Liberty is an inherently offensive lifestyle. Living in a free society guarantees that each one of us will see our most cherished principles and beliefs questioned and in some cases mocked. That psychic discomfort is the price we pay for basic civic peace. It's worth it. It's a pragmatic principle. Defend everyone else's rights, because if you don't there is no one to defend yours. -- MaxedOutMama

I don't just want gun rights... I want individual liberty, a culture of self-reliance....I want the whole bloody thing. -- Kim du Toit

The most glaring example of the cognitive dissonance on the left is the concept that human beings are inherently good, yet at the same time cannot be trusted with any kind of weapon, unless the magic fairy dust of government authority gets sprinkled upon them.-- Moshe Ben-David

The cult of the left believes that it is engaged in a great apocalyptic battle with corporations and industrialists for the ownership of the unthinking masses. Its acolytes see themselves as the individuals who have been "liberated" to think for themselves. They make choices. You however are just a member of the unthinking masses. You are not really a person, but only respond to the agendas of your corporate overlords. If you eat too much, it's because corporations make you eat. If you kill, it's because corporations encourage you to buy guns. You are not an individual. You are a social problem. -- Sultan Knish

All politics in this country now is just dress rehearsal for civil war. -- Billy Beck

Friday, July 25, 2003

Glenn Reynolds for President!

NOTE: THIS POST IS UPDATED CONSTANTLY! (Nominees are now listed here.)

And Rachel Lucas for VP!

Jeff at Alphecca states the case plainly:
I mentioned that both the Democrats and the Republicans suck and we need something, someone in-between -- a libertarian -- to promote for president.

--

Anyway, in my previous post I speculated (fantasized) that in two or three election cycles (say, 2008 or 2012) we in the blogosphere could promote and get elected a true small "L" libertarian candidate for president. It would help if some in our sphere of friends got elected to Congress.

--

I was thinking about who I would like to see in the White House in 2008 or 2012. Who meets these requirements? And my thoughts keep coming back to my blogfather Glenn Reynolds for President and for Vice-President I could suggest (grooming her for eight years hence) Rachel Lucas. Folks, we have plenty of years of preparation for this and I really think we can do it. Of course, I also believe I will win the PowerBall lottery tomorrow...
I've said for a long time that the only way to get really good people into office anymore is to draft them.

"Greetings! For the next (2, 4, 6) years you will be serving as (Representative, President, Senator). Please report to the Public Office Registration Center by 12:00 on such-and-such date."

And anybody who actually wants to run for office above City Mayor should be immediately disqualified for mental reasons - they're either power-hungry or just plain nuts.

But that'll never happen, so what we have to do is draft the candidates and run a grass-root blogosphere-based campaign.

And hack the vote counting machines.

Great idea, Jeff! I can see the cabinet now!

Eugene Volokh for Attorney General!

Kim du Toit for Secretary of Defense!

Bill Whittle for any damned position he wants!

Who can name the other cabinet candidates?

Poster art! We need poster art! Where's Cox & Forkum when you need them?

Let's get this thing rolling!

(You don't think the puppy-in-a-blender thing will come up during the campaign, do you?)

Update: Triticale recommends

Jane Galt for Commerce

Joanne Jacobs for H.E.W. (I confess, I'm unfamiliar with Ms. Jacobs. Link?)

Emperor Misha I for Homeland Security.

Let's hear some more!

UPDATED: 10:21PM

Here's some more recommendations. I WANT FEEDBACK, DAMMIT!

Cabinet:

Agriculture ?

Interior ? Can't we combine Interior and Homeland Security? Call it "Interior Security" or just plain "National Security"?

Commerce Jane Galt (Don't know her well enough, myself, but she comes with a recommendation.)

Justice Eugene Volokh

Defense WAR! Donald Sensing - Brilliant, retired marine ARMY (mea culpa, mea maxima culpa!), and a man of the cloth too!

Labor ?

Education Mrs. du Toit - Connie knows education.

State Steven Den Beste - he'll reason our enemies into insanity! And outthink them at the same time! And clear out the halls of the State Department in favor of people who THINK!

Homeland Security Toss up: Emperor Misha or Kim du Toit - nobody should be able to do it better than a naturalized citizen!

Energy Laurence Simon of Amish Tech Support has been recommended.

Transportation ?

Treasury Mindles H. Dreck from Asymmetrical Information has been nominated.

Health & Human Services Two nominations: Joanne Jacobs and James Lileks. I go for Lileks. If he can manage home and Gnat, its good enough for me!

Housing & Urban Development Can't we scrap this one?

Veteran's Affairs Roll this into WAR!

Environmental Protection Agency Scrap this one too.

Office of Management & Budget ? I think Den Beste and Sensing and two or three others ought to combine on this one.

Chief of Staff BILL WHITTLE! (Or maybe just make him head speechwriter?)

Office of Drug Control Policy Another one to scrap.

U.S. Trade Representative ?

Ambassador to the UN The ambassador to the what?

UPDATE! 7/26/03 10:00AM

Jeff at Alphecca recommends Bill Quick of DailyPundit for Press Secretary, and has come up with a campaign slogan already:

ELECT THE GREAT IN 2008!



Scott Ott of Scrappleface has been recommended for Press Secretary, but really, we want to tell the world the truth (only as much as they need to know.) Scott wouldn't be that different from the various previous Press Secretaries, only more blatant. (But it would be fun!) And Bill Quick gets a nomination for the (useless) position of Ambassador to the UN. I think I'd leave him as Press Secretary.

I'm going to have to build a spreadsheet, aren't I?

I've got one of my own to recommend (a new advisory position?): National Technology Advisor - Eric S. Raymond of Armed and Dangerous.

OK, NOW we're getting Ambassadorial nominations! Such as Frank J. as Ambassador to France! (Bejus, I LOVE IT!)

Keep 'em coming! This is too good!

As an adjunct to this, one respondent informs me:
I've heard Glenn Reynolds has a place in Tahoe. Why not give him a warm up for the White House by electing him Governor of California this October 7?
I'm not sure I'd wish that job on ANYONE.

Fred Pruit of Rantburg has been nominated CIA/NSA director.

Keep 'em coming!

UPDATE: 11:00PM 7/26

I've got an IHMSA match to run tomorrow morning, early, but tomorrow afternoon I'll try to get a comprehensive list of the nominees for each position. And I'll even include the (immediately disqualified) volunteers. Such as Bill Hobbs who is vying for Press Secretary, too.

UPDATE! @2:15PM I finally got the table of candidates up. Some formatting problems I can't figure out, but the data is right. WooHoo!