The absolute joke of “a living Constitution” that the Supreme Court can manipulate to its political ends sickens me. The “living constitution” crowd has never sufficiently answered the following question: If the Constitution is a living, breathing document the interpretation of which was intended to change with changes in our society, why does it have a mechanism for amending it? What purpose would there be for amendments by vote of the people if the Founders intended it to be changed by interpretation of the Supreme Court as society changes? B, effing, S is what that is.

If our Founders had been clairvoyant, I’m sure they would never have used the term “general welfare” in the Constitution as they would have known how that term would be taking on a meaning the Founders could never have contemplated and, in the minds of scoundrels bent to serve political, not judicial, purposes, formed the “justification” for all manner and sort of mischief in legislation by the Congress, assisted by the Executive Branch—all attempting to consolidate power.

My point here is: we are never, at least in our and our children’s lifetimes, going to lift the “etch-a-sketch” screen and erase all the social legislation, expansion of congressional power, and reduction of state power that his been wrongfully, even fraudulently, foisted on us. We must, however, get the momentum in the that direction.

How do you do it? It’s not going to happen over night. It can only happen over time. “Conservatives,” i.e., the real liberals that respect and treasure liberty—social and economic—and limited government, must, at the grass roots start electing people to the congress and senate that believe in these principles and are not apologizing when they articulate them. That is how, today, on February 9, 2008, we start momentum in the direction of small government and liberty.

We don’t take our ball and go home. We don’t whine that we’ve been “fooled.” Honestly, folks, there are published cases from courts, even recent ones, that uphold the ancient principle that it is not a crime for politicians to lie—purposely tell a falsehood (i.e., as long as they are not under oath). The Founds knew it was up to the citizens to weigh and assess truth.

Like every system, it’s an imperfect system, but it still gives the power to citizens if they choose to wield it. Let the stupid, the ignorant, the naive, and the apathetic stay home. The sons and daughters of freedom and liberty can still prevail, indeed work their magic by speaking their mind without apology and supporting for office the like-minded in their vote.

First, you better say that’s your strategy so we all know what were talking about. Otherwise, your vote for Ron Paul is “pushing on a string” and, therefore, meaningless. Whether Ron Paul has 6% of the Republican vote—and he is a Republican—or 15% is not significant.

Second, we better understand this strategy results, in my opinion, in the following: A weak military subjecting us to foreign manipulation and capitulation; spending that will make “W” look like a fiscal conservative, to wit, universal government run health care, government regulations to fight global warming, that will choke free enterprise, Supreme Court judges like that blithering idiot Ruth Ginzberg, and an economy that will genuflect to Big Government for years to come. Did I mention an open boarders policy that will benefit no one except liberal politicians promising more and more?

The US populace will become very used to having these benefits “free” and more and more will depend on the public dole in one form or another. To stop this Leviathon will take armed revolution. That just isn’t going to happen.

So, my conclusion is as I set forth. If you’re impatient or expect perfect outcomes, you aren’t on board. I understand that. To me, momentum is the key. Enough like minded people can create that momentum toward smaller government, low taxes, pro business, and freedom oriented policies. But, I’m not going to sit by and commit the ultimate sin, in my view, of in some manner or fashion accelerating this ugly future. Voting for the socialist or not voting at all, in my view, accelerates this ugly future. So, the only way, my man, is to work with the hand that is dealt.

I’m sure many lost hope in the 60s and 70s before Reagan. Those were bad times for the real liberals—that would be us. Government advanced and everyone thought Communism was the way of the future. Yet, those ideas lost. I think what we see today in Obama and Clinton is the smeariest of the political lot, but those socialist ideas are gasping their last. Free markets, small government, secure boarders, and breaking the back of extremists abroad, before they break us, are all ideas that still hold the moral high ground. They need to be articulated and explained without apology by OUR, i.e., the Republican, political class—it takes more than talk show hosts.

Again, nobody is fooled. If we were bing fooled, we wouldn’t be strategizing right now to push the country in the right direction. You are fooled, I dare say, if you sit by and do nothing or, worse, sit by and cast a meaningless vote or a vote for a socialist. Ron Paul, a good man, isn’t the answer. I respect him. I agree with his domestic message. I don’t agree on his foreign policy. Many, better, more skilled people can be groomed for this task. That’s the only way we don’t get screwed.

I’ve been around a while, and I’ve heard all this before. I voted for Bush 1 twice, I have my picture with Bob Dole when I ran for the State House. I then held my nose and voted for Bush 2 twice.

I keep hearing just hold on… just hold on… we’ll get a real small government guy someday… we are just trying to fend off socialism…

Oh bullshit!

Here’s the record… I looked it up so I could talk about about it at the caucus.

U.S. Federal Spending when Bush took office in 2001:
1.7 trillion

U.S. Federal Spending when Bush Leaves office in 2009:
3.1 trillion

82% increase
That doesn’t include the war. The war is off-budget and puts total spending near 4 trillion.

U.S. Federal Spending when Clinton took office in 1992:
1.3 trillion

U.S. Federal Spending when Clinton Left office in 2001:
1.7 trillion

21% increase

Please don’t tell me I should hold my nose and vote for another big government Republican. I will not. I will not cut my own throat. I will not vote my own freedom away. I will not be complcit in the rape of America.

There is no evidence that the current leadership of the Republican party has any inclination to reduce the size of government. And why should they if we continue to vote for them even when they increase it faster than the Democrats?

I have faith we’ll turn this around one way or another. But the Republican Party has been co-opted by big government socialists masquerading as small government conservatives. Until they change thier mind they can have their party without me.

McCain is another one of those assholes that tries to to out spend the socialists to deflect criticism. He has no respect for the constitution or the rule of law. He is an opportunist and a charlatan.

I’ve spent almost twenty years on this, and I’m done waiting for the small government leader to come along.

I will not be fooled again. Enough already!

There ya go, I’m angry now.

Also, I disagree that this takes time away from the “real” issues. Frankly, character is a real issue. Politicians and others can beat the lies back—look at the Geroge Bush-National Guard document fraud. CBS got a black eye for touting fraudulent documents, heads rolled, and Dan Rather was shown to be the scum bag he is.

Steveo, this is politics. Paul, good man that he is, cannot connect with people—even people that should be his natural constituents. I suppose that’s his “fault.” As I said above, he’s right on domestic policy and the economy. He is awful on foreign policy. The world is what it is. The notion that we should not, as George Washington warned, become entangled in foreign alliances does not work. The world is hostile—unfortunately against us for a great part. To think otherwise is fanciful and simply not the truth. So, Ron Paul has no traction.

McCain is an awful candidate, but he’s sooooo, farrrrr better than Obama or Clinton would be. At least he claims to want to cut the budget, so does Ron Paul.

The conservative Republicans need to go to work right now and start to polish candidates to our liking to run. They have to form some alliances in the party with others so the power can be taken away from the “moderates” that are now in control.

It’s the conservative Republicans (and I’m not a formal member of any party) “fault” we are in this fix with the horses that threw their hats in the ring. This can’t happen over night, but if you get some Big Government health care plan in place with a Democrat, or high taxes (oh, only on “the rich”), a “global warming” boondoggle of a program, and the Jihadists in control of the oil fields in Iraq—-then you’ll be saying: “whoaaaaaaa Nelly . . .” my friend.

Hold your nose, let’s regroup, and beat back Big Government and socialism—or slow things down until the cavalry comes. The answer isn’t to just take your ball and hide, not voting or voting for someone who will do more harm to the Country.

Yes they are smear tactics. You call them emails…
email hadn’t even been invented when this stuff came out. They were written with what appeared to be a typewriter.

But do you see where this leads? We aren’t talking about issues or current events. We are talking about some newsletter written 18-22 years ago, that obviously wasn’t in Paul’s voice, that he has denied writing, he has stated repeatedly he does not agree with those statements, they sound nothing like anything he has EVER said…

And now I am supposed to defend myself against this? Somehow the implication with this nonsense is…

That if I support the only candidate speaking the truth, the only one that will end the war, the only one who respects the constitution, the only one who will end the war on drugs, that somehow because of some newsletter from decades ago, I have to defend what is in it? That somehow if I don’t repudiate the only man with the guts to tell the truth and vote for John McCain that I am guilty of racism by association?

This whole thing is absurd. It’s like conspiracy theories. It’s a waste of time and energy. If it leads you to believe Paul is a racist, go ahead and believe it. I don’t believe he is a racist.

I’m never voting for McCain or Clinton, ever, under any circumstances. I might vote for Obama, we’ll see. I abhor socialism, but I also abhor the war and the drug war. As far as I can tell McCain and Hillary are socialists just like Obama.

More to the point, Obama is the one that “revealed” his own drug use (preemptively, most likely, to his presidential run). Do I care, probably not. It’s probably insignificant in the big picture of his socialist agenda.

The Romney-polygamy charge is pretty remote and, frankly, irrelevant. Mormons really don’t care about polygamy anymore. Not sure we should.

The Hillary transgressions take on a whole new level of relevance. The Clintons are creeps and the more you know about them, like Hillary’s abetting her husband’s sleazy conduct in all respects, is important to understanding how they would, again, conduct themselves in office. As if we need to know more.

Ron Paul’s racist emails, hmmmm. Not sure I know what those are all about or how egregious they really might be.

Bottom line, I don’t see how these things are scary in the sense it makes me afraid to vote or, for that matter, express my views. You’re right, though, it’s a diversion from the real issues—like socialized everything.

I just want to know if we’re all ready to hold our noses and vote for McCain. I am. But, wow, do we need some leaders to come forward. It’s awful.

I’ll tell you what I think of it…
The same thing I think about Obama using cocaine
or McCain using racist slurs or Hillary covering for her husbands perjury or Mitt Romney having polygamy in his family tree….

They are all smear tactics used to instill fear in all of us. To keep us from running for office or expressing our views. To keep good people out of the system. To keep us from talking about substance and issues.

Steve, my man, absolutely fantastic post. I haven’t voted or paid much attention to any election since Goldwater’s try in the 50’s and I finally understood what they were doing to us. But i’m so excited right now I can hardly sit at this keyboard. Lots of good replies too. Keep it up Steve - you’re right on target.