Colorado... What Does it Mean?

This week, Coloradans did something unique in their history, they successfully recalled two state senators over gun control legislation. The gun control advocates lamented this, pointed the finger of blame at the NRA, and missed the target.

There was no one to blame but those who lost their seats in the state senate. They ignored the will of the people. They chose, instead, to impose their will on the people. Much was made of the NRA and out of state money but much of the money, most of it, was in support of these two. And, yet, they lost.

The gun control advocates are unhappy, understandably. They lost a recall election, a slap in their collective face, because the people simply did not agree with them. And they seem, as they often do, to be confused why this should be so. This is why they lash out at the NRA.


I believe they, and most (if not all) progressives, think the average voter is an idiot, easily swayed by lies and hyperbole. One does not have to delve too deeply into why they hold such a belief. The tactics of lie and hyperbole have worked well for them over the years. These tactics have helped them win elections and mute opposition all over the country for many, many election cycles.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a friend tell me the problem with the Republican Party (of which he is a member) is that it does not nominate moderates to run for president of the U.S. I was stunned into silence. I could not believe he thought John McCain and Mitt Romney were anything but moderate. I also got a "look" from another friend which meant "keep the peace", "don't start a political argument", and I just bit my proverbial tongue. Apparently, he believed the campaigns against those two.

I will readily admit that I am quite politically conservative in my views. I do not apologize for it. I will not apologize for it. I used to hide it. I used to suppress it. I no longer do so. But I also do not fit the stereotype of conservative that people have seemingly grown to accept. I am not a Fundamentalist Christian and I am not a redneck, I hold my prejudices in check (and recognize that I, like all humans, have them), and I am not stupid.

My ideal candidate is a person who is passionate about what he or she believes and does not try to mold his or her image to suit what his or her handlers say will gain him votes. This is what the Republican Party lacks, I think. They have, out of fear of failure, thrown away a set of core values. Perhaps they believe they were right to do so but it will eventually lead to the death of the party.

I strongly believe this country was founded on the principle that it could accommodate a great disparity in political thought. Unlike just about all other countries that existed at the time of our founding, it embraced diversity in political ideology. Not on an individual basis but on a national, a collective, level. And so these founders wrote a Constitution that embodied that concept. They did it because they, themselves, differed greatly in political ideology but had one cohesive political desire: create a nation that embraced the power of the individual. They did this after their first attempt (the Articles of Confederation) failed. They were incredibly wise and prescient men.

They ignored one thing. That those who seek power will eventually compromise the system under which they live in order to gain and hold power. And this is what I believe has been happening over the last 50 or so years.

Colorado was an example of that and the recall was an example of the backlash it inevitably triggers. I hope it is not simply an aberration. I hope it is not just a spark in a dying fire.