Watch the flip-flopping. I own a gun!

By Joseph Walther

I’ve been out of town—in Washington, DC, actually. Upon my return, I learned that the word on the street is that Obama’s been flip-flopping on some stuff. I’ll get back to this in just a few minutes.

By now everyone, other than those in a coma, knows about the Supreme Court’s two most recent landmark decisions. The first: We can’t execute people who rape children. The second: As citizens, we have a right to own guns, not just as part of a militia but as individual citizens.

Observing the intra-workings of the United States Supreme Court is a process to behold. While I’m not sure that “collegial” is a fitting description, I’m positive that “lovey-dovey” is NOT.

These two issues resulted in an unprecedented inflow of amicus (friend of the court) briefs. You don’t have to be a practicing attorney at law to submit one, either. Anyone with sufficient procedural knowledge may submit an amicus brief.

By the time these rulings came down, each justice had read a 60-page advocacy/petitioner brief, a 60-page respondent brief, a reply brief of between 40- and 50-pages, plus as many amicus briefs (40-pages each… at a minimum) as their nerves and stomachs could stand.

Still, it took several hours to scrape Justice Ginsberg off her chambers ceiling after the gun ownership ruling and she only weighs about 90-pounds… fully clothed and soaking wet.

And, as I write this, parts of Justice Scalia are STILL stuck to his chambers ceiling as the result of the child rape ruling. Of course, that vision is much more compelling because he’s such a porker compared to Justice Ginsberg, not to mention much more scathing and animated.

As always, we’ll all survive these rulings regardless of our respective positions. Just the same, I’m in the process of gathering research data for an article I intend to post in a few weeks.

I’ve written many times that I’m indifferent to the imposition of a death penalty. As long as its use meets Constitutional muster, execute away!

However, as far as I’m concerned, the only LOGICAL reason for executing people convicted of capital murder is to decrease recidivism. Such people, once executed, do not murder again.

On the other hand, while child rape is a crime that is despicable beyond description, I think we need to exercise due caution relative to expanding reasons for executing people. I’ll give more detail on this in that later article I referenced above.

As for our individual right to own guns, I agree wholeheartedly. But I think that we need to have a full understanding of what the Court ruled, though.

Contrary to much of what I’ve heard from most Wyatt Earp wannabes, the Court did NOT rule that we ALL, as U. S. citizens, have a right to own guns. It ruled that government—at ALL levels—does NOT have the authority to ban, outright, gun ownership rights for the general population.

Government still has the authority to restrict gun ownership for those who are no longer legally eligible, such as convicted felons, those legitimately declared to be psychiatric “nut” jobs, and others residing within the realm of similar circumstances.

Again, I think it an extremely dangerous form of naiveté for people to think that outlawing gun ownership will eliminate guns as a major societal danger. The only thing this does is make it impossible for law-abiding people to protect themselves and their families.

OK, now back to the matter of Obama and his flip-flopping ways. First, understand that Obama’s not the only one doing it. McCain’s doing it, too. In fact, ALL politicians do it.

It’s been standard operating procedure since our break with King George for politicians to create massive problems and then campaign against them. In this respect, McCain’s 30-plus years in Congress has given Obama a lot more to campaign against than Obama’s less than 7-years have given McCain to campaign against!

Here are a few items I think we all need to take into account relative to Senators Obama and McCain and their final dash for the Oval Office finish line.

There is no comparison between running a campaign for a PARTY’S nomination and running one for the “GOLD.” We, the electorate, possess the wonderful luxury of pontificating about our moral indignation over what we consider as “flip-flopping” on issues. On the other hand, the candidates must be more discerning.

To quote the late Ronald Reagan, “I can’t do anything for you if I don’t ‘get’ elected.” He was stumping in Harlem at the time he said it, too. I was there and still have the digitized recording.

Unfortunately, in order to “get” elected, the candidates must appeal to the electorate’s lowest common denominator. As such, Obama can no longer afford to be an impractical optimist nor can McCain any longer afford to be, even perceptually, an “in your face” maverick.

For Obama, it’s private campaign funding instead of his promised public campaign financing. Call it flip-flopping all you want, but it shows he’s no fool.

Either can he afford to remain indifferent to Muslim associations—real or otherwise. As it is, he has an uphill battle convincing well over 25% of the electorate that he’s NOT a Muslim.

He’s going to flip-flop on other stuff, too, before it’s all over. So will McCain. It’s going to be very interesting watching things unfold.

For McCain, he has to get the Neo-Conservatives back in his corner and reestablish himself with the God people. As such, he’s NOW in FAVOR of making the Bush tax cuts permanent; he’s NOW in FAVOR of overturning Roe v. Wade, both of which he adamantly opposed back in his good old “up yours“ maverick days.

In an attempt to atone for his prior Conservative blasphemous utterances advocating amnesty for illegal immigrants, he now seems ready to demand their immediate deportation, if not their execution.

And he now thinks offshore drilling for oil—including Alaska—is a “swell” idea. It does not matter that even if we began the drilling in the next 5-minutes, it would be at least 15-years before we’d see any of the oil.

The real flip-flopping has just begun. I look forward to this election year with unprecedented enthusiasm. Even so, I don’t think much will change no matter which of the two wins in November.

The key to both candidates’ successes will be the manner in which they address their particular reassessments (meaning flip-flops). I think Obama’s demonstrated willingness to admit mistakes will help more than hurt him.

However, assuming nothing bombastic happens, I think Obama will win the popular vote—not by a landslide by any means—but he’ll win it nevertheless.

He’ll do it simply because I don’t think the average Conservative (not the Neo-Conservatives) has any idea of how much irreparable damage George W. Bush has done to the Republican Party at the national level.

Although… I keep forgetting the Democrats’ uncanny ability to snatch defeat right out of the sure arms of victory. Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, not to mention John Dean, scare the daylights out of me and I doubt that I’m alone in my concerns.

Yes, it’s going to be interesting to say the least. Back at you all next week. I hope your holiday was fun and safe.

Joe Walther is a freelance writer and publisher of The True Facts. You may comment on his column by clicking here.