11 county Republican straw polls — 11 wins for Marco Rubio over Charlie Crist.

But this one was different.

The fact that Crist lost in Pinellas County, which he represented in the state Senate and where he’s lived nearly all his life, can’t be a good sign for Crist.

This is another in a string of positive events for Marco Rubio. Nearly unknown and trailing significantly in the polls just a year ago, Rubio’s conservative message has energized party faithful and impressed those less politically aware.

One common, if anecdotal, theme is that Rubio stands out because of his beliefs, but also because of how genuine he appears to be.

I wish more politicians understood this:

Scott Brown in his debate with Martha Coakley. (h/t Gina Cobb)

He also had a pretty good day fund raising, ending the day with over a million dollars.

The Democrats from the bluest state in the nation have to be in panic mode. To actually win this seat every star will have to align perfectly, not a high odds bet. Still, it could happen and, whatever the outcome, it will be a quite a indicator of conservative chances in the rest of 2010.

I have a new poll in the sidebar to the right. The question is: How will conservatives do in the 2010 Mid-terms? Vote, and add your comments here on this post.

2010 is here and, whatever your thoughts on the eventual outcome, it’s time for conservatives to get to work. And to discuss things about the mid-terms and conservativism in general go join the group at The Regiment.

Good morning, and welcome to 2010! The old meme for the new year used to be how long would you be writing 2009 on your checks. In 2010 the question is, do you still write paper checks?

One conversation at work yesterday was about not just how quickly 2009 went by, but how it seems like such a short time ago that we were welcoming 2000 (when we weren’t worried about Y2K bringing the world to an end).

2009 was a very interesting year in many ways. Of course the biggest story has been the year of the unprecedented presidency. Why it’s been one historic moment after another. Then you remember that the Hindenburg and Little Big Horn were also historic moments and hope that 2010 can fix some things.

Politics, of course, will be a big part of 2010. The mid-term elections, and the primaries preceding them, will interesting to watch (and blog about). In addition to following the national races, I am going to watching the Rubio-Crist race here in Florida very closely.

One very important story here in the very first moments of 2010 is will Fox and Brighthouse/Time Warner resolve their dispute?

The negotiations between Fox and Time Warner Cable were extended a second time early this morning.

The original midnight deadline first was pushed back to 3 a.m., then a second time to 7 a.m. The two parties are negotiating in Los Angeles.

As of 8:44 local time Fox is still on. Why is this important? For many people it’s today’s Sugar Bowl between Florida and Cincinnati and Tim Tebow’s last college game. Beyond that, for me at least, is the fact that Season 8 of 24 starts in just 2 weeks, 2 days, 11 hours and 11 minutes. I need Fox so I can continue to contribute to Blogs.4Bauer.com

So, what are my blogging plans for 2010?

• More, and more regular, posting here at bRight & Early. Sure, I make this a goal every year, but this year I’m going to do it.
• I’ve posted over the past few days about The Regiment. I’m going to work very hard to develop the site as a great social network and resource for conservatives.
• Reclaim Conservatism also deserves some attention.
• FloridImagine.com is my hosting reseller site. There’s no excuse to neglect an opportunity to generate some revenue.
• I’ve made some halfhearted attempts to get Blog News Co-op off the ground. Perhaps a wholehearted attempt is what’s needed.
• Aside from working on the various sites I contribute to, I absolutely have to be a more active visitor and commenter on my friends and favorite blogs. Like:
  • Support Your Local Gunfighter
  • Sister Toldjah
  • No Runny Eggs
  • Common Sense Political Thought
  • Flopping Aces
  • Ace of Spades HQ
  • Pirates Cove
  • Brian Pickrell
  • Michelle Malkin
  • Hot Air
  • Right Wing News
  • Confederate Yankee
  • The Jawa Report
  • And so many more that I shouldn’t have even started a list like this.

And, to make this a Rule 5 post remember that 2010 is the year the Danica Patrick joins NASCAR.

Happy New Year!

2010 image by freeimageslive.co.uk – christmashat

Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio is going to be the keynote speaker at CPAC.

CPAC Director Lisa De Pasquale made the announcement on the conference’s Twitter feed.

“We chose Rubio because he is an upcoming leader. He is someone that a lot of people are excited about,” De Pasquale told POLITICO. “His name keeps getting brought up and we decided that he would be a good keynote for 2010.”

He is an excellent choice. As Allahpundit said at Hot Air:

It’s an easy pick because there’s no pol in America aside from Sarahcuda whom the base is more excited about, and he needs this exposure a lot more than she does. It’s essentially a huge, free advertisement for his Senate campaign with all the earned media that goes along with that. And of course it’s a great advertisement for conservatives too: He’s young, charismatic, and a minority, which makes him almost the polar opposite of the standard media caricature of right-wingers.

My guess is that the crowd at CPAC is going to love this choice. He is extremely popular with party activist, going 12-0 in straw polls, winning most by huge margins.

The race between Rubio and Crist is being touted as an indicator of conservative sentiment and power. CPAC may give Rubio the name recognition he needs, and then the real test can begin.

It’s a trend that has been repeating itself, in spite of the “official” position of the state party. Senate candidate Marco Rubio has been winning county REC straw polls by impressive margins. The latest was in Bay County.

Mirroring the sentiment established by Republican Executive Committees statewide, the Bay County REC overwhelmingly gave their informal support to Marco Rubio in his bid to replace U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez during a straw poll at their Monday meeting.

Rubio got 23 votes; Gov. Charlie Crist received two votes, and two members voted for none of the above. Despite having the formal endorsement of the Republican Party of Florida, Crist has not faired well in REC straw polls statewide, a possible indication that he has not won over the party faithful.

In one of the most recent straw polls, for instance, Highland County’s REC voted 75 to one in favor of Rubio.

I need to roundup all the REC straw poll votes I can find. If you know of any results, please let me know in the comments.

You can follow Marco Rubio on Twitter.

Doug Ross peers into a crystal ball and “reports” the news from the 2010 elections.

Read the post and see if you aren’t a little bit fearful of what could very easily be true.

This one from former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.

Here is what Gov. Huckabee said in an email.

When someone stands on principles throughout their career in politics, it’s an easy choice to endorse their candidacy for Senate. Today, I am excited to formally announce my endorsement of Marco Rubio for U.S. Senate.

Marco believes in smaller government. He is a firm supporter of life. As the former Florida Speaker he was incredibly effective at bringing new ideas to the table and working to see them passed into law. He is a family man, loyal, compassionate and someone I am proud to call a friend.

I encourage you to watch my video endorsement on my blog here and then share it with friends, family and co-workers by email, Twitter and on Facebook. After you do, please consider making an immediate contribution to Marco’s campaign for Senate at http://MarcoRubio.com.

Last night, his opponent was raising money in Washington, DC. I am told he may have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Today, I am hoping that Marco will receive the financial support of tens of thousands of Americans; the sort who make one political contribution a year, to the candidate they believe in with their hearts not just their heads. Because I firmly believe it is these contributions that will make the difference in this race, not the money raised from lobbyists who make a new political contribution each week, betting the “smart money.”

So please watch my endorsement video today and then consider making a contribution directly to Marco’s campaign for Senate.

Standing with Marco,

Mike Huckabee

Please spread the word!

Maybe he has a case of porcine induced influenza, but let’s face it; Arlen Specter didn’t switch parties, he switched party labels. If there was ever a case of SwINO (Switch In Name Only) this is it.

Well, at least he did it for such principled reasons.

I am unwilling to have my 29-year Senate record judged by the Pennsylvania Republican primary electorate.

For me, this sums up his entire reasoning. He switched because he knew he was going to get beat like Desi Arnez’s conga in the primary.

I’ve been expanding on the points that John Hawkins made in his PJM article Six Keys to Turning Around the Republican Party. This post will be somewhat shorter than the others in this series because there’s just not much to add. Here is what John had to say:

Better support for exceptional conservative talent, right-of-center grassroots organizations, and online machinery is a necessity. In other words, we need our own George Soros to fund conservative organizations, our own Media Matters to give more conservatives the ability to blog full-time, and our own ACORN to register conservative voters.

At the core of any effort is the need for organization and support. There is a quantum difference between recognizing a good idea and actually getting behind that idea with the resources available to you.

Most of us could argue (If there is someone reading this who can not make this argument, please contact me!) that we do not have the resources of a George Soros to support conservative efforts. That’s OK. There is still much that can be done to advance conservatism.

I’m reminded of a story I heard in church some years ago. There was a deaf gentleman who was faithfully in church at every opportunity. Without the benefit a sign language interpreter, or the ability to read the pastors lips, he still was in the congregation whenever the doors were open. Someone asked the man why he continued to show up week after week when he was unable to hear what was said. He replied, “I just want to show the world who’s team I’m on.”

Yes, there is a need for those Republican Fat Cats that I’ve been hearing about for years, but never actually meeting, to do what they can. The rest of us can still do our part. At the very least we can show the world who’s team we’re on.

The fourth key of John Hawkins Six Keys to Turning Around The Republican Party post is Expanding our domestic agenda. I have a little bit to say about that this morning, with an idea related to this that is still percolating around in my head for later. Here is what John wrote:

The GOP has become almost entirely reliant on tax cuts and social issues on the domestic side. While those are still strong issues, we also need to expand our appeal by talking about a wider array of policies that can appeal to the American people. For example, we should get behind true energy independence through nuclear power and shale oil. We should develop a real security-first policy on illegal immigration. We should focus environmental efforts on clear water, clear air, and a non-polluted environment. Finally, we should strive to reduce health care costs by giving health care tax breaks to individuals not companies and allowing people to buy insurance from any state.

The short version of this is the old maxim, “All politics are local.” While people see the needs and issues we face as a nation, at the core they are most concerned about those things that impact them directly.

One thing we need to do as we attempt to share our vision for the country is show people how the ideas that we propose impact them personally. We can only get so far by declaring that some policy is best for America. We have to be able to demonstrate clearly how that policy is best for the individual we are trying to reach.

Related to this is the need, as the minority party, to present an alternative to any policy we propose. We are portrayed as the party of “No” by the left and the media. It is a tool they use effectively to marginalize conservatives and the Republican Party. That doesn’t make it true. What is true is that we are not always effective in communicating the reasoning behind our opposition and the positive alternatives we offer.

Some will argue that our message is ignored by the left-leaning press and that the majority leadership spares no effort in making sure that our voice isn’t heard. While that is certainly true, it is not a reason to give up the fight. In the face of opposition that hopes to win by presenting only their side it is incumbent on us to redouble our efforts to get our message across.

One way in which President Reagan was most effective was in taking his ideas directly to the American people. Granted, he had the bully pulpit of the presidency, but there are still things we can do to circumvent the obstacles we encounter.

Individual blogs, even the “biggies”, are extremely limited in their scope. That is offset to some degree by the number and diversity of offerings out there. I believe that there are some people who read bRight & Early and other similar sized blogs that don’t regularly read Michelle Malkin, Right Wing News, Ace of Spades, or the other big hitters. Having that variety of voices making the case for conservatism is just one way we can overcome the attempt to limit our effectivness.

It would take another post, or several, to explore the ways conservatives can get their message out there, and that really isn’t the point of this “Key.” However, I do believe that it is related. Much of what could be described as expanding our domestic agenda is really a matter of expanding the visibility of items already in place.

As I stated in the begining of the piece, I have more to say on this subject at another time. The ideas are still stirring.

The second key John Hawkins espouses in his PJM article Six Keys to Turning Around The Republican Party is Stop conceding so many groups of voters. His point is a good one. It doesn’t matter how big our tent is if it is mostly empty. Here is what he had to say:

The GOP needs to do a better job of reaching out to Hispanics, blacks, Jews, Muslims, women, and young voters. That doesn’t mean we need to compromise our principles, but it does mean that we do need to stop writing off these groups and giving up before we get started. The truth is that the Republican Party is a better fit for every one of those groups than the Democrats, and we can make that case.

Let me tell you a story to illustrate my thinking on this point.

A friend and co-worker many years ago provides a good example. He was a deeply dedicated family man, involved with his children and wife in every aspect of their lives and very close to his parents. He was an avid hunter and fisherman and loved to be outdoors involved in those pursuits.

From the long hours of discussions we had working together I know that he was against high taxes and over intervention by the government. On several occasions he expressed the view that the best thing government could do was get out of the way of people and businesses.

In many ways he embodied the image of a typical Republican that is often portrayed by the media and the left: A Southern hunter with a traditional family and traditional views. There were two other things to offset that however. While he was well informed on issues he wasn’t particularly political, but he typically voted Democrat. And he was black.

I asked him on several occasions why he voted for democrats. His explanation was that he really didn’t think about it that much.

If you look at this as a marketing exercise, we have a better product but have done a poor job of advertising and education. Worst of all we have allowed the opposition and others to define us. John makes this point:

But to do that, we need to tailor our message to each group and make a real, consistent, long-term effort to bring more people from these groups into the fold instead of making a halfhearted effort, saying “they’ll never vote for us anyway,” and giving up.

He uses three words that I want to explore to finish the look at this key: Real, Consistent, Long-term.

There has to be a real effort, not a halfhearted token of an effort. That means two things. We have to educate voters on what conservatism and the Republican Party are really about. We need to show people why our policies and platform are better for them and how their values, goals, and dreams are best served by the positions and objectives that Republican conservatism stands for.

The second part of a real effort is a real effort in controlling our message. We have to stop allowing others to define who we are and what we stand for. This applies to both the opposition, who are glad to portray us as something we are not, and the media who are content to rely on old cliche’s that don’t, and never did, represent us.

Central to this is one thing I have yet to mention. I do not believe that we appeal to people outside of the party by diluting our message. Not only do I believe that the traditional Republican views of limited government, strong national defense, fiscal responsibility, the wisdom and original intent of our founders, the value of the individual, and personal responsibility are best for me, I also believe they are the best for everyone. There is no need or reason to offer something less in a vain attempt to appeal to groups and individuals by presenting anything other than what we truly believe.

That means our message and our effort must be consistent. Consistent day to day and group to group. We may tailor the message to best inform the people we are talking to, but the underlying principles must not change.

Finally, the effort must be long-term. We are not going to overcome years of misinformation, misunderstanding, and inaccurate portrayals in one day, or even one election cycle. If we believe that the things we offer are really the best answer for continuing America’s greatness we must dedicate our selves to promoting our views and helping others see how our policies and ideas mesh with their ideals.

Previously: The job of the loyal opposition is to oppose