A very early look ahead to 2016

Even if Mitt Romney wins, both parties could have primaries in 2016.

I was thinking about the 2016 Presidential Election recently. That’s right, 2016.

I’ve seen several stories that have mentioned the possibility of Hillary Clinton or (hold the laughter) Joe Biden running in 2016. Here’s a question: If Barack Obama loses, which I think seems likely, will he run again in 2016? If so, we could see a repeat of the 2008 election.

This scenario also led me to think about Mitt Romney’s chances in 2016 if he should win in 2012. I’m not referring to the General Election, but rather the primary. Romney will be the Republican nominee in 2012, but if he becomes president, is it a foregone conclusion that he would win in 2016? I don’t think so. » read more

Republican mistakes, and the threat of complacency

What does Mitt Romney really believe?

The more I think about it, the more I think I might be too conservative to be a Republican. On both the local and national level, I’ve seen things that have made my head spin. It has me wondering if I would be better off as an independent, without the baggage associated with the hypocrites and flakes.

Republicans have rightly criticized Barack Obama for his socialist-leaning views, and their warning that things will get worse if he were to be reelected. My problem is with the revisionism and lack of insight amongst many in our party.
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Jon McNaughton: One Nation Under Socialism

For those who are fans of fine art and small government, artist Jon McNaughton has created another painting you might want to check out. I’d also suggest visiting Jon McNaughton’s official site, which has a dizzying array of beautiful art work.

Rick Santorum’s utopian theocracy

Rick Santorum seems like he would be right at home running a Parish...or a theocracy.

I dislike Rick Santorum for several reasons, but the biggest is how he forces me to side with Democrats. Santorum is so confused, that his ridiculous comments can’t go unchallenged.

In his latest rant to be unearthed, he criticizes John F. Kennedy’s 1960 speech about religion to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association. “Earlier in my political career, I had the opportunity to read the speech, and I almost threw up. You should read the speech,” said Santorum

In a recent interview with George Stephanopoulos, Santorum adds:

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There should be only one Presidential candidate for the Tea Party

For Tea Party members, Ron Paul should be the only choice.

There has been a lot of talk about the Tea Party, and what effect its members will have on the Presidential race. So far, it has been much ado about nothing.

All of the candidates have attempted to court the Tea Party to some extent, but it should be a wasted of time, since only one candidate represents the group’s alleged philosophy. If you support a balanced budget, then how can you vote for someone who voted to raise the debt ceiling several times, and is a big spender? Santorum is bad, but Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich are no better.

If one of them is elected President, I have no doubt they will spend less than Barack Obama. Unfortunately, the cuts proposed by them are miniscule, and would do little to reduce the deficit, let alone the National Debt. If you don’t believe me, check out the size of the deficit, then read their plans. Are they really going to right America’s ship?
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Memo to Republican Candidates: You are no Ronald Reagan

Over the last few years, we’ve seen more and more candidates invoke the memory of President Ronald Reagan. I don’t blame them for admiring Reagan’s accomplishments, but I do often question their sincerity. Are these candidates simply sharing thoughts about their fondness for Reagan, or is it solely a transparent method of trying to ride the coattails of a man they may not really identify with?

This has been going on a while, but it has been Newt Gingrich’s frequent mentions of Reagan during debates that have annoyed me. To hear Gingrich tell it, he and Reagan were rather close, and shared credit for some of the accomplishments of the Reagan Presidency.

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It’s time to put country before party

President George W. Bush spent, and spent, and spent...

Politico has an interesting article titled, “GOP Magic Trick: Making George W. Bush Vanish.” To sum it up, Republicans are starting to embrace the fiscal conservatism that was the bedrock of the party’s platform, while moving away from George W. Bush’s reckless spending.

Thankfully, many Republicans are moving away from the neoconservative philosophy that has resulted in never-ending wars, expanded government, and a ballooning national debt. I’m glad to see this philosophical change break into the Republican mainstream, but why did it take so long? There are Republicans who are (rightly) criticizing attempts by the Obama administration to raise the debt ceiling. Where were they when George W. Bush made similar requests? Why did they support increases then? » read more

Michele Bachmann supports limited government…sometimes

Presidential Candidate Michele Bachman

If Michele Bachman were to win the Republican nomination, I would definitely vote for her rather than Barack Obama. With that said, I hope Bachmann doesn’t win the nomination. There are certainly worse choices, such as Mitt Romney or Newt Gingrich, but ideally you would get to vote for someone you like rather than the lesser of all evils.

Here’s one of my problems with Michele Bachmann: She criticized Mitt Romney for not signing the Susan B. Anthony List’s anti-abortion pledge. Here’s her rationale for the criticism:

“It is distressing that Governor Romney refuses to sign the SBA Pledge, even while claiming to be pro-life. The excuses for not signing clearly continue the doubts about his leadership and commitment to ending the practice of abortion – particularly for a candidate who ran as pro-choice for the Senate and Governorship of Massachusetts. Any Presidential candidate seeking our party’s nomination should sign the SBA Pledge and vow to protect life from conception to natural death. Governor Romney should reconsider his decision not to sign the Pledge just as he reconsidered his position on the life issue during the last campaign.”

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A majority of Americans support gay marriage

In a recent Gallup poll, 53% of Americans support gay marriage in 2011, up from 44% in 2010.

For the first time, a Gallup poll indicates that a majority of Americans support gay marriage. 53% support gay marriage in this year’s Gallup poll, compared to just 44% last year.

As a registered Republican who supports gay marriage, I’m disappointed and a bit surprised that only 28% of those in the G.O.P. support same-sex marriage. For those who think of the Republican party as a bastion of social conservatism, it makes perfect sense. Still, I find troubling inconsistencies. » read more

It’s official: Ron Paul is running for President in 2012!

Ron Paul will run for President in 2012.

There are several Republicans who might run for President in 2012. There are some, like Newt Gingrich, that I could see myself voting for, while there are others, such as Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney, that I wouldn’t vote for in a million years. With that said, there is only one candidate whose honesty is unquestioned, and whose views on limited government developed from well-researched, strongly held beliefs, not because it was the hot idea of the moment. That candidate is Ron Paul.

Today, Ron Paul announced that he will run for President in 2012. Now, Americans are assured of at least one candidate who truly understands the Constitution, and will put forth a unified plan, rather than some hodge podge of ideas grounded in the polling data.

My only concern with Ron Paul is the probability that he will run as a Republican. Getting by some of the establishment names will be difficult, especially for those who don’t fully understand or appreciate his libertarian views. Ideally, I’d like to see Ron Paul run as an independent. With his built in following, he would surely have enough support to assure himself a spot in the Presidential debates against the Democrat and Republican candidates. Once those who are unfamiliar with Ron Paul had the opportunity to hear his idea, I have no doubt that his popularity would skyrocket. Unfortunately, an independent run doesn’t seem likely.

It’s my hope that conservatives and Tea Party members realize that Ron Paul truly believes in limited government, unlike those who merely parrot the group’s talking points.

The feds shouldn’t infringe on your liberty, that’s the states’ job!

Mitt Romney doesn't think the federal government should infringe on your rights, he thinks that's up to the individual states!

After watching Mitt Romney try to explain why Romneycare and Obamacare are different, I’m left with a question. Is Mitt Romney a liar, or does he just not get it? By “it” I mean small government.

To hear Romney explain it, Romneycare and Obamacare are nothing alike. Of course, any literate person can see that they are nearly identical. Later on, he says that one of the big differences is that Romneycare was a state solution, and was not pushed on the states by the Federal Government. I will give him that point, but still, his argument is lacking. » read more

Nicolas Sarkozy is right about multiculturalism

French Presiden Nicolas Sarkozy

“It’s a failure,” Sarkozy said of multiculturalism. “The truth is that, in all our democracies, we’ve been too concerned about the identity of the new arrivals and not enough about the identity of the country receiving them.”

I couldn’t agree more. Think about it: By allowing, and often encouraging immigrants to keep their own culture at the cost of assimilation, aren’t we weakening our national identity? If millions of immigrants take up residence in a country, consider themselves to be separate, and raise children to believe the same, how will that country survive? How will its people exist without a shared identity? » read more

If the United States is so bad, you can always leave

I just found this video linked from The Drudge Report. The man in the video is a high school history teacher addressing a La Raza rally. During his speech, he talks about “racist white people,” refers to America as the “belly of the beast,” and calls California “stolen, occupied Mexico”. As you will see, he also talks about the fight against capitalism and imperialism.

While watching this video, one question kept coming to mind: Why doesn’t he leave the United States and move to Mexico? If the United States is so evil, then leave here and go to a place that is more to your liking. In the video, he mentions his hero Hugo Chavez. Venezuela sounds like it would be a great choice, especially if you don’t mind the inflation rate of more than 30%. » read more

Obamacare: Illegal aliens won’t receive health care…yet

Have you read the 3,000 page health care bill yet? I haven’t read the entire thing, but I have read a portion of the bill. I’m glad to say that Obamacare will not allow illegal aliens to receive health care or purchase insurance through exchanges. Of course, the fight isn’t over.

The next step is to keep our eyes on the immigration reform bill. Obamacare won’t provide health insurance for illegal aliens, but it will provide help for legal immigrants. If the 12 million to 20 million illegal aliens in the United States receive amnesty, won’t that make them legal? Won’t they then be eligible for subsidized health care? It certainly looks that way to me. » read more

Is Mike Huckabee really a conservative who believes in small government?

Mike Huckabee seems a bit confused. In a recent speech, he discussed the future of the Republican party, and he had this to say:

“One of the things that concerns me is that in the United States there is real talk of maybe we need to have this big tent and accommodate every view,” Huckabee said. “That will kill the conservative movement.”

I’m not sure if Mike Huckabee realizes it or not, but the United States only has two major parties. When you have only two parties, you should have a “big tent” to accomodate a broad cross section of the country. If not, your party will get decimated in elections. Of course, if Mike Huckabee really believes in having total agreement on a wide variety of social and fiscal issues, it might lead the GOP to become a powerhouse…among second tier parties. That’s right, it will probably be able to dominate the Libertarian, Green, and Socialist parties in elections. Sure, the Democratic Party will continue to pick up seats at a rapid pace, but at least the dwindling membership of the GOP will be homogenous and won’t have to put up with dissenting voices. You know, those pesky people who contribute to a lively debate. » read more

An inspirational speech by Lieutenant Colonel Allen West

Lieutenant Colonel Allen West is running for Congress in Florida. Please take a moment to watch this video. We need Congressmen like this!