The Relevant Elephant

Should Soda be Taxed?

2009-05-27T19:31:00-06:00

“Sugar, rum and tobacco are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which are become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are therefore extremely proper subjects of taxation.”

- Adam Smith, "The Wealth of Nations" 1776

A tax on soda (and other sugary drinks) doesn't seem like a big deal. In a lot of ways, it isn't, but it brings up some larger points worth discussing.

But first, why are Senators considering a tax on soda? The simple answer is that our government needs more money for their spending habits. The more complicated answer (in addition to the simple one) is that drinking soda leads to obesity and other health problems, like diabetes. These health problems end up hurting the rest of society - not just soda drinkers - because taxpayers cover the health bill of many Americans through Medicaid and Medicare.

The GOP Goes to China

2009-05-16T19:45:00-06:00

President Obama announced his choice for Ambassador to China today: Jon Huntsman, Utah's Republican Governor. This apparent sign of bi-partisanship could also be a strategic move on the Democratic President's part.

David Plouffe, Obama's 2008 campaign manager, said the moderate GOP governor is "the one person in that party who might be a potential presidential candidate... he seems to understand the party has to adjust - not stubbornly believe that everything is OK and it is the country that has to adjust."

The Problem with Bono

2009-03-29T02:47:00-06:00

Bono might be doing more harm than good for Africa. Wait, you say. Isn't he helping to raise money for African aid? Exactly.

According to Dambisa Moyo, author of Dead Aid, these acts of aid are the problem.

Moyo is an African economist on a mission to stop aid to African governments. She claims foreign assistance to Africa actually makes her home continent poorer and more conflict-prone. While many would disagree with this, if the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then Moyo has a pretty strong point.

Huckabee Lets His Voice Be Heard

2009-03-18T19:32:00-06:00

Mike Huckabee sure didn't disappear. After his defeat in the Republican primary, he started HuckPAC and even got his own show on FOX. It's a likely bet his name will be back in the hat for 2012.

He wrote an article for the Washington Post today, talking about the need for Republicans to get back to conservatism... and not just in theory, but in practice.

"Enough already of the hand-wringing and night sweats about the demise of the conservative movement! Conservatives aren't challenged because of the basic principles that define us, but by the failure of the principles being translated into policy and practice. The crisis is not one over the precepts, but the practice. It's not that we've failed in our doctrine, but our 'doing.'"

What’s So Wrong with Big Government Anyway?

2009-03-10T19:27:00-06:00

Last week we talked about Obama's scary budget proposal. But why is it scary? Why is having more government spending and programs a bad idea?

William Easterly, in his book The Elusive Quest for Growth, paints a clear picture:

"In an economy with many government interventions, skilled people opt for activities that redistribute income rather than activities that create growth."

You might have noticed a funny little thing happening lately: everyone thinks they have a legitimate claim to government money. Lobbyists have never been happier as their phones are ringing off the hook. But what are the long term consequences of this?

Defining Conservatism at a Young Age

2009-03-05T17:17:00-06:00

What is conservatism? That's a question we've sought to answer before here at The Relevant Elephant. And now, a new book has been written trying to answer the same question. It was penned by a fellow young conservative... a really young conservative.

Jonathan Krohn is the 13-year-old author of Define Conservatism. The book was released last fall, and it earned him a speaking spot at the recent conservative convention called CPAC. Here is his two-minute speech:

Sticker Shock from Obama’s Budget

2009-03-02T20:38:00-06:00

Obama recently presented his 2010 budget, and a lot of Americans are having sticker shock. From an economic standpoint, his budget does have a couple good ideas in it, such as cutting some subsidies to farmers. But after that, it gets a little scary.

This budget provides the clearest picture yet of what Obama really wants to do: expand government and redistribute wealth. Even the New York Times calls the budget a “pronounced move to redistribute wealth”.

Jindal Sets the Right Tone in Response

2009-02-24T05:10:01-06:00

Bobby Jindal delivered the Republican response to President Obama's speech tonight. We couldn't have picked a better person to represent this new era of conservatism. Although the Governor of Louisiana has some room to grow with his oratorical skills, it was a clear representation of conservatism and set the right tone for the party.

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Jindal said that, "In the end, it comes down to an honest and fundamental disagreement about the proper role of government. We oppose the national Democratic view that says the way to strengthen our country is to increase dependence on government. We believe the way to strengthen our country is to restrain spending in Washington, to empower individuals and small businesses to grow our economy and create jobs."

A Rising Star Stands His Ground

2009-02-20T21:53:00-06:00

Aaron Schock is currently the youngest member in Congress. What might be surprising, given the current woes of the Republican Party reaching out to young voters, is that he's a Republican. And thankfully, he's a very articulate and likable one.

The 27-year-old has been in the news lately for standing up under the pressure of Obama's charisma... and offers of trips on Air Force One. Our new President flew Schock to his hometown of Peoria, IL, for his speech to workers at Caterpillar. Obama was trying to gain support for the recently-passed stimulus bill, and he was hoping Schock would be pressured into casting a "Yea". He wasn't.

Schock isn't completely new to national attention, though. In September, he took the stage for a couple minutes (literally) at the Republican National Convention.

College Republicans Launch New Website

2009-02-18T03:10:00-06:00

The face of the Republican Party to college students got a bit of a facelift today: the College Republicans updated their website. There are a couple things about the new site we liked, such as the Twitter feature. But beyond that, we honestly weren't blown away. The design is sub-par, to put it nicely.

One user was a bit more blunt when using the new Twitter feature to say, "wow crnc.org fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down."

Now design isn't everything... but it is something. Obama wouldn't have been as popular as he was if his website had also looked like it was designed in 1998.

Our goal isn't to put the College Republicans down; they do a lot of great stuff. But we do want to help them by being truthful. If they want to be appeal to young voters, they have to improve the quality of their marketing.