Posted on 12/26/2014 7:20:12 AM PST by SleeperCatcher
Some conservative political analysts have opined that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush announced recently that he was further exploring his options to run for the GOP presidential nomination as a means of pre-empting all other potential GOP candidates. Many of the same analysts say there was an additional, not-so-subtle message, and it was aimed primarily at conservatives: ‘Don’t bother running; the monied GOP interests (i.e. the donor class) have spoken and Jeb Bush is who they want.’
Over the Christmas holidays I have had a number of people ask my opinion about Bush, and what I have told them, essentially, is this: Jeb Bush, like all the Bushes, is an inherently decent man. He has been a governor of a mostly red (but sometimes purple) state. He shares lineage with a storied political family. But if the goal is to restore some semblance of constitutional government to our republic, Jeb Bush is the wrong candidate, for he – like his father and brother before him – is no conservative.
(Excerpt) Read more at absoluterights.com ...
True. I think most here would vote for Col. West in a heartbeat, but he has drifted out of the limelight.
You are only then speaking of the lesser of three evils. Because you will never find an evil-free zone on this earth, never ever ever.
But I believe you and many others mischaracterize by saying “lesser of N evils” where N is whatever is handy at the point.
The only non-evil to be had in this world is God. All else is mixed. Perhaps the only virtuous thing is to abandon the political sphere, if we have scruples to that extent. Because the alternative will be to find that our hero, yes even a second coming of Ronald Reagan, has authentically clay feet.
What I truly mean to say, is that we need to grow our virtue in place. Which means if we have difficult, rocky ground that has to be heavily worked in order to grow it, that is still better than trying to grow it in sizzling hot cast iron. The alternative is to let the possible venues both be.
It’s that pestilential Constitution (I say with tongue in cheek) that has engineered out the viability of third parties on the national level with its electoral college system. If America had a political system that looked like Israel with its coalition governments, there would be more to work with. But as it is, the GOP is the better of the two practical grounds to plow. Maybe a constitutional convention could try to adjust this situation.
This is true.
Perhaps the only virtuous thing is to abandon the political sphere, if we have scruples to that extent. Because the alternative will be to find that our hero, yes even a second coming of Ronald Reagan, has authentically clay feet.
This is false — it smacks of the I'll never be perfectly righteous, so I just won't try
and if I don't try, I can't fail
ideas.*
Or, to put it back into the political sphere, it would be like saying that because there's always going to be some corruption in government there should be no punishment for corruption and we should all just accept it.
But I believe you and many others mischaracterize by saying “lesser of N evils” where N is whatever is handy at the point.
The lesser of two evils
is essentially a rephrasing Morton's Fork which says:a man living modestly must be saving money and could therefore afford taxes, whereas if he was living extravagantly then he was obviously rich and could still afford them.
Similarly, the lesser of two evils
is clearly shown when Obama and Romney were presented as the only choices in 2012 — both are socialists, statists, and would do nothing to advance liberty. People pushed Romney because "he's not as bad as Obama", but they conveniently left out that standing alone there was nothing to vote for.
Does that mean that there's nobody that I'd vote for? Or that I encourage people to wait for the perfect candidate
? No!
Rather, I believe that there are people who can, and will, lead rightly (not perfectly, but that's ok) and it is those we should vote for rather than the mere not as bad as…
that predicates the lesser of two evils
-argument.
You do not provide any basis for a threshold... that is the problem here.
It sounds like an astounding ingratitude for what is left of God’s grace. What if the Democrats became like Pol Pot and the Republicans like Stalin? Because you all sat it out?
Conservatives vote to make a point.
Liberals vote to win.
Why?
Is it wrong to assume that man is an intelligent moral creature capable of making (and ultimately responsible for) his own choices?
It sounds like an astounding ingratitude for what is left of God’s grace. What if the Democrats became like Pol Pot and the Republicans like Stalin? Because you all sat it out?
Who is advocating sitting out? Where are you getting that?
I'm certainly not saying anything of the sort! In fact I'm arguing that people shouldn't sit it out
.
Well, except for the fact that it's not a field, but a collection of men sent to represent citizens (or states).
You can't easily switch out your ground (it involves buying, selling and moving applicable equipment [as well as losing what work and emotional investment the land had]) — but you can, and do, with stewards: those commissioned to do your will are ultimately accountable to you.
I agree that virtue needs to be grown; I disagree that the party
deserves the sort of loyalty you're implicitly relying upon to argue that the soil needs heavily worked.
I’m glad that you got that ballot line. Will you run for any office in 2016?
According to www.politics1.com, these people are at least considering running for president for the Constitution Party:
Darryl Castle (Tennessee)
Betsy Elgar (Washington)
Former Congressman Virgil Goode (Virginia)
Jim Hayden (Tennessee)
It needs dedication and any loyalty is a secondary side effect of loyalty to God.
You are quibbling about metaphors having every reason to know very well what is intended AND that it is valid!
I don’t know yet.
Interesting tidbit of information/strategy. When Virgil Goode was having petitions signed with the Constitution Party, they worked cooperatively with the Independent Green Party by collecting signatures at the same time for both parties by circulators of either party.
I think you are right about GOP. Helping to cost his seat. Still, you must overcome. I met a conservativecongressman from IL, Aaron Shock, who as a state rep won his district with 60% even though it was a majority Dem and 40% black district. It can be done.
“We want to be the party of yes!”
Join the Curmudgeon Party, the party of “This is Bullshit.”
“However, if you start with the Libertarian Party, and merge all of the various Tea Party organizations in to it”
Sorry, the libertarians want to force the legitimization of things I oppose to the death.
Where do I sign?
“Where do I sign?”
I do get a good response to that whenever I bring it up.
Maybe I should print some bumper stickers and hold a meeting.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.