The more I look, the More I like Mitt.

English: Governor Mitt Romney of MA

Our next President?

I thought (and wrote) that the Washington Republican caucuses for President of the United States would come and go this March 3rd with a GOP nomination fully secured for Mitt Romney and that my choice would be largely irrelevant. My home state rendered largely irrelevant again. And while I still think Romney will win the Republican nomination to take on Barrack Obama, I’m less sure. Newt Gingrich‘s win in South Carolina and his surge in national polls, irregardless of Florida, have me thinking I must take a stand, make a choice, and help my choice win.

While I’m not ALL there yet, I do like Mitt Romney more and more. I like Newt Gingrich too. And for the record I increasingly like Rick Santorum. But I’m probably going to vote for the former Massachusetts Governor.

Newt’s bombast is not a turn off for me the way it is for so many others. I was raised with a strong and often angry father, who yelled and was not afraid to show that he was upset. So I’m quite used to this character trait of Gingrich that turns off too many people and will probably be his undoing in the remaining nominating contests. I like Newt’s big ideas, and I like that he pisses off mainstream politicians of both parties. Wouldn’t you agree that going away from the politicians of Washington D.C. is not a negative?

But I said a couple of years ago that I’m not a one issue voter, but if I were, the one issue that is most important to me is ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION. So much of what challenges us as Americans today is completely wrapped up in this one issue: race relations, jobs, drugs, terrorism. We absolutely must secure our borders. As best I can tell Mitt Romney comes the closest to my views on this subject than any of the remaining candidates. For instance, I do agree with him that if you make it nearly impossible for illegals to get jobs, and you remove so many of the other magnets that draw these people to illegally cross our borders many will return to their own homes. Why wouldn’t they? Why would they stay if they can’t feed themselves or their families.

And as a side note, don’t believe Barrack Obama for a second when he positions himself as tough on this subject. In the State of the Union he claimed there were fewer illegal border crossings now than there had been in years. True or not that has nearly nothing to do with anything he or his administration have done. It has more to do with the economy. Why illegally come to the U.S. now? There are no jobs to be had (which further advances Romney’s assertion that no jobs means they will go home).

Secondly, I like Romney’s plans to waive the Capital Gains tax for those making under $200,000. This idea was panned when it was first introduced. Romney’s opponents claiming that such a tax is not paid by people making under $2ook, but instead by people like him. Wrong! I know. I’ve had to pay this tax and I didn’t like it one bit. I wrote a check to the Federal Government for $12,000 after selling my families first home, which we had moved from and kept as a rental for 7 years. The threat of having to pay it again was the primary reason we sold our second house after keeping it as a rental for nearly 3 years. It is a disincentive tax for me and for many other potential investors. I think less-so for those with higher incomes.

Eventually I’d like to see the high-end Capital Gains tax equal the high-end income tax rate. Because it is wrong for wealthy people to pay a much smaller rate than what the rest of us pay. And since they make a large majority of their income through capital gains rather than through salary, naturally they will pay the lower tax rate. When Ronald Reagan reformed taxes in 1986 he agreed with Democrats to make the Capital Gains tax rate 28%, equal to the highest income tax rate. Like Gingrich has said, I’d rather see the income tax lower and expanded to more people than raise the level of the Capital Gains tax rate.

Lastly, if you consider the only negatives on Romney are that he is wealthy and that he is a “flip-flopper”, you really seriously need to re-examine your priorities. After all when making an argument isn’t the idea to bring people to your way of thinking? And for Conservative Pro-Lifers hasn’t Mitt Romney come toward your way of thinking? Isn’t that a good thing?

So those are my reasons. My mind could change. But for now I’m with Mitt. What are your reasons?  Who do you support and why?

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

If you find this blog interesting I would be honored if you would share it. TY.

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January 30, 2012
Categories: National Politics, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on The more I look, the More I like Mitt.

Really looking forward to Mariner season.

The Mariner Moose, mascot of the Seattle Mariners.

Mariner Moose

Don’t be misled by the headline to this blog. I’m not delusional about my home town team’s chances in the coming 2012 Major League Baseball season. I realize the Seattle Mariner‘s are a young and flawed team and they aren’t likely to go anywhere but home when the 162 game schedule wraps up October 3rd. But I predict the Northwest’s baseball fans will embrace these kids and make Safeco Field a fun place to go again.

I’ll admit that I was disappointed when it was revealed this week that

English: Prince Fielder doing pre-game stretch...

Cecil Fielder

Cecil Fielderwas not going to hit for the M’s. The 275 pound slugging first baseman inked a 9-year $214-million deal with the Detroit Tigers. The Mariner’s weak hitters and inept offense over the previous two years made an acquisition of a power hitter like Fielder mandatory for the team to avoid another boring season of 2-1 losses stacked on top of each other. But can you really blame General Manager Jack Zduriencik for exercising some fiscal responsibility, and not acting desperate by giving in to super-agent

Scott Boras

Scott Boras

Scott Boras’ demands for a long and extraordinary contract with a player whose physical build may have him breaking down than most other chiseled athletes who make up professional baseball today. Don’t forget, unlike the NFL, baseball contracts are guaranteed. Fielder will be collecting his $20+ million each year until 2021 even if by 2016 he can’t waddle down the first base line fast enough to beat out a throw from the parking lot. To have gotten the former Milwaukee power hitter Jack Z would have had to commit to at least as many years and probably more dollars. Maybe as much as $230-million.

It became fairly evident the M’s were out of the Fielder sweepstakes last week when we heard about the team’s trade of its number two pitcher Michael Pineda

Michael Pineda

Michael Pineda

to the New York Yankees for catching and designated-hitter prospect Jesus Montero. In many evaluations Montero is the best prospect in all the Major Leagues. And by giving up a proven front line pitcher like Pineda, he better be. A team doesn’t usually part with a number 1 or 2 pitcher without getting a player at or near All Star caliber. With Montero we only have his experience with the Bronx Bombers last September to evaluate what his power bat will do in the Major Leagues. His only month of Major League experience proved mighty tasty though. Jesus (pronounced Hay-Zeus) hit .328 with four home runs and 12 RBI in just 61 at-bats. He’ll hit. I’m confident. Whether he’ll be a liability behind the plate remains to be seen. But my view is he couldn’t be much worse than we’ve had in recent years. Miguel Olivo was set to be the backstop going into this year. And while his ability to throw out runners is top-notch, and his calling of the game appears to serve Seattle well; Olivo also led the Majors in passed-balls and only hit only .224 and dropped off steadily as the year wore on. Great guy? Sure. But Montero can do better.

Now look at what else came Seattle’s way late last year and turned a record-paced piss poor offense into something a little better than awful. Former number 1 draft pick Dustin Ackley

Looking toward Qwest (football) Field and Down...

It'll be fun at Safeco again.

played a solid 2nd base and hit .273 with 6 homers. Mike Carp was hitting as well as anyone in the big leagues for most of July and August before slowing somewhat finishing with a .276 average and 12 homers, many of them very well-timed. Casper Wells came from Detroit and showed flashes with the bat and a very dependable glove. If Franklin Gutierrez doesn’t have a bounce back year, which he should, Wells could be an adequate Center Fielder.

Then there’s Justin Smoak, the switch hitting powerful first baseman we got from Texas in the Cliff Lee trade. In his first full season in the Major’s Smoak (I just love his name) hit only .234 with 15 HRs. But folks…his Dad died in April and in August he was hit in the eye socket by a pitch. For those who have never lost a parent let me tell you it doesn’t leave you at your best in terms of work performance. Work just seems all-together unimportant for an extend period while you grieve the loss of someone you were very close to, as Smoak was with his father. Smoak has shown enough of what it takes to continue to believe the forecasts for his Major League stardom are still possible.

And even with the loss of Pineda the Mariner’s have a solid core of pitchers led by All Star and 2010 Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez.

The M’s play in the same division as two-time American League Champion Texas, who just signed Japanese pitching ace Yu Darvish; and the Los Angeles Angels who not only have MLB’s best Manager in Mike Scoscia but also picked up Albert Pujols in free-agency…only the best player in baseball for the past ten years. Seattle can’t compete with these teams. Not in 2012. But won’t it be fun watching a team of young 20-somethings fight and claw and scratch and improve and give us some legitimate promise in years to come. Just remember the old franchise slogan “Ya gotta love these guys” was created for a team built around

Ken Griffey, Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr. was the star of the 1995 Mariners

Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Dan Wilson, Tino Martinez, Randy Johnson, Joey Cora, Alex Rodriguez and others. Back in the early to mid-90s they were all together and they were all young at that time. And as they grew so did the team’s success and the fun. I think we’ll love these NEW guys.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

If you find the blog interesting please Share it. Other’s might as well. TY.

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January 26, 2012
Categories: Sports, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on Really looking forward to Mariner season.

Life without Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Online- Michael is wired

Michael Schuett- wired

I’m a resident of the great Northwest, just outside Seattle. You may have seen in national news reports this week that our region was slammed with a pretty severe winter storm

Snowy Renton Street

Snowy Renton Street

this week. Snow, followed by icy rain followed by more snow. Like hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians from Olympia to Bellingham my home and office were left without electrical power (yawn) and without internet access (GASP!). The storm was so bad it knocked out cell towers throughout the area, so even my mobile device was useless in keeping me current with all my peeps on the internet. I was seriously traumatized.

The Los Angeles Times and other news sources have slammed Seattlites for their ineptitude when the snow hits. The criticism is somewhat deserved, and yet, there is a reason we’re called the Evergreen State. We have an awful lot of tall Evergreens throughout the hills and mountains around here that make up our topography. When their branches get weighted down with snow and ice they often fall onto something and far too often its power lines. And for those not from here you’d be as amazed at all the hills and mountains around here that we regularly drive on, as I have always been amazed at how flat so much of the rest of the country is. Let me tell ya, it’s a lot more difficult to drive on a snowy, icy 30-degree hill than on one that is flat.

A generator I purchased for my family home during the last serious ice storm in 2005 enable me, my wife, and kids to slog through the past two days with virtually all the normal comforts of a nice middle class home. Our Direct TV dish meant there was no cable to lose. So we had tv. But Comcast, once again, couldn’t handle the outage and couldn’t deliver our internet service. And newscasts predicted that power would remain out until the weekend.

The first half of Thursday I was plenty busy trying to get the generator running and my family’s needs met for what we anticipated as being a long period of inconvenience. I tried making some business calls from my cell phone yesterday, but found those I was trying to reach unavailable, dealing with the same weather and problems I was. I woke this morning with no expectation that power would come back before tomorrow. So psychologically I had checked out for the day. I wasn’t prepared to conduct business without the internet, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Since my company, Total Broadcasting Service, began offering video production for internet marketing two years ago so much of my time has been spent promoting it on the various social media sites I had literally forgotten there are other ways to conduct business. How soon we forget. I was a late comer to computers, and even later to conducting business on the internet. And yet I’d forgotten that up until 2005 I had managed a successful radio and then sales career never having used the internet at all. Can you imagine? Prior to that time all my internet usage between 1995 and 2005 had been strictly for personal “fun”.

My wits came back to me late this morning after 3-4 hours of prime Friday morning business time had been wasted. I went to my office picked up the phone and immediately began calling clients. It was hard because, as I’ve already said, I had already mentally checked-out for the day. Do you ever do that? Have you ever thought you had the day off or the rest of the day off and then had to suck it up and put in the time until the end of the day, like usual? It’s tough. But after a couple of hours I was back in the swing of it. I had several productive phone calls with several clients, scheduled a few call-backs, a few appointments and things were rolling like old times.

Then disaster struck…the power and internet service came back on. My first stop…my email…second? Facebook, followed by Twitter, then YouTube. I’m hopeless.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

January 20, 2012
Categories: Uncategorized, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: Comments Off on Life without Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Republican I will vote for is…?

Republican presidential candidates are picture...

Who we gonna pick

It’s getting down to crunch time and I haven’t fully determined in my mind who it is I would vote for in the GOP race for President of the United States. By crunch time I mean…weaker ineffectual campaigns are getting crunched and eliminated from even appearing on the ballots of upcoming primaries and caucuses, and they are dropping out. In my case I can’t actually vote for a candidate until March 3rd when Washington State has its caucuses and by then it’s not likely to be a contest at all. But since my decision has never been fully made I thought I would ruminate about the remaining five candidates.

Let’s start with who I won’t vote for.

Ron Paul taking questions in Manchester, NH

Crazy Ron Paul

I won’t vote for Ron Paul. The Congressman from Texas last night during the South Carolina debate looked every bit the crack pot that I’ve maintained he is for four years. His foreign policy is a dangerous joke. And what is really offensive is the fact that his ardent followers have actually compared Paul to Jesus. I’m not making this up. I’ve seen it on Facebook. If by some miraculous disaster Paul actually did win the Republican nomination I would have to vote for Barrack Obama.

When Governor Rick Perrymade his late entrance into the field of Presidential hopefuls I was very enthusiastic and hopeful.

Governor Rick Perry of Texas speaking at the R...

Perry came in too late.

His long record of success in Texas and his strong Christian beliefs had me thinking he could really be something special as President. But unfortunately he got such a late start in the race that he was clearly unprepared and overwhelmed at first. He has clearly improved his debate performances. Last night I thought he was terrific at articulating some strong Conservative ideas, and he didn’t look like a moron when he went after Mitt Romney about release of his tax records. His early gaffes I think I can comfortably say can be attributed to lack of preparedness. And in a way there is something endearing about the fact that Perry hadn’t been thinking he would run for President for years like some (Romney); and as such his entrance to the race, later than any of the candidates we’ve seen these last 7-8 months, left him flat-footed and ill prepared. Alas, it’s all gonna be moot soon. I strongly suspect Perry will drop out of the race following Saturday’s primary in South Carolina; as he probably should for the good of the party and the Conservative movement.

speaking at CPAC in Washington D.C. on Februar...

Mitt Romney

That leaves Senator Rick Santorum, Speaker Newt Gingrich, and Governor Mitt Romney. I could happily vote for any of the three. I think Romney will win the nomination. I don’t believe Santorum can hang on for much longer, perhaps dropping out after Florida at the end of the month. Money being what it is. I think Gingrich will stick around for a good while primarily because he seems to have a multi-billionaire sugar-daddy who will keep feeding his Super PAC money. But by the time March 3rd and Washington’s caucus comes around…Gingrich may be gone at worst or completely ineffectual at best.

So ultimately I don’t think I’ll have to decide. I think the decision for me and most of the rest of the country will be decided no later than the Nevada caucuses on February 4th. Nevada has a strong Mormon population and Romney is expected to win there handily. Certainly we’ll have no doubt come this year’s Super Tuesday elections March 6th when 10 states have primaries or caucuses. And if I’m right, and I am, and Mitt Romney will be the GOP nominee and it will be firmly determined that he is by February 4th and at that point only 5 of our fifty states will have voted…how sad is that?

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

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January 17, 2012
Categories: National Politics, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 2 Comments

No to Gay Marriage. Where’s the Discrimination?

The Seal of Washington, Washington's state seal.

The seal of the State of Washington

So Washington State Governor

English: Photo of , Governor of Washington sin...

Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire

Christine Gregoire wants to make our state the seventh in the national to make same-sex marriage legal. Well zippity-do-dah. As if Washington state had slipped far enough off the proverbial liberal cliff already. Now we want to put ourselves in the same category as New York, Massachusetts and the politicians and judges in California. I say the politicians and judges of California because the good people of the Golden State have had the good sense to vote FOUR TIMES to disallow Gay Marriage.

Same-Sex Marriage Rally

Lesbian wedding cake

I’m going to throw a bone to proponents of Gay Marriage. I don’t think there is any doubt that some who oppose Gay Marriage do so for purely hateful and discriminatory reasons. Some people hate gay people for reasons that fall pretty close to why they hate other types of people; because they’re “different”. However, I strongly believe that the most liberal wings of the Democratic party HATE all Conservatives and put just as much logic and reason into such feelings as the discriminatory gay bashers put into their thoughts.

And should  any of our leaders do anything at all to placate either of these extremes? Absolutely not. Sadly, they do all the time. The expression, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”, comes to mind.

Most people oppose legalization of gay marriage. Constant opinion polls and ballot measures have said so repeatedly in the past 10-15 years…which is the only period of time in human history in which the matter was given any consideration whatsoever.

And while I am certain to receive comments and criticisms calling me a hater and homophobe and other colorful descriptions I’m not too worried about it. Speaking of expressions, there is one I heard when I was a child referencing sticks and stones that comes to mind. Because the proponents of gay marriage are so loud and visceral I realize I’m sticking my head in the lions mouth; but hoping, perhaps foolishly, that calm reason and debate can dominate this discussion.

My opposition to gay marriage has more to do with my political philosophy in general. The more government, the more laws the less liberty and freedom. And gay marriage creates more laws and restrictions than it eliminates in addressing a discrimination that does not exist.

I credit radio talk show host

Michael Medved

Michael Medved

Michael Medved for sharpening my point of view on this gay marriage issue. Medved has correctly and repeatedly pointed out that when it comes to gays and lesbians wanting to marry someone of the same-sex as things stand right now THERE IS NO DISCRIMINATION. ZERO!

Right now in most of this country a man cannot marry another man and a woman cannot marry another woman. No where does it say that “a GAY man cannot marry another man” or “a LESBIAN cannot marry another woman”. Meaning, a gay man can legally marry anyone that I can legally marry. I am heterosexual. I am married to a woman. Were I single I would be legally barred from marrying:

1. A minor

2. Anyone legally married to another

3. My mother, sister, or first cousin

4. Someone of the same-sex (in my case a man)

I CAN (if I weren’t already married) legally marry anyone else who doesn’t fall into those four categories. Any gay man can do the same. So I ask, where is the discrimination?

A society has a right to establish laws protecting our cumulative values. You can’t just dismiss the laws that prevent you from marrying some other people. It used to be legal for you to marry your first cousin. After divorcing my Mom’s father in 1942 my Grandmother married her first cousin. On at least one other occasion in my own family’s genealogy I found an instance of 1st cousins marrying (let the jokes begin. “That explains a lot”, etc, etc). And while I don’t recall finding instances of legalized minors marrying in my family history I do know of instances where someone as young as 16 was married. Most famously singer Jerry Lee Lewis married his thirteen year old cousin; something that wasn’t terribly uncommon in the deep South as recently as the 1950s (age or 1st cousin). And of course bigamist marriages legally occurred with Mormons in this country in the 19th century, and still exist today, illegally. The point is gay people aren’t being discriminated against on this issue and there are plenty of examples of laws that DO prevent us from marrying  some other people. And those laws apply to all of us, regardless of sexual orientation.

Also, as Presidential candidate

English: Former Congressman Newt Gingrich of G...

Newt Gingrich so adequately pointed out in last Saturday’s New Hampshire debate legalizing gay marriage creates, or expands, discrimination by our governments against many Christian churches. He correctly points out that the Catholic church in Massachusetts had to close down their adoption services because they wouldn’t allow adoption by same-sex couples. The Obama administration has repeatedly threatened to cut off Christian colleges and universities from any federal funding and research grants for opposing the gay agenda. The repercussions of legalizing gay marriage are enormous and go far beyond creating special rights for a small minority class of people.

Homosexuality and gay marriage are opposed by Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In only four other countries in the entire world is gay marriage legal. Canada is the only country in the Americas where it is legal.

And as Presidential candidate Mitt Romney

English: Governor Mitt Romney of MA

said in that same debate marriage between a man and a woman has been the ONLY standard by which humans have existed and grown for 3000 years. And we shouldn’t throw 3-thousand years of history out the window so cavalierly; especially when no discrimination exists.

Lastly in the interest of political fairness this isn’t just a GOP or Conservative issue. Democratic President Barrack Obama is on record as being opposed to gay marriage. Washington legislators or voters should say no to Gregoire’s proposal because ultimately this is not a state issue. It’s must be a Federal issue for the simple reason that we cannot have a couple, any couple, being legally married in one state and not so in another. Ultimately, baring a Constitutional Amendment, the Supreme Court will decide the matter.

Thanks for visiting. Comments are welcome.

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January 12, 2012
Categories: National Politics, Washington State . Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Author: Michael Schuett . Comments: 6 Comments

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