Guess what today is?

Tuesday.

For those of us who did not shave a corporate-designed logo into our hair and dance like crazed teenagers on crystal meth at the sound of a certain name, tomorrow is Tuesday, period. The baby will poop, the carpool will be driven, the sun will shine (or here in Seattle, the clouds will, er, shine? What do clouds do?).

Do you think conservatism dies today? Nothing could be farther from the truth. ALL politicans break their promises. It goes with the territory. According to non-partisan Politifact.com, Obama made 510 documented specific promises during his campaign. They're developed an 'Obameter' (rhymes with thermometer) to identify which are kept, defied, ignored. So if you don't like Obama's promises, you'll be pleasantly surprised when they aren't kept.

The most important Obama Survival Strategy (OSS) I can give you is this: Don't give him more power than he already has. Don't allow him to get your knickers in a knot. Don't get mad, get even. Spend less time on outrage (which allows Democrats and the media to wrongly paint us as bitter extremists) and more time on productive counter-efforts (writing and calling Congressmen, writing letters to the editor, supporting positive, electable Republican candidates at any level).

Now. There is a difference between being positive and productive and being a pushover. If and when (probably when, but I will shock you by trying to be fair), IF and when things happen that you believe are wrong, focus your efforts on 1. Getting the word out (here and elsewhere), 2. Creating a positive community for like-minded 'Red State' thinkers so those of us in the minority know we're not alone and 3. Moving FORWARD. (It doesn't matter which of McCain's ads you liked most or least, or which speech could have been longer or shorter or whatever. It's only relevant in what it TEACHES us for the future. We will have new problems, priorities and tools at our disposal 4 years from now so we have to pace ourselves for a marathon, not a sprint.)

And the kids. Aaaahhh, the kids. Fifty years from now your kids will remember how you act tomorrow. Whether you keyed the car with the 'Hippies for Obama' sticker (or showed restraint, as I did). They will remember if you are a pushover and suddenly succumb to the Obama Cult Of Personality. They will also remember if you are a sore loser, and after suffering through 8 years of Bush-hating - justified or unjustified - our kids have suffered through enough partisan animosity for a lifetime. They have never seen that it IS possible to disagree and stand up for your beliefs without being an obnoxious, self-righteous jerk.

You have safe places to vent (for Moms, for women, for everyone) and share what you really think and believe. Don't lie about what you believe, DO explain what you believe and why. And do use this as a 'teachable moment' to explain to your kids that what's popular isn't always right.

So get it off your chest and then look to the future. Later this month, the RNC will pick a chair who will have a pivotal role in crafting who the GOP is for the future. I'll provide some more info soon, but in the meantime, consider: Saul Anuzis, Chip Saltsman, Michael Steele, Katon Dawson, Ken Blackwell, to name a few frontrunners. If you really want to ensure that an extreme agenda does not go un-checked, please consider focusing your efforts on finding and supporting good leadership for the GOP.

And last but not least, remember that the worst day in America is still far far better than the best day in most other nations on earth. America will have good Presidents and bad Presidents. And we will never, EVER all agree on which belong in which category. But we can't make progress in this country until we love our country more than we hate each other. No, I don't like Obama in general, or most of his plans. But I'm not going to cry in my patriotic soup. America has great challenges ahead and she doesn't need whiners and complainers, she needs loyal patriots willing to (occasionally) zip their lips and roll up their sleeves.