Saturday, March 12, 2016

Should Republicans Vote for a Libertarian in House District 99?






Should Republicans Vote for a Libertarian in House District 99?
By
James Scott Trimm



I am a Republican, and I have been a Republican my entire adult life and I am a big supporter of the Republican Party, and as a member of the Executive Committee of the Tarrant County Republican Party I am part of the Republican Party.  So it is with sadness that I say that as a party we have failed to provide the voters of Texas House District 99 with a viable conservative choice. 



When I took the job of Republican Precinct Chair, I promised myself I would not get so caught up in party politics as to sell out my foundational Conservative principles.

There is a statement attributed to the political establishment that “there are times that a man must rise above his principles.”  May I never find myself more loyal to "the party" than to my conservative principles.


I am a Conservative

I was raised up as a conservative Democrat and turned eighteen right in the middle of the Reagan Revolution to become a conservative Republican. The object lesson for me from Reagan was that I am a conservative first, and a party member second.

When one becomes more loyal to party nominees than to the party platform, that is when one has crossed over and become "the Republican Establishment". 

I am loyal to the Republican party, but as a Conservative activist, my primary allegiance is to the conservative Republican Party platform, and not to Rinos who tend to vote against our platform. But in District 99 the most conservative choice is not our Republican nominee, it is the Pro-Life Libertarian Dan Hawkins.  And I challenge my fellow Conservative activists in Texas in (and in Tarrant County especially) to stand up with me and support Dan Hawkins. 

If you are a Republican in House District 99 do not just check that “straight Republican” box.  Checking that box will mean voting for Liberal Rino Charlie Geren for State Representative.  Let not your heart be troubled.  No Democrat is running for State Representative for District 99, so there is no danger of splitting the vote and helping a Democrat get elected.


Charlie Geren is Not a Conservative

Charlie Geren is a tax, borrow and spend Liberal with one of the most liberal records of any Republican in the Texas House.  In fact Geren is known for being downright antagonistic to conservatives  in the Texas House to the degree of adolescent behavior.  The Dallas Observer has even reported:

Stickland aggravated House Speaker Joe Strauss (sic) and his allies so badly that at least two legislators saw Strauss (sic) ally Charlie Geren dangle a cookie on a string in front Strickland in a mocking attempt to lead him away from one of his frequent back-microphone stem-winders.
(Dallas Observer; Oct. 2nd 2015)

Charlie Geren has still not signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and has deplorable scores from major conservative groups:

Texans for Fiscal Responsibility scores him at just 65 and a Lifetime score of F

Young Conservatives of Texas gives him a Legislative ranking of just 43 and a lifetime score of 56.

The Texas Eagle Forum 2015 Scorecard gives him a score of just 61.

Geren is only the 56th most conservative legislator out of the 97 Republican House Representatives.

In the 84th Session Geren made the Texas Right to Life Dishonorable Mentions List and Chairman Geren also made the "Pro-Life fraud alert"

When Planned Parenthood came to Austin to lobby for money to murder babies in the womb, Jonathan Stickland put a sign (supplied by Texas Right to Life) on his office door identifying himself as a former fetus. This drew the anger of Charlie Geren, who made the news (Star-Telegram March 11, 2015) when he ripped the pro-life sign from Stickland’s door and stormed into his office yelling at Stickland’s staff.



A recent expose by Adam Cahnan revealed that Charlie Geren has received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from [gulp] the very liberal Texas Trial Lawyers Association.  


Dan Hawkins is a Conservative Libertarian 

Dan Hawkins is a Libertarian, and he is also the most conservative choice in District 99.  In an interview in Reason magazine Ronald Reagan once said "the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism… libertarianism and conservatism are traveling the same path".  In fact in a 60 Minutes interview Ronald Reagan said that his philosophy was essentially Libertarian and that “The conservative, so-called, is the one that says less government, get off my back, get out of my pocket, and let me have more control of my own destiny,”  Click on the video below to see his complete statement. 



Dan is very much a "Conservatarian" who would caucus with Liberty wing Republicans in the Texas House if elected. 

Dan is also a Pro-Life activist who, in 2013 went to Austin to testify for Texas Omnibus Abortion Bill (HB2/SB1), even testifying that it did not go far enough to protect the right to life in Texas. <click here>

Dan Hawkins Testifying in Senate Committee
In favor of Texas Omnibus Abortion Bill in 2013

 I have known Dan Hawkins for nearly ten years. Dan is a former Republican Precinct Chair.  In 2010 Dan campaigned for Matt Krause against Charlie Geren. In 2012 he felt he had no other choice but to resign his office as a Republican Precinct Chair and run against Charlie Geren as a Libertarian so as to provide the voters of District 99 with a Pro-Life “More Freedom, Less Government” choice in District 99. 

Some of Dan’s positions:

* Supports First Amendment Rights
* For border security and against amnesty.
* Against in-state tuition or welfare benefits for illegal immigrants.
* Supports Second Amendment Rights and the Constitutional Carry of Fire Arms.
* Against Obmacare and against Obamacare expansion
* Against Red Light Cameras
* Supports Elimination of state mandated vehicle inspections.
* Supports tougher Pro-Life legislation.


Here is what you can do to help:


DONATE to Dan’s campaign fund, for now send a private message through his campaign Facebook page to find out how.

VOLUNTEER.  Dan’s campaign will need volunteers to walk neighborhoods etc. (Again send a PM to his campaign page to volunteer)

SHARE this blog with others who live in Distinct 99, or who may have friends that live in District 99.

VOTE for Dan Hawkins, do NOT check the straight Republican box if you vote in District 99.

Remember, you do not have to live in District 99 to LIKE, DONATE, VOLUNTEER or SHARE!





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