Let’s start here; I need y’all to show some leadership. This simply won’t do. Stop worrying about your elections and reelections and take a stand. The Republic is on fire and our state is in a political drought (both literally and figuratively). I expressed as much today on Facebook:
I listened to an interview with Mark Steyn this morning. What he said was something to think about. in 1950, the transfer of leadership in the world went from Britannia to America peacefully because both superpowers believed in the rule of law; human liberty was the ultimate goal. In 2050, the transfer will most likely return to the rule of man when China is the superpower.
What this means for our kids and our grandkids is that the precepts of a constitutional republic, dedicated to the proposition that We The People can govern ourselve, will be destroyed and individual liberty will be considered to be a “quaint” experiment.
Can it be reversed? Probably not. Americans over the age of 40 are the most self-centered generations this Republic has had. We sold our children and grandchildren’s Liberty (with unsustainable debt) for our Samsung HDTVs, McMansions, and foreign automobiles. We defined ourselves by our “stuff” rather than our character. We passed laws to protect the assets we earned from normal market risk. Our generations are rabid rent-seekers rather tha patriots.
We squandered the gift of Liberty by introducing the threat and use of force into the economy rather than limiting it to the defense of individual rights. When we couldn’t afford it, we mortgaged future generations’ liberty to China. At least we gave them cool Christmas presents.
Yep. It really is THAT serious and y’all are ducking the question about whom you will support for President of the United States. Your political consultants tells you that endorsements for President might hurt you in the primaries — so what. Take a stand.
Here are some of the explanations you offered:
“I’m still waiting to see how it will all pan out,” said Assemblywoman Marie Waldron, R-Escondido. “You never know what someone’s going to say, so I keep my powder dry.”
Mrs. Waldron asked the most active Republican volunteers to endorse her re-election efforts last year (I voted to endorse her) but she won’t signal the direction our nation needs to go. That won’t work, Mrs Waldron.
“Politics is amazingly selfish,” Republican political consultant Matt Rexroad said. “They don’t want to risk getting it wrong.”
You got that PARTLY right Mr. Rexroad — it is the POLITICIANS who are amazingly selfish, not politics.
Sen. Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, was an early supporter of Scott Walker, whom he had met before and liked, until the Wisconsin governor dropped out of the race in September. Now Anderson is holding off from committing again when there are still “so many good candidates.” “I’m the kiss of death,” he joked. “A lot of my colleagues are probably hoping I’ll endorse Trump.”
That’s a fine chuckle Mr. Anderson and I applaud you for backing Governer Walker, but the primary season starts in less than a month. Tell us who aligns with your governing philosophy. We backed you early in your race (I supported that) because you are bold. Be bold.
Kudos to Congressman Issa, and Senator Bates. While I disagree with your endorsement pick (Marco Rubio), I appreciate that you understand the how important this election is. Your leadership however, rises my personal opinion of you tremendously.
Consultants tell you this could hurt you but I offer that they are wrong. This election is different. The reason a reality television star/real estate developer is leading the national polls is because he is authentic. I think that man is wrong on more than half the issues but I respect him as a patriot — and he has never won an election. Ducking this question tells me that y’all are more interested in the June election than saving the Republic.
If you’re running for a school board position, I want to know why you support Jeb Bush. I won’t dismiss you as a candidate and I might learn about your position on Common Core. If you’re running for water board, I want to know why you support Trump. I won’t dismiss you a a candidate and I might learn about your position on eminent domain. Finally, if you’re running for federal office, I gotta know who you support and why you support them.
Take a stand now or stop asking me for support. The Republic is on fire right now and I’m looking for patriots, not politicians.
PS — See you Monday Night!
Comments 4
Great article Brian. However, they make their decision based on whose name is on the check.
As with every present day politician it is very simple to know which way they will vote…FOLLOW THE MONEY
I wish I could find one politician who would do something for me rather then always doing something to me.
We need to get rid of the democrats and Republicans and elect real patriots, those who love their country
Is it that a politician’s vote is based on what is in the best interest of their supporters or is it that donors generally contribute to politicians who support their positions in the first place and the politicians are really just voting in what they believe in?
I first had this discussion with people who were very upset about how supportive George W. Bush and Dick Cheney were of Big Oil. Their claim was that they were so supportive because of the significant amount of campaign donations they received from Big Oil interests. My opinion was that the campaign donations were because Bush and Cheney were already known as strong proponents of Big Oil’s interests and the policies emanating from the White House were what the President and Vice President truly believed in.
HQ, generally (yes, oversimplifying) there are two types of candidates:
1. Those with an agenda who run for office to IMPLEMENT that agenda.
2. Those who want to get elected, and will “bend to the will of the people” (and, more important, to the will of donors).
The second type of candidate has a HUGE advantage in elections, being able to take positions based on polls and funding. They are blessed with remarkable “flexibility.” I’ve had the wry pleasure of being in forums with candidates who say one thing to one group in the morning, and something quite different to another group that afternoon. MOST races are won by such a person.
The first type of candidate makes a poor campaigner. They DO win some elections (usually in gerrymandered districts), but they face an uphill battle as they seek to move up the candidate food chain.
“Those who want to get elected, and will “bend to the will of the people” (and, more important, to the will of donors).”
No truer words spoken…like the endorsement of the “Republican Party” and its hard core Jack-booted attack dogs for candidates (namely Faulconer and DeMaio) that ran specifically against the Party tenets of Life and Marriage so they could be seen by the political correct class as “evolved.” In the meantime, the true Republicans (yes, those that actually practice what they believe and support what, formerly, the party said it believed) held their ground and resisted the more Libertine/RINO succumbing to the now more accurately labeled politically-intolerant crowd (remember the infamous “ if we just didn’t have to deal with those Christians” comment by GOP leadership??).
How rich.
Of course, the talons and fangs came out by all those party insiders and consultant sycophants when they had their “Forsooth and Egad” moment when convicted and principled Republicans didn’t hop on their PC party train and goosestep to the polls like they ALL predicted (many of the principled taking the unprecedented steps to vote for the “other guy.” in protest against the GOP’s blatant progressive and consolatory shift to a more “palatable” socially progressive positions). In the end, all they did was alienate tens of thousands of ostensibly long time GOP voters with their morally deficient “win at all costs”, PC-first, scorched earth approach; and what do they have to show for it? Loss of the 52nd CD and nearly 100,000 former registered Republicans leaving the party in San Diego Co in the past 8 years.
San Diego GOP leadership and its pooper-scooper class once again proving arrogance (“our guy is better, and all you that don’t adhere to that are intolerant homophobic Neanderthals) coupled with ignorance (“and we all know he’s corrupt and morally bankrupt, but it won’t matter”) is a galactically abysmal strategy.
If this was the NFL, it would have been Black Monday for the GOP leadership and its CC supporters in SDC a long time ago; though, the Chargers did just extended Mike McCoy’s tenure with an 8-18 record for one additional year, so I guess anything is possible. It must be San Diego…we apparently enjoy the masochistic rewarding of continued failure.