-Caveat Lector-
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The Foolish Abandonment of Pat Buchanan
Steve Farrell
June 30, 1999
Sometimes our memory plays tricks on us. Back in the 1980’s and right up
into the early 1990’s Pat Buchanan was widely acclaimed as the toast of
the Republican party.
Possessing a rare combination of hard hitting yet inspiring commentary;
extraordinary debating skills, yet an affable personality; a history of
brawling as a youth, yet heartfelt religious devotion as an adult; here
was a onetime Democrat turned Republican who by the time he had written
"Right from the Start,” had earned himself the title "the conscience of
conservatism.”
Even in the Presidential primaries of 1992 and 1996, it was readily
admitted that it was the Buchanan campaign which shaped the debate. That’s
because, unlike the host of other candidates who opposed him, it was Pat
Buchanan who had an in-depth stance on most every issue; one which never
altered in casual or heated discussions, nor floated upon the winds of
opinion poll politics.
There was no posturing, no politicking. Just roll up your sleeves,
straight forward, in your face, for better or worse statesmanship, and
everybody knew it.
Of course, that disturbed some people. Democrats for years had loathed
him. And they had good reason, for Pat presented to the Democratic Party a
nightly national embarrassment on CNN, as he outwitted and outmatched
their best thinkers with common sense, get-to-the-meat-of-the-issues
insight, which left (no pun intended) opponents gasping from a lack of
emotion free, sensible comebacks. What Democratic Party faithful wouldn’t
hate him for that?
But as a Presidential candidate, and surprisingly, a serious contender,
Buchanan ran head on into a new set of enemies, this time within his own
ranks.
Hypocritically, it was the same party hotshots who had long dubbed him as
hero who now caricatured him as villain, and who, just like their
Democratic Party counterparts who couldn’t defeat Buchanan on principle,
resorted to the mindless, bully-like, emotion filled tactic of name
calling.
Overnight, Pat became a tenured fanatic, a divisive party figure, an
oddity, a throwback, a racist, an isolationist, a protectionist, a narrow
minded, hot headed street brawler, and occasionally, in "kindness", a
candidate who "we like, but who can’t win.”
Leading the charge was the man who had written the most flowery
endorsement of all in the jacket of Buchanan’s best-selling book,
President George Bush, who suddenly changed praise into hostility, calling
Mr. Buchanan "a far right extremist". But the only thing extreme about Pat
is that he has forever stood firm by those principles that the
establishment Republican merely espouses during political campaigns.
The truth is, Pat Buchanan’s beliefs are mainstream and sensible. Here are
a few:
A belief that the US Constitution is the best political standard ever
devised by the wisdom of men.
A belief that the size and scope of the federal government should be
limited , and that the excessive burdens of taxation, regulation, and
government meddling in education would correct themselves if only we would
return to the superior standards delineated in that document .
A belief that free trade means elected representatives in Congress, as
specified by the Constitution (not some un-elected, superintending,
international regulatory body such as NAFTA or the WTO) should decide how
Americans direct their own commerce.
A belief that refusing most favored nation (MFN) trade privileges to a
country (China) which has for a long time manufactured goods by slave
labor, practiced patent theft, sold drugs on our streets to our youth,
stolen our most guarded nuclear secrets, threatened and invaded its
neighbors, systematically killed and oppressed its own people, and who now
points missiles at our shores, makes sense. To so refuse, he believes, is
not a violation of free market principles. For domestic laws which forbid
the sale and purchase of stolen goods, which close down Mafia run front
shops, which disenfranchise the rights of convicted felons, do the same.
A belief that protective tariffs against such a nation are constitutional,
and present a peaceful option of protest short of war.
A belief that international communism and terrorism, which still prosper
everywhere, cannot be defeated by 'socialist' subsidizing of the economies
and militaries of foreign nations, nor by implementing, in the name of
national security, police state measures at home. But that a strong,
united, independent, and prosperous United States, who refuses to aid her
enemies, is the best plan to defeat them both.
A belief that just as freemen have the power to decide who and what
influences can and cannot enter into their homes, so a nation of freemen
can and should collectively possess that same power with regard to
immigration policy. Robbers don’t have the right to come into our homes
and steal our goods, so why should the Fidel Castros of the world have the
right to empty their worst criminals onto America’s shores, and why should
those who refuse to work have the right to come to America and demand
welfare? American immigration policy once opened our doors only to the
good, the educated, the skilled, the law abiding, and the refugee, and
refused entrance to the criminal, the lazy, and the political enemy. This
was just plain common sense, and it's still common sense today.
And finally, Pat Buchanan believes that the principle of representation
means that our leaders only possess delegated power over our nation and no
one else’s. That the duty of our President and our Congress is to serve
the American people. America first and America only.
And so what’s wrong with that?
Frankly, nothing. These are the things most Americans believe in, and
especially most Republicans. For those who take the time to read and
reread what Pat Buchanan has in the past and does now teach, they will
find logic, reason, and moral persuasion. They will find themselves, and
then maybe they will conclude that it is not Pat Buchanan who should be
abandoned, but the hypocritical leadership of the Republican Party who
turned their collective back on their friend, their conscience, and their
spokesmen.
Steve Farrell is managing editor of Right Magazine. Please e-mail your
comments to Steve at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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