The Florida Primary Proves the Reagan Revolution is Dead
Several years ago, when I regularly poli-blogged and read Dean Esmay religiously, I commented there that I felt the Reagan Revolution was over, and I took a lot of flak for that. I honestly believe that the election of George H. W. Bush as president marked the beginning of the decline and the results of Florida’s presidential primary proves it’s taken its last breath.
Of the five candidates left, the one who’s a clear RINO wins against at least two other candidates that are closer in principle and practice to Ronaldus Magnus, then has the unmitigated gall to claim the win somehow proves he’s the heir apparent!
I have issues with Ron Paul’s foreign policy, particularly as it relates to the war on terror in general and the Iraq in particular, but his vision of the USA in terms of limited government and strict adherence to the Constitution probably puts him closer to Reagan than anyone else up on the dais. He’ll never win the nomination, though. Pity.
Governor Romney, unlike either Mayor Guiliani or Senator McCain, has been married to one, and only one wife for nearly the last four decades. Unlike Senator McCain, Governor Romney actually earned his millions instead of marrying into money. (Being Vice President of Public Relations at an Anheuser-Busch beer distributorship doesn’t count as executive experience, sorry.) Romney’s in favor of limited government, lower and more fair taxation, a strong national defense, pro 2nd-amendment and pro-life.
Senator McCain, on the other hand, voted against the Bush tax cuts twice; co-sponsored McCain-Feingold which placed limits on the free speech of average Americans and led to the rise of advocacy groups such as MoveOn.org and Code Pink; worked with the Senate’s most Liberal member Ted Kennedy to try, not once, not twice, but three times to force amnesty for illegal immigrants down the throats of U.S. citizens; he led the “Gang of 14” that established the previously unheard of right for senators to filibuster judcial nominees; he’s embraced the anti-capitalist, man-made global warming nonsense with the McCain-Lieberman Stewardship Act; and he’s waffled on 2nd-amendment and pro-life issues.
No doubt, he’s a very personable man, and I’d support his nomination as Defense Secretary one day, but his POW days and his support for the Iraqi surge notwithstanding, Senator McCain should instead be running against Senators Clinton and Obama for the Democrat nomination, not being the front runner in the GOP primaries.
Not that Romney is the heir apparent to Reagan, either. All of the nominees fall way too short of what I’d call a Reagan Republican, meaning we’ll have gone 24 years (1988-2012) without a Reaganesque candidate. In my opinion, that means it’s time to declare the Reagan Revolution officially over.
Let’s hope someone growing up today is feeling particularly revolutionary four years from now.
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