Here's a true story. A Virginia preacher along with a former GOP appointee under Nixon, a retired Colgate Polmolive employee, and a founder of a Conservative foundation called Free Congress set off on a quest that would change the nations political direction in a time of great political and national uncertanity. Confidence had been lost in the office of POTUS due to incompitence of the then current POTUS and three before him as well. The nation was also in the middle of an unprecidented M.E. crisis and on the brink of war. They persuaded many ministers to join in on their group. This was near the end of Carters term in office.
The movement was family values social conservative based aimed at Conservatives and not just GOP or Republicans. It was the Liberals worse nightmare. Of the GOP candidates running for POTUS one man took up their cause and made much of it his platform for office. He won by a landslide. He reached deep into the Democratic Party not once but twice. There was no days on end of counting a tied election and chads as he actually had an agenda that was vastly different than anyone in any party running.
The men who helped him by starting the group were Jerry Falwell, Howard Phillips who once served under Nixon and went on to being the founder of the Constitution Party, Ed McAteer retired from Cologate, and Paul Weyrich. They convinced ministers from many churches and others to join their movement. The rest is history.
Baldwin for over a decade has been a Conservative author and many of us in here know as much especially those with pre- election 2000 sign on dates. His political sin? Not blindly following Bush but rather being critical as many Conservative writers have. Why? Because many times Bush has been wrong. As a result Republicans let him and the GOP majority slide. Why? For political expedience of some insane notion that by being like the rats they could defeat them. Well they were half right. They became one with the rats.
What qualifies a man for POTUS? Simple. Look in the Constitution of the United States. What the biggest irony of this is the first Republican POTUS was a lowly former congressman. He was a member of a third party newly formed. Worse his voice was so shrill and high pitched that few could stand to listen to him. On the day of his historical speech in Gettysburg, PA few people even showed up. He also suffered from chronic depression most of his life. As well his life was full of business and political failures including bankruptcy. In short Lincon was perhaps one of the most unqualified man to ever run for POTUS. Now you still want to sit here and debate what qualifies Chuck Baldwin for office?
We'll never have another Reagan as long as we have Liberals controlling the GOP as we do today. They have enablers called complacent voters who are willing to kick at Lucy's football yet again like a Good Old Charlie Brown Republican is expected to do. Maybe in 2012 Lucy wont yank it away. She'll promise again and Charlie Brown Republicans will kick yet again. Reagan's kind today is much too right wing nutter for their liking or so they are told to say, think, and vote.
NO MORE! If not now then when? After the last elected Republican has dealt away the rest of our rights and freedoms to the DEMs for supporting yet another stinking bad trade deal?
Being Constitutionally eligible per age and birthright is not a rational qualification for any individual to occupy the office.
Good luck with leading that Chuck Baldwin bandwagon. I’m going out Tuesday and ENTHUSIASTICALLY voting for the McCain/Palin ticket.
And I’m not saying sorry.
Take care friend. Hopefully you and I can join in mutual disdain for an insufficiently conservative President McCain administration the next four years. I think we can forge an alliance on that one. I just want that outcome. I really don’t wish to be butchered by Wahabbist murder monkeys anytime soon.
I remember guys like Richard Viguere savaging Reagan for not being conservative enough. I can only imagine the outrage if there existed a far right blogosphere in 1985 to monitor the Gipper's negotiations with Tip O'Neill.
It's easy to romanticize the man and the era given twenty eight years of time and forgetfulness.
I was pretty young but I DO remember Reagan saying about the all or nothing purists who decried his dealings with O'Neill: "If I can get 80% of what I want ... well ... that's a pretty good deal."
I think 51% is a good deal. If the alternative is nothing.
By the way - go to the ACU website and check out the ratings of GOP Senators like Hatfield, Chafee, Packwood, Specter, Cohen etc. in the 1980s. You think we have RINOs now???