Posted on 07/06/2009 6:59:32 PM PDT by RED SOUTH
(Washington, D.C., July 6, 2009) -- As I traveled throughout the U.S. on my recent book tour, I kept running into people who would ask me, "Where is Steve Forbes? The economy is melting down. We need his economic expertise right now."
I couldn't agree more. Steve's message in the 1990s of free market ways to create hope, growth and opportunity at home and abroad may have seemed too bold to the GOP establishment at the time. But it's desperately needed today. His plan to scrap the corrupting federal tax code - "We need to take the tax code and kill it, drive a stake through it's heart, bury it, and hope it never rises again to terrorize the American people" - and replace it with a simple flat tax that's a real tax cut for American families and businesses is the right prescription for the the mess we're now in.
Steve was passionate about eliminating wasteful government spending, and eliminating pork barrel earmarks and ridiculous corporate welfare schemes. He had serious plans to advance market-based health care reforms where individuals and families get to choose their doctors, and market-based education reforms so that parents could choose the right schools for their children. In foreign policy, Steve was a strong proponent of missile defenses, and recognized the threat Russia and Iran were becoming before many others in Washington did.
The problem is that few in Washington today seem to believe in such bold, dynamic reforms, or have the courage to advance them. I certainly don't hear any of the potential 2012 presidential candidates proposing such sweeping reforms to counter the President's plan to rack up another $10 trillion in debt and socialize much of the American economy, notably the health care sector.
As troubling, few are demonstrating Steve's understanding of global trends and threats or insisting on missile defenses or a tougher stance towards Russia and Iran. Indeed, the biggest news the GOP makes these days are by politicians who have marital affairs and should resign but don't, and successful governors who shouldn't resign but do. What's wrong with these people and this party?
Finally off the road from my book tour, I finally called Steve last week to catch up. The good news: he hasn't disappeared. To the contrary, he's spent the last few months working on a fabulous new book, Power, Ambition and Glory: The Stunning Parallels Between Great Leaders of the Ancient World and Today . . . and the Lessons You Can Learn.
Last month, Steve embarked on a national media tour. He's talking about the lessons we can learn from history's most effective and provocative leaders and how we can apply those lessons to the challenges we face today. This week, the book hit the New York Times hardcover non-fiction best-seller list at #30. I hope it climbs much higher.
Well, back in 2000, I actually was supporting Keyes (at the time, I was lurking at FR, had been since ‘98, but didn’t register an account until early ‘01), but I was under no illusions he hadn’t a chance in hell, it was just a principled vote. I expected Dubya would be the nominee, he was “OK”, but nothing spectacular. However, it was when McCain started coming on like gangbusters with the help of the left-wing, I jumped to stop his nomination. I’m glad we didn’t end up with him.
...I’ll add, too, that had McCain taken the nomination in 2000, he would’ve lost to Gore. I wouldn’t have voted for him (and the only reason I voted for him in ‘08 was for Palin, not for him, I can’t stand McCain at all).
Union Leader editors met with Romney to interview him and were majorleague turned off. They endorsed McCain to stop the Romney surge that was occuring.
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=JohnMcCainisthemantoleadAmerica&articleId=dfca72c2-4a23-49e5-943f-1d85256f45cc
John McCain is the man to lead America
By PUBLISHER JOSEPH W. MCQUAID
Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007
“We don’t agree with him on every issue. We disagree with him strongly on campaign finance reform. ..... We have known John McCain for many years. We will write more about him in the days ahead. For now, we leave you with this to ponder:
When McCain was shot down and taken prisoner by the North Vietnamese, he was repeatedly beaten. When his captors discovered that his father was a top U.S. admiral, they ordered him released for propaganda purposes. But McCain refused, insisting that longer-held prisoners be released before him. So they beat him some more. He never gave in then, and he won’t give in to our enemies now.
John McCain is the man to lead America.”
Union Leader saved GOP from a ROMNEY takeover in ‘08 that would have continued. The Romney threat is serious.
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=The+Romney+backlash%3a+Conservatives+are+coming+home&articleId=bc5bd60b-68a2-4427-93aa-d0fc2548ba3d
“THERE IS A reason Mitt Romney has not received a single newspaper endorsement in New Hampshire. It’s the same reason his poll numbers are dropping. He has not been able to convince the people of this state that he’s the conservative he says he is.
Like a lot of people in New Hampshire, we wanted to believe Romney. We gave him the benefit of the doubt. We listened very carefully to his expertly rehearsed sales pitch. But in the end he didn’t close the deal for us. Now, two weeks before the primary, the same is happening with voters.
Republicans and right-leaning independents in New Hampshire gave Romney a chance. His events have not been sparsely attended. Nor have they been scarce. He’s made more campaign stops here this year than any other Republican. ....
Mitt Romney has ... spoken his lines well, but the people can sense that the words are memorized, not heartfelt.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1999-12/04/058r-120499-idx.html
Bush and his wife, Laura, had dinner last summer with McQuaid and his wife, Signe, who worked for Pat Buchanan in the last two campaigns. But McQuaid finds the Texas governor “programmed” and lacking “any great passion for conservative beliefs.” The paper refers to him sneeringly as “Junior Bush.”
We learned, didn’t we ? :-\
unfortunately, i don’t think the GOP establishment has learned a thing. And GOP voters kinda like to go with the flow. Like dead fish!
The party that nominated Bob Dole (even after he got beat in New Hampshire), is capable of just about anything.
In 1988, after 8 years of Reagan, GOP started the trip back to RINOism in Iowa and New Hampshire.
Iowa 1988- Bob Dole (37%) Pat Robertson (25%), George H. W. Bush* (19%), Jack Kemp (11%) and Pete DuPont (7%)
New Hampshire rejects Kemp and DuPont:
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?articleId=79cd006a-04a7-4520-a2f4-e702dcd3af89
Well, the base learned. I’ll tell you, I don’t like beating up on Bob Dole. I think he’s been unfairly maligned. I still think he was a good man, authentic war hero, I was proud to cast a vote for him in ‘96, my second legal Presidential contest. He was guilty, however, of running far too restrained a campaign against Bubba. Both he and Kemp had nothing to lose by opening up both barrels and didn’t.
I personally wish he had been the nominee in ‘88 instead of Papa Bush, because he wouldn’t have been rolled like George, Sr. was by the rodent leadership in trying to “play nice.” Could there have been better people to run ? Of course, but they didn’t step up, and Dole did. Can’t blame him for the others not stepping up.
In a way, thank heavens Slick Willard did NOT win the Senate race in ‘94, because he would’ve run for President in ‘96 instead, and we now know what damage he would’ve inflicted upon us. Can you imagine him as President during 9/11 ? The guy whose family has run from military service for over a century ? Terrifying.
Reagan had a poor heir apparent, much like with Thatcher in the U.K. Their George Bush, Sr., John Major, gave the UK over a decade+ of uncontested Labour power when he went squish on her policies.
I think Forbes is genuine fis-con. Social he may or may not be.
Rudy’s fiscal proposals weren’t bad and I read analysis of his mayoral tenure that given the extreme left circumstance of the city government he did well in the fiscal department.
Social issues are where he would tear us apart. And he’s (Rudy) a rank opportunist and egoist just like Romney.
That poster is still a one-note pony. All I can do is shake my head.
Isn't he the one who wears the gold chain and sings like Neil Diamond?
I think I saw him on Fox.........
So Stevie has a new book out what’s his position on the bankster Federal Reserve?
Kemp and Dupont weren’t perfect. Nor was Dole. But the real RINO is the guy that ultimately won, Bush.
Can you gravitate any further from Conservatism?
And you wonder why you get a lot of grief.
You need remedial Conservatism School
Start with a read of one of Reagan’s Biographies...
You are wrong. The exact same sentiments are still here. We have a candidate for governor who is hoping to win the primary by using the Huckabee network and Huckabee’s endorsement.
EV, you’re slandering a very good man. I was a proud Forbes supporter in 2000 and would do it again. About what did he lie? This goes to show that Republicans/conservatives are all over the place and if one person disagrees with another, they’re subject to be called names, etc. I’ve been called a RINO and you know full well, I’m far from a RINO.
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