: do not give in to evil but proceed ever more boldly against it :

Today I voted Libertarian, and it felt great

Today I voted for Bob Barr, the Libertarian Party candidate for President.  In truth, I was voting for “the Libertarian Party Candidate” more than I was Bob Barr . . . Not the biggest fan of Bob Barr, but his platform was good enough and it felt great to vote for the Libertarian Party.

I supported the Republican Nominee, John McCain, through his candidacy; he’s an American Hero and good man, but once it became apparent to me that he’d win my state of Arizona, I decided to vote the person closest to my ideas about government.

If the race were close, I’d have pulled the lever for McCain as I think he’d have done a much better job than Obama and I’m a pragmatist - essentially a “block Obama” vote.  I think that I have a duty to vote my conscience, but I’m of two minds - one is that it’s important to block those that least represent your views.  That might entail voting for a candidate you don’t prefer, but which may help block the candidate you least prefer.  The other is that you just vote your most desired option, even if it leaves you with your least desired option.

But the most recent polls eliminated this dilemma for me, and instead presented me with a new one.

I was initially torn about whether or not I’d vote Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution party or Bob Barr of the Libertarian Party.  I don’t like Baldwin’s protectionist/isolationist economic views, but Ron Paul - who I really wanted to vote for - endorsed Baldwin.  In any case, I arrived at the polls this morning leaning Barr, but still undecided, only to realize that Baldwin didn’t even get on the ballot for AZ.  So there went that dilemma . . .

Still, it was kind of a sad moment.  Mitt Romney and Ron Paul were my two guys in the primaries.

I like Dr. Paul’s consistency and stance on most issues and my views align very closely with his.  But he lacks executive experience and I never thought him a real shot.

I differ with Romney - sometimes significantly - on several of his positions, but he was not only the best executive in the race, but an incredibly good man, and he’d have been wonderful for the country.

My perfect candidate would be a man or woman with Ron Paul’s positions and Mitt Romney’s abilities and temperament (and most of Romney’s positions).

Unfortunately, both Barack Obama and John McCain are not there for me, though McCain isn’t nearly as far away as Obama is.

Obama is an interventionist domestically and partly one internationally.  He’s also an incredible knot of contradictions - both personally and politically.  If he wins, I’ll support him as our president, I’ll pray for him, and I’ll praise him when he undertakes action I deem to be good.  However, I have very low expectations and have great concern that he’ll be an unmitigated disaster policy-wise.

John McCain is conservative on many domestic issues, but not on other critical ones, and he’s an interventionist internationally.  He’s a known quantity, though (though that “quantity” at time is that he’s known to be “unpredictable”).

It’s the interventionism of both that I dislike.  The biggest threat to our citizens isn’t our lack of “security.”  It’s that there’s *too much* of it at the expense of liberty.  In the name of “security” liberties are being taken left and right.

So, to sum up, since I was free to not have to cast a vote against Obama, I voted my position and pulled the lever for the Libertarian Party.  And it felt great.

Now, if it turns out that the polls are wrong and Obama takes AZ by one vote, and that decides the electoral vote process, I’m pragmatic enough to say I’d voted wrong.  Though if AZ is in play, there’s no hope for McCain anywhere, anyway.

Presidential election aside, the House and Senate races are what I’m watching.  There’s an ill wind a-blowing and only a strong Libertarian and Federalist movement can pull us back to the liberty principles this wonderful nation was founded upon.

An Obama presidency opens the door to unite the various small-government and liberty factions against the big-government interventionists.  I believe in the principles America was founded upon, and I believe that, ultimately, the American people love, cherish, and want freedom.  This could be a defining moment to get the liberty movement going once again.

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November 4, 2008 | Filed Under Politics, Romney Watch 

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Is Obama inevitable?

There is something extremely interesting going on.  The debates have ended.  According to the Main Stream Media and the Obama camp he “won” the debates.

Obama is planning an enormous election night victory party.

But, I’m frankly, shocked that this race is 4-5 points (and Gallup has it at three points 45-42 among likely voters) .  The fact that it is just points to just how incredibly weak Barack Obama is as a candidate.  If this was any other Democrat, this would be a 15 point lead, easy.  But this is not any other Democrat.  This is the least experienced candidate they have, and the most liberal candidate they could have run.

After three debates and a mountain of hatred against the Republican Brand, the American people aren’t ready to “throw the bums out.”  There are a lot of undecideds out there who just won’t break for Obama because they are nervous and he doesn’t reassure them.  He doesn’t have a record, doesn’t have any real experience, and he hasn’t been honest about his past associations.  Those three things are hurting him right now.

He has three weeks to reassure voters, because if he doesn’t soon the independents may not (probably won’t) break his way.

Also, he’d better watch the narrative forming here around him planning his victory party.  This could kill him for two reasons.

1 - This isn’t a time when most Americans are celebrating.  So you think you’re going to win, you’re having a party, but this isn’t the time to party.

2 - American’s don’t like premature celebrations. “Hey buddy, we haven’t actually pulled the lever for you yet and you think you have our vote, that this is in the bag.”

I understand that this race is closer than his campaign is comfortable with, so they’re trying to project the aura of inevitability . . . but that *could* backfire.

Of course, it could work.  But I’d say the odds are against that in this environment.

Obama is not closing the deal and he should be very nervous about that.

Obama had two jobs in the debates.  The first was to not make a goof of himself.  He managed to do that.  The second was to project power and confidence and imbue people with a sense that he could navigate the country through troubled waters.  He’s not doing that in the way he needed to . . . He’s close, but he hasn’t closed the deal.  McCain has room to run on that issue.  When will Obama get another chance?

He’s vulnerable.

McCain’s stump speech should repeat 1000x the phrase:

“He’s a tax raiser, I’m a tax cutter.  High taxes make the economy worse.  He wants the government to spend more money, I want the government to spend less money.  Government caused this problem and can’t fix it.  They’ll just waste your money.  I’ll fix government.  He’ll grow it.”

The undecided voters are soundbite voters, and they vote on the message that most resonates with them.

Tax raising, even if it’s just “soaking the rich”, is a bad vibe in this environment.   People are ticked off that this stuff if happening and they want a reformer who is going to fight the powers that caused this.

Here’s your trivia for the day.

Did you know that 40% of Americans don’t pay any tax at all?

So how is it that Barack Obama claims that 95% will see their taxes go down?

(Hint: he’s going to give that 40% money, straight up, as a “tax credit check” even though they pay no taxes at all . . . it’s a straight up welfare payment by way of the IRS.  Only in “liberal land” is handing you money when you pay no taxes a “tax cut”.  It’s also a lie.  Who says so?  The Wall Street Journal - the Obama campaign has not responded to the unearthing of this lie.)

October 16, 2008 | Filed Under Politics 

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When guppies eat their young . . .

The day Dana Milbank turns on a liberal presidential nominee is probably the day that liberal presidential nominee has crossed the rubicon and can kiss his hopes goodbye.

I’m not kidding. Today may mark the day. You have the read the article.

Dana Milbank of all people!

Check it out

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July 30, 2008 | Filed Under Politics 

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Scathing, Lucid, Brilliant Dismemberment of the Obamessiah by “the Hammer”

Charler Krauthammer, that is.

Some people say, “The emperor has not clothes” and they’re right, but not poetic.

Others, like Krauthammer, say it with such bite, such wit, and such conviction, that you can only say, “Wow, that’s going to leave a mark.” And then cringe on behalf of the target.

Read his most recent op-ed, here. He is spot on about Obama and his audacity and emptiness.

The truth, many are realizing, is that the “would be” emperor has no clothes.

Krauthammer just says it best.

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July 18, 2008 | Filed Under Culture, Politics 

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Barack “Do as I say, not as I do” Obama . . .

Politics as usual.

Preaches equality of staffing and pay, and then does the opposite.

Go Obama.

The Democrats almost nominated the first female presidential candidate. Will news like this make those Hillary supporters even less enthusiastic?

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June 30, 2008 | Filed Under Politics 

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