Wanted: Conservative Candidates

Regardless of political party - or even lack of party affiliation - the United States needs to back up and regroup. The current direction our elected "leadership" is taking us is wrong, and will destroy what is special, even unique, about the United States. The Democratic party isn't likely to change direction, considering those currently elected to public office. The only hope for a change in direction will have to come from newly-elected, conservative candidates - at ALL levels of government.

Conservatives who belong to the Democratic Party, the Republican Party, no party, or even the Tea Party, need to come together and state, unequivocally, what they want in a candidate, and refuse to support anyone that doesn't meet those qualifications. My personal list of absolutely necessary requirements are:

• A candidate that puts the three essentials of good government first: protection of individual liberty, property, and process. By "process", I mean the right to make personal decisions for themselves about such things as political orientation, health care, where they live, housing, education, social contact, and other PERSONAL decisions. I also mean that people making these personal decisions must also be responsible for accepting the consequences of their decisions, good or bad. Unless a candidate will commit, in written or spoken word, to base every decision he or she makes on these essentials, they're not worthy of my vote.



• A candidate that understands the critical necessity of responsible spending: all taxes are paid by individuals, either in direct payment or in indirect "pass-along" taxes. Only those taxes that are required to support essential government functions - defense, coining/printing of money, maintenance of basic infrastructure, foreign policy, and other specific, limited functions listed in our Constitution, are "essential". Anything else, especially anything that's solely based upon the "commerce clause" of our Constitution - and quite frequently, only by warping and twisting the meaning of "commerce" - needs to be examined closely to see if it's actually needed, actually producing the desired outcome, and can't be done by other means at less cost or intrusion into the lives of America's citizens. Any candidate that won't commit to working toward these goals is not worthy of my vote, and won't get it.



• A candidate that understands that "government" is not the answer to every problem.



• A candidate that understands that the Constitution means exactly what it says, and the only valid amendment process is the one listed in Article IV of that Constitution.



• A candidate that understands that we have too many laws, many of them so vague that they're virtually impossible to implement properly, and that this mess needs to be cleaned up.



• A candidate that not only understands these basic premises, but will promise that he will act in accordance with them on all issues he faces.

I'm sure such candidates will be difficult to find, but they're absolutely essential for the continuance of our nation as it was founded.