Subscribe Elections, War in Iraq, Divorcing the GOP, and Ron Paul
posted in political by jon on 2007-09-19
Most of my posts in the last few months have been decidedly non-political. This is partially by design (hopefully more on that soon), but partially because I didn't have a complete articulation of my political thoughts of late. I always get more politically aware as elections get closer, especially presidential election years, and 2008 is no exception.
This cycle is interesting though, for several reasons.
For one thing, the political situation is complex. Since Cheney is too old and too frail to run, the nomination is up for grabs on both sides. Further, the GOP is coming off a poor showing in the 2006 mid-terms and seems to lack political momentum. Under normal circumstances, this would be a slam dunk for the Democrats, except they seem hell bent on nominating candidates who'll have a tough time in the general election. Obama is a handsome, well-spoken guy, but he hasn't been forced to take a real stand on anything yet, and will lose some of his appeal in the likely-to-be dirty primary fight with Hillary. Hillary has a ton of baggage and comes across as a shrew when speaking publicly. There also looks like there might be some fire behind the Hsu donation smoke, which could cause her some scandal at a bad time. Nobody else on the Democratic side has anywhere near the record, presence, or name recognition to run and win.
On the Republican side, Giuliani has name recognition and the potential to put New York up for grabs, but is way more liberal than most of the base realizes, has a pretty odd marital history, and is unattractively authoritarian. Romney has the money and good momentum in the primary states. He looks presidential (which is more important than I'd like to admit), and is polling well. His Mormanism could prove to be an issue, and he isn't very likable as a public speaker. Fred Thomson has the presence, the face recognition and has a pretty conservative record. All things considered, he may have the best chance to win the general election if he can get through the primaries without any scandals. Huckabee, Hunter, and Brownback lack any real defining characteristics that make them stand out from the crowd. That leaves Ron Paul, who I'll come back to in a second.
Up till now, I've been talking about the election the way that most political pundits do: carefully gauging candidates based on how "electable" they are, and what chance they have against various opponents. In most of the elections I've participated in, that's exactly how I've thought. As I said earlier though, this cycle is different.
Most people who know me, whether in person or just through this blog, would probably identify me as conservative. For the most part, those people would be right. I've voted overwhelmingly Republican in every election, and on at least one occasion I've even voted a "straight ticket". People who know me best though, know that I'm probably closest to Libertarian in my leanings. In fact, my voter registration has always been "Unafilliated", and I've voted for Libertarian candidates several times on the local level. In the past, I've agreed with the GOP enough (and disagreed with the Democrats engough) to vote Republican. Even when I didn't love the Republican nominee (Dole, Bush in 04), I felt comfortable that they were the lesser of two evils, and cast my vote with that in mind.
More and more however, I find myself at odds with the Republican position. For example, I disagree strongly with the war in Iraq. It's foolish to think that Democracy is exportable, and it's clear that the founders desired that we not involve ourselves in foreign conflicts. As Jefferson wrote "I am for free commerce with all nations, political connection with none, and little or no diplomatic establishment". Historically opposed to "nation building", the Republican party has suddenly become enamored of spending blood and treasure to prop up a puppet government in the middle east. We've spent hundreds of billions of dollars to accomplish nothing. If Iraq spontaneously emerged as a perfect Jeffersonian democracy tomorrow, it would mean absolutely nothing for American citizens, in whose name this war is being waged. Further, as part of the "war on terror", we're being asked to give up more and more freedom in exchange for the illusion of safety. A Republican president, with the full support of a Republican congress, is presiding over the largest growth in government scope since the New Deal. We're spending out of control, ignoring the potential future menace of China, eroding personal liberty, and needlessly embroiling ourselves in Middle Eastern politics; and we're doing it all under the auspices of Republican administration.
There simply isn't any way to justify it anymore. The Republican party is clearly no longer either on the side of liberty or focused on the Constitution. I can't in good conscience support any Republican candidate who's following this party line.
Which leads me to Ron Paul. If you haven't heard of him, I wouldn't be surprised. Even though he's running for the Republican nomination, he's hated and mocked by most of the GOP establishment. In what seems to be a deliberate attempt to minimize his candidacy, he's receiving no support from the Republican party and no media coverage even from more "conservative" outlets. While I can't do his record or his positions full justice, suffice it to say that he is my perfect candidate. He is a lover of the Constituion, a friend of liberty, intelligent, well-spoken, and with a congressional record unmatched in it's reflection of Constitutional principles. I simply can't recommend him enough. I don't believe that I'll ever see another nominee who so closely matches my ideology. I've already donated to his campaign twice, and I'll likely donate more if, by some miracle, he were to win the nomination. Please take the time to visit his website, read his positions, and watch him speak. If you can, donate to his campaign.
If Ron Paul doesn't win the nomination, it's likely that I won't vote Republican in the coming election. Even if it means that Hillary becomes president, we need to take back the Republican party or leave it completely.
