PLEASE READ MY THOUGHTS ON VITTER OVER EDWARDS FOR GOVERNOR - by SARA WOOD (Click on PDF logo to share or print)
Listen y'all, this is long, but I ask humbly, even in this drive-thru, 10 second society at fault that you try to spare the time to read it because this governor's election is very important in light of the next huge one in 2016 and it took me a long darn time to write it. These thoughts are for the consideration of those who believe in the Republican platform but to those that do not, then you may not want to read this because it probably won't really make a difference and it is SOLELY an expression of my thoughts and I am an unpaid nobody, who researches and finds comfort in writing and just really understands that you cannot flirt with the growth of government, to any degree, for long, before you become slaves to it and with every vote, I try never to lose sight of that.
Before I start I have to say again right off the bat--
If you are NOT a Democrat, why IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF ITS BLATANT SOCIALIST/COMMUNIST AGENDA TO AN UNDENIABLE DEGREE AND AS HERE WITH JOHN BEL EDWARDS’ IN SMALL HIDDEN DEGREES, would you vote Democrat????? PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS. WE HAVE A CHOICE. JOIN Conservatives to PUT IN OFFICE A PERSON WHO WE CAN ACTUALLY influence because we already have in so many ways through the years, but especially in his yielding to us on the Common Core against his moneyed supporters and that person is David Vitter. Put someone in office who will surround himself with people who believe in Conservatism, where you have MORE THAN a remote chance of influence and that is with someone whose voting record is of a conservative and whether you admit it or not, those votes belong to DAVID VITTER. Edwards is not pro-life, if he failed repeatedly to support the essence of religious liberty and that is the right to conscientious objection; Edwards is not pro-second amendment, if he voted in favor of burdens like gun registration; Edwards is not against Common Core, if he voted to prevent a vote by all House members to stop Common Core; Edwards is not against this faux teacher accountability system, if he voted to tie a stupid unreliable student test to their job evaluations. THESE ARE EDWARDS’ VOTES AND YOU CAN JUSTIFY THEM ALL YOU WANT BUT THE VOTE REMAINS. SEE Link at the end. VITTER DID NOT VOTE FOR THIS AND HE WILL WORK TO PROTECT AND BOLSTER THESE IN LIGHT OF THE ATTACKS OF WHICH EDWARDS SEEMS BLIND.
DON’T GET DISTRACTED BY THE CONTRAST IN THE CANDIDATES’ PERSONALITIES AND LOOK AT THE VOTES!!!
This piece of writing for me started when I was asked by a John Bel Edwards supporter to forward HER rationale for ignoring the horribly liberal-progressive-radical Democrats, supporting Edwards’ fundraiser, those who include the likes of Walt Leger, a prominent pro-Common Core promoter and vocal enemy of anti-CC parents. I do not know this woman, personally, and she is not on my email list and further I do not support Edwards. So I see no reason in forwarding something from someone I don’t really know on a candidate that I adamantly oppose as Governor. It really got me thinking, though, so I will however, take the opportunity to express a lot of thoughts on this race, so please hang on and read through, because I hope it will be helpful to any undecided Republicans, Independents, Libertarians or Lord forbid, Conservatives.
I have observed John Bel Edwards in session and he seems like a nice man, but he has a socialist philosophy for government that CANNOT BE IGNORED because now more than ever before, it is imminently dangerous to individual liberty, and that matters a lot, whether he acts to realize that philosophy with compassion or cruelty. So being nice or honest, as opposed to being mean and manipulative, is really irrelevant, if what he seeks is to grow and/or empower government, because the price of that is always to the loss or diminishment of individual freedom; whether you are nice or mean about it, whether you are an honorable West Point graduate or anybody else with less distinction.
I am a Republican and I now know this woman is a Democrat and though the establishment in each party at the state and federal level is run by elitists, I will tell you that I am Republican because I believe in the Constitution, true federalism and the Conservative and limited government platform of our party, the party of Reagan, but I remain a Republican despite its RINOs because of the growing movement at the grassroots’ level of the conservatives in my party; a movement to restore all of these principles as they are steadily being downsized or destroyed by Democrats (newsflash Edwards is a real live and proud DEMOCRAT in spite of 8 years under Obama, Pelosi and Harry Reid DEMOCRATS). There is no such noticeable grassroots movement in the Democrat party because they do not want less government; they always want more, both at the grassroots and in the establishment.
Who I support and do not support, reflects this as best as humanly possibly, given the candidate options that are before me in any given election. Education of the children of our state really matters to me because I have four children and I have fought very hard to stop this Common Core Initiative for many reasons, but largely because it is nothing but a federal-state collectivist scheme to further centralize education and expand the use of a dumbed-down, socialist/communist, and indoctrinating education package (standards, curriculum, test) to ensure its longevity; just to name one aspect. HOWEVER the overriding concern for me, when voting for the person that will GOVERN over the ENTIRE STATE and NOT JUST EDUCATION, is protecting limited government, state sovereignty and thereby having a chance to protect individual freedom. Why? Because federal funding furthers the destruction of all of that; the complete destruction of federalism; not just in education, but in all aspects affecting individual freedom and free will. If we do not have state control because it is voluntarily exchanged for federal funding, THEN HOW ON EARTH ARE WE TO EVER HAVE A CHANCE AT LOCAL CONTROL over ANYTHING.
So I ask: if you understand the importance of these fundamental principles and preserving what is left and restoring what has been horse-traded really matter to you, then out of the only two choices for governor, who at least recognizes the imperative nature of protecting against their fundamental destruction? Vitter, whether you want to admit it or not, is the answer, and listening to both candidates over this campaign and in the past provides that answer, if you are listening. I also ask: who as an elected official has voted in a manner that reflects this understanding, since both are elected officials? Vitter, whether you admit it or not, is the answer, and the voting record of each provides that answer, if you are watching. Like many, I do the best that I can to use my voice and my vote in this case to support the better of the two candidates, who is committed to taking steps to restore the size of government at all levels to its proper place; and whether you want to believe him or not, Vitter is the only one even offering such a commitment and the only one who has his votes as an elected official to back it up. Vitter should not be judged on what Jindal has done, but on his own merits in Congress, fighting for years for Conservative and limited government, which includes voting against the stimulus, which means he voted against Race To The Top because from the stimulus came the money that provided federal funding for the Common Core Initiative and I think you will find that Edwards was in favor of Race To The Top. Is Vitter as nice or as personable a man as Edwards? Maybe so, maybe not but this is not a personality contest and it is dangerous to all of us for some to vote based on personality over a comparison of the voting record of each and the philosophy reflected in those votes. It should be a voting record reflecting a restraint on government and furthering individual freedom, not protecting from “crippling government,” (Edwards phrase). When you look at Edwards’ votes, they do not align with those of a conservative or even a moderate and moreover, many of his votes were wrong on the one issue attracting Republican voters. Laws were passed to allow Jindal to do what he did and the last I understood the legislature makes the laws that are enforced by the governor. Some say that we need a change for Louisiana and we do, but to move a Democrat from the legislature that is just as responsible for the current mess, to the governor’s mansion is not positive change.
We cannot indict Vitter for the actions of Jindal as too many are wrongly doing. We hired Jindal to do a job in Louisiana, and by the account of too many, he failed; and further Vitter is no friend of Jindal. We hired Vitter, as a conservative to do a job in D.C. and by and large, his conservative ranking is proof that he did his job in D.C. Now if you are not a conservative or even a moderate and wanted someone to vote contrary to that, then you would agree with Edwards, who refers to Vitter as the “LEAST EFFECTIVE SENATOR” in D.C. The votes that Edwards sees as “ineffective” or “least productive” blocked or attempted to block a liberal Democrat agenda and the ones that conservatives see as an effective vote because it “crippled government” or attempted to “cripple government.” Further proof that Edwards is no “moderate Democrat,” no “conservative Democrat” but more proof Edwards is a “liberal Democrat” appreciating a liberal agenda.
Edwards by his own words sees crippling government as a problem of Jindal’s administration that he intends to correct. There is much wrong that was done under Jindal's administration, but the job of our elected officials is to protect individual rights, the bill of rights and beyond, which if done in any measure would likely cripple this consuming government that we complacently accept. I see our government today SOLELY as the problem and never as the solution, EVER; and Democrats, like Edwards and all those on his fundraising invitation, seem proud to PROMOTE AND PUSH quite the opposite, in too many ways through TOO MANY of their Democrat elected officials; if not ALL of them, to some degree that is uncomfortable to me and other conservatives.
John Bel Edwards may be a real nice man, but he is no moderate from a conservative point of view and more importantly, he favors and/or sees no federal takeover through funding in education, healthcare or otherwise AND THAT IS A BIG, GIGANTIC PROBLEM THAT IS DANGEROUS AND CANNOT BE OVERCOME BY A FEW ASPECTS OF HIS FAVORABLE POSITION THAT ARE FAVORABLE TO TEACHERS, NOT PARENTS and CHILDREN, OF EDUCATION. I have worked side by side with teachers speaking out for them, when they have not and some have even criticized and scoffed at me. So my position has NOTHING to do with a dislike for them, BUT MY CHILDREN COME FIRST; ALL CHILDREN SHOULD COME BEFORE TEACHERS OR ANYONE. I believe we should help the children first, by stopping this damaging mental child abuse FOUND IN STANDARDS TO PASS A TEST; you don’t help them by first helping teachers and that is the perception that comes from our local unions; and unfortunately in watching Edwards, it is the same perception of many of us, parents that watched him with hope, as we were fighting tooth and nail in Baton Rouge. We hoped that he would come out direct, strong and vocal to support us, parents and our children, but he never really did. He was vocal and strong about that which affected teachers, but so were the local unions. At the most, any support from him for us, parents seemed tangential at best, until it really became politically expedient for all seeking elected office, then everybody and their grandma was against Common Core.
So what I hope to convey for those with whom I have been in battle or those who bother to read my thoughts, is that there is more to being governor than education, on which topic, I see he stands with local teacher unions more than any parents. I do not like unions at all, though ours are less influentially damaging than in other states, and I am not a teacher, but a parent. The local unions and Edwards, when they had the opportunity early on to support and unite with us parents clearly and greatly, against the CC would only say that they liked the "higher standards" but were upset with implementation as said Edwards and would only push for a moratorium to protect teachers. This was a lost opportunity by them and Edwards to really force change because of numbers, but it reminded me why I don't like teacher unions, because when push comes to shove, children are nothing more than leverage or a tool to them too, same as the fascist, Grigsby-type; and to me, both are despicable because of that. Both use children to fight over money in and for their side of the education tug of war and we parents are caught in the middle protecting our children. So in understanding this and in seeing it and feeling the same in watching Edwards, specifically when Edwards voted against parents' effort to bring the CC vote to a Committee of the Whole, I look beyond education and all should the same.
For the reasons that I have shared previously as a conservative, Edwards' political philosophy for what government should and should not do is completely antithetical to mine and I just cannot support that, especially facing this steady charge toward big government socialism, coming from the liberal progressives dominating the Democrat party of which Edwards was the leader in Louisiana.
Supporters say that he is not like Obama and that he is not that kind of Democrat. I feel that Edwards is THAT kind of Democrat because he voted for THAT kind and acts like THAT kind; the kind that never sees a federal dollar they can’t justify getting; the kind that believes in taxing and spending ON GOVERNMENT FOR THE GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT; the kind that says they are pro this or that in the Bill of Rights, but who vote to undermine them or leave them unprotected; and the kind that pushes social justice THROUGH GOVERNMENT FOR THE GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT (which is a less alarming term for communist government).
This election is a choice between the lesser of two ideologies of fundamental restoration or fundamental destruction; between the proper roles of government, in a sense, not just for education, but for all matters that a governor touches, greatly influences, guides and controls. I do not subscribe and am unwaveringly opposed to Edwards’ philosophy for government OVERALL, as evidenced not by my opinion but by the effect of his votes that are contrary his words. If Edwards were running for BESE or as state superintendent, then such a hyper focus or narrow consideration of his position as many are taking, on one aspect, education might be prudent. However, the governor governs in ALL matters and actually has but great influence only in education, as we have a constitutionally created BESE that is like its own branch of government that actually CONTROLS education. Such a narrow focus on one issue to select a candidate is dangerous, if successful, maybe not to you as a Democrat but to any true conservatives or Republicans who may be fooled into voting for him.
It is what it is. Democrats are first moved by their Democrat supporters and Republicans the same. SO REPUBLICANS FOR EDWARDS, YOU AND YOUR CONCERNS WILL RIGHT FROM THE START STAND AT THE BACK OF THE LINE OF HIS DEMOCRAT SUPPORTERS. WHY WOULD ANYONE DO THIS????
We only have two candidates; a Democrat and a Republican. At least with Republicans there is a tangible Conservative movement fighting tooth and nail to hold elected officials accountable, as we saw in Kentucky, SO THERE IS HOPE. There is no such tangible movement in the Democrat party holding them accountable, only pushing for more government, so there is only unfettered moves to big government, taxing and spending.
Now in true Democrat double standard, his supporters are trying downplay by diversion of the fact in saying that many voted for this bill which may be true but they are not running for governor and attracting Republicans to his side on this accountability issue EDWARDS IS RUNNING AGAINST HIS OWN VOTE; THIS VOTE OPENED THE DOOR FOR THIS NIGHTMARE TO BE REAPED ON TEACHERS and AS MINORITY LEADER HIS VOTE IS WHAT WHIPPED OR BROUGHT THE REMAINING DEMOCRAT VOTE TO PASS THIS BILL IN A REPUBLICAN LED HOUSE. HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS NOT VITTER, and further there is no comparison on Vitter's listening to parents against CC and changing his OPINION on CC to support us openly and against his supporters like LABI and Grigsby, VITTER DID NOT VOTE ON THE CC ISSUE THAT HAS ATTRACTED VOTERS TO HIS POSITION and HE REJECTED THE STIMULUS THAT FUNDED RACE TO THE TOP because he is a conservative looking to reduce the power of the government, not like Edwards who seeks to empower it even more.
I have great issue with the establishment in the Republican Party and its direction, but I have even GREATER problems with the Democrat party and its direction, its vision, its goals, both written and practiced, and just about everything is adversative to what I believe. I cannot support John Bel Edwards and SEE NO OPTION BUT DAVID VITTER. I recognize that I will not change the minds of those knowing and ignoring the facts that they are voting for that kind of Democrat with all the liberal progressive, bells and ribbons and wrongly choosing to vote against Vitter for REASONS NOT HAVING TO DO WITH VITTER’S VOTES AS A CONSERVATIVE. However I do hope that I can reach undecided Republicans and Independents and that they will reject being a single-issue voter, regarding the executive of our state.
LIKE IT OR NOT, IGNORE IT OR NOT, THE VOTE COMES DOWN TO THE CHANCE OF REDUCING THE SIZE OF GOVERNMENT UNDER VITTER, WHICH HIS VOTING RECORD SUPPORTS THE LATTER; OR THE CERTAINTY OF GROWINGGOVERNMENTFOR SOCIALIST PURPOSES AS WE SEE UNDER DEMOCRAT LEADERSHIP EVERYWHERE RIGHT NOW AND AS WE SEE WITH EDWARDS’ VOTING RECORD AND HIS NOT SO OBVIOUS CHOICE IN WORDS.
DON’T GET DISTRACTED BY THE CONTRAST IN THE CANDIDATES’ PERSONALITIES AND LOOK AT THE VOTES!!! I AM GOING TO SAY ONE THING ABOUT THE DISGUSTING SCANDAL.
INFIDELITY AND PROSTITUTION ARE A SIN BUT THAT IS BETWEEN VITTER, HIS WIFE AND GOD, AND AS CHRISTIANS, AT MOST, IT IS OUR JOB TO HELP BRING HIM HOME THROUGH REPENTANCE, WHICH AFTER ALMOST 15 YEARS OF NO SCANDAL IS LIKELY TAKING PLACE, IF YOU ASK ME. AS HIGH AS MY STANDARDS ASPIRE ME TO BE, I AM NOT PERFECT - NO ONE IS, ONLY GOD IS PERFECTION.
VITTER’S VOTING RECORD, HOWEVER, IS MOST CERTAINLY BETWEEN VITTER AND HIS CONSTITUENTS AND IT IS HOW HE VOTES THAT WILL ULTIMATELY GUIDE HIS GOVERNORSHIP AND THOSE WITH WHOM HE SURROUNDS HIMSELF, AND THAT WILL LIKELY BE CONSERVATIVES.
I WOULD HOPE THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS FALLEN AND REPENTED KNOWS BETTER THAN THOSE OF US WHO HAVE NOT, HOW TO AVOID THOSE TRAPPINGS IN THE FUTURE. JUST SAYIN.
Thank you for your time and I hope that I at least convinced you of the need to you do your own research of the voting records of both.
http://www.meetup.com/GNOTEAPARTY/messages/boards/thread/49357793/ - 128630938
Forward or post in tact if you so choose, the file is attached. America is about the debate and this is my reasoned argument for the situation at hand.
Sara Wood
Nikita Krushchev warned Americans in 1959
"Your children's children will live under communism. You Americans are so gullible. No, you won't accept Communism outright; but we'll keep feeding you small doses of Socialism until you finally wake and find that you already have Communism. We won't have to fight you; we will so weaken your economy, until you fall like overripe fruit right into our hands [the hands of Communism]."
