This November: Part 2
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Give me Liberty
Rodger Williamson
Picking up from where I left off from last week, I continue with my thoughts regarding several of the leading candidates.
As a Libertarian, I will always support a candidate that encourages liberty, and I will always oppose any candidate that supports “more government.” Libertarians and conservatives tend to agree in choosing less government as an answer to economic issues, while liberals and populists will lean toward choosing more restrictive by the power of government. In contrast, libertarians and liberals tend to agree in choosing less government as an answer to social issues, while conservatives and populists lean toward choosing more government-imposed restrictions.
Lynda Blanchard is a hard-core conservative running for governor of Alabama. Blanchard is the former U.S. ambassador to Slovenia (2019–2021). Blanchard also ran for election to the U.S. Senate to represent Alabama, but she withdrew to instead run for governor of Alabama.
Blanchard has been quoted as saying, “Don’t pit color against color; we are all the same,” so she gets a positive check for civil rights.
On education, Blanchard stated, “Choice move to good school or pay for private not right,” another positive. On the subject of energy and oil, Blanchard remarked, “Democrats trying to force Green New Deal on American people” and that “climate fanatics are no better than snake oil salesman,” again potentially positive ideology.
As for health care, Blanchard once remarked that “Socialistic medicine will not work in America,” again another positive check mark. On the flip side, Blanchard once stated that “Trump is not to blame for border crisis; build the wall,” so she loses points on the subject of immigration.
Blanchard has also repeatedly worn her religion on her sleeve, with statements such as: “May God paint this country red with the blood of Jesus.” … “Praying about changing from senate to governor’s race.” … and “Seek divine guidance in all we do, including government.” With that, I have to question whether Blanchard is capable of separating her religious views from her decision-making process, should she be elected to the governor’s office. Will she equally consider someone for an appointment, should that person be a Muslim, or Jew, or atheist? Based upon her public statements, this is something that I doubt, so she again loses another big check.
Also regarding her principles and values, Blanchard once stated that “MAGA agenda is here to stay; it’s America first,” which makes me question whether she would treat legal immigrants to Alabama as equal to native Alabamians, and because this creates the question, I am unable to confirm that she would do so. Again another check in the negative box.
I have not been able to find any public statements made by Blanchard that would indicate where her stance is regarding the budget and economy, corporations, crime, local issues, Social Security, or technology.
Blanchard gets a question mark on the subject of abortion. She once stated, “Sanctity of life for all God’s children, born and unborn,” which rings of libertarian leaning towards the rights of all individuals, including the unborn, but she seems intent on government enforcement of that, where libertarians believe that the government is the worst possible arbiter of something that should be decided between a family and their doctor.
Stacy Lee George is a moderate libertarian conservative, a corrections officer, a former Morgan County commissioner, and candidate for governor in 2014 and 2018.
On the topic of the budget and economy, George stated that “vocational training is key to jobs program,” a reasonable and fair statement, so I will give him a check in the positive column.
On the subject of crime, George wants to “unburden prisons with a path for reformed inmates,” another positive check.
On government reform, George stated that he wanted to “end corruption and turn Alabama into a model state,” again, a fair response, in alignment with the wishes of the general population of our state. George once commented that he “unequivocally supported the Second Amendment,” as should every politician, so another positive check box.
On the subject of health care, George believes in “local control of Medicaid and is against a single payer system,” so more checks.
On tax reform, George was recorded as saying that a “new lottery will raise money at low cost” and that “modest changes can ease the tax burden,” again, positive checks.
Stacy George has not recorded his issue stance yet regarding abortion, civil rights, corporations, drugs, energy and oil, environment, families and children, foreign policy, free trade, immigration, jobs, local issues, principles and values, Social Security, technology, war and peace, and welfare and poverty.
Because of the limitations of space available for a weekly opinion column, I must stop here and will pick up with what I can find out about other candidates for the position of governor of Alabama in next week’s “The Coosa County News.”