Answers For Another Ex-Republican

I received an email today asking questions about the Federalist movement. It was quite encouraging:

Since leaving the Republican Party when 10 GOP senators voted to acquit Clinton in 1999 I have been investigating every political party and movement I could find on the net. So far I have not found any party or movement that I would be comfortable supporting, and I have reached the point where I don't want to invest any time or effort in anything without knowing ahead of time whether or not I could support the end result. I would appreciate having your thoughts on certain matters.

I will leave the writer's name out of the post, but the questions he asked were very important to someone searching for a new party to support. Here they are, with my answers:

First of all, let me stipulate that the idea of the Federalist movement is designed to meet the needs of conservative Americans, and the Platform that came about last spring was largely drawn from the common ground among the Reagan2020.org New Federalist Platform, the 2008 Constitution Party Platform, and the 2008 Libertarian Party Platform. It stipulates that as Federalists (conservatives), we are free to have whichever opinion we wish on a position, as long as we are using the Constitution as our guide. This is a very important point, as many conservatives are "pro-life" on the basis that a baby is a human life that should be protected (under the 5th Amendment), while other conservatives, largely Libertarians, are "pro-choice" on the basis that allowing the government the power to force someone to carry a pregnancy to term would be unconstitutional (they don't believe the 5th Amendment applies).

A lot of information can be found on my blog regarding these parties and what they are about, as well as the Reagan202.org New Federalist Platform. Here are some links for your perusal:

Reagan2020.org:
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/09/new-federalism-part-i-preamble.html
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/09/new-federalism-part-ii-honoring-our.html
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/09/new-federalism-part-ii-honoring-our.html
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/10/new-federalism-part-iv-establishing.html
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/10/new-federalism-part-v-ensuring.html
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/10/new-federalism-part-vi-common-defense_10.html
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/10/new-federalism-part-vii-general.html
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/10/new-federalism-part-viii-secure.html

Federalist Party:
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/10/federalist-party-new-conservative.html
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com/2005/10/where-we-all-agree.html

What is your position on interpreting the Constitution- do you believe that there is such a thing as original intent, or do you believe that the Constitution is a living document that can be interpreted to fit the times without formal amendment?

Strictly Original Intent

What are your views on large corporations such as as Walmart and Home Depot- are they good for the country or do they need more government regulation?

They are great. Government regulation always causes more problems and in most cases solves very little.

What is your position on the legalization of drugs?

Legalize away, but people's consequences for choosing to use drugs are their own, not yours, mine, or the government's.

What is your position on marriage?

One man and one woman. Some of us would support the states making these rules without interference from the federal government at all, others would support something along the lines of an amendment defining marriage as noted.

What role do you think the federal government should play in public education?

Exactly the role that the Constitution authorizes: NONE.

Do you support the war in Iraq?

Yes, but with the caveat that the war was not fought aggressively enough.

What policies do you/would you support in the Middle East?

Support our allies, and destroy our enemies (my position). The position of the Federalist movement, however, is more flexible than that, ranging from isolationist to involvement as national security dictates.

What government policies do you/would you support regarding the use and conservation of natural resources?

Get the federal government out of the business of dealing with these things altogether. If the states want to deal with it, that's their business.

My answers would reflect those of most of those who come around here. Some with variations. I hope this person can understand the concept of voting for a candidate and not a party. This is what America REALLY needs, but if a party is desired, the Federalist Platform would be a great place to start looking.

RWR