Agree with Pat Robertson?

"I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol. I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded."

~ Pat Robertson, March 7, 2012              

There isn't much I've ever agreed with Pat Robertson on, so his recent statement about the failure of the war on drugs and the high social and penal costs on the American people came as a bit of a surprise to me and many others. But, he is right - the war on drugs has never and will never succeed. The costs enforcing the laws and locking up offenders are exorbitant and rising. And the damage to youthful offenders (and their families) far exceeds any benefits of the current "tough on crime" policy.

Perhaps Rev. Robertson's statement will open some Republican eyes and bring out the libertarian in all of us. We can empty some jail cells, improve people's lives, save and maybe even raise some tax dollars. Sounds like a win, win proposition to me.

Puppet masters of the tea party

Many of its organizers like to say the tea party is a "grassroots" organization. Maybe there is a bit of popular uprising involved, but there is plenty of Koch fertilizer feeding the roots... just like there is every time a Democrat is in the White House. These billionaire brothers are waging war against President Obama, Social Security, the environment, and anything (and anybody) they see as progressive. Read more about David and Charles Koch and how they pull the puppet strings of the tea party, of "think tanks" who don't really think but push an agenda, and of bought and paid for politicians and pundits in a fascinating exposé, Covert Operations, in The New Yorker.

The conservatives' choice

Shenandoah Valley conservatives are caught in a tight spot. They instinctively know that John McCain does not represent them or their views. They do not trust John McCain whose "maverick" reputation means to them he'll be kissing up to conservatives one day and stabbing them in the back the next. Sarah Palin energized the most conservative folks in the GOP during the weeks following the convention, but as her lack of qualifications and knowledge have been exposed, her ethical lapse documented, and the realization that she'd be a heartbeat away sunk in Palin has paled. She is now a drag on the McCain campaign.

For conservatives there are better and more principled choices for president who have qualified for the Virginia ballot.

Yesterday Bob Barr, the nominee of the Libertarian Party, campaigned in Virginia with stops at Liberty University and a meet-and-greet at Corned Beef and Company in Roanoke. At the Roanoke event, one Barr supporter summed up his vote this way:

"Both parties have lost it, what our forefathers intended for us to become," he said. "I believe in this movement. I am done voting for the lesser of two evils."

Others talked of Barr's strong libertarian ideas on the economy, health care, and welfare. Many in the crowd expressed a fear that McCain would pose the greatest threat to civil liberties.

Another candidate who should appeal to social and Christian conservatives is Chuck Baldwin. Mr. Baldwin, a minister, is the nominee of the Constitution Party, but is on the Virginia ballot under the banner of the Independent Green Party since the Constitution Party failed to get enough signatures. Baldwin is anti-abortion, supports school prayer, and believes Social Security is unconstitutional welfare. A few Baldwin signs have been popping up in the Shenandoah Valley, probably distributed through churches aligned with his beliefs.

If you are a principled conservative, there are other voting options for you on November 4. Candidates that speak to your concerns and issues. Candidates who, unlike John McCain, can be trusted to live up to their campaign promises.