It is Friday morning and here we sit awaiting Sen. McCain’s choice for his running mate. Last night Sen. Obama gave a stirring speech. While I disagreed with almost every policy position outlined by Sen. Obama, one cannot deny the fact that he is a moving speaker, albeit with no substance.

At this point, as Sen. McCain moves forward, he has a real opportunity to add a dynamic element to his ticket. From all accounts, Gov. Palin has governed conservatively. She is an able speaker. She has a compelling personal story. And most importantly, by adding a female to the ticket, Sen. McCain for the first time in the election would be able to steal attention from Sen. Obama, and for more than simply a day or two.

The media, which to this point has largely ignored Sen. McCain, would be forced to divert some attention from Sen. Obama to Sen. McCain and highlight the fact that now a Sen. McCain presidency would also add a fresh and dynamic element to American politics.

When was the last time you’ve heard “fresh” and “dynamic” used to describe a potential McCain presidency?

While Govs. Romney and Pawlenty would certainly each add certain strengths to the ticket, Gov. Palin would be the exciting and wise choice for Vice President.

-Jake

I would like to thank everyone for coming out last night and making the 1st ever CYP of Milwaukee Happy Hour a booming success. We had no idea what to expect.

At one point in the evening, according to my count, we had roughly 35 people in attendance! There were CPA’s, bankers, mortgage brokers, attorneys, political operatives, candidates for public office, non-profit organizers and art gallery professionals (yes, that is a shout-out to my wife).

What made the event a real success in my eyes was that one gentleman simply looked us up online and came not knowing a single person. He told me he had been looking for a group like ours for two years since he had moved to the area. He made my night.

That is the purpose of this group: to serve as a resource and networking tool for young professionals in the Milwaukee-area who are concerned about the direction of this state and nation.

Those of you who are active and have political/business connections need to continue spreading the word regarding our group. We need to reach those who are looking for a way to network with fellow conservatives here in SE Wisconsin.

Please look for an email/blog post/facebook event posting within the next week detailing the September Happy Hour event. The format is going to be exactly the same: pick a bar in the area, enjoy some drinks, talk politics and network. However, assuming there is interest, we hope to line up a speaker. It will definitely be someone worth coming to listen to.

Sorry, that’s all I can say regarding the speaker right now (I’m going to tease the group Barack Obama-style, just without the 3 am text message).

-Jake

Following the recent Supreme Court election between Gableman-Butler, many individuals involved in the Wisconsin legal community have been calling for a change in the way jurists are selected in the state. Unfortunately, instead of advancing a somewhat reasonable alternative of a nomination process similar to the federal government, many have been advocating a judicial selection process wherein nominees are “selected” for nomination by a “nonpartisan commission.” (sorry for all the quotes, but I just can’t help pretending those are neutral terms)

A recent WSJ article highlighted the problems which exist in such systems. Missouri and Florida both use a system where nominees to fill vacant seats are presented to the governor. If the governor refuses to select any of the options, the nominees are simply sent back to the committee. However, it is the committee that then chooses the judge.

As the WSJ noted, “though the Missouri Plan is supposed to keep politics out of the process, it has instead transferred power from voters to state bar associations and legal groups that control the judicial commission. The result is a system that’s contentious and opaque — and has tipped the state courts steadily to the left.”

At the end of the day, “merit selection states have already proven you can’t get politics out of the court system. The real issue is who does the choosing — voters through elections or their elected representatives, or lawyers working to help their own.”

The WSJ nailed it. If Wisconsin were to support a “nominating committee” it would simply turn into a tool for the state bar to elevate jurists they believe to have the proper judicial outlook. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be the individual to make that decision. If a change must take place, I would then much rather have elected officials make such decisions. There must be accountability. A “nonpartisan committee” will be answerable to no Wisconsinite.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121944715202565133.html

-Jake

Peggy Noonan had an interesting OpEd in the weekend edition of the WSJ (my analysis follows):

“I still think a one-term pledge could win it for him, because it would allow America to punt. It would make the 2008 choice seem less fateful. People don’t mind the chance to defer a choice when they’re not at all sure about the product. It would give bitter Democrats a chance to regroup, and it would give those who like Obama but consider him a little half-baked to vote against him guiltlessly while he becomes fully baked. (Imagine the Q&A when Sen. Obama announces his second presidential run in 2011: “Well, Brian, I think, looking back, there is something to be said for the idea that I will be a better president now than frankly I would have been four years ago. Experience, if you allow it, is still the best of all teachers.”) More, it would allow Mr. McCain to say he means to face the tough problems ahead with a uniquely bipartisan attitude and without having to care a fig for re-election. That itself would give him a new power, one that would make up for the lost juice of lame duckdom. It would also serve to separate him from the hyperpolitical operating styles of the Clinton-Bush years, from the constant campaign.

And Mr. McCain would still have what he always wanted, the presidency, perhaps a serious and respectable one that accrued special respect because it involved some sacrifice on his part.

A move that would help him win doubtful voters, win disaffected Democrats, allow some Republicans to not have to get drunk to vote for him, and that could possibly yield real results for his country. This seems to me such a potentially electrifying idea that he’d likely walk out of his convention as the future president.” http://online.wsj.com/article/declarations.html

I think she is right in that a one-term pledge would placate both hesitant Democrats/Independents and disaffected Republicans. Note, I would not go as far as her by stating it takes a couple cocktails before heading to the polling booth to vote for McCain.

However, there is one major caveat. The one-term pledge is only effective if Sen. McCain chooses a conservative running mate. If he were to choose a Tom Ridge or Sen. Lieberman, the entire concept of helping conservatives look toward the future is neutralized.

Furthermore, from recent polls it has become clear age will in fact end up playing a deciding role for some individuals in November.

I’m confident a one-term pledge would go a long way in helping Sen. McCain secure many of those voters on the proverbial fence.

-Jake

Mike Roman will be speaking this Thursday from 12:00 to 1:15 at the Milwaukee Athletic Club regarding the 2008 election. Mike is the National Election Day Operations Director for John McCain.

This is a great way to meet Republican lawyers and network with those involved in the Milwaukee legal community.

-Jake

We would like to invite everyone to our first Conservative Young Professionals of Milwaukee Happy Hour. On Tuesday, August 26th we are going to be getting together for some drinks at Flannery’s, one block west of Cathedral Square.

We’re hoping to have a good turnout. The special that night is $3 imports. So if you like a good Guinness, you better be there!

Just to be clear, since this is an informal organization, you are on your own as far as drinks go. However, we do offer the best political conversation one can find in Southeast Wisconsin! Shoot us an email with any questions.

Please take a second, scroll down and register your choice for VP.

Also, follow this link to see a listing of the top 24 conservative picks for Sen. McCain. It is an interesting read as it outlines each individuals strengths and weaknesses. Note the interesting names that did NOT make the top 24.

http://www.rightwingnews.com/mt331/2008/02/john_mccains_top_22_potential.php

-Jake

The McCain campaign in the Milwaukee area is hosting an event on Thursday August 14th at 6 pm at the Victory office located at 1470 South 84th Street in West Allis.

Please invite your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to attend. There will be an exclusive opportunity to participate on a conference call for a strategic briefing and ask questions of one of John McCain’s top advisers and hear directly from Cindy McCain.

This first national event day is important for spreading the word at the local level and getting McCain supporters organized. Milwaukee County supporters are the best possible surrogates for John McCain’s campaign. They are counting on Milwaukee conservatives to take the lead in convincing others in the community.

John McCain needs your help in getting your neighbors organized so McCain can win in November.

-Jake

The Conservative Young Professionals of Milwaukee would like to welcome everyone to our blog. We are a group of young professionals in the Milwaukee-area who are confident this county, state and nation need conservative leadership to meet today’s challenges.

Our purpose is fairly simple. We simply want to serve as a resource for area conservatives. We plan on maintaining this blog with the most current information regarding current events, conservative functions and candidates of interest.

Please look for an update in the near future regarding our first after-work event. In about two weeks we are planning on hosting a happy hour some place downtown. There will be no hidden agenda. It will be a great opportunity to network with local young professionals, talk about local/state/national politics and enjoy a drink in a great Milwaukee establishment.

Thanks for taking the time to visit the blog and we hope this is the start of a great organization here in Milwaukee.

-Jake

WPRI has a new poll of Wisconsinites that shows that what used to be a 10+ point lead by Obama over McCain has shrunk to far more modest 6-point lead. See the poll at WPRI: http://www.wpri.org/Commentary/2008/8.08/Poll8.7.08/Poll8.7.08.html