Positive Liberty

Hi. My name is Jim, and I have a political addiction. I can’t stand any political party. I don’t like either of the major candidates. I’m so disgusted by the process that I rarely vote for humans (I don’t trust their kind; but I do vote on ballot initiatives, particularly when I can vote against a levy). However, I can’t help watching the coverage and offering my opinion. It’s a disease. And I thank you for being part of my therapy. After I write this, I’ll be able to go back to work!

Last week, I wrote that gridlock was the best of bad alternatives (“Why I Don’t Want United Government”) — that both candidates represented great evils, but McCain would accomplish less with a Democratic Congress (Democrats controlling Capitol Hill seems inevitable). This is an argument that I think the Republicans could use to great advantage.

Jack Welch, former CEO of GE (who thinks Clinton was a good President), appeared on CNBC’s Kudlow & Co. last night and he too made a case against “united government.” He said the worst alternative was Continue Reading »

The Democrats are likely to expand their lead in the House and the Senate. Obama is running a Great Society liberal’s campaign. Uniting both ends of Pennsylvania Ave. would be bad.

Gridlock is good.

Until Obama flip-flopped on the FISA vote, and it became apparent the Democrats didn’t understand the need to stop their silly oil drilling ban, I liked Obama better than McCain.

Now I don’t like either of the leading candidates, and I think the results will be more bad than good whichever one of them wins.

I am very opposed to the Bush foreign policy, and I think McCain will continue that. I also hate McCain’s positions on carbon taxes and political speech. He’ll have aid and comfort from the Democrats on these positions.

But McCain will, overall, accomplish far less than Obama will. And it’s that bi-partisan (or uni-party) accomplishment that I’m really concerned about. I don’t want both ends of Pennsylvania Ave. to come together to, “get things done.” When they get thing done, it costs us money, time, and hassle. It restricts our choices. It takes away our rights and liberties.

Gridlock is good.

What’s at stake in this election is the level of legislative success. Barack Obama would be able to get a great deal more of his agenda passed than would John McCain.

And here’s what Obama’s going to do once elected, that will have permanent, detrimental effects… Continue Reading »