I guess I should give a caveat: I am not an Obama fan (surprise, surprise). There’s a laundry list of things I don’t like about him, and in fact the way he and his administration have been handling this crisis are going to be at the top of the list going forward. First of all, I would like to point out that last night was Day 58 of the crisis, and 8 weeks after it happened. It is absolutely ridiculous to me that Obama has waiting this long to speak to the country about what’s happening in the Gulf. For me, this was a “feel good” speech and a Public Relations move for the President himself. There were many, many cushy words but no concrete plans. Speaking in ambiguity, he almost (almost!) makes his speech hard to argue against. It’s hard to disagree with generalities. Because his administration has completely failed as a leader in this situation, the President reverted to doing what he does best: politicizing the situation 2/3 of the speech he gave wasn’t about cleanup or recovery, but about energy policy. (Don’t get me wrong – I’m a huge proponent of alternative/green/renewable energy sources, but last night was NOT the time for sermon.)

The most concrete thing he said last night was he was going to “force” BP to create some sort of an escrow fund to help compensate those who have suffered from the disaster. While I agree that BP should be held responsible for their actions, it sets a VERY bad precedent for a President to promise to the American people that he is going to force a private entity to do anything. Sometimes, I think Obama forgets he is a President, and therefore his domestic policy power is severely limited. Legally, he can’t force BP to do anything. Obviously, BP should (read: will because they seriously need a PR boost) comply and be responsible for the company’s actions. However Obama should not be taking credit for this at all, because it’s really out of his hands.

What the President should have been focused on last night was cleanup and recovery, and we heard hardly any of that. Obama’s insincere proselytizing isn’t going solve anything in the Gulf. It just left us with gushing oil well in the gulf that needs to be plugged, and another in Obama’s face that needs to be stopped up as well.

As always, I’ll appreciate your comments!

Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions.

–Harold S. Geneen

Related posts:

1. The man with a plan
2. Can Obama lead the next generation?

It’s a fact that no two single people are the same. We don’t look, act, think, or feel the same way. Our life experiences, while are sometimes similar and run parallel, never are identical. Therefore the government shouldn’t treat its citizens as if they are all the same. In an individualistic society like ours, the only true way to achieve happiness is personal liberty. Individual rights (and the responsibilities that go with them) are intrinsically the foundation of a free and happy society. Because of this, for me the single most important value that that a political party can prioritize is limited government. By limiting the reach of government into individuals’ lives, its citizens are therefore empowered. In The Declaration of Independence states that men are born with rights of life, liberty, and property. These rights were endowed by a higher power and are inalienable. We’ve all heard that phrase, but I don’t think we’ve taken the time to really think about what they mean. It simply means that rights are not conferred us by our government. Government was instituted by men to protect the rights they already have. The only reason a government exists to protect its populace. Nothing more, nothing less.

This is the absolute basis for my identification of the Republican Party, and you’ll find me referencing this as I make many of my arguments over the course of our journey here. In fact, it bleeds into my other “core” belief: government spending must be reigned and taxation must be controlled. Lower taxes mean that individuals are given the power to make their own economic choices – and most of the time those choices are infinitely wiser than any government would make. Economic freedom expands prosperity as. Too much government regulation stifles a country’s opulence. Sadly, today’s Democratic Party would rather sacrifice economic growth in order to steer behavior, choices, and change the way every citizens live their lives.  If our government is truly limited and acting constitutionally, there is no need for the out of control spending that most Democratic Party members seem to enjoy.

Our free economy has given our country the highest standard of living in the world. It rewards us for hard work, creates unbelievable opportunities, and reveres charity. Freedom means choices, not mandates. For me, the Republican Party absolutely embodies these ideas of limited government and free(er) economies. These are the foundations on which I base most of my political convictions. I know I don’t agree with every sing le thing listed in the Republican Party platform. However, this party is the one that exemplifies the values that I hold dear  and therefore is why I can proudly say: I identify with the Republican Party.

Whew. How was that for y’all? Hopefully I didn’t get too muddy in my explanations. If you need further clarification on why I believe what I do, or have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave your thoughts below. I’d LOVE to hear from my readers.

“None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license.” –John Milton

Related posts:

1. My Republican Manifesto, Part 1
2. A lesson in failed leadership

First off, I want to begin with a little syntax clarification. You will hardly ever hear me use the phrases. “I am a Republican” or, “She is a Democrat.” In today’s political landscape, too often are personal ideologies affected by party platforms. Personally I believe that individuals’ personal values should shape the party policies as a whole. Therefore I use the phrase, “I identify with the Republican Party,” because I believe it better portrays the association of political parties and their members. Too often the “independents” in our country (which admittedly is the largest percentage of our population) believe that they cannot vote for or identify with a party because they don’t agree with every single issue on a party’s platform, and that is simply not the case. If I can accomplish anything by writing, it would be to empower individual Americans to step up and let their political opinions be heard, especially by those who are currently heading our political parties.

Now on to a bit about myself:  I know most probably have the preconceived notion that since I’m from a small town in rural Texas I was somehow “born a Republican,” as if there’s a small birthmark in the shape of an elephant on my rear end. While it is true and research shows that an upbringing normally has a great effect on people’s political beliefs, I don’t think that was the case with me. In fact, my parents and grandparents were very much “Southern Democrats.” To tell you the truth, I had no idea where I stood on the political spectrum until I got to the University of Texas. There the field of study is called “Government” not “Political Science” and it takes a very theoretical approach to the discipline.  Within my first few months of studying, I found that “Republicanism” actually spoke to my personal beliefs. I could go into a very technical discussion of why I began to identify with the Republican Party by quoting Milton, Locke, and other political geniuses, but I think it would be a good idea for my readers to stay awake. So if anyone is actually looking for some “light reading” (ha), feel free to comment or email me and I can point you in the right direction.  I was particularly by the ideas of limited government, fiscal responsibility, and the distinctions between rights and privileges.

In my next post I’ll delve a little further into the specifics of what those mean to me and what I enjoy about identifying with the Republican Party. Be sure to come back and read, because I’ll also deal with being a *gasp* gay Republican. In the meantime, be sure to read Tamara’s posts and to comment! We want to hear from you, folks!

“Education begins the gentleman, but reading, good company and reflection must finish him. “ –John Locke

Related posts:

1. My Republican Manifesto, Part 2