The Patriot Post® · Too Early to Compromise
Yes, it’s too early to chose our candidate based on the media’s ideas of who can and can’t beat Obama. That’s what the media does in caucuses.
What is this Caucus business all about? It is a bit of show biz shaped by the media to showcase their choices and downgrade those with Tea Party – Essential Liberty values. Gotcha questions for the candidates who want real solutions easy lobs for the professional establishment politicians. Slanted reporting.
Virtually no exposure to the legislative races which will really determine the fate of the nation. With the right composition of House and Senate, the Executive Branch can be held in check. A return to Constitutional limited government can be achieved by real control of purse strings. Fiscal responsibility.
It is easy to be led down the primrose path by all the publicity and hype related to the GOP Caucuses. It’s easy to buy into second and third tier issues as if they are the important ones. Saving our nation has to be our first priority. I think it’s time to step back and ask ourselves what we really are looking for in the 2012 election. Here’s what I believe.
Our primary objectives haven’t changed – or shouldn’t have changed. They are built around restoring our Essential Liberties. About Tea Party core values. Limited government based on enumerated powers, fiscal responsibility (Reduced Federal spending and reduction in debt.) Less regulation and free trade. And, finally, in the Judicial Branch, return to Original Intent as the basis for the “Rule of Law.” Everything else we want follows from these objectives.
How do we achieve them?
First, confirm who really (most closely) represents our values – the values needed to restore America as a Constitutional Republic. Those are the candidates to support now. Ignore the big media reporting on the caucuses and their arrogant put downs. Two good (not perfect) sources of information about candidate values are: The Candidate Match game @USAtoday.com; and Vote Smart. Neither couches issues in the terms we would like to see.
The Candidate Match Game lets you compare what you believe is important with what the candidates themselves say is important. Here’s how it works:
On each of 11 issues you can adjust the results by showing how important that issue is to you. More important or less important.
The 11 issues are: Afghanistan; Energy; Healthcare; Medicare, Immigration; Experience; Social Security; Climate Change; Taxes; Defense Spending; and Gay Marriage.
The results of my “Game” had Bachman, Saantorum and Paul virtually in a dead heat. On the other end of the scale, Milt Romney and Obama were close enough to be twins. It’s true that core values weren’t specifically listed. It’s important to take good information about candidates wherever we can find it. It is easy to extrapolate from some of these issues. Candidate statements are posted to verify their positions. Santorum shows a strong affinity to the 1st Amendment and champions states rights.
Vote Smart also does not specifically identify Essential Liberties or Tea Party core values. But they have a much greater selection of issues with documented positions.
My choices as a result of exploring Vote Smart (Vote Easy) were essentially the same as with the Candidate Game. Bachman with a slight margin over Paul with a slight margin over Santorum. All three had substantially more positive points than the remaining candidates. They were openly in favor of restoring Constitutional limited government. That seemed to confirm the results of my Candidate Game.
You can’t rely just on the candidates’ positions on the issues offered in these two information sources. Positions on other very important issues can be found in other places. You have to look. Paul seems to be naive about the threat of Islam. Santorum is very much aware and has been involved in National security studies looking at radical Islam for a number of years. Paul would be less likely to compromise on “enumerated powers” and would eliminate departments more quickly.
So why are we seeing poll numbers which say that Tea Party Patriot members are favoring Gingrich and Romney? Two reasons, I think. The first is that there are many “Tea Party” organizations out there. Some are arms of the liberal establishment. Some are arms of the Republican establishment. We just don’t know who is voting and who is manipulating the vote. Next, some of the Tea Party people have fallen into the caucus dog and pony show trap. They have their ears tuned into that noise instead of listening to core values. The same is probably true of a few Patriot Post readers.
I was very sad to see Bachman withdraw. I felt her candidacy was a legitimate choice for those of us seeking to restore America. From my point of view, we still have two good candidate who will represent us. Candidates who will address the problem of a Federal Government run wild. We should be supporting them with all we have. Hopefully, one will become the nominee. If not, we will have the opportunity to support whoever and oppose Obama.
But, even more important is the makeup of the House and the Senate. For the first time in my 83 year old life, I have been sending money across state lines to support Senatorial and House candidates in faraway states. Locally, we need to volunteer – work. We will not win by hearing what we want to hear and nodding our heads.
Our priorities?
First, elect enough legislative candidates to give us a veto roof House and Senate.
Next, support both Paul and Santorum financially and by persuading our contacts.
Finally, no matter who is our candidate, support that candidate fully. Even if it isn’t one of ours. Better than Obama.
Yes, it is much too early to be thinking about candidates who do not share our vision of a constitutional, fiscally responsible government. Hang in there and hang tough for what we believe to be right for America.