For my first post in 2 months and since my election loss, I
thought it would be good to take a walk down memory lane.
When I was growing up in Erie, PA, it seemed like EVERYONE
was a Democrat. My mother and father were Democrats. My grandparents and all of
my relatives were Dems. One of my aunts (on my mom’s side) was a Democratic
Ward Chairman. Her “job” was to get out the Democratic vote and she was very
good at it.
The Mayor of Erie at that time and all of the Councilmen
were Democrats. In fact, my dad had a City job that was given to him by the
Mayor. Unlike some political appointees, particularly in Kenner, my dad
actually knew what he was doing.
About 80% of my hometown were Democrats and the other 20%
were too afraid to go out at night.
However, in spite of everyone around me being a “D”, or
perhaps because of it, I was drawn to the Republican Party.
My first (and, thankfully, only) brush with the law came
when I was 11. I was “arrested” for putting “Nixon – Now More Than Ever” bumper
stickers on cars that were parked in a grocery store parking lot. Of course, I
didn’t realize that the automobile owners had to give their consent to have the
bumper stickers put on their cars.
After my dad and the powers that be (again, all Dems) intervened,
my “punishment” was a few hours of elbow grease scraping off the bumper
stickers and apologizing to several people that I didn’t know.
So, yes, I was a little overzealous in my “volunteering” for
Richard Nixon’s 1972 presidential campaign.
When I turned 18, I couldn’t wait to register as a
Republican. The first presidential campaign that I really volunteered on was
Ronald Reagan’s 1980 campaign, and I cast my first presidential vote for Reagan
that election.
Later, I volunteered on Reagan’s 1984 campaign, George H.W.
Bush’s 1988 and 1992 campaigns, and the campaigns of George W. Bush in 2000 and
2004. In fact, in 2004, I was a Precinct Captain for Bush/Cheney. My job, like
my aunt’s decades before, was to get out the vote for W.
I’ve also volunteered or worked on numerous other Republican
campaigns in addition to being the Chairman, Vice-Chairman and a Board Member
of the Pelican State Pachyderm Club, a large Republican group.
So, why did I become a Republican?
Quite simply, I bought into Ronald Reagan.
Even at 18, I wanted less government. I wanted lower taxes.
I wanted government out of my life.
So, why after being a lifelong Republican did I change my
party registration today to Libertarian? Well, to be honest, two things
happened: Mike Yenni and Roger Villere.
As most of you know, Mike Yenni was re-elected as Mayor of
Kenner. He beat me but, he is only indirectly responsible for my changing
parties.
When the Jefferson Parish Republican Party endorsed Mike
Yenni, I knew that the Republican Party that I signed up for in 1979 was not
the Republican Party of 2014 that I wanted to be a part of.
Oh sure, I had my doubts about John McCain and Mitt Romney,
but, I could never bring myself to consider voting for an obvious Progressive
like Barack Obama who sneered at every political ideal that I still clung to.
No, when the local Republican Party endorses Candidate Y, who
tripled sewerage fees, tried to double property taxes, opposed Good Government
Charter Changes that 70% of the voters approved, has grown government, and took
on the largest debt in Kenner’s history without a vote of people over Candidate
B (pretty clever, huh?), who opposed each of those things, either the Party
doesn’t fit Candidate B or he doesn’t fit the Party.
I’m enough of a realist to know where I’m not wanted and,
the Jefferson Parish Republican Party doesn’t want me or what I believe in.
So, how does Roger Villere fit into this blog?
I’ve known Roger for many years even, at one time,
considered him to be a friend. I’ve interviewed Roger on the radio, published
his press releases on ClickJefferson.com, and supported his efforts as Party
Chairman.
However, today Roger went off the deep end and there is no
turning back.
By now, I’m sure that you’ve all read about Louisiana
Congressman Vance McAllister and his episode(s) with a married staffer.
McAllister is also married.
While I don’t condone McAllister’s actions, or the actions
of the married staffer, that’s his personal life – it has nothing to do with him
being a Congressman.
In that past, I defended Senator David Vitter, and other
elected officials, when they’ve made personal transgressions that were not
directly related to their positions.
Again, I wasn’t condoning Sen. Vitter’s actions, or the
actions of anyone. But, I didn’t believe then or now that Sen. Vitter, or any
elected official, should resign because of a personal transgression.
But, the same can’t be said for Roger Villere, the head of
the Louisiana Republican Party.
In a statement, Villere said:
“The Republican Party of Louisiana calls on Vance McAllister
to resign his seat in Congress. Mr. McAllister's extreme hypocrisy is an
example of why ordinary people are fed up with politics. A breach of trust of
this magnitude can only be rectified by an immediate resignation. He has
embarrassed our party, our state and the institution of Congress. A video
showing him engaged in conduct unbecoming a member of Congress, on public time,
in a public office, with one of his employees, was the focus of the national
press for days. I call on Mr. McAllister to put the interests of his nation,
state and party above his own and step aside.”
What about the interests of the people who elected him?
What about the interests of the people who elected him?
Where was Roger Villere when David Vitter was caught up in a
personal scandal?
Where is Roger Villere now and why isn’t he telling David
Vitter to NOT run for Governor?
When Villere refers to “McAllister’s extreme hypocrisy”,
perhaps he should look at himself in the mirror because, while McAllister’s
indiscretion may or may not blow away, Vitter’s hangs over him and our state
like an Albatross and that Albatross will grow to gigantic proportions if
Vitter is elected Governor of our state.
No, the fact of the matter is, Villere and the state
Republican Party didn’t support Vance McAllister when he ran and now they smell
blood in the water. If it wasn’t for this video, I’m sure the party would have
found some other reason to turn on McAllister if he voted the wrong way or didn’t
eat seafood on a Friday during Lent.
Did McAllister do something stupid? Of course, but, people
do stupid things every day (Remember Mike Yenni trying to double property taxes?) and, as long
as it’s not criminal, he should keep his seat.
The voters, and only the voters, of his Congressional
District should determine whether or not Vance McAllister resigns or if he is
re-elected, not the Chairman of a political party.
What Roger Villere and many in the Republican Party don’t
understand is that the reason “why ordinary people are fed up with politics” is
because of the hypocrisy of the two-parties.
What, besides being anti-abortion, does the Republican Party
stand for? What happened to cutting the budget deficit, reducing government,
lowering taxes? How can the Louisiana Republican Party be for “family values”
when they want to bash someone who is not favored by the party, while
supporting and defending David Vitter?
When I ran against Mike Yenni, I didn't discuss the multitude of rumors about his personal life, the FBI investigation into his emails and texts (other than saying that the investigation is closed and we still haven't been told the entire story by Yenni and the public hasn't seen those emails and texts), or any other "sordid" tidbits that people told me. I wanted to beat Yenni on this issues.
As I said, I supported and defended David Vitter and I would
do the same for Vance McAllister. I care about how he votes on issues, not his
personal life. The Louisiana Republican Party should too.
And the Democrats? Well, they truly are the “entitlement”
party. We all know what they stand for and, if you’re on the receiving end of
those “entitlements”, you may be a Democrat. Clearly, I’m not going to be a
part of that party either.
So, since we’ve clearly determined that I can no longer be a
Republican (that is, if I want to be able to look at myself in the mirror and
not see a hypocrite looking back at me), and I also clearly cannot be a
Democrat, why did I become a Libertarian?
Because, quite simply, Libertarians believe in less
government and lower taxes and that, along with being Pro-Life, are at the core
of my personal political philosophy.
Do I buy into everything that the Libertarians list in their
party platform? Of course not. But, at their core, the Libertarian Party believes
in personal accountability and personal liberty – and that is my core.
We live in America – the “land of opportunity”. Nowhere else
on earth do people wake up with the opportunities that we have and that most of
us take for granted. We can can do anything, be anything. We can dream big
dreams and, if we work hard and it fits into God’s plan for us, we can achieve
those dreams. That is, as long as government stays out of our way and we don’t
hurt other people in the process.
That’s what I think Libertarian’s believe.
And that is why I am
proud to be a Libertarian.
That is, if they'll have a former "lifelong Republican".
