Ryan's Currently Unnamed Blog

Everyone knows that when you run for public office, you are put up to public scrutiny. That is, if you are a Republican or a Democrat. Normally they don't bother with anyone else because they are irrelevant. And, in the past couple elections, they have been right.

This year, things are different. Some stories have already broken reporting about Michael Badnarik executing his rights to protest.

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The Libertarian Party shares the right-wing edge of the political map. It nominated Austin computer programmer Michael Badnarik, who doesn't have a driver's license and argues that the federal income tax is illegal. Also, he wants to move to New Hampshire and declare it an independent country. So much for the Libertarian Party.

As if that alone marginalizes his candidacy. They don't bother to explain that he has had a driver who has been driving him around for the last year and half while he's been campaigning. And that he had a California license, but when he learned that his new home state of Texas requires fingerprints and a social security number to get a drivers license, he objected and chose not to renew. He, along with many others, believes that there are serious questions that the government needs to answer surrounding the income tax, which have been ignored. For over five years now.

This article explains it in detail and ends asking a fantastic question:

How would the Democratic party react to a candidate who was arrested for participating in anti-war protests? How would the Republican party react to a candidate who was arrested for a technical violation of concealed-carry laws with a valid license? I suspect they would be a little embarrassed -- but I doubt it would change many minds. Indeed, I think it would be taken as a refreshing change to have a candidate who visibly practices what he preaches.

Not only that, but when we are given a chance to respond and explain the 'extreme' viewpoint in a well reasoned response and suddenly the viewpoint doesn't seem so extreme. Normally, we get little more then lip service from the media. Our positions are made to look like we want to completely abolish the government so that we can sit at home with our guns and drugs and enjoy our hermit lives.

But this time, that is a lot harder to do. Perhaps the government has gone too far. Its getting harder and harder to make excuses for them, and the insanity that is the PATRIOT act exposes the rest of what government does as 'business as usual'. How much are we willing to give up to be secure in our lives and liberties?

So, when the Badnarik Campaign commissions some polls that has Badnarik polling at 3% (up from the normal 1 to 1.5% that is normally reported) and that 68% want open debates. Most amazingly when asked if they knew that Bush and Kerry were for the Wars in Iraq and on Drugs, and Badnarik opposed it, 34% would vote for Badnarik. In a 3-way race, 34% could win.

You'd think that this would get picked up by the news media. We will see what happens when this gets released next week. If Bill O'Reilly can skip out on an interview with Badnarik to blow his own horn over his coverage of the Laci Peterson trial (which has yet to be rescheduled, perhaps at no fault to Mr. O'Reilly), make crazy statements about the PATRIOT act. After saying on his show (transcript on his web site):

The ACLU held its annual convention but The Factor was not invited. However, The Factor said, "Colorado Governor Bill Owens, a Republican, was, and he debated our pal Howard Dean, who remains too frightened to appear on [this show]. The debate dealt with the Patriot Act. Dean claimed it robs us of individual rights." The Factor reminded, "If anybody has been abused by the Patriot Act, call us, please. We want to put them on the air." Governor Owens told The Factor, "It is probably the most misunderstood and least read law in recent memory."

So much for the so-called 'No-Spin Zone'!

Finally, conspiracy theorists are already hatching theories that Amazon's Campaign Donation Page was shut down due to the support that we had drawn from there. Last I had seen, we had raised over $18K there, compared to roughly $33K for Bush and $120K for Kerry. Was it really an experiment that was scheduled to end? They did disclose it was only a test and could be discontinued at any time, but not many outside of Amazon know the real reason.