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None of the Above
Rick Vandeven - Libertarian For US Representative (MO-8)

Jo Ann Emerson - Legacy of a Statist

Posted Thursday, December 27, 2012, at 9:13 AM

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  • Rick, you were a failure for Congress, twice. Jealousy does not become you.

    -- Posted by workerdignity on Thu, Dec 27, 2012, at 10:50 AM
  • why would he be considered a failure---at least he tried to change a corrupt system. What have you done to try to change it. Both major parties just want to line their pockets with special interest money so that they can be re-elected.

    -- Posted by gowlfman on Thu, Dec 27, 2012, at 11:38 AM
  • Whether anyone thinks Rick is a failure or not is irrelevant. What he says about Emerson is spot on!

    -- Posted by Lettie on Thu, Dec 27, 2012, at 5:56 PM
  • Very well said sir! It's refreshing to be able to find an objective and unbiased voice in our media. Everyone is frustrated and disapprove of congress, yet they continue to vote for the same crooks over and over. (Many without even taking the time to research and figure out exactly what their candidate of choice REALLY stand for)

    -- Posted by g-mac on Thu, Dec 27, 2012, at 7:33 PM
  • Rick is right-on. Truther001, any one with any clue how a CEO is chosen knows that Emerson is playing the 8th district for a bunch of fools. You obviously must fall into that category.

    Everyone in the district who voted last election got screwed by Emerson. She knew exactly what she was doing. I urge every voter to get engaged and press your committee person to make the right vote.

    Myself, I am pushing my committee person to vote for Parker.

    -- Posted by Tired of Elite Washington on Thu, Dec 27, 2012, at 9:32 PM
  • Meant to add, Rick, you are a good man, but I have to throw my support to Parker who had 35% of the vote in the primary.

    -- Posted by Tired of Elite Washington on Thu, Dec 27, 2012, at 10:00 PM
  • Thanks for the kind words! I largely refrained from talking about Emerson during the campaigns because I preferred discussing libertarianism when given the opportunity as opposed to the misgivings of a run-of-the-mill neocon.

    This short blog was written as a letter to the editor. I knew that it would not get published as a "letter of general public interest", and I didn't feel like ponying up any more funds through a "paid letter" to an Old Media outlet which has been so instrumental in maintaining the Emerson cult of personality.

    I will not be participating as a candidate in the upcoming special election. I have spoken with Bob, and I wish him the best. Unfortunately, the GOP will nominate a status quo, moderate right-of-center Republican in the Emerson tradition. The last thing Boehner and Co. needs right now is another rebel rousing constitutional conservative who doesn't toe the party line. Leadership is not the duopoly parties' forte'.

    What the local Republicans do not realize, or at least what they will not acknowledge publicly, is that JAE had a massive amount of crossover appeal to Democrats. I know prominent local Democrats who supported Emerson every election cycle. The GOP cannot count on those Democrats to vote for whatever candidate they roll out. If the Dems were smart, they would introduce their own Claire McCaskill / Jo Ann Emerson populist type candidate.

    Also, don't count out the third parties. I have been called a "failure". However, over 10,500 people voted for me in 2012. This does not sound like much, but it is more than double the amount of votes that a Libertarian candidate has ever received in a race for that office. I spent $0, and only appeared in a handful of events. There weren't any forums, because the Incumbent was not going to put any effort into something that she was just going to quit.

    I am not saying that a third party candidate will win. I am saying that we have enough support now to be a legitimate "spoiler". The local Republicans' arrogance will ultimately be their undoing.

    -- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Fri, Dec 28, 2012, at 4:56 AM
  • keep throwing stones at the past. that has proven to be so effective!! NOT!!

    What are you doing to make sure the future is brighter and the next Congressperson from the 8th does what is right for the district? There is so much talk on these kinds of blogs and sights but very few are actually doing something. The mouth (or keyboard) is so easy to spout off with but when it comes to putting your feet on the pavement and changing things, there seems to all of a sudden be a disconnect.

    Rick did run and that is more then most do, however putting a name on the ballot and not raising money and not hitting every county in the district at least 5 times seems to be a bit of a poor effort.

    there are way too many talkers and way to few doers. there are way to many excuses and no where near enough solutions. If I am not mistaken, there are republican and democrat campaigns going on right now for the nomination for Congressperson in the 8th. What have you done to assist the process or a candidate? TALK IS CHEAP!!!

    -- Posted by eajustice on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 10:42 AM
  • "Talk is cheap" says the guy hiding behind an internet handle.

    The "past" actions of the political class that I am "throwing stones at" will be paid for for generations to come. At this point the only logical solution to help make the MO-8's future "brighter" is a secession movement (near term), or sitting back, watching the whole thing collapse on itself, and hope it doesn't turn into a SEMO version of the Great Terror (long term). Regardless, it is time to divorce Washington.

    As far as helping duopoly party candidates; why would I do that?

    Back to throwing stones: "Never waste a single rock" - Abbie Hoffman

    -- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 11:49 AM
  • Thomas Jefferson's Eternal Vigilance is completely void of the idea of complacency and tacitly concenting to the destruction of the Republic.

    -- Posted by eajustice on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 2:29 PM
  • Interesting. Are you referring to the same Thomas Jefferson who penned the Declaration of Independence, a document declaring that the united States of America had the right to secede from Britain? The Thomas Jefferson who wrote "any Form of Government becomes destructive" of the inalienable rights granted by the Creator, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government." When a "long train of abuses and usurpations" shows "a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government."? THAT Thomas Jefferson?

    The guy who wrote this, "A tractable people may be governed in large bodies; but, in proportion as they depart from this character, the extent of their government must be less."?

    This fella, "If any State in the Union will declare that it prefers separation" over "union," "I have no hesitation in saying, 'let us separate.'"?

    -- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 2:46 PM
  • You sound more like the Abraham Lincoln type to me.

    -- Posted by Rick Vandeven on Wed, Jan 2, 2013, at 2:51 PM