Category Archives: Politics

Decentralizing and Deregulating Republican Politics

Conservatism, Elections, Media, Politics, Regulation, Republicans

Even a hint of the dreaded GOP establishment creeping back into their midst has some in the Republican campaigns screaming for an exorcist.

Via Breitbart:

Several 2016 GOP presidential campaigns are now revolting, not just against the Republican National Committee (RNC) controlling the debate process, but against controversial GOP establishment lawyer Ben Ginsberg’s efforts to insert himself into the process.
Aides to four top campaigns—those of billionaire Donald Trump, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich—have all confirmed they will not sign onto a letter organized by Ginsberg after the GOP presidential campaigns all broke from the RNC on Sunday night.

For some candidates it’s all for show: Kasich is establishment. Ditto Christie. Others are for real. But it’s all good. Any challenge to the existing political order is good. The Republican campaigns have begun divesting the Republican National Committee (RNC) of its overweening powers. Why should a central command apparatus control the political process? When it comes to libertarian candidates, we know how the RNC has behaved. The campaigns are also firing a media organ that, together with party apparatchiks, has generally been a bad-faith broker between the public, on the one hand, and any Republican, libertarian or constitutionally minded political candidate.

At this point, in this magnificent upheaval in American party politics, Fox News fans should take a moment to consider why it is that most of the network’s anchors were almost as livid as the liberal media over the ongoing revolt among the ranks of the candidates. The reason is that Fox News is mainstream media. Fox even set the tone of the debates, with a performance almost as odious as that of CNBC. Come to think of it, only little Andy Cooper of CNN did his journalistic due diligence as debate moderator, this year.

Fox News’ Political Insiders Reject Their Insider Status

Democrats, Elections, Politics, Republicans

The Fox News show Political Insiders may have to change its name since the term political insider has, at long last, become a pejorative. Regular Doug Schoen appeared on November 1, right away protesting too much about being no an insider. The pollster declared himself an OUTSIDER. The former “long-time Clinton insider” may no longer be a Clinton insider, but he is the consummate insider in Republican circles; a Democrat house-trained by Republicans insiders.

Pat Caddell, on the other hand, is a different kind of animal. Caddell was perhaps the only Democrat (other that Dennis Kucinich) to express righteous indignation, in 2013, over the treatment of the tea party by no other than “establishment Republicans.” They “wanted the IRS to go after Tea-Party groups,” contended Caddell. These groups “are an outside threat to their power hold, the lobbying-consulting class of the Republican party.

In the wonderful chaos initiated by the Republican campaign of Donald Trump, it’s good to see the insider honorific become a liability.

GOP Establishment Big Guns (‘The Kochtopus’) To Tackle Trump

Classical Liberalism, libertarianism, Media, Politics, Republicans

Megyn Kelly was first to galvanize the Koch Brothers, the big GOP guns, in her crusade against the one anti-establishment Republican candidate. Her love-in with Charles Koch exemplified the Barbara Walters school of “journalism,” so admired by Kelly. Kelly’s clucking and cooing over Koch was truly a disgraceful bit of journalism.

This libertarian’s curiosity was piqued when Kelly, who hates Trump, solicited comments from Koch about his ideological bent. Koch called himself a classical liberal, then scratched his nose in discomfort and went on to mischaracterize classical liberalism. Kelly was clueless, so she was unable to quiz Koch further.

In any case, it was obvious that Kelly was bringing out the GOP’s biggest ammunition against Trump. The Trump guy is doing something right if he’s angering the Koch kingmakers.

Although late in the day, the Wall Street Journal is hard on Kelly’s Jimmy Choo heels, featuring an article about Koch complaining about Trump:

… Asked whether he thinks the rise, and media coverage, of Donald Trump in the GOP field has distracted from serious policy discussions, he said, “Well, yeah. I mean, critical for a free society is tolerance,” an apparent reference to Mr. Trump’s comments about immigrants and women that some have called insensitive. …

“Talk to the hand,” the American people seem to be telling the establishment.

David Gordon details how “The Kochtopus” went up against Mr. Libertarian himself:

“The Kochtopus vs. Murray N. Rothbard”

UPDATED: Prima Donna Paul Ryan Gets His Work-Life Balance & Much More

Business, Constitution, Government, Law, Neoconservatism, Politics

According to historian Clement Wood it is an unwritten law followed “scrupulously,” “although omitted from the Constitution,” that the Speaker of the House of Representatives possesses “the czar-like power” “to recognize only such members as he pleases, and thereby strongly to influence legislation.”

After playing hard to get, pampered prima donna Paul Ryan has agreed to be the czar-like Speaker of the House. (Were you to ask neoconservative kingpins like William Kristol and John McCain who they’d tap for that position, any position, the Ryan/Rubio duo would be the choice. Bear that in mind.)

Ryan haggled until his “conditions” were met. These were for him “to emerge as House Republicans’ unity candidate, endorsed by the three major factions of House Republicans”—the Freedom Caucus, especially—and to “have enough flexibility to spend time with his wife and kids in Wisconsin.” (TIME)

Ryan’s feminist worthy demand for work-life balance—it got the girls on CNN hot, especially Andy Cooper—really irks. Try telling a major high-tech company that you want to enjoy work/life balance, and they’ll tell you in deeds more than in words that you can have your balance, but expect to remain at the same grade till you retire (or are nudged into retirement on account of “laziness”), and don’t expect good performance reviews or raises.

The pampered parasitical political class goes on about Donald Trump tweeting late into the AM. Successful tycoons are accustomed to staying up till the wee hours.

In any event, poor baby got his wish.

Here is Ann Coulter on other unappealing aspects of Speaker-to-be Paul Ryan.

UPDATE (10/24): “Fox’s Charles Payne Calls Work-Life Balance ‘A Bunch Of Crock’ And Calls For Children To Work More.”