Politics in 2016 – ol’ George Washington must be doing flip-flops in his grave. During the course of the last 6-8 months a few people have asked me the proverbial “What do you think will happen?” and “Who do you like so far?” questions. My canned reply has repeatedly been, “It’s going be an interesting year!”, said as I waited to see where the chips would fall. They’ve fallen.
Personally I am loyal to the Constitution in every respect, not just in letter but intent. I believe the role of government has increasingly entreated upon the rights of citizens over the last 100+ years and now, especially with the invasion of privacy taking place, is bordering on dangerous ground. Add to that the fact we have huge crowds who are voting for an openly socialist presidential candidate and perhaps “dangerous” is insufficient to describe the current state of affairs.
So for the three people and two cats who care what I think about the mess, here’s my opinion, in brief. There were only two fairly strict “Constitutionalists” in the GOP race to begin with: Cruz and Paul. While different in their approach, they were the only two who seemed rather beholden to a strict view of constitutional compliance, not proven by campaign rhetoric but also by their actions as U.S. Senators. Paul saw the handwriting on the wall a few weeks ago and felt he could better influence the race from outside. That leaves Cruz alone on the podium standing for what the founding fathers so long debated over.
Rubio is, in my terms, an establishment hack. He’s a water boy and I say that because he’ll carry the GOP water (really its koolaid) for them. He’s part of the same clique that has helped tank this nation over the past few years. He lacks experience and quite frankly he lacks the integrity to do much positive for this country because he’s owned by the special interests groups and kingmakers who have their own gain in mind. A vote for Rubio is a vote for more of the same. And I’m disappointed with Trey Gowdy for endorsing him as well; the defacto Chief Prosecutor for congressional hearings should be a better judge of character than that!
Trump is Trump. He’s all about Trump. He’s vain and self-serving in the highest order. But he’s brilliant – think of him as perhaps the most brilliant and transparent narcissist to ever hit our national stage. And when I say he’s brilliant, I really do mean that. He’s a shrewd businessman who has gained great wealth, albeit with lots of help along the way, and proven his awareness of the “pulse of the populace” well before the campaign ever started. His media prowess has been refined, on others’ dimes, over the past 10+ years and the evidence has never been more clear: when a clearly non-practicing Protestant can secure a substantial vote from the Evangelical voter base when a clearly better Evangelical candidate is present, it says something scary sad about both him and them. But he’s brilliant (did I say that already?) Truth is I do respect the guy. His 2006 book co-written with Robert Kiyosaki, “Why We Want You to be Rich” was incredibly insightful on global economics and it really changed my opinion of Trump; yes, I still recommend you read it, despite what you may think of Trump personally. I would add that interestingly enough, Trump is perhaps the most well-written of all the candidates as he’s been publishing his opinions (emphasis on the plurality of opinions) for many years. If you want to follow his progressive thought evolution, just start reading from his early works to present. I truly hope the man has truly changed, which isn’t impossible, and that he now seeks to serve others instead of serving himself.
Cruz has stayed his course. He’s been consistent in his message and disciplined in his politics. I like that. He’s a Texan from Canada which is quite the quandary for us Texans but we’ll claim him as our own nonetheless. Unlike some who support him, I don’t think he is as pure as the driven snow; he’s no doubt made some mistakes along the way, as any could imagine. However amongst all the candidates on the stage, there’s no reservation in my mind that he is a staunch believer in the bible and those principles do matter to me, not just as a Chrisitan myself but because those principles have proven themselves repeatedly beneficial for all mankind over the last several thousand years. I believe a man who embraces biblical principles will do what is best for all universally. That alone is a big deal to me personally. Add to that the aforementioned loyalty he has proven to the Constitution and it seems that Cruz would be, and is, my first choice for the next President of the United States of America.
But it’s not that simple. Not only because my endorsement of Ted Cruz won’t help him much but rather because there is a much larger truly political issue at play. Delegates.
While I lack full understanding of this subject myself, I am cognizant enough about it to know that it is the most important piece of the puzzle at this juncture. The short of it is just because you like a candidate and just because said candidate might do well in the popular vote, that doesn’t mean said candidate will do “well enough” to garner the delegates needed to advance as the GOP nominee for the 2016 presidential election. Others could explain this much better than I however there are “threshold” requirements that determine which candidate gets how many delegates and when the popular vote is convoluted due to the number of candidates, it can substantially impact, and even slant, the delegate determination. All that means is that voters need to understand this election isn’t as simple as their personal preference for president.
Jeb dropped out following the South Carolina vote. Kasich and Carson are surely soon to follow; neither have any chance of being nominated at this point and their exit is best for all concerned. That would leave the above-mentioned three: Rubio, Trump and Cruz. Of them, Rubio is the least trustworthy in my opinion and the most likely to do more of the same – that totally removes him from consideration in my reckoning. I prefer Cruz simply because of his consistency and constitutional loyalty; I’ll vote for him in the primary. If the polls are right, Trump will likely prevail and I’ll get the popcorn ready – might as well enjoy the show if we’re going to have to watch it anyways!
For the perchance possibility that some historically Democratic voter reads this (and yes I have a few good friends who fall into that category) then let me spell it out for you: you have to choose between a pathological liar and a proven socialist. Think about that. Both want to rob you and are admittedly telling you so up front. Hillary is, without doubt or equal, the biggest liar to ever run for presidential office. She is worse than Obama ever was on his worst day; even he is incredibly more honest than Hillary. For those “feeling the Bern”, please go study socialism, examine where it has ever been successful for the people and let us all know how that free stuff worked out for them. Seriously?!? A vote for Hillary or Bernie is proof that you either don’t know who you are voting for or simply don’t care about the fact that choices have consequences. Repent from that silliness or simply don’t vote if you lack better sense than that. Sorry, not sorry if that offends a little.
Last, I’m all about encouraging everyone to go vote, whatever your choice of candidate might be. That’s how this great nation was built. So go vote. Unless you’re a Hill/Bern fan and in that case just stay home and let those of us who will pay for the free stuff decide what is best for all of us.
DISCLAIMER: if you read this far down, it may come as a surprise to some but I am NOT a card-carrying Republican. I tend to vote for Republicans for a variety of reasons but I have voted for Democrats through the years as well. Why? Thanks for asking! Because (A) I believe the two-party system has nearly strangled anything useful from our elections and (B) because I think the character of the candidate matters more than the politics of the party. So I am anything but a loyal GOP supporter.
Personally I am loyal to the Constitution in every respect, not just in letter but intent. I believe the role of government has increasingly entreated upon the rights of citizens over the last 100+ years and now, especially with the invasion of privacy taking place, is bordering on dangerous ground. Add to that the fact we have huge crowds who are voting for an openly socialist presidential candidate and perhaps “dangerous” is insufficient to describe the current state of affairs.
So for the three people and two cats who care what I think about the mess, here’s my opinion, in brief. There were only two fairly strict “Constitutionalists” in the GOP race to begin with: Cruz and Paul. While different in their approach, they were the only two who seemed rather beholden to a strict view of constitutional compliance, not proven by campaign rhetoric but also by their actions as U.S. Senators. Paul saw the handwriting on the wall a few weeks ago and felt he could better influence the race from outside. That leaves Cruz alone on the podium standing for what the founding fathers so long debated over.
Rubio is, in my terms, an establishment hack. He’s a water boy and I say that because he’ll carry the GOP water (really its koolaid) for them. He’s part of the same clique that has helped tank this nation over the past few years. He lacks experience and quite frankly he lacks the integrity to do much positive for this country because he’s owned by the special interests groups and kingmakers who have their own gain in mind. A vote for Rubio is a vote for more of the same. And I’m disappointed with Trey Gowdy for endorsing him as well; the defacto Chief Prosecutor for congressional hearings should be a better judge of character than that!
Trump is Trump. He’s all about Trump. He’s vain and self-serving in the highest order. But he’s brilliant – think of him as perhaps the most brilliant and transparent narcissist to ever hit our national stage. And when I say he’s brilliant, I really do mean that. He’s a shrewd businessman who has gained great wealth, albeit with lots of help along the way, and proven his awareness of the “pulse of the populace” well before the campaign ever started. His media prowess has been refined, on others’ dimes, over the past 10+ years and the evidence has never been more clear: when a clearly non-practicing Protestant can secure a substantial vote from the Evangelical voter base when a clearly better Evangelical candidate is present, it says something scary sad about both him and them. But he’s brilliant (did I say that already?) Truth is I do respect the guy. His 2006 book co-written with Robert Kiyosaki, “Why We Want You to be Rich” was incredibly insightful on global economics and it really changed my opinion of Trump; yes, I still recommend you read it, despite what you may think of Trump personally. I would add that interestingly enough, Trump is perhaps the most well-written of all the candidates as he’s been publishing his opinions (emphasis on the plurality of opinions) for many years. If you want to follow his progressive thought evolution, just start reading from his early works to present. I truly hope the man has truly changed, which isn’t impossible, and that he now seeks to serve others instead of serving himself.
Cruz has stayed his course. He’s been consistent in his message and disciplined in his politics. I like that. He’s a Texan from Canada which is quite the quandary for us Texans but we’ll claim him as our own nonetheless. Unlike some who support him, I don’t think he is as pure as the driven snow; he’s no doubt made some mistakes along the way, as any could imagine. However amongst all the candidates on the stage, there’s no reservation in my mind that he is a staunch believer in the bible and those principles do matter to me, not just as a Chrisitan myself but because those principles have proven themselves repeatedly beneficial for all mankind over the last several thousand years. I believe a man who embraces biblical principles will do what is best for all universally. That alone is a big deal to me personally. Add to that the aforementioned loyalty he has proven to the Constitution and it seems that Cruz would be, and is, my first choice for the next President of the United States of America.
But it’s not that simple. Not only because my endorsement of Ted Cruz won’t help him much but rather because there is a much larger truly political issue at play. Delegates.
While I lack full understanding of this subject myself, I am cognizant enough about it to know that it is the most important piece of the puzzle at this juncture. The short of it is just because you like a candidate and just because said candidate might do well in the popular vote, that doesn’t mean said candidate will do “well enough” to garner the delegates needed to advance as the GOP nominee for the 2016 presidential election. Others could explain this much better than I however there are “threshold” requirements that determine which candidate gets how many delegates and when the popular vote is convoluted due to the number of candidates, it can substantially impact, and even slant, the delegate determination. All that means is that voters need to understand this election isn’t as simple as their personal preference for president.
Jeb dropped out following the South Carolina vote. Kasich and Carson are surely soon to follow; neither have any chance of being nominated at this point and their exit is best for all concerned. That would leave the above-mentioned three: Rubio, Trump and Cruz. Of them, Rubio is the least trustworthy in my opinion and the most likely to do more of the same – that totally removes him from consideration in my reckoning. I prefer Cruz simply because of his consistency and constitutional loyalty; I’ll vote for him in the primary. If the polls are right, Trump will likely prevail and I’ll get the popcorn ready – might as well enjoy the show if we’re going to have to watch it anyways!
For the perchance possibility that some historically Democratic voter reads this (and yes I have a few good friends who fall into that category) then let me spell it out for you: you have to choose between a pathological liar and a proven socialist. Think about that. Both want to rob you and are admittedly telling you so up front. Hillary is, without doubt or equal, the biggest liar to ever run for presidential office. She is worse than Obama ever was on his worst day; even he is incredibly more honest than Hillary. For those “feeling the Bern”, please go study socialism, examine where it has ever been successful for the people and let us all know how that free stuff worked out for them. Seriously?!? A vote for Hillary or Bernie is proof that you either don’t know who you are voting for or simply don’t care about the fact that choices have consequences. Repent from that silliness or simply don’t vote if you lack better sense than that. Sorry, not sorry if that offends a little.
Last, I’m all about encouraging everyone to go vote, whatever your choice of candidate might be. That’s how this great nation was built. So go vote. Unless you’re a Hill/Bern fan and in that case just stay home and let those of us who will pay for the free stuff decide what is best for all of us.
DISCLAIMER: if you read this far down, it may come as a surprise to some but I am NOT a card-carrying Republican. I tend to vote for Republicans for a variety of reasons but I have voted for Democrats through the years as well. Why? Thanks for asking! Because (A) I believe the two-party system has nearly strangled anything useful from our elections and (B) because I think the character of the candidate matters more than the politics of the party. So I am anything but a loyal GOP supporter.
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