The United States, as a nation, is in total ruin. We have a federal government that is not only morbidly obese but corrupt beyond measure and so completely impotent to address any real problems that they simply continue to compound. At the Executive level we have Barry Obama, who has been the main player in crippling this nation beyond repair. We have a legislative branch so deeply out of touch that they cannot comprehend the calamity that is truly underway (not to mention they are seeking a pay raise!) And we have a Judicial branch that is infected with political ideologues and party cronies. The state of this union is not good. There are fundamental failures and loopholes at the highest level that, left immediately unfixed, will irreversibly damage what is left to salvage from this Union of States. To fix these problems at the federal level requires vision, leadership, and sound principles. More importantly the nominee to face off with Obama must be capable. It can be argued that Obama had the three traits listed above, but his general ineptitude is what put this nation full speed ahead into a field of icebergs.
Enter the 2012 GOP Presidential Contenders, and focusing on arguably the top 5 candidates (or predicted candidates): Perry, Romney, Paul, Bachmann, Palin. Of those five names, four have declared candidacy. Of those four candidates, three are basing their core support on the religious right. Of those three, two have either strongly endorsed extremely leftist candidates or passed extremely liberal state legislation regarding healthcare.
Rick Perry, more than all the others combined, scares the hell out of me. As a Republican, but more importantly as an American, I am very afraid of the potential for a Perry presidency. Perry is the Pat Robertson of 2012. Perry was propelled into the spotlight with his 'prayer for rain', and is of the general belief that the world is in the apocalyptic end times. Setting aside his controversial anti-liberty stance on forced HPV vaccinations in Texas, tax increases, or his questionable relations to extreme liberals over the years, Rick Perry is the American Ahmadinejad. Perry has even states that the US will be "guided by Christian leaders following Christian values." Which Christian values are going to guide this nation? The same values that guided Europe into the Inquisition? The same values that led to the slaughter of the Mayan and Aztecs? The same values that lead some to believe that everyone but them is doomed to an eternity in hell? What variation of Christianity will this nation bend to? This is exactly why Religion has a place in man's heart, but it does not belong in politics. That Rick Perry believes we are in the end times, and as a dutiful Christian he will choose God over country, could one not deduce that he would use the full force of the military to bring about the Messiah? The same logic used by Ahmadinejad in Iran.
I will not and cannot support Rick Perry in the Primary or General election. I have always been skeptical of leaders who rely on religion as their running mate. The solution to America's problems are not solved by Perry's brand of politics, for the same reason that Pat Robertson's lunacy continues to solve nothing. Religion has no place in political discourse, other than to state that one man's belief or understanding of God should not be forcefully put upon another man. Any time that it is elevated beyond this I am not only skeptical, but I am terrified of the outcome.
Steven, this is an area where I tread carefully, and I believe we're of more-or-less one mind.
ReplyDeleteA person's faith should inform their motives and beliefs ... and it should be reflected in their daily lives actions. But no man has the right to force his belief(s) on anyone else.
Let the candidates state their positions and opinions, and let the voters then decide whose statements best reflect their own desires for the nation. And that's as far as it should go.
Are we on the same page here?
Perry will pedal whatever he can. He has made me uncomfortable from day 1. Not the religion stuff, because politicians never surprise me. Just something about this guy eeks, run far far away from him.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of the above commenters. None of the five mentioned candidates hold it for me. Personally I think Sarah is stronger doing what she is doing, I hope she stays out of the race. Paul is a scary Libertarian and not because he wants to legalize all drugs (please don't tell me it works well, I have too many friends working with addicts in the Netherlands but I digress) there is just too much to go into with Paul. Both Romney and Perry are too slick. While Perry makes me nervous with his religious fervor, his politics scare me so much more! Finally, Bachman gives me the same feeling that Perry gives "the Vineyard." I can't put my finger on it but there's just something about her that screams "RRRRRRRRUUUUUUNNNNN AAAAAWWWWAAAAAYYYYY!"
ReplyDeleteIs this "informed" voting, not in the least which is why I will do my homework. Will I vote for one of them over BO, yep. Why? Because a first term president has too much to lose and walks a tender line, a second year president has nothing to lose and will force through even more bad legislation. BO is much more dangerous to our country in a second term, than any of those five will be in a first term.
Perry's religious views do not scare me. History has demonstrated many times that people of strong Christian backgrounds are far more capable of staying within the bounds of their elected office without making their religion the center point how they make political decisions. Conversely, look at President Obama - he's most likely an atheist like his parents were, he certainly is not religious or devout in any conceivable way to anything other than secular statism. I dare say his "religion" of secular humanism is far more intrusive and pervasive in OUR daily lives than any Christian influence ever brought to office by other former Presidents, because for all the bogus effeminate claims made over the Bush Presidency that he was trying to create a theocracy...he never, ever came close to fundamentally trying to change the core of what America is like President Obama has. No - the reason why people feel leery at supporting Perry is because he reminds us all of President Bush. Bush spoke in very much the same way and gave many of us - including myself - a sense of strong conservative beliefs. But Bush was hardly a conservative at all when it mattered most. In truth, someone like Bush should have destroyed Republicans forever...it has only been the gross incompetence of Obama that has resuscitated anything of worth in the Republican party. I have long resigned to the fact that no candidate is going to be perfect, and that the more conservative they are the more negatively they will be portrayed. But any one of the current contenders are more qualified and capable of being a better leader than the joke we've been living under since January of 2009. God help us all.
ReplyDeleteThe first paragraph was dead on. The rest of it was moot. If you actually believed what you wrote in the first paragraph you would know that it really doesn't matter who gets into office because the corruption runs so deep no one person can do anything about it. Our government is bordering on the type of tyrannical control (led by corporate interests) that the founders of this country were trying to escape.
ReplyDeleteMitt Romney was no ally of the religious right and he didn't try to get their support, his base was the business community.
ReplyDeleteI'm not scared of politicians talking about their religious faith, real or pretend. Barry Lynn is scared of it selectively when Republicans do it, but if you want to know a secret the left is hypocritical about this. They use religion to push their agenda just as much as everyone else, everybody does it, it doesn't make you into the Taliban.
Perry was not a scary religious guy, while religious he talked more about Social Security and global warming (unlike Santorum).