Blake Ashby (R) for President?

Good luck, Scrat.

I very, very seldom vote for Republican candidates -- I honestly think they make a better loyal opposition than lead-party -- but I certainly would like to see them position themselves more along the lines of your vision than where they are -- and where they seem headed.

I do like some of the less extreme republicans marching under the libertarian flag (Ron Paul comes to mind)

In 2004 I will vote for GWB again, as being a better alternative to anything the Dems are offering, and more electable than anyone who better fits my ideology. I am heartened that there are people like Ashby at least giving lip service to the ideals Republicans like Bush seem all too willing to set aside in their quest for power.

My name is Robert Brooks. I voted in my first election in 1980 and proudly cast my vote for Ronald Reagan. I am not sure what has happened to the party in the two decades since that time but I do know it has managed to leave me behind. I don't have much use for unnecessary wars, corporate giveaways and laws which seem to gut the Bill of Rights. I believe in due process, the right to counsel, the right to trial and warrants that are only issued upon probable cause. I also believe that fiscal responsibility means that you pay your bills and don't pass the burden of paying for gifts you bestow upon yourself to others. I honestly believe that Ronald Reagan would look at the extreme right and the empire building neocons of PNAC with a great deal of dismay. I also feel sure that President Reagan would not have restricted medical research into stem cells and his record of not actively interfering with abortion rights, all rhetoric to the contrary not withstanding, speaks for itself.

I had my doubts about the Iraq War from the very beginning. I was never convinced that Saddam Hussein was a threat to the security of the United States and I also knew, no thanks to Fox News, that he was not tied to the attacks of 9-11.

Originally I bought the spin on Howard Dean as some sort of lefty-left pacifist liberal. Then I decided to check for myself. Howard Dean is a lot of things but a flaming liberal he is not. I like balanced budgets and a tight fiscal hand. Dean is nothing if not tight. Have you seen his suits?

I also found that Dean is not a pacifist. I could never support a pacifist even if I do believe in Christ's instructions to turn the other cheek. Dean supported the war in Afghanistan and the first Gulf War. He just didn't support the Iraq War because it took resources away from the hunt for the real bad guys.

My conclusion after looking into Dr. Dean is that he is actually what used to pass for a moderate Republican. I like moderate Republicans. I thought George Bush was one. I was a fool. I won't be fooled again.

I have a feeling that our ranks may be growing. I'm attaching a column below that was forwarded to me from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. (The internet is a God send. I live in Alabama and never would have seen this commentary without it.) It was also written by a Republican. Interesting read. I wonder if the author has bothered to actually check into Dr. Dean's record.

Regards,

Robert Brooks

Column URL: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Scrat wrote:

In 2004 I will vote for GWB again, as being a better alternative to anything the Dems are offering, and more electable than anyone who better fits my ideology. I am heartened that there are people like Ashby at least giving lip service to the ideals Republicans like Bush seem all too willing to set aside in their quest for power.

Well, it's simply a shame that you do not have the courage to vote your convictions.

I will NOT vote for another four years under Bush's bloated budgets.

Centroles wrote:

I will NOT vote for another four years under Bush's bloated budgets.

Lucky for you, you're going to get four more years under Bush, whether you vote for him or do not.

Scrat wrote:

Centroles wrote:

I will NOT vote for another four years under Bush's bloated budgets.

Lucky for you, you're going to get four more years under Bush, whether you vote for him or do not.

an excellent choice of words, since he'll be f**king us the whole time and doesn't have enough imagination for anything but the missionary position.

You seem to be a Dean man. (Am I right?) If Dean doesn't get the party's nod, will you write in a vote for him or vote for the party's candidate? My bet is that you will vote for whomever the Dems put forward, or at least if that's not true of you, it's true of most Dems. Well, that's all I'm saying here. At first blush (I haven't looked long and hard at Ashby) I would prefer someone like Ashby as the Republican candidate, but will vote for Bush because he will be the Republican candidate.

But hey, it's your standard, so tell me; will you have the courage to vote your convictions if your party chooses someone other than your first choice? Or will you vote for the candidate they choose?