While watching a documentary about Hugo Chavez on PBS tonight, I felt the eerie sensation of déjà vu. Chavez was thrown in jail in 1992 for trying to overthrow the government in favor of a Socialist government. He was informed that in order to have Socialist success in a democratic country like Venezuela, he would have use means other than military – in other words, he would have to use the power of the media, celebrity, and persuasion. He ascended to power through television success, by passionately drawing citizens to his Socialist vision of solutions for “the people,” “the masses.” The throngs of his red-shirted devotees march in the streets, chanting like mind-numbed robots, like slaves - worshippers of their Messiah. The wear red shirts every day, just as Chavez does. Since becoming President in 1998, all of the problems that Chavez vowed to fix have been magnified – crime, poverty, distress, poor healthcare. And despite the fact that Chavez’s government controls the economy and every major industry, misery spreads like wildfire as entrepreneurship is tamped down and wealth is confiscated.

Does any of this sound familiar? It does to a female blogger named Marielmesser. As a Venezuelan transplant to the US, she immediately recognized the striking and frightening resemblances between Obama and Chavez, which she lists as “inconsistencies, lies, populism, increase taxes or the perceived wealthy, and hatred of “whites” (as expressed by his wife Michelle).” I myself think of the millions of Americans who have bought - hook, line, and sinker - this Obama media mirage – no substance, merely promises, populism, race baiting, class warfare, platitudes. I think of the millions who are going to overrun Washington DC for his inauguration, with their “YES WE DID!” t-shirts, signs, and chants. I almost sympathize with this messiah who insists that he cannot attend church due to the hoards of followers and media who will swarm him and fellow parishioners. (Why would a messiah need to go to church anyway?)

Our underground conservative movement will be keeping sharp eyes on every move of Obama and formulating our resurgence for future elections. But we have a triply high mountain to climb – we are combating not only Obama, but also the media and millions of the American version of Chavez’s “red-shirts”.

So many “conservative” pundits in the media are lamenting the fact that many conservatives, prominent talk show hosts included, have not taken a break from raising the red flags about the radical President-Elect Barack Obama. He hasn’t even taken office yet – we should let him have some time to govern before we start criticizing him, the argument goes.

First, as a brief sidebar, may I remind everyone that the term “govern” apparently doesn’t describe the Obama presidency. Obama’s spokeswoman says that Obama is “ready to really take power and rule on day one”(http://media.newsbusters.org). Yikes. Doesn’t that give you shivers? But I guess presidents govern. Messiahs rule.

If Obama would like to be given a honeymoon, perhaps he should stop playing pretend president until the inauguration. Maybe, as presidential tradition and etiquette dictate, he should leave President Bush’s Executive Orders alone until inauguration. Not only is he already warming up the shredder to recycle Bush’s orders into house-breaking crate lining for the new puppy, but he seems keen on starting with the most controversial ones, like stem-cell research funding. So much for a moderate Obama, eh?

We learned today that Obama also broke with the presidential tradition of keeping discussions with the current President confidential. Mysteriously, the topics of their conversation were leaked today, much to the annoyance of President Bush. Already Obama is breaking the rules and sullying the honor of the office by acting, frankly, unpresidential. Don’t fool yourself – it was no junior staffer mistakenly inserting foot-in-mouth – this was a deliberate attempt on Obama’s part to “sharp elbow” President Bush into ceding his authority and buckling to the unions’ bailout demands through public embarrassment. Despicable.

Finally, Obama has made it abundantly clear that he has subscribed to Marxist theories for decades. Although his legislative career is short, his philosophies are discussed openly in his autobiographies and revealed in rare interviews. The few controversial issues he voted on in the Illinois and US Senate were radically left of the American electorate. We should have no illusions about the direction Obama, Pelosi, and Reid will take this country. And although they are smugly certain that they have a mandate, the uneducated electorate handed them this power solely based on economic panic – NOT on the upcoming frightening assaults on the First and Second Amendments and a massacre on the unborn.

The media has tried to semi-successfully talk some conservatives off the ledge by blowing off all of the clear signs Obama has already given us of his intentions. We must remain bright-eyed and vigilant watchdogs. We must not allow any legislation to be coated with sugar to make it go down more easily. As Congressman Mike Pence (R-Indiana) eloquently said on Fox News Sunday, “The purpose of the opposition is to oppose…” And oppose we shall. Starting now.