tell their personal stories, but the odds were stacked against the DREAM Act going into the vote on Saturday.

Julieta Garibay, an activist with the United We Dream Network, emigrated from Mexico City when she was 12. Now 30, Garibay said she is bilingual and received a master’s degree in nursing yet hasn’t been able to find a good job because of her undocumented status.

“It’s very disappointing. You work so hard for your degree, and then you just need to put it on hold. It’s no longer a matter of politics. These are lives, and this is my future,” said Garibay, who recently traveled to the Capitol from her home in Austin, Texas. “We’re going to remember who voted against us and we’re going to hold them accountable. It’s been enough talk, it’s been enough promises and compromises.”

The version of the DREAM Act considered by the Senate on Saturday was more narrowly tailored in an effort to appeal to moderate Democrats and Republicans. Those eligible for conditional legal status must have come to the U.S. before the age of 16, be under the age of 30, have lived in the country for five consecutive years, pass a criminal background test and have a high school diploma or GED equivalent.

Under the bill, children who were brought to the country illegally who go to college or sign up for the military for two years could receive permanent residency after 10 years.

But Sessions and other critics maligned the bill for weeks, saying it would offer amnesty to up to two million illegal immigrants and add billions of dollars to the federal deficit in the long term. They also complained that there were loopholes. For example, the bill doesn’t require beneficiaries to graduate from college and allows those who have committed up to two misdemeanor crimes to be eligible.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, first introduced in 2001 by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), initially received bipartisan support. But Republicans have mostly abandoned the legislation in recent years as the conservative wing of the party gained greater influence.

The Senate in September tried to pass the measure as part of a broader defense policy bill, but the effort was filibustered by Republicans. The Democratic-controlled House breathed new life into the legislation last week when it passed a standalone bill 216-198, but few expected the bill to attract a filibuster-proof 60 votes in the Senate.

Beginning next month, as the GOP grabs control of the House and more seats in the Senate, pro-immigrant measures will have even a more difficult time advancing.

But Ali Noorani, executive director of the National Immigration Forum, said this year’s fight for the DREAM Act have rallied conservative religious leaders, labor groups and mainstream celebrities behind a single cause.

In recent days, actress Jessica Alba, comedian Margaret Cho and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Diaz have spoken in favor of the DREAM Act.

“While legislative votes did not move, it’s clear the country is moving in the direction of immigration reform,” Noorani said.

“This vote is the World Cup of immigration votes for the immigrant community,” he said, “and I think it’s going to be very clear for Latinos, Asians and other immigrant voters who voted for the DREAM Act and against the DREAM act, and the community will make a decision along those lines in 2012.”

Source:  Politico

In a 55-41 vote, the Senate voted down the House version of the DREAM Act (H.R.5281). Sixty Senators were required to end debate on this bill, and in the end, amnesty supporters came up five short. Thanks to all of FAIR’s members, activists and supporters who over the past days and weeks contacted their Senators and urged them to oppose this bad legislation and bad public policy. There is no doubt that grassroots activism was the key to this win!

Notably, several Senators switched their votes since the last time the Senate voted on the DREAM Act in 2007 (S.2205). Senators Murkowski, Landrieu, Conrad, Dorgan, and McCaskill all voted no in 2007, but voted yes today. Others, such as Senators Brownback, Nelson (NE), Collins, and Snowe voted yes in 2007, but voted no today. Four Senators did not vote.

To see how your Senators voted, click here. FAIR will report more on this weekend’s vote in Monday’s Legislative Update. FAIR

“Others say this vote is proof that the political wind has changed directions and that the American people are ready to stand-up, not only in this arena but against the entire Progressive Global Agenda!”

AFTER NATIONAL OUTCRY, FED REVERSES ANTI-CHRISTIAN BANK DECISION IN OK

The Federal Reserve has reversed its decision that originally forced a small Oklahoma bank to remove from its premises and website Bible verses, crosses, and Christmas buttons. The reversal occurred after national outcry and a letter from two Oklahoma lawmakers who charged that the decision may be unconstitutional.

Feds Reverse Anti-Christian… Anti-Freedom Ruling

Video:  Feds Change Bank Ruling

(See our previous coverage of this story here and here.)

Sen Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK) sent a joint letter to Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke on Friday afternoon saying they have “seldom encountered a more alarming case of heavy-handed interpretation and enforcement of Federal regulations,” and charging the decision may be in violation of “fundamental Constitutional protections.”

The letter ended by demanding a response. That response came Friday afternoon, when the Federal Reserve’s second in command  contacted Payne County Bank president Lynn Kindler in Perkins, OK and told him he could once again display his Christian artifacts and Bible verses.

“The Federal Reserve restored everything on a permanent basis,” he told KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City. “It’s over. We can put everything back up the way it was and keep it there.”

Originally the Fed told the bank its Christian symbols violated the discouragement clause of Regulation B of the bank regulations. The clause prohibits “… the use of words, symbols, models and other forms of communication… [that] express, imply or suggest a discriminatory preference or policy of exclusion.” Fed examiners interpreted that to mean the bank’s overtly Christian messages could offend people of other faiths.

“This is an all out assault on the faith, values, and rights of the bank, its employees and the people of Perkins they serve,” Sen. Inhofe said in response. “It is absolutely ridiculous for the regulation to be interpreted this way, and it unduly discriminates against a persons faith in Christ and their Constitutionally protected freedom to publicaly express that faith.”

Rep. Lucas agreed: “The recent actions taken by the Federal Reserve at Payne County Bank are of great concern to me. I do not agree with its interpretation of Regulation B in this circumstance and believe that it infringes upon fundamental Constitutional rights afforded to all Americans.”

And whether or not the Fed agreed too, it acquiesced. That pleases Perkins citizens.

“I think that’s good,” local resident Bill Erwin told KOCO. “I don’t think they should have had to take it down,” added Carrie Kinsey.

 

AMELIA EARHART MYSTERY SOLVED? OKLA. LAB TESTING BONES FOUND ON PACIFIC ISLAND

After three small human bone fragments and other long-abandoned articles  were found on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific by a group dedicated to finding Amelia Earhart’s historic aircraft, speculation began to circulate Thursday as to whether the mystery surrounding the infamous disappearance of the world’s most famous female pilot may finally be laid to rest. The Associated Press reports that those tiny bones are now being studied in hopes of extracting DNA:

“There’s no guarantee,” said Ric Gillespie, director of the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery in Delaware. “You only have to say you have a bone that may be human and may be linked to Earhart and people get excited. But it is true that if they can get DNA, and if they can match it to Amelia Earhart’s DNA, that’s pretty good.”

Lab officials said test results could take weeks or months.

The remains turned up in May and June at what seemed to be an abandoned campsite near where native work crews found skeletal remains in 1940. The pieces appear to be from a cervical bone, a neck bone and a finger.

But Gillespie offered a word of caution: The fragments could be from a turtle. They were found near a hollowed-out turtle shell that might have been used to collect rainwater, but there were no other turtle parts nearby.

“This site tells the story of how someone or some people attempted to live as castaways,” Gillespie said Friday in an interview. Bird and fish carcasses nearby suggested they were prepared and eaten by Westerners.

“These fish weren’t eaten like Pacific Islanders” eat fish, he said. …

Millions of dollars have been spent to figure out what happened to Earhart, who was legally declared dead by a California court in early 1939. Theories have included the official version — that her twin-engine Electra ran out of gas and crashed at sea — as well as the absurd, such as abduction by aliens, and Earhart living in New Jersey under an alias.

Amelia Earhart Found

Video: Amelia Earhart Mystery Solved?

The island lays on the course Earhart planned to follow from Lae, New Guinea, to Howland Island where she and navigator Fred Noonan had planned to refuel.  “It looks like she could have landed successfully on the reef surrounding the island,” Gillespie says.  Gillespie and others who have studied Earhart’s historic aviation career and last-known facts of her life believe she and Noonan may have survived on the island and lived for some time on scant food and rainwater.

In the last seven decades, the island has produced suggestive evidence, including human bones and sextant found just three years after Earhart vanished.  Those remains, however, were lost before the advent of DNA technology could identify them.

As Gillespie and other wait with bated breath, the University of Oklahoma’s Molecular Anthropology Laboratory will try and extract DNA from the bone fragments to compare to genetic material donated by an Earhart family member.

This is a sad victory… but finally gives her family closure!

TSA Greets Passengers With Employee Christmas Choirs

Maybe it‘s a marketing ploy to change the TSA's recent image, or maybe it's genuine Christmas cheer. Whatever it is, the TSA's decision to use all-employee Christmas choirs at two airports to cheer up travelers is turning heads.

 

Video:  TSA Greets Passengers With Employee Christmas Choirs

USA Today reports:

The LAX TSA Choir, a group of 17 singers and musicians, all of them officers of the Transportation Security Administration, have been surprising passengers with performances of holiday music and other tunes in the midst of one of the nation’s busiest airports.

“Wow, it’s crazy,” said Miriam Kositchek of Santa Monica, Calif., who was clutching her ticket and passport for a flight to London when the LAX TSA Choir broke into song at the Bradley International Terminal of Los Angeles International Airport Wednesday afternoon.

“In this climate, where travel is so scrutinized and security is so tight, it’s nice,” she said. “It adds some lightheartedness to travel.”

Airports around the country have scheduled musical performances during this time of heavy holiday travel to try to brighten the experience for harried travelers. The choir here is one of just two — the other is at the airport in Austin — made up entirely of TSA workers, said TSA spokesman Greg Soule in Washington.

“The solution the American people want is their freedom back and to stop the invasive strip searches and full body scans that don’t work!  But the victory herein is that the TSA and Homeland Security know that they American people are watching them… and that it is only a matter of time until we must change to what works… profiling and sniffing dogs!  Reserving the strip searches and full body scans for those who fail the smell and interview tests… not grandma, baby Suzy et al!!”

Wilmington Ohio, An Example of Hope

Harry Reid Pulls Back From Yearlong Omnibus, Aims for Short-Term Funding Resolution

Feds buy space on Google to promote ‘ObamaCare’  -  Giving up their fight against that moniker as Judge Hints He May Rule Against ObamaCare in latest case up for consideration after last week’s ruling declaring the individual mandate unconstitutional and in violation of the Commerce Clause.

Keep praying and standing up!

The winds are definitely changing…!!

Wilmington Ohio… An Amazing Town to Give Us Hope

Video:  Hope for America From Wilmington Ohio

Glenn Beck was in Wilmington Ohio today… doing his radio show, TV show and a special show there tonight, America's First Christmas, which can be seen on Beck’s Insider Extreme.

At 7:30 everyone enjoyed the encore presentation of the documentary everyone is talking about: “American Traditions: Christmas” at Glenn Beck.com.  People watched, and learned about the history of the American Christmas, and relived some the most beloved holiday memories of Glenn Beck, Andy Williams, Janine Turner, Ted Nugent, Alveda King, Buzz Aldrin, Peter Billingsley (aka Ralphie from A Christmas Story) and, of course, Santa himself.  Then, at 8pm, Glenn took the stage live from the Murphy Theater on Wilmington’s Main Street for “America’s First Christmas.”

Wilmington Ohio is a town that was devastated by DHL moving out and leaving almost 8000 of their 12,5000 citizens unemployed.  But instead of dying they stood up and fought for survival.

Love to God… is “I Give”.  Service and giving leads to joy.  That is where the idea for presents came from.

What is Santa?  What (who) is Jesus… Love, joy, hope and miracles~

Glenn arrived in Wilmington on Tuesday and is spending the day today, Wednesday, in this special town along with a lot of this listeners and fans.  America is in trouble!! Wilmington is the example we need to follow and the place we need to become.  If not we will end up being Europe with deodorant!!

There are two sides (actually three if you listen to the main stream media who is usually completely off base).  And people tend to see things in one of two ways as well; half-empty or half full.  And although people have tendencies… in the end it is a choice.  You can choose to believe in hope or wallow in despair.  People who see the possibility of miracles and saving America from all over the country showed up in Wilmington yesterday and today… from California, North Dakota, Illinois, Indiana, Florida.  According to 6- Minutes who did a shows on Wilmington, presenting it was a town in devastation and decline, with little hope.  Glenn and his staff saw just the opposite.

The hope, belief and love in this town is what we all need to find within ourselves this season and carry it with us for the fight to come.  We either stand together and make the sacrifices, with God’s help, that we need to make or rip each other apart like they are doing right now in Europe.

Molly, who owns the main hotel in town… the General Denver Hotel, bought it after DHL left and it had fallen into disrepair.  She has no hotel experience and ended up buying it on a handshake between her and the former owner. The general Denver Hotel built in 1936 and needed lots of TLC.  As Jon Huntsman, Glenn’s mentor, said last Friday, we need to get back to honoring our word, doing business on a handshake and following our instincts by using common sense.

Wilmington runs a 24/7 prayer center, where people pray for the town and their citizens 24-hours per day.  Members of 7 different churches take part in the prayers. (Beck went to pray at the prayer center, which is filled with chalk boards.  He said he was so excited because he felt like he had gone to Heaven and they had chalkboards… an inside Beck joke,)

Glenn prayed that the nation would see (really see) Wilmington, Ohio.   He has already seen 4 miracles.

A gal in the audience today shared her testimony.  She was so moved when she visited the prayer room that she is going to go home and start a prayer center in her area. 

The guy that runs the local food bank often grabs the empty shelves and prays for God to provide and he does. He often has had days with no food in the morning, but it always appears.  He now has enough food for 6-months on his shelves.

Four Miracles:

1. Taylor and Mark – Polar opposites of Beck on politics, but they got involved in Glenn’s project because they love the town and put politics aside.

2. Nick – Nick’s wife passed away 4-years ago.  His wife passed away four years ago and when he heard Glenn’s campaign for this amazing town, he decided he wanted to get involved, celebrate Christmas again, and re-start his life.

3. Todd – One of the newest businesses in town watched their business burn down.  Their friends rallied around them and prayed for them.  He received a phone call that there was a business waiting for him in Wilmington for just the investment of a handshake.

4. Tracy and Wendell and their son Tyler – Glenn met them yesterday in the bookstore. Tyler only has 30% to 40% hearing and wears a hearing aid.  About an hour before Glenn left for the airport to fly to Wilmington he was delayed by a meeting in his office that he tried to get out of because he was running late.  The people were showing him a new hearing product being developed.  Glenn is going to introduce and pay for the new hearing development just  coincidentally (or maybe not) presented to him.

 

Glenn Beck will be in Wilmington Ohio today, 12.15.10 doing his radio show, TV show and then a performance America’s First Christmas.

Enter video caption here

Video:  Passing on Our Traditions Christmas Show

(Beck made his homemade hot chocolate and passed around goodies as well as giving away gift bags today… His Oprah show…)

Glenn’s Gift Suggestions for this Christmas:

Pass Down and Create Traditions… It Helps Kids know Who They Are

Gifts used to be something from the heart… usually homemade or something people really needed.

Good Gift Suggestions:

Survival Backpack for Tough Times

A Food Storage System (if you can afford it)

Books

The Athena Project

American Assassin

The Five Thousand Year Leap: 30 Year Anniversary Edition with Glenn Beck Foreword

The Real George Washington or  George Washington’s Sacred Fire

Winners Never Cheat: Even in Difficult Times, New and Expanded Edition

Broke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth and Treasure

If you can buy books and original sources are even better, they are great everlasting gifts.  Try old book stores for history books and classics

Beck’s 8/28 Scrapbook (www.GlennBeck.com)

Christmas Jars

Penny's Christmas Jar Miracle

The Christmas Sweater

The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book

The Chronicles of Narnia

Goodies -  Homemade and Special Gourmet Creations

Cake Boss: Stories and Recipes from Mia Famiglia

Tickets to the theatre, a live play or musical, or the ballet

CD’s or DVD’s made by you of photos, special sayings, music with you and the family singing or of a special collection.  A DVD of something you filmed.

Photo books or albums, scrapbooks, framed photos an electronic frame full of special photos.

Special Christmas Music CD’s and Classic Christmas DVD’s

Andy Williams - Merry Christmas

John Rich  -  Son Of A Preacher Man

Michael Bublé  -  White Christmas

It's a Wonderful Life

Miracle on 34th Street

Handmade Craft Items

 

Stein, “Beck:  The Fusion of Enlightenment and Entertainment… So You Will Listen and Be Enlightened!”

(This is an older video but worth the watch!!)

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Video:  Ben Stein & Glenn Beck Show Intelligent Design

Some Great Gifts:

Broke: The Plan to Restore Our Trust, Truth and Treasure

The Real Stars: In Today's America, Who Are the True Heroes?

An Inconvenient Book

Expelled DVD

Arguing with Idiots

Some Additional Great Christmas Gift Choices…

Video:  78rpm pressing:  God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – Bing Crosby

Merry Christmas FROM HOLLYWOOD – Favorite Holiday Movie Classics

God Rest Ye Merry Merchants

The War on Christmas

Glenn Beck - Weekdays at 5p & 2a ET on the Fox Cable News Channel

For those that didn’t make it to Wilmington Ohio or see it on Insider Extreme… HoHoHo Here is a peak:

 

“Those who trade freedom for security neither get nor deserve either!”  Benjamin Franklin