Modern Whig Party has appeal to some troops

By William H. McMichael - [email protected]
Posted : June 23, 2008

A political platform of strong national defense and “bold social progression” is not a combination that commonly comes to mind when U.S. troops’ private views are considered.

But the Modern Whig Party, which claims that “about a third” of its 3,000 members are active or reserve service members, takes a consciously middle-of-the-road and independent stance.

“It’s starting to catch on,” said national chairman Mike Lebowitz, a Washington, D.C., attorney who is also a captain and judge advocate in the Army National Guard. “Our members, particularly in the military, they run the spectrum.”

In other words, the Modern Whig Party — re-launched last year, more than 150 years after its namesake ceased to be — somewhat reflects the findings of the year-end 2007 Military Times poll, in which 48 percent of respondents called themselves Republicans, 14.4 percent said they were Democrats and 21.1 percent described themselves as Libertarians.

When asked separately to describe their political views, 38.7 percent said moderate, 37 percent said conservative and 7 percent said liberal.

Lebowitz admits that “Modern Whig Party,” initially launched as a veterans’ group, is not the snappiest modern-day moniker.

It was chosen, he said, for its historical connection. The party was first formed in 17th-century England. The U.S. Whigs, Abraham Lincoln’s original party, were active from 1833-1856 and supported a strong Congress, protectionism and education.

The Modern Whig platform calls for giving federal funding in lump sums to each state, based on population; withdrawing from all of Iraq save for Kurdistan, which the U.S. could use as a counterterrorism platform; eliminating dependence on foreign oil; and offering illegal immigrants citizenship in return for military service, with deportation the only alternative.

The group, with a Web site at www.modernwhig.org, is small not only in number: It has no candidates running for office and is registered as a political party only in Florida.

Moderates are the problem not the solution.  

Liberals...

Quoted: Moderates are the problem not the solution.

WRONG.


Most people are moderates.   Not many people are really full-tilt radicals.


Even me, I'm radical only when it comes to preserving our freedoms.  In all other ways,
I'm moderate.  The vast majority of people I know are also moderate.


Moderates:  From where we stand,  we see crazies off in the weeds on both the left and the right sides.  


Consensus and cooperation between the parties only happens when they choose to adopt
moderate views.    Only moderates can get anything done in a divided two party political system.


CJ

Quoted: Quoted: Moderates are the problem not the solution.   WRONG. Most people are moderates.   Not many people are really full-tilt radicals. Even me, I'm radical only when it comes to preserving our freedoms.  In all other ways, I'm moderate.  The vast majority of people I know are also moderate. Moderates:  From where we stand,  we see crazies off in the weeds on both the left and the right sides.   Consensus and cooperation between the parties only happens when they choose to adopt moderate views.    Only moderates can get anything done in a divided two party political system. CJ

Not when you keep "MODERATING" your views to the left.  The Radical Left is the direction with which everyone in politics keeps "moderating" to.  The Democrat party of 1960 is on par or further RIGHT then the current Republican party.
Look at McCain's views and those of JFK.  Compare them with the views of Goldwater, Nixon and Reagan.

Moderate stances on your core beliefs is what is being talked about here. For instance, all republicans should come out and boldly state : "If you are an illegal, if you get caught, you are gone, speeding ticket, jaywalking, waiting for a pickup on the side of the road. Does not matter, fuck you get out of our country"

Instead... talk of amnesty, rule changes, etc proliferate along with the number of Mexican criminals on our streets.

No candidates running for office and registered as party in one state.

Yea it is catching on...

Give me "Moderation" or give me death

I'm hardline conservative and see pretty much everything to the Left as a problem.  

To the left, moderates are right wingers.  To the right,  moderates are liberals.


The truth is that the moderate middle is where you find rational solutions and reasonable compromises.  It's where freedom is at its strongest.


I'm radical only when it comes to freedom.  Mess with it and I'll grab a gun.   When it
comes to most other issues,  I'm willing to sit down and discuss the matter,  engage in
the process of give-and-take negotiation, and always base my decisions on what best
serves the principles of freedom, justice, and prosperity.


Follow those principles and you will do no wrong.


CJ

Quoted: I'm hardline conservative and see pretty much everything to the Left as a problem.

You know you're "radical" when Sean Hannity starts sounding like a moderate, and you wish Michael Savage would start being a little more controversial.    

Quoted: ............. and offering illegal immigrants citizenship in return for military service, with deportation the only alternative. .....................

This would devastate our local chicken plucking plants. What MOS is "Chicken Plucking"?

Bad Choice of a Name.  

We are not part of the British Commonwealth and should not use their political divisions as our own.

Dem's, Repubs, Liberatians ect are fine by me.

Note:  I do understand that there was a mid 19th Century version of the Whig Party here in the US, but just because they could not come up with an original name for the party does not mean we should be saddled with it to this day.

Quoted: Quoted: Moderates are the problem not the solution.   WRONG. Most people are moderates.   Not many people are really full-tilt radicals. Even me, I'm radical only when it comes to preserving our freedoms.  In all other ways, I'm moderate.  The vast majority of people I know are also moderate. Moderates:  From where we stand,  we see crazies off in the weeds on both the left and the right sides.   Consensus and cooperation between the parties only happens when they choose to adopt moderate views.    Only moderates can get anything done in a divided two party political system. CJ

Most Americans need lessons in economics and the histories of economic systems forcibly drummed into their heads.  A little lesson in why governments fail to change cultures and norms/habits would not hurt either.  Do this and political moderation would largely go away.

Quoted: Modern Whig Party has appeal to some troops By William H. McMichael - [email protected] Posted : June 23, 2008 A political platform of strong national defense and “bold social progression” is not a combination that commonly comes to mind when U.S. troops’ private views are considered. But the Modern Whig Party, which claims that “about a third” of its 3,000 members are active or reserve service members, takes a consciously middle-of-the-road and independent stance. “It’s starting to catch on,” said national chairman Mike Lebowitz, a Washington, D.C., attorney who is also a captain and judge advocate in the Army National Guard. “Our members, particularly in the military, they run the spectrum.”

3,000 for a national party?
That is not catching on, that is not even an anthill seen from space.
Call me back when there are 3,000 members in my COUNTY, not the entire country!

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Moderates are the problem not the solution.   WRONG. Most people are moderates.   Not many people are really full-tilt radicals. Even me, I'm radical only when it comes to preserving our freedoms.  In all other ways, I'm moderate.  The vast majority of people I know are also moderate. Moderates:  From where we stand,  we see crazies off in the weeds on both the left and the right sides.   Consensus and cooperation between the parties only happens when they choose to adopt moderate views.    Only moderates can get anything done in a divided two party political system. CJ Most Americans need lessons in economics and the histories of economic systems forcibly drummed into their heads.  A little lesson in why governments fail to change cultures and norms/habits would not hurt either.  Do this and political moderation would largely go away.

The fact that governments are allowed to exist at all is proof that most humans are moderates.  

Sounds like the perfect platform for our Big Brother Brigade members.

Quoted: Quoted: ............. and offering illegal immigrants citizenship in return for military service, with deportation the only alternative. ..................... This would devastate our local chicken plucking plants. What MOS is "Chicken Plucking"?

Manual (Manuel?) ordanace disposal.  

Quoted: No candidates running for office and registered as party in one state. Yea it is catching on...

And only a third of their entire party is a tiny percentage of troops.  The rest probably remembered Whig party from school.

Quoted: Quoted: No candidates running for office and registered as party in one state. Yea it is catching on... And only a third of their entire party is a tiny percentage of troops.  The rest probably remembered Whig party from school.

Or are cross dressers that got mixed up.

Whig?

hell, call me a tory.