Post Super Tuesday Predictions

It has been a long three months since the Iowa caucuses, and the GOP has been subject to one of the most bloody battles in my lifetime. With four candidates duking it out today for regional, delegate, and potentially total contest dominance, I am left pondering the expected results, the coming contests, and the oddities that I have seen heading into this political milestone.

There are a few things that could make or break these predictions, namely how well Gingrich performs outside of the south, and how well Santorum performs in general against Romney.

Gingrich will win in his home state of Georgia. There is no doubt there. If Gingrich wins any state outside of Georgia, he will stay in the race, gobbling up delegates in the south. Watch for Newt in Tennessee. However, if Newt cannot win in TN, he will not have the momentum going forward into Alabama and Mississippi in one week... save a collapse by Santorum, which could be cause for another Gingrich rise. If he loses, and loses hard, and if Santorum turns around his misfortunes of the past week and a half, I have this feeling that Gingrich drops the bid and endorses......... Ron Paul.

Wait... did I just say Ron Paul?

I did. For two reasons. Watch Gingrich's performance in the last debate. He gave an unusual amount of praise to Paul. Read any article ro listen to any interview with Gingrich of late, and he finds a way to incorporate Paul or Paul's message... this includes Paul's foreign policy. I ignored it at first, but then found it odd that he seemed to be massaging his position to align with Paul. It is a long shot... and as long as Gingrich sees a weakness in Santorum he will stay in... but IF he does drop, I would bet $5 that it is a drop in favor of the non-Santorum anti-Romney candidate.

Santorum... who's numbers are falling, needs to survive Super Tuesday. He does that by a win in Ohio. Romney may have weakened him enough in that state, pummelling him with money. Santorum needs Ohio, he neesd Alaska, he needs Oklahoma and North Dakota. He needs his regional mid-west wins... but more importantly he needs a win in the Rust Belt. If he cannot beat Romney in Ohio, it is my prediction that Santorum begins lobbying Romney for VP or a high ranking cabinet position prior to dropping and endorsing Romney.

Happy Super Tuesday!

Republicans Should Embrace Libertarianism

Republicans in the 2012 election cycle are overwhelmingly rejecting Libertarian ideas, going so far as to side with the media in declaring them 'outside of the mainstream'. By and large, the buzz words of the new era of the GOP are "Conservative" and "Tea Party". A simple look into the usage of these terms better illustrates how the GOP has strayed so far from its principles, and why the GOP needs to embrace what it once was.

The 'TEA Party' was a movement started out of the libertarian ideas of sound monetary policy, focusing on ending or auditing the federal reserve and reducing or eliminating the income tax. The Tax Day Tea Parties held in April of 2009, where the TEA Party was birthed, the acronym 'TEA' was used for 'Taxed Enough Already'. The name Tea Party was then created as an historical reference to the revolutionaries of the late 18th century in the American colonies. As such, the Tea Party founding was one of fiscal libertarianism. However, the growth in popularity of the TEA Party and the usage of the Tea Party by the GOP as the crutch to get it out of the 2008 slump muddied the message and the Tea Party became nothing more than an active wing of the GOP establishment. Nothing more.

So the focus needs to be placed on the other buzz word - Conservative. When discussing 'Conservative Candidates', the media and the GOP as a whole is talking about Social Conservatism. Social Conservatism is the deeply held belief in the traditional structure of social issues; Marriage is between one man and one woman; Abortions are immoral; Religion is a key tenant in moral character. To be a Social Conservative is one thing, but to legislate as a Social Conservative takes on another beast all its own... and THIS is why the GOP is distancing itself from Libertarianism.

A Social Conservative will believe in a traditional marriage as an important piece to social structure, child rearing, etc. This is a great belief to have. It can be argued that it is morally upright to follow the Judeo/Christian norms and to embrace the traditional family structure. However, Conservatism begins to conflict with Liberty when Morals are Dictated or Legislated.

The Libertarian may believe the same as the Social Conservative, but voting and leading as a Libertarian they will ensure that the government and the multitude of people do not impede the Natural Right for a person to peaceably pursue happiness. They may not agree with the lifestyle, but they will defend the right for the same-sex couple to live an alternate belief from the Social Conservative crowd.

The power struggle between the left and the right has largely become about legislating morality and less about what is right under the Constitution and the Natural Inalienable Rights endowed by our creator.

The Republican Party used to be the party of smaller government, less intrusion, less taxation. The New Republican Party, instead, dictates morality, forcing a way of life (Social Conservatism) onto a people who simply do not share the same beliefs. It is this constant thumping that has caused the important message of the GOP to be lost in the fray - Less taxes, less government, less spending, strength of nation. The Republicans should embrace their Libertarian roots and stop trying to legislate morality, lest they desire to remain the lesser extreme of the Democratic Party.

How the Elephants Died - an Essay on the Broken Republican Party

In 2008, after eight years of George W. Bush, after having lost the House and the Senate, after having lost many State houses and Governorships, the Republican Party teetered on the edge of becoming a long term minority party in the United States. It was not because the Democratic Party had necessarily done anything special to change themselves, nor had they damaged the GOP in some manner as to deal a death blow. Quite the opposite, actually. It was the Republican Party that had been faltering from within.

After the crushing losses of 2008 the pundits began to ask the question, “What now for the GOP?” What they were asking had less to do with strategy and more to do with message. What did the GOP stand for? Who were the GOP leaders? The horrible primary set-up a GOP ticket which fronted a liberal Arizona Senator and a half-term unknown Governor from the 3rd least populated State. The GOP was deeply divided after the primary, and there was a large lack of enthusiasm for McCain as the leader of the party, or the nation. During the election, the GOP ticket seemed to be splitting as well, with the Governor of Alaska “Going Rogue” in defiance of the leadership of the Arizona Senator. After the election the depth and breadth of the divide was so obvious that to ask the question about the future of the GOP was not uncalled for.

The state of the Party at that time was one where the party leader and outgoing President, backed by the Party itself, had drastically veered from the “small government/limited government” doctrine which defined its surging success in recent years. No, the Party had lurched so far to the left that figure heads within the party defended the constant erosion of liberties and the perpetual borrowing and bail-outs as staples to the values of the party itself. Perpetual war, Patriot Act, wireless taps, bail-outs, federal healthcare/prescription drugs, No Child Left Behind. The party of limited government was responsible for the largest growth of the (non-essential) government in the history of the United States. After losing power in the executive and legislative branches, the party was at war with itself for what it had done, suffering from a crisis of identity.

During this crisis, however, there was a splinter group within the party which had laid the groundwork for the coming election cycle. The energetic and overly enthusiastic supporters of Ron Paul in 2008 had effected a tone within the party discussion, raising the issue of liberty. The big government GOP leaders were so put off by this message that Paul and his supporters were actually blocked from the national GOP convention. This group of the small Libertarian wing of the ‘Big Tent Party’ splintered from the GOP, holding their own Liberty Convention, where they put in place a long term strategy to retake the Republican Party.

As the Republican establishment selected new leadership and tried to scrape together a message, there was a movement already underfoot, planning Liberty Rallies on Tax day. The general message of the rallies was Liberty, low taxes, and a change to the monetary system. It was the Tea Party. The newly elected left was so afraid of the quick organization and the multitude of rallies across the nation that they immediately went into panic mode, claiming that the Liberty minded rallies were racist or terrorist in nature. The GOP establishment was so disconnected that they did not claim affiliation with the organizations spreading their message across America on Tax Day. This “radical element” was the organization of the Libertarian movement, the Campaign for Liberty. The success of the ‘Tax Day Tea Parties’ did not belong to the established GOP, however, after the movement began to swell in numbers the GOP began to approach the rag-tag leadership with an offer to take the Liberty movement under the wing of the Republican Establishment. As such, the GOP rested its momentum heading into the 2010 elections on the Tea Party. The strength of the Tea Party was brought into question on primary election day, and overwhelmingly the GOP establishment candidates were ousted in favor of the Libertarian Tea Party Conservatives. The narrative of 2010 was, then, that the GOP was now being led by the Tea Party, and as such the Republican Party could only retain the established leadership under the banner of this liberty movement.

After the unprecedented resurgence of the once dead GOP in 2010, the strategy of the established Republican leadership was to retain the talking points of the movement while dismantling the structure and ability of the Tea Party to splinter from the ‘Big Tent’. It was, after all, floated as an idea that the Tea Party itself could actually become a formidable third party, challenging the Republicans for top-tier status against a unified Democratic Party. Such a move, of course, would have ensured Democratic majority in 2012 and beyond. So the GOP establishment took the Tea Party congressmen and senators into their fold, and moved quickly to marginalize the Tea Party movement itself. By mid-2011 it was clear that the Tea Party had been so over-run by the mainstream GOP that the movement was dead under the moniker “Tea Party”. What began as a liberty movement quickly became a social conservative movement with no clear message of opposition. The message of small government, lower taxes, and individual liberty which defined the Tea Party became talking points for established moderate Republicans. The waters were so muddied that the mention of the Tea Party no longer represents a sect of the GOP, rather some ambiguous affiliation from within the Republican Party. You no longer hear about Tea Party candidates heading into the 2012 election cycle, rather you hear about whether voters identify with the Tea party. But I ask you, what does it mean to identify with the Tea Party in 2012? What is the party’s message? You are unable to answer because the GOP successfully dismantled the movement while simultaneously absorbing their talking points. The movement was no longer deemed a threat.

The fractures of 2008 began to reappear in the GOP during the selection of the presidential candidates in 2011. As the party began the process of identifying the next generation of leadership, so returned the animosity of the 2008 election cycle. The media scrambled to identify the leader of the Tea Party movement while the GOP establishment held their breath hoping none would arise. Sarah Palin was the media darling, mostly because of her atypical moves after losing the election in 2008. Michelle Bachmann was a very vocal member of the Tea Party, but lacked the excitement of Sarah Palin, and who could not get her endorsement for the ‘female amongst the males’ spot in the 2012 run. Other first term names were favored by the media, such as Marco Rubio and Rand Paul. It was becoming clear that the incorporation of the Tea party into the GOP had so diluted the movement that when the time came for the Tea Party to front their leader as a challenger to the GOP establishment candidate, the movement found it had been so love-struck with the recognition of the GOP that it was no longer a movement unto itself. It had no leadership. It had no message.

Seeing a sign of weakness from the Tea Party movement, who had developed into an active staging ground for the social conservative wing of the GOP and less of a true liberty movement, the Conservatives began their quest to identify and run a “True Conservative” candidate. Large bands of Conservative Republicans attempted grassroots draft campaigns for Governors from Indiana, Texas, New Jersey, as well as a fleet of Senators and Congressmen. Each draft campaign attempted to sway opinion in favor of their candidate as the Truest “True Conservative”. As the field winnowed, however, even the definition of a “True Conservative” was sullied, tarnished by conservative talking points that do not actually resemble the left-moderate actions which they were being used to describe. The Conservatives, as well, had been marginalized.

Then there are the 2008 hold-overs. Most notably Mitt Romney, who made a calculated decision to yield the 2008 race to McCain after South Carolina, and go directly into 2012 campaign mode. Mitt Romney, who maintained the campaign presence in the early voting states, was identified as one of those who was expected to run and was identified as an early front-runner. His campaign represents the ideas of the moderate-left lurch of the established GOP, and a continuation of those ideals of the ‘Neo Conservative’ era of the Republican Party.

The second hold-over is Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the Libertarian who was blacklisted from the GOP in 2008. Paul’s brand of Republicanism is the Goldwater/Jeffersonian Libertarianism. His strategy was much the same as Romney’s: stay in the early voting states and build a movement with which to roll through them in 2012. He was hated by GOP establishment and feared by the media. His followers were branded, as he was, as being out of touch. But then came the economic collapse. Then came the continued wars under Obama. Then came the financial disasters of the fiat currency system. And the media turned to the one man who had not only predicted the downfall, but was actively building a movement of educating the public to the extent of the failings. His movement, the Campaign for Liberty, gave life to the Tea Party and the GOP wins in 2010. Paul’s decision to enter the Presidential race gave the Liberty Movement a validated and tested leader, and this put fear back into the heart of the GOP. Paul’s early numbers and successes were dismissed as ‘Paul-bot anomalies’, and he was written off as a candidate out-of-touch (again) and unelectable. He was targeted by the media for blacklisting, and painted as outside of the party norm by the GOP. But Paul’s numbers continue to grow, his Campaign for Liberty continues to reach the voting bloc in charge of the future of the party – the youth vote. Where the Tea party movement failed, the original campaign for liberty strategy devised by Paul in 2008 had succeeded, and the Libertarian’s have a movement underway within the GOP.

We turned the calendar to 2012, the election year. We are under the thumb of an unpopular President, a Democrat who is easily beaten should an organized opposition show itself. Herein lies the rub. The fractures made visible in 2008 were never truly fixed, and now we see a Republican party so broken that it is becoming ever impossible to repair, re-establish, and retake the battlefield. The GOP is not organized. It has no leadership. The Tea Party has failed, and the message marginalized. The Social Conservative movement has failed, and the message marginalized. So what is left is a bloody power struggle between the Neo-Conservative elements of the establishment, both sides fighting so viciously to implement their brand of moderate leftism under the brand “Republican”. We see a Republican battle in which the majority has been fooled by the talking points, by the stolen message of the Liberty movement and the Conservative movement. The leaders of the GOP promote a continued growing of the government, increased erosion of liberties (such as the NDAA, SOPA, etc), increased spending, and perpetual war while at the same time using talking points about increasing liberty, reducing debt, cutting spending, and securing Americans by not backing down from saber rattling. The message is unorganized, it does not make sense. The Republican brand has somehow become no different from the Democratic brand, save a few minor means to the ends – but in both cases the end is the same.

When Republicans act like Republicans we win. When we act like Democrats, they win.

As the infighting intensifies, all eyes are on Ron Paul and his growing Campaign for Liberty. There is daily talk about Paul’s brand of Libertarianism splintering from the GOP. With it, Paul will take a national 10-15% of the GOP – those who learned the lesson from his movement and those who are simply tired of the heated divide in the Party. A Ron Paul third party run is the Tea Party splinter nightmare held by the GOP after the 2010 groundswell. But this time the GOP has no control. The movement has a leader. The leader has a brand. The brand has a following that transcends party lines, drawing support from the fiscal right and the anti-war left as well as liberty minded independents. The big story of the 2012 election is going to be the political landscape left behind by the Ron Paul Campaign for Liberty and the lasting effects of a movement within the GOP or established as a third party.

The GOP cannot contain the core of this movement, the Libertarians.The atmosphere is ripe for a fracture of the party. The stress of an undefined party to define itself, a party who is historically on the conservative-right but who has recently lurched moderate-left, a party who has largely gone without a notable figurehead, without any true leadership for too long is the stress that continue to fracture the party from within. The squelching of the conservative right and the ignoring of the libertarian movement threaten a party so divided against itself that it will not beat this sitting President nor will it retain control of the either chamber of congress, no matter which Moderate-Leftist you prop up on Election Day. What we are witnessing may be the end of the ‘Big Tent’ GOP, where libertarians and social conservatives need not apply, where they are catered to during elections but ignored while in power. The minority blocs of the GOP are growing wise to the new Republican brand. They are growing less patient with the lurch and less tolerant of the lip-service. The Party has moved past the crossroads and is heading full-speed toward the political cliff. This may very well be the narrative on how the mighty elephant died.

Why "They" Are Scared of Libertarians

Ron Paul stated in his New Hampshire speech, "They're scared of us because we're dangerous to the status-quo." Who are 'they' and what was Ron Paul, the figure head for the Libertarian movement within the GOP, talking about?

Libertarianism is a political philosophy aimed at making decisions based on a simple principle - personal responsibility and limited government intervention. It is greatly misunderstood and misconstrued by pundits, stirring the sheep into a frenzy, but when asked one-on-one you will find that a majority of Americans are actually Libertarian minded. The political right brands Libertarians as "pro-drug, anti-war lefties". The political left brands Libertarians as "ultra-right-wing extremists bent on taking away government handouts." The brilliance of these labels is that they are both right, and THIS is what the political dividers fear.

We are in a political circus where the change in leadership does nothing to adjust the course of this nation. We are marching steadily to the beat of a drummer taking us into a fiery pit. The GOP and the Dems have done little in the past fifty plus years to correct our course, rather we continue the same game of political wife swapping.

Both political parties, backed by their super-wealthy donors (media and banking elites), have the same agenda: American Imperialism and Absolute Government Control. Even Obama's 'Hope and Change' was no match for the momentum of the true powers of this nation (and the world). His continuation and escalation of foreign wars was a direct continuation of the Bush foreign policy of Nation Building and preemptive warfare, which was the direct continuation of Clinton's foreign policy of Nation Building and World Policing, which was a direct continuation of Bush Sr's foreign policy of Nation Building and World Policing, which was a direct continuation of Reagan's foreign policy of foreign interventionism and World Policing against the Soviets, which was a continuation of Carter's much weaker but still present foreign policy of foreign interventionism and World Policing, which was a direct continuation of Ford's foreign policy... You get the point? Since the dawn of this nation the US has been involved in foreign wars and colonialism. At first it was "Manifest Destiny" that drove the Americans westward, causing mass devastation to a population of natives already settled in the land. After the continental empire was complete, the US became heavily involved in the far east in the later half of the 19th century, directly influencing the events building up to the two World Wars. Post WWII the US military industrial complex was so grand that even Gen. and President Eisenhower warned the US about in his farewell address in 1961. Most recently, over the last ten years, the US population has seen a drastic erosion of the basic civil liberties and a perversion of power by the ruling elite - both parties blaming the other, but neither doing anything to actually stop it. Economically and Socially, both parties are power-hungry leviathans with no real interest in healing the nation or taking up the cause of liberty. They are the status-quo.

Ron Paul said it best, "We do need change in this country - but not something new, something that already existed." What he means is that the cause of Libertarianism is not one of fundamental changes in America, rather a return to liberties that were defined at our founding.

The powers that be, the political parties, fear the idea of Libertarianism because the government has grown "too large to fail".

For the GOP, any Libertarian talk of reducing the size of the US overseas presence, ending foreign wars, and putting an end to Nation Building is seen as a threat to the NeoConservative movement that has become the GOP. Drastically cutting spending, ending power grabs and the Patriot Act... all seen as 'threats to national security' by the GOP security/war hawks. How can we ever be safe if the government doesn't regulate and police our every move? This is the GOP. These are the things they do not want to give up.

For the Democrats, any Libertarian talk of reducing government handouts, eliminating unconstitutional departments at the Federal level, and scaling back government intervention into private business and affairs is seen as a threat to the Socialist/Populist movement that has become the Democratic Party. Cutting trillions in spending, phasing out the hand-outs, and returning responsibility to the individual is seen as a threat to the "New Deal Society" aimed at providing a safety net and retirement check for every US citizen (and now world citizen, it appears). How can we ever survive if the government is not there to feed and clothe us? These are the Democrats. These are the things they do not want to give up.

And so they dance their little dances, make their backroom deals, and at every turn each multimillionaire in power becomes a little richer and a little more power hungry. They live by their own set of rules and governances whilst we are subject to their dominion. They are two sides of the same turd... and you all know the old idiom about polishing a turd.

And so they fear the idea that we may have to repay our debts. They fear the concept of increased liberty and personal responsibility. They spread fear and lies of chaos without their "protection" or their "safety net".

They are afraid of letting go of their power. And so they fear the people standing up for the cause of liberty.

What Would a Paul Presidency Look Like?

Ron Paul earned a solid 22% third place victory in Iowa on January 3rd, but the headlines went directly to a Santorum surge that has arguably been a "no-show" one week later in New Hampshire, where Paul is finishing 7% better than his polling average. Paul finished a very strong second tonight in the Granite State, but already the headlines are reading like a Huntsman/Romney head-to-head heat. Huntsman, of course, is finishing about 22% behind Romney and about 8% behind Ron Paul. And yet the media black-out continues. In fact, when watching the results on FoxNews, any mention of Ron Paul was met with "who will not be the nominee". Romney has had an array of "Not Romney" contenders, but no one has consistently finished stronger than Paul, and no one has the organization and momentum that Paul has after the first two contests. Arguably, after Iowa and New Hampshire it is clear that the true contender to take on Romney is and has been Ron Paul.

Ron Paul polls favorably against Obama in a head-to-head contest. Paul has the youth and Libertarian votes locked up. Paul is a true anti-war candidate, which would make Obama the war-candidate, locking up leftist anti-war support in a general election. Paul is the one candidate who speaks across the spectrum. He fits into no political mold. He is the true Libertarian. In a time when the electorate are so fed up with the status-quo, Ron Paul is the most dangerous man running for the American Presidency - because he will annihilate the status-quo.

Assuming a Paul victory in November, what would America look like on January 21, 2013 and for the first 100 days of his presidency? What about beyond?

Moments after being sworn into office, Ron Paul would issue an executive order repealing the Patriot Act. He would follow that immediately with starting to roll out his Plan to Restore America, his $1 Trillion budget cut, by ordering the systematic closure of several of the Executive Departments of the Federal Government. The restructure of the government would be done in such a way that State Governments and Private Business would be required to immediately step up to take the rolls of those efforts necessary enough to survive the transition - that is right - the free market will eliminate the waste. Within weeks, several US military bases overseas will be targeted for closure as part of a first wave, followed quickly by other waves of foreign base closures. Energy prices would dive, as Paul's America First energy initiative would stop the export of US energy, aiming the US onto a track of self sufficiency, thus putting an end to our dependency on foreign oil, and the need for defense of Middle Eastern oil.

The military would be strengthened by consolidating our currently overstretched resources. The closure of foreign bases and the immediate end to decades long unconstitutional regional wars would free up resources to focus on American infrastructure and defense. The military industrial complex would be slowed to a grinding halt as US involvement in missions like Tomahawk Bombing Libya and Drone attacking civilians in Pakistan would immediately cease. Our global mission would truly go from one of aggression to humanitarianism. Where governments ask us to leave, we would respectfully exit and allow them to handle their own affairs. We would cease to be the police, and once again lead by a strong example of civility and liberty.

The Native Tribes would be cut loose from the racist policies of the Dept. of the Interior, as it would be eliminated. In accordance with Article 1 section 6, treaties made with the native Tribes would finally be upheld, and the Supreme Court ruling of 1982 regarding the Lakotah Sioux would have a chance to be realized. The US would have to face the issue of Reservations and Native land once and for all.

The US monetary system would be transitioned back under the control of the Dept. of the Treasury, thus ending the privately owned National Banking System known as the Federal Reserve. The US dollars would become real money, and our debt would be painfully real - eliminating the annoying ability of Congress to pay off debt with borrowing fake fiat money. The US would experience deflation over time, and the value of the US Dollar (not the Federal Reserve Note) would increase on the strength of our growing economy.

We would see the US debt being paid down. We would see the end to banker-owned Congresses and the era of Bail-outs. In fact, I'm almost willing to bet that Paul goes after the companies who took taxpayer monies with the expectation of collecting those debts and returning the monies. We would see the tax system completely revamped, eliminating loopholes and reducing overall taxes. We would see a bare-boned Federal Government and a rise in the importance of state and regional governments.

A Paul Presidency would be dangerous to the status-quo, which is why paul is feared amongst those in power. It would be a transition toward a smaller federal government and lower regulation of personal affairs (like taking off your shoes to board an airplane). It would be a return to Constitutional sanity... to checks and balances.

It would be the best chance America has to survive another hundred years. It would be the best chance we have to remove the burden of debt from our future generations. It would be an era of a quieter and more competitive America, a renewed era of American Exceptionalism... one of American peace and prosperity... one where America returns as the shiny city on the hill for all the right reasons... one where we are followed out of respect, not followed out of fear.

Am I being overly optimistic? Sure. As a realist I understand that there would be push back from war-hawks in Congress, lobbyists, big labor, etc. The system that has grown too large to fail would fight so very hard to keep the pork barrel full, even if this fat hog was eating the citizens out of house and home.

So the honest answer is that there would be struggle. There would be news stories of doom and gloom as the fat cats began getting isolated and eliminated. There would be a period of struggle and strife as we shake off the dirt and get to work on truly restoring our country. There would be work, transition, and a whole lot of personal responsibility - a broom in every hand to clean up this country!

We just may, through all of this, find ourselves the leaders of the next great generation of Americans.

Of course, this is all only a possibility if Ron Paul is given the fair shake he deserves as a true front runner and presidential contender. A Ron Paul America... can you imagine?

Why Rick Perry Scares the Hell out of Me

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.

Failed Votes in House Indicate GOP Establishment Not in Control

FoxNews reports it as a blunder, but I call it damn fine politics!

Yesterday there was a GOP backed bill to permanently extend key provisions of the Patriot Act. The GOP establishment have lived off of the Patriot Act as their bread and butter for the last decade. Now with a near super majority, passing such a Bill should be simple, right?

Wrong.

There are a number of Patriots in Congress right now, elected as members of the Tea Party, who are very serious about the role of the government and the constitution, and who are very serious about returning rights stripped from the citizens over the last decade. These GOP Tea Partiers are voting in the style of a true third party, sending a very clear message to the GOP - You are NOT in control.

Our Congress is made up of three or four parties right now, though there are only two official party caucuses... The Democrats who are strongly united to the left, as most of the "fourth party" blue dog moderates lost their seats in 2010, the remaining moderate Blue Dogs, the centrist GOP, and the Tea Party Republicans. If you run the numbers, there is no majority party in our government - so in the style of the British House of Commons, a unity government must be formed. If the GOP continues to ignore the constitution, you can be sure that the Tea Party will not be voting in favor of the Bill; and the GOP becomes a minority party once again.

The power in Congress lies in the hands of the Tea Party/Libertarian/Constitutionalist officials. What we have seen in Congressional voting in the past two days is a lesson in the Constitution, and a civics reminder for the establishment (minority) GOP - WE THE PEOPLE hold the power!

The Burden of the 2012 GOP Race - Being First

By the end of January 2007, roughly all major candidates had entered the race for the GOP nomination for President; a move that lead to a mudfest / bloodfest and ruined the political futures of a few individuals. It was a situation that provided a tough lesson, a lesson being strictly and seriously taken by all potential candidates in 2012: For God's Sake, Don't Be First!

The usual cast of characters, those left over from 2008, are expected to enter the race. Being first, however, means becoming a target. If Palin goes first, the other candidates enter as a common sense alternative to the Hockey Mom who has no experience (regardless of her message). If Romney goes first, the others enter the race as small government alternatives without a history of failed state healthcare systems. If Huckabee goes first... well, you see the pattern.

Make no mistake. February will be the month where the staring contest comes to an end. Someone is going to make the first gesture toward the podium. And like Rudy Guilliani in 2008, who went from a sure thing to a has-been, the targets have already been pre-manufactured and the bloodbaths will ensue.

That being said, the RCP average has a neck-n-neck tie between Romney, Huckabee, and Palin, with Newt Gingrich, Chris Christie, and Ron Paul rounding out the field. No one candidate is clearly dead or alive. And the field looks to explode once the usual suspects have thrown their names in the ring.

Who I am most interested to see enter the race: Lou Dobbs and Michelle Bachmann.

Lou Dobbs because we, the people, may actually get a straight answer from our commander in chief. We may actually see an end to the destruction of the US borders. We may have a fiscal strategy that will drastically reduce the national debt, strengthen the dollar, and secure our interests at home. With a Dobbs administration we can expect a post Wilsonian Foreign Policy, a reduction in foreign influence on America, and a period of internal healing and soul searching.

Michelle Bachmann because strong, conservative, and Libertarian leaning women not only get my heart pounding, but because the American people share a special place for that feminine strength. It says something about our nation, and the equal footing provided to all genders or creeds. The message is important, but there is a tactical advantage in picking the right messenger. Someone like Bachmann has the influence and the recognition to put real, hardworking conservative women into the political spotlight... and hopefully remove the spotlight from less experienced celebrity conservatives, such as Palin.

Alas... the race cannot start if all the horses refuse to enter the gates... so they circle in the backfield, waiting... gritting their teeth and honing their sights on the finish... Who is going to define the field? Who is going to be first? Who is ready to become dog meat?

C'Mon guys... let the games begin... we're ready for the entertainment to begin!

My Official 2012 Presidential Endorsement

I was going to wait until AFTER tomorrow night, but I cannot wait.

Please check out my new blog, Draft Luis Fortuno 2012.

Please head over to the site, read the initial articles I have linked, and some key words of praise for Fortuno. Take a moment to see what a conservative Republican has done in a liberal Carribean island, and US territory (Puerto Rico).

Luis Fortuno is the underdog, the dark horse, and just what this country needs - a strong man cabaple of looking his constituents in the eyes and saying 'get off the government payroll and into the free market!'

Luis Fortuno represents the voice the GOP has been missing, and it is time to spotlight a worthy member from the conservative ranks who, quite literally, speaks the language of the Hispanic voting bloc - a core group of social conservatives who the liberal media is courting on behalf of the liberal Democrats.

Mr. Fortuno sees Hispanics as a natural GOP constituency. The University of Virginia Law School graduate and father of triplets says what he missed most while serving two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives was weekly lunches with his extended family. "Hispanics put family first, and from that stems all else," Mr. Fortuno says. "We are mistrustful of government, own family-sized businesses, and value basic social principles. All of that is aligned with my party."

Governor Fortuno is more than a talking head, or a game-piece in the battle for votes. Fortuno finishes the job, stands firm on Conservative principles, and represents a want and will to preserve and grow the strength of the Union - as the leader of the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico (The Republican Party on the island aimed at pushing for statehood).

This guy is the one we have been waiting for - a small government fiscal conservative, a catholic social conservative, and a fiery leader with a record of strong finishes!

The Foreseeable Shortcomings of a Republican Majority

There is no doubt that the Republicans will sweep into Legislative Majorities in one or both houses after a short four year exile. It is not, however, a radical change in the GOP that has swung the electorate into 'the big tent'; it is a clear civil unrest over some very key faults of the Federal Government. Those elements are spending, budget, taxes, and jobs. The fact that the only platform put forth by the GOP establishment in 'The Pledge' is vague in solutions to these ends, and that the party is still decisively split on foreign issues, banking issues, etc. is clear evidence that the 2010 Republican Majority may find itself causing more harm than good.

In the simplest of statements, the GOP majority stands poised to squander any significant fundamental ability to change the legislation of the past ten to twenty years. This goes beyond Obama, extending through Bush and right on into Clinton. In fact, one could make an argument that fundamental reconstruction of the make-up of the US essentially starts with legislation that is a hundred years old.

What should the new, independent, Constitutionally backed GOP minority push the greater GOP establishment into tackling over the next two years? More importantly, what will the GOP establishment and the Liberals who survive the coming blood-letting work fervently to stop? Below is a list of the top SEVEN issues needed to repair the economy and structure of this nation:

7. Repair Social Security. When Social Security was adopted in the 1930's, it was intended to be a safety net. That safety net, for better or for worse, became a staple in the American Work Force, establishing secure retirement for elderly and providing a social welfare for the disabled. In the 1960's, Democrats tapped into the extra revenue of the SS program in order to balance their budget. This pillaging of the senior retirement fund fundamentally destroyed the system as a safety net, transferring the burden from a personal savings to a necessary tax item on the annual budget. Democrats looked to Social Security income as a source of revenue, depleting the savings account of America. We need an act of congress to completely restore the coffers and remove Social Security receipts as 'income' to the federal government. We also need to ensure that only those truly eligible receive funds, non-illegals, etc (and those who have paid into the system for a certain number of years). Payments should be a factor of contribution, etc, etc. This approach is constructive to the current dependency on the system, does not alienate the elderly or disabled who may be at a disadvantage, and is a good faith common-sense compromise that works across the aisle.

6. Fix Healthcare. Obamacare and other forms of socialized medicine are destructive to industry - both in the medical field and across the board. Obamacare was so invasive that it made it a federal crime to NOT purchase insurance from a private company. This and other aspects of the law are grossly unconstitutional and will not survive the courts. There are, however, positive glimpses within the document that were horribly implemented - for instance, denied coverage due to past illness, and coverage for children. Congress can pass legislation under equal protection and non discrimination forcing insurers to allow equal and affordable coverage for all. There are many ways of restructuring the system within the current set of rules (pre-Obamacare); However, what if we cast aside the set of current rules and changed the playing field? If we combine tort reform, state government ownership (on a state by state basis as voted on by the people of each state in accordance with the 10th amendment), and a true level playing field for insurance (interstate plans, restriction of price fixing, etc.) the free market competition would drive insurance prices down. A top down Federal health system is unconstitutional, and should be left to the states, thus the current system needs to be absolutely repealed and reframed.

5. Pay down the National Debt. Throw a wrench in the cogs of ALL the National debt calculator widgets by reversing the trend. Pay down the national debt. This should be made a priority as a good faith gesture to America that the government tyrants are going away. A well planned budget could effectively pay off the entire national debt in two presidential terms. That is right. I personally claim to have a plan to pay down $14 Trillion in 8 years. The following three items lay out the general ingredients to how this is possible.

4. Fix the Tax Structure. The tax codes change from year to year, written in such a way that only those with access to high cost lawyers can curtail true tax rates, and end up paying less than their fair share; in most cases those tax evaders are the tax code writers - your Congressmen and Senators. A flat tax is not absolutely necessary, but it provides an excellent model for restructuring the US tax code into a simple handbook. Combine the Flat Tax and the Progressive Tax (under which we currently operate), and eliminate deductions for incomes over a set dollar amount. Restructure the tax rates to reflect typical current payments based on deductions for lower and middle earners, and then simplify by eliminating the deductions for all. Eliminate EIC, as it is simply a pay-out of wealth redistribution. remove everything from the US tax code other than a simple chart indicating income and expected taxes. Business and corporate taxes would embody a similar system with an adjusted flat rate with no deductions. The system would be uniform and constitutional. The revenue to the US government would reflect a net increase without any significant modification to current tax burdens. I could easily calculate a $0.5 Trillion annual revenue increase by eliminating loopholes for the rich senators and their friends. Other adjustments may need to be made to balance a debt pay-down plan.

3. Cut Government Spending. Current government budgets are usually never reduced, and often simply push forward funding for programs plus a percentage budget increase each year. Anyone currently addressing "significant budget cuts" simply mean that the percent increase was reduced - but facts show that the net program spending increases! Some system! Do a full scrub of the entire budget. Make some deep and necessary cuts - to the tune of at LEAST $1.5Trillion (or half of the 2010 budget). I have run these calculations and major defense cuts associated with eliminating unnecessary multi-billion dollar federal departments and cutting unnecessary portions of the remaining department funds, while placing certain obligations back into the hands of the states or citizens (like education), cutting $1.5Trillion comes easy without even broaching the Medicare/Medicaid coffers. Eliminating them in favor of a Social Security Medical system and other healthcare changes reducing the cost and increasing the availability of private healthcare easily makes immense gains toward elimination of debt.

2. Take Control of Monetary Policy. A repeal of the Federal Reserve Act, or a restructure of the way the Treasury handles the monetary system would immediately eliminate a grand portion of our debt, would eliminate the need to pay interest on our own monetary system to a private conglomerate of banks who have no connection to the Federal Government, and would fundamentally change the way we do business in the US with regards to spending and borrowing. It is a drastic move and a massive show of force against the banks who continually suck the government and the citizens dry for profit. Eliminating the debt by a swoop of a pen would by far be the most dramatic law in the history of the world. Other less drastic steps could be taken, like renegotiation of all interest on debts to 0.0% (since it is OUR money). Such a step would immediately save $164 Billion annually, and could be used to negotiate down total debt to the Federal Reserve. International debt would be handled separately.

1. Repeal the Patriot Act. Next to financials, the Patriot Act was the single most restrictive piece of legislation to American Liberties. The frustration in 2006 & 2008 against Bush was due to such invasive laws (as well as the wars). A restructure of the intelligence agencies does not necessitate a collapse of civil liberties. This law is an abomination and should be struck in its entirety.

These are some of the most extreme examples, but necessary to turn our country away from social tyranny toward a peaceful economic powerhouse. If the new GOP pushed for even a tiny part of these changes, they would establish themselves as sound leadership for generations. If these are the principles we truly embrace (smaller government, lower taxes, more freedom), then the above changes are not radical or extreme; they are necessary elements in the fundamental restructuring as part of a more perfect union. One in which ideas like "the new deal" can provide security for citizens while the focus and structure of the government can return to a less powerful advisory board focused on defense and equal protection under the law. There is a perfect equilibrium, but we are far removed from it. hard work and sacrifice on the part of the Federal government is key to reach the higher middle ground. The new GOP needs to lead us there.

Republican Pledge Not Enough

Sixteen years after the ‘Contract with America’, the Republican House Minority provided a renewed ‘Pledge to America’, a throwback promise ahead of an expected majority change in the House of Representatives in November. The Pledge, though addressing some real issues, does not do enough to establish the level of trust and comfort that the Minority leadership was hoping to convey. Instead, the Pledge pays homage to the constitution and the Tea Party overtone without affecting enough change to assure the people that a Republican Majority would act any differently from those majorities of years past.

The Pros:
In the opening pledge, the new governing agenda set forth reads like a collaboration of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and a smattering of founding documents. The most promising aspect of this opening statement was the direct focus on the long forgotten tenth amendment – promising that all powers not specifically delegated to the United States by the Constitution will be reserved for the states and the people. This last amendment in the Bill of Rights is the single most important statement in our founding contract – that the power of this government lay with the people. Remembering this is what the 2010 election cycle has become about.

The Pledge goes on to detail a series of plans outlining the new GOP agenda. Their series of plans include the standard Republican talking points of cutting taxes, reining in spending, and shrinking government. The highlights in these plans include a new rule requiring a “citation of constitutional authority” for every bill presented on the floor of the House. It baffles my mind that such a rule is necessary, but in the bloated government environment in which we find ourselves, it is a much needed relief. Further parts of the Pledge echo the promises made in the ’94 Contract, ensuring transparency and openness in government proceedings.

The Cons:
The Pledge fell short of any real agenda changing qualities, often treating the current political symptom while ignoring the underlying ailment. One great example is the heralded spending reduction which promises a savings of a few hundred billion by returning to Bush era spending practices. I say we need to go further back. I say we need to cut more. Why not aim to cut the federal spending by half, proposing true fiscal restraint. In fact, a federal budget of $2 Trillion is more than sufficient when spending, pork, and subsidies are cut back extremely.

The Pledge addressed unfunded liabilities of Social Security, but stopped short of any proposal to restore and fully fund the Social Security account while restricting ANY government access to the account for general or emergency funding.

The Pledge proposed small business tax incentives without any mention of a plan to remove ALL tax loopholes by implementing a fair and uniform Flat Tax system.

The Pledge promises federal enforcement of border and immigration issues, but fails to target US corporations recruiting for workers in Mexico and hiring foreigners without work visas.

There is much good to be read in the 21 pages of the Republican Pledge to America. It sets a tone for discussion and emphasizes that the GOP is in the game, and more than a party of ‘No’. The Pledge is not enough, though, to do what it was intended to do. It is not enough to set a new agenda. It is not enough to distance the GOP from the spending Republicans of the past. It is not enough to make me believe that the GOP is serious about turning the power of the country back over to the people and the states of this union.

It's a Tea Party Year!

Delaware is the latest stomping ground for the Tea Party, where establishment candidate Rep. Castle was handily beaten by Tea Party favorite and political newcomer, O'Donnell. This, as the GOP establishment says, puts the state of Delaware in jeopardy for a very secure senate seat - however, now that the GOP has been proven wrong at the polls, the people of Delaware are going to respond to O'Donnell positively... and the GOP establishment is going to have plenty of crow to eat! RCP has moved Delaware into the "likely Dem" category from "likely GOP" based on old polling, but rest assured that O'Donnell's stock is going to rise tomorrow, and those numbers are going to change!

Across the nation, from Alaska to Delaware, we are seeing establishment candidates fall to the no-name citizen army candidates. We, the people, have mounted a fierce battle, and come November we are going to see a solid core group of Conservative Senators that WILL move the Senate back in line with the constitution.

Joe Miller, Alaska
Ken Buck, Colorado
Sharon Angle, Nevada
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Marco Rubio, Florida
Mike Lee, Utah
Christine O'Donnell, Delaware

This is not a regional flux. The left can not blame this on the rednecks clinging to their guns and bibles in the south. They cannot blame this on the isolated and out of touch separatists in the frozen hills of Alaska. This is a national movement - state by state, election by election, incumbents were felled by their constitutionalist rivals. Called extremists by their foes for drawing a line in the sand and saying, "On behalf of the American People, NO MORE", they have become the generals in the people's army... Not Glenn Beck or Sarah Palin... Nay... those whose necks are on the line, and who are in a position to win, win big, and change the debate in the US Senate.

Even in New Hampshire, as I write this, are we witnessing a HUGE night for the Tea Party, where a Palin-backed candidate is losing to the will of the Tea Party movement, indicating that, in fact, it is not her party (as I stated above), rather the party of the people.

Add the name Ovide Lamontagne from NH to the list above, and with the right campaigning across the board we can add 8 staunch constitutional conservatives to the US Senate, where a few constitutionalists eek out an existence, and you have got a solid 10% of the entire US senate as a hardcore constitutionalist voting block... My eyes are getting moist just thinking about it - it really is beautiful - in my lifetime! (imagine the irony of an American being happy that 10% of the senate is going to follow the constitution!)

With that said, there are a few hard races:
1. Angle (who is now tied with Reid in NV) must win to knock out the Majority Leader of the Senate. She is holding her own this early out, which is a very bad sign for Reid, who's own son has stopped using his last name in his campaign for governor of NV due to bad name recognition. (I love it!)
2. Rubio has a good lead on Independent Charlie Crist in Florida, but Crist is an old dog at the political game. Fortunately for the TP movement, Crist's numbers are beginning to nosedive, and he may have peaked too early for this three man race.
3. Miller in Alaska is plagued by a raging case of the "incumbents" - like syphilis which is supposed to go away with penicillin, the incumbent is supposed to go away after losing the primary. However, his mild rash, Murkowski, is floating every possibility to attempt to get on the ballot and give this race to the Dems.
4. O'Donnell in Delaware was a major victory, a major upset, and a major challenge moving forward into November. Donate $20, now, to her campaign. Call the Delaware GOP and tell them to immediately support and endorse her. She needs the bump to keep the state, and she is the kind of leader the GOP needs in the Tea Party wing.

It's a tea Party night, and it will be a tea Party year. The GOP and America have much to celebrate. The pendulum is swinging toward our constitution!

On the Ropes

Obama and the Democrats are in trouble, whether they admit it or not. Polling in Washington State now indicates that Republican (moderate) Rossi is going to win in November over liberal Democrat incumbent, Patty Murray. Murray cannot poll over 45%, and is showing horribly in the democratic strong-hold of Seattle's King County. Washington state was supposed to be a safe democrat seat, was moved to a toss-up seat, and is looking more and more like a seat that is leaning republican.

Barbara Boxer is also in trouble. The latest debate between incumbent California Democrat Boxer and Republican challenger Fiorina was nothing more than a Boxer mud-slinging fest, trying to defame the successful HP former executive. Boxer's numbers dropped following the debate putting Fiorina ahead for the first time in that race.

Across the nation, not only are Liberal Democrats losing to moderate Republicans, they are losing in droves to Conservative Libertarian Republicans (Liberty Republicans), such as Joe Miller in Alaska, Marco Rubio in Florida, and Rand Paul in Kentucky. Democrats are losing Governorships to staunch Libertarian Conservatives - and Oregon, the longest consecutive held Democratic Governorship in the US, is bearing witness to a massive GOP win in the polls, and an expected GOP win in Nov.

Recent polling also indicates that the GOP will take over the House of Representatives, removing the giant gavel from Pelosi, and replacing many ultra liberals with some very staunch libertarian conservatives.

The Democrats are on the ropes, taking body punch after body punch. They are bloody, bruised, and about to hit the mat.

Let us hope that with the GOP comes Liberty. Let us hope that with that liberty we fix our borders, free our states from the fed, audit the Federal Reserve, and end corporate strangleholds and government monopolies over food processing, banking, industry, and housing. My prayer is that the GOP of 2010 is one of founding principles, small government, and libertarian principles - Goldwater Republicanism. Even more, my hope is that we do a great job as a majority party so that we can continue the libertarian march through 2012 and fix this mess we are in!

GOP/FoxNews Needs to Back Off Harry Reid over Race Comments

Let's lay all our cards on the table here - a Democrat can say something 'racially questionable' and be absolved, and a Republican will be burned at the stake. This is common knowledge, common practice, and is generally an unfair double standard. The GOP needs to accept it and MOVE ON.

Playing the race card works well when you're a Democrat - because the leadership of the minority group in question (and I use the term leadership loosely) is in bed with the Dems, can slam the party of the 'other' race for being 'un-them', and should you yourself make a blatantly racist comment you get the pass because the leadership 'know that in his heart he really didn't mean it'...

As a Republican it is much harder to play said card, namely for the reason unfolding before us. He makes the statement, the black leadership gives him the pass, and they move on... meanwhile we are left yelling 'Ohh, Ooh, but he's really a racist', and 'if we said it you would be all over us!'

What is going to happen is that the GOP and FoxNews are going to look ridiculous as they try and create a scandal in a community that could care less if Reid came out and dropped an N-bomb... he has the backing of the leadership, and will most likely be flanked by black leaders for the remainder of his re-election campaign. The scandal blowback will divert attention away from the TRILLION other reasons NOT to re-elect Reid, and the SOB will be re-elected as part of an anti-racist / anti-GOP revival.

The story broke, it was a drop in the racial bucket, and the Dems out-circled the wagons of the GOP and FoxNews. Any further headline about the issue is merely going to seem like childish "but... but... but..." arguments.

Get the election out of the gutter. Stop the attempted scandal mudslinging. Let's do something novel in 2010 - let's beat the pants of the socialist elite on Merit alone!

We have the right on our side for 2010... let's not muddy the waters with non-scandals.

GOP Power Struggle - Fixing the "Warlord" Party

CNN reports, most humorously, that the GOP is a shattered party in "warlord" status. I say humorously because it is on par with calling water wet. There was one clear message in the 2008 Primaries - the party had no leadership. The current leadership had failed (GW Bush), the party constituents felt increasingly unrepresented, and the vetting process for leadership failed miserably with the selection of John McCain.

There is currently a battle underway, between the old dogs like McCain, and the new dogs like Palin. A power vacuum of epic proportion:

In one corner, conservatives are accusing moderates of abandoning party principles. In the other, moderates are blasting conservatives for drawing partisan lines. And then there's the Tea Party fringe that's attacking both sides -- moderates because they are moderate and conservatives because they are not conservative enough. "Where the Republicans are having the biggest problem now is sort of a vacuum of leadership," said Republican strategist Chris Wilson.

With 2010 quickly approaching, the GOP leadership is going to rise from the most vocal and most active crowds. This means that the 2010 GOP primaries and general election are most likely going to be driven by the "fringe" Tea Party activists (I say fringe because CNN may not recognize that the Tea Party philosophy is actually becoming very mainstream). The party has lost identity, purpose, and confidence of the electorate... on this point, the CNN report is right.

The CNN report goes on to say: "The reason, according to Avlon, is that the Republican Party tried to move forward without dealing with the mistakes of the recent past."

The mistakes of the recent past do continue to plague the RNC and a general Republican "brand" which is exactly why Michael Steele and other National level figure heads have been completely ineffective in "fixing" the party. They have attempted to continue marching forward with no valid attempt at reconciliation. It is this disconnect which has moved the RNC out of favor with many GOP affiliated voters and independents. With the RNC so out of touch with the voters, there is no way they can claim to represent the party members.

However, the mistakes of the past are being reconciled on a different front... the "fringe" Tea Parties are airing the dirty laundry list of the "fed-up" Republicans. To be a Republican used to mean a leaning on certain core values... these values were the tent poles, and all were welcome inside this tent. However, the current party is plagued by an inability to stick to the principles:

*Social conservatives have worked to isolate a certain part of the population, using the power of government to push an agenda.
*Security conservatives have become war hungry, using 9/11 and the "fear" of imminent attack as a means to perpetuate foreign war as well as eradicate civil liberties at home.
*Fiscal conservatives became corrupted by power and "spent" like socialists.

We became the gay-bashing, war mongering, fiscally loose political party who insanely surrendered the very liberties we were supposed to protect and defend... We became paranoid in the aftermath of 9/11, so much so that we actually offered up civil liberties in a massive expansion of the federal government, aiding in the redefinition of "government" in America - I fear a lurch toward totalitarianism that we may never get back.

What must come from this? What Lesson is to be learned? How must we rise from the ashes as a new and more perfect political party? How can we be the party to reclaim American Liberty - relighting that shiny beacon on the hill?

The answer - Principled Leadership.

We need a leader who understands the fact that only 25% of Americans approve of Congress' Job. This alone draws into question the partisan struggle for over-reaching government control of our daily lives.

We need a leader who understands that ability to use force is sometimes more powerful than the use of force, and that Americans want to be done fighting perpetual wars.

We need a leader who understands that the only way to fix this nation is not to further divide the country by fanning the flames of "control" that separate American from American, rather to scale back the grip of government social engineering, letting Americans once again experience liberty.

All things can be solved in this nation by following a simple philosophy - smaller government means more freedom.

A republican leader needs to live by that simple philosophy and lead by it as well... it is with that fundamental value that we become the "big tent" party once again. We need a leader who will redefine the party as the small government party. We need to counter the Democrats, not become the democrats.

We need to give the American people the opportunity to succeed, not simply have the government "do it for us". Yes, that means rejecting a government run health care system in favor of re-writing the rules to allow doctors to work more directly with patients at a more affordable cost. The answer, I tell you, is not a government take-over... it is in Tort reform, an increase in community clinics for health and wellness visits, and a challenge to the American People to lead healthier lives.

We need to give the American People true liberty... that includes sexual affiliation. No studies have shown that same sex couples do mental or physical damage to bringing up children. There is no harm in same sex hospital visitations. No harm is going to be done to our society by giving a same sex individual the right of kinship or the power of attorney. We need to not run the government like a church, and remove church functions from government - like marriage. The government should not recognize ANY marriage as a "blessed event" (actual words from the Pierce County, WA marriage License). The answer is to allow Contracts of Civil Trust, where religiously married individuals as well as same sex couples can enter into a civil trust with one another, allowing powers of attorney, shared resources, etc. Why are we using the government to force social agenda's one way or the other? Judge not lest ye be judged... Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. Let us find a leader who can respect the social conservative values of this country while at the same time explaining the perils of social engineering by the government, and you have a party that can now focus on the real issues of government expansion.

We need to give the American People a smaller government, less taxes. Reduce and eliminate government programs across the board. Set the challenge to the states to pick the programs that work for their communities and leave it to the states. Let's start living by the Constitution at all levels, and eliminate government excess.

We need to stop running the government like a business. Businesses live to make a profit... if a government makes a profit it should be returned to the people. We should pay down our debts, which further ensures our security, eliminate the ability of the government to put us into eternal debt, and stabilize our form of currency - returning it to a treasury note, eliminating the Federal Reserve.

Gingrich changed the GOP in 1994 with the Contract with America. We need similarly strong leadership and a renewed message of clear objectives. We are the party of small government, increased liberties, reduced taxation... somewhere along our journey we lost our way. This is our opportunity to correct the course... If only we have leadership strong enough to make these changes.

I have a list of potentials for the 2012 GOP. Do you see one capable of leading our course correction? Please vote to the right. If you don't see your "pick", please, leave a comment and let me know of a rising star!

GOP Ahead in Polls, but...

Real Clear Politics latest generic congressional poll shows that the Republican Party holds a 5 point lead over the Democrats, and that on average, the two parties are neck in neck... a far cry from a year ago when Democrats were enjoying a nearly 20 point advantage...

However, headlines such as "Harry Reid may lose seat to Republican Challenger" are meaningless when a vote for Republicans is nothing more than an opposition vote! The GOP has done little to resolve the issues with its leadership since the major whooping it was given in November of 2008. There has been much wound licking, but little actual realization at the top of the party ticket, leading me to believe that, should there be another Presidential election tomorrow, the GOP would still be inclined to run a horrible McCain style candidate and campaign.

What has not been realized is the one thing that is going to be overshadowed by the sudden popularity of the GOP - Consistent Message about Small Government.

The formula is simple: When Democrats act like Republicans they win, when Republicans act like Democrats they lose. Simpler yet, when either party stands against the growth of government, they are the victor - and it usually happens when they are in the minority.

Yes - if we sweep out the new Democrats and replace them with a Republican majority, there would be no change... NO CHANGE.

Sure, the topic of discussion may vary a little, however, the substance would remain the same... "How can we grow government to control one or more aspects of your life in order to obtain our objective?"

Where the GOP stands to make gains is to openly and honestly declare that THEY are the prescription for the ailment that is overbearing government. The GOP MUST make measurable steps in reducing the size of the government, returning it to a subordinate to the people.

The GOP leadership, in order to maintain a permanent majority, must set out a road map to liberty - a plan to return the country to the free men. They must sell this plan to the public, and follow through on every word. What would such a plan look like?

There must be a solid plan to eliminate government programs and agencies which are cancerous, including the Federal Reserve, the Department of Education, and other such money pits.

There must be an increased awareness of the role of the states and the people, stressing the importance of state governments to take the responsibilities to support programs which are needed/wanted by their residents.

There must be a clear message that "Compassionate Conservatism", or forced neoconservatism is over. We must be the party of liberty, not a forced social agenda. We need to draw the line in the sand on forced lifestyles! If we can differentiate ourselves here, we pick up a permanent majority.

As I have said in previous posts, the era of thinking that "our worst is still better than their best" is done. We need to define our message, stay on message, and support leaders for their ability to lead on that message - not merely because there is an R or a D after their name... We must break this style of thinking, and in doing so, we must show competency in our own ability to hold the public trust in a manner that leads to liberty.

Anything less is criminal. Anything less is merely more of the same.

To Regain Power, or Regain Right? The Republican Predicament

Predicament indeed. There has been much talk over the last 100+ days of the Obama administration and the filibuster-proof Senate and the radically Left House... and the stampede towards 2010 by the GOP. Along the way, the GOP has been leaderless in effectively stopping the Left from Nationalizing Industry and further bankrupting the nation... two policies fully supported by GOP leadership under George W. Bush.

The question becomes this: Does the GOP aim to regain power, or regain the right?

The way this simple question is answered will determine the future of the party - both for attracting next generation members and retaining those members with a current stock in the party.

If the aim of the GOP is to regain power for power's sake, then we are no better than when we were governmentally whorish under Bush. The last eight years saw the largest expanse of the US government, the power of the government over the people, and the largest buildup of debt ever. This has become the brand of the Republicans. We may claim that we were simply unable to stop the Democrats from spending - but facts show that earmark after earmark came from the right just as much as from the left... The holes in the sinking ship were drilled by both parties, with their respective special interest.

If the national party aims merely to regain control without first obtaining the clarity needed to lead, we may succeed as a party for the short term, but lose as a nation in the long term.

Our focus must be on regaining the right. I have commented in the past on guidelines needed as we clean house in the GOP - but perhaps it is simpler than that... simpler than "radicalizing", as I called it... it is simply returning to the basic Libertarian ideals that drove this party forward (though in the minority) under Goldwater. We regain our big tent status not on the back of the Christian Right, but on the principles of Liberty...

That is to say, success as a party needs to begin with identifying State's Rights, Small Government, Fiscal Conservatives who are Socially Libertarian - believing that a TRUE small government does not dictate social values - especially at the federal level. Those candidates who truly believe that the Federal Government was intended to be a limited body, yielding all powers NOT granted in the Constitution back to the People and the States, respectively... words directly pulled from our Bill of Rights.

Our party has lost its way, falling for the liberal idea that government is the answer... In fact, succumbing to this mindset and using government to force social agenda has backed the GOP into a corner of constant "moral crisis" when any member of the party falters in their personal life - garnering more media attention than, say, criminal violation of federal tax laws by top level Democrats in Obama's administration (violations that would make Al Capone blush).

Government is NOT the answer - and never should be. That should be the Republican Mantra. We should promise to cut the size of the government by X% each year at the federal, state, and local level until they return to the roles of delivering the basic services for which their services are required. We should embrace a flat tax, a balanced budget Constitutional Amendment, and the elimination of unnecessary government agencies - such as the IRS, DHS, Dept of Educ., etc...

We need to communicate to the American people the importance of a Small Government Party... and we need to live up to those commitments - not create departments such as DHS.

We need to right this ship by doing what is right... not using the democratic tactic to push our social agenda against the left's. When Republicans act like Democrats, they lose every time. When Democrats act like Republicans, they win... We can take this back by being Fiscally Conservative Socially Libertarian Republicans... The way Goldwater intended us to be.

Rebuilding the Republican Party - Time to Radicalize, Time to Get our Hands Dirty

Enough of the "Big Tent" talk. The Republican Party is now at war - Conservatism is under constant attack - and Conservative America has given way to Obama's Radical Social Policy, Radical Economic Policy, and otherwise extreme leftist policy that would make even the worst in Europe blush.

Under Obama, America has lost the market completely, she has lost welfare reform, she has lost free market capitalism, she has lost social conservatism with regards to life... she has lost her soul.

And the opposition is ineffective at best. With nearly filibuster-proof numbers in the house and senate, every vote counts... so when three Republican Senators betray their party, we may as well roll out the red carpet of socialism for Obama and his ilk.

The way I see it, Michael Steele has one chance to save this party... and his goal should be just that... NOT regaining power, but saving the party.

The rise to power should not be the focus of the party - it should be the fruits of our labor!

Michael Steele must make a stand for economic and social conservatism - using the three senators who crossed party lines as an example - AND KICK THEM OUT OF THE PARTY. Inform them, and their constituents, that they are NOT welcome to run for re-election as Republicans.

Furthermore, EVERY Republican office holder, at ALL levels of office should be made to sign a pledge, which should read:

I am a Republican.

I am humbled before our Creator, Nature's God, and struggle to uphold
His Natural Law.

I am the first defender of Life, Liberty, and the Right to Pursue
Happiness.

I affirm that life lives in the womb, and that each unborn child has a
Natural Right to Life.

I affirm that Liberty is the freedom from tyranny, and that to ensure
the Natural Right to Liberty every individual shall be free to own property,
freely worship, freely speak, and defend these rights from government
encroachment by freely keeping and bearing arms.

I affirm that each individual is responsible for their own actions, their life choices, and should be held fully accountable for their decisions.

I affirm that it is each individuals Natural Right to define and
Pursue their own Happiness, so long as that pursuit does not encroach on
anothers Natural Rights.

I affirm that the Government should be directed by the Creator's
Natural Law, but should not perform the functions otherwise reserved to religious
houses of worship - including sanctioning marriages.

I affirm that it is my duty to reduce the size of government, reduce
foreign influence in our government, reduce unnecessary governmental spending,
and strive to eliminate unnecessary taxation on the citizens of this
nation.

I affirm that I am a citizen of this nation, a citizen of my state, and a citizen in my community - and as such it is my duty to hold allegiance only to the same.

I affirm that to be a Republican is to strictly adhere to the Core
Founding Principles set forth in the founding documents of this
nation.

I pledge that I am Republican, and as such I will strictly adhere
to the principles, as outlined above. As an elected official in the
Republican Party, should I stray from the Code of Conduct of representing our
party, or should I stray from our Core Principles, it is the right of the Party
to excommunicate me from their ranks.

Any Republican official refusing to sign should be publicly excommunicated. Any Republican official breaking ranks, and not strictly following the core principles should be excommunicated.

These actions will send a strong message that the Republican Party is a party of high moral fiber, strict adherence to the beliefs of the foundation of these United States, and that we are a serious opposition to the strict Socialist Policy of the New Democratic Party.

We may not be in the majority in 2012, nor in 2016... but we will be strong, resolute, and sound a strong message of unity under a common banner of morality and the core principles. We will be a solid opposition to the Democrats - and when folks see this kind of Unity, these values which we uphold, they will return to the party.

Michael Steele will not take these steps - Our State Party Chairmen will not take these steps - Our County Party Chairmen will not take these steps... and as such, no real change will take place in our party.

If we do not have the courage to be the change, what purpose do we have in this life but to work to support the machine.

Douglas County GOP Election Results

The Douglas County Republicans (here in Colorado) held their organizational meeting last night, where officer elections were conducted.

There was a three way race for Chairman. Kelsey Alexander, incumbent, faced challenges by Jeff Wasden (Highlands Ranch HOA President and two time candidate for county commissioner), and John Ransom (County Party Activist). The first round of balloting resulted in a required run-off between Jeff Wasden and John Ransom, both scoring about 75 votes. Kelsey Alexander was dropped from the ticket, having pulled in only 58 votes in the first round. John Ransom was elected as Chairman, pulling in 110 votes to Jeff Wasden's 87.

There was a two way race for Vice Chairman. The incumbent was not running for re-election. Two challengers, Merlin Klotz and Mark Baisley faced off. Mark Baisley was elected as the Vice Chairman of the Party after being endorsed by John Ransom. Mark is an extremely involved party activist.

The race for Treasurer saw no incumbent, and the challenger was unopposed. John Fielding was elected by acclamation. John is an attorney, and a party activist.

The race for Secretary was between incumbent Steven Nielson and challenger Marsha Heilflien. Marsha is a retired legal secretary for the Colorado 18th Judicial District, and was endorsed by Kelsey Alexander, John Ransom, and others from the 18th Judicial. Incumbent Steven Nielson was re-elected to the post of Secretary, 104 - 82.

For my second term as Secretary of the Douglas County Republican Party, it is my goal to work in expanding the free media available in order to open a dialogue with Republicans, Independents, and Democrats - informing them of our party principles and taking input as to their wants and needs from the Party as a more representative body.

It was a late night - the meeting adjourned at 12:30 AM. The New Officers of the Party now have the reigns. Let's look forward, capture the momentum, and look toward our role in the state wide elections of 2010.

Why Jindal may not be the Answer for the GOP

The Southern Avenger hits the nail on the head with this latest commentary... I have been skeptical about Bobby Jindal for some time, in that he is not yet proven to be Libertarian enough (small government, lower taxes, anti-imperialistic)... The GOP, as the SA puts it, does not need to decide on "More Moderate vs. More Conservative"... The decision is "More Libertarian vs. More Authoritarian"

So perhaps it will take more than 2-4 years for a GOP star to rise... on who is truly representative of Libertarian values, which as Regan said, are the Heart and Soul of the Republican Party.

h/t to the Southern Avenger.