Morning Joe 12/13/2011 -- Get Newt! Part II

On Morning Joe today, the second part of Get Newt begins. The guests were Andy Sewrer, Mark Halperin, Tina Brown, Steve Schmidt, Eugene Robinson and Mike Lee, as best as I can remember. The topic was Newt Gingrich's slipping numbers. Gingrich was thoroughly ridiculed and denigrated. When some guests said they find it incredible that the base is choosing Gingrich over Romney, the answer was that Gingrich taps into the anger and the hatred of Obama. Tina Brown had an article in her magazine regarding Gingrich and his oversized ego. The panel said that Romney needs to get tough, but that basically he's a nice guy who doesn't naturally fight. I'm finding all this tedious -- it's the same analysis every day.

The Republican establishment is anxious to get Gingrich out of the way so that the chosen candidate, Romney, can get down to business. I've noticed that Ron Paul is getting better coverage now that it's suspected the better he does the worse Gingrich does. Scarborough even talked about his natural love for free markets -- no more talk about raising taxes on millionaires&billionaires and Warren Buffett's secretary and infrastructure building like China or FDR's ability to bypass congress and get things done -- no, Scarborough is now a Rothbardian.

Steve Schmidt, the campaign manager who helped run the lukewarm McCain disaster which gave Obama the presdiency on a silver platter, said the base has some crazy idea that Gingrich will stomp Obama in a debate, but the real deal is Romney. Romney should get Schmidt as a campaign advisor -- the man is awesome. But, really, neither Romney nor Gingrich are much of an improvement over Obama. Ron Paul is the only candidate who will make a difference, and he would probably lose to Obama. This might not be so bad, if it can serve as the last stand for statism. At least with Paul running against Obama, the public will get to decide on real differences in philosophy. Then, when the public chooses statism one more time, and we continue to decline, in 2016 the choice will be crystal clear.

Scarborough wondered why a Mitch Daniels or Paul Ryan or Chris Christie didn't run this time. One reason is that the job of President has become less attractive, but the reason they wouldn't make a difference is the same problem that Romney faces -- they can't defend classical liberal principles in a real way. Mike Lee was on and Scarborough pushed Lee, who talks a good classical liberal game, about the war in Afghanistan -- are we over-extended and should we end it? Lee couldn't answer affirmatively on this issue because he believes in interventionism over-seas. This is one, main, defining issue going forward between classical liberals and neocons and conservatives afraid to address national defense issues. If Republicans don't become the party of classical liberalism -- limited government and a free market and proponents for non-interventionism -- then we have the same old liberal/conservative dance in the Center that never changes much except at the margins. Jeb Bush would be a replay of George Bush. Mitch Daniels would be a replay of all Center Republicans. Christie would be a bully Teddy Roosevelt, and God knows we don't need that.

No we need Ron Paul and more Republicans like Ron Paul who can keep us out of foreign entanglements but still maintain a superior national defense. National defense is a moral, liberty issue, because the State advances its power most easily through fear of foreign attack, and when the government misuses the military, young men and women suffer and lives are wasted on political games between States -- the people of different countries could probably co-exist with not many problems, but States play power games. National defense is also an economic issue -- capital is misdirected and tax payer dollars are wasted due to liitle oversight. Also, cronyism is rampant in the defense industry with companies like Lockheed becoming quasi-State enterprises. We've got enough weapons of mass destruction -- let's move on to productive activity that will get the economy going.

Vote Ron Paul for President. I approve this message.