Prominent right-wing blogger (and apparent closet Bircher) Eric Odom has decided to spend a lot of his time covering the controversial special election for New York's 23rd Congressional District, in which liberal Republican Dede Scozzafava has received the backing of the GOP establishment, and her Conservative Party opponent Doug Hoffman has attracted the support of a lot of the more outspoken pundits on the right and a number of religiously extreme anti-liberty groups like Eagle Forum.
In his latest article Odom makes the peculiar observation:
The race represents a clear message being sent to the RNC. And the message is simple… the liberty movement is not going to tolerate liberal Republicans anymore.
Now, I'm not sure who appointed Odom the spokesman for the liberty movement, but he seems to have forgotten that an essential component of that movement is, oddly enough, support for liberty. In all its forms. Not just the economic liberty of lower taxes, but also the other liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights and granted to all people under natural law; liberties like freedom of association, of religion, of speech and of privacy.
I don't know all that much about Doug Hoffman's politics. He manages to avoid mentioning most of the tough issues on his website. But I can guess what some of them are by his list of endorsements, which includes a number of groups which can only be considered strongly anti-liberty and even among the greatest enemies of liberty on the political right.
Eagle Forum is certainly the worst of the lot. This group of bigoted biddies is headed up by Phyllis Schlafly. They are in favor of war, torture, abstinence and creationism. They are strongly anti-gay, not only opposing gay marriage, but also actively homophobic and supportive of gay reeducation programs. They're also against gambling, divorce, pornography, immigration, birth-control, marijuana and vaccines. In my opinion no candidate endorsed by Eagle Forum could ever be considered a "liberty" candidate. Eagle Forum would basically like to turn the country into a totalitarian theocracy. Any candidate who loves liberty should publicly reject their endorsement.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Baronius
Dave - Second last paragraph, did you mean to say that Scozzafava is pro-life? You might want to edit that. (Feel free to delete this comment too.)
2 - Clavos
Good point, Bar. I edited and published the article, but I'm going to leave it to Dave, who is not at his desk until later today.
3 - TruthIsBiggerThanPassion
Dave, you are either out of touch or misinformed. There is a difference between being "anti-liberty" as you call it and being supportive of basic decency. Many Americans are saddened by how far we have gone from the founding father's original intentions. Having liberty does not necessarily mean "if it feels good do it". It doesn't mean anything goes. There is a greater good for society at stake. It's possible to promote family values and the best things in life over the "what feels good for the moment" things in life and still be pro-liberty.It's not religious facism to stand up for the values of decency that helped build our country. I can still support your religious freedom or your right to have no religion, I just want to leave to my children a country that still maintains basic decency and values.I also want a country that keeps BIG GOVERNMENT in check. Smaller government, lower taxes, (which leads to a better economy and actually greater revenues to the government), less government intrusion into my daily life. And that means no more liberal Republicans that are merely an echo chamber for Democrats.
4 - Clavos
Bar,
Just FYI. I did some research and went ahead and made the change. Thanks for the heads up.
5 - AvadaKedavra
Truthisbiggerthanpassion... You are a FASCIST! The fact that you think you have a right to tell others (probably gays) how to live shows that despite all your empty rhetoric about freedom and liberty you are a Big Evangelical Government NAZI who supports the anti-gay Hitler Agenda. Your values are not the values of everyone and I am also willing to guess you are an anti-Semite as well. Just because you don't share somebody's values doesn't mean you have a right to impose your own.
If you believe government should be used to promote "common decency" it means your are so pathetic that you yourself have failed at promoting it yourself and need the Big White Christian Evangelical Dictator Theocratic Neo-Nazi Government to bail your pathetic soul out by telling you what to do. That is called WELFARE!!!
6 - Stephen Staedtler
Hoffman is the only anti big taxes and big government candidate. We've seen Obama over and over take attacks at free speech in trying to start a war on Fox News...the only media outlet to actually criticize or question him. He is trying to control the media and control what is taught in schools. There are many independents supporting Hoffman who are sick of establishment candidates.
7 - Clavos
...values of decency...
As in most things in life, the above phrase is highly subjective.
I'm fairly sure that what you consider "decency" will bear little resemblance to what I do, and yet I consider myself a conservative libertarian, with emphasis on liberty (for everyone) above all other values, including my version of decency, which actually includes "liberty."
8 - Dr Dreadful
TruthIsBiggerThanPassion:
It's one thing to "promote basic family values and the best things in life" but quite another to force them on people through legislation, which is what most of Hoffman's supporters seem to want to do.
As AvadaKedavra observes, not everyone agrees as to what are "the best things in life". Liberty, as your Founders therefore observed in 1776, is "for all" - not just for those who adhere to a certain prescribed set of values.
By all means stand up for what you believe in, but understand that others have that same right, even though what they believe in may be anathema to you.
9 - zingzing
clavos: "...liberty..."
As in most things in life, the above phrase is highly subjective.
or at least it is now. it's become a meaningless catch phrase, purely through overuse. everyone believes in liberty. (well, except despots.) and everyone is trying to achieve the most liberty they can.
a great many conservatives will give up certain liberties for personal (and national) security. a great many liberals will give up portions of certain liberties if it means that more people have access to what remains. gun nuts believe that guns give you liberty, while gun opponents believe that guns limit liberty.
the point is that "liberty" means so many different things in so many different circumstances, that to say that you're "for liberty" is like saying you're "for cleanliness."
10 - Clavos
or for "decency."
11 - zingzing
or "morality."
12 - Baronius
TruthIs and I would probably vote for the same people, but I don't like the reasoning behind his position. Likewise, I hope that some people on the left will distance themselves from Avada's name-calling.
13 - Dr Dreadful
Likewise, I hope that some people on the left will distance themselves from Avada's name-calling.
Certainly. Calling someone a fascist (even if they actually are one, which no-one really is nowadays) is about the most unconstructive thing one can do in a political debate.
14 - Mat
I'm from NY-23 (I Live in Plattsburgh), I'm a full blown libertarian (I lean pro-life though), and I plan on voting for Hoffman. He isn't a perfect candidate, but his rhetoric sounds like he takes the constitution seriously, so I don't think he would meddle in certain affairs as much as other social conservatives. His foreign policy is a let down, but none of the candidates are pro-peace and non-intervention. So it comes down to economic issues and Hoffman is above and beyond the most free market, Owens might actually be more free market than Dede.
15 - handyguy
For what it's worth, it's been reported that Dick Armey and Sarah Palin have endorsed Mr. Hoffman. Maybe the upshot will be that the Democrat will win the district.
16 - Dr Dreadful
Goodness gracious, handy, really? Who'd a thunk it?
;-)
17 - Baronius
So did Pawlenty and Fred Thompson. It's great to see the GOP finally coming together. Unfortunately, they're uniting on the belief that their party stinks.
18 - SPQR_US
Scozzafava is a RINO, supports Amnesty, TARP, Bailouts, Card Check, and a host of other scams. I don't care what you think of Hoffman Mr. RINO I am supporting him to PUNISH the GOP for supporting RINO's and not lisening to the People. All most of the top GOP seems to like to do is to turn around and tell we conservatives that we are a bunch of ignorant hillbilly's. We'll jackass how's that working out for you? I'm taking the money hat I normally donate to the RNC and I've been giving it to conservative candidates instead.
19 - zingzing
"We'll jackass how's that working out for you?"
jackass is a verb?
"I'm taking the money hat I normally donate to the RNC and I've been giving it to conservative candidates instead."
they do need a new hat...
20 - Dave Nalle
SPQR, in my opinion you and other folks who are trying to hijack the reform movement which real Republicans are embracing and take it in a very destructive direction are the real RINOS here. If you don't support individual liberty and smaller government and free trade then you're part of the problem in the GOP, not part of the solution.
And read the last paragraph. The point is tha these candidates are both equally bad. Focus on another race where there are candidates who are actually worth supporting.
Dave
21 - Glenn Contrarian
Dave -
(taking a break from writing, and waiting for classes to start)
Very, very good article. You and I disagree on so many things, but you and I strongly agree that the Republican party's been hijacked by those whose idea of liberty is the freedom to believe as they think one should believe...or else.
If the Republicans can fight off the influence of the extremists (and the racists) and become a 'big-tent' party once more, then they will avoid marginalization...but only then.
Again, kudos on your article.
22 - Dave Nalle
Glenn, your own democrats have already established that even among the religious right racism is not actually a problem for the GOP.
On the other issue, the problem is that the GOP tent has been too big. The party needs to clearly outline its principles and tell people from both extremes that if they can't find a way to accomodate their beliefs within those very broad principles of respecting individual liberty and minimizing government then they can go elsewhere. Most sensible christians and moderates with any sense at all ought to be able to accept a set of principles that broad and inclusive.
DAve
23 - Glenn Contrarian
Aw, Dave - I thought we'd actually agreed on something!
But if you don't think the Republican party isn't influenced by extremists (i.e. pundits like Limbaugh, Beck, O'Reilly, Levin, etc.) and racists, then I must say you've still got your head stuck in the sand.
Man! And I thought we were soooo close to a breakthrough....
24 - Christine
Dave, as a conservative and a Christian it is a tough spot to be in when it comes to backing anyone that supports abortion. And I do see your point in comment #22. That said, I saw this Hoffman guy interviewed today on Beck's show and he seems like a "doof". I don't know if he is capable of running a gas station.
25 - Silas Kain
It's time for the "liberal" Republicans, in concert with Libertarians, to rise up and take the GOP back from the neo-Conservatives and Far Right Wingnut religious Christi-bans. There is a fight for control of the GOP and it needs to play out at state conventions across the country next year. Unfortunately, the majority of us are not engaged enough in our political process to realize that now is the time to get involved because in ten years we'll be discussing how to divide up the spoils of a once united country. If you don't believe me, talk to people who lived through it at the end of the Soviet Union. Many of my friends who were there when Gorbachev dissolved the Union will tell you there are eerie similarities in mentality. Seek and ye shall find, my friends.