Cruz: Miracle of America
Other than when he gets preachy I think this sounds pretty good. He takes to the campaign leading off with the most important concept -natural rights. How refreshing. His list is ok but I think it 's a mistake to run on the marriage issue and there wasn 't enough talk about pulling up regulations and out of control agencies. Also not a peep on govt intrusion into privacy.
I may move him up from being my #2 choice just for that.
I was already strongly admiring Cruz.
When the camera isn`t on them, or they are at a private function and are not "on" is a great time to make character assessments.
Cruz has my vote, he is Constitutionally intelligent, speaks directly without "lawyer speak" and has a deep, real, respect and love for our Nation. According to several folks, including his father, he is "fearless" - I believe they are right. I watched, at a private event,(no TV camera`s) as he treated the servers with the same attitude and attention as he did some extreme VIP`s that were at the event - that speaks volumes as to character.
I know. I was a voter back then.
Already it is reported that Jeb Bush has cut off Romney by attracting the dollars that would have gone to Romney had Bush not entered early.
This is not a lament on my part, but rather an observation that who ever would challenge the establishment must out last the huge communications advantage that attracted money affords the "chosen" candidate.
To me, personally, the messaging of freedom, self reliance, less regulation, less gov't largess, etc. over shadows the big dollar campaigns. The reality, I fear, is the low information voter; and there are many of both political stripes.
I, and many others on this forum, look for the message dear to us. Low information voters lap up whatever is fed to them by the loudest voice in the marketplace.
Whoever survives will not only have to outlast the obvious preferences of the media, but also the gauntlet laid down by the establishment of their own party.
There is a voice in the wilderness. Will it be in tune with the times enough for good people to hear it and be moved to action?
Absolutely no? Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, John McCain (yes, there is actually talk of him running yet again), anyone from New York.
Maybe's: Allen West (he'd be a great Sec Def) or Ben Carson. I'd also love to see someone like Trey Gowdy as Attorney General.
From my view, they say Romney had his chance and lost, he should bow out. Fair enough! I say the establishment machine lost as well and there should be some new blood besides Romney's replacement. There has to be more people well qualified besides Jessup and Hillary.
I'm 39, and I know what you mean.
My favorite line from "Master and Commander" comes into play here - something about the lesser of two weevils... ;)
Jeb Bush was HATED by state employee, and teacher, unions...and that was good enough for me!
My money on the final ticket will have Rubio in the lead slot....
...the opinion of a lifetime Texan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorshi...
was much stronger in his views. Especially
liked when he noted the Golfer's "lisp" in being
absolutely unable to pronounce the words
"islamic radicals.' More! More!
Use this link to see all that the Contract gave to us:
http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture...
"The ten items in the Contract were all acted upon in the first 100 days of the new Congress, which is what the signatories had pledged. Nine of the ten items in the Contract passed the House: Only the constitutional amendment on term limits (which required a two-thirds vote) was defeated. Out of a total of 302 roll call votes on issues related to the Contract With America, the conservatives prevailed on 299 of them. A balanced budget amendment passed in the House by a 300-123 margin but was subsequently defeated as it fell one vote short of the two-thirds needed for passage in the U.S. Senate. The overall margin by which the items in the Contract were passed averaged about 70 percent despite the fact that the Republicans only held a 12-seat margin over the Democrats (52-48 percent, the smallest House majority margin in 40 years). Given the notorious lack of party discipline in the American Congress, the passage by a large majority of nearly all of the items in the Contract was a remarkable achievement."
http://www.heritage.org/research/lecture...
The tutorial goes on to address every one of the 10 promises in the Contract, and their lasting effects on our government. Take a moment from building straw men, and learn the truth.
P.S. I would rather "abuse" a quote (which I didn't)...then abuse history.
Notice that the Heritage article repeats several times that the origins of the modern conservative movement goes back about 30 years from 1994 to the Goldwater Campaign era. That is the birth era of the William Buckley inspired neoconservative movement that replaced the "old guard" that were strict constitutionalists.
So, I would repeat the question: Where did the Contract With America get us?
The Contract gained us precious political ground, and it would be frightening to contemplate just where we could be today, if we had simply conceded that 'ground' out of hand.
Newt did well for our side...don't dismiss him for not eliminating all liberals from our political landscape...!
It's good to see your optimism. I haven't thrown in the towel that things will work out no matter how dark it gets, but I did pass the Rubicon back there in the belief that the two party system and any shining knights to be seen as crusaders is an illusion. The leaders are in our own mirrors.
I agree with everything else you said, but there was no move to raid the SS trust fund. People say that to express the idea that surplus at a time when baby boomers where in their prime earning years should not be counted toward the general budget surplus/deficit and the idea that maybe we should count future SS obligations as debt. I agree with those points. I'm just saying there was never a pile of money in a trust fund that someone transferred out to call the budget balanced.
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index...
http://judymorrisreport.blogspot.com/201...
US Treasuries are the benchmark of low-risk investment in the investing world. So taking the money and putting in Treasuries is not raiding it.
I know some people think deficit spending will eventually lead to a monetary crisis, which will cause Treasuries to lose significant value, in real terms. But that hasn't happened yet. Treasury holders are doing very well lately in this insanely falling interest rate environment, which we know has to end at some point. I reject they are not a bona fide investment.
For those taxpaying hard working citizens, a certain percentage of their income has gone to fund Social Security and Medicare. Each of these programs holds massive trust funds that are supposed to pay out to beneficiaries, present and future. The trust funds are required by law to buy US government debt in the form of bonds from the Treasury. Given that every single US taxpayer is an ultimate beneficiary of these trust funds, they are the biggest holders of US debt. The US Government is bankrupt, kaput! - with the only measure of bailout being these trust funds. Debt! Let alone deficit or an illusionary balanced budget.
Yes. We refuse to deal with it. Everyone knows it's a problem and at some point it will come to a head, but we are determined to wait until it comes to a head rather than dealing with it now.
I have a feeling your Gulch will spring up faster than you think b/c so many people crave freedom.
And, yes, 30 years ago I thought as you did. I often wonder was I deluded, or have things changed that much? some of both, I think
I am in the same boat.
We could do worse and my oh my have we!
Ted Cruz is not perfect, but we don't need perfect. We need someone with integrity, a strict adherence to the Constitution and respect for individual rights. We have had far too much of the collectivist mantra (for the public good, fair share... detritus...). We don't need another establishment type or another elitist royal family plutocrat (e.g., Bush, Clinton).
“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”
― John Wooden
The problem today is that character and integrity seem to be dis-qualifiers... I hope this has changed.
Regards,
O.A.
The lack of informed voters and the apathy displayed by so many of our youth is something we must overcome.
First we must demand that future voters know some history and civics. I heard today that in my State one of our State representatives is pushing a bill that requires that one "pass' a civics class before graduating. To date one only need take one; passing it is not required.
Sad: http://insider.foxnews.com/2015/01/26/wa...
Regards,
O.A.
A few groups don't count, because they can't be influenced: the power brokers and other slime; the "I always vote the straight Democratic ticket!" and the people who don't think at all - these last either vote or don't.
The other group to be considered is the one that CAN be influenced, DO want change and everything better that goes with it. These, we can get to - but imagining things as being different as they are is one of the hardest thinking tasks there is. We have to get to them individually and in small groups, and begin where they are, and not overwhelm them with true things which are too much for them to take in all at once - pace them, I guess I would say. It is a slow and tiring and sometimes dispiriting process. I hope to see positive results; I've seen the negative ones - the infighting, the dumbing-down, the unwillingness to do the whole job - the people who want to get elected but don't want to do the whole job, like raising money and making appearances on their wife's birthday;] and the people who attach themselves to a "winning" party, just to get elected.
You've gotta believe in tomorrow -----------
There is wisdom in what you say.
"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." - Lao Tzu
We have taken to the path. We need to recruit others.
Regards,
O.A.