Is This The Best We Have to Offer?
- Posted by Justin Higgins on January 9th, 2008 in
Tonight, I found myself absolutely disillusioned with my party, my country, and even myself. I went into tonight thinking that a Mitt Romney win would be a win for Conservatism, but then I remembered, his health care plan is absolutely horrendous and includes an abortion provision. I thought, we can do better than this. So, I went to my fallback, Fred Thompson. His campaign was ran horribly, but more than that, he's a flawed candidate. He voted for McCain-Feingold, hired Spence Abraham and despite his endorsement from the National Right to Life Committee, he waffled on abortion. My top two are not true Conservatives.
Mike Huckabee, while a great guy with a great personality, is beyond terrible on foreign policy, and he doesn't know how to make the right allies. John McCain? Immigration. Immigration. Immigration. Next up is Rudy Giuliani. He claims he would appoint Constructionist judges to counteract his liberalism on social issues, but he's lying. Tancredo and Brownback are out, Hunter is incapable of making his case, and Ron Paul is an isolationist. I'm out of candidates to support. I can no longer in full confidence make the case that Republicans deserve to win the Presidency, simply that Democrats deserve to lose it.
As much as I hate the liberal policies presented by the Democrats, I almost achingly long for the level of enthusiasm they have for their candidates. In 2006, I was at least enthusiastic that we had a slate of candidates (Santorum, Allen, Talent) that would advance Conservative principles. Sure, there were bad ones (DeWine, Chaffey), but they weren't enough to steal my optimism. The current slate for 2008 is enough to steal my optimism. I think I've figured out why all politics are local, and it's because nationally, no one seems to be able to be Conservative and be competent. So, I'm going to spending my time focusing on some other things, not the race in 2008. At this point, I don't know who I'll vote for, but I'm done endorsing and trying to talk myself into supporting someone fully. I'm going to pay attention but not give them my attention.
At this point, it's more important for me to do something with influence. It's more important for me to explain Conservatism, debate Conservatism, and sell Conservatism.
I have very few Democrat friends. Most of them are Conservative independents or Republicans, and I'm not going to be modest and not take credit for it. A teacher of mine who is a Registered Democrat told me in plain terms that I may convince her to vote Republican by the end of the year. I don't think I'm a politics as usual man, I'm a big idea man, and I need to embrace that. I need to embrace my strengths, sell my ideas, and build a nation of Conservatives. Basic discussion of news isn't enough, it's discussion of views that is necessary. Be ready for something we've heard too much about from the current slate of candidates but not enough about from the party apparatus. Change.
he has faults
First off, Romney is still leading the delegate race. McCain is not a fiscal Conservative, he voted against the Bush tax cuts. He is not a foreign policy hawk, he would have the Gitmo guys here in the US with lawyers. Free trade isn't a good issue with me, the party is shifting toward "fair trade". He's not exactly pro-life, he supports embryonic stem cell research. No, no Maverick for me thanks.
I thought this is where you
I thought this is where you would be but after Romney lost. I love John Mccain. I understand his faults, but I still love him. He told his Vietnamese prison guards Fuck You in order to not give them the dignity of a Patriots response knowing he would endure more torture. He has been the most honest and open politician I know of. Hes willing to say things that are unpopular. Its about Character. Mccain is the only Great Man in the race.
Look at the polls, its in the tea leaves. He can win it for the Republicans. We need a Republican to continue on as Commander in Chief.
Mccain is a fiscal conservative, foreign policy hawk, pro free-trade, and pro-life. Not bad. I think youve always assumed that the next President was going to be capable of all sorts of Radical Conservative reform. I respect that. Thats from you looking at the big ideas and not just down in the weeds like I tend to get.
The next President will not have enough power to influence immigration either way. Congress is a slow moving body. Give the Great Man another look.
Welcome to the club-
-The club of the disillusioned and disgusted! I think that when one puts a lot of passion in their political inner and outer life, and has half a brain, this is the result. These people don't care about being 'good conservatives', just as the other side doesn't care about being 'good liberals'. They'll do whatever it takes to move ahead, gain funds, get into office and get out of office in a position to take the best advantage of their situation. And when there are exceptions, like Paul and Little Dennis, they get kicked around and marginalized. True believers are scary. They can't be bought, they can't be bribed, they don't care about the big bucks, and they speak truths. And that's the scariest thing to creatures like Rudy and Hillary and Obama and McCain. And the media and the establishment.
Anyway, welcome aboard the good ship Politics Suck. Good luck with your plan to build a nation.
And I think Paul is a noninterventionist, not an isolationist. He wants to trade and have relations and be involved, he just doesn't want to shape other societies and countries at the cost of blood or treasure.
And I used that last term just to get your goat.