The Guidepost

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- It is in the nature of critical negotiations, especially those with a deadline, that no deal can ever be reached until the last possible moment. This is primarily because neither side can be sure that they have reached the other side s bottom line until just before time runs out.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- On Nov. 6, the American people consigned their future and that of their country, their children and grandchildren to socialist hell.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- A little over two years ago we Republicans began to take a serious look at our county and its governance. What we saw was a county which had been run by the Democrats for over a generation.

Consequently it is overcommitted to a tax and spend approach which, inter alia, burdens Volusia with unsustainable debt and commitments to greater debt.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- In 90 minutes of mutually respectful, detailed and substantive debate, Mitt Romney walked away the clear winner over President Obama. The discussion focused on the economy, health care and taxes and within the first 30 minutes it was plain that Romney had the upper hand.

Both men had obviously prepared for the evening, but Obama seemed unprepared for in-depth discussion and frequently fell back on lines from his recent campaign speeches which were sometimes not wholly on target.

DAYTONA BEACH -- By now you know the story all too well: On the 11th anniversary of the destruction of the Twin Towers, an Egyptian mob attacked the American Embassy in Cairo, scaled the wall, tore down and destroyed the American flag and replaced it with an Islamic banner containing the Arabic slogan, “Allah’s Messenger is Mohammad.”

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- Once again, at its convention last week, the new Democratic Party has shown its disdain for Israel. Along with the Republicans, the Democrats have traditionally been proud supporters of Israel, our only real friend, ally and supporter in the Middle East. But in recent years, the Dems have come to be dominated by their extreme left wing, led by the modern Marxist, Barack Obama.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- Barack Obama has been running for re-election (or perhaps coronation) and the Republicans have been running against him ever since Obama was elected president in 2008. But this week the 2012 election campaign really and truly got started.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- The Syrian civil war has raged on for several months now with the conflict shifting from its beginning in regional towns to the large city of Aleppo and the capital of Damascus.

The level of violence increases as outside powers like Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United States provide arms to the rebels and Iran gives weapons and fighting men to the Syrian army, which brings ever greater amounts of Russian-provided armament to bear.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- Today Mitt Romney nominated Paul Ryan, seven-term Congressman from Wisconsin and Chairman of the House Banking and Finance Committee as his vice-presidential running mate. The decision has its pluses and its minuses.

DAYTONA BEACH SHORES -- With the August conventions fast approaching, President Obama must soon decide whether to keep Joe Biden as his vice president or shift to Hillary Clinton. I think that the odds favor a change.