Billy Long best prepared to stand up for Ozarkers
News-Leader.com | Springfield News-Leader |
Comments and Questions by Kevin Craig,
unendorsed Libertarian candidate for U.S. Congress. |
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I question first the headline. What does it mean to "Stand Up for Ozarkers?" What do Ozarkers really want their Congressman to stand up for? More government benefits? Or less government confiscation and redistribution of wealth? If the latter, is Billy Long really "best prepared" to stand up against tyranny? |
| If you haven't been following the race for U.S. representative for the 7th District you've been missing a whopper of a lesson in current-day American politics. |
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| Raucous debates. Negative campaigning. Nasty blogs. Accusations. |
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| Counterclaims of lying. Stories shifting before they even completely form. |
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| What a better way to prepare for Washington, eh? |
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| All of this of course has complicated our plan to endorse a candidate in this race. |
"All of this" has been, I trust, exclusively among the candidates of the two major parties. I have attempted to give thoughtful answers to questions in the debates, and have avoided unproductive bickering and negative campaigning. |
| Still, we feel a need to take a stand here -- even though questions continue to flow and even as we continue to investigate claims for possible news stories. |
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| Based on everything we have heard and been able to research in this race thus far, the choice is clear: we support Billy Long. |
The News-Leader did not endorse any candidate for Congress in 2008. Not the incumbent Roy Blunt, whom the N-L endorsed this year for U.S. Senate; not the Democrat, who was a real Democrat, and ran a respectable campaign; and, of course, not the Libertarian. Why endorse a candidate whose endorsement needs so much defense and justification? What makes this choice so "clear?" Why endorse anyone? |
| Although his campaign launched some negative, questionable attacks in the primary, we believe Long resorted to them because of advice that is becoming far too common in today's no-holds-barred campaign climate. |
So Long cannot (1) wisely pick his own staff and (2) exercise independent judgment in the face of bad advice from those he picked to advise him. This excuses his negative attacks? This is grounds for an endorsement? |
| We strongly emphasize here that despite recent suggestions Long has acted improperly and boorishly, attacks on his character remain unsubstantiated. |
The charges regarding gambling have been substantiated, I believe. |
| We also must stress that the attacks were orchestrated or at least encouraged by Long's opponent Scott Eckersley and they were based on flimsy evidence. Therefore, we put those murky allegations aside. |
What makes the allegations "murky" also raises questions about where Long spends his time and the company he keeps. None of that is "murky." |
| What remains clear is that Long really wants to a chance to prove he can make a difference in the nation's capital. |
The desire to be elected is grounds for an endorsement? Is it not even more clear that Kevin Craig really wants a chance to prove he can make an even bigger difference in the nation's capital? (Actually, introspection makes me wonder if I really do want to try to make a difference in Washington, D.C. I think I would rather try first to make a difference in the offices of the News-Leader, then throughout SW MO. Washington is just a symptom.) |
| He deserves the opportunity. |
What, precisely, has he done to "deserve" my vote? I think I would make better use of the opportunity, even if I don't want to be elected as much as Billy Long does. |
| A proven businessman and gregarious lifelong Ozarker, |
Gregarious? I found him to be reserved in the debates. (Except when engaging in pointless nitpicking with the Democrat.) When questioned on the issues, he seems perplexed and confused, and substitutes "gregarious" radio personality lines: "Hot Diggety Dog!" |
| Long promises to bring common sense to Washington. |
Which politician does not make promises like this? |
| He is, above all else, sincere in his desire to help our country. |
I am not sincere in my desire to help our country? |
| Long seems to best voice the opinions of the average resident of Southwest Missouri. We believe he is prepared to stand up for those opinions. |
The opinions of Missouri residents are self-contradictory and uninformed: "Cut government spending" and "Keep your hands off my Medicare." But Billy Long will not represent these conflicting opinions. Overall spending will not be cut by Billy Long, but Medicare benefits will be.
I don't believe in democracy. I don't believe in voicing the opinions of the average resident of Southwest Missouri. I believe in leading, not echoing. I want to lead residents back to the profound truths of the Declaration of Independence. I want to abolish an educational monopoly that has left Ozarkers ignorant and enslaved.
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| His "Fed Up" catch phrase might be simple. |
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| But he's promising to push for that kind of unadorned, uncluttered approach to government. We're convinced he will challenge U.S. policymakers to treat federal resources more like Ozarkers manage their money. |
Roy Blunt, a man with arguably more talent that Billy Long, did not do this. Why is the N-L so convinced about Billy Long's future accomplishments? |
| Long offered this to district residents on the campaign trail: |
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| "The more I get out and learn about different small businesses -- and different entrepreneurs in the 7th District -- we can tell these stories." |
Why do politicians like to tell stories -- anecdotes -- rather than learn the economic theory that leads either to prosperity or poverty. I think I know more about the foundations of business success than Billy Long. Those foundations are not learned by asking victims of government maleducation. |
| "And hopefully we can encourage people to keep that entrepreneurial spirit. That's what built this country: capitalism and free enterprise." |
I think I would be a more passionate and articulate defender of "capitalism and free enterprise." |
| Speaking with us, he was more direct, talking about employees he met on a small business tour: |
I had an appointment scheduled to talk with the News-Leader, but they cancelled it. |
| "All they want's a job. They don't want anything special. They don't want anything fancy. All they want's a job and to provide for their family." |
I don't think Billy Long knows what it takes to create jobs. Despite his "business acumen." |
| Long doesn't have all the answers. |
Nobody does. Some people have more answers than others. There are answers out there. |
| His platform and public explanations of it during the primary and general campaigns have at times generated questions and claims of contradiction. |
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| But we believe Long realizes that. He's new to this. He's learning. He listens. He's willing to modify his views. |
I've been developing my platform far longer than Billy Long has. I'm still learning, and I try to listen. I've modified my views over the years to significant degrees. But we need someone in Washington D.C. with a coherent, in-depth defense of "Liberty Under God," and we won't get that from Billy Long. |
| His reputation in the district as a quick learner -- combined with his business acumen -- helped lead us to this endorsement. |
We don't need small businessmen in Washington as much as we need Statesmen, and even more, revolutionaries like Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Thomas Jefferson. |
| It wasn't an easy decision. |
That's because it appears they only considered two of the three candidates. |
| Before this campaign, Eckersley had appeared often in this newspaper, portrayed as a whistleblower and advocate of openness in government. He had garnered much support on these opinion pages. |
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| Eckersley's well-documented battle with state-level officials to expose wrongdoing and battle against a campaign of orchestrated character assassination still draws our admiration. |
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| But, as Eckersley portends to expose problems with Long in this race, he's resorted to methods that are at best reckless or at worst deceptive and desperate. |
Eckersley began his campaign as an "independent" and stressed his own achievements, but ended the campaign with a negative barrage against his opponent. I was disappointed in the devolution of his campaign. |
| We used a word in the first paragraph of this editorial that bears repeating: "whopper." It has more than one meaning. |
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| Eckersley needs to keep that second, more nefarious definition in mind. With his past, he should be well aware that anyone who fabricates or exaggerates hurtful allegations for political gain will have a difficult time ever regaining support in the Ozarks -- regardless of what has become acceptable in other parts of the country. |
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| We should note that Eckersley has made strong complaints about our reporting, suggesting we have not tried to get to the truth of claims against Long. We defend the work or our reporters. |
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| Eckersley's opinion of us has deteriorated to the point he recently called us to say he might withdraw his request for our endorsement. That's unfortunate but now moot. |
Did I need to request an endorsement? |
| We strongly endorse Billy Long in this race. |
Strongly? I don't understand this. |
| Give him your vote to become the next U.S. Representative for the 7th District of Missouri. |
A vote for Billy Long is a vote for a Republican Party that does not keep its promises of smaller government. It is a vote for Roy Blunt 2.0 |