America May Be Ready for a New Political Party

Posted June 1, 2006, 1:54 p.m.

Some of you may know that I came very close to joining the Republican Party last year. I backed off (and have maintained my status as ‘conservative independent’) because of rampant moral inconsistency and fiscal irresponsibility among Republican politicos. Sadly, the Democratic Party has not yet provided a viable alternative—so I still find myself sympathizing with the Republicans as the lesser of two evils.

Interestingly, I am not alone. President Bush’s low poll numbers are largely because Republicans are now turning their backs on the Republican Party’s newfound wishy-washiness.

Peggy Noonan points to this trend as evidence that the time is right for a new political party—one more closely aligned with the will of the people than either of the two major parties today. I’m not sure I buy it, but I would sure like to—especially with the continuing degradation of discourse between the left and right these days.

Third Time: America May Be Ready for a New Political Party (Wall St. Journal, free email registration may be required).

Scott Bradford has been putting his opinions on his website since 1995—before most people knew what a website was. He has been a professional web developer in the public- and private-sector for over twenty years. He is an independent constitutional conservative who believes in human rights and limited government, and a Catholic Christian whose beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. He loves Pink Floyd and can play the bass guitar . . . sort-of. He’s a husband, pet lover, amateur radio operator, and classic AMC/Jeep enthusiast.

Quotes

The world may disagree with the Church, but the world knows very definitely with what it is disagreeing. . . .

Happy the people whose annals are blank in history books!

I don’t believe in process. In fact, when I interview a potential employee and he or she says that ‘it’s all about the process,’ I see that as a bad sign.

As a general rule, it’s always smarter to criticize people who aren’t around.

In a stupid nation the man of genius becomes a god: everybody worships him and nobody does his will.

Live free or die: Death is not the worst of evils.

A poet can survive everything but a misprint.

When ignorance destroys culture, monsters will emerge.

The man who renounces himself, comes to himself.

You make a thing voluntary and then half the people do not do it. That is not what you willed, but your will has made it possible.

It does not undo harm to acknowledge that we have done it; but it undoes us not to acknowledge it.

Those who do not trust enough will not be trusted.

Not every one who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

The very idea of converting what was formerly a confederation to a consolidated government is totally subversive of every principle which has hitherto governed.

The West is able to look at its own foibles and laugh, even make fun of its own fundamental principles. There is no Islamic equivalent to Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Can we look forward to seeing The Life of Mo anytime in the future?

When threatened, the first thing a democracy gives up is democracy.

If A is success in life, then A = x + y + z. Work is x, play is y, and z is keeping your mouth shut.

I’ve had a flawless campaign. You’ll be writing books about this campaign.

Never violate the sacredness of your individual self-respect. Be true to your own mind and conscience, your heart and your soul. So only can you be true to God.

I am dumbfounded at how little philosophical and metaphysical importance the human mind has attached to the vital subject of excrement.