Why Should Iowa Decide...Again?

In the aftermath of the last Presidential election, "some" GOP hopefuls are sniffing around Iowa and New Hampshire. I for one am very tired of this drill. So the question is again, why should Iowa or New Hampshire decide who the nominee should be this time around? By the time the decision gets to the big States (i.e. Texas, or even crazy California), the decision is already made.

I can't stand the thought of another squishy neo-con who campaigns like George Wallace, but votes like George McGovern when he or she gets to Washington. If Micheal Steele is serious about listening to the Tea Party movement, then we need to start thinking about how we are going to keep independents and Democrats from deciding who the nominee is going to be. I'm talking about the foolishness of open primaries. The next primary, every Obama voter is going to vote in GOP primaries to nominate the most repugnant candidate (to Conservatives) in the field. We need a conservative populist, and one not too eager to reach across the aisle to sell out the people who worked so hard to put them in office.

Mitt Romney is an undependable conservative and certainly no populist. Tim Pawlenty is not a populist, and mostly a moderate. Ronald Reagan was a conservative and populist. Mike Huckabee is a conservative and populist. Sarah Palin is a conservative and populist. If we are going to win in 2012, we will need a populist. More importantly, we need a principled conservative.. Iowa should not decide. New Hamphire should not decide. Open primaries need to be closed to Republican voters. Why does the GOP establishment hate conservative populists? Who knows, but when they select big Government moderates like John McCain, they sink like a battleship.

Join the Crusade

To Congress: We are mad as hell, and we're coming for you.... Nancy and the rest of the Socialists . No more spending, no more cap and trade energy taxes, no more illegal immigration, no more government takeovers of corporations, no moving Gitmo terrorists to the USA, no more apologizing for our history, no more government promotion of homosexuality and immorality, and absolutely no takeover of our health care system.

We were Democrats once...

I really miss the Democrat Party, before it became such a mess. I actually voted for Jimmy Carter...my first Presidential election. I didn’t know any better. Jimmy looked harmless enough, a Southern religious man, or so I thought. My congressman was none other than Albert Gore. Young and full of hope, the idealism of the party was intoxicating. Al Gore, at that time, was a pro-life blue dog, a Vietnam War veteran, a young man who seemed to possess the values of our region and culture. I met Al Gore several times when he would periodically appear at the Court House for community meetings, and he graciously helped me out a few times . Then, it happened.

Going back to my first mistake….Jimmy Carter. The country was furious at Gerald Ford for the Nixon pardon, at least that was the main thing I heard in my little circle. The Republicans were corrupt, and we needed a change. Sound familiar?

Well folks, we got change. Double digit inflation, double digit interest rates, double digit unemployment, high gas prices, long gas lines, and a major foreign policy disaster in Iran. Then I changed, and joined the Reagan revolution. The Gipper was remarkable communicator, who talked of a shining city on a hill, of small government, and the power of the individual. He confronted evil, and called it as he saw it. I was so taken with this leader; I joined the military to do my small part of fulfilling his vision for this country.

Then, it happened again. Enter stage right, the resurgence of Rockefeller Republicanism with the election of George H. Bush. I voted for him, hoping for the best, but it was a lesser of two evils choice. Then Bob Doyle came along, and I was presented again with an uninspiring lesser of two evils choice. George W. Bush, what can I say? John McCain, I could weep. As for Al Gore, he's not a well man, completely unhinged, wide eyed, and truely frightening to see how the demon that crawed inside his head has ravaged the poor boy. Now where do I go?

As I recall Davy Crockette, in a similar situation, said, "You all may go to hell, I'm going to Texas".