Convening its national convention in Kansas City today, the Constitution Party picked radio talk-show host Chuck Baldwin over former Ambassador Alan Keyes as its 2008 presidential candidate.The pick was seen as something of an upset, given Keyes' higher national profile. Known for his fiery stem-winders, Keyes is a two-time GOP presidential candidate who abandoned the Republican Party this month to join the Constitution Party, which believes in limited government and is committed to ending abortion and bringing American troops home from Iraq.
But Baldwin's roots in the Constitution Party run deeper. He was the party's 2004 vice-presidential candidate, and party members said his stands were more in line with party thinking.
"Chuck is the real deal," said Jim Clymer, the party's national chairman.
Still, the two waged a fierce battle described as the most contentious in the party's 16-year history. Baldwin wound up winning easily on a 384-126 vote. The Missouri and Kansas delegations basically split their votes between the two.
"They just rejected the most qualified man to be president," said Tom Hoefling of Lohrville, Iowa, Keyes' national political director. "Chuck Baldwin will have no impact on this election whatsoever."
The party's immediate tasks, Clymer said, are raising money and gaining ballot access in each state. The party now has qualified to be on the ballots of 21 states. He expects the eventual total to top 40 and include Kansas and Missouri. "We're always short on money," Clymer said.
In his acceptance speech, Baldwin said his presidency would result in the ending of illegal immigration, abortion, the streamlining of the federal government, the tapping of oil reserves in Alaska and withdrawal from Iraq.
"We will stop the international meddling...this international empire-building," Baldwin said.
When he takes office, Baldwin said, "The new world order comes crashing down!"
He pledged not only to pull out of the United Nations, but to push the international organization out of New York.
"The U.N. is going to have to find themselves another (home) because their rent is up in New York City," he said.
He said he would phase out the Internal Revenue Service and end the paying of personal income taxes. He said the country should return to the gold standard.
Home schoolers, he said, would have the best friend they ever had in the White House.
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Seven Principles of the Constitution Party are:
1. Life: For all human beings, from conception to natural death;
2. Liberty: Freedom of conscience and actions for the self-governed individual;
3. Family: One husband and one wife with their children as divinely instituted;
4. Property: Each individual's right to own and steward personal property without government burden;
5. Constitution: and Bill of Rights interpreted according to the actual intent of the Founding Fathers;
6. States' Rights: Everything not specifically delegated by the Constitution to the federal government is reserved for the state and local jurisdictions;
7. American Sovereignty: American government committed to the protection of the borders, trade, and common defense of Americans, and not entangled in foreign alliances.
4 comments:
Dan, thanks for posting this.
I, for one, will no longer throw my vote away on a Republican who is not committed to ending immoral wars, the looting of our manufacturing base through free trade, or the outlandish expansion of the national debt that our children will have to pay.
Nor will these RINO's do a thing to end the two sins that cry to heaven for redress: abortion and sodomy.
I will, however, vote for either Chuck Baldwin or Bob Barr. It's so nice to have a real choice again.
Things are looking up.
Blessings,
JASNA GORAK
Thanks, Jasna, for your comments. You are so right,the drift of this country over the past 16 years requires a break with the "less of the same" attitude of the Republican Party.
Bob Barr is a fine man who had a solidly conservative voting record in Congress. I would suggest, however, that for social and religious conservatives there are important differences between the platforms of the Libertarian and Constitution Parties. The former believe abortion is a private matter, marriage merely a private contract and that government has no role in limiting it to one man and one woman. They would also repeal all drug laws, believe in free trade, and state that "a policy of open immigration will advance the economic well-being of all Americans."
I'm waiting until Sen. McCain chooses his VP before deciding how to vote in Nov. If he doesn't choose a CONSISTENT moral value VP; I cannot vote GOP with a clear conscience. I was hoping for a good candidate to get behind in the Constitution Party if McCain's VP is lacking. Chuck Baldwin lost any chance of my vote months ago when he kneecapped MY candidate in the GOP. (Gov. Huckabee) He blew it with the article at this link:
http://tinyurl.com/2nptd9
Granny T
Baldwin and Keyes BOTH misrepresented Mike Huckabee's record badly. Baldwin or Keyes never ran a government so its easy to shoot bullets at someone when you're behind bulletproof glass. They might be social conservatives, but neither is qualified to run a government. The Constitution Party will never be taken seriously unless they run a truly qualified candidate.
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