Category: Ronald Reagan

Whatever Happened to AuH2O?

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“People will not look forward to posterity, who never look backward to their ancestors.”
— Edmund Burke, 1790

In 1964, Sen. Barry Goldwater (a) voted against the Civil Rights Act, and (b) was the Republican nominee for president. Goldwater’s argument against the Civil Right Act was that it constituted an infringement of property rights. Ron Paul made the same argument Friday on Hardball:

I believe that property rights should be protected. Your right to be on TV is protected by property rights because somebody owns that station. I can’t walk into your station. So right of freedom of speech is protected by property. The right of your church is protected by property. So people should honor and protect it. This gimmick, Chris, it’s off the wall when you say I’m for property rights and states rights therefore I’m a racist. That’s just outlandish.

When Ron Paul’s son, Rand Paul, was criticized for making a similar argument last year, David Weigel was one of the few bloggers to defend his libertarian perspective. And as I looked at the Memeorandum thread Friday night, I didn’t see a single conservative blogger defending Paul.

Even though this is, as Paul says, “ancient history” — liberal Chris Matthews ginning up a moot controversy to smear a Republican — it troubles me that conservatives have become so intimidated by the Left’s constant cries of “raaaaacism” that no one is willing to defend the position advocated by Barry Goldwater in 1964.

“Oh, well, it’s just that wacko Ron Paul,” they say. “Who cares?”

Yeah? Well, it’s also Ronald Reagan, my friend. If you’re willing to let Ron Paul be smeared as a bigot over this, then I guess you might as well throw the Gipper under the bus while you’re at it. Continue reading Whatever Happened to AuH2O? →

‘The TMZ-ing of the Presidency’

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That’s Patrick Ishmael’s criticism of the insistence on an early start for the 2012 GOP presidential primary campaign, particularly the recent announcement that the first Republican debate will be scheduled for next spring at the Reagan Library. Ishmael points out that Ronald Reagan didn’t even officially announce his 1980 campaign until November 1979 — less than three months before the New Hampshire primary. Nice video:

While mindful of the coattail effects that the Republican presidential nominee will have in 2012, for good or ill, I wish grassroots conservatives would focus their attention on opposing the 22 Democrat senators who are up for re-election in 2012. Identifying, recruiting and supporting good conservative candidates in the GOP Senate primaries in those states will be as important as anything else the grassroots could be doing over the next two or three months.

Given the advantages that will accrue to House Republicans due to redistricting, it seems rather unlikely that Democrats can put the Speaker’s gavel back in Nancy Pelosi’s hands any time soon. On the other hand, not to be unduly pessimistic, a study of recent history suggests that the natural advantages of incumbency favor Obama’s chances for re-election. 

However, it is entirely feasible that Republicans can gain upwards of 10 Senate seats in 2012 — especially if the grassroots will begin laying the groundwork now, and not leave the process of candidate recruitment to that treacherous bastard John Cornyn and his bumbling incompetents on the NRSC staff.

Insofar as I’m concerned at all about the first Republican presidential debate, it is to hope that Herman Cain will be on that stage at the Reagan Library. Underestimate him at your peril.