[Armando Guerra]

My first vote I ever cast was for Ronald Reagan. I haven't voted "for" a President since. It has been many elections of voting "against" the other guy and I'm getting tired of it. At the same time, while I really didn't like many things that GWB did if I went back in time knowing everything I would still take him over Gore or Kerry. It's a question of driving towards a cliff at 50 mph or 100 mph.

If I was a pure idealist, I may not even have voted for Reagan. He did run deficits, keep social security in its present form, compromise with Tip O'Neil and pass amnesty. But, he was the best to deal with the Soviet Union and the Carter malaise. My ideal candidate now doesn't exist. I didn't hear any candidate supporting the repeal of the 16th and 17th amendments and privatization of social security. But, I am honest enough to acknowledge my ideal candidate would not have won.

[stephenjohnbanker]

” If I was a pure idealist, I may not even have voted for Reagan. He did run deficits, keep social security in its present form, compromise with Tip O’Neil and pass amnesty. But, he was the best to deal with the Soviet Union and the Carter malaise. My ideal candidate now doesn’t exist. I didn’t hear any candidate supporting the repeal of the 16th and 17th amendments and privatization of social security. But, I am honest enough to acknowledge my ideal candidate would not have won. “

Armando, you sound like 90% of us.

God bless you, brother!!

[JediJones]

Newt did repeatedly advocate for the privatization of the employee contribution to Social Security in accordance with the Chilean and Galveston models. You must have missed most of the speeches and debates.

Nobody was expecting the “perfect” conservative candidate. That’s a complete straw man argument. We were just looking for someone better than Hillary Clinton in a tie, a.k.a. Romney.