Let’s look at the possible outcomes of the current election cycle:

Conor Friedersdorf suggests that the best possible short term outcome for the revitalization of the GOP is an Obama presidency.

Overall I’d say the best case for conservatives is an Obama Presidency whose overambitious agenda provokes a GOP backlash in the 2010 midterms, causing a chastened Obama Administration to focus on bipartisan entitlement reforms that only a Democratic president could pass. As I think about it, what I’m saying is the best we can hope for is another Clinton Administration sans the affairs while the right regroups, casts aside the corrupt yes men who enabled the Bush Administration to do so many un-conservative things, and develops a coherent, appealing domestic agenda. My assumption is that such a process could not proceed with John McCain and Sarah Palin in the White House.

James Poulos disagrees:

The best-case scenario for conservatives this election season is a Presidential blowout and a gridlocked Congress. If McCain wins in a landslide (if! I said if!), the political and philosophical reappraisal of conservatism and the GOP that’s already underway will continue under conditions of relative calm. Even a major McCain win will not fool anyone that Bush’s main political legacy is anything beside sweeping and profound disappointment among Americans generally and conservatives in particular. A huge vote for McCain wouldn’t be a mandate for either him or the party; it would be an awkward plea for a national pause. For conservatives, the inevitable internecine conflict that will put a McCain presidency on pause will at least avoid the special kind of petty panic and bitterness that accompanies a narrow loss. And a big win would let McCain spring a one-term pledge on the country without looking like a guy without the support to attempt another four years.

But he raises an interesting point:

Conservatives… really want to know how an Obama blowout and a seized-up Congress could also make for a best-case scenario. Simple: a narrow McCain win or loss will keep Republicans locked in a death struggle over the true meaning of conservatism and the identity of the party. So long as Congress doesn’t flip completely and utterly into Democratic hands, a landslide for Obama will do conservatives much more good than harm. Without an all-powerful Democratic House and Senate behind him—or, more likely, in front of him, pulling him along — a President Obama (even with an apparent mandate) would be high on inspiration and togetherness but low on power and ambition.

However, the current polling data trends suggest a Democratic power surge into both the House and the Senate.  An Obama victory in the presidential campaign may well sweep more Democrats into office leaving Conservatives little opportunity to voice, let alone advance, any conservative ideas, let alone an agenda.

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To the Washington Post:

“We’re in this bad place as a country because of the evangelicals, the neocons, the nasty, bitter and mean . . . very clever ideological groups that use money, technology, fear and bigotry to lead people around,” he says. “Voting according to your knowledge and experience — that’s out the window. Competence and prudence? Forget it.”

Keep on singing, Wayne.

Blame it on the Christians: those greedy Christians like Barney Frank and Chris Dodd, who failed to curb the excesses at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and enriched themselves and countless others during your 17 years representing your conservative district.

Blame it on the horrible neocons who want their representatives to show restraint in their spending, and who want legislation that does its job without adding billions of additional dollars of our money to pay for your pet projects that put money in your personal pockets.

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The recent reports out of The Heritage Foundation recently brought into focus the dual responsibilities of the government to restrain itself from interference in the free market, and to assure the integrity of the infrastructure of the market system.  Failures to meet either of these responsibilities results in turmoil and can threaten the very liberties set forth in the Constitution.

We are in such a threatening period today.  And there is much to lose if we do not handle this crisis appropriately or effectively.

It must be noted that it is not the responsibility of the government to protect financial firms or businesses of any kind from the consequences of making bad business decisions.  Those consequences should be borne by the people making the business decisions and the firms themselves.

Bailing out these institutions is a form of enablement, and creates dependency on government for fiscal solvency rather than on independent business analysis and evaluations, careful risk management, and keen business acumen.

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If you want a close look at what Barak Obama will do to America, look no further than the State of Maryland.

Since taking office in January 2007, Martin O’Malley has increased both personal and corporate business taxes, resulting in the flight of nearly 8,000 households and numerous private sector jobs to neighboring states.

[See also]

That does not even begin to assess the impact of the tax increases rammed through the Special Assembly earlier this year.  Those figures are not expected to be released until late September.  Or the tax increases looming in the very near future.  State Comptroller Peter Franchot is expected to release some more bad news for Marylanders today.

And now private sector jobless rates are on the rise as well.  The Baltimore Sun reports a sharp uptick in joblessness among Maryland’s citizens.

But interestingly, government jobs increased.  According to the Sun

[g]overnment employment continued to rise last month while private employment fell because cuts in sectors such as finance and manufacturing outweighed corporate hiring elsewhere.

How’s that for a vast left-wing conspiracy?

Creating dependence on government is what Democrats do best.  And creating government jobs is a huge part of that plan.

Just look at Barak Obama’s economic plan closely.

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The Baltimore Sun reports that defeated Republican Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest will cross party lines today to endorse Democrat Frank M. Kratovil Jr. in the 1st Congressional District this November.

Amid the news of damage and suffering from Hurricane Gustav and the news from the Republican National Convention, Gilchrest, a seasoned veteran of the national political scene, will announce his endorsement sometime today. He will appear beside Kratovil in two appearances on the Eastern shore today.

How’s that for “partisan politics”?  No wonder he lost his election!

Blurring the lines between parties is not new news.  And the length of Gilchrest’s tenure in Washington is a clear case study in how to win re-election by garnering votes of moderates on both sides of party lines.

Sometimes straddling the fence can provide a clear view of both sides before making a decision about where to take the next step.

But it isn’t possible to sit on the fence forever.

And in this case, Gilchrest’s constituents voted to oust him, perhaps because they could no longer tell the difference between him and the other side… Which is exactly where he finds himself today.

Welcome to my latest blog, TedPibil.com. For the past 6 months or so, I have been concentrating on consulting and blogging for my corporate clients. But the time has come for me to have a site specifically for my views on business and politics. I hope you enjoy and, as always, please feel free to comment or contact me and let me know what you think!