I always try to be a cheerful Conservative. I cast my first vote in 1980 for Ronald Reagan and his happy warrior quote is often in my mind. President Reagan was speaking before the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Committee) dinner in 1985 and made these comments.

Once during the campaign, I said, “This is a wonderful time to be alive.” And I meant that. I meant that we’re lucky not to live in pale and timid times. We’ve been blessed with the opportunity to stand for something—for liberty and freedom and fairness. And these are things worth fighting for, worth devoting our lives to. And we have good reason to be hopeful and optimistic.

We’ve made much progress already. So, let us go forth with good cheer and stout hearts-happy warriors out to seize back a country and a world to freedom.
Thank you, and God bless you.

Good cheer, stout hearts and happy warriors. Such pretty, optimistic thoughts.

I am in bad humor, my heart is heavy and I am a cranky warrior today. Well, it started last night. I accidentally got a text message from a Bernie Sanders volunteer meant for a Bernie Sanders potential voter.

The polite thing would have been to ignore the text message. For some reason, the text cheesed me off and I responded. I have been in a foul humor ever since.

The three top choices in this election, according to the media, are a woman whose venal incompetence is legendary (Hillary!), an angry bully who stokes crowds with more anger (Trump), and an old Socialist who doesn’t understand economics, politics, or apparently, human nature.

Bernie Sanders promises free everything to everyone. Nothing in life is free. Someone pays a cost for everything. I think that is what cheeses me off the most. Everything in life has an associated cost. One pays for everything in life with something. Your money, your freedom, your soul. Robert Heinlein was a great science fiction writer. Among his great quotes is the following:

Nothing of value is free. Even the breath of life is purchased at birth only through gasping effort and pain.

What do you value? What are you willing to give up? What is the cost of your soul?

If you are voting today in #SuperTuesday, make a good choice. Good cheer, stout heart and a happy warrior.