Politics and principle don’t always dance well together, one always has to lead the other.
As for me, I cannot forsake my principles for pragmatism and this may just more rapidly precipitate the coming amicable divorce that’s already brewing. There are certain principles for which there can be no compromise:
1. Excessive taxation (theft)- are we really principled when we stand for a little less theft as republicans. Not me, I’d slash the federal spending by 65% if I could. Will RudiMcThomsoney?
2. Abortion - The pro-life movement doesn’t believe someone has a “choice” to kill someone - penumbra’s aside.
3. Gay marriage - You’re either for it or against it and you think it matters or it doesn’t.
Etc etc.
Republicans have been retreating for years and will continue, just as we did in the 30’s. Want proof - look at the 3 TRILLION dollar budget floating up there in the den of theives called the Congress. We republicans really made principled stands on the average taxpayers money didn’t we! Republicans shouldn’t puff their chests out to big because they reduced the rate of spending increase from 10% down to 6%. What COURAGE. At least FDR, LBJ and Hillary had/have the courage of their convictions. They intended and intend to bring in socialism. Do you think RudiMcThomsoney will stand forcefully on the issues I listed above and stop the move towards socialism - hardly.
Prediction: If by some odd chance that one of them wins, as typical with republicans, I can already hear RudiMcThomsoney pontificate how they won one for the average American by “forcing” the democratically held congress to only increase the federal budget by 7% instead of the 10% they wanted. And as the frogs in the kettle we are, the heat will increase another 10 degrees.
I say lets get the inevitable over with. I dare say that had the new media been around in the 30’s, we’d have been the North United States and the South United States then.
1. Excessive taxation (theft)- are we really principled when we stand for a little less theft as republicans. Not me, I’d slash the federal spending by 65% if I could. Will RudiMcThomsoney?
You're right. On the contrary, they embrace larger government.
The "religious right" or "evangelical GOP" or whatever we want to call it, should have ONE, and ONE ONLY Number One priority issue in gaging the optimum Republican nominee.
Abortion? Gay Marriage? Outspoken declaration of a "personal relationship" with "God-duh" (nods to Rush!)? Which of these will most further national toleration for morality?
NONE OF THE ABOVE! Listen. All of us, Religious or not, but those of us who want to raise, educate, and tend our families as we see fit, must have ONE PRIORITY.
Is the candidate committed to the philosophical principle of smaller government? The bottom line is this: the bigger the government, the less respect and accommodation for personal beliefs; the smaller the government, the more free the people and their marketplaces and their charity to encourage and sustain, let alone respect and accommodate, right and worthy personal beliefs, which are boons to prosperity and harmony. Those with poor personal beliefs pay consequences and adjust, gently or not, but in God's way.
As opposed to today, when our tax monies are used in conflict with our personal beliefs to shelter those with poor personal beliefs, for whom the rest of adjust and pay consequences. That didn't happen because pro-abortion folks got elected -- it happened because BIG GOVERNMENT people got elected.
Everything else -- gay marriage and abortion included -- is in the long term, in God's patient way, assisted toward a more moral path with less government. That's the most important thing for ALL of us to look for in the right Republican to support.