I will not offer my vote and add my voice to a mandate that goes against the constitutional values I stand for. That goes for both parties and their candidates. I am #AlwaysConstitution.
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Man, what a week it has been. Bernie has gone down in flames. The oil wars have begun again in earnest. Coronavirus has swept the nation (including my very own South Dakota. My school has been closed since Wednesday). As a result of all of these inputs, the markets have gone into total collapse, ending an 11-year bull run.
This seems like the most opportune time to stand by my principles. And, in doing so, clarify my position on political candidates. I hope to explain my #AlwaysConstitution stance.
In recent weeks, as I have written about before, there has been a long-running debate here at the Liberty Hawk as to who conservatives should vote for come November. As I wrote in my last installment, voting for Bernie in November solely to kick Trump out of office is not ‘principled’ in any meaningful way. I want to expand upon that position, to clear up some misunderstandings.
Richard in Japan, an excellent writer and a seemingly principled conservative, continues to stand by his position that, no matter who the Democratic nominee is, when the election comes, he will vote for them. This even includes throwing his vote behind a socialist.
Now, the point is most likely moot given Biden’s ascendancy. Still, the fact remains that Richard would have been willing to vote for Bernie Sanders. I am not, and I will take that a step further. Even if Biden is the nominee, I will not be voting Democratic at the top of the ticket.
I do not say that lightly. I understand that the votes necessary to beat Donald Trump will probably come from disaffected Republicans, such as myself. Nevertheless, I cannot in good conscience vote for Biden, for the sole purpose of getting Trump out of the White House, for one simple reason: Biden cares no more for the Constitution than Trump does.
Biden would certainly be more stately than Trump. Their differing responses to the coronavirus pandemic have shown that. He may even be more willing to respect precedent (doubtful, but possible). At the end of the day, though, an important fact remains: on policy, and on principle, Biden is antithetical to our founding document.
Biden stands in favor of increased gun control. He would like to see more national bureaucracy for ‘solving’ climate change. He wants increased government spending on unconstitutional domestic programs. In every avenue given to him, Biden has shown disregard for the US Constitution.
So has Bernie. So has Trump. This is why I proudly say I will vote for none of them come Election Day.
Politics certainly does not exist in a vacuum. Even the best candidates have policy flaws. But we as principled conservatives, as principled constitutionalists, should not vote for a bad candidate because we believe the alternative is worse.
I will spend the next four years fighting the president’s unconstitutional agenda, whoever the president is. But I will not make a hypocrite of myself by helping to install that president into the White House. My conscience is clear; I am, and always will be, #AlwaysConstitution. I can only hope that others will do the same.
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