Interview with the Dinner Table

 Pundit Press is proud to present interview number 26 in our ongoing series. Today we're interviewing Nathan Sass, the founder and editor of the site The Dinner Table. For those that don't know, the name of the site comes from words of wisdom of the 40th President, Ronald Reagan, as shown below. We encourage our readers to check out the site and thank Nathan for taking part in the interview!

1. When and why did you start the Dinner Table?

The Dinner Table was born in January of 2010 in response to the health care reform debate.  I was looking for a way to publicize a reform proposal I had been working on for some time, and decided that I would use a blog to do so.  Since then, it has evolved into a blog on a wide range of issues, political and non-political.

By the way, the name of my blog comes from a quote from President Reagan:  “All great change in America begins at the dinner table.”

2. What is the best part about running your site?

It is really gratifying to have a venue to express my thoughts on the issues of the day.  I am sure that my friends are also happy, since before I was blogging, I would talk their ears off in an effort to express my opinions.

What I most enjoy is when something I wrote gets picked up and has some small influence on the conversation.  That doesn’t happen too often, but when it does it is so exciting.

3. Has President Obama been better or worse than you expected?

He has been exactly what I expected.  I told many people in the months leading up to the election that he would be Carter’s second term, and that is coming to pass.

The Egypt mess is his Iran, and Stagflation is right around the corner.

The good news is that Carter was one reason we got Reagan, and I think history will repeat itself in this regard as well.

4. Any 2012 favorites yet?

I have written several discussions (read more here) handicapping the 2012 race, and if she chooses to run, I think Sarah Palin will win in a rout.  She has what I like to call “the it factor” that comes along once in a generation.

I think the conventional wisdom on her is wrong, as it was with Reagan in the late 70’s.  When she is on the stage besides “Professor” Obama, she will out shine him on many levels, and connect with voters personally.

From a policy perspective, she is a rock ribbed conservative, again like Reagan before her, and has the courage of her convictions to withstand the left’s typical assaults.

Incidentally, I believe we are watching her running mate come of age in Madison, WI as we speak in Scott Walker.

5. As a resident of Wisconsin, can you comment on the situation regarding public unions?

I have discussed the issues at length on my blog (full article), and in short the unions have been totally out maneuvered by Governor Walker.  The requests he has made are reasonable in the minds of most people in WI, and the unions have responded in such a disproportionate manner that they are actually assisting Walker in his efforts.

The unions have already lost, and they still haven’t figured that out.  The more they fight this, the worse they look and the faster they destroy themselves.  Do not be surprised when there are more and more violent demonstrations, and Walker refrains from using any force to stop them.  He is smart enough to know that the more they act out, the less support they will have.

Walker’s end game is brilliant, and there is literally nothing the left can do to stop it.  When the public unions lose their bargaining rights, and more importantly when they lose members, they will lose tens of millions of dollars.

Democrats in WI are almost completely dependant on union money for their campaigns, and will be financially crippled in the 2012 races.

Add to that the redistricting that will occur this year under the total control of Walker and the GOP, the introduction of voter ID laws hurting the WI Democrats and their “get out the ‘vote’ efforts” (for people in IL and the grave), and the retention the Supreme court Justice Prosser who is an established conservative and those 2012 races are even more difficult for Democrats.

The reason you see this wild and emotional response from even the national unions and Democrats is obvious when viewed in this context.  They see their own destruction coming, and cannot do anything to stop it.  WI will likely be a red state for a long time, and that makes national elections even more difficult for Democrats.  It also lays the blueprint out for other states like OH and the rest to follow suit.

It has been so fun watching Walker use the Democrats perceived strength against them.  For a guy like me who is very influenced by Sun Tzu, the strategy has been just brilliant.  Walker is like a political ninja.

6. What should be the most important national issue in the 2012 elections?

I am a bit biased, but I don’t think the GOP has done anywhere near enough on the issue of health care reform.  There is so much room to make game changing, simple, consumer focused and lasting changes that will actually reduce costs for consumers and taxpayers.  (Shameless self promotion: read my blog for one idea)  They would be foolish not to use that issue in 2012 as a wedge issue.

Of course, I think the center stage issue will be the economy.  There will be more pain coming, with high unemployment and massive debts and deficits.

Like I said before, this will be a repeat of the 1980 election, with the same results.  Obama will be a one and done POTUS.  The GOP may gain control of both houses, and the White House, something Reagan never really had.

7. Anything else you'd like to add?

I want to thank all those people in my life that encouraged me to keep writing.  I am not a professional writer by any stretch (I am an IT guy, by profession), but I believe I have enough talent to keep people interested.

I also want to thank Pundit Press for taking the time to do this interview.  I have to say I am really humbled and honored by the opportunity, and I am very grateful.

 

http://thedinnertableblog.wordpress.com/

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