In a recent interview, Florida Senator Marco Rubio spoke of his heartfelt admiration of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Many Floridians share Rubio's thoughts, and as a Floridian, I gleefully supported Bush as Governor. In review of the report card of his governorship, the marks are generally considered high.
Unfortunately, recent comments by Governor Bush suggest he has lost contact with the central principles of the Republican Party, and it can be argued, former President George W. Bush did as well.
However, in retrospect, it seems that real conservatives, perhaps with our eye taken off the ball due to the events of September 11, 2001, allowed our Republican leadership to move away from these principles. Far left socialists, who praise the entitlement society, big government, global wealth transfer and open borders, have high jacked the Democratic Party. Blue Dog Democrats engage this group sharing progressive ideals, but they really have no idea of the agendas of the left wing radicals they are, perhaps not knowingly for some, in bed with. Joining with the deviants of Occupy Wall Street is an example. Same holds true for moderate republicans, who embrace big government as the driving force in a successful Democracy.
Perhaps it is power driven, or a lack of faith in the American people, but for some reason, free market capitalism is abandoned in favor of governmental interaction. Unfortunately, in a low moment for sure, you recall George W. Bush abandoning the free market principles to save the free market system. Well, those actions by President Bush failed to work, and kicked the can down the road at best.
President Obama, in staggering economic idiocy, has exponentially expanded our national debt through stimulus in effort to boost the economy, but by any statistical measure, this has failed. All of it. We know Obama is an economic novice, unless you subscribe to the theory that he is intentionally collapsing the system, as I do. While we can only hope President Bush recognizes his error, listening to brother Jeb recently suggests otherwise, providing evidence that both of these men being progressives themselves. The apple does not fall far from the tree, and it was 41 who spoke of a new world order.
Jeb thinks bipartisanship is missing from the politics of today, saying "Back to my dad's time and Ronald Reagan's time — they got a lot of stuff done with a lot of bipartisan support," Bush added. Reagan today "would be criticized for doing the things that he did." Bush went further adding "Reagan would have, based on his record of finding accommodation, finding some degree of common ground, as would my dad — they would have a hard time if you define the Republican Party ... as having an orthodoxy that doesn't allow for disagreement, doesn't allow for finding some common ground".
You would think Jeb would have a better understanding of the current political climate, and since I know Jeb is a smart guy, one has to wonder how, and why, he is so far off the mark.
While Reagan did find accommodation in those days, he was always in operating from a position of control, real or perceived. with honest brokers. The Gipper offered ground on policies that were not integral, or on issues that were on the periphery of the core of his policies. Reagan trusted people to keep their word, and he got burned one too many times, most notably on immigration. But Reagan was most firm on his core principles, and on those principles there was no compromise.
Quoting from Reagan's first inaugural address: "In the days ahead I will propose removing the roadblocks that have slowed our economy and reduced productivity. Steps will be taken aimed at restoring the balance between the various levels of government. Progress may be slow, measured in inches and feet, not miles, but we will progress. It is time to reawaken this industrial giant, to get government back within its means, and to lighten our punitive tax burden. And these will be our first priorities, and on these principles there will be no compromise".
In what would appear to be a news flash for Jeb, America's industrial giant is asleep, shackled by regulation and taxation. Government has never been so out of control, solar systems from within its means, pun intended. In addition, bankers are not banking, laws are selectively being enforced and the media is failing to accurately report the truth, all signs of a country in crisis. Reagan would not be finding common ground with the socialist progressives of today!
Reagan found those advancing socialism not suitable for accommodation. "Those who would trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state have told us they have a utopian solution of peace without victory. They call their policy accommodation."
Reagan sought simple, morally right economic policies, not socialism which robs people of their identity and handicaps their future. Free market capitalism is a core principle which cannot be compromised on. While Reagan stood firm, George W Bush failed when the heat got turned up, and Jeb seems poised to assist Obama in destroying the country.
Jeb Bush is sadly mistaken in his assessment, but he is not alone thinking compromise with Democrats is the answer, even in dealing with dishonest socialist brokers. Jon Huntsman is now a left wing think tank fellow.
You and I do have a rendezvous with destiny. We need to preserve for our children the grand experiment of America, based on the bedrock principles of moral men who embrace freedom, entrepreneurship and free market capitalism, which helped nurture and grow the last best hope of man on earth.
According to Reagan, "If we lose freedom here, we will sentence our children and grandchildren to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness. If we lose freedom here, there's no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth".
Reagan said. "Well I think it's time we ask ourselves if we still know the freedoms that were intended for us by the Founding Fathers. This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves."
Maybe 2012 is not a "...choice between right and left, but between up ordown, individual freedom consistent with law and order or down to the any heap of totalitarianism." Reagan would not be about compromise these days, rather leading by example lifting all boats in an expanding economic pool based upon freedom, morality and limited government.
Ronnie would be voting up in 2012, for Mitt Romney, and for America.
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