Am I voting for Robert Sarvis to be our next governor? Absolutely!Photo: Jeff Kleb (blue sweater) and Robert Sarvis (white shirt with tie)
As a conservative Libertarian - or a very Libertarian conservative, I often have people ask me my opinion on the statewide elections we have coming up shortly here in Virginia. Of course, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I am never shy about rendering an opinion when it comes to political issues. This 2013 election season is a first for the commonwealth; which has the two major parties seemingly putting forth the worst possible candidates for all three positions (governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general). It has become a scenario where most folks are voting "against" someone whose views they find oppressive or offensive -- rather than FOR a candidate whose views most resemble their own. The top slot, governor, has three candidates vying for the office. One is a liberal Democrat masquerading as a crusader for the common man and his chief rival is an authoritarian Republican trying to sound conservative. The third man in the race is a TRUE small-government conservative who is running as a Libertarian.
First, the Democrats have put forth Terry McAuliffe. He is a true Washington insider, a tough as nails competitor who is willing to sling mud or dig up dirt on any opponent in order to win. He has more than two decades of political experience and although he has never held elective office, he knows his way around inside the Beltway, has the keys to every building and knows where all of the bodies are buried. He will have little trouble carrying Northern VA, Richmond (urban areas), Charlottesville and much of the Tidewater area. He is mostly anti-gun (while telling us he is a 'strong supporter of the Second Amendment), has been endorsed and partially funded by the gun-hating {NYC} Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
He also has the 'education establishment' behind him and will undoubtedly be backed by the big labor unions who have a pipe dream of overturning Virginia's "right to work" law that they view as hostile to organized labor. Environmentalists claim that McAuliffe will somehow find a magical way of saving us from global warming -- but the reality is that he will do little more than raise taxes and harm small businesses. His idea of offsetting state spending by EXPANDING {federal} Medicaid is laughable. Some pundits might say he will be Tim Kaine on steroids!
The second choice is a Republican currently serving as attorney general, Ken Cuccinelli. He hails from the so-called "religious right" faction of the GOP -- calling himself a conservative, but still an advocate of big government that will just come at us from a different angle than would McAuliffe. Cuccinelli deserves accolades for being mostly pro-gun, fighting the ridiculous Obamacare legislation and (supposedly) supporting states' rights. He claims to favor tax cuts, a reasonable position, but is still a bit behind when saying where he would provide funding in lieu of the current taxes. His hard line, theocratic stance on social issues will cost him a lot of votes - even if he believes that it helps to shore up his base. Claiming to be "pro-liberty" while saying you want to end abortion in Virginia will not really warm up the female vote - as most voters will see that as opposing choice or reproductive rights. Reasonable people can disagree on that issue, but Ken Cuccinelli is definitely NOT a small-government conservative in that department! He will also draw ire from liberty-minded voters for his opposition to marriage equality. A lot of voters are going to be wary of his apparent fixation with sodomy laws, especially between consenting adults. Not exactly a tolerant type, is he?
Furthermore, he claims to be against the federal government pushing its will on the states - but advocates forcing other states to adopt Virginia's archaic law that bans same-sex marriage. He is 'less evil' on taxes & spending than McAuliffe - but stretches the term "fiscal conservative" when you examine him more closely. No real friend of liberty should support someone who will use the power of the state to force his beliefs on others!
Finally, there is Libertarian Robert Sarvis -- a relative 'newcomer' to the political arena who ran for a state senate seat two years ago (as a Republican, by the way). He exemplifies the ideal mix in a candidate for elected office: fiscal conservatism mixed with social tolerance. His slogan is "Open For Business and Open-Minded" when it comes to his campaign for the commonwealth's highest office.
While McAuliffe seems to want government to be our mommy and Cuccinelli likes the concept of government being our daddy, Robert Sarvis understands that we are FREE & SOVEREIGN citizens who are capable of making our own decisions and best at deciding how to run our lives. He does indeed recognize that part of living in a free state means that you may sometimes have to put up with or tolerate things that you might find distasteful, repulsive or offensive -- but that others may even have to put up with it from you. Mr. Sarvis is deserving of my vote (and hopefully yours) because he "gets it" with regard to what it means to be a free citizen in a free state. Mr. Cuccinelli seems to be okay with "slowing the growth of government" (his own words); but we need someone who will focus on actually SHRINKING it.
He understands that we need to encourage capitalism & economic growth in Virginia with lower taxes, a favorable business climate and a government that is so hostile that it will cripple development or kill the goose that lays a golden egg. He, of course, realizes that we are a diverse population comprised of people who have different religions, creeds, beliefs and lifestyles -- but that as free people who can freely associate with each other as we see fit -- it is possible to accomplish great things and to be prosperous. Mr. Sarvis is also much more "pro-gun" than McAuliffe and Cuccinelli combined! My vote goes to Robert Sarvis because he is the only one who EARNED IT. Terry McAuliffe and his crony socialism don't seem to want it. Ken Cuccinelli and his authoritarian bastardization of conservatism take it for granted. This old worn out cliché about supporting "the lesser of two evils" will get you nowhere - especially as a conservative. How do those of you who supported John McCain in 2008 or Mitt Romney in 2012 feel about that? Yep; you got scammed by the GOP - which is nothing more than Democrat Lite nowadays. Time to put down the Kool-Aid and vote for the ONLY true conservative, pro-liberty candidate for governor; and that is Robert Sarvis.
Be Libertarian with us just one time and if you don't like it, you can always go back to supporting statist Democrats or authoritarian Republicans in the next election. Mr. Sarvis will be getting my vote - a vote for fiscal discipline and against an overbearing social agenda. He deserves it, and I believe he deserves your vote as well.
For the 'downstream' elections, there are really no "pro-liberty" candidates in either race. I am not a huge fan of E.W. Jackson or Mark Obenshain; and there are not a lot of good things to say about Ralph Northam or Mark Herring - the Democrats opposing them. My vote will go to Jackson and Obenshain - but ONLY because they are fairly strong on Second Amendment issues and their Democrat opponents harbor a Mc-Auliffe like distaste for gun rights. I should also note that as the lieutenant governor, Mr. Jackson will preside over the state senate and cast any tie-breaking votes. It is likely that he will vote AGAINST any new gun control laws that might reach that point. I dislike their hard-line, bigoted social agenda and they are only marginally better than their Democrat opponents on fiscal issues. My state delegate is unopposed, so that is a moot issue for me this year.
Yours in liberty,
Jeff Kleb
Chesterfield County, VA {all rights reserved}
jeffkleb@gmail.com OR
jeffkleb@lycos.com
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