As I’ve been saying for years, the GOP’s failure to live up to their stated limited-government beliefs often results in conservatives voting for Libertarian Party alternatives who might be on the ballot, thus “spoiling” the race for the Republican candidate.
Between the fact that the LP put forward its most credible presidential candidate in history this year – former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson – and the dissatisfaction on Ron Paul supporters who establishment Republicans used them like a door mat (again) this cycle, it now appears that Libertarian candidates may very well have cost the GOP at least nine major races in this year’s elections.
Click here for details.
Again, I’ll point out the stupidity of Republicans devoting so much time and attention to reaching out to constituencies that are diametrically opposed to the GOP message rather than reaching out to “base” voters they’re losing who are already predisposed to agree with them philosophically.
And THAT’S why they continue to lose so many otherwise winnable races.
WHY SANDOVAL WAS AWOL FROM RGA
The Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) met in Las Vegas this week. One of the only Republican governors who did not attend was the host-state governor, our own Gov. Brian Sandoval. He was in Washington, DC accepting an award for, in part, breaking his word and raising taxes last year.
As such, the following excerpt from a Las Vegas Review-Journal story on the RGA meeting in Friday’s paper probably explains why Sandoval would have felt very out-of-place with his colleagues at this annual get-together:
“Republican governors meeting in Las Vegas on Thursday renewed criticism of President Barack Obama for pushing to raise taxes on the wealthy as a way to solve the nation's economic problems. Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad was among the most vocal, telling a Republican Governors Association conference that GOP governors like himself and those in Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin also inherited collapsing economies yet have been able to lead state recoveries without raising taxes.”
In addition, Sandoval is the only Republican governor who has moved forward with implementing an ObamaCare “exchange” in our state and the odds of him agreeing to put Nevada on a path over the proverbial fiscal cliff by expanding Medicaid have been set by Caesar’s Palace at approximately 100%.
This stark contrast is what was so outrageous about Sandoval speaking at the Republican National Convention in Tampa and claiming he made the same kinds of “tough” choice his fellow GOP governors made to deal with budget problems.
No he didn’t. He took the easy way out. He raised taxes.
Sandoval may be popular in Nevada; but it’s easy to win a popularity contest when you not only don’t stand for anything and aren’t willing to take unpopular stands even when it’s the right thing to do.
By the way, while waiting for the 12 Days of Christmas to arrive, click here to read Michael Cannon’s excellent column on the 12 reasons states shouldn’t create ObamaCare exchanges. Would someone please forward this along to the Governor.
READERS WRITE
In response to my column about the problem the federal government has created by mandating more fuel-efficient cars which has resulted in lower gas tax revenues, Muth’s Truths reader Durk Pearson points out that it’s not just bike paths and “beautification” projects that are sucking money from the HIGHWAY trust fund, but something else the do-gooder crowd absolutely loves:
“The biggest diversion of the highway fund fuel taxes is to mass transit, including light rail and high speed rail - and even subways. There is no constitutional authority for the Federalies to engage in such diversions. Ending this, and other diversions, would go a long way to solving the problem.”
Excellent point and observation!
ANOTHER REASON TO HATE UNIONS
As if I didn’t detest organized labor enough already, now we learn that Big Labor has killed Twinkies!
That’s right, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Hostess Brands - maker of Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Wonder Bread - “is shuttering its plants and firing about 18,000 workers as it seeks to liquidate the 82-year-old business.”
According to the WSJ, “Hostess ultimately was brought to its knees by a national strike orchestrated by its second-largest union,” the bakers union.
And while the inclination is to feel sorry for the workers who will lose their jobs just before Christmas…I say, screw ‘em.
According the WSJ report, the workers themselves were almost unanimous in rejecting the company’s offer to keep the business afloat and instead voted to go out on strike. So they’re now unemployed thanks to their own stupidity and greed.
Now where did I leave my “world’s smallest violin” again?
How ironic that workers at a bakery failed to heed the wisdom of a half loaf being better than none!
DRIVE-BY MUTHINGS
* Not sure who the originator of this is, but the following has been making its way around the Internet over the past few days: “Washington State legalized gay marriage on the same day it legalized marijuana. It makes perfect Biblical sense. Leviticus 20:13 says, ‘A man who lays with another man should be stoned.’ Our interpretation has been wrong all these years.”
* It sure seems like every “scandal” has a Vegas connection. Here’s a new one, as reported Friday in Politico’s Morning Score:
“A decade before calling himself 'a consistent supporter of pro-life values,' Tennessee physician and Republican U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais supported his ex-wife's decision to get two abortions before their marriage, according to the congressman's sworn testimony during his divorce trial. Obtained by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the couple's 2001 trial transcript also confirms DesJarlais had sexual relationships with at least two patients, three coworkers and a drug representative while he was chief of staff at Grandview Medical Center in Jasper, Tenn. During one affair with a female patient, DesJarlais prescribed her drugs, gave her an $875 watch and bought her a plane ticket to Las Vegas, records show.”
NEW ON NEVADA NEWS & VIEWS
Tom Mitchell: Prevailing Wage Law Battle — Been There, Done That
Fred Weinberg: Preparedness Is Not Political Or Even Conservative, It’s Smart
Seth Godin: Questions We Should be Asking…but Aren’t
Roger Stone: Why Does Anyone Listen To Dick Morris?
Read these and more at http://nevadanewsandviews.com/
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
“The question is: Was the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency distracted by his fear that his affair would become public and so was not operating at full speed during and the days after Benghazi?” – Columnist Rich Galen
“Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan drew 1.3 million fewer votes than the allegedly hapless ticket of John McCain and Sarah Palin. Given the undeniable fact that some significant number of voters who backed Obama last time switched their support to Romney in 2012, several million Americans who cast ballots for McCain-Palin four years ago must have chosen to stay home for this election.” – Columnist Michael Medved
“A recent Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation poll showed that while 55 percent of Americans generally prefer a ‘smaller federal government with fewer services,’ 67 percent of Latinos favor a ‘larger federal government with more services’ - about the same number as Democrats.” – Columnist Aaron Blake
“Please tone down the abortion extremism. Supporting so-called partial-birth abortions, as too many liberals do, is abortion extremism. But so is opposing abortion in cases of rape and incest, to say nothing of the life of the mother.” –Columnist Brett Stephens
“If the argument is that illegal immigrants are overtaxing the welfare state, then that's an argument for paring back the welfare state, not deporting 12 million people.” – Columnist Brett Stephens
“You cannot be insensitive, but you also have to be very thoughtful about people who have been in line for many, many years to become a citizen and have done all the right things … But don't put 10 million, 12 million people in front of those who have been working very hard to become citizens because you also impact those people and I don't find that to be fair." – New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez
“Though conservatives put themselves through the paces of trying to like Mr. Romney, he was never a natural standard bearer for the GOP. … And though I have my anxieties about the president's next term, I also have a hunch the GOP dodged a bullet with Mr. Romney's loss.” – Columnist Brett Stephens
MOUNT REAGAN PROJECT UPDATE
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