Politics August 11

I have just added a field on the right side of the page to illustrate some Republican candidates.
For the benefit of those who sometimes catch my comments on places like Lucianne.com, I tend to support the Republicans. But not always, and not blindly, and less so now than at one time. I voted for George Bush in the general elections in 2000 and 2004. But I did not vote for him in the 2000 primary and I did not vote for him in the 2004 primary either. He is a better man than either of his general election candidates, but that is a very low hurdle to surpass. And the experience has not been a good one.
In 1980, 1984, 1988, 2000, and 2004 we hoped we were returning to a time when the federal government would resume its proper, limited role in the life of the Republic. We hoped for a reduction in the number of unconstitutional departments, a return to a true federalist view of government, a lessening of Jacobinism, a recognition that there are some things that government at any level just is not empowered to do, and that there is a difference between the society and the State.
That has not happened. Instead, we've gotten more and more government, more and more intrusion, more and more taxes, more and more officialdom, and less freedom and wisdom. We have departments, Education being a prime example that are not only unconstitutional, they have demonstrably made things far worse. Literacy is now at a lower level than it was 100 years ago, is far more intrusive, and costs far more. The response was to add a No Child Left Behind Act whose true purpose is twofold: to provide yet more jobs for idiot educrats and to ensure that No Child Gets Ahead Either. We now pay for a Department of Energy that produces no energy, and an EPA that seems determined to roll back what we do have. We have bureaucracy that far exceeds anything that King George III ever imagined, and more is threatened.
This is not progress as I measure it.
The Republicans have a large wing determined to put a pro-abortion, pro-sodomy, anti-gun, pro-illegal-aliens, Statist candidate named Giuliani up against the likely Democrat nominee, Hillary Clinton. By my standards, that's a contest between Tweedledum and Tweedledumber. I won't play.
I have not given my support to any candidate. I will use my feeble powers to root for the best of the lot, but I will not ever again fall for a ''lesser of two evils'' vote: the lesser of two evils is still evil.
Your mileage may vary. That's why we have elections. By the way, if a worthwhile Democrat starts to run, I may put that name up too. But I haven't seen one in 40 years, and I'm not holding my breath.