I have to admit, I too was swept up by all the fuss about Sarah Palin. After all, here is a conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan! Here is a libertarian-leaning woman who would excite Republicans, take the Hillary vote, and draw John McCain to the right. Who wouldn’t get excited about this?
Yet, last night, I was left simply disappointed. I watched Palin address the RNC with eager anticipation. What I was hoping for never came. Honestly, I was looking for an excuse to vote for McCain. Though I am a member of the Constitution Party, I would love to vote for a major-party candidate again (as I would have for Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo or Alan Keyes). Palin failed to deliver. Instead she used her impressive speaking skills to sell the same old story about John McCain that we’ve heard time and time again. Yes, some of her quips about Senator Obama were humorous, but I need more than that.
I think the real issue here is I am no longer a Republican. When I first joined the Constitution Party, I was a Republican at heart who was simply unhappy with where the GOP was headed. Since those day my views have evolved. I am no longer simply an unhappy Republican – I am Constitutionalist to the core. I now find myself actually asking about the Constitutionality of proposed ideas and programs. I want small government, not just smaller government that is still big but not as big as the other guy wants.
Sarah Palin is a conservative Republican. Her appeal is to conservative Republicans. I am no longer a Republican. I simply need more than that. I was hoping that a woman who was supposed to have a “libertarian slant” would bring more to the table. If she did, I didn’t see it Wednesday evening. She stuck with the party line. In my opinion, Joe Lieberman showed more courage with his appearance.
So, it will be my great pleasure on November 4 to cast my vote for the best candidate on the ballot – Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party. I do so proudly and without reservation.
