Draft Judge Napolitano — But Not As A Republican
~ 5 February 2014 ~
by Robert W. Peck (Chairman, Constitution Party of Washington) –
The other night I ran across a Facebook page titled “Draft Judge Andrew Napolitano for President.” I found that it is associated with a website devoted to the same purpose of convincing the judge to seek the Presidency in 2016. I like Judge Napolitano. I’m not aware of his having ever said anything that I disagree with and I would be pleased to have him as President. However, I have one problem with this effort.
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The “Draft the Judge” petition concludes by calling on “Judge Andrew Napolitano to offer himself as a ‘Republican‘ candidate for President of the United States” (emphasis added). This despite the fact that after identifying numerous of our country’s ills, the petition rightly identifies both the Republican and Democrat Parties as the source of our problems, stating that they have “worked in tandem as an entrenched political duopoly to put the United States on this path, despite both parties’ claiming fundamental ideological differences.”The petition goes on to state that “both parties have done so because they are controlled by professional politicians and special interest groups that do not hold the best interests of the American people at heart,” to which I say, “oh how true.”Continuing, the petition says “the only way to transform a system riddled with such corruption and cronyism is to support groups and candidates currently outside the government and neither controlled by nor invested in such special interests.” |
Excuse me, but how exactly is seeking the Republican nomination an act of going outside the controlled Establishment and special interests? The “R&D” duopoly are the epitome of controlled, insider, Establishment politics that’s bought and paid for by power brokers and special interests.
Have we learned nothing after twice watching the “R” party leadership lie, cheat, steal and do whatever it had to to prevent Ron Paul, a Constitutionally sound and courageous candidate that they cannot control, from getting the nomination? And have we learned nothing after watching the same party subvert the campaigns of similar men of principle at the state and local level?
Election cycle after election cycle I’ve watched as the “R” party Establishment leadership works to undermine the campaigns of any overtly God-honoring, Constitution-upholding, liberty-loving candidates in the primary election. I’ve heard story after story of the shenanigans pulled by the party leadership to push the Establishment choice through the nomination process, will of the membership be damned. When the occasional God honoring patriot makes it through the primary, the party has been known to actually undermine that candidate’s campaign in the general election, preferring a Democrat who will maintain the status quo over a man of courage and integrity who will uphold the Constitution and rock the Establishment’s boat. Even on the really rare occasion that a Constitutionist does get elected and goes to Congress, or the state legislature, they find their endeavors to honor God and uphold the Constitution opposed and thwarted by their own party’s leadership. They might as well have been elected and served as Democrats.
So what am I suggesting – that the judge run on a third party ticket, or as an independent? That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.
“Oh, but a third party or independent candidate can’t win” you might say. Well wake up – have any overtly God honoring, strict Constitutionists who are sincerely contending for liberty won as Republicans? Well, about a half dozen or so have won in Congress and the numbers are about the same in most state legislatures. But I expect that many of those candidates would have won as independents or third party candidates based on their local name recognition and reputation. If the local folks who agree with a candidate’s views would simply give them the same support without regard for party label, then I’m confident that most would have won even as third party or independent candidates.
But why not run as a Republican? Because every time a good man, with good values, who honors God, upholds the Constitution and contends for the real principles of liberty runs as a Republican, he lends his credibility as a Christian and a Constitutionist to a party that has become anything but Christian and Constitutional.
Now I realize that there are a lot of nice Christian people still trapped in the Republican Party and I know that people will point out that the Republican Party has a good platform. But did Jesus say we should know a tree by its leaves or by its fruit (Mat 7:15-20)? The Republican Party may have a lot of nice Christian leaves (members) and be cloaked in a quite conservative platform, but the only test that I’ve been instructed to judge a thing by is the fruit that it produces. So what fruit has the Republican Party produced?
Now before you say “oh, but those pesky Democrats won’t let the Republicans do anything good,” let’s stop and consider that over the last quarter century that I’ve been paying attention to the affairs of government, the “R” party has been in power about half the time. They have held the Presidency with a Democrat controlled Congress (1988-92), they have controlled Congress under a Democrat President (1994-2000), they had the whole enchilada from 2000-06 and even now they control the branch of the federal government responsible for all bills for revenue and thus have full control over the nation’s spending habits. The “R” party also controls fully half of the union states with 25 states having both an “R” majority in the legislature and an “R” governor.
Despite all this opportunity, can you name for me one time that the Republican Party produced even one piece of good, God honoring, Constitution upholding, liberty restoring fruit? Can you name one time that the budget has been balanced, the borders secured, Constitutional money restored, abortion ended, foreign aid eliminated, foreign interventionism and international meddling ended…? Can you name one “R” party controlled state that has exercised its 10th Amendment rights and stood up to federal usurpation, nullified un-Constitutional federal acts or produced overtly God honoring, Constitution upholding fruits of liberty?
It’s time to judge the tree by its fruit and the fruit is corrupt.
But why not run as a Republican anyway per adventure the judge might have a little better chance of winning? Because every time that a good man associates himself with a corrupt entity, he lends his reputation to that entity and brings it credibility – credibility that causes well meaning Christians and conservatives to continue to be held hostage by a party that is only serving to shove toxic, bitter fruit down their throats.
Running Constitutional candidates under the banner of an un-Constitutional party is only helping to deceive people into thinking that party is Constitutional. Running sincerely Godly candidates under that banner is only misleading people to perceive that party as Godly.
It’s time to stop perpetuating the lie. It’s time to “Come out of her, my people” (Rev 18:4) and “Be ye not unequally yoked” (2 Cor 6:14) with an entity that is not even trying to go in the direction that Christians and conservatives claim to want to go.
Am I saying the judge could win as an independent or third party candidate? Probably not – not without a major change in the spiritual condition and general moral climate of “we the people.” However, I expect he would have about as good a chance as he does of winning the Republican nomination.
More importantly though, by refusing to associate himself with an entity that in truth does not represent Biblical values, Constitutional limits or the founding principles of liberty, the judge could help shake good people free from their dependency on, and captivity in, a party that truly is holding them hostage and exploiting them for nefarious purposes.
I believe much more good could be accomplished by Judge Napolitano’s choosing to only associate himself with people and organizations of like mind who are sincerely committed to the principles and values of the American founders. I would recommend for the judge’s consideration, the Constitution Party, an organization that from its inception has held the values of the Founding Fathers as its guide. Associating with such an organization would be an equal yoking and would help bring attention to the principles and values that need to be restored in America rather than wasting a good man’s reputation on bringing credibility to a corrupt entity.
Even running as an independent would help shake people loose from their political strain of Stockholm Syndrome that keeps them supporting their political captors. At a minimum, a high profile, Constitutionally credible candidate, running outside the Establishment duopoly would help shake the political powers that be and perhaps lessen their hold on power and their hold over the people.
As much as I appreciate Judge Napolitano, if he chooses to run as a Republican, I won’t be able to bring myself to expend my effort in support of his campaign. Spending time, money or the reputation of a good man on anything associated with the “R” party would be tantamount to giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
Let’s find courage – courage to stand and not bow to the power brokers and party bosses that tell us that we need them, their influence, their money or their party initial after our name. Let them be accursed along with their lust for power and their willingness to sell our American birthright of liberty to get it.
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For more thoughts on this topic, please refer to my article on Whether to Run as a Republican
Bob Peck is the writer of the American Perspective blog – Politics, government and society from a Christian and Constitutional perspective. He is currently serving as Chairman of the Constitution Party of Washington, and is the Senior Coordinator of the national CP Multimedia Group, his specialties being videographing and podcasting. You can read more of his work at: bobpeck.wordpress.com.