Posted on 04/27/2016 9:45:57 AM PDT by Starman417
For the last eight years I’ve been shaking my head, simply bewildered that so many Americans could be so insane as to vote for Barack Obama for president. Not surprisingly, once Obama was ensconced in the White House things played out pretty much as predicted with virtually every month bringing new news of a faltering economy, a shrinking workforce and more government waste, intervention and tyranny. In 2012, after Fast and Furious, the IRS Tea Party scandal, Obamacare and, most of all, Benghazi, I was sure that Americans would rise up and throw out the anti American Obama and vote for the less than conservative, but exponentially superior Mittens Romney. Alas, the population spoke, and they doubled down on the fascist living at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
I was certain that year that if only a real conservative who could eloquently articulate the basic tenants of small government and fiscal responsibility had run he would have won by a landslide. After all, wasn’t it obvious that Barack Obama was the worst president in American history and the Democrats were rapidly devolving into open Socialism? But as we know, there was no such conservative running and Milquetoast Mitt was shellacked.
Now, in 2016 we find ourselves in an utterly different situation. We have a rock solid conservative running for the White House. Who can and does eloquently articulate the ideas behind our founding principles of limited government, individual liberty as well as the fundamental idea of American Exceptionalism. Yet, somehow he’s losing the GOP nomination fight… to a guy who’s a big government crony capitalist who has spent most of his life supporting Democrats and their liberal policies. Essentially he’s losing to a vapid populist whose idea of debating is throwing insults and lies around like confetti rather than providing substantive positions on practically any issue.
The next couple of weeks will tell the story, but the fact that we are at this point says a lot about the United States and the American people. That half the population are voting for an avowed socialist or a socialist in liberal clothing is sad. That one third of the remainder are actively supporting a populist candidate with little understanding of the issues at stake never mind the concepts of limited government, free markets and individual freedom upon which this country was founded, is disheartening.
The United States is not a democracy and never has been. We are a republic with a separation of powers and limited government that are unique in the history of government. It was that limited government and the companion individual liberties upon which the government is not to tread that created more prosperity for more people around the world than any government, state or entity in all of human history. Today all of that is in peril as almost 2/3 of the population are seemingly prepared to travel down a path of dismantling the limitations on government our Founding Fathers put in place.
After eight years under a president who decried the Constitution as a “Charter of negative liberties” the next president will have a choice. Either bring the progressive attack on the Constitution and freedom to a halt or pick up where Obama leaves off and continue down that path. Unfortunately, three of the four remaining candidates – John Kasich doesn’t count as a real candidate – are more than happy to jettison the Constitution and pander to the masses. Whether it’s Germany or Argentina or Venezuela, such populist movements rarely turn out well.
Populist movements share one underlying characteristic… they seek to harness the anger of the mob. Once the shackles of constitutional limits are thrown off, there is little to restrain government or the people other than the character of the leaders, and often that’s simply not enough. As Maximilien Robespierre learned, the consequences of doing so can be, shall we say, unforeseen… and unfortunate.
(Excerpt) Read more at floppingaces.net ...
Prove it is disinformation. Maybe I will quit, or I might just keep posting propaganda like loser Cruz people do.
This coming election could be the difference between God's grace and mercy: grace is getting something we don't deserve; and mercy is not getting what we do deserve.
I'm praying for a good dose of each, this November!
At least it makes one that thanks they know. People in groups are easily manipulate into thinking they have a say in the outcome but they don't. Ever been involved in Consensus building projects?
I like that pin, but the bear looks like a dude in a suit. The lion and tiger look real...
Where have you been the last few months? This article is well written - you may not agree with it, but points are at least articulate. You want to see dog sh!t - go back a few weeks to the articles about Ted and 5 mistresses.
I should have been more clear. The Republican caucus in Iowa is one-person, one-vote. You write your vote on a piece of paper and hand it in. That is how we roll.
The democrats in Iowa do it differently, the ‘herd’ mentality. But they have to ‘herd’, because you have to reach a certain threshold to continue.
In our caucus, I could be the only person to vote for itsahoot for president, and no one would say anything about it.
I guess I don’t really ‘know’...I just caucus every couple of years.
Heck - all I've gotten to do is listen to the delegates, listen to a few politicians speak (”Hi, I'm running for Governor and....”), and gossip about the democrats with fellow conservatives sitting at the table.
The United States is not a democracy and never has been. We are a republic
This guy is writing more barfed up dog's dinner to justify a government of the few, by the few and for the few.
This is the first time I have ever read of the idea of America as a democracy (rather than a republic) defended on FR.
Whatever else you may say about him, Mr. Trump sure is changing a lot of lifelong attitudes on the Right.
So far, Trump has outmaneuvered everyone. I expect this to continue when he comes up against the Hildebeest, who is apparently only one more prescription away from complete mental and physical collapse.
AFAIK both promised explicit Marxism and delivered... it wasn’t a matter of having some lefty preferences.
Sounds like the advocate for wolverines presuming to judge a dispute between dog and cat lovers.
House of Representatives; representing "the people" based on census and voted by those deemed eligible to vote - not everyone then and not everyone now unless convicts and illegals are actually given that privilege.
Senate; representing the sovereign states as equals and seated by whatever means each state senate chose to do so - destroyed by amendment under Woodrow Wilson and eliminating the check and balance intended specifically in order to avoid mob rule (hysteria) and the founders' fear that "the people" would eventually vote for more freebies and more costs than the republic could support - and that "popular" would become too large, too omniscient, and ultimately responsive only to itself.
"Of course democracy has its excesses. But the Revolution that Donald Trump is trying to accomplish isn't one of them."
France and Russia both had revolutions based on "democracy's excesses" and neither worked out too well.
If you're unable to distinguish the difference between those historical situations and the current one in America, I'm afraid you're beyond help.
In America, we have 250 years of tradition founded in freedom and opportunity, and we have already established the greatest, freest society that the world has ever known.
It's not like the American mind is suddenly going to turn into something unrecognizable.
We're trying to carry on a restorative Revolution that brings back Enlightenment notions regarding the scode and size of government, fiscal responsibility, accountability, and eliminating the systemic corruption and self-aggrandizement which is the earmark of modern American politics, especially at the federal level.
Vote Trump
I used to be a Cruz supporter, but my doubts began to grow months ago. I’ve said numerous times that I’d vote for Cruz or Trump if either were to win the nomination. However, at that time I considered Cruz a principled conservative and a constitutional purist, which is no longer the case. I’ve also said that, while Trump is a populist (and I don’t mean that in the pejorative sense), he is and always has been a patriot. At this point in our history, that’s good enough for me.
Nope.
No.
Others did those things, it should be up to us to keep them (note Ben Franklin quote in the article)
It's not like the American mind is suddenly going to turn into something unrecognizable.
You are somewhere between 8 years and Jimmy Carter out of date and I think the founders would agree.
We're trying to carry on a restorative Revolution
No.
You are marching behind the man on a white horse who promises what the angry masses want to hear - Adolph Hitler comes immediately to mind but it's bad form to use a Nazi reference in polite society.
So you're going to make a Trump=Hitler reference?
OK, that makes it obvious how much of a serious discussion you Cruz fanboys are willing to engage in, and connected you are in general of reality.
Go to Hell...
Vote Trump
Actually we were supposed to water the tree of Liberty with the blood of presumptive royalty every generation or so. The sniveling Goldman-Sachstards should be grateful they're only getting dented a bit by an election.
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