21. January, 2008 - election musings

As much as I’ve been trying to avoid it, it’s become impossible to ignore the 2008 election cycle. Minnesota’s primary is just two weeks (and a day) away, and while I’m pretty sure who I’m voting for, it seemed like time to hold my nose and look at the other candidates.

For me, the question isn’t so much which candidate I want to have “help” me, it’s which one I think will most leave me alone. I don’t think any of the candidates are qualified to decide how the government should make my life easier or how they should make me better. That way, even (or perhaps especially) when well-intentioned, leads to a soul-crushing Brave New World. The Progressives Clinton, Obama and Huckabee want to make me a better person. The managers Giuliani, McCain and Romney want to make us a better country, which involves keeping a darned close eye on me so I’ll be a better person (or else!) And I do not hold to that. And while Fred Thompson is interesting, I still think he’s a little too eager to help me. Only Ron Paul seems willing to leave me alone as long as I don’t bother anyone else.

Is Dr. No perfect? Nope. But neither am I, and when I looked at the Electoral Compass USA [via papascott], I wasn’t surprised at all to find that it put a marker for me right on top of Ron Paul. That may make me a wing-nut, and it certainly does Dr. Paul, since that sort of thinking just doesn’t make sense in the fever-swamps of the Potomac, but there you have it. If you want to be left alone, he’s your guy. As an added bonus, he’s the only candidate for president who voted against USA-PATRIOT, and I've been bitching about that for over six years.

And since I’m apparently off in wing-nut-land this morning, Happy John Moses Browning’s birthday.