Be Seeing You at the Polls: A New Get Out the Vote Video - Inspired by The Prisoner

I've done another get out the vote video...this one using old footage from the famous cult classic television show, The Prisoner. For better or worse, I think Number Six's outspoken honesty, courage, and eventual success gave me a lot of hope as a child as a teenager and later as a young man.



One of the things that always thrilled me about the show's final episode is that Number Six is finally recognized as a role model and manages to pull off a tidy escape with his other "doubter" friends. I'm indebted to Patrick McGoohan, in part, for my outspokenness, my coolness, my villainous enunciation, and my fun with music.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Get Out the Vote Campaign - I'm Excited for the Anti-Marxist Tidal Wave

I thought I'd try my hand at the traditional get out the vote commerical. Here's my version. It features my thanks to all the folks who helped me get out the message of young Obama's commitment to Marxist ideology. In this video, I tip my hat to my father, Richard Drew, my co-author Michael Patrick Leahy, and published authors Michael Savage who wrote Tricke Up Poverty, Paul Kengor who wrote Dupes and Stanley Kurtz who just published Radical-In-Chief.



All three leaned hard on my observations and broke out new details consistent with my take that Obama was an ardent Marxist by the fall of 1980. I grateful that they gave thoughtful attention to my brief insight into the mind of President Obama.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Implications of President Obama's Marxist Roots: On the Air with Prof. Paul Kengor - Author of Dupes

I'm steadily trying to get out the word about young Obama's commitment to Marxist thought.  I'm grateful to the folks at the Glen Meaken show for giving me some air time this morning.  Check it out here.

I was honored to be interviewed this morning by Dr. Paul Kengor. (Kengor was the guest host for the Glen Meakem radio program in Western Pennsylvania.) Kengor is a professor at Grove City College and the executive director of the College's Center for Vision and Values.

As you may know, Kengor is a regular featured columnist at Townhall.com, a web-based publication primarily dedicated to conservative politics. I know him, however, from his most known best selling book, "God and Ronald Reagan." Kengor is currently finishing a major work on Ronald Reagan’s role in his administration’s effort to undermine the Soviet Union.

I was grateful to learn that my report on young Obama's commitment to Marxist-Leninist thought has been published in Kengor's newest book, “Dupes: How America’s Adversaries Have Manipulated Progressives for a Century.”

On the radio show, I indicated that I knew President Obama when he was still a student at Occidental College. I graduated from Occidental College in 1979 and I was the founder of the Democratic Socialist Alliance. When I knew Obama, he was definitely a Marxist Leninist looking forward to an immenent revolution.

In my view, Obama’s attraction to this radical ideology as a young college student helps explain his absolute determination as President to pass the “progressive” agenda of the liberal left. While I painfully transformed into a church going, Ronald Reagan conservative, President Obama has never described a similar political evolution - away from socialist thinking - for himself.

You can listen to the whole radio show by clicking here.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Flexing Our Power: The New Augustine 25 - Orange County Voter's Guide

I have always wanted to provide an Orange County Voter's Guide. This one is liberally borrowed from the the Lincoln Club Voter Guide which was endorsed by Chip Hanlon's Red County Blog. Please do not take this with you into the voter booth - I think you are better off voting by mail. (If you strongly disagree with any of my picks, please do not hesitate to leave a comment.)

AUGUSTINE 25 CANDIDATE ENDORSEMENTS

FEDERAL
U.S. Senate: Carly Fiorina
She's getting hammered for laying off HP employees - I want her to use that same skill to lay-off federal employees.

40th Congressional District: Ed Royce
Royce is a conservative.

46th Congressional District: Dana Rohrabacher
Rohrabacher is one of my hero - a bold, courageous guy - who surfs.

47th Congressional District: Van Tran
Tran would be a gift compared to Loretta Sanchez. Sanchez has a creepy side that came out during this campaign.

48th Congressional District: John Campbell
Campbell voted for TARP...but I thought it was necessary too...to keep up the money supply.

49th Congressional District: Darrell Issa
Issa's staff was among the first to reach out to me when I started blogging and got active on Twitter. I can't wait to see what he will do when Republicans are the House majority.

STATE
Governor: Meg Whitman
No other choice.

Secretary of State: Damon Dunn
He's Republican.

State Treasurer: Mimi Walters
My State Senator right now.

Controller: Tony Strickland
According to the Lincoln Club, Strickland has a solid conservative voting record as a State Senator, while John Chiang, the current controller, is strongly backed by the public-employee unions.

Board of Equalization (District 3): Michelle Steel
According to the Lincoln Club, Steel is a solid conservative, pro-business vote on the five-member tax collection board.

34th Senate District: Lucille Kring
According to the Lincoln Club, Kring, an Anaheim City Councilwoman and local business owner, will be a solid pro-business voice in Sacramento. She is a much better choice than incumbent Democrat Lou Correa, who voted for the largest tax increase in state history as part of last year’s budget deal.

68th Assembly District: Allan Mansoor
According to the Lincoln Club, Mansoor, the mayor of Costa Mesa, is a taxpayer advocate and fiscal conservative committed to taking on public-employee unions in Sacramento.

70th Assembly District: Don Wagner
According to the Lincoln Club, Wagner is a strong conservative and worthy successor to replace termed-out Chuck DeVore for this central/south county seat. (I'm a big fan of Chuck DeVore...but still okay with term limits.)

73rd Assembly District: Diane Harkey
According to the Lincoln Club, Harkey is a staunch supporter of fiscal responsibility in Sacramento and a vocal opponent of out-of-control public employee union pensions and benefits.

LOCAL

COUNTY
Orange County Board of Supervisors, Fourth District: Shawn Nelson
According to the Lincoln Club, Former Fullerton City Councilman Nelson gained a reputation for fighting sweetheart deals for public employee unions, and will continue to be an advocate for fiscal responsibility at the county level.

Orange County Treasurer-Tax Collector: Shari Freidenrich
According to the Lincoln Club, as the only candidate who has managed public investments of one of Orange County’s largest cities, Huntington Beach Treasurer Freidendrich is the only qualified candidate for the job at the county level. Don’t be fooled by the ballot designation of her opponent; Freidenrich brings far more professional experience to the job.

CITIES
All candidates for cities and school boards who applied for and received the Lincoln Club’s endorsement have signed its “Union-Free Pledge,” in which they agree not to accept campaign contributions from public employee unions. Their endorsed candidates are listed in alphabetical order.

Anaheim City Council: Brian Chuchua, Gail Eastman, Kris Murray, Tom Tait (Mayor)
Brea City Council: Ron Garcia, Steve Vargas
Buena Park City Council: Baron Night, Beth Swift
Costa Mesa City Council: Jim Righeimer
Cypress City Council: Dr. Prakash Narain, MD
Dana Point City Council: Lisa Bartlett, Joel Bishop, Bill Brough
Fountain Valley City Council: John Collins, Mark McCurdy
Fullerton City Council: Marty Burbank, Bruce Whitaker
Huntington Beach City Council: Barbara Delgleize, Matthew Harper, Fred Speaker
Irvine City Council: Chris Gonzales (Mayor), Jeff Lalloway
Laguna Niguel City Council: Linda Lindholm, Robert Ming
Lake Forest City Council: Peter Herzog, Scott Voigts
Mission Viejo City Council: Trish Kelley
Newport Beach City Council: Ed Reno
Orange City Council: Carolyn Cavecche (Mayor), Fred Whitaker
Rancho Santa Margarita City Council: Neil Blais, Gary Thompson
San Clemente City Council: Joe Anderson, Jay Gaskins
San Juan Capistrano: Jim Reardon
Seal Beach City Council: Scott Levitt
Villa Park City Council: Richard Barnett, Robert Fauteux, Deborah Pauly
Yorba Linda City Council: John Anderson, Thomas Lindsey

SCHOOL DISTRICTS
Here's where I think the voter guide concept becomes extremely important. It is difficult to keep track of these candidates and I know the union backed candidates are a big part of the problem.

Capistrano Unified School District: Anna Bryson, Ellen Addonizio, Larry Christensen, Mike Winsten
South Orange County Community College District: Kevin Muldoon, Marcia Milchiker
Orange Unified School District: Chris Nguyen

BALLOT MEASURES

STATE
Proposition 19 – Legalize Marijuana: OPPOSE

Proposition 20 – Allows Congressional Districts to be drawn by

Proposition 21 – Vehicle Tax for State Parks: OPPOSE

Proposition 22 – Stops State Government from taking local transportation funds: SUPPORT

Proposition 23 – California Jobs Initiative – Will suspend AB 32 until jobless rate comes down to specified levels: SUPPORT

Proposition 24 – Jobs Tax: OPPOSE

Proposition 25 – Repeals two-thirds vote requirement of state legislature to pass state budget: OPPOSE

Proposition 26 – Requires two-thirds vote of state legislature to impose new fees; requires voter approval to increase certain fees: SUPPORT

Proposition 27 – Eliminates citizen redistricting commission: OPPOSE

LOCAL
Anaheim City School District – Measure G (bond): OPPOSE
The Lincoln Club generally opposes general-obligation bond measures, and this $169 million bond measure is no exception.

Capo Unified School District – Measure H (change election method): OPPOSE
The Lincoln Club is listed as an official opponent of this local measure specifically because it is nothing more than an attempt by the teachers’ unions to get more members sympathetic to their cause on the school board.

City of Costa Mesa – Measure L “Hotel Bed Tax”: OPPOSE

City of Irvine – Measure R “School Support Initiative”: OPPOSE
I disagree with the O.C. Lincoln Club on this one.

City of La Palma – Measure U (ability to reduce utility tax): SUPPORT
According to the Lincoln Club: "Believe it or not, this measure would allow the city to lower the utility tax by more than the 1% currently allowed under the city’s current ordinance."

Magnolia School District – Measure I (bond): OPPOSE

I expect this will be helpful to those of us wanting to do a good job with our down ballot voting. The link to the original Lincoln Club Voter Guide is here.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Dr. Drew’s Take on Young Obama’s Marxism Now Included in Michael Savage’s New Book, Trickle Up Poverty

A year ago, I was a lonely voice in the wilderness. I knew the young Barack Obama when he was a sophomore at Occidental College in 1980-1981, and – as far as I could tell – I was the only one who knew him who was willing to verify that young Obama was definitely a Marxist socialist ideologue.

To my frustration, it looked like the McCain campaign did not want to investigate Obama’s past. McCain, in fact, piously asserted that paying attention to something as outrageous as Rev. Wright’s anti-white hostility was a non-issue for the Presidential campaign. Personally, I was heart-broken. I was frustrated that Obama’s extremist ideology was hiding in plain sight and the voters had no idea what was really going on. I didn’t give up. I also sent e-mails to Fox News and the Orange County Register. I tried to get in touch with Ann Coulter. It was all fruitless.

This week, for the first time in a long time, however, I feel relieved and at peace. I learned last week that the story of my face-to-face political conversations with the young Obama have been included as part of Michael Savages's new book "Trickle Up Poverty: Stopping Obama's Attack on Our Borders, Economy and Security.” It hit the bookstores last week. I have not read it yet, but I’m already fascinated to see how Savage has weaved my observations on young Obama’s ideological views with Savage’s own interpretation of how Obama’s ideology developed and how it is impacting our country.

Savage told World Net Daily (WND) that he wrote the new book "hoping to alter the course of human events" and added that the Obama administration is the "greatest fraud perpetrated on the American people in history." See, http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=211585
Understanding the pain caused by Marxist philosophy in the past, Savage labels Obama as "the most divisive and dangerous man that's ever occupied the Oval Office."
In "Trickle Up Poverty," Savage examines Obama's "Marxist-Leninist roots" in some detail, noting, for example, my assessment - as a contemporary of Obama's at Occidental College in Los Angeles – that Obama was a serious "Marxist revolutionary."

Acknowledging my own embarrassing past as a Marxist revolutionary, Savage reports – truthfully – that I came to see Obama as a "blood brother" and as a "member of this revolutionary elite that was going to turn around our country when the revolution hit." One of the things that Savage left out, however, is that Obama and his friends went out of their way to persuade me that Obama was not just playing with Marxist revolution. They were anxious to assure me that young Obama had been active in the work of the school’s Democrat Socialist Alliance – a group I had founded in 1976.

Savage goes on to explain that Obama is not the stereotypical Marxist of "the red beret, the marching, the Russian revolution and killing the rich." Instead, Savage places Obama in the historic Frankfurt school of socialism, a school that espoused a gradual transformation from capitalism to socialism to communism. My conversations with young Obama, in fact, were mainly focused on helping him shift from a silly revolutionary Marxist perspective to the more realistic insight of the Frankfurt school.

Savage also documents radical-left influences in Obama's past and concludes this is why Obama spoke of "spreading the wealth around."

After reading a number of biographies on President Obama’s life, I can report that Savage is the first person to really get the story right. He appears to be the first to directly connect Obama’s ideology to his current dysfunctional choices. As far as I can tell, Savage understands the long-standing, highly ideological motives which guide President Obama.
This insight leads to chilling warnings about our future. Savage admits, for example, that in the face of the Tea Party Movement and low Presidential approval ratings, Obama has not gone after the control of the airwaves - as was previously threatened by members of his administration. Nevertheless, Savage is anxious that Obama may move forward with a revival of the "Fairness Doctrine," a law that would most likely shut down conservative talk radio. Right now, I cannot think of anything that would be more frightening for our safety and our freedom.

"Don't think this man has stopped just because he's unpopular," Savage warns WND. "Don't underestimate him."

In a piece of good luck, Obama’s presidential seal fell off his podium the same day that Savage’s book came out. Obama covered this mishap by saying: “All of you know who I am.” Thanks to Michael Savage’s new book, Obama’s statement is certainly truer now than it was a week ago. See, http://www.breitbart.tv/obama-loses-his-seal/ For me, the wilderness is starting to look like the more green lawns of the comfortable suburbs.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.

Dr. Drew’s Website Tips: Check It Out - Just Discovered New Site for Folks with Multiple Sclerosis

Tricia and I have a number of relatives with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in our extended family. I know the fear and suffering associated with this disease.

Accordingly, I’m glad to see there is a new website called www.allaboutms.com designed to let people know more about MS and to direct folks to services and products developed to assist those in need of MS treatment.

As you may know, MS is a disease that attacks the myelin in our bodies, the material that insulates the nervous system, much like the covering of an electrical wire, allowing the nerves to transmit impulses at great speed. With myelin, our bodies are capable of rapid, smooth and coordinated movements. Without myelin, however, it is more difficult to perform these ordinary movements.

The www.allaboutms.com website includes fascinating, specialized information for people impacted by MS and tips regarding new ideas for dealing with MS related heat intolerance and the possibilities of a Multiple Sclerosis Diet. All in all, I’m amazed at the power of on-line resources to quickly bring us face-to-face with crucial information and options - especially when it comes to MS.

John C. Drew, Ph.D. is an award-winning political scientist.