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.

Elections in the North East - States won update

Below is an update of the states won by each candidate. Romney is out, McCain and Huckabee are soaring in the polls as the last two contenders... and state after state is dishing out delegates. Mike Huckabee continues to win in the southern states, and McCain edges out Huckabee in Washington state by 200 votes. Virginia, Maryland, and Washington DC vote today, likely to be a sweep for McCain. But perhaps the Potomac region has some tricks up it's sleeves?

I will continue to update this map as results come in.

As well, Democratic results are below. With these two candidates fighting for a majority, and in a very clear delegate tie with the potential for legal battles to come up should Hillary lose, The Democratic party is not in a good position. They spent the early part of this campaign season berating the Republicans for a hotly contested seat, but now find themselves in the only non-civil contest at risk of dividing their party. The Potomac contests seem to favor Obama, in another round of the Clinton machine self-destructing in the public forum.

Louisiana Tired of Do-Nothing Democrats?

The nation's youngest governor in history, and the first non-white governor of Louisiana since Reconstruction is 36 year old Republican, Bobby Jindal. Jindal received 53% of the vote in a race where 11 candidates duked it out for control of the post-Katrina state.

This event is significant for so many reasons... the biggest is that the people of the state are so tired of their local Democratic leadership's inability to solve the problems of the state after the Katrina disaster that they are overwhelmingly ready for party change.

How overwhelming and what is the significance? Jindal received 625,000 votes (53%), where the next closest candidate received 209,000 (18%). The remaining field (other than Jindal) split the votes between multiple Democrats and Independents, but no one clear alternative to Jindal and his leadership came about.

We are seeing the same frustration with the members of the US House and Senate, as their numbers remain in the low teens.

And with the 2008 presidential race on the front of everyone's minds, we have to look into message, content, and most importantly their ability for action.

With Democrats and Independents upset about the Pelosi/Reid do-nothing approach to leading the US Congress, and the results rippling into Democratic strong states like Louisiana, could we be looking for a Republican upset in 2008?

I say yes. The Democrats laid all their cards on the table in 2006. The US has taken this year to realise that Jokers are not wild, and that a pair of 4's does not beat a pair of Aces. I am not saying that Republican leadership is without fault, but the loss in 2006 has been cause for introspection, and in doing so the party is beginning to see the importance of being strong conservative action takers.

The outcome of the election in Louisiana should be closely observed... It may be foretelling of the attitude towards Democratic talking heads, and may be an indicator of how the 2008 election will go!

As always, comments are appreciated!

God Bless.

Could the 2008 Dem nominee STILL be Al Gore?

"And the nominee is..."

The crowd hushes, Hillary is smiling in the wings... Obama is pacing the in the pews...

"Al Gore..."

A buzz instantly fills the room... was Al Gore even in the race? Hillary can be seen, red faced, yelling at her campaign manager... Obama is in tears as he thinks of all the political leaders he wont get the chance to insult.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This is not an actual situation, but an enactment of what could be the case during the Democratic Convention next year.

WHY? You ask... Well, The speculation of an Al Gore entry into the race is still afloat... and even Rasmussen, the most trusted name in polling, is predicting that regardless of the Clinton/Obama buzz, that the Democrats are going to pick a white male for their nominee. That leaves John Edwards and Al Gore.

What is better... Al Gore, without campaigning, is winning straw polls... The latest was the Scottsdale District 8 Straw Poll... It is no Ames, but voters had to pay $20 to cast a vote... and Gore walked away with the big win. He also came in second place to Edwards in the "popularity" vote. Clinton, Obama, and very far behind Richardson don't seem to have the support of the Central Arizona democrats... The same three don't really have the support in the Midwest, either... It is Edwards sweeping the middle-America crowds... which only means that if Al Gore enters the race, he will be the Democratic entity able to shake the Clinton foundation.

Speculation was that Gore would enter the race during the "save the earth" concert... but he didn't... With high numbers, high popularity, and the Democratic party secretly looking for the White Male candidate, the choice is Edwards or Gore. Recent speculation is that if gore's popularity and numbers continue to rise in the wake of the Draft Gore movement, December will be the kick-off of the Gore2008 campaign.

With political rivalries sizing up a Clinton nomination, throwing Al Gore into the mix could ruin the GOP strategy... (if I can figure out what that is, I will let you know). Remember, the GOP is planning to play the 51% "Definitely Will Not Vote Clinton" card VERY hard for the independents, as well as some of the Dems likely to jump ship. I know a few Dems who are in that category, and I don't blame them. There is a constant buzz in my community: "Anyone but Clinton"... and I think America Agrees.

So Al Gore... it looks like you may be getting the nomination after all...

GOP Candidates, be prepared for the shocker... just in case. Everyone else, keep your eyes on Florida!

God Bless.

Democrats Debate... YouTube Style...

Last night, America watched as the much hyped CNN/YouTube debate unfolded... The first 5 minutes were used to discuss which videos were not chosen, and why, what the format was supposed to be, and to once again claim the debate's innovative nature.

I took notes during the entire debate... what was the question, who answered, and did I consider it a positive or a negative response (not down political lines, but rather in the candidates body language, knowledge of the topic, and comfort in talking "face to face" with the everyday American)

I am not going to go through my notes line by line, but I am going to hit a few highlights...

Anderson Cooper, the moderator, is OBVIOUSLY an Obama supporter. Cooper would direct general questions to the candidates, and for the first 35 minutes, Obama fielded twice as many questions as Hillary or Edwards... Mike Gravel fielded one question in the first 35 minute segment, and stopped the debate to complain about it... Cooper gave him more time later on... It took Cooper 20 minutes to FINALLY ask Bill Richardson a question... By that time Obama had answered three... In short, Cooper needs to determine a better way to distribute the questions... though by the third segment, he gave all the candidates 3-4 questions evenly... so he found his rhythm...

The questions covered the main-stream issues... but there were a few "dinner table" questions, and definitely a more personalized way of asking some of the mainstream questions... I appreciated the human-factor... as opposed to the Wolf Blitzer Robotic debate, where if you don't answer correctly Wolf will keep grilling you until you answer his question his way (like he did to Huckabee on creationism)... There were awkward moments like the candidates fielding question from snowmen... but in all, the idea was to keep the questions in a very YouTube-esque manner... It worked.

The winners? John Edwards did a great job challenging Obama and Clinton, and I think showed his compassion towards women's issues... and definitely out shined Clinton on the women's issues question. Gravel angrily came out against Clinton and Obama, using what little time he has left on the stage to make some deep wounds... and Biden almost made it into this category, right up until the end...

The losers? Biden... he had a lot of momentum, until he called the gun owner a mental wack-job just because he referred to his AR-15 as "his baby"... he even went as far as saying that the video submitter was most likely not mentally capable of owning his weapon, and suggested that he may be a danger to society... Mr Biden... The only danger is you, my friend. Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson really needed to break out, and they didn't. This may be the last debate with them in it. Richardson has one of the best messages on Energy Independence, but he just can't seem to be "interesting". Clinton yells... a lot! And it is really hard to think that she is a compassionate person when all she does is yell... strike-out in my book... Dennis Kucinch needed to shine, and this was supposed to be his format... he did alright, but it was just shy of being put in the winner's block... and the loserest loser of all the losers... Barack Hussein Obama... in any given answer there were 15-20 "Umm", "Uh", and other fumbles as he looked for the right thing... his inexperience was in full swing, and though his answers may have been on message, they lacked the ease and intelligence that our next president needs to have.

If I had to call it, I would say that we are looking at the fall of Clinton/Obama, and the rise of Edwards/Biden (but Biden needs to make ammends with the gun-owners of the world)... Perhaps Richardson is going to be a VP pick... so we may see Edwards/Richardson as the democratic ticket for the general election...

Though my question was not picked, the very first question was mine but asked by someone else... I am going to focus on submitting a few perfect videos for the Republican CNN/YouTube debate in September... Hopefully Huckabee is still in the running, and gaining more momentum!

God Bless!

Congress at Mid-Year break, best thing for country!

The citizens of America can rest easy for the time being... Congress is in a mid-session break!

I have noticed over the last few months that the government's approval ratings have been dismally low, in the 20's (%)... and an article on CNN.com that I read through this morning had a great message: right now it is not so much Democrat v. Republican, rather the People v. the Government...

Of course there was the usual anti-Republican tone written into the article, but the message is clear, and we have addressed it here many times... We are currently being governed by an unrepresentative government, hell bent on tearing the nation apart via corruption and bad policies on both sides of the aisles.

I sincerely hope that as the 2008 elections near, that each party take notice of the horrid legislators currently in office, and choose to replace them with an alternative candidate. The only thing that can turn this ship around is some action on the part of the party and the people... if the party doesn't listen, then dont vote for the bad incumbent!

Fortunately for me, I live in Tancredo's district... so as long as he is planning on retaining his seat there should be no problem... as he is the loudest voice for the people in the congress...

God Bless!

Nepotism, and the 23% approval rating in congress

Really, I have nothing more to add... this article really says it all:

Both Republicans and Democrats in power are corrupt...

Unfortunately the masses are too lazy, too ignorant, or too focused on "the win" to make a change... so we get our 23% approval rated legislature...

Enjoy!

Angry, Dark, and No Surprises

Political analysts Bill Schneider, James Carville, and J.C. Watts (all from CNN) have dubbed the 2nd Democratic Presidential debate as Angry, Dark, and without any surprises.

From Bill Richardson's bumbling to John Edwards' rant about Obama and Clinton not doing more to voice their discontent with the Iraq War, the debate seemed to be more of the same. The frontrunners are attempting to maintain their lead by keeping the status quo, while the tier two candidates are attacking them to get the headlines.

“They went quietly to the floor of the Senate, cast the right vote — but there is a difference between leadership and legislators,” Edwards said at the Democratic presidential debate in Manchester, New Hampshire. And Edwards is right. The two frontrunners are wavering on their "message". If you are against the war, come out strong against it... stand for something, instead of hiding behind a silent vote. If you want to be the next president, you MUST have substance... and this goes for candidates on both sides of the aisle!

In all, the debate and the candidates seem to be lacking two things: Content and a Message.

Biden and Edwards came out on top. But in all, the feel was that the Democratic field of candidates are angry, dark, and lacking a clear message - none of which make a good candidate to lead our country.

We need to hold our leaders to a higher standard.

So my message to the Democratic Leadership - Lose the anger! Try running a positive campaign where you attempt, however slightly, to rise to the higher ground. Challenge not just your opponents, but yourself, to clearly state their stance on the issues and use that stance to reach out to the people in a positive manner.

If you cannot, you are not fit to lead this great nation!


God Bless!