Friends, Patriots and Political Malcontents of all Persuasions.
Conventional political wisdom says that campaigns begin the day after the election. That will be one of the rare times I subscribe to the political conventional wisdom. As we have seen tonight this is a historic moment in American history, I'll grant any pundit that, but was it a good moment for America's future? In my heart of hearts, I wish it were but find myself full of trepidation for my country's future. I find myself in a place that I believe many Americans as well as my fellow Nevadans find themselves. We feel something is desperately wrong.
The idea of naming this blog The Third Rail comes from the metaphor in politics to denote an idea or topic that is so "charged" and "untouchable" that any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject would invariably suffer politically. We The People ARE the third rail. When we unite and demand leadership and accountability and responsiveness from our elected officials, we are where all the power is! But as long as we do not demand what is best for America, they have nothing to fear.
We look to Washington for leadership and see no presidential captain at the helm and the congressional crewmen making sure they have reserved spaces on the life rafts for themselves, lobbyists and power brokers first and everyday Americans left to squabble amongst ourselves for the remaining life rings, deck chairs and whatever else will float. Among the majority of Republicans and Democrats, the biggest difference I see is which groups get the pork.
I was recently posed with the question of whether I thought the Republican party was beyond repair and whether I felt that I should leave and focus my efforts elsewhere and maybe come back when it fixes itself or stay and try to help change things from the inside. Its a bit like being in a failed marriage, do you separate and try to work things out from the outside in or do you stay faithful and try to work things from the inside out. Tonight on the heels of an Obama victory and government bailout run amok, I feel a bit like a what a battered spouse must feel. The "neocon" borrow and spend faction of the Republican party, has abused its position and taken advantage of its power. The so called leadership has abandoned the vows it took to the conservative ideals that generated their very own political clout. Perhaps what was ignored in 2006 will now be too big to sweep under the rug.
Which brings me to the point I am now at, do I stay or do I go. Beginning with the renegade campaign of Congressman Ron Paul and seeing a new generation of conservatives asserting themselves such as Michael Steele and others have, it gives me hope that this may be an opportunity to set right the course of the Republican party and return it to its core values and principles. After much soul searching, reflection and prayer, I believe it is an opportunity to take a stand and return the party to the people it claims to represent by running for Congress in Nevada's 3rd Congressional District in 2010.
My platform and beliefs which I will share with you over the coming weeks and months are based on the fundamentals upon which our country was founded, not what is expedient and feels good today and is reported in the latest Zogby poll. I hope to share with you the insights and ideas that come from this journey and your support in both the failures and successes yet to come. The conventional wisdom would say that what I'm attempting to do is destined to defeat, I have no war chest, I have no political ties or lobbyists, I have no union connections or country club memberships. Already the few people I've told about my decision have asked me, how can you fight the system the way it is, you're trying to buck the system of established political machines? I'm reminded of one of the heroes of the Korean War remarking on the fact that his Marine division was surrounded by 22 Chinese divisions, "They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29:1. They can't get away from us now!"- Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC. If we dare to harness that third rail, we cannot fail.
I place my political faith in the genius of the founding fathers, the ingenuity of the common man and the God given blessing of the American dream.
Conventional political wisdom says that campaigns begin the day after the election. That will be one of the rare times I subscribe to the political conventional wisdom. As we have seen tonight this is a historic moment in American history, I'll grant any pundit that, but was it a good moment for America's future? In my heart of hearts, I wish it were but find myself full of trepidation for my country's future. I find myself in a place that I believe many Americans as well as my fellow Nevadans find themselves. We feel something is desperately wrong.
The idea of naming this blog The Third Rail comes from the metaphor in politics to denote an idea or topic that is so "charged" and "untouchable" that any politician or public official who dares to broach the subject would invariably suffer politically. We The People ARE the third rail. When we unite and demand leadership and accountability and responsiveness from our elected officials, we are where all the power is! But as long as we do not demand what is best for America, they have nothing to fear.
We look to Washington for leadership and see no presidential captain at the helm and the congressional crewmen making sure they have reserved spaces on the life rafts for themselves, lobbyists and power brokers first and everyday Americans left to squabble amongst ourselves for the remaining life rings, deck chairs and whatever else will float. Among the majority of Republicans and Democrats, the biggest difference I see is which groups get the pork.
I was recently posed with the question of whether I thought the Republican party was beyond repair and whether I felt that I should leave and focus my efforts elsewhere and maybe come back when it fixes itself or stay and try to help change things from the inside. Its a bit like being in a failed marriage, do you separate and try to work things out from the outside in or do you stay faithful and try to work things from the inside out. Tonight on the heels of an Obama victory and government bailout run amok, I feel a bit like a what a battered spouse must feel. The "neocon" borrow and spend faction of the Republican party, has abused its position and taken advantage of its power. The so called leadership has abandoned the vows it took to the conservative ideals that generated their very own political clout. Perhaps what was ignored in 2006 will now be too big to sweep under the rug.
Which brings me to the point I am now at, do I stay or do I go. Beginning with the renegade campaign of Congressman Ron Paul and seeing a new generation of conservatives asserting themselves such as Michael Steele and others have, it gives me hope that this may be an opportunity to set right the course of the Republican party and return it to its core values and principles. After much soul searching, reflection and prayer, I believe it is an opportunity to take a stand and return the party to the people it claims to represent by running for Congress in Nevada's 3rd Congressional District in 2010.My platform and beliefs which I will share with you over the coming weeks and months are based on the fundamentals upon which our country was founded, not what is expedient and feels good today and is reported in the latest Zogby poll. I hope to share with you the insights and ideas that come from this journey and your support in both the failures and successes yet to come. The conventional wisdom would say that what I'm attempting to do is destined to defeat, I have no war chest, I have no political ties or lobbyists, I have no union connections or country club memberships. Already the few people I've told about my decision have asked me, how can you fight the system the way it is, you're trying to buck the system of established political machines? I'm reminded of one of the heroes of the Korean War remarking on the fact that his Marine division was surrounded by 22 Chinese divisions, "They are in front of us, behind us, and we are flanked on both sides by an enemy that outnumbers us 29:1. They can't get away from us now!"- Lewis B. "Chesty" Puller, USMC. If we dare to harness that third rail, we cannot fail.
I place my political faith in the genius of the founding fathers, the ingenuity of the common man and the God given blessing of the American dream.
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