Alan Keyes
Seeing no choice, what will I do in November?
By Alan Keyes
"You have no choice." It is the mantra with which the GOP wing of the elitist faction seeks to herd the party's conservative base into voting for Mitt Romney. He is a politician whose whole career shows his commitment to the elitist faction's agenda for the overthrow of America's Declaration principles and the democratic, constitutional republic founded upon them. But the GOP's conservative base heartily rejects this elitist agenda. That's why they can't stand Barack Obama. But they are being hammered with the notion that, in order to defeat Obama's version of that agenda, they have no choice but to vote for Mitt Romney's version. This means that they are being offered no choice that truly represents them.
But respect for the principle of representation is what distinguishes America's democratic republic from the uniformly self-destructive (and therefore rare) attempts at democracy before it was founded. As I have pointed out before, when, in Federalist No. 10, James Madison noted this fact, he expressed the common sense of its founders. If you see no choice that represents you, is this really a free election?
Madison also observed that without respect for the principle of representation, "elections" become tools for legitimizing the establishment of tyranny. Conclusive evidence (excluding, of course, deed-contradicted words on both sides) points to the fact that America's 2012 presidential "election" is just that. Factually speaking, the Obama/Romney so-called choice is one socialist vs. another; one Declaration-despising promoter of moral dissolution vs. another; one executive-power-abusing destroyer of limited government vs. another. If you see no choice for freedom, can freedom survive your choice?
The real contest in 2012 is between Americans still determined to govern themselves and elitists determined to end self-government. The practical question facing forces of self-government is not which of these would-be tyrannical factions to vote for. It's how to demonstrate to them and to one another that it's still possible to reject them both; and how, by doing so, to set the stage for the re-emergence of a truly republican alternative.
With respect to the first, let's start with the fact that the whole world will be observing and analyzing the outcome of our election in November. It is, therefore, an enormous stage from which to deliver a message no one will ignore. Two national outcomes will be especially scrutinized: 1) the outcome of the presidential vote; and 2) the outcome of the elections for Congress (the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives). What if people committed to preserving self-government could make evident in these two outcomes a striking assertion of their independent will and political power?
As a Declaration conservative, I reject both the pseudo-American socialist (Obama) and the pseudo-conservative socialist (Romney). I will not vote for either Romney or Obama. That said and done, I intend to vote for every other Republican on the GOP ticket, a straight party-line vote (with such exceptions as: any candidates I know with certainty to be in favor of the so-called "abortion/gay rights" agendas. I know that others will, in good conscience, make their own exceptions.)
Anyone familiar with my speeches and writings for the last several years knows that I think the GOP's elitist leadership has repeatedly gulled and betrayed the party's grassroots constituency. Their repeated betrayals of tea-party supporters since re-electing (with indispensable tea-party votes) a GOP majority in the House in 2010 are just the most recent case in point. Why then would I cast an "Every-Republican-but-Romney" ballot? Simply in order to contribute to the greatest possible disparity between the votes cast for Mitt Romney and the votes cast for the party he claims to represent.
In this respect, I intend to take GOP Chairman Priebus at his word. As Phyllis Schlafly recently attested, the newly-minted GOP platform is filled with language intended to please the conservative grassroots. But in particular defense of the platform's pro-life stance, Chairman Priebus accurately observed that "this is the platform of the Republican Party, it is not the platform of Mitt Romney."
The 2012 GOP platform isn't perfect. Unlike the GOP nominee, however, it is part of a record that reflects the GOP grassroots' consistent support for God-acknowledging Declaration principles, God-fearing liberty, and justly constrained constitutional self-government. By contrast, the overwhelming preponderance of Mitt Romney's record as a politician and public official reflects, with equal consistency, his natural inclination to disrespect and discard these things. I reject Mitt Romney. I will not vote for him. But I will stand with the platform Republicans and cast my vote for what they profess to believe.
If everyone who feels as I do does the same, the disparity between Romney's vote and the vote of the victorious GOP candidates on the rest of the ticket will send a powerful message to the minions of elitist subversion working to thwart the will of the Party's grassroots conservative patriots.
Whatever the outcome of the presidential election, a massive grassroots conservative vote for GOP House and Senate candidates will 1) provide the GOP's congressional leaders with all they need to thwart and even roll back Obama's socialist agenda, if he is re-elected — they will have no excuse for not doing so; or 2) make it clear — in the comparative, Romney-repudiating margin of victory — that the grassroots are indeed on fire with the determination to save America's constitutional republic, not just from Obama but from all the elitist subversives (including Romney) who aim to destroy it. If the GOP's congressional leaders persist in betraying their platform promises, this comparative, Romney-repudiating margin of victory will stand as proof that conservatives at the grassroots have both the clout and the will to hold the GOP's feet to that fire.
Finally and perhaps most important of all: From such an outcome, the proponents of constitutional self-government will show the world, and themselves, that the money, power, and deceitful manipulations of the elitist faction in control of leadership in both major parties can and will be defeated. So will their ruthless plan to cut America down to size. We will not bow low, as they demand, to the politics of fear and submission. Like so many faithful Americans in the generations before us, we will stand, as it is our God-endowed right to stand, just as tall as He ordains.
[Along with others of like mind, I am working on the implementation of this "Platform Republican" strategy for defeating the elitist faction's betrayal of American liberty. In the next few days, I will post the details at my blog. Stop by and subscribe so you don't miss the sequel. In the meantime, remember: When they say we have no choice, THEY LIE. Real Americans can always find a way.]
September 3, 2012
"You have no choice." It is the mantra with which the GOP wing of the elitist faction seeks to herd the party's conservative base into voting for Mitt Romney. He is a politician whose whole career shows his commitment to the elitist faction's agenda for the overthrow of America's Declaration principles and the democratic, constitutional republic founded upon them. But the GOP's conservative base heartily rejects this elitist agenda. That's why they can't stand Barack Obama. But they are being hammered with the notion that, in order to defeat Obama's version of that agenda, they have no choice but to vote for Mitt Romney's version. This means that they are being offered no choice that truly represents them.
But respect for the principle of representation is what distinguishes America's democratic republic from the uniformly self-destructive (and therefore rare) attempts at democracy before it was founded. As I have pointed out before, when, in Federalist No. 10, James Madison noted this fact, he expressed the common sense of its founders. If you see no choice that represents you, is this really a free election?
Madison also observed that without respect for the principle of representation, "elections" become tools for legitimizing the establishment of tyranny. Conclusive evidence (excluding, of course, deed-contradicted words on both sides) points to the fact that America's 2012 presidential "election" is just that. Factually speaking, the Obama/Romney so-called choice is one socialist vs. another; one Declaration-despising promoter of moral dissolution vs. another; one executive-power-abusing destroyer of limited government vs. another. If you see no choice for freedom, can freedom survive your choice?
The real contest in 2012 is between Americans still determined to govern themselves and elitists determined to end self-government. The practical question facing forces of self-government is not which of these would-be tyrannical factions to vote for. It's how to demonstrate to them and to one another that it's still possible to reject them both; and how, by doing so, to set the stage for the re-emergence of a truly republican alternative.
With respect to the first, let's start with the fact that the whole world will be observing and analyzing the outcome of our election in November. It is, therefore, an enormous stage from which to deliver a message no one will ignore. Two national outcomes will be especially scrutinized: 1) the outcome of the presidential vote; and 2) the outcome of the elections for Congress (the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives). What if people committed to preserving self-government could make evident in these two outcomes a striking assertion of their independent will and political power?
As a Declaration conservative, I reject both the pseudo-American socialist (Obama) and the pseudo-conservative socialist (Romney). I will not vote for either Romney or Obama. That said and done, I intend to vote for every other Republican on the GOP ticket, a straight party-line vote (with such exceptions as: any candidates I know with certainty to be in favor of the so-called "abortion/gay rights" agendas. I know that others will, in good conscience, make their own exceptions.)
Anyone familiar with my speeches and writings for the last several years knows that I think the GOP's elitist leadership has repeatedly gulled and betrayed the party's grassroots constituency. Their repeated betrayals of tea-party supporters since re-electing (with indispensable tea-party votes) a GOP majority in the House in 2010 are just the most recent case in point. Why then would I cast an "Every-Republican-but-Romney" ballot? Simply in order to contribute to the greatest possible disparity between the votes cast for Mitt Romney and the votes cast for the party he claims to represent.
In this respect, I intend to take GOP Chairman Priebus at his word. As Phyllis Schlafly recently attested, the newly-minted GOP platform is filled with language intended to please the conservative grassroots. But in particular defense of the platform's pro-life stance, Chairman Priebus accurately observed that "this is the platform of the Republican Party, it is not the platform of Mitt Romney."
The 2012 GOP platform isn't perfect. Unlike the GOP nominee, however, it is part of a record that reflects the GOP grassroots' consistent support for God-acknowledging Declaration principles, God-fearing liberty, and justly constrained constitutional self-government. By contrast, the overwhelming preponderance of Mitt Romney's record as a politician and public official reflects, with equal consistency, his natural inclination to disrespect and discard these things. I reject Mitt Romney. I will not vote for him. But I will stand with the platform Republicans and cast my vote for what they profess to believe.
If everyone who feels as I do does the same, the disparity between Romney's vote and the vote of the victorious GOP candidates on the rest of the ticket will send a powerful message to the minions of elitist subversion working to thwart the will of the Party's grassroots conservative patriots.
Whatever the outcome of the presidential election, a massive grassroots conservative vote for GOP House and Senate candidates will 1) provide the GOP's congressional leaders with all they need to thwart and even roll back Obama's socialist agenda, if he is re-elected — they will have no excuse for not doing so; or 2) make it clear — in the comparative, Romney-repudiating margin of victory — that the grassroots are indeed on fire with the determination to save America's constitutional republic, not just from Obama but from all the elitist subversives (including Romney) who aim to destroy it. If the GOP's congressional leaders persist in betraying their platform promises, this comparative, Romney-repudiating margin of victory will stand as proof that conservatives at the grassroots have both the clout and the will to hold the GOP's feet to that fire.
Finally and perhaps most important of all: From such an outcome, the proponents of constitutional self-government will show the world, and themselves, that the money, power, and deceitful manipulations of the elitist faction in control of leadership in both major parties can and will be defeated. So will their ruthless plan to cut America down to size. We will not bow low, as they demand, to the politics of fear and submission. Like so many faithful Americans in the generations before us, we will stand, as it is our God-endowed right to stand, just as tall as He ordains.
[Along with others of like mind, I am working on the implementation of this "Platform Republican" strategy for defeating the elitist faction's betrayal of American liberty. In the next few days, I will post the details at my blog. Stop by and subscribe so you don't miss the sequel. In the meantime, remember: When they say we have no choice, THEY LIE. Real Americans can always find a way.]
To see more articles by Dr. Keyes, visit his blog at LoyalToLiberty.com and his commentary at WND.com and BarbWire.com.
© Alan KeyesThe views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.
(See RenewAmerica's publishing standards.)
