In conjunction with the Best Conservative Blogs List, each Monday The Dysfunction Junction will spotlight one conservative blogger and his or her conservative blog.  To check out past and future conservative blogger interviews, click HERE.

For the first Conservative Blog Spotlight, I could think of no one more deserving than Maggie Thornton of Maggie’s Notebook.  Having been a blogger for over 5 years, one could say Maggie was a veteran of the conservative blogosphere.  While her time in the blogging world has helped her amass a large readership, what has sealed the deal is her thoughtful and insightful political analysis, which you can get a taste of in her answer below on the biggest problem facing our nation.  Her blogging cred is matched by her generosity, of which I have been the recipient as she helps me spread the word about my best conservative blogs project.  Check out what Maggie had to say about blogging, politics, and the future of the nation below:

1. When did you start Maggie’s Notebook?

On January 17, 2007. I was snowed in here in Tulsa. Had never commented on a blog, barely read blogs, but I did read news sites. I hadn’t even heard the term ‘html’ but fortunately found Blogger, the easiest format for me, and began an agonizing year trying to figure it all out, with help of many generous new blogging friends. I moved from Blogger to self-hosted WordPress in October 2010.

2. What are your main blogging goals?

I didn’t start out trying to shape opinions or offer avenues to more conservative opinion, because I didn’t know that was possible. I knew I would not blog about my personal life, assumed I would blog about politics, and that’s what happened. My first blog post was about Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean.

While I’m sure I mainly preach to the choir, I do hope that my blog is an easy read for people who are not immersed in politics but who will go to the polls and cast a vote. I hope to provide information that includes more than a headline; information that explains who the players are and what is at stake. The goal for a year was to keep Obama out of the White House. For the last three years the goal has been to get him out of the White House.

3. How did you get involved in politics?

I did not grow up in a political household. My Dad was a Republican, my Mother Democrat. Our house was steeped in Republican values – always, but we didn’t have political conversations and no one ever asked me what Party I associated with when I was old enough to vote. I’ve never leaned Democrat. Over the years I have taken part in different GOP campaigns and fundraisers, but not with regularity.

I met my husband many years ago at a Young Republicans meeting. Politics are a natural part of our day. We always talk about politics, and my hubby is one of my inspirations when I write. I quote him often. He brings issues to my attention, and I do the same for him. I can’t imagine living a lifetime with a spouse having polar opposite political views.

4. What is the biggest issue facing our nation at this time?

I see debt and financial instability as an issue of liberty, and loss of liberty is the overarching threat to our nation: a loss of economic freedom through taxes, nanny governance, and the poor credit of the country steals our future and wrecks homes. The threat to parental rights and raising our families as we believe to be moral and right steals the future of our loved ones. The loss of  privacy steals our individualism, and assaults on our right to keep and bear arms diminishes the legal right to protect ourselves and those we love.

New to us, and unthinkable to most, Government Mandates are stealing freedom. Just two years ago, who other than those tied to, and involved in, Leftist politics could predict an agenda to force Americans to purchase anything? With the ObamaCare mandates, we are teetering on the brink of losing our right to personal choice.

We are losing our privacy through terrorism edicts, while we protect terrorists by refusing to profile. We suffer through outrageous indignities, yet our government refuses to even define terrorism. We fund terrorists through Billions in foreign aid, which does little, if anything, for the America people. We are not safer due to foreign aid. We do seem to be safer from terrorism through the Patriot Act, which would add to a favorable mindset if the focus was on those likely to be terrorists. It isn’t. In the meantime, we are X-Rayed, Patted-Down, Felt-Up and generally harassed.

We have lost the right to expect our children to be schooled in Americanism. Through the funding of Government schools, we have turned-over education to Leftist Loons with a mission to destroy American exceptionalism. We have raised-up a generation of young anti-Americans who know no true American history, know nothing about taxation, have absorbed nothing of the words of the Constitution, the Declaration of Independents or the Bill of Rights. Socialists and Marxists fill our university faculties. In much of America our children are denied school vouchers – nothing but a poor public school education available to them. We have lost control of those who do the teaching through powerful Unions. I doubt it is too pessimistic to say, we won’t turn it around. It is omninous for our Nation.

With our federally held debt, all of the above has come together in the perfect storm which has been forming for decades, while we ignored the U.S. Constitution, and allowed our Representatives to do the same. If we can fix the debt, beginning with a U.S. Supreme Court decision to strike down Government mandates we might survive. Elect Conservatives to the House and Senate and protect SCOTUS with Constitutionalists, we might survive, and we might even fix our schools.

5. If I could put one person in the White House, who would it be?

Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC)

6. Who do you think will win the Presidential election in November?

My best guess and most fervent prayer is that the Republican nominee will win. I hope that nominee is not Mitt Romney, but if it is, I will enthusiastically support him.

Bio:

I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Lived away for a number of years before returning. Contrary to what many think, Tulsa resembles nothing of the DustBowl. We are are hilly, green and lush. It is a beautiful city and a great place to raise a family. Contrary to popular belief, we are not all fat in Oklahoma. I’ve spent most of my adult life in the wine industry and was blessed with the opportunity to do a lot of traveling at home and abroad. I’ve been married to a SuperHero for 35 years.

To check out Maggie’s Notebook (and you really should), click HERE.

Be sure to tune in next week when The Dysfunction Junction interviews the people behind NoisyRoom.net!

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