Sad News out of Orlando: Jaws is Closing

Every time I'm in the Orlando Area, I pay a visit to Disney, but occasionally, I will head to the other side of town to visit Universal Orlando, which contains Universal Studios Florida and Universal Islands of Adventure; two of the best non-Disney theme parks in the US. Having visited since it opened, I know the classics of Universal Studios Florida well, one of them being Jaws, which takes guests on a "boat tour of Amity Harbor" where they have multiple "near death" encounters with Jaws. Since 1990, this ride is always a crowd pleaser and can even scare the heck out of someone who knows it well. Come January 2, 2012, Jaws will close forever, as the ride and the Amity section of the park will be developed. This is very, very sad news for me, as this is my constant favorite ride, but I have faith the replacement will be just as good, as Universal's track record is pretty good here, replacing King Kong with Revenge of the Mummy and Back to the Future with The Simpsons.

As Jaws closes forever, I'd like to leave you with a memory of this classic, ground-breaking attraction, with one of the best videos I've seen of the ride on YouTube. RIP, Jaws.

The Disney Centennial: 100 Years of Magic

It should be noted that this week celebrates the 100th birthday (had he lived) of Walt Disney. As you, the reader, well knows, I am a Disney FANATIC, therefore, "The 'Right' Solutions" would like to honor the spirit of Disney on this day by thanking him for his creativity, his ingenuity, his positive impact on American culture and the many smiles his work has not only brought me, but the billions who have watched a Disney film (Lion King and Snow White being my favorites) or set foot in a Disney theme park! Having been to Disney World and Disneyland many, many times and being an Annual Passholder to Walt Disney World, I know firsthand of the magic of these places that bring happiness and allow for an escape from the everyday issues that I write about on "The 'Right' Solutions."

Now that Cain is Gone, it Seems Newt is Next on Their List

With Cain's early exit, it looks like Newt Gingrich is next on the list, yet uniquely, it seems both the Democrats and the Republicans are gunning for him. Rush provides a good perspective on this and I do agree with his assessment.

Considering what happened to Herman Cain, Nancy Pelosi's comments today that she will break the law to October Surprise Newt should have the radar of every Republicans up, in that the left will say "damn the law," as long as it protects the president. It was good to see Newt respond to the former Speaker.

"The 'Right' Solutions" implores Speaker John Boehner to bring charges of ethics violations against Nancy Pelosi if she uses confidential material against Newt while serving on the Ethics Committee. Speaker Boeher's Washington Office Number is (202) 225-0600!

The politics of personal destruction is in full force and if Newt's experience tells me anything, he will have none of it! Most importantly, this primary should be decided by the people, and not the pundits or politicians.

Newt Gingrich for President

It's only December 2011, we've already traveled down a long road this election season. We've seen candidates rise and fall, candidates flirt with entering and candidates attempt to get drafted. For a few months, I have been giving most of the candidates multiple looks and my preference has frequently changed. At this point in the campaign, I am ready to make an endorsement and the individual who will receive my vote is Newt Gingrich.

The United States knows Newt Gingrich well, as he was the Speaker of the House from 1995-1999 and was the innovator and architect of the Republican Takeover of the House, after serving in Congress since 1978. As Speaker, he presided over a Congress that balanced the Federal Budget and brought about true Welfare Reform, dragging Bill Clinton kicking and screaming to sign this legislation. After leaving Congress, Newt continued to stay in the public eye, frequently appearing on the Fox News Channel and continuing to articulate common sense, conservative solutions in his own businesses.

Never one to stay quiet or stand back from articulating his plan for the nation, Newt entered into the Republican Primary Campaign and has continued to show himself to be a Consistent Conservative, while at the same time, performing strongly in debates, refusing to accept a false premise from those on the left and in the media, and attempting to unite his party to oppose the president, as opposed to sniping at each other. As a result, he has clearly risen above the others. And here, I will explain my reservations about those in the field:

Mitt Romney: While he seems like a nice man and is also articulate, RomneyCare will be the death of him in the general election. Not only does it discount the Republican argument against ObamaCare, but assuming it goes down 5-4 (and I believe it will), Romney will get the blame, with the indicatications that his advice was sought. It's already being written that way. I'm also troubled by Romney's interview last week with FNCs Bret Baier and questioning his fairness as a journalist. If he can't handle Baier, he's going to have a heck of the time in the general against Obama's $1 billion. Furthermore, he has been running for a long time and while he may have a strong organization, he does not have the support of the majority of the Republican Party and that is most troubling.

Michele Bachmann: When she entered into the race, I gave Michele Bachmann a very strong look at whether or not I would endorse her. I appreciate her stoic support of Conservatism, yet she has not gained traction and history is against her, as a member of Congress not in the leadership, making the jump to President.

Herman Cain: He has left the campaign and while I did give him strong consideration and when I met him, found him to be incredibly friendly, down to earth, a strong advocate of conservatism, and a brilliant off the cuff speaker, I disagreed with the National Sales Tax portion of his 9-9-9 Plan and it personified his naivete of the political process, as a result of not holding political office.

Rick Perry: When he entered in, I was very excited for his candidacy, but in the end, he was not ready for prime time, as this came out in his multiple and consistent debate flubs. While his ads were good and he seemed strong on the stump, he would have been obliterated by this president in a debate.

The others: Ron Paul, (a foreign policy nutjob) John Huntsman, (a bitter RINO who can't rise above 2%) and Rick Santorum (A good man who is a good conservative, but is damaged as he lost his Pennsylvania US Senate seat by 18 points) were not even considered.

Over the years, I've had the pleasure of meeting Newt Gingrich and hearing him speak at various events. He is incredibly friendly and generous with his time, whether in meeting the public or attending an event. I greatly disagree with the assertion that Newt Gingrich is unelectable. The blatant lies that have been said and written about him over the years have been proven false and when one puts Newt's ideas against Barack Obama's, Newt would win in a landslide. He would also intellectually destroy this president in a debate, especially if the Lincoln-Douglas style debates between the two ever occurred. And also a consideration in endorsing Newt, because of my background as an educator, Newt is a fellow historian and would have a unique perspective and knowledge, as president, of the successes and failures of his predecessors, and thus, would be able to craft, endorse and push forward an agenda that would save this nation after four years of disgrace, and bring about prosperity for years to come.

The choice was clear for me, and I hope it is as clear for my fellow Republicans.

And Then There Were Seven...

What had been expected earlier this week when Herman Cain explained he was "re-assessing" his campaign, in a publicized affair and rally at what was thought to be the opening of his new Atlanta Headquarters, Herman Cain "suspended his campaign." In a fiery speech, appearing with his wife Gloria, where he, rightly so, lambasted the media for their conduct, he stated that he may not be running for president anymore, but he's not going away.

One of the first to get in this race, Cain caught fire after P-5 in Orlando, rising to the top of the pack. As spectacular was his rise, so was his fall from grace, even though the contributing factors were nothing more than suppositions, innuendos and assumptions.

Herman Cain's impact will continue to be felt in this campaign, as he was the first candidate who eschewed "conventional" fixes to solve problems with bold and what may seem as "unconventional" solutions. Agree or disagree with 9-9-9, it would have radically changed the tax structure in the United States. His demise was unfortunate, as the allegations were not proven true, and it still begs to answer the question how Americans will deal with the double standard held by those with the microphone.

Having met Herman Cain and attended one of his rallies, I believe this is not the last we have heard of him and I hope he will implore his supporters to join the surviving candidates and unite in making sure this president does not serve a second term.

The candidate that may very well reap the benefits of Cain dropping out is Newt Gingrich, who could, very well, receive Cain's endorsement.

Down to 8.6%

Every first Friday of the month, the new unemployment numbers are out, and the U-3 rate, those on unemployment, is down to 8.6%. Some in Washington and in the Democrat circles are throwing parties at this, but these numbers are false optimism. First, as I have said in the past, this is a number that should not be celebrating...this is very bad. The labor force continues to shrink, as many more than the amount of jobs created have "left" the job market. Let us also not forget that these new jobs created are temporary holiday retail positions. Having worked in retail sales throughout college, I've seen temporary workers come in November, and go once the New Year comes about. Those numbers will be reflected in February 2012.

This is false hope and Americans should realize the numbers aren't getting any better, instead, the books are being cooked as an electoral strategy in 2012.

Ken Cuccinelli in 2013?

Rumor has it that Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli will seek the GOP Nomination for the Governor of Virginia in 2013, when Governor Bob McDonnell's term ends. (Virginia governors, by law are not allowed to seek consecutive terms) Cuccinelli is leading one of the two lawsuits of ObamaCare that is making its way to the US Supreme Court and is well known, not only in Virginia, but across the country. If his case wins, he will gain even more notoriety. There is likely to be a big primary battle as Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling has announced his intention to run, and waiting in the wings is former DNC Chair/Clinton Booster Terry McAuliffe.

Old Dominion will have a Battle Royale in 2013 and because it will be one of only two gubernatorial races that year, (New Jersey being the second), Americans will be watching.