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| President Obama address the nation in his final SOTU |
"Who is President Barack Obama and what does he stand for? I used to think I knew, but after seven years of an unprincipled, meandering presidency, I'm not sure that even he knows.
When President Obama first ran for office, he promised "hope" and "change." As a Republican who didn't vote for him, I nonetheless believed he might right some of the wrongs of the Bush administration. Instead, he has further concentrated power in the executive branch and eroded our rights.
The president's failings provide an opportunity for Republicans to grow our party, but to do so, we must genuinely stand for limited, constitutional government. That means spending less time on the excuse that we don't control every part of government and more time persuading others to join us on sound policy. More important, it means fully advocating for liberty—not just economic liberty but also personal liberty—for all people.
We must uphold the Rule of Law by ending cronyism and corporate welfare. Every person deserves equal protection under the law, and no corporation, group, or individual should receive special treatment under the law.
We must protect civil liberties and stop the surveillance abuses that violate our privacy, and we must defend the rights of all people to speak and worship freely.
We must reform our justice system to combat overcriminalization, and we must ensure that every person accused of wrongdoing receives due process and, if found guilty, fair sentencing.
We must pursue a rational, conservative foreign policy—focused on defending Americans, not bravado and rash interventionism. Our sons and daughters never should be sent to war without congressional approval.
In short, Republicans must embrace the fundamental principles of limited government that we profess to hold. I am honored to be leading the Republican Party in this direction, and I am grateful to the people I represent for their continuing trust." - Rep. Justin Amash (Serves the Third District of Michigan)
I always make a point to watch the president's State of the Union. I think every American should regardless or their party affiliation or leanings. I thought it was long to say the least. But there were things that President Obama said that I liked (believe it or not), but there was plenty that I did not like. I'm not sure what Obama's legacy as a President will be. It will probably depend on who you ask as is the case with most presidents.
I had hoped after the 2008 election, which I did not vote for Obama, but I liked some of the things that he campaigned on, and after 8 years of Bush, I was intrigued to see if any of the things he campaigned on would come to fruition. I have been mostly disappointed from a libertarian standpoint as Obama has expanded government and increased our national spending. He has expanded drone strikes, killing innocent civilians. Something most liberals (sorry I know it's a broad sweeping term) don't even bat an eye to. He just signed executive orders to expand background checks on the private sales of guns, and mostly has trampled on our privacy rights in the name of safety.
As we turn the page into 2016, I am not very optimistic about our impending choices for the next President of the United States. I am a fan of Rand Paul. If you know me or follow my tweets or Facebook posts, you probably have figured that out. Is Rand the perfect candidate? Not by a long shot. But he's the closest thing we have to a libertarian running for President (two-party system) probably ever. Most of the other candidates (democrat and republican) have some admirable qualities, but the idea of a Trump/Hillary race frightens me. I know my republican and democrat friends alike will inevitably and almost blindly support whoever their respective party nominates. Something I've tried to preach on for a few years now.
Vote principle over party.
Do it. I promise you, you'll feel much better about yourself. And don't listen to anyone tell you that you've wasted a vote if you don't vote either nominee. Accepting the status quo of the current state of American politics is a disease we must eradicate. Neither a Hillary Presidency nor a Trump Presidency is going to solve anything.
One thing I will echo from Obama on his final State of the Union address, is to make sure you vote. No matter which party you lean or have allegiance with, go vote. Now, let's try and make sense of this crazy presidential race in the upcoming year. Not going to happen? Oh well, I tried.
