A Governor For Change?

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"Sanford's struggle to inject responsibility into a reckless government
A Governor for Change


BY JACK HUNTER

Among voters, there are few true moderates in American politics. While conservatives typically want drastic cuts in government and liberals typically want drastic expansions, even self-described moderates are usually open to any daring new idea that might pose a challenge to a status quo that everyone seems eternally unhappy with.

Americans from across the political spectrum voted for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and Barack Obama in 2008, wanting real change they hoped would be bold and quick. And both Reagan's alleged "extreme conservatism" and Obama's alleged "radical liberalism" were of less concern to voters than the possible continuation of the politics-as-usual they had just suffered through.

And yet in recent decades, show me virtually any Republican who has preached limited government while running for high office and I will show you a liar. Take a look at George W. Bush.

For every Democrat who has promised massive new programs, you will find a government in their wake mostly untouched and that differs little from their Republican predecessors. Take a look at Bill Clinton.

It seems the most enduring divide in American politics isn't between left and right, conservative and liberal, or Republican and Democrat, but voters who want real change and politicians who refuse to give it to them.

Mark Sanford is not that politician. As a South Carolina congressman and now governor, Sanford has had one primary guiding principle his entire political career — limited government. Not just limited government rhetoric, the sort of lip service paid by milquetoast Republicans to pacify their right-leaning base, but genuine, strict, fiscal conservatism. More importantly, Sanford has the guts to back it up.

If you ever need a good illustration of just how duplicitous the GOP can be, just take notice of how frequently S.C. Republicans get angry at Sanford for daring to actually represent the limited government principles they pretend to. It's as if they're saying, "C'mon Mark, you didn't really think we meant all that conservative stuff, did ya?" Luckily, Sanford does mean it, which to some makes him dangerous.

Gov. Sanford's recent refusal to request a federal loan to extend unemployment benefits made national headlines and received heavy criticism from the Employment Security Commission, many state politicians, and others.
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The article speaks for itself. A little more proof of the two party dictatorship and anyone who tries to actually do what he says gets the shaft. A must read article.