Conservative View--Allow Access to Ballots

     As the Presidential election approaches, it looks like America will have the choice of Obama vs. Romney (aka  Obama lite).  Across the country, Republican and Democratic candidates will fill ballots in hopes of a "coattails" victory.  America will hear the same tired ideas again and again.  It doesn't have to be this way.

     A major way that Democrats and Republicans use to maintain power is government printed ballots.  There was a time when ballots were not printed.  Voters had to either write the names of candidates on ballots or use ballots printed by various political organizations.  At that time, as little as 58% of incumbents were re-elected according to the Ballot Access News .  In modern times, usually more than 85% are re-elected.  Incumbents use restrictions of access to government printed ballots to control competition.   This leads to the same ideas from the same candidates, over and over and over again.

     What if we didn't have ballot restrictions?  What if any person qualified to hold an office could be on the ballot for that office by following a simple procedure?  That seems to be fairer and better for America than having candidates swear loyalty to the Democratic or Republican Party before they can run for office.  Won't the ballot be confusing if there are too many candidates?  Data from other countries with less restrictive ballot laws show that there are usually only five or six people on the ballot.  I think that is far better that the United States, where Republican or Democratic candidates often run unopposed.

     Doesn't a person need the backing of a Party to win?  It is easier to win an election if you have an organization like a political party backing you.  However, there are at least three alternative parties that would be ready to go if their candidates could easily appear on government ballots.  The Libertarian Party has more than 250,000 registered members and over 300 elected officials (mostly in non-partisan office) nationwide.  The Green Party is an international movement that is good at attracting high profile (Ralph Nader) candidates.  The Constitution/American Independent Party(California) has more than 400,000 registered members.  Any of these parties could support viable candidates if they could get them on the ballot.  As a Conscious Conservative, I believe this probably will not happen soon.  Democrats and Republicans are afraid of the competition.

Paul Campaign Calls Etch a Sketch Game

     The Ron Paul campaign released a new advertisement that scolds the media and other Republican candidates for talking so much about the Etch a Sketch comment when there are serious issues to discuss.  Eric Fehrnstrom, a Romney aide, used the example of an Etch a Sketch toy when referring to the difference between a primary election campaign and a general election campaign.  The press and Romney opponents jumped on the statement, trying to make it a campaign issue.  Ron Paul's  new advertisement asks if people are "tired of the games."

  

  The Paul advertisement talks about a "$15 Trillion Debt," "12 Million Americans Unemployed," and "A Country At War," as the issues candidates should be addressing.  As you can read in an earlier post, I see the Etch a Sketch issue as a Dog and Pony Show that has come to the forefront because the press and the candidates are afraid to discuss the real issues.  Ron Paul calls for discussion of "A Serious Plan To Restore America Now."  As a Conscious Conservative, I couldn't agree with him more.

Conservative View of The Dog and Pony Show

     As I write this, an internet search for "United States 2012 Election News" brings up some interesting stories.  One is about a poll that explores how many Americans want politicians to talk about religion.  Another tells about Mitt Romney and an "Etch a Sketch" campaign.  Another reports the launching of a new Political Action Committee (PAC).  There is another about how much money Barack Obama is raising for his campaign and one about who former Florida Governor Jeb Bush is endorsing (hint: it's Mitt Romney).  Although these stories have some interest, the big question about all of these is:  Who Cares?  These articles only serve to draw the public's attention away from the real issues of this election.

     As a Conscious Conservative, I believe that here are only five questions which a presidential candidate must answer in this or just about any other election.

1.  How are you going to respect my body and property?

     

     We now have a government that spies on its own citizens, can imprison them indefinitely or kill them without trial and takes their property to give it to a private business interest.  This question is far more important than which famous person endorses a candidate.

2.  What do you believe about Taxes?

     

     By some estimates, the United States Tax code is over 15,000 pages long.  Why?  Because it is designed     less to raise revenue than it is to control behavior and grant favors to political supporters.  This is more important than an "Etch a Sketch" comment.

3.  How are you going to handle the issue of Us vs. Them?

     Typical political strategy in Washington D.C. is to divide and conquer.  Pit women against men, rural vs. urban, young vs. old, rich vs. poor, etc...  We need a President who refuses to categorize people.  This is more important than a candidates's religion.  In fact,a candidate stating a religion is just more Us vs. Them rhetoric.

4.  How will you protect the US Dollar?

     Inflation has been the largest curse that government has inflicted on the American people in the last 50 years.  Households have to earn more than ten times what they used to in order to keep the same standard of living.  People find that their life savings are worthless.  This is more important than how many donations a candidate is receiving.

5.  How will you restore faith in the election process?

     Voter turnout for Federal Elections hovers around 50%, even during Presidential election years. The President needs to do everything in their power to assure people that their vote matters.  This would include advocating open ballots and working more to help the United States than to win re-election.  Fair elections are more important than who supports which PAC.

     You almost never hear candidates talking about these issues.  They prefer to dodge real issues for easy fluff.  The press also fails to do its job for not asking these questions.  What is left is gossip, innuendo and a Dog and Pony Show.   

Why Does Missouri Hate Ron Paul Supporters?

     Reports come from a Missouri Republican caucus that two Ron Paul supporters have been arrested for "trespassing."  It appears that here were concerns that the Missouri Republican Party hierarchy supported Rick Santorum.  Reports are vague, but it appears that the St Charles County caucus degraded into a shouting match after both Ron Paul and Mitt Romney supporters disputed the selection of the caucus chairperson.  At this time, it appears that no Romney supporters were arrested.  This is not the first time that Missouri Police have targeted Paul supporters.

  

     In 2009, the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC), a regional partnership of agencies set up by the Department of Homeland Security, released a report entitled "The Modern Militia Movement."  This report was sent to police departments across Missouri.  The report told police officers to view people who displayed "Political Paraphernalia" supporting Ron Paul as potential militia members.  It hinted that Paul supporters are like the Oklahoma City Bomber, the Atlanta Olympics Bomber and dozens of others involved in criminal conspiracies. 

     As a Conscious Conservative, I have to be suspicious of activities in Missouri.  How does a political candidate run a campaign when his supporters are automatically classified as terrorists?  

Is The Fix In For Romney?

     I just read an article that said Rick Santorum won the Southern States this week, but that Mitt Romney was still the victor for the week because he won the South Pacific. Really?  Hawaii is the only state in the South Pacific.  Although I have nothing but respect for my friends and fellow citizens from the Islands, the Pacific Island Nations are sovereign protectorates that do not participate in the Electoral College.

     It appears that the Republican Party and the Press have been pulling strings for Romney from the very beginning.  First, Romney won Iowa, then he didn't.  He was projected to win South Carolina, even though he didn't.  The Ron Paul campaign disputes the Nevada results.  Romney was declared the winner of Maine on February 11th, even though the voting wasn't supposed to be over until March 3rd.  About this time, some outlets started declaring him the "winner" of the nomination, even though Romney only had 10% of the delegates needed and not all of them were definitely pledged to his campaign.  Romney then won his home state of Michigan, or maybe he didn't, but the Michigan Republican hierarchy voted to give it to him anyway.

     As a Conscious Conservative, I realize that the caucus/primary system is very complex and that some elections are hard to call from early returns.  However, it appears that every benefit of the doubt from the Press and the various Republican Committees goes to Mitt Romney.  It sure makes it look like the fix is in.    

Conservative Movie Review -- Game Change

     I watched the HBO film Game Change last night.  It had the top production values and dramatic qualities one would expect from an HBO film.  However, it required too much suspension of belief to be taken seriously.

     Based on the book of the same name by Mark Halperin, the movie puts its focus on the campaign of John McCain and even more narrowly, examines the choice of Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate.  I have been around many campaigns and politicians.  I'll admit that politicians in general are by nature self-centered.  I've also known some that weren't very bright.  Like professional fighters, candidates also have to have some bi-polar psychological characteristics,whipping themselves into a manic frenzy of positive energy and activity up until Election Day, only to crash the day after.  

   Still, the movie Game Change portrayed Palin as a cartoon character.  Nobody could be as self-centered, ignorant and unstable as the Palin character and become the Governor of a state.  As a Conscious Conservative, I was no fan of the McCain/Palin ticket.  In many ways, Obama is more conservative than either of them.  However, I also do not believe that John McCain and Sarah Palin are as simple as this movie shows.     

Conservative Rating System Part II

     In an earlier post, I outlined ten conservative principles that I turned into a 100 point scale.  By using this scale, I believe that Politicians, Pundits and Public Figures can be scored to determine their level of conservatism.

     I eventually plan to rate various people and use statistical analysis to determine a rating system that accurately identifies Conservatives, Moderates and Liberals.  Until that time, I suggest the following scale:

0-30 points         Liberal

35-65 points       Moderate

70-100 points     Conservative

    Rate yourself.  Look at the ten principles in the earlier post.  For each principle you agree with completely, give yourself 10 points.  For each one you agree with partially or are undecided about, give yourself 5 points. For each principle you disagree with, add zero points.  Compare your score to the scale above.  Go ahead, ask yourself, how conservative am I?

Conscious Conservative Book Review--American Theocracy

     In the book American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century, Kevin Phillips puts forward the proposition that the United States is headed for a perfect storm that may end the country as it currently exists.  He believes that the current peril is created by energy (especially oil) interests, undue influence of end times theologians and runaway personal and public debt.  He compares the United States to other empires (including the British, Dutch and Hapsburg empires) which he states failed for similar reasons.   
     American Theocracy gives a detailed description of the history of oil production.  It does a decent job of showing how energy supremacy relates to world supremacy by comparing Dutch wind technology to British coal technology to American oil technology.  The book also discusses how oil interests affect both military and economic policy in the United States and Britain.
     As the title American Theocracy suggests, a major part of the book concerns a turn towards dogmatic religious beliefs at the end of many empires.  Although the book provides plenty of data, it does not make a strong enough argument to show a causative effect.  It may be that people reach for their religion of choice when they sense a decline in lifestyle.  It may also be that when a country can no longer show superiority by economic or military might, politicians still try to assert that their government is superior because, "God said so."  One important point the book makes is how the peculiar breed of "end times theology" popular in the United States and Britain affects both  environmental policy and foreign policy decisions about the middle east.
     Mr. Phillips appears especially concerned about the Bush dynasty.  I like his references to "Bush the Elder" and "Bush the Younger."  I have the advantage of reading this book several years after it was published and of seeing how some of the books predictions have played out and how the world looks since Bush the Younger has left office.  America's credit problems actually turned out worse than predicted by Phillips.  As I write this, the credit crunch that American Theocracy warns about has happened and we are in the middle (hopefully) of a "lost decade" of economic stagnation.  However, there is still ever increasing public debt and the "lost decade" threatens to continue to 15 years or longer.  Bush the Younger has been replaced by Barack Obama.  President Obama has continued the economic and military policies of Bush despite Candidate Obama's campaign pledges.  Mr. Phillips may be correct that there are interests more powerful than the Presidency at work.
    American Theocracy is not light reading.  It is full of complex arguments and loaded with statistics to back those arguments.  It compares current conditions in the United States to those at the end of other empires.  I believe it is required reading for those who wish to go beyond the simple "Democrats vs. Republicans," or "Big Oil Bad," sound bite arguments and truly want to learn some of the subtle yet powerful forces and belief systems that guide policy decisions in the United States.  

Congressional Conservative Tea Party Poopers

Will "tea party" supported Legislators make a Conscious Conservative difference?  I have examined Senators Ron Johnson,  Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Jim DeMint, Jerry Moran, Patrick Toomey and Tom Coburn in earlier posts.  What I have seen is not encouraging.  There is not the number, seniority or commitment necessary to continue anything but legislative business as usual.  There appear to be only eight Senators that are regularly identified as "Tea Party" Senators.  Only four of those have Conscious Conservative leanings and one of those has already began to distance himself from the movement.  29 House members joined the House Tea Party Caucus.  It is unsure how many of these can truly be considered a Conscious Conservative.

Of the eight "Tea Party" Senators, Rand Paul (KY), Jim DeMint (SC), and Mike Lee (UT) appear to be Conscious Conservatives, strongly in favor of smaller government and individual rights.  Ron Johnson (WI) appears to be A Conscious Conservative, but has started distancing himself from the others by not joining the Senate Tea Party Caucus.  Jerry Moran (KS)  joined the Caucus, but appears to lean Unconscious Conservative or even Socialist/Liberal compared to the other members.  Marco Rubio (FL), Patrick Toomey (PA) and Tom Coburn (OK) all seem to be Unconscious Conservatives with Rubio leaning slightly Conscious Conservative and Toomey/Coburn leaning slightly Socialist/Liberal.

Similar results are expected from the 29 members of the House Tea Party Caucus.  One of the members, Mike Pence (IN), brags on his web site about helping to write the Patriot Act.  Michele Bachman (MN), a Tea Party Caucus Leader, states that the Patriot Act should be extended.  The Patriot Act is one of the most egregious laws ever written from the viewpoint of small government and Conscious Conservatism.
One or more of several factors must exist for making a real Conscious Conservative change in the legislative process.  Eight of 100 Senators and 29 of 435 Congress members are not enough to push an agenda.  This might be overcome if some Members were committed Senior Members and Committee Chairs.  That isn't happening.  A final chance for a Conscious Conservative change would be if  all Tea Party supported Legislators were staunchly Conscious Conservative.  That isn't happening, either.  Many are either Unconscious Conservative or Socialist/Liberal "RINO's" that jumped on the Tea Party bandwagon for votes and will ride it until they get kicked off or find more luxurious transportation. 

I began writing this series of articles before the current legislative session started.  Now that it has started, I find what I had worried about all along.  Republicans and Democrats are playing the old "he said," "she said" game while spending away the childrens' futures.  Unconscious Conservative Republicans are crowing about some grain of sand on the beach earmark they've been able to cut and pretending that they are protecting America.  Although the Tea Party movement sounds good in theory, in practice there are too many Party Poopers.

Conservative Senator Jerry Moran from Kansas?

 I have been examining if the "Tea Party" supported candidates will make a Conscious Conservative difference once they enter office.  So far, I have examined Senators Ron Johnson,  Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, Mike Lee, Jim DeMint and PatToomey. 

Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas chose to attend the Senate Tea Party Caucus meeting held recently.  Let's see how he looks from a Conscious Conservative perspective.

Like Senator Toomey, Senator Moran has served in the House of Representatives, which gives him a record to examine.  According to http://www.govtrack.us/, Senator Moran is a "rank-and-file Republican" who actually appears to be centrist compared to other Senators.  In this world of Spin Doctors and right is left, I looked at his record to see if there is a basis for this ranking.  A check of many of his votes on http://www.ontheissues.org/ reveals that he voted along standard Republican lines.  He showed the peculiar republican form of schizophrenia by voting to retrict the rights of common people, but voting yes to support corporations.  He appears to lean Liberal/Socialist on social issues, voting to let the government interfere with what happens in businesses, schools, medical offices and homes across the country.

   It appears that Senator Moran will do little to lean the Senate in a Conscious Conservative direction.  There may be some hope if he is influenced by others with a more Conscious Conservative bent.

How Conscious Conservative Is Senator Jim DeMint?

        





           After deviating from my review of  "Tea Party" legislators because of the holidays and because of the tragedy in Tucson, Arizona, I believe it is now time to return to this issue by looking at Senator Jim DeMint of South Carolina.  Senator DeMint is the only incumbent member of this group, so he will be expected to be a mentor to the Junior Senators.  It is more important that he champions Conscious Conservative issues than anyone else.  Let' see where he stands.


                                   Stance

Build a Border Fence                                                        Unconscious Conservative

Repeal the Sarbanes-Oxley Act                                         Conscience Conservative

Re-Structure Corporate Taxes                                           Unconscious Conservative

Eliminate Federal Education Mandates                               Conscious Conservative

Voted for Marriage Protection Act                                      Liberal/Socialist

Free Market Health Care Solutions                                    Conscious Conservative

   It is easier to see where Senator DeMint actually stands, because as an incumbent member of the Senate, he has actually introduced legislation or voted on some of these issues.  Senator DeMint appears to have some Conscious Conservative leanings, while being slightly unconscious when it comes to issues like immigration and national defense.  He follows the Republican party line of being liberal/socialist on social issues by advocating government control over personal lives.  It will be interesting to see what ideas are championed at the Senate Tea Party Caucus. 

Is Senator-elect Marco Rubio a Conscious Conservative?

 I have been examining if the new "Tea Party" supported candidates will make a Conscience Conservative difference once they enter office.  I looked first at Nikki Haley, Governor-elect of South Carolina, and determined that she appears as much a Unconscious Conservative or Liberal as she does a Conscious Conservative.  Then I examined Wisconsin's Senator-elect, Ron Johnson and found that he appears to be a Conscious Conservative with some unconscious conservative leanings

I now look at Florida's Senator-elect, Marco Rubio to see how he stacks up as a Conscious Conservative.



Stance:

Reducing Federal Government/Cutting Spending                Conscious Conservative

Balanced Budget Amendment                                           Unconscious Conservative

Repeal Government Health Care                                       Conscious Conservative

Strong Foreign Intervention/Support Israel                          Unconscious Conservative

Modify Federal Education Mandates                                 Unconscious Conservative

Marco Rubio appears to be an Unconscious Conservative with some Conscious Conservative leanings.  Depending on which alliances he has in the Senate, he may help make a Conscious Conservative difference.

Is Senator-elect Ron Johnson a Conscious Conservative?

 I have been examining if the new "Tea Party" supported candidates will make a Conscience Conservative difference once they enter office.  I looked first at Nikki Haley, Governor-elect of South Carolina, and determined that she appears as much a Unconscious Conservative or Liberal as she does a Conscious Conservative.

I now look at Wisconsin's Senator-elect, Ron Johnson to see how he stacks up as a Conscious Conservative.

Stance:

Reducing Taxes/Cutting Spending                                       Conscious Conservative

Repeal Government Health Care                                        Conscious Conservative

Increase Domestic Energy Production                                Unconscious Conservative

Reduce Federal Education Mandates                                 Unconscious Conservative

Supporting Free Trade in Agriculture                                  Conscious Conservative

Ron Johnson appears to be a Conscious Conservative with some unconscious conservative leanings.  If he can make alliances in the Senate, he may make a Conscious Conservative difference.

Conscious Pledge to America

When I began to write this post, I originally planned to analyze the Republican Pledge to America to see how it compared to Conscious Conservative principles.  When I downloaded a copy of the Pledge, I was immediately struck by one realisation.  The Republicans are insane!  The Pledge is 21 pages long in its original format and written in governmental jargon and doublespeak.  This Pledge is a prime example of what is wrong with today's legislative process.  Instead of being to the point with easy to understand goals and principles, it is long and full of unclear passages and side agendas, much like the bills that come out of Congress.  Oh, and there are plenty of graphs and quotations that look swell.  How do you solemnly swear to uphold a graph?

Look at other pledges to compare.  Both the Pledge of Allegiance and the Hippocratic Oath are far shorter, but seem to get their point across.  The Declaration of Independence is much shorter also.  Although I didn't do an exact word count, it appears that the Magna Carta wasn't very ambitious at all when compared with the Republican Pledge to America.

The Conscious Conservative Pledge

I, as a Conscious Conservative, pledge to work to return to the fiscally sound US dollar, to balance the federal budget, to bring all United States troops home to protect the United States border, to abolish the income tax, to return all rights and responsibilities of child rearing to parents, and to leave all decisions on moral issues to individuals who are free to follow their own religious preference.   

That sure seems shorter, easier to understand and more effective.  I'm open to suggestions.  Feel free to add any in the comments below.  Just don't make any that are doublespeak, unclear or just plain insane.