Devotees of Republitarian congressman Ron Paul aren’t planning on sitting out the 2012 election without running a candidate.  Former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson appears to be that candidate:

While highly unlikely that Paul (or another libertarian) can win, the GOP needs learn to court these voters.  In 2008, the Paulistas were young and ACTIVE.  No boots on ground, NO WIN!  That means addressing some of the key issues held dear by the Paulistas.  Sure, we may not agree with them all.  We may believe that some are a bit impractical even if we do agree in principle.  Perhaps we can work together by agreeing on a Burkean line.  We have to deal with reality, and change must be gradual rather than radical.

Dismissing this growing body of activists – go to a Tea Party or AFP meeting – means tough sledding.

Whether at Q&O or The Next Right, we at Delmarva Dealings have always been a fan of Jon Henke.  Unfortunately, today’s piece over at The Next Right forces us to examine several factors in evaluating future Henke commentary on the future direction of the GOP and the conservative movement.  Perhaps:

• I’m simply too old (I was born in 1960).

• Henke is too young to adequately grasp the history of the modern conservative movement (Jon was in kindergarten when I was knocking on doors for Reagan in 1976).

• Henke has swallowed the foolishness of political “branding” and abandoned his (former?) libertarian philosophy.

I always considered Henke to be a better student of history:

The conservative movement that arose in the 60’s and 70’s reached maturity in the 1980’s.  That period became the conservative movement’s frame of reference; the experiences, lessons and skills learned up to that point became the Republican Party’s hammer, and when all you have is a hammer…

The conservative movement has reached maturity?  I’ve been re-reading Edmund Burke’s Reflections on the Revolution in France recently.  Many of the ideas which Reagan and Goldwater espoused in the 1950’s, ’60’s, ’70’s, and ’80’s were seen as problems by Burke in the late eighteenth century; namely that individual liberty is protected by the rule of law and limited government.  If one reads Goldwater’s Conscience of a Conservative and simply substitutes “Islamic extremist” for “communist” or the Soviet Union it holds up pretty well.  Truth is timeless.

Henke is correct that simply harping about tax cuts will not lead to a permanent (or even long lasting) conservative majority in this country.  What he fails to acknowledge is that the faux cons who claim the mantle of Reagan are not of the same philosophical heritage as Locke, Burke, Bastiat, Goldwater, or Reagan.  I can only conclude that Henke believes that Mark Levin’s recent book, Liberty and Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto, is simply not relevant to today’s politics.

Have future leaders, like Henke, grown up in an atmosphere were philosophy (and the ideas of how to implement that philosophy) are now superceded by a “win at all costs” mentality?  Perhaps.  The GOP ceased to be motivated by philosophy when Newt Gingrich was driven from the Speaker’s chair.

We all need to realize that victory, at the cost of our beliefs, is simply not worth the cost.  However, as Reagan proved, victory can be attained with those beliefs intact.

Is making a requirement of “public service” really service … or is it servitude?  This is a question posed by many; particularly those of us who live in states where our children are required to “do good to graduate”.

Thomas Sowell presents a typically articulate argument against such requirements.

“What lessons do students get from this, except submission to arbitrary power?”

It’s no secret that the left have learned how to win, have been winning, and will continue to do so unless properly challenged. I saw first hand why this happening at it’s starting point, college campuses. The largest farm system for political engagement.

All over college campuses the tradition has been between College Republicans up against the College Democrats. Now single issue groups and specific philosophical groups, such as libertarian groups, have been popping up on both sides of the aisle.  Obama clearly won this year, but by how much and how big?

Team Obama wiped the right on campuses this year. Why? The left took the initiative to win.  Students for Obama groups popped up everywhere simply to fight for and elect Barack Obama. They advertised, signed up voters, held events, organized and involved

Delaware Curmudgeon informs us that PennDOT, and Pennsylvania Ed Rendell have instituted a biometric drivers license under the guise of the federal Real ID program. Pennsylvanians are evidently in a snit. Class action suit to follow.

While I don’t consider my self a libertarian to the point of being paranoid, I say go get ‘em guys. In my view this isn’t so much a civil liberties issue as the fact that the law did not permit Rendell to allow the collection of biometric data. Of course, Ed Rendell is your typical Democrat. The rules only matter when it suits.

Amen Bruce! QandO’s Bruce McQuain gives his take on Melanie Scarborough’s excellent piece in the Examiner. I threw in the “Libertarian” because that what the great guys at QandO are. As far as I’m concerned, it’s pure Goldwater.

The Club for Growth, a leading fiscal conservative national organization committed to economic freedom through lower taxes and less wasteful government spending, endorsed Andy Harris’ bid to unseat Wayne Gilchrest  The Club for Growth press release stated: “Wayne Gilchrest, has accumulated a definitively anti-growth record during his sixteen years in Congress. Gilchrest is clearly one of the most economically liberal Republicans in the House of Representatives.”

In the last election cycle, the Club for Growth endorsed the primary challenger, Tim Walberg, to liberal Republican incumbent Joe Schwartz.  Tim Walberg defeated Joe Schwartz in the primary and went on to win the general election.

“I am thankful to have the endorsement of a group committed to economic freedom. I share their vision for lower taxes and less wasteful government spending.” said Andy Harris. “Maryland’s taxpayers sent Wayne to change Washington, sadly Washington changed Wayne. As a member of the United States Congress, I will consistently oppose all tax increases and will fight to eliminate wasteful government spending just as I have for the last nine years in Annapolis.”

In their press release, the Club for Growth listed some of the liberal tax-and-spend votes Congressman Gilchrest has cast. In the last month alone, Gilchrest has voted for over $20 billion in new taxes and against cutting spending and wasteful earmarks. “The people of the first congressional district will not tolerate Gilchrest’s attack on their wallets. Gilchrest’s liberal fiscal voting record will be his downfall.” said Chris Meekins, Political
Director for the Andy Harris campaign.

Technorati Tags: 2008, Maryland, politics, marylandpolitics, libertariansim, fiscalpolicy, economics, economicgrowth, AndyHarris, WayneGilchrest, ClubforGrowth

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WICO’s post-Limbaugh program, “Robinson on the Radio” was coming WAY out of left field today. Up to now I’ve pretty much given John Robinson a free pass. I rarely listen to the show and I was going to pass it up today until I heard that MonoBlogue publisher Michael Swartz was going to be on. If Robinson is like this most days, no one can ever accuse the management of WICO of being a bunch of right wing fanatics. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that WICO had started to carry Air America’s programming in the afternoons.

John has declared repeatedly that he’s independent and that he’s not a shill for the Tilghman administration. Today he claimed to be a “Libertarian”.

I can only gather that John thinks being a Libertarian means being in favor of drug legalization because he turned right around a contradicted himself. Name one real Libertarian who supports socialized medicine. Yet, this is exactly what John advocated for two minutes after claiming the Libertarian mantle. Sure John, and George W. Bush is a Reaganite.

John relayed a story about his father’s bout with cancer. Evidently the elder Mr. Robinson’s health insurance didn’t cover all of the bills and his family was forced to sell some of their property. I’m sympathetic to their plight. My own father recently beat back colon cancer. However, we learned quite a bit from the Libertarian Mr. Robinson. He believes that the taxpayer should cover his family’s medical expenses.

Fair enough, if Mr. Robinson wants a medical system like Cuba’s, Canada’s or the UK’s … GREAT! Unfortunately, liberals (not Libertarians John) like Mr. Robinson want the medical system we now enjoy but have the taxpayer foot the bill. It doesn’t work that way John. Of course, as soon as John cited faux documentarian Michael Moore and his current attack on free enterprise, “Sicko”, as a source I knew the proverbial jig was up.

I was also surprised by John’s multiple statements that the U. S. went to war over oil. Only the most extreme left wing partisans will publicly take that stance today. I’m opposed to the war for religious reasons and because I don’t believe in nation building. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest is opposed to war because he fears that it has become a Vietnam-like quagmire. I may not agree with Congressman Gilchrest, but he can make an argument for his belief. Where is the evidence that we went to war for oil?

Look John, everyone has a right to their political beliefs – no matter how wrong headed they are. Just be yourself. Shill for you buddy Barrie. When Gary Comegys is on your show next week, kiss his #ss for an hour. Advocate for socialized medicine. Your doing your bosses a favor. If the Dems in Congress ever bring back the “Fairness Doctrine” Delmarva Broadcasting will be covered. They have you.

Technorati Tags: media, WICO, JohnRobinson, FairnessDoctrine, liberalism, socialism

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Hopefully you watched the little video clip on yesterday’s post about the Salisbury budget and its seeming disregard for the market. The clip, via YouTube, was part of a PBS series title “The Commanding Heights”.

This series should be part of every high school and college curriculum in the nation. Despite the misgivings of my leftist friends, this is a non-partisan issue. It doesn’t matter whether you are a “tax and spend” Democrat, a “borrow and spend” Big Government Republican, a corporatist, or a socialist; a free market is a requirement for a free society. To paraphrase one of the interviewees on the show, a free market is necessary (but not sufficient) to a Democracy.

A free market is how the public chooses, billions of times each day. Politicians may believe that elections matter, but the market is where the public chooses daily. When that free market is taken away, that is when the public usually takes to the streets (vs. those canned, commie-lefty anti-? rallies that we tend to see on the news).

If you are interested, and you missed the show when it ran on the tube, you can catch it on the web. You can watch it in little 3 – 10 minute segments. I know some will be disheartend to learn that it was people like Thatcher, Reagan, Friedman and Hayek who had the greatest impact on our lifetime; but so it goes.

While I still oppose government funding for PBS, it is programs like this and Milton Friedman’s “Free to Choose” that almost make me change my mind.

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Former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr has left the GOP to join the Libertarian Party. I’ve got nothing against the Libertarian Party, it just seems that Barr must have been doing a lot of soul searching since I last heard him speak. Like all conservatives, Barr had a libertarian streak. That’s not the same thing as being a Libertarian.

Technorati Tags: BobBarr, Libertarian

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