Liz Cheney and the Decline of the Republican Party

 by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – May 12, 2021

 

After several years of experiencing sad political days, this conservative was hit hard once more today – May 12, 2021 – when Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted to oust U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) from her leadership position. It wasn’t a surprise, but it was nonetheless depressing.

This inexcusable action served as glaring evidence that the party of Reagan has been lost to the party of Trump. And this despite the fact that Donald Trump lost the White House, the Senate and the House while in office (oh yes, and was impeached … twice). Indeed, you have to go back to Herbert Hoover for the last time a Republican president managed such incompetence at the ballot box.

 

While Trump is all about an incoherent, victim-based, enemies-are-everywhere, ends-justify-the-means populism, Liz Cheney ranks as a solid, principled conservative with integrity in the Reagan tradition. As a result, she naturally spoke out against President Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, and against his role in stoking the violence of January 6 when his supporters invaded the Capitol. Cheney spoke the truth at the time, and has continued to do so.

 

But that apparently was too much for House Republicans – many of whom actually took Trump to task for his role on January 6, but now want to forget about that, and pander to Trump and his supporters in their party.

 

So, Liz Cheney had to go. 

 

But at the same time, conspiracy kook Marjorie Taylor Greene, for example, seems to suffer in no way with her Republican colleagues. As a reminder, Rep. Greene, as The Washington Post summed up, “Greene has made comments on social media suggesting that some mass shootings were staged by supporters of gun control, that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks were orchestrated by government entities and that a Jewish cabal had sparked a deadly California wildfire with a laser beam directed from space. As recently as late last year, she was an adherent of the false claims of the QAnon ideology. She has renounced some of her most outlandish claims.” But that’s all okay, apparently, because Greene is a big Trump supporter.

 

Meanwhile, consider points from Cheney’s speech in the House last night (May 11):

 

     “Three men – an immigrant who escaped Castro’s totalitarian regime; a young man who grew up behind the iron curtain and became his country’s minister of defense; and a dissident who spent years in the Soviet gulag have all told me it was the miracle of America captured in the words of President Ronald Reagan that inspired them to seek freedom.

     “I have seen the power of faith and freedom. I listened to Pope John Paul II speak to thousands in Nairobi in 1985, and 19 years later I watched that same pope take my father’s hand, look in his eyes, and say, ‘God Bless America.’

     “God has blessed America, but our freedom only survives if we protect it, if we honor our oath, taken before God in this chamber, to support and defend the Constitution, if we recognize threats to freedom when they arise. 

     “Today we face a threat America has never seen before. A former president, who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol in an effort to steal the election, has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him. He risks inciting further violence. 

     “Millions of Americans have been misled by the former President. They have heard only his words, but not the truth, as he continues to undermine our democratic process, sowing seeds of doubt about whether democracy really works at all…

     “As the party of Reagan, Republicans championed democracy, won the Cold War, and defeated the Soviet Communists. As we speak, America is on the cusp of another Cold War – this time with communist China. Attacks against our democratic process and the rule of law empower our adversaries and feed Communist propaganda that American democracy is a failure. We must speak the truth. Our election was not stolen, and America has not failed.”

 

After being ousted from her leadership position, Cheney told reporters, “The nation needs a strong Republican Party. The nation needs a party that is based on fundamental principles of conservatism. And I am committed and dedicated to ensuring that that’s how this party goes forward. And I plan to lead the fight to do that.”

 

And during the GOP House conference, according to Politico, Cheney declared, “If you want leaders who will enable and spread his destructive lies, I’m not your person, you have plenty of others to choose from. That will be their legacy. But I promise you this, after today, I will be leading the fight to restore our party and our nation to conservative principles, to defeating socialism, to defending our republic, to making the GOP worthy again of being the party of Lincoln.”

 

I agree wholeheartedly with Liz Cheney, and I hope and pray for the sake of the nation that she plays a key role in successfully winning the Republican Party back to sanity and true conservatism. It’s clear that this will be no easy task – indeed, far from it.

 

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Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur.  Keating has two new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And pre-order the 15^th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

One of the best ways to enjoy Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries is to join the Pastor Stephen Grant Fellowship! For the BEST VALUE, consider the Book of the Month Club.  Check it all out at https://www.patreon.com/pastorstephengrantfellowship

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Catch Up on Some Sound Economics: Pandemic Economy, Short-Selling, Innovation vs. Regulation, Reagan Economy, and Poet John Donne

 by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – February 15, 2021

 

We’re in need of some sound economics, so why not catch up on the latest episodes of the “Free Enterprise in Three Minutes” podcast right now? After all, each one only takes about three minutes!

Free Enterprise in Three Minutes with Ray Keating – Episode #93: John Donne, Adam Smith, Trade, and No Man is an Island – What can English poet and Anglican cleric John Donne teach us about economics? Tune in to find out. Listen at https://www.buzzsprout.com/155969/7825834-episode-93-john-donne-adam-smith-trade-and-no-man-is-an-island

 

Free Enterprise in Three Minutes with Ray Keating – Episode #92: Economic History – The Reagan Economy – With President Reagan’s birthday being Feb 6^th, Ray Keating explains the dramatic and positive improvements experienced in the economy during the Reagan years thanks to a sound economic policy agenda. Listen at https://www.buzzsprout.com/155969/7702660-episode-92-economic-history-the-reagan-economy

 

Free Enterprise in Three Minutes with Ray Keating – Episode #91: Innovation vs. Regulation – Ray Keating explains the difference between innovation and regulation. As amazing as it might seem, there are people, especially politicians, who have a tough time differentiating between the two. Listen at  https://www.buzzsprout.com/155969/7655593-episode-91-innovation-vs-regulation

 

Free Enterprise in Three Minutes with Ray Keating – Episode #90: What’s the Real Deal with Shorting a Stock? – Keating explains what shorting a stock really is about as opposed to what you might otherwise read or hear online or via cable TV. Listen at https://www.buzzsprout.com/155969/7562239-episode-90-what-s-the-real-deal-with-shorting-a-stock

 

Free Enterprise in Three Minutes with Ray Keating – Episode 89: Climbing Out of the Pandemic Economic Hole – Ray Keating considers how deep our pandemic economic hole is, and how long it might take to climb out – also noting that the right policy mix is vital. Listen at 

https://www.buzzsprout.com/155969/7544323-episode-89-climbing-out-of-the-pandemic-economic-hole

 

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Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur.  His new book Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

One of the best ways to enjoy Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries is to join the Pastor Stephen Grant Fellowship! For the BEST VALUE, consider the Book of the Month Club.  Check it all out at https://www.patreon.com/pastorstephengrantfellowship

 

Also, tune in to Ray Keating’s podcasts – the PRESS CLUB C Podcast  and the Free Enterprise in Three Minutes Podcast  

 

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Happy Birthday, President Reagan! Thanks for Being a Leader on Free Trade

by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – February 6, 2020

President Ronald Reagan’s birthday is February 6. On this date, let’s take note that President Reagan was a free trader, given that so many in the political arena today, both Republicans and Democrats, need reminding of why free trade helps everyone.

For example, in a November 17, 1988, address, Reagan said: “As we pursue global trade negotiations, the United States believes that the future belongs to those who lower trade barriers. These are the countries that will be in the forefront of technology. These are the countries that will see their living standards rise most quickly. And these are the countries that will lead the world in the years ahead. We can go forward into the future or slip back into the protectionist past.”

And as quoted from another speech in FREE TRADE ROCKS!, Reagan said: “Part of the difficulty in accepting the good news about trade is in our words. We too often talk about trade while using the vocabulary of war. In war, for one side to win, the other must lose. But commerce is not warfare. Trade is an economic alliance that benefits both countries. There are no losers, only winners. And trade helps strengthen the free world.” 

Learn more about the free trade that Reagan supported in my book FREE TRADE ROCKS! 10 POINTS ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW.

Get paperbacks or Kindle editions of FREE TRADE ROCKS! at https://www.amazon.com/dp/168841245X

Signed books are available at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/freetrade

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Ray Keating is a columnist, an economist, a novelist (his latest novels are The Traitor: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel, which is the 12^thbook in the series, and the second edition of Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel with a new Author Introduction), a nonfiction author (among his recent works is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know), a podcaster, and an entrepreneur. The views expressed here are his own.

REAGAN COUNTRY is the Pastor Stephen Grant Book of the Month for February

REAGAN COUNTRY is the Pastor Stephen Grant Book of the Month for February. The Kindle price has been slashed from $7.99 to $2.99. Signed books and sets are on sale at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

This pulse-pounding thriller features Stephen Grant, a Lutheran pastor, a former Navy SEAL and onetime CIA operative, with conflict stretching from the Reagan Presidential Library in California to the White House to a Russian Orthodox monastery to the Kremlin. And REAGAN COUNTRY has received high praise, including…

• “Must read for any Reaganite.”   - Craig Shirley, Reagan biographer and presidential historian

• “It was my great privilege that Ronald Reagan and I were good friends and political allies. This exciting political thriller may be a novel but it truly captures President Reagan's optimism and principles.”  - Ambassador Fred J. Eckert

• “If political intrigue and expansive narrative threads fit neatly in your wheelhouse, then the writing of Ray Keating never fails to disappoint… Another deeply researched and action-packed gem from the author. While the details remain cloaked in secrecy for much of the novel - a specialty of Keating's, never giving away too much too soon - the artfully crafted suspense is palpable. If you're a political junkie, this book will not disappoint, but remarkably, REAGAN COUNTRY also works as an adrenaline-doused romp that any suspense lover will struggle to bookmark before the final page.”   - Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★★

• “Keating … has accumulated an impressive assortment of characters in his series, and he gives each of them ample opportunity to shine… Tight action scenes complement the suspense (uncertainty over when the next possible attack will be)… The villains, meanwhile, are just as rich and engrossing as the good guys and gals. The familiar protagonist, along with sensational new and recurring characters, drives an energetic political tale.”   - Kirkus Reviews

• “President Ronald Reagan's legacy will live on in the U.S., around the world and in the pages of history. And now, thanks to Ray Keating's REAGAN COUNTRY, it will live on in the world of fiction. REAGAN COUNTRY ranks as a page-turning thriller that pays homage to the greatest president of the twentieth century.”      - Tom Edmonds, producer of the official documentary of President Reagan,  Ronald Reagan: An American President

• "REAGAN COUNTRY is a story of unexpected adventure. I have come to expect adventure for Rev. Stephen Grant in and beyond St. Mary's Lutheran Church (LCMS), but I did not expect this kind of plot. In an America where a large percentage of college students naively prefer and/or promote socialism over capitalism, 'Russia's Reagan' shows the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the people who had been oppressed by socialism and communism. If only! ... Reflecting on the series to date, one strength is the knowledge and research of the author. He becomes, if he is not already, a subject matter expert on the topic at hand. Reagan. Comic books. Wine. Baseball. Everything comes off as authentic, accurate, and well-informed. Keating's creativity also avoids the formula of so much fiction in that we are not merely back to the 'status quo' at the end of each installment. He develops characters, relationships, and situations in believable, realistic, human ways. We are primed, wanting more."  - Lutheran Book Review

Go to https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C6J8RB6

How Bad Could This Presidential Election Get for Republicans?

by Ray Keating

Just how bad could it get for the Republican Party in November if Donald Trump winds up being the GOP nominee, as is the most likely outcome currently?

This is not an idle question. After all, Trump has astoundingly bad numbers in terms of his favorable-unfavorable ratings. Indeed, his unfavorables run at about two-thirds. That’s simply unheard of. Any candidate with unfavorable or disapproval ratings hitting 50 percent is pretty much assured of losing. So, if Trump becomes the GOP nominee, and anything close to these unfavorables persist, the question is not will Trump lose, but how bad will he lose.

Of course, Hillary Clinton also possesses poor favorable-unfavorable ratings, with her unfavorables running at about 54 percent.

Indeed, a Trump-Clinton contest would have two significantly unpopular candidates facing off. Based on these numbers, neither should win. But someone has to, right?

At least at this point in time, Trump’s woes are far more significant than Clinton’s, especially given the significant share of Republicans who would be dissatisfied – 48 percent according to an ABC/Washington Post poll – with Trump as the party’s candidate.

As a result, even with all of her problems, Mrs. Clinton could wind up with the best showing of any Democratic presidential candidate since Lyndon B. Johnson trounced Barry Goldwater in 1964.

Consider that in the post-World War II era, only three Democratic candidates for president managed to gain at least 50% of the vote – Barack Obama did it in 2008 at 52.9% and in 2012 at 51%, Jimmy Carter in 1976 at 50.1%, and LBJ in 1964 at 61.1 percent. The other victorious Democrats failed to hit 50% -- Truman in 1948 at 49.6%, Kennedy in 1960 at 49.7%, and Bill Clinton in 1992 at 43% and in 1996 at 49.2%.

It is bizarre, yet at the same time, given Trump’s negatives, not difficult to envision Hillary Clinton topping 55% of the vote, especially given the very real possibility that many conservative Republican voters could simply stay home and not vote. And the negative fallout for the GOP would then be felt down the line in terms of lost U.S. Senate, state and local races.

It pays to recall that there was at least a purpose to Goldwater’s big loss in 1964. That is, it was the dawn of the conservative movement within the GOP, and it eventually led to Ronald Reagan becoming president. In that sense, Goldwater’s loss ultimately was a party building positive for Republicans. Donald Trump is the exact opposite, that is, he is an unprincipled, populist force that promises to undermine the GOP, with a good chance of sending the Republicans into a political wilderness.

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Mr. Keating is an economist and novelist who writes on a wide range of topics. His Pastor Stephen Grant novels have received considerable acclaim, including The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel being a finalist for KFUO radio’s Book of the Year 2014, and Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel winning for Book of the Year 2015.

The Pastor Stephen Grant Novels are available at Amazon…

Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

An Advent for Religious Liberty: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

Cracking the Republican Establishment Conspiracy

by Ray Keating

When it comes to Republican politics, it’s hard to figure out whom the establishment is. Indeed, with Fox bringing back The X-Files, perhaps it’s a job for Mulder and Scully to unearth the true “establishment” conspiracy.

During this presidential election season, the word “establishment” seems to be on the tips of everyone’s tongue, including the media, many conservatives and even liberals.

Today, the establishment seems to be a vague, mysterious group that controls elections and the government in our country. The far Left doesn’t like this establishment as it is viewed as some kind of big business cabal. And when looking at Republican candidates, the media, such as CNN, talk a great deal about who is favored and not favored by this establishment.

But it’s particularly hard to pin down exactly who this establishment is, and what it stands for – especially when looking at “establishment” charges being hurled at Republican presidential candidates. But then again, the best conspiracies are shadowy and hard to pin down, right?

A true establishment once flourished in the GOP. It was the party’s liberal Eastern Establishment, led by, for example, the New York crowd of Governor Nelson Rockefeller, Senator Jacob Javits, and Senator Kenneth Keating (no relation, thank God). There, of course, were many others, such as Lowell Weicker, former senator and governor from Connecticut, and assorted non-Northeasterners like President Gerald Ford.

The key here is that each of these Republicans was unabashedly and unashamedly liberal on a host of issues. For example, Rockefeller loved big government and high taxes, with New York still paying the price for his misguided, costly policies more than three-and-a-half decades after his death. And Weicker was pro-abortion.

To a significant extent, this establishment held great sway over the party, that is, until conservatives took it on, starting really with Barry Goldwater’s nomination in 1964 as the party’s candidate for president. In 1980, of course, Ronald Reagan, distinctly conservative and non-establishment, won the White House, and at that point, the liberal Eastern Establishment in the GOP was in retreat.

Today, other than an oddball elected official here and there, the Republican liberal establishment is dead as a formidable political force. So, what then is all of this talk about a Republican establishment today?

Looking at the basis for “establishment” accusations, it’s not about conservatives taking on liberals. Rather, it’s about a populism that tries to present itself as part of conservatism. But populism feeds on people’s fears, especially these days by making the bad economy about big business, international trade, and immigration. Conservatives understand process of economic growth, while populists view the economy more or less as a zero-sum game, such as, for example, the mistaken notion that there are only so many jobs to go around, and therefore international trade and immigration is about losing jobs and income.

How else can one explain “establishment” accusations being hurled at Senator Marco Rubio, for example? After all, Rubio is pro-life, favors pro-growth tax and regulatory reforms, stands for religious freedom, understands and is strong on foreign policy and national security matters, is unashamed in his Christianity, and wants to kill ObamaCare and replace it with consumer, market-based reforms. Does that sound in any way like an establishment Republican? Of course not, that is, unless one opposes his free trade stance, and argues that he is insufficiently anti-immigration.

To be realistic, there is no all-powerful Republican liberal establishment today. Indeed, the only way to believe that is if one were a populist masquerading as a conservative. Rather, the case can be made that, while far from being consistently principled, conservatives have become the Republican establishment.

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Mr. Keating is an economist and novelist who writes on a wide range of topics. His Pastor Stephen Grant novels have received considerable acclaim, including The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel being a finalist for KFUO radio’s Book of the Year 2014, and Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel winning for Book of the Year 2015.

The Pastor Stephen Grant Novels are available at Amazon…

Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

An Advent for Religious Liberty: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

Trump and the 7 “C’s” of Voting as a Conservative Republican

by Ray Keating

The caucus/primary season is upon us. The Iowa caucuses arrive on February 1, and the New Hampshire primary follows on February 9.

The challenges for conservative Republican voters are considerable given that this is the year, apparently, of the angry voter. And Donald Trump – reality television star, casino operator, real estate mogul, political flip-flopper, and shameless peddler of populism – has tapped into some of this anger. He also leads in polls of Republican voters.

Before casting a ballot, however, it’s time for any conservative to take a deep breath, or a few deep breaths, and reflect on what it means to vote as a conservative. Perhaps the following 7 “C’s” of casting a conservative vote might help.

1. Conservative. Obviously, the first and most important factor is voting for an actual conservative. That is, a candidate who understands and subscribes to Judeo-Christian values, free enterprise, free markets, and a strong national defense. Among the most important resulting policy positions are low taxes, smaller government, a light regulatory touch, strength in foreign policy and national security, free trade, and a social policy agenda led by being pro-life and pro-traditional marriage.

2. Character. Conservatives have said time and again over the years that character matters, in particular when talking about someone being president. Can this person be trusted by voters, by other elected officials, and by our allies to occupy the most powerful office on the planet? What does a candidate’s history tell us about character?

3. Consistency. Part of the conservative and character questions is consistency. Has the candidate been consistent in the views held, or flip-flopped for political convenience? Consistency is vital over convenience.

4. Competence. Quite simply, does this candidate have the competence, such as the judgment and abilities, to be a quality candidate and president? The voter needs to assess the candidate’s experience and past performance. Is there something more there than just being, for example, a community organizer?

5. Confidence. There actually are two questions when it comes to confidence. First, does the candidate possess confidence in his or her own abilities to take on this job? Second, how confident is the voter in each candidate’s commitment to conservatism, character, and competence?

6. Constructive. Particularly in the rough and tumble of a presidential campaign, the issue of how constructive a candidate might be in office often gets lost. But being constructive, that is, having the wherewithal to be useful and to build, is vital for success in the White House and for the principles, ideas and policies that conservatives deem vital for citizens and our nation. Can this candidate be constructive in bringing along voters and members of Congress of both parties?

7. Cheerfulness. Really? Well, the greatest conservative president of the 20^th century was Ronald Reagan. And Reagan was no sourpuss, grim conservative. He was a cheerful political warrior. Too often, conservatives come across as anything but cheerful. That’s unfortunate and wrongheaded. It’s the cheerful conservative who will grow the conservative movement, and bring about much-needed remedies and change that the United States needs today.

In the end, as any conservative should recognize, the perfect conservative candidate does not exist, especially since conservatives themselves have excelled at squabbling over issues in recent years. But among this year’s candidates, at least one point stands out: Donald Trump fails miserably on five of the 7 “C’s,” namely, conservative, character, consistency, competence, and constructive. Trump is no conservative, and does not deserve the vote of any conservative.

So, take a deep breath, and channel justified anger into thoughtful, conservative votes.

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Mr. Keating is an economist and novelist who writes on a wide range of topics. His Pastor Stephen Grant novels have received considerable acclaim, including The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel being a finalist for KFUO radio’s Book of the Year 2014, and Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel nominated for Book of the Year 2015.

The Pastor Stephen Grant Novels are available at Amazon…

Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

The River: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

An Advent for Religious Liberty: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

Root of All Evil? A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

Warrior Monk: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel