RESIGNING FROM RACE

March 5, 2008

After not too much soul searching, I have decided to end my independent bid for the Presidency. I started this effort because I believed that we as a nation had slipped away from the role of government necessary for the continuance of our democracy, and I was concerned that the competition between the two parties would ignore many important issues. Further, I was absolutely baffled and frustrated by the little fantasy world the Republican Party had talked itself into, in which deficit spending somehow wasn’t morally repugnant and didn’t do harm to our nation. However, this has been by far the most surprising and invigorating election that I can remember, with real debates in both primaries over many important issues. In addition, who could have imagined that the Republican Party would nominate one of its few members who had refused to participate in the marketing madness known as Supply Side economics, and who actually knows that the money borrowed under the Bush Administration will eventually have to be repaid. An actual Republican still able to read a balance sheet and understand the difference between a tax reduction and a tax deferral.

Therefore, I am quitting the race.

People have asked me if I am going to "endorse" McCain, I have said from the start that if the Republican nominee would promise to let the Bush Tax cuts expire and balance the budget, he or she would have my vote. McCain, after initially voting against the Bush Tax Cuts, has now promised to fight to continue them. It's probably the safest lie John McCain has ever told, because the President doesn’t control the expiration of the tax cuts; it will take an act of Congress to continue them. Rush is right to be afraid of a possible McCain presidency, a President McCain would eventually have one of those bouts of conscience, and point out just how foolish the Republican Party has been while he worked out a compromise tax increase with the Democratic Party. However, even though I trust his heart, John McCain shouldn’t be rewarded for his petty dishonesty. When he promises to allow the Bush Tax cuts to expire, then he will have my vote.

I will continue to write and post about the election and the role of government in society, and pester people with the occasional email. As good as this election has been, none of the candidates has explicitly discussed the role of government in society, and many issues, which impact that role and the future of our country have not been touched upon. I still believe very strongly that we need to have this discussion at a general level, and eventually at an issue-by-issue level. We as a nation are losing sight of what I believe to be the necessary role for government, and our government is starting to fall short of fulfilling its most basic responsibilities. If we continue down our current path, the rare level of freedom and control that this country has achieved will slowly seep away, likely never to return. If we allow this to happen, we, this generation, will have failed as stewards of our country - through neglect, we will have ceded our special place in history, and the United States will go the way of Ancient Rome or the British Empire.

So expect to hear from me occasionally, hopefully still writing something more challenging than the safe positions of the main parties. Thank you for paying attention over these past months, and thank you, also, for caring about the direction of our country.