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| THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARY by Chuck MacNab |
One can speculate about the results of yesterday's New Hampshire Primary election. Here are a few thoughts about it.
1. Despite the commentary provided by media talking heads, many of whom are assigned to promote a cause chosen by media owners, Romney won the NH Primary election with a clear victory ...not by a margin many sought to downplay because it didn't fit with the expectations of their assigned view.
2. The one-two outcome of the election provides Ron Paul and his supporters with an argument that they should be included on the ticket or at least be given a substantial position of power in a Republican Administration. We'll see what negotiations produce. Depending to some extent on the outcome of Primary elections yet to be decided, Ron Paul could create a third Party campaign that would likely allow Obama to defeat any Republican that opposes him. A repeat of the Busch #1-Clinton election.
3. If the New Hampshire Primary is an indicator and if the Republican Party is not better organized than it is right now, Ron Paul appears to have enough support among hard core followers and conservatives to turn the threat a third Party campaign into a reality. The Republican Party, especially at the lower levels, is overburdened with politically uninformed long time activists who have gotten lazy and are mainly interested in protecting their "turf." Too many feel that the equity they have built up by "staying interested" entitles them to continue to force "old hat" and the status quo on independent voters. This could prove to be a mistake. Too many will elect the dullest among them for local leadership activities and the more active ones, bnesides having a near obsession with collecting meaningless titles, will relentlessly engage in gossip wars to protect anything perceived to be their "turf." Most have no background or interest in intelligent compromise and most of their interests evolve around social issues...that is until it comes down to their personal bank accounts. Too many Republicans are only interested in associating with those who agree with them. When it comes to a number of issues in their Party, the Democrat's have given up leadership to the radicals and this is why many people believe Ron Paul is really a closet Democrat, particularly in foreign policy areas!
4. In our opinion, the Republican Party could substantially nullify a third Party appeal by changing some of its platform and by engaging in a broad campaign that shows exactly what wholesale abandonment of our world-wide interests would mean to each American. Stop assuming that most Americans understand what the results of what abandonment will really mean in practical terms and do something to explain it. There is certainly much modification of policy due, especially those policies related to the Obama Administration. In the case of the last three years, Obama has been engaging in a Ron Paul-like policy of withdrawal while wasting vast amounts of resources and making huge mistakes in doing it. As the losses of overseas interests become illustrated by a warped media why wouldn't Americans be sick of such policies? Why wouldn't large numbers of Americans be attracted to someone who comes along and hypothetically says, " Let's just quit and leave the rest of the world to its own devices." America's foreign interests have never been popular and have been used as a political whipping boy since the earliest days. Everything from the Louisianna purchase (a deal with France), the purchase of Alaska (a deal with Russia) to early negotiations for oil exploration in the 30's has been criticized as "folly" by politicians seeking to "play" on voter attitudes.
Though obscure and currently unpopular, the fact is that over the last 100 years or so, a winning set of worldwide ventures, both public and private, has provided Americans with the best standard of living of anyone on the planet. So let's not be confused about that. Whoever we elect as a leader of the country should be a person who knows that the second best poker hand is the worst one to hold.
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