You know what’s not included on the “things that work” list? The Americans for Tax Reform RNC Chair debate site. It won’t let me register, and it won’t let me watch. In fact, their website seems to have experienced a complete meltdown as of this writing. Call me nuts, but I think it’s easy to predict that this was going to be an event in demand.

I wanted to watch because I’d like to see how they address the sportsmen’s coalition issue with the GOP. Unlike those who believe the RNC Chair’s personal politics will become GOP platform, I’m not as concerned by personal positions. I would like to hear about how they would effectively use (and represent) our coalition at the national and state levels, along with other coalitions that make up the conservative grassroots network. But I’ll never know if that conversation is taking place since ATR didn’t put the appropriate technology infrastructure in place.

So here’s a recipe that I hope will work, unlike ATR’s website. I came across it courtesy of Instapundit’s recent post on slow cooker sales and a suggested cookbook. Rather than blindly buying the cookbook, I thought I would search Google books for it to find a sample recipe or two to make. I found a few, and this will likely be the first one so we can finally be done with the potatoes we’ve accumulated for other dishes lately. If they are good, I’ll buy the book.

Potato, Cheddar, & Chive Soup
From: The Gourmet Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from Around the World
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

6 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
1 2/3 cup chicken stock, plus more as needed
1 large clove garlic
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup crumbled sharp cheddar cheese

1. Place the potatoes and 1 cup of stock in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until the potatoes are just tender.
2. Transfer 2/3 of the potatoes to a food processor or blender, along with the cooking liquid. Add the garlic. Blend to desire consistency: a blender will yield a smooth texture, a food processor a rough, rustic consistency.
3. Return the potato puree to the slow cooker and stir in the shredded cheese, the remaining 2/3 cup stock, and the chives. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes, or until the soup is well heated. Add extra stock or water if the soup is too thick. Break up the remaining potato slices with a fork to achieve a texture that suits you. Seasons with salt and pepper. Stir in cream just before serving.
4. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with crumbled cheese and serve immediately.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, the only question I’ve seen reported that was asked about the sportsmen’s coalition was who owned a gun. Really, that’s not relevant. We have big issues to deal with if the GOP is going to stay competitive. Who has the biggest gun collection is not one of those issues.

My concern in this is that gun owners would be tossed aside. If leaders in the movement honestly believe that all 2A issues are summed up in a question about who owns a gun, then we’re screwed. Likewise, I saw warning bells going off when Patrick Ruffini presumed that all of the 2A questions submitted were from Ron Paul supporters. Hate to tell you guys, but some of the questions about gun issues were submitted by people who considered Paul to be too soft on guns, and some were submitted by people who wouldn’t have been associated with his crowd under any circumstance.

I don’t expect to hear hardcore policy talk on gun issues at an event like this, but I would like to hear if there’s serious discussion about coalitions going on. Maybe there is, and sportsmen are part of that. I wouldn’t know because ATR’s site never worked from the time I tried to log in a couple of minutes after 1pm until I gave up after an hour of trying.

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