Thursday, January 24, 2008

Principles in Politics Matter

Even though I've left California, I've stayed on State Senator Tom McClintock's mailing list. I backed him in his run for governor and tried to warn people about Schwarzenegger, but, as with the current Ron Paul bid, the compromisers and "pragmatists" sided with the establishment, not only earning themselves the .50 ban, the lead ammo ban, microstamping--but providing a template for antis across the nation to use against the rest of us.

In his latest email, Sen. McClintock lists some bills he is supporting and opposing, along with why, and one he is neutral on, Prop. 93, Term Limits. As he explains:

Since I’ve only served eight years in the Senate, Prop. 93 would give me one final term; if it fails I must retire this year. Because I have a conflict of interest, I’m staying out if it.
Power does not corrupt if one places principles before it. Character counts. It counts.

But continue making excuses for following proven frauds--monsters, really, who have made no bones about trampling your rights into the ground, making you a criminal if you defy their edicts and destroying you if you don't comply.

Hey, maybe McCain will pick Fred as his runing mate...I guess there's no amount of excuse-making people won't tender. (And incidentally, McClintock endorsed Thompson, so I don't agree with him on everything, just as I don't agree with Paul on everything.)

Besides, "Ron Paul can't win." We've told ourselves so, and we're bound and determined to make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. It's a lot easier than rolling up our sleeves and trying. Thank God that attitude of pre-ordained defeatism didn't stop the men who won us our freedom by putting their very lives on the line to secure it for themselves and their posterity. Against all odds--conventional wisdom said they couldn't win, either.

We can either honor them by maintaining that spirit, and realizing yeah, there actually is a price to pay, or we can posture ourselves as leaders and warn how if Hillary wins, we'll lose our gun rights!!!

Some of us won't, at least not that easily. And I'm sure there'll be no shortage of forum warriors to assure each other how such extremists make them all look bad.

3 comments:

Ken said...

I know exactly what (and who) you mean: "Be vewwy vewwy quiet, lest someone notice we are exercising our PKBA...." ;-)

Changing the subject: We have term limits here in Ohio, David, They don't work all that well as written (big surprise that). Between the musical chairs and the revolving doors, it's hard to keep track of the comings and goings, and as legislators start to approach the limit, they start angling for their next gig, whether as a lobbyist, one of the statewide elective offices, Congress, whatever.

A better way, at least at the state level, might be something like: "Six years at the Columbus trough ought to be enough for anyone's lifetime."

The number matters--too much and they get entrenched enough that corruption still becomes an issue, too little and the real power passes to the state party organizations, who will know far better than incoming legislators where the bodies are buried.

Nothing like that would ever come out of Columbus, of course--it would take a ballot initiative. Which can be done, if enough people think it important enough.

Anonymous said...

Even though I was for Fred, I won't be for a Lesser Evil with Fred as VP.

Having the best man as your VP means squat. Heck, Dan Quayle was VP fer crissakes!

Anonymous said...

I'm with FF on this. There is only one person running who has a possibility of getting my vote and that is Ron Paul. But that possibility is conditional on him achieving a much better stance on foreign policy.

Otherwise I will vote for someone not announced as a sop to my conscience if and when one of the other announced candidates wins and pushes us beyond tolerance.