Three reasons NOT to support
a Third Party this year

By   Howard J. Fezell

        A lot of gunnies are, justifiably, upset with the G.O.P. leadership for being weak willed when it comes to standing up against President Clinton's efforts to make life tougher for us.  For this reason they want to pick up their football and go play somewhere else.  After all, it's a free country.

        I still am seriously P.O.'d at President Bush for the Executive Order banning the importation of so-called "assault weapons", his resignation from the NRA (which he only joined to curry favor with gunnies), being suckered by Democrats into breaking his "no new taxes" pledge, and a host of other things.  George Herbert Walker Bush represented a lot of the things that are wrong with the "stupid party".

        George W. Bush (Bush The Younger) rates a "B" in my book on the gun issue.  He could stand a lot of improvement.

        Why, then, should gunnies support him as opposed to Pat Buchanan (an "A") or Sen. Bob Smith (also deserving an "A")?

       #1    No third party Presidential candidate has a prayer
                of winning in 2000 -- and will only help Al Gore.

      The so-called Reform Party has $12 million in federal funds available to use in this year's Presidential campaign.  That is the only reason why Pat Buchanan is the least bit interested in running as its candidate.   If it weren't for the $12 million (which can finance a nice little soap box) Pat wouldn't be seen with those people.  However, the Reform Party has neither the money or organization to do anything more than act as a spoiler.

        And, by the way, what does it stand for?   And organization?  The party's February meeting (semi-brawl is more like it) qualifies it as the best publically-funded bad joke in American politics.

        In 1992 Ross Perot made a good showing, garnering 19 % of the popular vote.  He got about half that in 1996. In both elections he helped Bill Clinton win with less than 50% of the vote.

        Sen. Bob Smith recently disassociated himself from the G.O.P.  He is a patriot and a gentleman.  The party he will be the candidate for (the Constitution Party) is so obscure most people don't even know that it exists.   Most people don't even know who Sen. Smith is or that he's running for President.

        The Libertarians.  I am a registered Libertarian.  In the state where I am registered the Democrats have such a plurality that you can vote Libertarian without doing the Republican Presidential candidate any harm.  The Libertarians deserve their "A" rating on the gun issue, but Harry Browne doesn't have a prayer.  (Note:  In my county the Registrar of Voters charges $.01 per name for lists of voters.  You could buy the list of registered Libertarians, pay for it with a quarter, and get change back.)

        There are other third parties, like the Green Party whose candidate is Ralph Nader.  But unless you want your neighbors to think you are a kook you won't waste time on them.  (If you do, you probably are a kook.)

       #2    Al Gore is a DOMESTIC ENEMY OF THE CONSTITUTION.

      Things are so bad in Maryland that in the early 1990's Mr. James Norris (then Legislative VP of the NRA State Association) had to come up with a new grade for politicians for whom an "F" was too generous.

        Norris invented:  "Domestic Enemy of the Constitution".

        You have to be really bad to warrant this tag.  But it fits Al Gore like a glove.  For the sake of time, let's forget that he spent the last eight years carrying water for and defending a sociopath.  On gun issues:

        --    Vice-President Gore never saw an anti-gun bill he didn't like.

        --    Candidate Gore wants to require people to get a license just to purchase a handgun.

        --    President Gore would actively promote passage of a wide variety of anti-gun legislation.

        --    President Gore would appoint federal judges and Justices to the Supreme Court who would not only be anti-gun, but favor the expansion of government power at the expense of personal liberty.

        Bush may not be ideal.  Like his dad, he may not have the guts to really take heat in defense of your rights.  But it's a sure bet that Al Gore will to everything he can to make life impossible for gunnies.

     #3    The next President will appoint at least 1, probably 2,
               and possibly 3 new Supreme Court Justices.

        Love may not last forever, but Supreme Court Justices can be around for decades.  One of the most liberal Justices to ever sit on the Court was William O. Douglas.  He was appointed by FDR in 1939.  He served on the Court until 1975 -- 36 years.

        Supreme Court Justices have life tenure.   They don't have to be reappointed or run for re-election.  They have absolutely no accountability to the people.  If they care about anything at all it's how they are treated in the press which is dominated by liberal statists.  Joe Blow's opinion carries no weight.

       Five out of nine Justices constitute a majority, which means that fewer people than it takes to fill a mini-van can shape the course of American jurisprudence for decades to come.

        In recent years the Court has had a consevative bent, but just barely.

        Several of the Justices are elderly or in poor health.  Chief Justice William Rhenquist is in his mid-70's and has been in poor health for years.  (Word is he's only hanging on until Clinton is gone.)   Justice Sandra Day O'Connor is in her 60's and has been battling cancer.   Justice John Paul Stevens is over 80.

      The next President will appoint at least one, probably two, and possibly three new Justices to the Supreme Court.  If President Gore does the appointing the candidates will be:

       #1    Young enough to be around for 30 years, or more.

        #2    A big fan of big government.

        (Word has it that Bill Clinton, being out of a job, wouldn't mind
an appointment to the Supreme Court.)
 
 

                                                                                                
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