Systematically Destroying the GOP:John McCain vs. Ron Paul

How the TEA Party has been co-opted and is displacing the Conservative base

Part II

After very closely observing the machinations and affiliations of certain members of the Republican Party, it is my belief that there are a couple of factions working diligently to take control of the party. To anyone paying even the slightest bit of attention will certainly agree. Unfortunately, what I call the “real” conservatives – those who represent the stable 3-legged stool of conservatism – are not one of those factions. Oh, they may think they are, but they are being deceived.

Lest I appear unclear, allow me to define the 3-legged stool of conservatism as it was explained to me some time ago.
The top of the stool – the platform on which one stands – represents the whole of conservatism. The three individual legs are what stabilize and hold up the platform. Each leg represents a pillar, or leg, of conservatism.

1. One leg of conservatism relates to fiscal conservatism. Financial responsibility, not only in government, but in our personal lives as well. The well-rounded conservative will not put themselves in debt to where it is not easily managed, risking the possibility of having to seek financial help from others…or the government.

2. Another leg imparts the need for social conservatism. This leg includes a sense of strong traditional values; God, the necessity of the nuclear family, absolute respect and honor of life at all stages – from the unborn child to the disabled, handicapped and the elderly. It states that marriage is between one man and one woman. We believe in the rule of law as our founders imagined and planned for within the confines of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We were founded to be self-governing using the rule of established law, as opposed to the tyrannical whims of man. We believe in love of our country and all she stands for -- both at home and abroad – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, unencumbered by government dictates.

3. Last, but certainly not least, the real conservative believes in a strong national defense. Without this leg what would we have? If the country is invaded or taken over in some other fashion, what need would there be for fiscal responsibility – it would be taken out of your hands. Our social concerns would no longer exist, but instead be in the hands of the invaders and the new rulers they would put in place. One only has to look at history to understand what I am referring to – Hitler, Castro, Pol Pot, Stalin, Lenin, the mad Mullahs of Iran – are all perfect examples of what happens when a country does not maintain its own national defense.

There are many today claiming to be “conservatives” who are anything but. Sure…they may be extremely conservative in one area, say fiscally, but without the other two legs of conservatism what do they really stand on? What base can they depend on to hold them up? The same can be said for defense conservatives. Although I personally believe that is the most important pillar of the stool, if we as a country spend our way into the conservatorship of outside sources, how will our military and all our defense mechanisms help us? Of course, social conservatives have the same problems as the other two legs. Without a strong national defense to protect us from the evil forces of the world who would like nothing better than to conquer the “great Satan” and the fiscally irresponsible who would sell us to our creditors, what good are all our personal beliefs in relation to God, family and country.

Without every one of these three legs, the stool – or platform – of conservatism is worthless at the least and wobbly at its best. Conservatism cannot stand without all three legs present and secure. We must be vigilant in securing all our conservative principals if we are to be prepared to stand the tests coming our way. We must stand the storm to secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity.

It would be great if the TEA Party movement embraced the total conservative package, but their entire focus is only on the fiscal irresponsibility that has sent our debt and deficit soaring to heretofore unheard of highs and the obscene growth of the federal government. Don’t get me wrong, fiscal irresponsibility on the part of our so-called representatives and out of control government growth is a huge deal. The problem, as I see it, would be that this leaves a void to be filled in relation to the other two legs of conservatism.

Granted, the TEA stands for Taxed Enough Already, but the vacuum remains for the social and defense conservatives, who may well be in agreement with the TEA Party, but are at a loss to express their concerns on other issues which are equally important to them.

Enter John McCain – “Mr. Fiscal Conservative”, alleged Defense Hawk and very moderate Social Conservative – all depending on the day and who he is opposing, of course. Close on his heels paddling as hard as he can, would be Mr. Libertarian himself, Ron Paul. He loudly proclaims his fiscal conservatism as he calls for a return to the gold standard, all the while insisting on an audit of the Fed and no earmarks. He is pro-life, but all other positions of the social conservatives do not exist in his world. And then there are his insane defense/national insecurity positions. Calling America an “imperialist nation”… our troops “occupying forces on foreign lands”… and referring to our “illegal and failed wars”… is straight out of the communist propaganda playbook. These are the phrases used by the communist left. Don’t try to peddle them as conservative positions.

My firm belief is that these two men along with their gaggle of followers are jockeying for the leadership and the power that comes with it within our political system, both claiming to be right of center.

Ron Paul is a Libertarian, not a Republican. Unable to win elections and gain traction on the political landscape it behooved him to drop the libertarian mantra and proclaim his republicanism. One only has to listen to him to realize he is bastardizing both. The one concession I give to Paul would be his ability to enlist thousands of energized and very aggressive young people. They have hit the web, the streets, and the airwaves armed with few facts and a whole lot of conspiracy theories. These groups of so-called libertarians have taken the personal freedom and liberty meme to such an extreme as to abolish any sort of governance by rule of law which would lead only to anarchy. To refer to Paul as a defense dove would be an insult to doves everywhere. His foreign policy is nothing short of nuts, and that is all I’m going to say about that. Come to think of it NUTS sums up the entirety of Ron Paul.

McCain is far more dangerous, not because he is not nuts, but that he hides behind many faces. He claims fiscal conservatism, but one only has to study his votes to realize that only applies if what he is voting on is done his way and in his timing. To hell with what is best for the country…it’s all about what is best for Johnny and what will keep his name up in lights! To prove he would not play second fiddle to the President of the United States, he kicked off 2001 by opposing the Bush tax cuts, which were designed to head off the recession he had inherited. John then attempted to usher in a ridiculous cap-and-trade system, McCain-Feingold-Thompson, HMO reform, anti-gun legislation -- all of which President Bush opposed – and the battle was on.