On the Demise of Fred
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I heard.And it absolutely broke my heart. I respect the man and the fact that he tried to run a different kind of campaign. He's the only politician I've ever given money to, and that's really saying something. I come from a long line of people who don't just pinch a penny, but make it squeal. I believed in the man and his agenda, and now that's all over.
And now it is time to evaluate the rest of the field and see if there is anything out there that appeals.
First, what are my concerns/core issues/background. It is important to know who you are and what you believe.
1. I grew up around guns and I do not fear them. What's more, as a one-time almost victim of rape, and one who lived alone for a long time, I take my right to self defense very seriously. The next sonuvabitch who tries to take what isn't being freely offered is gonna get a belly full of lead, and I'm not going to apologize for that. As such, the Second Amendment is of primary importance to me. Gun grabbers and gun control freaks need not apply for my vote.
2. Taxes. Nobody likes to pay taxes, I know, but the tax situation in this country is out of control. First of all, I live in one of the tax-iest states in the nation. I pay through the nose in property taxes. My mother pays less in the Chicago suburbs, if that gives you any frame of reference. And our home is nice, but it is just a starter home. So, there's that. I'm not particularly interested in anyone who intends to raise my taxes. What's more, I am seriously concerned about the tax consequences on the family business and on my sister and I and our cousins should either of the patriarchs exit this life. To put it bluntly, it is going to royally piss me off if the business has to be sold to pay off the government who did not toil in the sun to make it a going enterprise. Tax raisers need not apply.
3. Free Enterprise. I am a laissez faire conservative. I am firmly of the belief that the best government is the one that is smallest and meddles least. There isn't a commercial enterprise that the government has ever gotten involved with that isn't a colossal fuckup. AmTrak? Screwed. USPS? Screwed. Airlines, housing-bailout, etc, etc, all mistakes. And as such, I don't think the government needs to expand or bail anybody out, particularly not at taxpayer expense. Any candidate who suggests such measures will immediately be discounted. And don't even get me started railing on the current hue and cry over the housing bailout. You don't want to hear my opinion on the matter, I'm sure.
4. Roe v. Wade. Honestly, I am only including this because I don't want it to be said that it was an oversight. Frankly, I don't understand why people are still fighting on this issue. It is settled law and I don't see any need to change that. This goes along with my need to protect myself, to be honest. If the SOB does actually rape me, I don't want a reminder of it, 'kay? I'm pro-choice. I'm a woman and I understand both arguments. In the end, however, it is my body and there is nothing any church or government can say that is going to change that.
5. Religion. DOES NOT BELONG IN GOVERNMENT. PERIOD. Idiots who feel The Constitution needs to be revised to be more in line with God's laws...need to go back to the pulpit and get out of government. The founding fathers deliberated long and hard on that document. Those men were all god-fearing individuals of a Christian bent. They were aware of the need for God to be separate from Government. They sought to create a government of the people. They didn't deny that God has an impact on man, especially as it pertains to man's motivation and foibles, but they didn't believe that they needed law by god, but law by man. These men were the children of people who had already thrown off one tyrannical government, they didn't intend to trade for another. The Preamble says "We the People..." not "We, the children of God" or "As the bible says and God intends...." As such, no fucking around with the most amazing document in the world will not be tolerated, at least not for purposes that directly diminish the document's intent or power.
6. Foreign Policy/War on Terror: There are people who want to kill us. They are trying very hard to do so. They are so motivated, in fact, that they will happily give up their own lives to do so. This is an ugly reality, but must be faced. Any candidate who will not pursue our enemies to the ends of the earth, preferring an ostrich approach instead, will not be considered. I want my children to grow up free, not as second class citizens in a global caliphate. Moreover, there are regimes out there who are seeking nuclear weapons at the detriment of their own people. North Koreans are starving and barely clinging to the vine of life hanging over the pit of despair while Kim il Jong and his crazy pantsuit are doing their damnedest to seek the tools that will allow them to annihilate large groups of people. Same story with Ahmadinejad, except he's actually scarier. That bastard has been very vocal in his intent and there is no question who he wants to "wipe off the map." Ignoring these threats is not in keeping with this country's traditions of fostering liberty around the world. Any candidate who seeks to explain away or indulge these crazies on an equal footing has already lost the argument and will not be respected or tolerated.
7. Domestic Policy/Social Issues/Immigration: Egad. Look, I believe in the great melting pot, I really do. We are pretty much all the children of immigrants, are we not? My family has been here both since before the Revolutionary War (paternal side) and since before WWII (maternal side). I love this country's tradition of open arms, but I also believe in the rule of law and general fairness. I think that if you want to come live in this country you should do so legally and within the laws of the land. I certainly don't think you should get a pass because you cheated and snuck in, effectively cutting in line in front of all the people who did things the right way. I am also opposed to all the social ills that come with the open borders fiasco and there detrimental impact on our schools, hospitals, and the budgets that taxpayers fund. I absolutely believe that if you have cheated your way into this country you should be deported. And, I think if you have cheated your way into this country and then have committed a crime - be it rape, murder, or identity theft - then you should never again be allowed admittance. This isn't a leap, folks. The fact of the matter is that a large number of countries are harder to get into than the good ol' US of A. Mexico included. I'm not talking tourism, I'm talking moving there to live. Frankly, we are being taken advantage of and it offends me. It is a security risk, against the law, and against general principles of fairness. And that's all I'm gonna say about that.
Honestly, the entire field of candidates remaining are unsatisfactory. They are all fucking liberals. Even the Republicans!
Obama may be charming and he's surely a media darling, but he doesn't have the chops or the experience to be President. He doesn't. He hasn't even completed his first term in the Senate and the whole time he's been in the Senate he's been campaigning for President. He doesn't inspire confidence and honestly, the Clintons will never let him win anyway.
Clinton may be a woman, but there is nothing ladylike about her. I'm not saying that to be rude, just to point out that I'm unlikely to vote for her because of her gender. I take my politics a little more seriously than "Penis or Vagina." Moreover, she's just like her husband in that she's never going to come out on a position without first floating a poll, or her words will depend on what audience she's speaking to. She's untrustworthy. Of course, I'd still rather see her as President than Obama - better the villain you know...as they say.
Guiliani may have been great in New York as Mayor, and he is certainly a leader, but he's just too socially liberal for me. And, I don't like his record on gun rights.
Romney seems to slick by half, comes from the most liberal state in the nation, and I just can't get interested in him. He says mostly the right things, but it doesn't look like he means any of it.
McCain may have the experience, but I'd rather see Guiliani or Romney win than McCain. While I respect the man's military service and the time he spent as a POW, I feel like his time at the hand of his captor's broke his will. He's not a conservative and he is very likely to compromise on key issues that are important to me, to my detriment. Sure, he's one of the good guys when it comes to the GWOT, but in the meantime he's going to punch a hole in the bottom of the boat I'm riding in. I can not and will not vote for McCain. The MSM may love him, but that's basically because he's a liberal and likes to stick it to conservatives.
Huckabee. There's a better chance of me becoming a liberal than there is of me voting for Huckabee. This preacher should have stayed in the pulpit. Everytime he opens his mouth he makes me mad.
So, there you are. I'm depressed and unhappy with my options.
I'm tempted to vote for Hillary, to be honest. I hate her, but if this country is going to go to hell in a handbasket, I'd rather a liberal was carrying it.
Egad.
Labels: Fred Thompson
