One very basic tenet of conservatism is the belief in small, unobtrusive government and, therefore, the freedom of the individual. Government expanding its involvement in our lives is the antithesis of conservatism. One of the silver linings surrounding the health care debate as represented by the scourge of both RomneyCare and ObamaCare is that they expose the liberals among us.
Both Pawlenty and Huntsman say they’re conservatives. I could also declare I’m Swedish, but that will not make me Ann-Margret. To prove the former point, here are videos of both Pawlenty and Huntsman sounding as if they’re chanelling Barack Obama when it comes to universal health care and insurance mandates–both concepts are the epitome of liberal thinking, and expose the elite arrogance of the political establishment as they embrace the notion that Government is Daddy and must control people’s lives. No conservative would even consider intruding into people’s private lives in this manner, and reminds us how important the 2012 election is. We have no more room or time for the Liberal Masquerade. It’s got to stop. Hat tip to Hot Air, who acknowledge Verum Serum, and Ben Smith.
I have listened to every single Press conference held during Jon Huntsman’s time as governor. They are on the Utah now podcast on I-tunes if anyone wants to listen. This was the only time he came out in favor of the individual mandate. Every other time he was non committal and when it came time for the final bill in 2008 he did not push the mandate at all. This one clip is from 2006 when he was just getting aquainted with the program the heritage foundation was pushing .
He is very pragmatic and generally tries to keep his policies inline with the wishes of the people. He did push back against those that wanted to keep the liquor laws of Utah and it is sort of a miracle that he got them to change. When the legislature wanted to force restraunts to build a special area for people to drink liquor he said he would veto it. I am sure the next thing Verum Serum will come out with is that he did support the Dream act (in 2006 but I am not sure was was contained in it at that time)
He also supported a driver privlidge card to ensure that there were less uninsured drivers on the road. He has always been for shutting down the border but he has said it would be problematic to deport every single illegal alien. He was the impetus for the largest tax cut in Utah history which included the flat tax. He supported school vouchers but after it was passed the people voted it down in a refferendum. Cato rates him fairly well on the spending side but he pushed for large increases in Education spending. (increased %18 one year and %23 the next) during a time that the state had a $500 million surplus.
The reason he did this is because Utah ranks near the bottom of the nation in per pupil education spending because of the large amount of kids. Jon Huntsman is a very good communicator much in the same vein as Dennis Prager. While Barack Obama will just do things and seem as if he does not care what anyone thinks Huntsman always seems to communicate his reasons for doing something very well.
I for one don’t expect to agree with a candidate on everything but I think in the campaign you will know exactly the kind of person he is whether you like his policies or not. He is very much like Palin in this respect. I would not be quick to write him off. Both Jason Chaffetz and Mike Lee worked in his administration. Jason was his chief of staff and ran his campaign and mike lee was his legal counsel and both have not ruled out endorsing him.
I do like Jason Chaffetz a lot as I think most people know, and I appreciate your background for Huntsman, but this wasn’t so long ago, and he sounded quite well versed in what he was saying and why. But this is what primaries are good for–we get to know people and see how they explain their background. Palin’s in the same position for some when it comes to needing to get people to get to know her. With supporters like you, lord-ruler, Huntsman’s job is a bit easier 🙂
When you are a truck driver you have a lot of time on your hands.
I have also listened to 99% of Tammy’s podcasts for the last two years. I think that is just as strange. : )
Huntsman? I, for one, suspect the judgement of anyone that would accept any job in this Administration. You work for him, you take his orders and follow his policies.
Therefore, you agree with him and his goals. And if you don’t, why accept the job?
Furthermore, the ‘per pupil education spending’ a is a red herring. See: Washington D.C.. It’s not how much you spend, it’s the results you get from what you spend already. Throwing money at the Department of Education has been the biggest documented waste of federal taxpayer money in the last 40 years. Low test scores? More money. Still low test scores? Still more money. High dropout rate? Must be lack of money spent per student, send more money. Insanity.
Note that then Utah Senator Bob Bennett couldn’t win the Republican Primary last year in Utah-and then cried ‘sour grapes’, dissed the Tea Party and sulked like a baby. Anyone remember that? And who would be surprised if Bennett endorsed Huntsman? Not me.
Huntsman is a Liberal Republican and not a Conservative.
Ciao’
posted 6/2 @740am central
I watched the video above with Huntsman very carefully, not specifically for content necessarily, but to get an overall “gut” impression of him.
I don’t trust him. Plus he’s bland as unsalted macaroni.
I’m very cranky this election cycle. I do believe that the right strategy can defeat BHO, regardless of who the nominee is, but this year I want to be impressed. I want to be dazzled. I want to feel in my gut that the potential POTUS really does mean some of the stuff the campaign promises. I feel cynical, jaded and really pissed off. I know my vote in New York is worthless, that the GOP candidate has already written the state off as not even worth trying to get. It’s depressing to know now that whether or not I even bother to vote won’t change a thing.
So if I am going to get involved, in any way, I need to be convinced that my effort is worth something. Now is the time for all the potential candidates to give it their best shots. I can see myself involved if Sarah Palin is the candidate, but as for the others, I’m still waiting.
Well put. You know, it’s been said that Elmer Fudd is more qualified to be president than our incumbent. Right now I see most candidates aspiring to actually be nothing more than Elmer Fudd. That is not good enough; those who are running for the GOP nomination should be making me see their vision for America, not wasting time trying to prove how conservative they are.
It is distressing that so many of the Republican candidates want the individual mandate and cap & trade. I won’t be voting for them. I think there are many factors that go into this. It’s not just that certain corporate interests want both of these things. There is a group-think and belief system that goes along with it, some of which has religious overtones.
Re. the individual mandate and government-mandated managed care, there is a book out that’s been around since 2007 called, “Who Killed Healthcare?” by Regina Herzlinger. She said this battle to control health care has been going on for a long time, at least 3 decades, and that it’s been driven by a variety of institutions who out of their own interests, not necessarily linked to government-managed care, put out reports talking about how private, unmanaged care is wasteful, expensive, and harms patients. There are also “gold diggers” who have gotten into the managed care business because “that’s where the money is.” This has turned into a battle to maintain their power and influence. What Regina advocates is a consumer-driven health care market. I haven’t gotten to that part of her book yet.
Cap & trade has come about as the result of politicians across the developed world seeing an opportunity for power, a religious belief that has been inculcated by them, and financial and energy interests that see an opportunity to capitalize on it. I got an early warning about many Republicans on this issue from listening to libertarian talk show host Jason Lewis, out of Minnesota. He’s kept track of a lot of Republicans on this issue, and he says many of them are in favor of it, particularly the Republican governors. He said it’s mainly because they’re ignorant of the science. They just believe what these “thousands of scientists” say about their “consensus.” They may also favor it for security reasons, to get off of foreign oil, part of which goes to fund the jihadists we’re fighting.
The problem is there’s too much belief and deferral to authority, and group-think, and not enough individual investigation, analysis, and courage. That is a rare thing, but I feel compelled now more than ever to vote for independently-minded Republicans, or none at all. The stakes are too high to risk voting for a “drone.”