Dylan Hales

February 27, 2009

Is South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford “playing politics” by vocally opposing the federal “stimulus package?”

Yes he is—and we are all the better for it.

Though those branding Sanford a political opportunist hardly mean it as a compliment, the truth is that a willingness to grandstand on certain important issues is something that the American Right is sorely lacking. With the neocons and theocons dominating the mass media, the GOP-and conservatism at-large are now defined almost entirely by their adherence to a quasi-imperialist foreign policy and a twisted “statism for Jesus” philosophy of social engineering with a Christian face.  Refusing to involve ourselves in political gamemanship in such a climate only guarantees defeat.

Though the rampant corruption of our leadership class has led to the term “political” being a curse word in nearly any context, “playing politics” does not preclude someone from being principled.  In fact, if sound principles on things like fiscal responsibility and size of government are ever to be translated into political victories, someone is going to have to “play the game.”  A popular Southern governor – with a voting record that matches Ron Paul’s—might be just the man to talk the talk, and walk the walk.