The Choice?
By Mitch Berg
A very wise friend of mine, who has gotten heavily involved in the Ron Paul camp in the past couple of years, asked “So in this election, you have a choice between the guy who’ll take 35% of your income, and the guy who’ll take 39%”.
Er…take the 35%?
And work like hell to get a conservative Senate and keep the House?
I know; many among the Ron Paul supporters – especially the ones who are trying to pretend Gary Johnson is relevant – are claiming there’s no difference between Romney and
Incrementalism is only bad if a) it’s in the wrong direction and b) you can’t at least maintain, if not accelerate, it in the right direction.
September 21st, 2012 at 8:17 am
The last Republican Presidentail candidate I cast a vote for was Ronald Reagan (I have NEVER voted Democrat for ANY office.).
Agreed, we need to elect more libertarian/constitutionalists to the Senate as well as the House, including replacing big government Republicans.
Yes, a Romney administration frightens me less than another Obama administration.
Until Libertarians, Constitutionalists and limited government Republicans unite, our only choices for MOST offices that have any chance of winning will either be Democrat or Republican.
September 21st, 2012 at 9:41 am
Can I plug my own take on this subject?
http://www.looktruenorth.com/476-elections/20242-the-essential-binary.html
September 21st, 2012 at 9:59 am
Paul supporters should know that Romney is trying to make it a whole lot less than 35%
Paul supports should know that Romney is going to be reducing spending unlike Obama.
They just want to think that they are better than Romney.
That attitude is what got us a President Obama to begin with.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
September 21st, 2012 at 11:25 am
J. Ewing, I agree…but only to a point. Our complacency and acceptence of today’s “Republican” as “that’s just the way it is” and “Look who you get if you don’t” is EXACTLY the mindset that give us the likes of the two Bushes, McCain, Brown, Snow, Boehner…the list goes on and on.
The nation is clamoring for a return to limited government and constitutionalism. And this was made clearly evident with the polling numbers when Romney chose Ryan as a running mate, and even more so when McCain chose Palin.
Yes, the Republican party is losing favor from their own…and THAT is just the way it is. And the Republican party cannot blame those whom they are losing, the Republican party can only blame itself, and can only stem and regain it’s losses by returning to being the party of limited government.
September 21st, 2012 at 11:43 am
J. Ewing, to put it quite simply…I feel, and I know I am not alone in my feeling, that I am not abandoning the Republican party, it is abandoning me. And since it’s primary function is to elect a public servant (one that work for the public, not for which the public works) it behooves it to cater to that public…and once in office to work within OUR government, constitutionally to limit itself.
One that holds limited goverment ideals and is elected office should constantly be striving to limit their own power, and working against their own job security in that role.
Of course we could acheive great strides if the general public were to adopt the notion that elected office were a position of public service as opposed to power.
September 21st, 2012 at 12:10 pm
Those who think that the grandfather of Obamacare and the guy who claimed that the auto bailouts were his idea will suddenly grow the cajones needed to cut the Federal budget are dreaming. Mr. “repeal and replace” Romney isn’t what we need. Unfortunately, he’s what the GOP-E stuck us with.
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/224371-romney-campaign-claims-auto-bailout-was-his-idea
I’m not a Paul supporter, because I don’t care to see us get nuked. But I’m also not a Romney supporter because he’s completely unacceptable to me as a proud socon and as a fiscal conservative.
I can’t go by what Romney promises. I have to go by what he’s done. It’s too bad that the Republican Party couldn’t find it within itself to nominate a conservative with creds. Had they done so, we’d already be measuring the Oval Office for new drapes.
September 21st, 2012 at 5:33 pm
All I hear is that some people think that their views are the majority and that Romney does not represent those views. To them I point out the indisputable fact that Mitt Romney got the most votes from the libertarians, conservatives and Republicans who showed up and voted for him. He won fair and square and at this point I don’t care if he is the illegitimate step-child of Josef Stalin and Eva Braun. He is the only choice we have unless you want to give us Obama again. If you want somebody more conservative, bring more votes next time.
September 23rd, 2012 at 12:33 am
Take the 35% and punt getting a serious limited government candidate until the next election cycle. Paul Ryan has some real promise on that score.
September 24th, 2012 at 8:23 am
J. Ewing, Yes, I understand…he won. I honestly am not complaining about Romney, he simply would not have been my choice. But then again, I am not a Republican.
And if the looming spectre of another Obama administration weren’t the case I might be inclined not to vote for Romney in November.
But there was a time when Republicans represented limited government…and lately it doesn’t seem so.
I do not support…nee, I oppose growth in government power and reach regardless of what party is responsible for it. If there were ever a limited government, fiscal conservative, constitutionalist Democrat running for office, I quite possibly would cast my vote for them even.
September 25th, 2012 at 6:53 pm
But there was a time when Republicans represented limited government…and lately it doesn’t seem so.
. . . and a lot of that is the fault of the “all or nothing”/instant gratification-seeking/fly-by-night conservatives and libertarians. The Republican Party is not a professional sports team you cheer for from your living room couch. It’s a vehicle you can use to actually affect public policy (and right now I’d say that it’s currently the best one out there, whoever their talking head, “establishment” types get the most attention on TV).
September 25th, 2012 at 7:37 pm
Bahrain Petunia +1