One of the most disliked, liberal Republicans in the Senate used money from conservatives who can't stand him to win reelection against the far more conservative candidate.
John McCain easily beat JD Hayworth in the Republican primary for Senate this year, but the reason why is disturbing. The vast majority of the money he spent, $18 million out of a total of almost $24 million, came from contributions to his prior presidential campaign, not this Senate campaign. Many people who contributed to his presidential campaign – including myself – contributed because of Sarah Palin, not McCain. To have our money used against a better conservative candidate we prefer in a different race is despicable. It was even more insulting for me personally since my money was used by McCain's staffers (who proudly refer to themselves as the "McCain Mafia") in vicious personal attacks against me, as Director of Social Media for Hayworth's campaign. By the end of the campaign, I had blocked almost every one of them on Twitter due to reprehensible behavior that was condoned (I believe encouraged) by their boss.
In contrast, Hayworth spent only $2.4 million. It was difficult for him to raise money because McCain had already locked in many high-level donors through threats and strong-arming. The McCain Mafia would accost potential contributors by warning them, "The Senator would be very disappointed if you did not contribute the full amount ($2,400 in the primary, or $4,800 per couple)."
In addition to the advantage of a massive warchest funded largely by conservatives who opposed him, there were three other dishonest things McCain did to win. First of all, he ran as a conservative. He spent the vast majority of his money on TV ads that played nonstop around the clock portraying himself as a border security hawk. One of the misleading spots showed him walking along the border fence with the second most popular Sheriff in the state.
In reality, McCain's record is terrible. He has an 81% lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union, which dipped to its lowest ever in 2008, 63%, due to voting for the billion dollar pork TARP bailouts. The main bills he has co-sponsored were left-leaning bills with Democrats: Cap and Trade with Joe Lieberman, amnesty with Ted Kennedy, and an assault on free speech with Russ Feingold.
McCain's second disturbing tactic was to aggressively smear JD Hayworth. He went after JD Hayworth in cruel ways vastly different from the soft approach he took with Obama. If McCain had ran against Obama as hard as he ran against JD, he would probably be president now. He falsely portrayed Hayworth as a liberal. It would be laughable if it hadn't been so effective. Because McCain could afford to run TV ads round the clock on Arizona's TV stations, he was able to fool a majority of Arizona's Republicans and Independents into believing he was the conservative in the race. In reality, JD Hayworth has a 98% lifetime rating from the American Conservative Union over his 12 years in Congress – the same score as the most conservative member of the Senate, Jim DeMint! Over 16 Tea Parties, located mostly in Arizona, endorsed Hayworth. Virtually no Tea Parties endorsed McCain or the third Republican candidate, Jim Deakin.
Since McCain couldn't beat Hayworth substantively on the issues, he brought up red herrings instead. He accused Hayworth of being a big pork barrel spender and earmarker, blaming him for bills like the Bridge to Nowhere in Alaska. The truth is that Hayworth wasn't behind any of those pork earmarks – those were regular bills (transportation, border security, appropriations, etc.) where other members of Congress had tacked on pork or earmarks. Contrast this with McCain's votes for the billion dollar pork TARP bailouts, and the military base earmarks McCain has brought home for Arizona and it is clear who the real porker/earmarker is. But due to Hayworth's lack of money, he was not able to get the truth out to enough voters.
McCain spent millions on a TV commercial blasting Hayworth as a fiscal hypocrite for appearing in an infomercial for free government grants. Again, JD did not have the money to get the full story out to the voters. The truth is that JD did hundreds of commercials as a radio talkshow host for a variety of businesses, and the prior spokesman for the grant company was former Representative JC Watts, who assured Hayworth it was a legitimate venture. McCain never attacked JC Watts. Hayworth was not advertising to expand government grants, he was simply advertising how to apply for them – just like one might advertise for school vouchers or tax credits. Conservatives may not agree with government set asides, but as long as we're stuck with the redistribution system, we might as well take advantage of every tax break we can. The real hypocrisy is that McCain has lengthy information posted on his website on how to apply for free government grant money.
Third, McCain threatened and shook down prominent conservatives into endorsing him. He enlisted Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney to campaign in Arizona for him. Insiders knew their campaigning was fake, since Mitt Romney had a bitter relationship with McCain during the presidential campaign, and Palin had not spoken to McCain in over a year since the presidential election. At first she wouldn't even take his phone calls. She notably failed to tweet about her visit even as she was tweeting about a concurrent trip to Searchlight, Nevada for a Tea Party rally against Harry Reid. She reportedly refused to come out and campaign a second time for him.
McCain threatened anyone with talent from working for Hayworth. Many well-respected political consultants turned down campaign positions on the Hayworth campaign due to threats to their careers from the McCain Mafia. I was threatened three times by the McCain Mafia, but fortunately the latter two threats were ineffective, since I had left my government position working for a politician, so my employment could not be put in jeopardy. As a result, the Hayworth team had a campaign staff of 10 to the McCain staff of 24.
National Review and Newsmax endorsed McCain, no doubt due to their publishers or managements' close ties to McCain. Mark Levin, who has written numerous articles for National Review exposing McCain's liberal record, wrote a response objecting to their flawed endorsement. McCain suckered Arizona Right to Life PAC, the NRA, and Citizens Against Government Waste into endorsing him even though Hayworth had higher ratings from them, and even though the vast majority of their constituents as well as most of their leadership preferred Hayworth. Much of their former leadership came out and endorsed Hayworth.
McCain and his team told countless prominent conservatives in Arizona who had endorsed him in the presidential general election that he was transferring their endorsements to the Senate race – even if those conservatives preferred Hayworth. When some of those conservatives objected, McCain's Mafia was vicious in their responses and forced many of them to back down. Some finally spoke up and defied McCain anyways, backing Hayworth.
There were additional factors that worked to McCain's advantage. One that undoubtedly helped was his POW status. It is difficult for some voters – particularly veterans – to fathom voting a POW out of office. Unlike other vulnerable Republican incumbents like Bob Bennett of Utah, McCain had this built-in protection, which he never ceased to mention in speeches. He failed to mention his terrible history of voting against veterans.
A third Republican candidate ran as a conservative and took votes away from Hayworth, Jim Deakin. Although Deakin had zero experience in politics, raised barely any money, and had a home in foreclosure proceedings, he refused to drop out of the race. As of the time this article is being written, with only a few thousand votes left to count, Deakin has garnered almost 12% of the vote.
The media wholeheartedly supported McCain, purposely giving scant coverage to the race – one of the hottest U.S. Senate races in the country – yet the talkshows had McCain as a guest every week to discuss other things. Even Fox News sold out, due to owner Rupert Murdoch's close friendship with McCain. McCain appeared on Fox News every week discussing everything but the race, sounding tough on border security with his past history of co-sponsoring amnesty with Ted Kennedy mostly overlooked. The print press limited its coverage of the race to mostly negative news about Hayworth.
When you do the math (there will be a few thousand more votes coming in after this article is written, so this number may drop ever so slightly) McCain paid $80 for each vote. What a champion of "campaign finance reform."
McCain isn't done spending money in this race. Many conservatives and Tea Partiers in Arizona are outraged and have decided to support a third party candidate. There is a Libertarian candidate, David Nolan, and a fairly conservative independent write-in candidate, Ian Gilyeat. Other JD supporters will just not vote, or will write in JD Hayworth.
This race will go down in history as one of the sleaziest bought out campaigns ever – John McCain's legacy.
Coverage during the race
Why and how John McCain could lose the General Election
RINOHunters PAC Names John McCain as Key RINO of 2010 Season
Right Wing Housewife launches "John McCain can't buy my VOTE for $20 million!"
John McCain tells Hannity he won't oppose birthright citizenship for illegal immigrant babies
Photos of 2000 attending Tea Party on the Border with Sheriff Arpaio, JD Hayworth, Schweikert
John McCain Won't Reverse Anchor Baby Citizenship Status for Babies Born to Illegal Immigrants
Prolife Arizona chooses JD Hayworth over McCain
McCain Tries to Blackmail Hayworth to Support Amnesty Bill
Tea Parties Produce Another Video for JD Hayworth
John McCain: Bringing Home More Pork for Arizona
16 Tea Parties Endorse JD Hayworth Over John McCain for U.S. Senate
Sheriff Joe Arpaio explains why he is endorsing JD Hayworth over John McCain
East Valley Tea Party straw poll: JD Hayworth trounces McCain 60-3
JD Hayworth will be the finest US Senator from Arizona in our era
Video of Hayworth v. McCain on birthright citizenship
Arizona Tea Parties put on RINO retirement party for John McCain
Video: McCain's kid glove treatment running against Obama v. his bitter attacks on JD
Another Real John McCain website exposes his ties to Abramoff
Angry Right Wing Housewife sticks it to McCain in clever sticky note video
National Tea Party group heeds the call to retire John McCain
John McCain says scantily-dressed Snooki is too good-looking to go to jail
Tea Parties start new website, ArizonaMiracle.com, for JD Hayworth volunteering
McCain calls JD a "pig" AGAIN v. McCain defended Obama from namecalling
McCain's staffer who dressed up as pig gets spanked by 5-year old!
McCain stars as "Flipper" in flip-flop video
Red State: The Failure of John McCain
McCain spends over $100k to fight JD Hayworth, yet poll shows McCain still around 50%
John McCain and Harry Reid: Two of the same
Palin takes shot at McCain camp for not defending her
UK Guardian: JD could toppled McCain in a right wing rebellion
Bait and switch web ad launched
Hayworth releases "McCain's Amnesty" TV ad
McCain calls Hayworth "pig" during debate
Another Tea Party group endorses Hayworth
Who is the REAL Arizona Tea Party Senate Candidate?
When we nominate a RINO like John McCain for President, we get a disaster like Barack Obama
Why I support JD Hayworth and oppose John McCain
John McCain’s character does matter
John McCain Again Turns to Homosexual Mark Buse to Lead Re-Election Campaign
Glenn Beck: John McCain worse than Barack Obama
McCain Spokesman was Hoaxster Al Gore’s Research Director
John McCain Embraces ACORN, SEIU
Tea Parties run ad in the sky "John McCain = Amnesty"
The Group behind McCain and Deakin Attacks on JD Hayworth
And John McCain calls JD Hayworth "Disrespectful"
TEA Party releases new video of JD Hayworth Endorsement
Michelle Malkin Reaffirms Endorsement of JD Hayworth
JD Hayworth Announces TEA Party Endorsements, Contract with Arizona
JD Hayworth Releases New Ad: John McCain made illegal immigration problem worse
Ask John McCain for YOUR Money back!
Charles Black Withdraws Endorsement of Jim Deakin
John McCain continues to lose respect, his dignity
Poll: Who won the 2nd Arizona Republican Senate Debate? JD, 61% to McCain's 7%
John McCain: Unstatesman-like, Unbecoming of a US Senator
The making of a John McCain attack video
Why this Vietnam POW is supporting JD over McCain
Sonoran Alliance poll: Should Deakin bow out of race?"
Why John McCain should vote for JD Hayworth for the U.S. Senate
Ji m Deakin: Part of the McCain strategy to win?
Vietnam POW, friend of McCain, endorses JD Hayworth
Jim Deakin: "Tea Party Activist" or wannabe McCain?
MSNBC Schultz on McCain: "Biggest political opportunist of the century"
McCain's new word for amnesty: "Regularize"
New York Magazine article on McCain: Palin wouldn't even return his phone calls
JD trounces McCain in AZ Tea Party poll
Rocky Mountain Poll doctored to give McCain big lead over Hayworth
Haywort h thanks Selig for keeping All-Star Game in Phoenix despite protesters
McCain "chose lying" then; is doing same now
JD Hayworth massively leading McCain in Sonoran News poll
McCain has flip-flopped from right to left to save his Arizona seat in the Senate
Slate: The Saddest Senator – Why John McCain has become so painful to watch
Richardson counting on McCain pro-amnesty vote
McCain shape-shifter; no statesman
Hayworth launches first television ad
Senator McCain urged to let go, retire
Why is Deakin staying in the race, taking votes away from Hayworth, helping McCain?
National Review sells out (was threatened?) and endorses Hayworth over McCain
Arizona Republic, John McCain="Epic Fail"
The Tea Party race of the year
McCain: A maverick La Raza can rely upon
Mark Levin discusses on his radio show why he is supporting Hayworth over McCain
McCain, Obama – Allies for Amnesty
Never-bef ore released video of McCain with convicted felon
Another National Review writer disagrees with its endorsement of McCain over Hayworth
John McCain still supports amnesty and knows it – numerous video clips
Why Jim Deakin Should Support JD Hayworth for the US Senate
Morning Joe: Remembering John McCain’s dirty politics & dirty campaigning
Joe Scarborough: "John McCain is NOT a Conservative!"
Neil Cavuto on John McCain: "You Have No Convictions"
John McCain and the Keating Five
If it's Sunday, it's John McCain on the TV news shows
Mark Levin responds to National Review's bizarre endorsement of McCain over Hayworth
Video of Jim Deakin: Says he has 20% support when he has only 7%
Hayworth releases three videos disputing McCain's charges
McCain must come clean on lobbyist ties
Where's McCain? Fails to join 8 Senators denouncing Obama's amnesty plan
McCain hypocritically hides free government grant info off his website today
Hayworth statement on National Grant Conferences
Hypocrisy: McCain website prominently contains lengthy info on how to receive government grants
McCain's Millions on Ads Misfiring; Poll Shows he Faces the "Specter" of Defeat
More Silly, Spurious, Speciousness from Team McCain
Who’s the Real Lobbyist? John McCain or JD Hayworth?
John McCain: Hypocrite on lobbyists
National Review's Mark Levin slams McCain's record – he's no conservative even on earmarks/spending
Biggest McCain flip-flop ever – says he never supported amnesty
AP: Bailout vote could claim 2 more GOP lawmakers (bad news for McCain)
NY Times: McCain is running just to stay in place
Company behind the infomercial JD Hayworth appeared in donated $9,400 to McCain
Hundreds show up for Sheriff Arpaio's BBQ birthday party with JD Hayworth
Another Arizona Tea Party video against McCain
McCain challenged to debate on "Any Given Sunday">
Another Arizona Tea Party group endorses Hayworth
McCain frivolous FEC complaint rejected
Convicted Ponzi scheme criminal Rothstein was top contributor to McCain's campaign
Hayworth calls on McCain to admit knowing Rothstein
More McCain Ponzi problems; dirty money donors three, four and five
John Fund: John McCain was all about Washington
Politico lists McCain as one of top two Senators most likely to be ousted next in their primary
Yet another McCain donor pleads guilty in elaborate Ponzi scheme
McCain urged to establish fund for Ponzi victims whose money ended up financing his campaign
McCain's convenient loss of memory regarding his friendship with convicted Ponzi scheme contributor
John McCain fundraiser sentenced to 50 years for $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme
Quotes you never heard before from John McCain
McCain senior advisor Grant Woods was fined for hiring illegal immigrant nanny
Ward campaign clarifies TV ad featuring Ward's former Treasurer supporting McCain
New McCain ad features woman who chooses Dem. Harry Mitchell over JD Hayworth
McCain’s Senior Advisor Grant Woods: "To be an Arizonan is to be a part of Mexico"
McCain's staff switch breaks spirit of his own campaign finance law
McCain: Twisting and contorting the facts
Feds investigating McCain donors; campaign lied about money
A third liberal Republican loses their primary….McCain will be next
McCain tweets TV reality star Snooki from Jersey Shore, promises not to tax her tanning bed
The Hill: McCain gets heat at town hall
McCain owes apology to donors who donated through felon
McCain ad stretches the truth, again
McCain's real position is clear – Pro-Amnesty
What do these three Senators have in common?
AP: Fierce struggle for McCain to retain AZ seat
JD Hayworth: What the petition signature numbers tell us in the Senate race
McCain makes time for Town Hall in Mesa but not to debate JD Hayworth
McCain stood with Janet Napolitano protesting Prop. 200, the anti-illegal immigration intiative
McCain begging for money to launch more vicious attacks ads on Hayworth
Secrets Exposed! The book Game Change reveals unprofessional personal behavior of McCain
"Barely passing" John McCain – "Graduated fifth from the bottom of my class"
More Arizona Right to Life leaders defect over McCain endorsement
McCain guts campaign leadership
Momentu m! JD Hayworth collects signatures at more than three times the rate of McCain campaign
McCain dodges debate for 100 days; yet plenty of time for angry town halls in town
McCain's dismal record on earmarks & spending: It's time for him to go!
Former NRA President endorses Hayworth
It's time for McCain to retire…give up the keys it's Hayworth's time to drive
Carl Cameron from Fox News: "McCain's Last Stand"
Video: McCain at Los Suns game instead of Stand With Arizona rally
Video of JD Hayworth on Meet the Press discussing SB1070
Politico on McCain: What's that smell? The Worst Campaigns of 2010
Who is dumber, JD Hayworth or McCain?
Shameful McCain web ad blasted by Hayworth campaign
Bogus attacks by McCain campaign on JD Hayworth about his knowledge of WWII and war against Germany
AP: Fierce Struggle for McCain to Retain Arizona Seat
Life Decisions International: Pro-life leaders favor Hayworth over McCain
Desperat ion: McCain rips off the AZ Right to Life website
McCain polling as poorly as Arlen Specter – and Specter lost
AZ Right to Life endorses McCain: I resign
Hayworth has better record than McCain on pro-life issues
Bob Bennett ousted in GOP primary over TARP….Is McCain next?
McCain flip-flopping on TARP; pretends he only supported billion dollar mortgage bailouts
Front page Arizona Republic article calls McCain out on border security flip-flopping
JD Hayworth launches "The Complete Danged Truth" website
Rep. John Shadegg and Joe Scarborough mock McCain's "Danged Fence" ad
Washington Post's The Fix: Has John McCain started to panic?
Respected political analyst Charlie Cook calls race "dead even"
McCain labeled flip-flopper by media
Glenn Beck RIPS John McCain this morning!
Hayworth challenges McCain to challenge Kagan
Utah Senator Bob Bennett ousted from GOP primary due to TARP support; will McCain be next?
JD Hayworth launches social networking site for supporters
McCain attacking JD Hayworth much more than he attacked Obama
Candid interview with JD from a citizen in Tucson
JD reaches $255,100 goal of money bomb to put video ads on TV
Arizona Republic columnist on McCain refusing to debate JD: "This time, JD is right"
"Stop Running! – Let's Debate!" Says Hayworth
From SB1070 to JD's book on illegal immigration: "Whatever it Takes"
Deakin risks his political future in AZ by staying in Senate race; is he a secret McCain ally?
Jim Deakin, helping McCain get reelected?
McCain calls Goldman Sachs "unethical" despite taking their money
JD Hayworth only US Senate candidate in Arizona to sign AFP's No Climate Tax pledge
Promine nt Republicans seek refunds from Crist; McCain has close ties, refuses to
Hayworth re-issues debate challenge to McCain; 65 days since he first asked
Video: Have you met the two McCains?
Poll shows Hayworth leading McCain among conservatives
More speculation on whether McCain will run as an Independent like Crist
Video: JD Hayworth takes McCain and SB1070 on Fox News
Video: JD Hayworth responds to McCain's election year conversion on border security
Haywort h welcomes Gov. Brewer's signature on SB1070
Arizona Police Association endorses JD Hayworth for Senate
Michelle Malkin endorses JD Hayworth
Quid pro quo? Top contributors to McCain's campaign benefited from pork bailouts he voted for
McCain's long history of flip-flopping on gay marrage
John McCain's whimsical world of conservatism
Tucson Border Patrol union denounces McCain's election year conversion on border security
TwiceRight.c om: Young Conservative puts forth "My case for JD Hayworth"
Hayworth calls McCain's new immigration plan "Election Year Gimmick"
Which John McCain is the real John McCain? The maverick or someone who denies he's a maverick?
Syndicated Columnist Leonard Pitts: R.I.P.: Paying Final Tribute to John McCain's Deceased Integrity
Border Agents Accuse McCain of Being a "Sellout"
New Rasmussen Poll Shows McCain Collapsing
Rasmussen: McCain lead over Hayworth plummets to under 5 points
Video of McCain running from camera when asked about JD Hayworth!
Hayworth v. McCain: How to Put the Fear of God into the GOP
Hayworth Exceeds $1 Million in Donations in First Six Weeks – raising money faster than Rubio
JD Hayworth on Arizona's sanctuary city bill
McCain crude ad attacking Hayworth backfires; criticized by leading strategists on both sides
Hayworth to McCain: Stop Stalling Debates
Hayworth endorsed by National Association of Police Organizations
The Daily Caller: McCain should run as an Independent
Bo rder-line Delusional: John McCain in his own words
Worl d Magazine: McCain's reputation for crossing party lines costing him with his base
Hayworth Pledges Obamacare Repeal, McCain Lags Behind
Intervi ew with Pajamas Media: JD drafted the tax cuts that McCain opposed
Jon Stewart's Daily Show documents McCain's flip-flops: Say Anything
New Non-Maverick McCain running for US Senate
Wal l Street Journal calls McCain out on new flip-flop claiming he is not a maverick
Haywort h v. McCain analogous to Tea Party v. D.C.
More evidence of McCain flip-flopping on calling himself a maverick
McCa in supporters inaccurately attack Maricopa GOP for hosting JD at event
News week: Another McCain flip-flop – now denies he's a maverick
Samuel J. "Joe The Plumber" Wurzelbacher on JD Hayworth
Sar ah Palin's Folly: Stumping for John McCain
The Terry Anderson Show features catchy folk song, "McCain's Gotta Go"
An other Tea Party group leaning towards Hayworth: Tea Party Express
Joe the Plumber and JD Hayworth headline Ax the Tax rally in Phoenix; McCain noticeably absent
McCain performing poorly in Fox News poll, "Can McCain save his seat?"
Pali n unable to save McCain, only 2500 show up for rally in greater Phoenix area
Pali n rally in Tucson full of dissenters and JD Hayworth supporters
Fox News coverage of the Sarah Palin Supporters for JD Hayworth facebook page
NY Daily News: McCain "fighting for his political life" against Hayworth
Ha yworth endorses tough AZ immigration bill; McCain stays silent
Sign the Stop McCain Amnesty Petition
JD talks candidly with voters in Sierra Vista about his differences with McCain
Los Angeles Times: McCain facing toughest reelection battle in two decades
Who shares your values? McCain v. Hayworth
Top 10 reasons conservatives dislike McCain
McCai n and Keating: 'Till Death Do Us Part'
McCain supporter leaves despicable comment insulting blue-collar workers
Right Wing News interview with JD Hayworth asks all the tough questions
Prot est in Tucson against Sarah Palin campaigning for McCain gaining momentum
Prominent McCain endorser Grover Norquist funneled money from Abramoff
Joe the Plumber on collision course with McCain-Palin
McC ain attacks Hayworth for voting for border security bill
McCain's millions buy typically misleading Washington ad
JD Hayworth trounces MSNBC's liberal Rachel Maddow
Te a Partiers produce powerful video for JD Hayworth
Tea Party movement finds McCain its least-liked Republican
Ne w facebook group: John McCain Farewell Tour 2010
Ev en liberal AZ Republic slams McCain over flip-flopping
McCa in claims amnesia then flip-flops on bill he proposed with Democrat
New Ad asks, "What has McCain done for Arizona?" Nothing
Border Patrol Council endorses JD Hayworth
Ha yworth Opposes McCain's Anti-Small Business Legislation
Look s like Glenn Beck is endorsing JD Hayworth over McCain
McCain's false "birther" attacks on Hayworth
Tax Day Tea Party endorses Hayworth
McCain calls open borders opponents Nazis
Video of Mark Levin explaining his endorsement of Hayworth
JD Hayworth: Sole conservative candidate for US Senate
Ma jor endorsement: Gun Owners of America endorses Hayworth
With Hayworth, has McCain met his Waterloo
John McCain's TARP claim cowardly
Los Angeles Times compares Hayworth-McCain race to Rubio-Crist race
Major immigration group endorses Hayworth
McC ain blames everyone else except himself for voting for TARP pork bailouts
Hayworth endorsed by Phoenix Law Enforcement Union
McC ain criticizes Hayworth for voting for funding "Snakes in Guam" – yet voted for them himself
8 Reasons why Conservative Should Back JD Hayworth
Meghan McCain opposing traditional marriage on Twitter
Joe the Plumber goes off on McCain, said he "screwed up my life"
Why JD Hayworth will beat McCain for US Senate
Letter to Sarah Palin from a Maricopa County Republican Officer
Senato r Jim DeMint's Senate Conservative Fund backs conservative candidates – but not McCain
Mc Cain refused to sign Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge
Dic k Armey's FreedomWorks clarification: He did not endorse McCain
McC ain flip-flops on cap and trade, global warming
Don Goldwater urges support for JD Hayworth
Sheriff Joe Arpaio launches national fundraising appeal for JD Hayworth
Me ghan McCain blasts Tea Party movement, Palin on The View
Gr aph contrasts Hayworth's consistent conservative record with McCain's sporadic spiraling record
Treas ury Secretary Paulson calls out McCain's financial crisis bluff in new book
JD Hayworth: Why I will Challenge John McCain
Wall Street Journal: McCain "facing a surprisingly strong primary challenge from the right"
Jos eph Farah of WorldNetDaily predicts Hayworth will beat McCain for US Senate
Arg uments I never expected: Hayworth is no more conservative than McCain
Mc Cain approval ratings drop to Keating-Five levels
McC ain straight derailed: Taxpayer group ranks Hayworth better on spending
JD Hayworth tied with McCain in Senate race poll – and he hasn't even entered the race yet
Yes, Rachel, I understand your disappointment and I have not been following the race close, but regardless of the money I think JD beat himself the same way McCain beat himself in 2008. Even before the election in 08 I thouhgt “Why can’t we find a better man?” and “If we are going to lose, why don’t we pick a Goldwater type and do it right”
Ivan, how could we have picked a better candidate than someone who has a 98% lifetime from the ACU? No matter who went up against McCain, McCain would have found a way to smear them and make them look flawed with his $25 million. McCain could have made Mother Teresa look flawed – and would have if that’s what took for him to win.
I’m not an AZ voter, so I don’t know how to answer your question. I also do not listen to the opposition when it comes to judging a candidate, or anyone else for that matter. I listen to what the person says himself. The few times I saw Hayworth and listened to what he said I was not impressed. Now that election is over and I’ll be damned if I would support the Democrat in the next vote.
How anyone could support Sarah Palin is really beyond me, especially after she proved herself to be such an accomplished LIAR. The whole world knew that John McCain was no conservative. Yet, she told this BIG LIE time after time after time, that McCain was a true conservative. She got you to contribute to the McCain presidential campaign, and she got you to vote for him. It is beyond me why you could not see this at that time, as the lies flowed from her lips, that McCain and Palin are two peas from a single pod. He picked her as a running mate, because he could sense that her commitment to principle was no more than skin deep just like his, and that she was driven mostly by ambition just like him, and that for a chance to get a grab at the golden ring of (national) political power, she would tell whatever lies she needed to tell. And that’s what she did. She told a multitude of whoppers, especially in regards to McCain’s conservative credentials. How many times did she tell the American people that John McCain was a true conservative? Dozens of times. And every time she said that, she was uttering the Big Lie. In doing this, she was selling her soul to the devil in exchange for a mess of political pottage, which the American people, thankfully, grabbed out of her hand. However, once you sell your soul to the devil, the path to freedom requires repentance. I have not heard any repentance from her. In fact, she was a useful tool in helping McCain destroy the real conservative in the race, JD Hayworth. She continues to serve her master, and that is not a master of light.
I’ve personally never been much of a John McCain fan. Ever since McCain/Feingold, which I believed to be an encroachment on free speech, was enacted I’ve had little use for John McCain. I grew even more distant of him when he came out in favor of Amnesty in 2006.
My belief regarding the 2008 campaign is that we, as republicans, were saddled with John McCain. The liberal media decided he was the most beatable republican and so began giving him much favorable coverage. Even the liberal pundits said that McCain was a republican they could work with.
I cannot, for the life of me, understand why someone that ran such a weak presidential campaign could turn around and run such a vicious Senate Primary. That, plus the fact of the dollars spent goes to show how committed he is to keeping money out of politics. $20 million must be some kind of record for a Senate primary election. I’ll be willing to wager he doesn’t spend nearly as much in the election as he did in the primary. Just what Arizona needs, a Senator in his upper 70’s being wheel-chaired into the Senate a-la Robert Byrd, to cast a vote. You get the representation you ask for I guess.
Maybe someone needs to watch Jim Deakin’s finances closely. I wonder if John McCain will do something to influence Jim’s foreclosure.
With regard to Sarah Palin. Even with the closeness of the Alaska Senatorial primary; it’s close enough to call it a ‘victory’ for her. She swept the field on political endorsements. As for GoldenEagles comment about Sarah being an accomplished liar I would ask him/her to name a national politician that is not an accomplished liar.
Her political acumen so far in this election cycle, plus the myriad of mis-steps Barack Obama has made since winning the presidency puts paid to that old stall about Sarah Palin not being ready for prime time. My guess is that she could out Commander-in-Chief Barack Obama with a hand tied behind her back. She certainly couldn’t do any worse.
Bill Wavering says, “As for GoldenEagles comment about Sarah being an accomplished liar I would ask him/her to name a national politician that is not an accomplished liar.”
I will give you five examples of national politicians who are not accomplished liars.
Bill Wavering says, “I cannot, for the life of me, understand why someone that ran such a weak presidential campaign could turn around and run such a vicious Senate Primary.”
That is a very astute point of curiosity.
To understand this, you need to think outside the secular box. But the principles are not difficult to grasp. Both candidates have been lifelong servants of the forces of darkness, which means that their astral bodies can be manipulated, by demonic forces, through the application of high intensity anger, and hatred, to move against those who represent any degree of attunement with the Purposes of God.
The forces of darkness did not motivate McCain to go into an attack mode against Obama. McCain actually feels more kinship with Obama, than he does with most members of the Republican Party. But they did motivate him to move to destroy JD Hayworth, as Hayworth, while not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, represents the Forces of Light, or as some would say, traditional values.
That is the beginning and the end of the reason why McCain wanted to cuddle Obama in his lap, and run Hayworth over with his armored SUV.
Sarah Palin is in McCain’s camp. She participated in the destruction of Hayworth.
Bill Wavering says, “As for GoldenEagles comment about Sarah being an accomplished liar I would ask him/her to name a national politician that is not an accomplished liar.”
I will give you five examples of national politicians who are not accomplished liars.
1. President George Washington was not an accomplished liar.
2. President Thomas Jefferson was not an accomplished liar.
3. President Abraham Lincoln was not an accomplished liar.
4. President Ronald Reagan was not an accomplished liar.
5. President George W. Bush was not an accomplished liar.
Bill Wavering says, “I cannot, for the life of me, understand why someone that ran such a weak presidential campaign could turn around and run such a vicious Senate Primary.”
That is a very astute point of curiosity. To understand this, you need to think outside the box. But the principles are not difficult to grasp. Both of these men, Obama, and McCain, have been lifelong servants of the forces of darkness, which means that their astral bodies can be manipulated, by demonic forces, through the application of high intensity anger, and hatred, to move against those who represent any degree of attunement with the Purposes of God.
Because Obama is one of their own pawns, and the most useful one they have ever positioned in the White House, the forces of darkness did not motivate McCain to go into an attack mode against him. McCain actually feels more kinship with Obama, than he does with most members of the Republican Party.
But as for Hayworth, they did motivate McCain to move to destroy JD Hayworth, as Hayworth, while not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, represents the Forces of Light, or as some would say, traditional values. America’s Traditional Values are the mental and emotional superstructure of a divinely sponsored nation.
That is the beginning and the end of the reason why McCain wanted to cuddle Obama in his lap, and run Hayworth over with his armored SUV.
Sarah Palin is in McCain’s camp. She participated in the destruction of Hayworth.
In this regard, McCain basically came out of the closet in the 2000 presidential campaign when he characterized the conservative base of the Republican Party as “agents of intolerance.”
And moreover, did he poke his fist into the eye of those whom he would later plead to vote for him, when he floated the name of Warren Rudman as his potential Attorney General choice. Rudman, as you will remember, is a militant pro-abortionist, and a giant generator of hate and anger directed at the conservative base of the Republican Party (read his book).
Yep, Sarah Palin helped, in the 2008 cycle, to “rehabilitate” McCain’s image, in other words, to pull the wool over the gullible eyes of the very people who in his heart McCain hates with a passion. Of course, it the passion of the darkside.
Nevertheless, she played the role of the archdeceiver, in such a masterful way, that many of the people whom McCain hates, actually voted for him in the 2008 presidential cycle. (I betcha Hayworth voted for him too.)
Palin is dangerous. Not to mention a very divisive figure in the Republican Party. She is no unifier. She is an instrument of division.
Every time she says, “America never quits!” You gotta wince with inner agony, if you still have a memory left, you would know that she QUIT her office as Governor of Alaska (serving only 2 1/2 years of a 4 year term) and thus can no longer claim the title of former governor with any degree of self-respect.
GoldenEagles,
Regarding your references of national politicians that are not accomplished liars. You offer only one who served within the last generation, only one who remains alive, only two that are current to this century. Washington and Jefferson may only be judged by what historians recorded. It is not possible to review their day-to-day existence as political creatures.
As for Lincoln, he was party to one of the greatest mistruths ever foisted on the American people. A Civil War was fought at his behest, not because of slavery which is the popular mis-conception, but because Lincoln and his government insisted that there was not right that existed for the Southern States to secede from the Union. A review of four of our more famous historical documents shows that there was indeed ample evidence in the historical record to support Southern Succession.
• The Declaration of Independence; July 4th 1776 – Part of the DoI says; “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government…”. The most important phrases here are “…any Form of Government becomes destructive…” and “…it is the Right of the People…”
• The Articles of Confederation; March 1781 – Article Two says; “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every Power, Jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled.”
• The Federalist Papers #45; January 1788 – “…not that the people of America should enjoy peace, liberty, and safety, but that the government of the individual States, that particular municipal establishments, might enjoy a certain extent of power, and be arrayed with certain dignities and attributes of sovereignty?” Then; “We have heard of the impious doctrine in the Old World that the people were made for kings not kings for the people. Is the same doctrine to be revived in the New…” Plus; “Were the plan of the convention adverse to the public happiness, my voice would be, reject the plan. Were the Union itself inconsistent with the public happiness, it would be, Abolish the Union.” And finally; “The State governments may be regarded as constituent and essential parts of the federal government; whilst the latter is nowise essential to the operation or organization of the former.”
• The US Constitution December 1791 – As you say; “The Constitution does not directly address the questions of secession or perpetuity at all.” But the 10th Amendment says; “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”
On top of this; there is an article that was posted to this site in June of 2009 that covers a SCOTUS case Texas versus White (circa 1868)
http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2009/06/27/the-state-secession-issue-texas-v-white/
where SCOTUS specifically attempted to rule that States had no such right to secede. Which, in the face of the aforementioned historical documentation seems patently ridiculous. Although Lincoln was assassinated in 1865; 1868 was still technically during his second term.
I would submit that Lincoln did lie to the American people when it came to the right of succession and deliberately started the War of Northern Aggression for dubious reasons. I would say you went two for five because of two others who, due to age, cannot be reliably determined.
I really don’t know how to comment on the whole “…forces of darkness…astral bodies…” portion of your response; as I usually attribute much more pedestrian characteristics to political participants. If your meaning is that there was more kinship felt between Obama and McCain than between McCain and Hayworth, then I am in agreement with you.
As for your comment regarding Sarah Palin’s ‘rehabilitation’ of John McCain in 2008. I don’t know that she rehabilitated McCain as much as she breathed new life into his flagging campaign. My personal belief is that John McCain wasn’t so much chosen by the republicans in 2008 as he was chosen by the MSM. The MSM looked over the stable of republican candidates and decided McCain was the most beatable. It also didn’t hurt that he could be cast as a moderate. Progressives had already been making comments regarding the ‘extremism’ that supposedly existed in conservative political philosophy. John McCain not only fit their mold, but was certainly the most contrasted candidate when compared to Obama. Remember, before suddenly gaining so much positive press from the MSM, John McCain was politically dead in the beginning of the primary season. The MSM wanted an old fellow to contrast with Obama’s youth, and also wanted someone that would agree, in principle, with many liberal positions, which would dishearten conservatives. When you look at the whole package that is John McCain; His age versus Obama, his capitulation to liberal ideas, and his disfavor among staunch conservatives, I’m surprised he got as many votes as he did.
With regard to Sarah Palin herself. One could make the case that the McCain campaign team treated the Alaska Governor worse than they did their political opponent in the 2008 election. Plus the fact that after the campaign her liberal political opponents began the systematic destruction of her politically as liberals are wont to do with any opponent they truly fear. A governor is a sitting target; a private citizen, not so much. There is speculation out there on the internet that the resignation was specifically designed in order to focus more of her attention on her PAC and the ‘setting-up’ for a run at the White House in 2012.
An article posted here at IC just this morning “The Indefatigable Sarah Palin” http://www.intellectualconservative.com/2010/09/01/the-indefatigable-sarah-palin/
Suggests such an event, in an off-handed way. That she has managed to maintain visibility since leaving the office and managed to solidify her credentials since then does seem to add credibility to both her ability and her aspirations.
GoldenEagles
Don’t get me wrong. I admire Jefferson, but he lied about the LA Purchase. It was a good thing, but the fact is that he hid the negotiations and went against everything he stood for when he was president. Look it up and you will retract your example.
“QUITTERS NEVER WIN” – spoken by tens of thousands of wise men and women over the centuries.
When the going gets tough, and people are tempted to QUIT, their heads will be filled with all kinds of rationalizations that will make their perversion of this principle look like a virtue.
These rationalizations are always a trap into which the soul falls, and from whence, there is no escape.
The high profile QUITTER, in this case Sarah Palin, is like a bullet shot through the fragile glass plate of the culture at large, and out from that bullet hole will cracks and fractures spread, until the whole plate glass window falls to pieces. The culture collapses because people no longer will put in the effort to do the right thing.
Sarah Palin is the polluter of the headwaters of American virtue in this respect. No longer do crystal waters flow from the summit heights. The waters are polluted by her example, and as people drink of this polluted water, their own judgment becomes polluted, and they become quitters in turn, perhaps not in large ways, but in many small ways that exemplify the cultural fracturing process I mentioned above.
Indeed, on the face of it, this much is obvious.
I can hold before you the timeless principle that stands behind every worthwhile victory ever won in human affairs, QUITTERS NEVER WIN, SO DON’T QUIT! And for the sake of winning in every department of life, God our Father has placed in our hearts a natural and strong desire to uphold this principle, especially when things get tough. And so people naturally desire to defend this principle.
But what does the example of Sarah Palin do to this equation of determination and staying power? She entices and tempts people to QUIT in this most essential department of life, wherein it comes to defending this very principle! She makes her followers into QUITTERS in this essential department of life.
She stands before us and says, “your choice is between me and this principle, obviously you can’t have both. Forget the principle, become a QUITTER like me (when it comes to defending this principle), become a QUITTER like me, when it comes to living this principle, and choose me. I will lead you to victory!”
And where else can a quitter, who entices other people to quit, lead the people, other than to failure?
Ivan, you say the few times you saw Hayworth you weren’t impressed. I’ve seen him many times and am very impressed. He’s quite witty and smarter than most people I’ve met. He ran circles around McCain during the two debates. He graduated with honors in Political Science from college. What about him didn’t impress you?
The word smarmy came to mind. I didn’t want to say it, but someone else did and you asked, so there it is. As I said, I’m not in AZ, so it didn’t make a big impression. Now you can say JM is smarmy and I would not disagree.
In regards to your reference, Bill Waverly, to Abraham Lincoln, equating his stand for the saving of the Union as evidence that he was an accomplished liar, I would have to say, is somewhat off target.
LINCOLN’S FORESIGHT
Abraham Lincoln had a unique gift of divine foresight. He was given to see that the union between the States was meant to ENDURE for a larger divine purpose.
America’s Divine Purpose, and Abraham Lincoln pointed to this when he spoke of America as the last best hope of mankind, was and is to stand as the planetary beacon of freedom. To this end alone did God our Father make America into a planetary super power.
The best illustration we have in regards to the fulfillment of that divine purpose, would be the essential role America played in the saving of the planet from falling into a second dark age, when the three Axis Powers were positioned to grab control of the whole planet during the World War II period.
At that time, there was only one nation which stood between a future of planetary slavery, and one of planetary freedom, and that was America. If America had been split into two contentious pieces during the Civil War, there would have been no planetary super power to come to the rescue, and history would have turned out completely different.
You can be sure that the Light of Freedom would not be seen anywhere manifest on this continent, or on any other.
STATE’S RIGHTS
As to the contention that to split the union is synonymous with the principle of States Rights, no sir, your are equally off target there.
When States entered the union, they subscribed to the provisions of the U.S. Constitution with their right hands raised in sacred oath.
One of the provisions of the U.S. Constitution, gives to the Federal Government the authority to secure and safeguard the operation of a Republican form of government in each of the States. Each state agreed to this as a condition for entry into the union. If a State were to withdraw, without the consent of the majority, this would break this agreement, which would place that State, and its people, out of the reach of this Guardian Power.
As you can see, while there is provision in the U.S. Constitution for states to be added to the Union, there is no explicit provision provided for their departure. The original intent of the contract between the people of the union is thereby expressed, that it would be considered an unnatural act for a state to depart from the union, without the consent of the majority.
This is part of the matrix of original intent which each leader of the Southern States agreed to.
It is clear enough, that breaking the union without the consent of the majority places the national security of the remaining union in jeopardy, as the rebel state, or states, could be used as a platform for an attack upon that union in future years. And this certainly would have been the case in the 1930′s and 1940′s where the rebel states would have allied themselves with the axis powers. At that point, slavery would have been an immutable part of their character, and the Axis powers stood for slavery. This marriage would have been foreordained.
However, this does not mean that the founders desired to make a departure from the union an impossibility. A State could withdraw legally, and honorably, from the Union, if an Amendment to the Constitution were passed to that effect.
To separate out from the Union, without such an amendment agreed to by the majority, would represent a dishonorable breach of contract.
In standing for the sanctity of the contract, Abraham Lincoln was only holding the leaders of the southern states to their word, which each of them gave, to uphold and defend the U.S. Constitution.
State’s Rights is a powerful and important principle. And we have departed too far from it in my opinion. But breaking a contract to which the States agreed, is not part of that principle.
THE DEBASEMENT OF STATE’S RIGHTS
The truth be told, the act of trying to break the contract in a dishonorable and illegal manner, which the leaders of the southern states did, set the stage for the diminution of the principle of states rights generally, especially through the passage of the Civil War era 14th Amendment, which has been used by the Federal Courts to meddle in all manner of areas which were once reserved to the States. The whole nation has suffered nearly irreversible damage because of this.
In this I am pointing to the fact that the U.S. Supreme Court, over the decades, began to stand more and more on the foundation of the 14th Amendment, as a license unto the exercise of federal power, as it swept whole categories of State Law into the trash can.
The most egregious abuse of power in this regard was the 1962 outlawing of school prayer throughout the nation. The U.S. Supreme Court could do this because they had reasoned that the 14th Amendment required them to apply the prohibitions of the First Amendment to the States, holding school prayer to be an unconstitutional establishment of religion prohibited by the First Amendment. When School Prayer stopped, the Divine Shield around America, while it did not fall immediately to zero, would eventually crumble down to zero, allowing this peculiar state of affairs to come to the fore, post 9/11, where national security experts agree that Al Qaeda’s quest to acquire and detonate nuclear weapons in one or more major U.S. Cities, must eventually and inevitably succeed.
The second most egregious abuse of power in this regard was the legalization of abortion throughout the nation. The U.S. Supreme Court could do this because they had reasoned that the 14th Amendment required them to apply the privacy rights (suggested) in the Federal bill of Rights, to the states.
We are in this very strange land of Alice in Wonderland constitutional wizardry, where provisions that were first intended to BLOCK the exercise of federal power in these areas, are now providing the Federal Judiciary the LICENSE for the exercise of federal power in these areas.
Today, more than 50 million citizens are not here, because they were murdered in the womb, a literal holocaust that began to spring into life the moment the U.S. Supreme Court stripped away, in a wholesale manner, the Shield of State Law. And when nearly 20 percent of a population has been denied the right to be alive, and to contribute to that national life, as they were so intended, it is impossible under those circumstances for an economy to be healthy and whole. It is simply impossible.
THE ROOTS OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE
We are teetering on the very edge of economic collapse today for two primary reasons. First the lack of divine intercession is one reason, a situation that came to be through the ban on school prayer in 1962. Second, the absence of nearly 20% of the work force is another reason, a situation that came to be through the legalization of abortion in 1973.
Yes, this situation, where America teeters on the very edge of economic collapse, can be traced back to the dishonorable acts of the leadership of the Southern States who tried to break, in an illegal manner as noted, the constitutional contract they had agreed to.
Yes, the reverberations of that act of unconscionable rebellion reaches forward to this very day. It is like a long deep shadow that continues to be cast upon the whole American landscape, a deep shadow that has become like a mind-twisting twilight zone, wherein generation upon generation, minds trapped in that shadow, have worked to set the stage for the ongoing debasement of the principle of State’s Rights throughout the whole nation — a debasement of principle that has been progressively institutionalized by the U.S. Supreme Court through an equally dishonorable and disingenuous interpretation of the 14th amendment (which the people have no practical way to overturn, in as much as the Court operates in a peculiar niche of absolute power, wherein no conscientiously crafted constitutional mechanism was provided by the framers to check incremental abuses of power by the Federal Judiciary).
Bill Wavering, I apologize for misspelling your name. If we had access to an edit feature in this blog comment area, I would fix that spelling error, and be done with it. However, in as much as there is no edit feature, and you deserve to have your name spelled correctly, I feel compelled to spend the time to offer the following correction.
= = = = = = correction = = = = = = = = =
In regards to your reference, Bill Wavering, to former President Abraham Lincoln, and your effort to portray his stand for the Saving of the Union as evidence that he was an accomplished liar, I would have to say, that you are, to some degree, off target.
But how far off target are you? If you don’t mind a brief visual analysis on this narrow point, your arrow was as close to the bull’s eye, as the planet Pluto is close to the Sun. How close is the planet Pluto to the Sun? It is not very close. Actually it is known as the one of the outer planets. In fact, all other planets are closer to the Sun than Pluto. Even the asteroid belt is closer to the Sun than Pluto.
Of course, the use of color would shed a more accurate light upon this question – Exactly how far off target are you? Your arrow was as close to the bull’s eye of truth, as the color white is close to the color black. How close is the color white to the color black? Not very close. In fact, some might characterize the difference by observing the obvious that one is the opposite of the other. Yet, how would we see a star, if it were not for the blackness of space? So, you see this is no criticism, only an objective evaluation of the degree of disparity which exists between the truth on the one hand, and the magnitude of the error you have advanced on the other.
And the use of light itself would provide an analytical tool of even greater precision. Just how far off target did your arrow actually fly? Your arrow was as close to the bull’s eye of truth, as the brilliance of a firefly is close to the brilliance of the sun. Now, both have in common the radiation of photons, this is true. And every photon is a respectable creature. But there is a monumental gap, in terms of magnitude, between the intensity of photons radiated by a firefly, and the intensity of photons radiated by the sun. The distance between the center of the target of truth and the precise point at which your arrow landed, when characterized in this manner, could be quantified to such a high magnitude of disparity, that it could be said of your arrow that it might as well have landed on the other side of the universe.
LINCOLN’S FORESIGHT
and so forth ….
“We are teetering on the very edge of economic collapse today for two primary reasons. First the lack of divine intercession is one reason, a situation that came to be through the ban on school prayer in 1962. Second, the absence of nearly 20% of the work force is another reason, a situation that came to be through the legalization of abortion in 1973.”
Economics, ladies and gentleman. 230 years of methodical and methodological study of trade, commerce, and human behavior reducible to whether or not prayer is conducted at the beginning of the day in American public schools. Makes the stock market crash of 1929 and subsequent decade-long economic depression, to say nothing of the depression of 1920 or the panic of 1907, or the countless recessions in the pre and post civil war 1800′s, something of a curiosity.
But anyway, how about that John McCain spending 18 million bucks to beat his Republican primary challenger?
GoldenEagles,
Regarding the mis-spelling of my name. Frankly, it’s happened so often in the past I take little offense at it any longer. I do appreciate your correction.
Ivan said; “I admire Jefferson, but he lied about the LA Purchase.” Since there’s been no rebuttal of this observation from you it seems as if we’ve ‘put paid’ to another of your original list of politicians supposedly above lying.
Your contention that; “Abraham Lincoln, equating his stand for the saving of the Union as evidence that he was an accomplished liar, I would have to say, is somewhat off target.” suggests that there is a time for a lie. Does the end justify the means? Do we lie as to the inviolate nature of the Union in order to save it? I notice that you have no comment regarding the plethora of historical evidence to the contrary I provided regarding both a Sovereign State’s and the people’s right to self-determination.
I find your observation that; “If America had been split into two contentious pieces during the Civil War, there would have been no planetary super power to come to the rescue…” specious at best. No one can predict what would have become of either the Union or the Confederation if those states had been allowed to secede. Just as strong a case may be made that there would have been two equally powerful countries that could have shared the heavy lifting of WW II.
“Each state agreed to this as a condition for entry into the union.” Here I would point out that there are several states which have secession clauses written into their respective state constitutions. I’ve also previously pointed out that our own founding documents; specifically the DoI, that whenever any “Form of Government” becomes destructive, it is the “Right of the People” to alter or to abolish that government.
While I agree with your statement that; “…it would be considered an unnatural act for a state to depart from the union, without the consent of the majority…” in this case, the majority can only be defined as the majority of persons residing within that state. The Tenth Amendment of the US Constitution reserves this type of decision to the States or to the people.
As for your supposition that a Confederate States of America would have aligned itself with the Axis in WW II; the same impossibility of prediction covered in my paragraph four above holds true here as well. As for your argument of ‘explicit provision’ for the seceding of a state; I must once again direct you to that pesky Tenth Amendment. Just as you observe there is no explicit provision for secession, there is no explicit provision for a laundry list of rights and privileges states implicitly take unto themselves. The test here is if it is not explicitly enumerated, it is implicitly granted.
An extensive analysis of the history of war will reveal that most wars were fought over trade; either the control of the route or the control of the commodity. There can be little doubt that the pre-Civil War position of the northern textile barons was that the Southern States should not be allowed to seek the best price for their commodity by making contracts with English textile manufacturers. The contention was that southern states were usurping the rights of the federal government by making such deals. That Lincoln and his government decided to protect the demand of the northern textile barons to set raw material prices by deliberately restricting market access cannot be refuted. Slavery and secession were the excuses, price fixing was the cause.
Your own depiction of the outlawing of school prayer, and the decision reached in Row versus Wade stand as two more glaring examples of the federal government forcing compliance to federal power without regard for state sovereignty. Feel free to add the formation of the Department of Education, Department of the Interior, The Environmental Protection Agency, and a long list of other federal debasements of the right a state has to self-determination. If the present goings on in Washington do not meet the burden of a form of government becoming destructive to individual liberty; one has to justifiably wonder just how much more are you willing to accept. Can the federal government mandate that all citizens purchase a ‘sanctioned’ product? And if so, what’s next?
I find it quite a stretch to attempt to foist the current economic and political landscape to ‘dishonorable’ act of the Southern States. Rather I would ascribe our present position to the original usurpation of state sovereignty practiced by Lincoln. That, plus a continuing acquiescence of the citizenry each time the federal government stole yet another facet of their liberty and self-determination.
In a manner of speaking; I will agree that current conditions may be partially based upon the inability of the Confederation to resist past Northern governmental over-reach. But I refuse to define it as a ‘dishonorable’ act. Their inability to resist the Union was the precursor to further acts of the federal government seizing power to which it has no authority.
Your analysis here is as remote from reality as your reference to planetary distance. Neptune is the farthest planet from Sol. Pluto is considered a ‘Kuniper Object’ or dwarf, and even its distance is exceeded by the orbit of Eris the furthest discernable Kuniper Object that Sol maintains a weak gravitational influence upon. You really must try to keep current! There is nothing more revealing than outdated reference.
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