Why the GOP owes the Libertarians in VA an apology.
by Chuck Pithy
I know many of you will read this and think I am out of my mind. While it is easy to point to the 7% of the vote that went to the Libertarian candidate in the Governor’s race yesterday, but before you point that finger of blame consider the following.
Most of the libertarian’s that I know are highly principled people with a very definite position on issues. There is very few issues that they see as gray, most ideas have a definite black and white position. Now let’s consider the Republican Party and what they stand for, or don’t stand for.
1. They are against Affordable Care Act, or are they? During the recent government shut down many of the old guard Republicans refused to join the fight which was started by Sen. Ted Cruz and aided by Sens. Michael Lee and Rand Paul. They bravely took a stand against Obamacare and united some of the Republicans in the House to shut down the government, saying this was their only leverage, to change the ACA. These individuals did not worry about polls, or popularity, they instead stood for the people. How were these brave heroes of the people treated?? They were ridiculed and insulted by the likes of old guard GOP standard bearer, Sen. John McCain and others, who was more concerned about how the Obamacare fight would hurt the GOP, rather than representing the people who elected them.
2. The GOP stands for lower taxes and smaller government just like the Teaparty. The election 0f 2010 was a landmark election in many areas of the country due to the rise of the Teaparty. Oh we all remember, how quickly as the election was being fought the GOP embraced the Teaparty, and eagerly accepted their help. Those same Teaparty people, who fought so hard to get the GOP candidates elected, expected and demanded that those they helped elect, stand for the principles they ran on. What happened was sadly, most GOP elected officials distanced themselves from the Teaparty, calling them too radical or too rigid in their expectations. The plain truth is the GOP pretended to believe in the Teaparty to get their help, and later discarded them once they were no longer needed.
3. Last but not least let’s look at the GOP “chosen” candidate for 2012, Mitt Romney. First let me say Mr. Romney is a good a decent man and probably more honest than most in politics. But he was hardly the poster child for Republican beliefs. We are suppose to believe, that the man who brought socialized medicine to Massachusetts, because he felt everyone should pay their fair share, would now not only denounce this same idea on a national scale, but also would get rid of the Affordable Care Act. His constantly changing position on illegal immigration was both confusing and did not follow any plank in the GOP platform. Once again we were left scratching our head and asking just what does the GOP stand for?
These three reasons along with others is what caused so many of the 7% to feel they could not trust the GOP and what they claim they stand for in this election. It is tough to expect people to vote their principles, when you, as a party, can’t even define them yourselves. Sorry folks, you just can’t say someone deserves support because they have an (R) in front of their name. At least not until that (R) really and truly stands for something!
I am Chuck Pithy and I tell it like it is!
