politics

Chris Knight's avatar

Longtime readers of this blog know that I’m for fiscal conservatism and letting the free market be responsible for itself, without government interference. Meaning that among other things that I’ve never thought anything favorable about government bailout programs.

A few days ago Mitt Romney, the assumed Republican candidate for President, announced that Paul Ryan would be his running mate in this fall’s election.

Paul Ryan is being touted as a “Tea Party conservative”.

Okay, well then…

Why should this blogger, or anyone else for that matter, vote for a Romney/Ryan ticket when Ryan:

– voted for the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP)

– voted for bailouts of $14 billion for General Motors and Chrysler

– voted for bailouts of Bank of America, BB&T, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and other banks

– voted for bailing out Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

– voted for the insanely expensive Medicare

...
Read more

Chris Knight's avatar

A few weeks from now, on the eve of the Democrat National Convention starts in Charlotte, an event called Charlotte714 will be held at the Verizon Wireless Ampitheatre.

Here is how it’s being described by USNews.com…

On the night before the Democratic convention in Charlotte, at the tip of America’s bible belt, more than 40 evangelical, Baptist and other Christian churches will host a massive church service in the 20,000 seat Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

“Charlotte714,” as the Sept. 2 event is being called, was inspired by bible verse 2 Chronicles 7:14, which instructs that if people “turn from their wicked ways,” God will forgive their sins. The group’s website says that with the country’s focus on Charlotte that week, in a “morally degenerating culture,” it is an opportunity to organize a service that will help “[God’s] church return to Him.”

So a bunch of evangelical Christians are going ...

Read more

Chris Knight's avatar

…and you wanna know why?

Because today I just don’t feel like I want to eat chicken.

It has nothing to do at all with the recent statements by the company’s president, Dan Cathy, regarding his beliefs on homosexuality and “gay marriage”. It was a statement of his personal opinion and he’s entitled to have them. Personally, I’m inclined to agree with him, but that’s not the point of this post.

So today has been declared “Let’s Go To Chick-fil-A And Buy Their Food And Show We Support Traditional Families For God And Country Day Hurrah For Us!” or something. It’s in response to the boycott that some “gay rights” groups (I never understood the concept of “gay rights” either: what rights exactly do some homosexuals believe they’re being deprived of? I’ve never seen a “Straights Only” lunch counter in all my years of living in the South of all ...

Read more

Chris Knight's avatar

One of the most defining moments in my life as a thinker came courtesy of Matt Mittan, waaaay back when I first went to work for him at that newspaper in Asheville. Matt proceeded to draw a diagram on a dry-erase board about how most people think of government and politics as being “left versus right”. But that’s not how it really is at all, he went on. Instead of a horizontal line depicting a tug-of-war between self-proclaimed “liberals” and “conservatives”, the line should actually be vertical: between the individual and the collective masses.

It was like an instant of enlightenment for me. Something I had known, but didn’t know how to express it, suddenly became crystal clear. Matt didn’t have to go any further, I could see it so vividly: the “conflict” between left and right, in reality, always takes away from individual liberty and gives more ...

Read more

Chris Knight's avatar

Good friend of this blog Danny de Garcia II sends word that he’s scored a terrific interview with the ever-illustrious Nigel Farage, who has been representing South East England in the European Union since 1999. Ironically, Farage has also emerged as one of the EU’s biggest and most conspicuous critics! For those who have been watching the economic and political situation over the past decade or so in Europe, Danny’s interview with Farage is quite an eye-opener.

Here’s an excerpt…

DDG: Many Americans are closely watching Europe and the ongoing debt crisis. Do you believe the situation is under control or are there more surprises to come?

Farage: The European Union – not Europe, actually – is collapsing under the weight of its own over-regulation, enormous subsidies (to its supporters) and attempts to rule the world through “soft power” (i.e. money) as well as the implications of its

...
Read more

Chris Knight's avatar

The news out of Raleigh today – which will no doubt be enjoyed by many across the Tarheel State – is that Bev Perdue, known on this blog as the WORST governor that North Carolina has EVER had, will not seek re-election to a second term.

Kinda historic, given that since our governors have had the ability to run for re-election since the late 1970s, that all of North Carolina’s governors since have run for and won second terms. Perdue is going to prove to be the break from that.

Wouldn’t surprise me if she wound up with a job offer in Obama’s second term (providing he’s delivered one) but even so: that Bev Perdue will no longer be in the governor’s mansion is terrific news. This lady has no clue how much her tax increases have wrecked havoc on this state. Not to mention that she once advocated ...

Read more

Chris Knight's avatar

Four years ago I made a solemn vow to myself, and I have kept to it. Not only that but my conscience has rested much better because of it…

I pledged to not vote for any candidate for public office who runs even a single negative campaign ad against an opponent.

I’m telling y’all right now that the ballot I cast in 2008 had a lot of wide open empty spaces. But the candidates that I didn’t vote for, it can’t be said that they didn’t earn that. Either because I believed they were not suitable for office on their own merits, or because they violated the terms of my vow.

Look folks, seriously: if a candidate spends millions of dollars attacking his or her opponent instead of telling us “This is what I believe and this is how I want to serve you…”, why should we trust them with ...

Read more

Chris Knight's avatar

I once met Newt Gingrich. He’s a strong writer and speaker. I think he’s got a very good mind for history. I also happen to share many of the views that he holds.

Nonetheless, I’ve got to say it…

Newt Gingrich is poised to become for the Republican Party in 2012 what John Kerry was for the Democrat Party in 2004.

Meaning that if Gingrich is the GOP’s nominee for President, that will most likely assure that Obama will be re-elected.

Part of me is wondering if that might have been the plan from the start, although by whom and for what purpose, I could only speculate.

Can anybody provide evidence strong enough to compel me that there is any significant difference between the “two major parties” running the show in the United States? And that’s all this really is: a show. Albeit one that has cost us billionstrillions ...

Read more

Chris Knight's avatar

The big news this hour is that Sarah Palin has announced that she will not be running for President in the 2012 election.

Here’s the letter that she has sent out far and wide across the Intertubes…

October 5, 2011
Wasilla, Alaska

After much prayer and serious consideration, I have decided that I will not be seeking the 2012 GOP nomination for President of the United States. As always, my family comes first and obviously Todd and I put great consideration into family life before making this decision. When we serve, we devote ourselves to God, family and country. My decision maintains this order.

My decision is based upon a review of what common sense Conservatives and Independents have accomplished, especially over the last year. I believe that at this time I can be more effective in a decisive role to help elect other true public servants to office –

...
Read more