01.23.08
Pro Patria, Fighting Under a New Banner
If at first you don’t succeed, try and try again. Right?
I can’t say that I am at all surprised that Fred Thompson has withdrawn his bid for the White House. I am, however, surprised as to why. I have bitched, moaned, whined and complained to no end about the lack of GOP and media support for Fred. I have stumped for him as a Conservative and a man who was unwavering in his commitment to ideals. I took a stand over the fact that Fred put ideals over political games - even if that hurt him in the eyes of the mainstream media.
But when push came to shove, the support from the people just wasn’t there, and that is what surprised me. I don’t blame Fred for dropping out. If the people don’t care enough about ideals to give him the support he needed, then why keep trying? It’s a lot like beating a dead horse. Eventually you have to concede that in today’s era of politics, if you aren’t a rockstar you aren’t anything. Ideals just can’t stand up against the “American Idol” generation.
I have been a harsh critic of the GOP as of late, and that will not stop until the party corrects their wayward ways; however I am concerned about more than just the party this time. I am concerned about the power of popularity over principle. The demise of Fred reveals a problem that extends beyond just the lack of solid backing from the GOP. It exposes the fact that American politics has turned into a game show, which may explain why the campaign season started so absurdly early this time. The candidates at the top have figured out that the way to win the hearts of the masses is to woo them with glam.
Ideals? Principles? What are those?
I’m just waiting for Bob Barker to moderate a debate. I can see it now, as Bob waves his notorious little microphone around as the smiling candidates come running down the aisle to the beat of flashing lights and theme music.
The crowd cheers and the candidate flashes a hideous smile.
Does that about sum up the 2008 presidential race?
It’s asinine to say that Fred should have played the game if he expected to win. If being a Type-A media hound isn’t in your nature, why should you fake it just to woo voters? Doesn’t a little bit of honesty and principle value mean anything any longer? If flashing a smile and strumming a guitar on a late-night talk show is what you use to win the voters over, I’m not really sure that I want that guy in the White House. Remember Bill Clinton? He was hip and cool and jammed on his sax too. And what did we get from him? Honesty, integrity and strong values are descriptors that just don’t come up with old Slick Willy, I can tell you that much.
But since I know that too much demoralization will do more harm than good, we (I) can only lament the loss of Fred for so long before sucking it up and moving on. We’re still in the middle of a crossroads political battle here, and there are some people who simply cannot win as far as I am concerned.
I know that many people would want (or expect) me to turn to Ron Paul after this, but I simply cannot. Why? Because I think his foreign policy proposals, while admittedly bold and admirable, are far too unrealistic for this Hawkish Veteran. There are many elements of Ron Paul’s platform that I do like, but I simply cannot get behind somebody who’s ideas on foreign policy are so naive - no matter how idealistic they are. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t fault Paul’s supporters for their support. Being a hawk when it comes to foreign policy isn’t for everybody, and I have to admit that if I weren’t a Veteran and fiercely opinionated when it comes to our dealings abroad, I would be right beside you in the Ron Paul camp.
But alas, it is just not in the cards, and I am turning to my number two man. At one time I jabbered on about a Fred/Romney ticket. Well, with Fred out of the running, that means my support goes to Mitt Romney. I have weighed him as a candidate, and while he doesn’t stack up to Fred Thompson, very few ever will and Mitt Romney comes the closest out of all of them. I have always liked what he says, and the only reason he wasn’t my immediate number one choice was his inconsistent past. So do we allow people the right to change their ways? Yes, of course. People can change and grow, but I guess there is always the question as to how well they will hold up their new views. I like consistency, which is why Fred was my man. But, it’s time to take Mr. Romney at his word and hope for the best.
So here we go, once more through the breach dear friends. The fight is far from over, and even though we’re marching under a new banner, Pro Patria is ready to go in with guns blazing.
mpinkeyes said,
January 23, 2008 at 5:18 pm
I have been been waiting for your post since I heard the news about Fred Thompson. I was curious about how you would react.
I think you make many good points, it does seem as though elections have turned into publicity contests. If you have name recognition like Hillary or Obama you can spout generalities and get away without telling people any of your ideas.
You also described my opinion of Ron Paul perfectly, if it wasn’t for his foreign policy I would have seriously considered voting for him.
This is the most important election we have faced in many years. And I believe that Romney is the most conservative candidate for the Republicans, plus I think he will be much more fiscally conservative than the others. You said that there are candidates that should never win the Republican nomination and you are right. We need to stop McCain and Huckabee, they are not true conservatives and would set back the conservative movement many years.
Hang in there and keep fighting.
in2thefray said,
January 23, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Ryan very well presented. Easily see the humanity in it. I don’t think you’ll face a second let down
r2streu said,
January 23, 2008 at 6:51 pm
I almost went to Romney myself. Changed my mind.
I’ve decided not to let less than one-tenth of the voters decide who I get to vote for… I’m voting for Thompson anyway.
Check independent thinking for a full explanation.
Great blog as always, though.
Angel said,
January 23, 2008 at 9:28 pm
great read but disheartening about Fred isnt it?..
Radiant Times said,
January 24, 2008 at 8:15 am
I understand your disappointment. Fred was and still is a good sincere man. But I disagree with your choice of Romney. Please take another look at Mike Huckabee before you make a final choice. You will see that he really is a conservative and is better able to communicate with and connect with the American people than Fred was.
Radiant Times
Gary said,
January 24, 2008 at 10:06 am
Radiant Times,
You really haven’t read many of Ryan’s entries have you?
In my opinion, the next president will only be in office for 1 term. The populace will crucify them for the economic disaster they are inheriting. It has rarely mattered that the economic issues were several decades in the making. Kinda like blaming the QB for not stopping the opposing team’s offense.
Fred was a good candidate. And I do hope Ron Paul keeps running and spreading his key message out there. As this economic spiral goes down, his message will come back to mind. I know he wouldn’t win the Presidential election but perhaps when all is said and done the message will resonate and create changes.
His stance on foreign affairs intrigues me. On one hand it makes sense, on the other it is such a mess of an entangled web we’ve weaved it is a tough path out. Pulling out unilaterally is easier said than done.
I almost (key word almost) hope the Dems get the Presidency. Then they can take the national and international heat for a long time for screwing up the economy.
Debbie said,
January 24, 2008 at 11:50 am
Excellent article and I agree with all the sentiments you express. I don’t really want to vote for Romney, but we have to choose somebody and he seems to be the least offensive. A sad state of affairs.
Holly said,
January 24, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I think we share a brain, Ryan. This all sums up my thoughts and my new canidate.
Ryan said,
January 24, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Steve, I figured my decision would make you happy since you’ve been in the Mitt camp for a while now. I just hope he lives up to his words. I allow people room to change, and I am putting my faith in his word. I know people have been accusing him of pandering, but I haven’t seen it. I think he’s an honest person. Hell, he’s not even a lawyer!
Besides, as a hobby investor and somebody who wants to open up a business some day, I respect him as a successful and highly intelligent businessman who can probably work wonders for our economy and tax mess.
Ryan said,
January 24, 2008 at 7:34 pm
r2streu, your point is interesting, and I’ve heard some talk that if we go to a brokered convention that it wouldn’t be outside the realm of possibility to see Fred get the nod even though he isn’t involved…
Possible? Yes. Probable? Not likely, but strange things happen so I wouldn’t write it off completely.
Ryan said,
January 24, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Radiant Times, we’ve talked about Huck a few times, but no matter which way I look at him, I just can’t buy into his compassionate conservatism.
While I agree that he is better at connecting and communicating than Fred was, that is also one of the reasons I shy away from him. I don’t like the rockstar politics, and one of the reasons I stood so ferociously for Fred was because he didn’t put the game above the ideals. I have seen Huck flip too many times regarding things he has said in the past, and I fear he is only backtracking to try to woo the conservative voters who are so critical of his platform.
Ryan said,
January 24, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Gary, I think you’re right that the next president is going to be run through a cheese grater (especially if he is a Republican), but I hope that the next President will have the fortitude to persevere and come out on top.
If the next President has the same amount of dedication and tenacity towards rebuilding this country into something great once more as Bush has had with his policies, we may be ok. We just can’t afford to have somebody who caves to the media, popular opinion or their own special interests (like the dems).
As long as the President can take a long, objective look at the country and do what is best for he people, and can take the expected flak for not capitulating to the masses like he will be expected to do, we’ll be ok.
Angie said,
January 24, 2008 at 9:43 pm
I am condidering Romney, this is the most important election ever in my lifetime. The issues are so important and the future direction of our country.I just hope we have not gone too far in the wrong direction that it is impossible to recover from our losses!
At least he is not a lawyer!:)Loved that remark!
Ryan said,
January 25, 2008 at 7:13 am
Seriously! And yes, I know the irony that Fred was a lawyer, but he at least wasn’t a big shot trial lawyer or a sleazy lawyer like most of the others.
nicedeb said,
January 25, 2008 at 10:13 am
Good post.
Now I feel stupid, ’cause all I said was, “Oh, why the hell not?”
viciemonkey said,
January 26, 2008 at 7:30 am
Gary, great comments. I agree completely. Look out. The next administration is in for a rough ride to say the least. And although I would wish that kind of inherited curse on my enemy, we need a strong, business-minded person to take the reins and lead this country through this mess. Micky, what say you?
mpinkeyes said,
January 26, 2008 at 10:28 am
Ryan, from my tour around all the blogs it’s seems as though most of Fred’s supporters are moving towards Romney. Romney and McCain are the only viable candidates right now, Huckabee is running out of money and in trouble. If Rudy can pull out Florida he will still be in it, but I still like Romney a whole lot more.
I think Romney is our best chance.
Speaking of lawyers, did you see the article that Robert Novak wrote where he says there are rumors that Obama would name John Edwards as attorney general? UUGGHH!
Ryan said,
January 26, 2008 at 11:25 am
Oh, god, I can’t think of anything that would be worse than that. I would say that if that were to happen, we can not only say goodbye to any sort of tort reform, but also a mass increase in frivolous lawsuits and probably a relaxation of any current tort rules or limitations.
That would be bad. Really bad.
And I tell you, man, I’m rooting for Mitt hard core. McCain just makes my skin crawl and every time I hear him speak all I can think of is his class warfare liberal rhetoric…