Conservatism Lives!

What do you do if you’re a first term senator with no military experience running for president against a decorated war hero and you want to criticize your opponent’s military credentials but lack credibility based on your own lack of military experience of any kind? You outsource, of course. In case you missed it, retired general Wesley Clark yesterday hopped on board the Obama train (see the full story here) and attempted to use his experience to challenge Jon McCain’s war record. Clark has been mentioned as a possible running mate for Obama. Interestingly, Clark said of mCCain,

“He hasn’t been there and ordered the bombs to fall.”

I find that to be an interesting critique when pushing Obama as the “superior” candidate given the fact that Obama has zero military experience of any kind whatsoever, and that while McCain never “ordered the bombs to fall”, he has done the actual dropping and paid the price for doing so. Obviously general Clark has extensive command experience, but simply sitting beside Barack Obama and slamming John McCain doesn’t transfer that experience or credibility to Obama. General Clark also made the statement that,

“I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.”

It seems like common sense to me that having actually served in a war, requested a combat assignment, gotten shot down, and been in a Vietnamese prison camp for five and a half years would certainly give McCain a far better understanding of what it means to be in a war and send our young men and women into harm’s way than a Harvard Lawyer with a great reputation as a “community organizer” could ever be capable of having.

It never ceases to amaze me how self deceived we all can so easily become. This site is called RELUCTANT republicans for a reason. We place our values and ideals first, and any political party affiliations second. We recently received a comment from a (presumably Democrat) reader of the RR blog. We encourage you to read the linked comment before reading further.

In response to Mr. Thompson; To claim that a plight of the human condition such as racism is the sole property of any single group or political affiliation reveals your own ignorance. If you think racism is confined to the Republican party then you have long ago surrendered your intellect to the Democrats and exist today as nothing more that their tool. The only person to make a real issue out of Obama’s race so far has been Hillary Clinton, a fellow Democrat. You point to “Republican scum, notably in Southern States” as the primary offenders and arbiters of racism. Perhaps you should visit some union halls (exclusive domains of the Democratic party) in the North East or the Midwest and see what you find there. Where have elected democrats been in advancing the cause of minorities in positions of power? Nowhere. Minorities are to the Democrats what the religious right has become to the Republicans; useful idiots.

Make no mistake, racism is real, it is alive and well in America, and it is an ugly thing. But to claim that the Republicans are its sole proprietors is nothing short of ignorant drivel. The point of the Reluctant Republicans’ existence is to rise above partisan politics and engage in an open, honest, dialogue about values, economics, and other important issues of the day without the partisan smoke screens. We have no interest in spreading party propaganda from either side. And that, Mr. Thompson, is all you have offered today.

Take a good, hard look, people. This is the face of the man who had the stones take on our ever encroaching government and preserve your rights. This man should be hailed as a hero. Too often today we forget that the Constitution was crafted by the founders to protect the citizens from the government and to specifically limit the rights of the government, not to limit the rights of the people.

Dick Heller was an armed security guard who sued the city of Washington D.C. to challenge its all out gun ban after it rejected his application to keep a firearm in his home. The case made its way up the system and the Supreme Court eventually agreed to hear it. Today, the high court ruled that the second amendment does indeed protect the right to keep and bear arms “no matter what” and is NOT tied to “service” in a state “militia” (full story here).  This is the first time in U.S. history that the Supreme Court has confirmed the right to bear arms. It should send shockwaves through the court system.

Make no mistake. Barack Obama wants to ban guns and take away your right to own them. Thankfully, Mr. Heller and the Court had good timing on this one. Regardless of who wins in November, at least one of our Constitutional rights is now more secure.

John McCain continued his push to make energy a defining issue in the upcoming election today by further outlining his ides and planned initiatives and giving the plan a name; “The Lexington Project“. (The text of his announcement can be found here.) In his announcement McCain showed realism on the size of the issue at hand without being a whining defeatist like Obama has been. The Reluctant Republicans applaud the plan as a whole (even if there is some of McCain’s typical moderate environmental stupidity included). Overall, this is the most straightforward, comprehensive, realistic plan put forth by any candidate or elected official to date. Make no mistake, America needs a better, more comprehensive energy plan. Moreover, there is no “silver bullet” for our energy issues. We must pursue a multi-pronged approach and develop all available options and possibilities. Money quote from McCain:

Some will say this goal is unattainable within that relatively short span of years — it’s too hard and we need more time. Let me remind them that in the space of half that time — about eight years — this nation conceived and carried out a plan to take three Americans to the Moon and bring them safely home. In less than a third of that time, the gathered energies of my father’s generation built the industrial might that overcame Nazi Germany and imperial Japan. That is the scale of our achievement when we set our minds to a task. That is what this country can do when we see a danger, and declare a purpose, and find the will to act.

The problem with the "race card" it that it ultimately obscures the truth on both sides. Obviously racism is still a major issue in America, and it would be foolish to suggest that it won’t be a hurdle that Obama will have to deal with at least on some level. However, my problem with liberals is that race is ALL they want to focus on. They use a very simple and often effective, but fundamentally flawed "if/then" "logic". Racists dislike Obama. Therefore, if you dislike Obama you are a racist. That is ridiculous, offensive, and intellectually lazy. Furthermore, it obscures the reality that even the presence of racism does not necessarily negate the validity of an argument or a truth. Mark Fuhrman showed himself to be (at least to some degree) a racist. But guess what? O.J. still killed two people.

To answer some charges levied again the Reluctant Republicans directly:

The Supreme Court: Many people would argue that the Supreme Court is ultimately a far more important position to be held than the presidency. Firstly, they are appointed for life. Secondly, they have the power to in many ways "control" both the legislative and administrative branches of government through their rulings. So, no, I do not take lightly the appointment of Supreme Court judges, and neither should anyone else.

Iraq: No. I do not have a direct, immediate family member serving currently in Iraq. The Reluctant Republicans, myself included though, have the absolute deepest respect and reverence for those who do and for those who serve.

"Tax Brackets": Let’s be clear here also. We come from nothing. No one affiliated with the Reluctant Republicans comes from any form of "wealth"…at all…to even the smallest degree. We aren’t a bunch of upper class snobs looking down our noses at the "common" people. (We leave that to wealthy liberals). We are hard working, risk taking Americans. I, myself, spent my entire childhood and a portion of my adult life well below the poverty line. In more recent years I have ventured into the entrepreneurial world and found varying degrees of success including coming extremely close to losing everything. I have been a conservative since I was old enough to think logically. That includes years where my "tax bracket" was different than today, and it will include years in the future where it is different again. I, like most true conservatives, do not change positions based on conveniences of the moment. Perhaps you should revisit my "Politics of Self" posts (part one and part two) to deal with that issue again.

Race: Yes, I myself am of a fairly dubious and fairly generic "white" ethnic background. But that does NOT mean that I intrinsically "fear" and or am "uncomfortable" with a "black" president. I happen to hail from the once great state of Ohio. In our most recent gubernatorial campaign I could not have been more excited to have Ken Blackwell as our Republican candidate for governor. Blackwell was a dream candidate for a true conservative, and he happens to be black. The fact of the matter is that true conservatives couldn’t care less about race. We care about issues, policies, and positions, regardless of race. In February of this year, Ken Blackwell wrote an op ed piece called "The Real Obama" in which he calls for people to see through Obama’s rhetoric and recognize his policies and aspirations for the liberal drivel that they are. Is Ken Blackwell, a black man himself, "afraid" or "uncomfortable" with having a black president? Is he a racist and a bigot?

McCain: This site is called "Reluctant Republicans for McCain" for a reason. We are not now, nor have we ever claimed that John McCain is the "ultimate candidate" or even that we really like him that much. We have simply decided that there are some things about him we can support and that he is the better of the two available choices.

Finally, let me say this unequivocally, we do NOT care what color Obama, McCain, or anyone else is. We care about issues, policies, and ideals. And for those reasons alone, we are dedicated to defeating Obama.

I suppose it was only a matter of time before Obama’s race became an issue in the general election. As usual though, it is the liberal who wants to focus on it. In this case, Obama himself. On Friday in reference to the upcoming campaign he said (full article here):

“We know what kind of campaign they’re going to run. They’re going to try to make you afraid. They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?”

What???!! Obama is black?? Why hadn’t anyone told me??? Let’s start at the end of the quote and work forward. “Did I mention he’s black?” How could it even be possible for anyone who isn’t blind to NOT know Obama is (at least partly) black? Obviously issues of race are still very divisive in America. But it is ridiculous to suggest that the Republican party, even as out of touch as they are most of the time, would actually point to Obama’s race as an “issue” and attempt to emphasize something so obvious. No, as I recall, the only person to do that so far has been a fellow Democrat; Hillary Clinton. Are there racists left in America for whom Obama’s race will be an issue? Absolutely. But to lay that at the feet of the Republican party and assign blame is ridiculous. Those people will have been racist before this election began, and they will probably still be racist when its done, and the Republican party will have very little to do with that on any level.

Let’s have another short history lesson here. It has been the Republican party that has nominated the ONLY two (this guy and this guy) African American judges to the Supreme Court, and Republicans who have had the highest ranking African Americans (one man and one woman) in their Cabinets in US history. No Democrat President has even come close to matching these appointments. This drumbeat that Republicans are racist wears thin very quickly.

Moving on, a “funny name”? A cursory search of the internet will provide you with enough conspiracy theories about Obama’s upbringing and allegiances to last a lifetime. They vary in believability depending on how conspiratorial you are yourself, but set that aside for a moment. Barack Hussein Obama is a Muslim name and his father was, in fact, a devoted Muslim. The fact that the largest attack on US soil in history was carried out by followers of radical Islam and that we are currently engaged in a long and costly war against similar radical Islamists and that the next emerging threat is from a radical Islamist, makes the question of Obama’s moral, spiritual, and political allegiances a legitimate one. That is not to say that the Reluctant Republicans believe that Obama is masterminding some sort of Islamic takeover of the country. It is simply to say that some questions ARE legitimate regardless of how politically incorrect they may seem.

He’s inexperienced? Well, yes, he is. That speaks for itself. He hasn’t even completed his first term in elected office, has no military experience, no foreign policy experience, and won his seat in the Senate after his heavily favored incumbent opponent withdrew from the race in June in the midst of a sex scandal.

“They’re going to try to make you afraid.”  Well folks, you should be afraid. Not because of his race, not because of his father’s religion, and not because of any other straw man or red herring Obama can throw out to try to divert from the truth. Instead of listing all the reasons here again, I’ll just point you to the Reluctant Republicans Obama page. Try not to read it right before you go to bed though. we don’t want to be responsible for any nightmares.

I suppose it was only a matter of time before Obama’s race became an issue in the general election. As usual though, it is the liberal who wants to focus on it. In this case, Obama himself. On Friday in reference to the upcoming campaign he said (full article here):

“We know what kind of campaign they’re going to run. They’re going to try to make you afraid. They’re going to try to make you afraid of me. He’s young and inexperienced and he’s got a funny name. And did I mention he’s black?”

What???!! Obama is black?? Why hadn’t anyone told me??? Let’s start at the end of the quote and work forward. “Did I mention he’s black?” How could it even be possible for anyone who isn’t blind to NOT know Obama is (at least partly) black? Obviously issues of race are still very divisive in America. But it is ridiculous to suggest that the Republican party, even as out of touch as they are most of the time, would actually point to Obama’s race as an “issue” and attempt to emphasize something so obvious. No, as I recall, the only person to do that so far has been a fellow Democrat; Hillary Clinton. Are there racists left in America for whom Obama’s race will be an issue? Absolutely. But to lay that at the feet of the Republican party and assign blame is ridiculous. Those people will have been racist before this election began, and they will probably still be racist when its done, and the Republican party will have very little to do with that on any level.

Let’s have another short history lesson here. It has been the Republican party that has nominated the ONLY two (this guy and this guy) African American judges to the Supreme Court, and Republicans who have had the highest ranking African Americans (one man and one woman) in their Cabinets in US history. No Democrat President has even come close to matching these appointments. This drumbeat that Republicans are racist wears thin very quickly.

Moving on, a “funny name”? A cursory search of the internet will provide you with enough conspiracy theories about Obama’s upbringing and allegiances to last a lifetime. They vary in believability depending on how conspiratorial you are yourself, but set that aside for a moment. Barack Hussein Obama is a Muslim name and his father was, in fact, a devoted Muslim. The fact that the largest attack on US soil in history was carried out by followers of radical Islam and that we are currently engaged in a long and costly war against similar radical Islamists and that the next emerging threat is from a radical Islamist, makes the question of Obama’s moral, spiritual, and political allegiances a legitimate one. That is not to say that the Reluctant Republicans believe that Obama is masterminding some sort of Islamic takeover of the country. It is simply to say that some questions ARE legitimate regardless of how politically incorrect they may seem.

He’s inexperienced? Well, yes, he is. That speaks for itself. He hasn’t even completed his first term in elected office, has no military experience, no foreign policy experience, and won his seat in the Senate after his heavily favored incumbent opponent withdrew from the race in June in the midst of a sex scandal.

“They’re going to try to make you afraid.”  Well folks, you should be afraid. Not because of his race, not because of his father’s religion, and not because of any other straw man or red herring Obama can throw out to try to divert from the truth. Instead of listing all the reasons here again, I’ll just point you to the Reluctant Republicans Obama page. Try not to read it right before you go to bed though. we don’t want to be responsible for any nightmares.

Curious about what a universal healthcare system looks like? Look to the North, my friends. A new report out of Canada (read about it here) shows yet another problem with universal healthcare: no Doctors! Canada’s healthcare system is in crisis because they simply don’t have enough trained physicians. Why is this? It seems pretty straightforward to the Reluctant Republicans.

You see, doctors are people who invest an immense amount of time, energy, and money becoming doctors. When they make that choice they do so because there is a tangible reward for their investment. Like any other marketplace, once the government or some other entity or force starts removing the reward for a given investment through price controls, salary caps, mandated practices or increased costs of operation, it becomes less and less attractive to make that investment. And when that happens, you end up with a room full of sick people and empty lab coats.

Like it or not, healthcare is a product. And like other products, the most effective way to guarantee readily available high quality products is with a free and open market; not a government monopoly. If you absolutely must have a package delivered by 10:00 am tomorrow, are you sending it via the US Postal Service? or FedEx? That’s what I thought.

Just a quick update to our regular readers. We’ve added two new features that we think you’ll like. Both items are now located on the sidebar of the Reluctant Republicans Blog page.

The first is the Obama "spendometer". In typical liberal fashion, Obama has been making big promises about bringing "hope" to the people in the form of new government spending. How much NEW government spending? Keep your eye on the spendometer. It updates with new pledges as he makes them.

The second update is what we’ll call the Obama in Iraq clock. Obama has been talking up Iraq as a main campaign point. Interesting though that for someone who claims to know what’s best for Iraq, and someone who claims to support our fighting men and women, and for someone who aspires to be the commander in chief, as of this post he hasn’t been to Iraq for 894 days. Almost three years, folks. McCain was just there in March. Who do you think has a better understanding of what’s going on on the ground in Iraq?

John McCain is on an energy independence roll, ladies and gentlemen. Today he called for building 45 new Nuclear power plants by 2030. The man is right. We absolutely must be investing in more, diversified energy sources. With today’s technology, nuclear power is clean, efficient, and safer than ever. See the full story here.