Where do we go from here?

*cross-posted at United Liberty 

So today is inauguaration day. For many in this country it is a grand and glorious day, but for many it is a stark reminder of the failures of the GOP establishment and the Romney campaign. If ever there was a presidential election that should have been won by the non-incumbent party, this was it. So what happened?

For starters, a weak candidate who ran a very weak campaign is usually a recipe for disaster. But more than that, I think the biggest failure was the refusal of the GOP establishment to to even tolerate, much less embrace, the liberty wing of the party. You can call this wing the “crazy Ron Paul people” or, as a lady in my county said, “these libertarians trying to take over our party.” This behavior was found at all levels - precinct, county, district, state, and national. A real shame considering that this was the one wing of the party that could have actually GOTV and created some excitement. But the GOP antics in Tampa made sure that wouldn’t happen. 

What were they thinking? In such an electric and polarized environment, you’ve got to be inclusive as possible, not completely exclusive. It’s as if many GOPers had a death wish - making all of the wrong decisions at every, single turn. But…that’s all in the past - water under the bridge.

So where do we go from here? That depends on what you believe and what you think is truly helpful to the liberty movement. We all have our opinions on that. A method that I learned from my real estate days is the wall method. Throw it all against the wall and see what sticks, also known as the kitchen sink method.

Here in Georgia, where I reside, a large number of us are continuing the grassroots groups we started last year to try to secure the GOP nomination for Ron Paul. This year, instead of Georgia for Ron Paul, we are Georgia for Liberty - a totally organic, grassroots organization; we are not affiliated with any national group. However, many of us, individually or in groups, are associated either with Campaign for Liberty or the RLC, both of which are great organizations. We continue to try to make inroads in the GOP and help reshape the party in the liberty image. This is occurring all over the country as well.

Also, more and more people are looking at organizations that work to win the battle of ideas to shape policy. Obviously, the Cato Institute is great example of this. Also, advocacy or activism groups are a great outlet for many people. FreedomWorks is prime example of this. And as important as any other group, the Institute for Justice is fighting the good fight of liberty on the judicial front. All of these organizations are doing their part and are all worthy causes.

And even though I am now in the GOP Liberty movement, I also remain a believer in the ability of well-organized state parties of the Libertarian Party to be an effective tool for Liberty. Here in Georgia, there's a really good one . Although I am no longer a member of that organization, I think the world of what they're doing and it is, in my estimation, a good investment if don't want to give to your local or state GOP. I wouldn't, however, give a dime to the RNC.**

So, the broad-spectrum, throw-it-at-the-wall, kitchen sink method - do it all. Why not? Let’s see what sticks…

**special to the East Metro blog, not included in the UL write-up

The East Metro Epic Rant, 17 January 2013

What an interesting day...

First off, I know that there are people out there who are on the other side of this issue. Probably not that many, but I know there are a good bit. I will always respect your right to believe whatever you want.

Now, let's get into it...

Using the kids as props was nauseating, despicable, and unconscionable. The drone president, the murderer of hundreds of Middle Eastern children, trotting out these kids...it was just awful. Speaking of drones, way more that this current anti-gun agenda, there is not a greater threat to our freedoms right now. Contact your elected representatives about outlawing drones in America!

As several articles have already mentioned, not a single one of these 23 executive "actions" would have prevented the tragedy in Connecticut. Not a single one!

The one common thread of all of the mass shootings of the last few years has been the involvement of psychotropic drugs. Where is the committee on that? Where are the executive "actions" on that, Mr. President? Ah yes...Big Pharma...that's right - can't go there, can we?

Look at the list of executive actions and really look at numbers 4 & 16. That's what this is all about. But, remember, none of this is enforceable; none of it is law. So for those of you are ready to fight the 2nd Revolution, just back the fuck up and get your head straight. Yes, there is cause for concern, but no, this is not an all-out gun grab...yet.

Don't just get upset and raise hell. Write to your Congressman, your Senator. Write to your state legislators and governor. Contact your Sheriff. Plug in! Get involved! Don't just forward emails and post internet memes.

"Be the change you want to see in the world."

My latest post over at United Liberty: "A follow-up on the 22nd Amendment Discussion"

As some of you may know, I also contribute to United Liberty, a libertarian-leaning blog based out of DC that includes a lot of great contributors and the great talents of its Editor-in-Chief and friend of the East Metro, Jason Pye.

My latest write-up follows up on one of Jason's earlier posts about the resolution that was submitted by a New York Democrat to repeal the 22nd amendment (that limits the POTUS to two terms).

As Jason mentioned, as did my article, it's a non-issue. It's not going to happen. So don't bother worrying about it...


Here is the text of my write-up:

Last week, United Liberty Editor-in-Chief, Jason Pye, wrote a column discussing why the 22nd Amendment, the one that limits the president to two terms, would never be repealed; despite the fact that there is been a fair amount of press and attention given to the introduction of a resolution by New York Dem, Jose Serrano, that would do precisely that.

Without getting into specifics, Mr. Pye simply said the reasons why this would never happen were “pretty obvious,” and that it was a non-issue. He is correct. And for many of the regular readers of UL, I’m sure it is pretty obvious, but I thought I would take a moment to specifically talk about why it won’t happen for some of the readers who might not fully understand the process.

As many of us know, there are exactly two ways in which the Constitution of the United States can be amended: either by Constitutional Convention, or by a 2/3 vote by Congress with a 3/4 ratification vote by the various state legislatures.

No amendment has ever been passed by a Constitutional Convention, and it seems very unlikely that it would ever happen. In order for it to happen, 2/3 of the state legislatures would have to vote for and call for it. With our polarized electorate, and since many of the states themselves seem so polarized, it just seems like an all-out impossibility.

With the other way, I don’t know if we would ever see both the U.S. House and Senate pass a joint resolution with 2/3 votes for anything that wasn’t supported by over 70% of Americans, and repealing the 22nd Amendment would not enjoy anywhere near that type of support. Furthermore, if it did somehow make it out of Congress, I would bet every dollar I’ve got that 75% of the States in the Union would never pass it. While a New York or a California might go for it, a Wyoming and a Nebraska would not. And naturally, there are many more red states than blue right now.

I remember having discussions with people back in the 90’s when there seemed to be genuine excitement and enthusiasm about doing this to get Clinton more than two terms. I told multiple people back then, as I have been now, “remember - it’s got to go through the states. We’re fine.”
And this is yet another example of how finely constructed our Constitution is. They made sure to make amending the Constitution a process that wouldn’t fall victim to the existing majority or passing whims, but rather only done when it was truly supported by a majority of the electorate. Of course, there have been bad amendments (16,17,18th), but this is one that will never get legs. As Jason said, worrying or fretting or this is a “colossal waste of time.”