I was going to post this on Sunday, with a cross post at Right Wing News, but, seeing how John Hawkins just did it, and Jay at Stop The ACLU, well, figure I will post it today. Some of my other good blog friends, Beth at MY Vast Right Wing Conspiracy and Greta at Hooah Wife and Friends are both Fredheads.
For Indecision 2008, who to choose? Well, let me come right out and say, I’m with Fred. Look, I would vastly prefer Duncan Hunter. There are tons and tons of reason, but, let me say, my four main issues are
- low taxes
- small government
- tough on illegal immigration (illegal, mind you. I have no problem with legal immigration, nor with lots and lots of temporary workers.)
- Strong on national security
Yes, there are lots of other factors, but, they are secondary. There is very little about Duncan that I do not approve of, though I would like to know a bit more about his environmental platforms. That does not mean climate change, BTW. Just protecting the environment.
Rudy? He has been a huge disappointment as time has gone on. We know he is pretty much a liberal in Republican clothing, but, I would prefer him over any running for the Democrat party. The final straw for me was his complete abhorence of the Fair Tax, as stated in an engagement in Greensboro, NC, Monday night.
Let’s face it: the media is doing a hatchet job on him, and, it is working. He is entirely too liberal.
I can get behind Mitt Romney. He does have a lot that worries me, but, I can still back him. I could care less if he is Mormon, and, quite frankly, anyone who is against him because of that is simply a bigot. It is rare that I throw that word out there, and I mean it 100%.
McCain? His illegal immigration stances are disgusting, McCain/Feingold is a travesty, he voted against the tax cuts, and he is a dispicable media hog, basically the Britney Spears of the Senate. I would assume, though I do not want to know, that he doesn’t go commando like the Britwreck, though.
Ron Paul? Don’t get me started.
Huckabee? I do not trust him on small government, low taxes, and stopping illegal immigration.
Alan Keyes and Tom Tancredo? Love Tancredo’s policy positions and toughness, but, he has no chance. Has Keyes even participated in a debate?
Which pretty much leaves Fred. Initially, I had quite a bit of a problem with how Fred got in to the race. All that “Fred is going to have a big announcement” which turned in to “he is going to think more” for months really put me off. But, I am mostly over that, as Fred seems to really want the job of being the 44th President. It comes down to him having more of the same positions as I do, though, I would like to know more about his environmental positions.
I suppose I could go on and on, getting in to depth, but, there will be plenty of time to discuss what Fred brings to the table. Unless Hunter surges. But for now
PS: Fred! needs to get some better web buttons. Bush/Cheney 2004 had some awesome ones.
Double PS: you can find out pretty much everything you need to know about the candidates at OnTheIssues.org.
http://www.politicallore.com/?p=99
that actually demonstrated why Ron Paul is the toughest on terror
Hmmm….
1. Low Taxes – Ron Paul wants no income tax and a return to year 2000 spending levels
2. Small Government – Ron Paul is advocating the smallest federal government of any candidate
3. Tough on illegal immigration – Paul’s first and foremost solution is to secure the borders with no amnesty.
4. Strong on National Security – well, it seems that alex has pointed you in the right direction.
Ron Paul is the leader on each issue that is most important to you. But who are we kidding, the real ‘will and moral courage of free men and women’ is best embodied in faulting a candidate through guilt by association and swallowing whatever package the mainstream media feeds to you.
McCain is my top choice because he has been right on the war in Iraq and he shows true moral leadership on the issue of waterboarding. But I do like Fred Thompson – particularly his stand on fiscal policy. He rightly points out that lower taxes, without cuts in spending, just means we are barrowing more (not spending less). He is the only Republican candidate to bring up Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. Hard choices are going to have to be made and he is the only one talking about it on the Republican side.
As for his environment positions, this is from his website:
http://www.fred08.com/Principles/PrinciplesSummary.aspx?View=OnTheIssues
Sounds like a reasonable compromise to me.
Oh, I won’t say that McCain doesn’t have some very good points. I particularly like the way he fights against those who want to retreat from Iraq and how he defends Gitmo. But, I just cannot abide his illegal immigration stances. If necessary, I could live with him.
As far as Paul goes, yes, he too has good points. But his retreat and defeat stance, his isolationist stance, and his failure to repudiate his Truther and white supremacist followers have turned me against him.
Teach, McCain doesn’t defend GITMO. He wants to close it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Co7x3A12s
In my mind illegal immigration is not as important as the war in Iraq. McCain’s credentials far exceed all other candidates.
The Democrats are going to nominate that person that they consider to be the most electable.
If you think that Fred is electable I strongly advise you to put some money down on him he is currently posting 75-1 odds at http://www.intrade.com the largest political futures board.
If Fred is nominated he will have to do some explanation of some of his clients that he choose to represent as an attorney. The 3 biggest problems that I know about are #1 representing a pro abortion group
#2 criminal defense of the Libyans who were eventually convicted of blowing up the Pan Am flight over Scotland
#3 representing one of the Westboro Church members in a suit against the than Attorney General of AR
Teach said: But, I just cannot abide his illegal immigration stances.
From what I can tell McCain’s position is not that different from Fred Thompson’s.
After the bill McCain supported was defeated I think he realized that securing the boarder is the first step to real immigration reform. He has backed off from his position on what to do with those illegal immigrants who are already here. But even Thompson realizes that eventually you will have to deal with that issue:
http://www.latestpolitics.com/blog/2007/05/fred-thompson-no-restrictionist.html
Do you agree with Thompson, Teach?
Well, you’re pretty right on that analysis, Teach (as usual). I do have a couple issues with Fred as mentioned — his support of some rather poor positions and him explaining it away as “just doing a job.” But I’ll tell you, I could actually vote for Fred — which I can’t say about Rudy, McCain, or Romney.
I do still like Paul better. As folks here already pointed out, Paul agrees with you on your big issues. And please — he is absolutely NOT isolationist in any way, shape or form. He wants to trade with, talk to, and do other stuff with everyone else on the planet — he just don’t want to use our military to tell them how to live their lives.
I also have reached the point where I think leaving Iraq now isn’t surrender. Didn’t we already win? Aren’t we done? Sure, we’ve made progress, but I don’t see anyone on the right or left, outlining when we’ll be done. Bush makes it sound like we won’t be done until every Al-Queda goat lover is dead. That’s going to be decades or centuries. I don’t want troops in Iraq in 3007. I think we’ve won, we’re done, now it’s time to come home.
John, electable doesn’t mean best candidate. Personally, I would prefer the best candidate, someone who most closely matches my core values and beliefs.
Silke, yes, we do have to deal with the illegal issue. But, it is not by giving them amnesty, which is what McCain was pushing.
I understand what you are saying about Iraq, Ogre. I do not think we should be staying there for years and decades, except with a quick reaction force, if the Iraqi’s let us. If we can just give them a little more time for stability and political progress, I believe we can really start pulling out by mid 2008. I just don’t think the time is now.
Sorry the response took so long, Bad Behavior fragged me on my own blog :)
Teach, I don’t see how what Thompson proposed on Hannity & Comes differs from what McCain proposed. If that is what you are calling amnesty – then they are both for it.