The recent war of words between Rand Paul and Chris Christie might be a
preview of the 2016 primary season.
Some of us are wary of the infighting in our party, concerned that it
shows a lack of unity to the electorate and hands ammunition to the
Democrats. The primaries of 2016
are still a long way off, however.
Maybe the time is now for the prospective candidates to rough each other
up a little. The GOP really
is a big tent, despite the media’s efforts to paint us all as “extremists.” Maybe we should not be so
concerned when we clash with each other. Our Founding Fathers often engaged in public battles. Paul and Christie seem to echo the arguments
between liberty-minded Jefferson and strong-government, law-and-order Adams.
Christie is a conservative on some issues but not on others. A reliable conservative or a
conservative with Paul’s libertarian instincts could never have been elected
governor in blue New Jersey. He
famously opposes Teacher Unions in New Jersey but also supports more gun
control laws. He is apparently a
conservative hawk on National Defense but has a 54% favorable rating among
Democrats.
Paul’s libertarian conservatism insists that the government’s powers
are strictly limited to those granted it by the Constitution. He upholds individual freedom and believes
that NSA spying on all Americans is a violation of the Fourth Amendment. While supporting a strong national
defense, he is skeptical of military interventions in distant parts of the
world--believing, as Washington did, that foreign military entanglements should
be avoided.
So let them fight it out now.
When 2016 has drawn nearer, we will choose.
A special thank you to guest blogger Tom Gannon. BiGWand™ always
appreciates his insight and wisdom on the issues of today in relation to the
history of our nation.
© 2013 BiGWand. All rights reserved.
Nice Blog!
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