Now you know why I haven’t posted much recently. After months of contemplation and planning, I have decided to run for local office. My campaign website is at MikeAllen.com and contains my details on my priorities and background.

In deciding to run for alderman (what we call our city council members), I decided it was time to not just talk about public service but to perform public service. In short, I want to make a difference in my life. I want to leave my community in better shape than it is now. I want it to be a place where my children will want to call home when they establish their adult lives. That, in a nutshell, is why I am seeking this position.

Here’s a video by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) humorously shedding some light on former Governor Ronnie Musgrove’s record. I only wish they had used some different music other than the Hallelujah Chorus from Handal’s Messiah. Musgrove is currently running for the Senate against former Congressman Roger Wicker who was appointed Senator a few months ago by Governor Haley Barbour following the resignation of Trent Lott.

Click here to view the embedded video.

On Tuesday voters in Mississippi’s first congressional district elected a Democrat in a special election. Given that this is the third straight loss for Republicans in special elections within “Republican-safe” districts, many political pundits are calling this a wake-up call for the party.

I agree this is a wakeup call for the Republican Party and I offer the following reasons why Republicans are in danger of much greater losses in November.

1. Republicans were swept into power in 1994 with a mandate to change Washington.

Remember the ten point “Contract with America” that brought Republicans to power in the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years? This was the first significant time in a generation when a majority of the country voted FOR Republicans. Republicans were entrusted with power because they promised specific change, not because they were Republicans.

2. Republicans were favored for a few years while they passed most of the “Contract with America” and held the line on spending.

With their successes, Republicans became more dominant and powerful — even convincing a weakened Bill Clinton to do the unthinkable and sign welfare reform and other significant conservative-leaning legislation.

3. Then a strange thing began to happen as Republicans became part of the Washington Establishment.

After about a decade in power, many Republicans had became overconfident incumbents who enjoyed power. They forgot who put them into positions of power and why they were there. Instead, they shifted their focus onto themselves and began to selfishly act like Democrats and spend like crazy. Ethics took a back seat as corruption and scandal emerged among several high-profile cases (however mild by the standards of some Democrats a decade or two earlier; but as a party of values, Republicans were held to a higher standard).

4. Some conservative-leaning Democrats saw an opportunity to run against fat-cat, do-little Republicans.

By 2006 Republicans were viewed by a majority as corrupt and lazy party in need of reform and in the pocket of lobbyists and special interests. A handful of less-liberal-than-usual Democrats ran on a more conservative agenda and found success in picking off enough Republicans to win back both chambers of Congress.

5. Republicans reacted with more of the same.

Instead of sensing the defeat as a rebuke on the party, Republicans largely explained it away as bad campaigns and negative trends. There were mild shakeups in leadership and token responses to cleaning up ethics. However, there were no really significant reform measures or strong efforts to address earmarks, border control or national security improvements in a way that appealed to a generally conservative majority. Other than unity on funding and supporting the War in Iraq, Republicans did essentially nothing to regain the voter’s trust. Instead, high-profile moves were made that alienated much of the Republican base — social and/or fiscal conservatives and proponents of a strong national defense.

6. Republicans mis-handled the Long War Against Radical Islam.

This War is essential and we must win it; however, Republicans, especially the President, have dropped the ball in communicating the case on why it is so important. Republicans, especially the President, have become weak in the face of the polls and not backed up the Bush Doctrine of going after all terrorists and those who harbor them (like those in Iran, for example). Thus short memories dominate the scene as Americans become increasingly impatient with growing war casualties and grim outlooks for a non-violent Middle East (at least in the short run). Additionally, no spokesperson is sufficiently warning of the long term consequences of failure to win this War. In my opinion, there should be something akin to Roosevelt’s “fireside chats” to keep Americans informed of what is going on and why this Long War is needed. I also argue that we need to be more aggressive militarily and less accommodating to Middle Eastern radicals who view anything democratic and humanitarian as weak.

7. Democrats have co-opted many formerly Republican issues and re-framed them in their favor.

The abandonment of traditional values and failure to adequately build a case for the Long War by the Republicans left Democrats free to swoop in and pick up these issues and frame them in liberal terms. Many voters don’t heavily analyze the issues and have not seen the subtle substitution that has taken place. They hear Democrats talking about conservative issues like traditional values, gun rights, patriotism, national defense and ending the war (notice I didn’t say winning it) and they carelessly think this candidate must be conservative like me. Since Republicans haven’t fixed what they were put into power to fix from 1994 through 2004 then voters are ready to try “new” Democrats who are talking like conservatives and arguing for change. This leads me to my final point.

8. The country remains largely conservative, but conservative doesn’t equate to Republican.

Republicans seemed to think that their election and subsequent reelection for 6 cycles amounted to a “realignment” of the voters from the old Democratic Party loyalties to them. Such was never the case, I argue. Instead, Republicans benefited from their conservative change message in 1994 but when they didn’t deliver, the voters were ready to send them back home and put a new batch of “change” talking Democrats into power. Republicans should have known better and stayed on message.

Conclusion

So what does all this mean for Republicans? It means danger and defeat at the polls this November if they don’t wake up and get back to work.

Is a massive Republican defeat a certainty? Absolutely not. There are incredible problems below the surface within the Democratic Party. Furthermore, many of the so-called “conservative Democrats” don’t have voting records to back up their rhetoric and could be easy pickings for a true conservative candidate.

So what is needed to take the wind out of the Democrats’ sails? A leader who is a communicator with a vision for real change like that promised in 1994. It has to be somebody people can trust. It also has to be somebody who will take the time to talk to them — or more likely convince with a serious “blood, sweat and tears” Churchill-like message — that conservative ideals are best for the long term success of the country.

The Party that reaches out and connects with the conservative majority in America will win in November. While the winner may not be Republican, I predict the message and candidates will at least be crafted in conservative language.

The other day a friend asked me about where I find political information related to news and politics in Mississippi. I pointed her to a few online sources that I use as starting points. Some I check daily.

National

For national and often international news (especially regarding the United Kindgom and Israel) I check the Drudge Report. It auto-refreshes about every 15 minutes to keep the headlines updated. In addition to headline-linked articles at major newspaper and media outlets worldwide, many news stories are first broken by editor Matt Drudge. In many ways Drudge now drives many of the stories that are later reported elsewhere. There is also a mobile device version at iDrudgeReport.com that I also use.

Mississippi

Like the Drudge Report is for national and international news headlines and breaking stories, the Magnolia Report is for Mississippi news and politics. This site seems to be updated once per day and has a lot of news and commentary on the Legislature and state government.

I also like the Red/Blue blog at The Clarion Ledger. It features commentary by Jere Nash (blue/liberal) and Andy Taggart (red/conservative). These gentlemen co-authored the 2006 book entitled Mississippi Politics: The Struggle for Power, 1976-2006. The Clarion Ledger is the state’s largest newspaper and also has a mobile device version of their website.

For think tank studies and analysis relating to Mississippi and coming from a limited government and family-values perspective, I refer to the Mississippi Center for Public Policy.

I know there are other sources of good information and commentary; however, these are the ones I currently use as starting points. Please share your suggestions in the comments section below.

Today Toyota executives and state officials announced that Mississippi would be the location for Toyota’s eighth U.S. manufacturing plant. As a lifelong resident of Mississippi I am very pleased with this decision. I am more even more pleased, though, with one of the reasons given for why my state was chosen:

On my visits to Northern Mississippi, I have talked with area companies and observed their work force. What I observed were people who are educated, ethical and friendly with a strong work ethic – a perfect match for the Toyota Way.” — Toyota Manufacturing Executive Vice President Ray Tanguay

According to The Clarion Ledger, this plant will produce up to 150,000 Toyota Highlander SUV vehicles a year and employ up to 2,000 when it opens in 2010.

This is very exciting news for Mississippi. With the Nissan plant in Canton, it will give us two automobile manufacturing plants. I feel it is also a testiment to the strong leadership of Governor Haley Barbour.