FAIR AND BIASED: “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Sunday, November 20, 2022

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Weekly Opinion Editorial

GROUNDHOG DAY!

by Steve Fair

On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump announced he was running for the Republican nomination in 2024. “In order to make America great and glorious again, I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States,” he told the crowd gathered at Mar-a-Lago. “America’s comeback starts now,!” Trump proclaimed.

Some of Trump’s family isn’t on board like they were in his previous two campaigns. Ivanka Trump Kushner, the ex-president’s daughter and former advisor, did not attend the announcement and issued a statement after the declaration of her father. “While I will always love and support my father, going forward I will do so outside the political arena,” Trump Kushner said. Her husband, Jared Kushner, a former senior advisor to the president, did attend the announcement, as did sons Eric and Barron, but Donald Trump Jr. was not in attendance.

Reaction to Trump’s announcement was mixed from Congressional Republicans. Four term Congresswoman Rep. Elise Stefanik, (R-NY), endorsed Trump, calling him the most popular Republican in America, who has a proven record of conservative governance. Three term Congressman Rep. Andy Biggs, (R-AZ), who unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Kevin McCarthy, (R-CA) for Speaker earlier this week said Trump was the leader of the Republican Party. Former White House physician, Texas Congressman Ronny Jackson, (R,TX), said he was 100% behind Trump.

Former White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney(who served 15 months in the job) said Trump was the only Republican who could lose in 2024 and it would be a mistake to nominate him. Outgoing Maryland Governor Larry Hogan agreed. Sen. Richard Burr, (R-NC), who is retiring after 28 years in Congress, said he could care less about Trump’s announcement. It is not unheard of for an ex-president to covet moving back to the White House.

Three ex-presidents in American history have come back and ran for the job. President Ulysses S. Grant served two terms as POTUS from 1869-1877, but declined to run for a third term. He changed his mind in 1880 and ran for the Republican nomination, but lost to James Garfield on the 36^th ballot.

After losing to FDR, President Herbert Hoover ran for the GOP nomination in 1936 and 1940, but failed to win the Party’s nod.

Three other former presidents tried to get their old job back by running as third-Party candidates. Martin Van Buren ran eight years after he was defeated and came in third and got no electoral votes. Millard Fillmore created the Know Nothing Party’s nomination in 1852, and finished third with 21% of the popular vote and got eight electoral votes. Could it have been the Party’s name?

Perhaps the best-known ex-president to try and win the Oval Office job back is President Teddy Roosevelt. After serving seven years, Roosevelt chose to not run for reelection. He handpicked Secretary of War William Howard Taft as his successor, but quickly regretted the decision. Roosevelt ran against Taft for the Republican nomination in 1912, but narrowly lost. Teddy then created the Bull Moose Party. He got 27.4% of the popular vote and 88 electoral votes. Taft got 23.2% of the popular vote, but only 8 electoral votes. Taking advantage of the Republicans splitting the vote, Woodrow Wilson won 435 electoral votes with just 41% of the popular vote.

President Grover Cleveland is the only former president who has come back after being defeated for reelection to win a second nonconsecutive term. Cleveland was the 22^nd and the 24^th president with Benjamin Harrison the 23^rd. Cleveland, the former governor of New York, beat Harrison in the rematch in 1892.

Will Donald Trump be successful and serve a second nonconsecutive term like Grover Cleveland? Will history repeat itself and Trump win a rematch against Joe Biden like Cleveland did against Harrison? Will Trump be like Grant and Hoover and fail to get the GOP Party nomination? If he lost the nomination, would he follow Teddy Roosevelt’s example and create a third-Party? It remains to be seen how it plays out, but one thing is certain: 2024 is taking shape to be an eventful election.

American philosopher George Santayana famously said, “Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Phil Connors in Groundhog Day put it in more contemporary terms: “I wake up everyday, right here in Punxsutawney, and it’s always February 2^nd, and there’s nothing I can do about it.” That’s how most Americans feel about politics and their government.

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Why FAIR & BIASED?

FAIR- because that's my name and BIASED because the truth is we are all biased- either for something or against it. What's important is that our bias(opinions) are based on right- on absolute truth and not on changing values. What's right cannot change based on a change in circumstances. That is the basis for situational ethics.

Situation Ethics is a theory that is concerned with the outcome or consequences of an action; the end, as opposed to an action being intrinsically wrong. In the case of situation ethics, the end can justify the means. There are no absolutes. Your actions are guided only by your conscience.

A person's view of right can be subjective. But there is a way mankind can definitely know what's right and that is revealed in God's Word- the Bible. As His creatures, we should be biased toward things our Creator is for and biased against those things He is against. May God grant us the grace and understanding to know the difference.

PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

How important is political party affiliation? Some people mistakenly believe only politicians need political affiliation, which they use for support to get elected. They contend the electorate or voters, do not need to be aligned with any Party. These same people often state they “support the man, not the Party.” But whether they recognize it or not, they are supporting a party when they “support the man.”
Most of the Founding Fathers had a negative view of political parties. In his farewell address to the nation, George Washington warned about political parties saying, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” In spite of Washington's warning, political parties were formed anyway.
From 1796 to 1828 the first political parties were formed. Starting with the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, two opposing factions arose. Each was concerned with how the new government was to be organized. The Federalists believed in a strong central government. Their philosophy and beliefs would closely mirror the Democrat Party today. The Anti-Federalists strongly supported the rights of the states. They would more closely align with Republicans today.
Since the mid 1800s, the Ds and Rs have been the two major political parties in our country. Political parties flourished in our government mainly for legislative organization and expediencies sake. Why is Party affiliation important for the average voter? Party affiliation is important for three very simples reasons.
First, party affiliation is the first vote a citizen casts. When a citizen registers as a Democrat, then they are aligning philosophically with the values, beliefs, tenets, and positions of the Democrats on the issues. Party affiliation “defines” you are and what you stand for. It should be taken as seriously as a vote for a specific candidate. Research what each Party stands for, their positions on issues, and then align with the Party that is closest to your values. Copies of both major Party platforms are available on-line or at the local library.
Second, legislatures organize themselves and conduct business using party affiliation. The legislative branch of government is the most powerful arm of the three branches of government. Legislative bodies hold closed meeting of party members, called a caucus to decide on questions of policy or leadership. The Republicans hold a caucus meeting and the Democrats hold a caucus meeting-both at the state and federal level. Unfortunately, conservative, moderate and liberal philosophies do not hold caucus meetings or control the legislative agendas- parties do. When someone says they vote for “the man,” not the party, they fail to understand the power and function of a caucus system in a legislative body. The Party in the majority controls appointments, Chairmanships, the agenda and countless other things through the caucus.
Third, party affiliation should be a matter of conviction, not convenience. Often, people align with a party so they can vote in primary elections or based on family tradition or geographies. Even candidates will align, file and run affiliated with a Party they have little philosophical agreement with. That decision is made out of convenience, not conviction. While no political party is perfect or has all the answers, there is a distinct difference between the two major parties and honest citizens should align with the Party that reflects their convictions.
The Democrat Party is more liberal than the Republican Party. Liberals believe in more government control of business, the environment and speech, using large bureaucratic programs to address real or perceived social ills and constant reinterpretation of the Constitution. Liberals are more inclined to trust government than the people themselves. They see the role of government as a great provider of goods and services and have little faith in the individual to solve his own problems.
Republicans are more conservative than Democrats. Conservatives believe in less government control of the environment and business. They want fewer and less comprehensive government programs to address real or perceived social ills. They believe in personal responsibility and trust individuals to make decisions for themselves. Republicans believe in a strict literal interpretation of the Constitution. A person should find out which of these philosophies best fits their view if they wish to actively participate in the political process.
Party affiliation is important. Washington’s prophecy has come to past, and political parties have been used to empower “unprincipled men,” on both sides of the aisle, but like it or not, political parties are a reality in our system of government. Each concerned citizen should evaluate the philosophy, values, beliefs and tenets of each Party and align their party affiliation accordingly.

FAIR AND BIASED

Sunday, November 20, 2022

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

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PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

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