No one in the Republican Party likes John McCain. This is the conclusion I am beginning to come to. I have been asking my friends still in the GOP, and all who support McCain are doing so only out of a sense of duty or party loyalty. To put it bluntly, they support Senator McCain because he is not Senator Clinton or Senator Obama. Though they are not happy with his support for amnesty, stem cell research, campaign finance and a host of other conservative-issue compromises, they are willing to settle for the lesser of two evils.
Most conservatives I know are deeply disturbed by the results of this year’s election. What happened? Where is the conservative-standard bearer we were all hoping for? I think the more important question that must be asked is this – if conservatives do not like McCain, how in the world did he get the nomination?
Some would suggest that the conservative vote was siphoned off by a number of different candidates. In other words, conservatives failed to back one candidate and so their support was weakened by supporting a number of different candidates such as Fred Thompson, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. Yet, as I recall, conservatives were not happy with those selections either, and with good reason.
The truth is, there were real conservatives in this race – Tom Tancredo, Duncan Hunter, Ron Paul and Alan Keyes. However, no one was willing to throw their support behind these men. Their conservative message and principles never caught on within their own party – at least on a national level.
It is time to wake up and realize what has happened here. The Republican Party, quite frankly, is no longer a conservative party. Conservative parties are made up of conservative voters who nominate conservative candidates. The GOP did not even come close to this. It is time conservatives understood this, they have been betrayed.
So what is a conservative voter to do? They could support the lesser of two evils, hold their nose, and cast their vote for McCain – the lesser of two evils. At least that way we prevent a Democrat from taking office. Of course, should you choose this route, please realize you have done nothing to promote your own values or principles. You will have still failed to elect a conservative.
Is there another option? Yes. We can follow the lead of Dr. Alan Keyes. A lifelong Republican, Dr. Keyes has announced he has finally had enough. On April 15, he announced his departure from the Republican Party? Where will he go? He is openly expressed a desire to run with the Constitution Party.
As I Constitution Party member since 2006, I admire the courage of Dr. Keyes and others like him. I too had to make this decision, and it was not easy. But enough was enough. I could no longer support a party who refuses to protect our borders or even to protect innocent human life in the womb. You have to draw the line somewhere.
This year is an exciting year for the Constitution Party. On April 26, next Friday, we will select our Presidential nominee. Our two leading candidates are Dr. Alan Keyes and Dr. Chuck Baldwin. Unlike the choices in other parties, our nomination is between two excellent candidates, either of whom I would be more than happy to support.
Dr. Alan Keyes is a proven champion of family and moral values. Our country does not have a more passionate, eloquent defender of the pro-life cause. Dr. Keyes’s name recognition and national campaign operation would be a valuable asset to the party. Just his name alone would attract more people into our fold. Learn more by logging on to www.alankeyes.com.
Dr. Chuck Baldwin was our 2004 Vice Presidential candidate, an outspoken pastor not afraid to speak out on the issues that matter most. He is often referred to as the “Conscience of the Constitution Party.” Baldwin hosts a daily radio program and writes a widely syndicated newspaper column. Learn more by logging on to www.chuckbaldwinlive.com.
Both candidates have their strong points and their weak points. But, either way, we will have a strong candidate who will fight to restore the Constitution and defend the liberties we hold so dear.
To my fellow conservatives still remaining in the GOP, I say this, haven’t you had enough? Aren’t you tired of being in a party where your views are merely tolerated, instead of championed? Come, take a brave step of faith, and join us over here. You’ll have a home with others who are like-minded. Do we have a chance of winning? Some say no. I say otherwise. Yet ultimately, this decision rests in your hands. Candidates are elected only have the people have spoken. How will you use your voice? Should you chose to support McCain, he may just win and our candidate would lose. If enough patriots decided to vote their conscience, then there is absolutely no telling what could happen.
Two weeks ago it was my humble honor to walk upon the famous Lexington Green in Lexington, MA. Here, hundreds of years ago, a shot was heard around the world, the start of a war that would lead to our country’s independence. This war was waged not between two armies of equal strength and might, but between the most power army on the face of the earth and rag-tag bunch of farmers with little to no battle experience. Yet, within this much smaller “army,” was a desire for freedom that would never be satisfied with anything less than their liberty. One author once told us to never doubt a small group of concerned citizens who claim they will change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.
Will we win? The choice is yours? Do you have the courage to make the right decision?
Kevin Thompson is an Assistant Pastor in MA, a former candidate for the US House of representatives, as well as a member of the Constitution Party of Massachusetts state committee. You can visit his website at www.kevinjthompson.info, read his blog at http://kevinjthompson.wordpress.com, or listen to him weekly on the Understanding our Times internet radio broadcast at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/understandingourtimes.