Cavuto nails it again

Game night

I attended my first board game night at Table Top Game and Hobby, my new FLGS, (http://www.tabletopgameandhobby.com/) and had a blast even though I only played one game. There were around thirty people in attendance and for the most part, everyone was very courteous and engaging. I was unable to keep track of everything that was played, but a few that come to mind are the brand new release Conflict of Heroes, Tide of Iron, Zombies, Shogun, Axis and Allies miniatures, and Heroclix. Several people brought crates full of games of all types, although the traditional wargame genre was noticeably underrepresented. The impression I got was that there is just a small cadre in the group that enjoys wargames, so I'll probably end up sticking close to them. I didn't see anyone playing Twilight Struggle, so I think I may take it along next week and try to get a game going. I might also take my copy of Conflict of Heroes so we can get a second game of that going. I was encouraged to learn that some in the group have played A Game of Thrones and enjoyed it.

I was blown away by how many people were there and by how knowledgeable and friendly they were. I doubt there's a more active gaming group anywhere else in the Midwest. I think I know how I'll be spending my Thursday nights.

National Service Forum

I'm halfheartedly watching the national service forum at Columbia University and nearly fell out of my chair when I heard Obama say something to the effect that he was listening to McCain discussing the question of the racial composition of the military. After the Saddleback forum, the media created a controversy by suggesting the McCain had been listening to some of Obama's answer and that there wasn't a so-called "cone of silence" (that was an off the cuff joke by Rick Warren, by the way). I wonder if they'll question why Obama was allowed to listen to McCain's answers or if they'll give him a free pass on this. I predict talk radio will have a good time with this, as they should.

Also, Judy Woodruff just said that "Tonight is not a night to focus on contrasts between you and Senator McCain, but help us understand how you see the role of government in all of this differently from the way he does." Obama's answer started with, "Listening to his presentation..." It's probably just as well that McCain lost the coin toss that decided the order tonight. He would have taken a lot of heat for admitting what Obama has about listening to the other candidates answers.

Split Ticket

I immersed myself in coverage of the RNC this week after learning of John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin for VP. Like most Conservatives, I was excited when she was announced, and absolutely giddy after hearing her speech Wednesday night. She has generated an unbelieveable amount of energy in the party and has given McCain a very solid chance of winning the election.

Without getting into too much detail about my opinion of Palin, I will just say that I believe she can be the same type of transformative political figure as Ronald Reagan, which is the highest praise I could lavish on a modern politician. She's right on the issues and presents the most well-rounded picture of authentic Conservatism I've seen in recent years. As opposed to the stories of a rabble-rousing youth we have come to expect in most candidates (Bush, McCain, Obama, et al), Palin presents the image of a smart, circumspect woman who tackled the challenges and responsibilities of life head on with vigor and enthusiasm. She didn't need a strong spouse to refine or settle her. Traditionalists admire women who demonstrate the ability to balance the responsibilities of marriage, motherhood, and career gracefully. Far from expecting or demanding that women stay at home to raise children while the husband works, most Conservatives do not feel threatened by strong, capable women. However, unlike the Left, they honor and respect women who make the decision to be full-time mothers and homemakers. About the only women Conservatives don't respect are those that take it upon themselves to criticize and judge other women for making different choices.

In summary, I'm overwhelmed with enthusiasm for Sarah Palin and could easily see her being the first female President of the United States. She has become the unofficial recipient of the mantle of leadership for the Republican Party and can expect to be the party's nominee for President in 2012 and/or 2016. I am one of several people who would like to have seen her at the top of the ticket this year. The only thing standing between her and the role of standard bearer of the Conservative movement in America is... John McCain.

Like many Conservatives, I was less than enthused about the nomination of John McCain. He has often seemed more interested in being a contrarian than helping his party succeed, and his compromises on issues such as campaign finance, immigration, and the environment have been deplorable. The Palin announcement initially assuaged my fears about McCain's Conservative credentials, but the reaction from some Republicans has revealed a rift, despite talk of the party being unified after the convention.

I do not have any hard data to support this notion, but I suspect that it would be difficult right now to find anyone who enthusiastically and without reservations supports both McCain and Palin. At first, I thought it was just Conservatives who were holding their noses a little bit, choosing to vote for McCain to get Palin now and in the future. However, I am now starting to think that those Republicans who are squarely behind McCain are offended and put off by Palin. They express concerns about her being a radical Conservative, much in same vein as Bush (my side cues, "Won't Get Fooled Again," by The Who), and bring up many of the same minuscule and petty slanders as the liberal press. It seems to me that Republicans who are happy with the moderation of the party, and were finally able to get their man nominated, view Palin as a threat in much the same way they viewed Reagan.

The party may be united in the sense that its members are motivated to pull the lever for the Republican ticket this year, but ideologically I believe there is still a rift. They will come together for the next eight weeks to defeat Obama, and may enjoy a brief hiatus during the holidays, but the fight for the heart and soul of the party will resume in earnest in January, 2009.

So Many Games, So Little Time

I was able to find two local gaming stores this weekend and couldn't resist the temptation to add to my burgeoning collection. This weekend's additions were:

Manoeuver, GMT Games: Light, Napoleonic-themed wargame that fits nicely between chess and a traditional wargame. The components consist of a short rulebook with very intuitive rules, easy mechanics, geomorphic game board, a few dice, and some tiny, tiny cards. I would love for someone to produce some full-sized cards for this game. This is a good gateway game but it by no means is a throwaway. It has extremely high replayability and should appeal to a fairly broad audience. I can see myself playing this regularly.

Race For the Galaxy, Rio Grande Games: One of the hot new card games, this is loosely derived from the classic Puerto Rico. I was completely confused by the rules at first, and I suspect experienced Puerto Rico players would have a tremendous advantage in climbing the learning curve. I plowed through the rules a few more times, played a couple of rough games, and think I finally understand the mechanics. Strategy is an entirely different story, and I suspect it will take a dozen or more plays to have any strategy epiphanies. It's an intriguing game that is really interesting to play.

Cold War: CI vs. KGB, Fantasy Flight Silver Line: Two-player card game with a Cold War theme that requires players to compete for a series of objectives in an attempt to reach 100 points. The production quality is beautiful as with almost all Fantasy Flight titles, and the rules are well-written, but the game itself is unremarkable to this point. There just don't seem to be enough interesting decisions, but just pretty straightforward management. Two competent players could make for an interesting game, but I don't know what would cause said players to choose this over numerous other, more interesting games such as the aforementioned Race For the Galaxy. The mechanics of the game work fine, but I think it would be more successful with a different theme. Anyone interested in a Cold War theme is more likely to play Twilight Struggle.

I'm also attempting to play the nine-player variant of A Game of Thrones via email, but I'm not sure how well that's going to go.

I've been keeping up with the hurricane Gustav coverage all day, and my prayers are with the residents of the Gulf coast as well as with the emergency and rescue workers in that area. Let's all hope the storm continues to subside as well as the floodwaters.