Arnold Schwarzenegger has made a big splash in the media by entering the California governor’s race. But the real news out of California came a few days before Arnold’s political bombshell. The latest census data show — for the first time —...
Elections
The right to vote is a consequence, not a primary cause, of a free social system—and its value depends on the constitutional structure implementing and strictly delimiting the voters’ power; unlimited majority rule is an instance of the principle of tyranny. – AYN RAND
Tax Day Should Also Be Election Day
April 15 is like a national holiday for conservatives. It is the one day each year when Americans are forced to think about the cost of government. That is why many conservatives have long thought that tax day should also be Election Day. A review of polling data on...
Grasping the Essence of the Republican Victory: A Philosopher Analyzes the 2002 Elections
The election results were good. The outcome was, in all modesty, what I had expected for a year: Republican control of the Congress. I expected this because of 9/11, and that is in fact the explanation of the outcome. I agree with those commentators who say that the...
The Election We Deserve
As of the writing of this column, it is mid-day on Nov. 5, and the exit polls have not even begun to predict how today’s elections will end. It might seem like a bad time to make predictions, given that this is considered one of the tightest congressional...
High Stakes Elections and Voter Turnout
During election years, people in the media seem to be forever lamenting the fact that millions of Americans who are eligible to vote do not in fact go to the polls. When speculating as to why those people don’t vote, the media often assume that there is...
Campaign Finances and Corruption
In one of the great ironies of contemporary politics, Congress [last month] passed an economic “stimulus” package the day after the recession was declared to be over. Obviously, the legislators didn’t really care about stimulating the economy, which...
Campaign Finance Reform Diversions
There’s a story about Catholic priests who contracted to have a new church built for their congregation. When the church was completed, and just before the priests came for their final inspection, the contractor cemented a Buddhist statue in the center of the...
“Campaign Finance Reform” Regulates Free Speech
The Enron scandal was welcomed like an unexpected Christmas present by Democrats who, together with much of the media, have tried to tie the scandal to the Bush administration. However, as more and more information has come out about Enron, it has become clear that...
Why New Campaign Finance Laws Will Punish Free Speech, But Not Corruption
Newsflash: The woman who helped launder Al Gore’s Buddhist temple money has not served a single day in jail. And she probably never will. The hidden story of how funny money honey Maria Hsia escaped any meaningful punishment for corrupting our election system...
Dissecting the Principles Underlying Campaign Finance Reform
The unacknowledged principle behind the recently passed House of Representatives “campaign finance reform” bill: Established media giants (CBS, ABC, New York Times) have a constitutional right to be free of restrictions on what they air or publish. (This...
Top Ten Myths About Campaign Finance Reform
Myth #1: “Shays-Meehan is constitutional.” Any bill that attempts to “equalize” citizens’ political speech through criminal and civil penalties for “excessive” or “unfair” speech violates the First Amendment, which...
Why is “Campaign Finance Reform” Popular–Amongst Politicians?
In its reckless disregard of the Constitution when it passed “campaign finance reform” legislation, the House of Representatives has demonstrated dramatically why we need real political reform. The First Amendment to the Constitution begins “Congress...
Campaign Finance Reform: Wrong Target
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-Ariz., makes a lot of political hay portraying himself as the hero for campaign finance reform and against influence-peddling. He’s for restrictions on the “soft money” millions that flow into the campaign coffers of the...
Activism Alert: Campaign Finance Regulation vs. Free Speech
The House Republican leadership announced that on Wednesday, February 13, 2002 campaign finance regulation legislation will be brought to the floor for a vote. A similar bill has already passed in the Senate and if passed by the House, this legislation threatens a...
The Facts vs. “Campaign Finance Reform” Fictions
To crusaders for “campaign finance reform,” as with many other political crusaders, the facts simply do not matter. What matters is their vision — and winning. Facts can be left to others. Most of the arguments for campaign finance reform cannot...
Campaign Finance Reform and Other “Feel Good” Laws
It is not often that conservative talk-show host extraordinaire Rush Limbaugh and Harlem’s left-wing Congressman Charles Rangel are in agreement on anything. But they both say that the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill, which has just passed the...
Campaign Finance Reform: Wrong Target
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-Ariz., makes a lot of political hay portraying himself as the hero for campaign finance reform and against influence-peddling. He’s for restrictions on the “soft money” millions that flow into the campaign coffers of the...
The Price of Shinawatra Winning The Thai Election: Short Term Gain, Long Term Pain?
During elections last weekend, Thai billionaire businessman Thaksin Shinawatra won a landslide victory, and barring certain legal challenges, will become Thailand’s next prime minister. As owner of Thailand’s largest wireless wireless communications...
Election 2000’s Message: Don’t Subsidize Political Stupidity
Election 2000’s racial message is that President-Elect George Bush and the Republican Party shouldn’t subsidize political stupidity. You say, “What do you mean, Williams?” Given Bush’s devastating loss among black voters, in some states...
Separating the Wheat From the Chad: Election 2000 Facts versus Myths
Elections are supposed to be decided by voters on election day, not by judges later on. But once state and local courts inject themselves into post-election controversies, without any legal justification, the only institution that can get rid of their interference is...
Ploys ‘R Us: The Legal Store for Democrats Seeking To Steal Elections
The Florida Supreme Court has disgraced itself and undermined election laws, not just for this election in Florida but for future elections across the country. Any future losing candidate in a close election now knows that he need only create enough noise and...
A Double Standard at CNN
Pardon me for taking this opportunity to vent my anger.
Al Gore’s Legal Fishing Expedition: Who Cares About Election Fraud Now?
Faster than you can say Court TV, a high-priced flock of Democrat Party lawyers packed their polo shirts and jetted to Florida to investigate claims of election fraud. Al Gore’s presidential campaign is reportedly drumming up $3 million from lobbyists to pay for...
Jefferson and Madison: Could They Be Elected Today?
Our elected officials simply mirror our contempt for constitutional principles and our desire to live at the expense of our fellow American.
What is America’s Real Choice in the Upcoming Presidential Elections?
The voters face a clear choice in tomorrow’s election — it’s just too bad the candidates don’t want to admit that fact. Underneath all the muddled rhetoric on the campaign trail, everybody senses what this election is really about. It’s...
Why Clinton Would Win A Third Term: Feelings Above Reason
A comment I heard from a radio disc jockey sums up exactly what’s wrong with our country today. “Whatever you think of President Clinton, he sure is a charmer,” he said on the air. “Can I vote for him a third time?” The disc jockey is...
Advice to the GOP: Bush Needs a Republican Agenda
Salsman said that the Republicans’ only real option to win is to adopt a consistent, principled message that resonates with voters: less government and more freedom.
The Religious Right’s Descent into the Anti-Abortion Swamp Will Send Americans Reeling to the Far Left
The race for the Republican presidential nomination resembles a piety test over a single issue: the right to abortion.
Campaign Finance Reform — Needed or Needless?
Question: What is “eating away at the fabric of democracy”? According to Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Bradley, the answer is the impact of special interest money on campaign finance. Ditto for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain,...
How to Achieve Real Campaign Finance Reform: Have a Government That Can’t Sell “Public Interest” Favors
Congress is once again addressing the issue of campaign finance reform — and no wonder. The American public has become increasingly disgusted by the unprincipled manner in which our legislative process is conducted. The process, in essence, consists of swarms of...
Campaign Finance Scapegoat: Proof of Washington Rot
The nation’s response to the scandal-a-day revelations about money funneled into Clinton’s reelection and the Democratic party’s fund raising is entirely mis-focused. Campaign finance reform measures such as full disclosure and dollar limits do not...
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