Politics – Page 180 – Shall Not Be Questioned

Why Does Liberty Lose?

It’s a question I’ve wondered about for a while, but never really had a good answer for. A lot of people say they want smaller government, and more freedom, but that never seems to translate into the people in power making that happen. Why? I didn’t really understand it until I started involving myself in local politics through NRA’s electoral apparatus. I am definitely more of an observer more than a major player, in most things, and that’s true of my involvement in this endeavor as well. I am relatively uninterested in the elbow rubbing, social, or even civic aspects of political involvement, so much as figuring out the game and coming up with strategies to beat it. While I’ve learned a few things in this regard, the big thing I’ve learned is that the game is eminently beatable, and what prevents it from happening is a lack of players willing to participate in the game.

SayUncle linked yesterday to an article that sort of hints at what the problem is, though the author is a lot angrier than I am. The problem, essentially, is that there’s been no political constituency for liberty. Note that there’s a difference between a constituency, which is a lot of people saying they want more of it, and a political constituency, which are people saying they want liberty, and who are building a political structure to accomplish it. The Tea Party, right now, is mostly a constituency, but who is showing early signs of evolving into a political constituency.

I say evolving, because whether the Tea Party movement is for real, or a flash in the pan, depends entirely on what happens on November 2nd, and a lot more on what happens after. This is not because we’re about to elect the saviors of our Republic, and can happily go back to sleep, knowing the GOP will take care of the problem. That’s what happened in 1994, and the GOP took care of jack.Â But this year is somewhat different.Â 1994 did not have the levels of grassroots anger we’ve seen manifested through the Tea Party movement. This is something truly new. New and familiar or not, I’m not optimistic that a movement based purely on grassroots anger will stay angry long enough to seriously change the political dynamic. The question, after November 2nd, is whether or not the Tea Party movement will merely remain a vessel of grassroots anger, or will evolve into a political constituency.

What does a political constituency look like?Â Well, first and foremost, it creates a structure to enable the two fundamentals of electoral politics, money and votes. If you don’t wield either of those two things, you can’t change anything. The Tea Party movement has shown it can turn its anger into fundraising, and we’ll see how well it turns it into votes, but Tea Party victories are going to energize the left eventually, and a lot of newly elected politicians are going to disappoint us. What happens when the anger goes away? What happens when people who support smaller government decide things are getting better? To me that’s the real question. Can the Tea Party maintain positive momentum toward liberty even when times are better? If the answer is yes, this might be a game changer.

One thing that’s particularly bothered me about liberty loving people is how hard they think it is to change things — like a finger of lightning came down from the heavens and etched the New Deal, forever unalterable, in stone. Having participated in several elections now in the role of a volunteer coordinator, the one thing I’ve been struck with is how little it would take to fundamentally alter the political dynamic in this county. The number of people with serious influence over your local political apparatuses is actually quite small, and a lot of those individuals with influence honestly don’t bring much to the table (in either money, votes, or good ideas). If you had twenty motivated individuals rally around a liberty related issue, who were willing to give a little bit of time, or who could raise money, you would have a serious effects on the politics in your county. Whether it’s a Democratic or Republican district wouldn’t matter a whole hell of a lot, it would just be a matter of adjusting your tactics and expectations based on what you had to work with. All politics is local, when you get down to it. Multiply that across every county in the country, and suddenly things start to look a lot different nationwide.

So why hasn’t it happened for liberty issues? Because most people who have a strong understanding of what liberty is have better things to do. I don’t say that with any condescension. I can think, off the top of my head, about two dozen things I’d rather do than volunteer for an election, and at least as many things I’d rather spend my money on than political donations. I’d rather rub elbows with a dog than most politicians. It comes down to what you really value, and I’m not going to bemoan anyone’s choices there. But whether the truth hurts or not, people who love liberty haven’t put enough value on it to do what it takes to make a political constituency for it. That’s why Liberty loses.

Man v. Snake v. Government Bureaucracies

Man wins, at least against the snake. Pit viper bites can be really nasty, and it sounds like Dave got hit by a big one. Rattlesnake venom is hemotoxic, meaning it destroys tissue. This makes a bite from a members of the pit viper family extremely painful, and visibly damaging to the surrounding area. In high enough doses it’s lethal. It looks like reasonably prompt treatment with antivenin managed to save his life.Â While I think we all can agree getting bitten by a snake is a remarkably bad run of luck, the specific type of snake here, the pit viper, is responsible for enough bites of man and beast each year to create a viable market for antivenin, and overcome the hurdles the FDA throws at people making the stuff.

To understand that, you have to understand a bit about antivenin. What is generally done is to inject snake venom into a horse, which causes the horse to produce antibodies against the venom. Those antibodies can be separated from the horse’s blood, purified, preserved, and eventually injected into the victim of a snake bite. The horse antibodies then go to work neutralizing the venom. It sounds great, and it is. The only problem is, there are a significant number of people who are allergic to equine proteins, and who will go into anaphylactic shock as a result of the treatments, never mind the snake bite.

So clearly if you’re dying of a snakebite, we can’t take the risk that you might be allergic to the antivenin. Better that you die of the snake bite, lest anyone blame an FDA bureaucrat for approving it. Fortunately for Dave, the FDA has approved an antivenin for pit viper bites that’s sourced from sheep, rather than horses, which fewer people are allergic to. Enough people and animals get bitten by pit vipers each year to make it economical. But what if you get bit by something else?

Something else, like a Coral Snake. Coral Snake have a venom is a neurotoxic, meaning it attacks the nervous system. The victim of a Coral Snake bite might not feel much in the way of pain, not have limbs bloody and blow up like balloons. In that sense, a bite from the Coral Snake is not as dramatic as bites from species that produce hemotoxic venom. But the victim does stand a very good chance, untreated, of dropping dead a few hours later from respiratory and cardiac arrest, as the venom goes to work on the central nervous system. If you happen to be unlucky enough to get bitten by a Coral Snake, which fortunately are rare, since they are not an aggressive species, you’re pretty much shit out of luck. Why? Well, the last US stocks of existing equine derived Coral Snake antivenin are scheduled to expire, right about now actually. The market for antivenin for that species is too small for there to be an incentive for a pharmaceutical maker to get it approved by the FDA. There are stocks in other countries, like Mexico, but they aren’t of a variety that is approved by the FDA, and no one wants to pay for the studies to prove it’s safe. Like I said, better to let you die of the snake bite.

So there you have it. If you get bit by a snake, make sure it’s from a species our government protectors have deemed we may be saved from, or get bit in Mexico. This chapter in government regulation was brought to you by the letter “H” and “C.”

Little People May Lose their Representative

I’ll never forget the day I walked around the corner of a House office building and nearly had a man run into my chest. Now, I’ll grant you that the man really isn’t that short, but with my height and normal work heels, it would have made things a little awkward if we actually collided. That man was Dennis Kucinich.

So, imagine my surprise when the political folks on my Twitter feed start talking about how he’s polling surprisingly close to his GOP opponent. And now, according to FatWhiteMan, we find out the opponent is pro-gun.

Sorry to the little folks out there, but I’m going to back the man who will vote for gun rights instead. But, if it makes you feel any better, you still have Barbara Boxer who is so short that she has to stand on a box to be seen behind podiums. Although, Carly Fiorna may also take care of her this year – another candidate running on a pro-Second Amendment platform. Beyond those two, I’m not sure who the next shortest Representative/Senator is or will be next year. Carly still isn’t tall, based on what I’ve read she’s only 6 inches taller than Boxer, and that would put her at 5’5″.

This also begs the question: why are the smallest people in the House & Senate the most anti-gun? It would seem they should see value in having access to tools with which to defend themselves.

It’s Official

The anti-gunners have officially endorsed Dan Onorato for governor in Pennsylvania. But remember, he’s not really anti-gun!

Sebastian says they would be fools not to endorse him. However, I disagree and believe that they are fools to do so. The other side has only dabbled in the endorsement game before, and this will be a huge loss to them. They won’t be able to turn out votes on the issue, and if the current polls that run near or over a double digit lead for his opponent hold true in a couple of weeks, it will just be an embarrassment for everyone who got on board.

Onorato has decided to run to the extremes on the issues in these last few days. He has officially said he would veto Castle Doctrine if elected, and he does not support any expansion of the right to defend your own life or that of your family on your own property.

Details aren’t Important

I was thoroughly confused when sometime around 7:35pm on a Sunday night, Congressional candidate Bryan Lentz posted the following Facebook update:

This morning I will be at the Crum Lynne @SEPTA station. Come shake my hand and let me know what you’re thinking.

This morning? At 7:35pm on a Sunday?

It made Sebastian think of this:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA_UfZnqBco[/youtube]

It’s also amusing because it’s the train station he used to go to college every day, and it’s a short walk from his sister’s house & the house that he grew up in.

Signs, Signs, Everywhere There’s Signs

I’ve been paying attention to the number of signs going up around our area during this campaign, and it’s not news that those going up are overwhelmingly GOP signs. What I find startling are the people who are putting up signs.

One property owner on a major road just a mile or so away has never put a single political sign up in all the years I’ve been visiting or living with Sebastian. He now has a massive plywood sign taking up his entire corner for the Republican congressional candidate – Mike Fitzpatrick.

Several homes in our neighborhood have never had political signs up before, and they are now sporting signs for Fitzpatrick, and for the Senate candidate, Pat Toomey.

Almost every house with McCain signs out in 2008 has at least two more GOP signs out this year. Unlike 2008, I have yet to see a single Democrat in our area put up a sign. The only signs we’ve seen for Democrats have been posted by the campaign on public property instead of private lawns. I really didn’t see much in the way of bumper stickers when for Republican candidates in 2008, but now I see them on a few cars parked around the neighborhood.

To say there’s an enthusiasm gap in the signage is an understatement. I know the ultimate sign will be the results on election night, but so far, things are looking pretty good here in Lower Bucks County. In the meantime, I’ll take some time to also enjoy this snippet from the NYT on the Democratic incumbent’s attempt to campaign in the darkest blue portions of the district and getting yelled at by nearly everyone in the neighborhood.

So Many Questions…

Every once in a while, there’s a tweet that can kick start your imagination. The other day, I came across one of those tweets. From @pgPoliTweets:

Watching Smart Talk. Hbg Mayor Thompson just said the solution to downtown crime is to have more vigilantes. Wow!

Harrisburg is bankrupt, so I suppose it could be a cost cutting measure. Regardless, it’s one of those things that makes me happy they accommodate those who choose to carry at the State Capitol since it sounds like folks should be prepared to carry a little more firepower in Harrisburg.

Oh, and I might add that this is a MAIG mayor calling for more vigilantes.

You Can’t Vote for Him, He Kills Puppies

The Democratic Party in Illinois would like you not to vote for Bill Brady because he’s a sick puppy killer. I kid you not:

The bill they are referring to is here, and as you can see, it has nothing to do with puppy holocausts, and has more to do with approving a method of euthanasia, a practice widely accepted for suffering animals. The method that is being approved here is accepted practice by the American Veterinary Medical Association, an organization well known to advocate puppy genocide.

A Strange New World

So I reported a few days ago on the Joe Manchin ad, where he’s shown shooting the cap and trade bill. Well, the GOP has apparently become worried that the Democrats, the wild, crazy gunslingers we all know them to be, areÂ promoting a bad message when it comes to children being able to safely handle guns:

At the same time, Mike Stuart, chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party, chastised Manchin for not wearing safety gear when he fired the rifle.

“My children were watching,” Stuart said in a news release. “Where was his blaze orange clothing, his ear protection, his eye protection? … It is too bad the governor sent some very bad messages to the youth of West Virginia.”

Stuart believes Manchin should’ve been wearing orange clothing when taking aim at the cap-and-trade bill.

I’m not sure about the blaze orange. Who wears that shooting paper? Plus, as far as I know, there’s no season or bag limit for rent seeking, federal power grabbing bills. At least there shouldn’t be, since I’m pretty sure we can all agree that congressional bills have been responsible for significant depredation of the country.

This is a strange world we’re living in, folks. When the Democrats have become the wild gunslingers, and the GOP are the stodgy, “You better do that safely, lest my little Johnny start handling my guns with reckless abandon,” it’s hard to argue we haven’t completely won the culture war on the gun issue, at least in some parts of the country. I can only imagine the abject horror the Bradys must be feeling as they are watching all this go down.

Bryan Lentz Loses the Teamsters

Nobody can say that politics is boring this year. We’ve got angry independents, tea parties, bumbling Republicans, Democrats who can’t even get people to remember they are on the ballot, and outside groups pouring money into Pennsylvania to try and shake things up (or keep them the same – depending on their interests).

The Teamsters just withdrew their endorsement of Bryan Lentz in PA-7 yesterday. This can’t be good for him.

The district was represented by a Republican until 2006 when the FBI announced an investigation surrounding the GOP incumbent right before election day. The race had not been on anyone’s radar until that point. Suddenly, the Republican was booted out and the investigation lead to absolutely squat. Since then, it seems to have highlighted just how far left the primary counties in the district have gone. Even in a landmark year like this, polling hasn’t put the Republican former US Attorney terribly far ahead. Charlie Cook has it as a Lean R and Larry Sabato has it as a Toss-Up.

But, that said, Lentz can’t afford to lose any votes. And having a major Democratic interest group tell its members that they shouldn’t bother voting for you? Well, that’s not good. In fact, I would argue that a withdrawn endorsement is probably worse than having never had an endorsement at all, though I admit to not having much to back that up rather than gut feeling and a general knowledge of how NRA members would likely handle it if it happened on our issue.

With this news just adding to the excitement, I guess I should go buy some popcorn. Think they have the Christmas tubs on sale yet? This is going to be one very amusing election night.