I’m gonna break my blog’s silence on politics today. I haven’t talked about it in several weeks but now I’m bursting at the seams with some thoughts.

If you don’t want to keep reading–if you’re a personal friend or a family member who knows me well and can guess where I’m going to go with this and know you won’t like it–then that’s fine, my feelings won’t be hurt.

If you do get to the end, however, then I thank you. You’re a good friend for putting up with me, even if you end up disagreeing anyway

For the past two weeks or so, my parents and I have been batting different ideas back and forth. We’ve challenged old, unquestioned loyalties. We’ve observed both the Republican and Democratic Conventions, and drawn our own conclusions. Judge Andrew Napolitano put it best in the editorial he wrote for The Washington Times yesterday:

What if the principal parties’ candidates for president really agree more than they disagree?

What if they both support the authority of the federal government to spy on Americans without search warrants?…What if both major presidential candidates believe they can fight any war, assassinate any foe or assault any country using the military or the CIA, and they need not ask Congress for a declaration of war as the Constitution requires, nor account to Congress or the public as the law requires? …

What if they both believe in adding to the government’s $16 trillion debt and letting future generations deal with paying it back? What if they both want to have the feds spend more money next year than the feds are spending this year? What if they both accept FDR- and LBJ-style entitlements, even though they are nowhere authorized by the Constitution and there are not enough present-day workers to tax in order to pay for them?

What if President Obama wants to raise taxes by increasing some tax rates on the rich? What if Mitt Romney wants to raise taxes by eliminating some tax deductions available to the rich? What if raising taxes on anyone in a recession will cause higher unemployment?

What if they both believe in borrowing newly printed money from the Federal Reserve in order to fund the government? What if Mr. Obama is of the view that the federal government can tell you how to live and keep you from becoming too rich? What if Mr. Romney wants to make the same federal government more effective and efficient at what it does?

What if Mr. Obama is really a Marxist who rejects personal freedom, natural rights and private property? What if Mr. Romney is really an empty suit who doesn’t know or won’t say what he believes? What if Mr. Obama really wants all health care providers to work for the federal government? What if Mr. Romney spent the entire presidential primary season condemning Obamacare, only to say this past weekend that there are parts of it he really likes and will endeavor to retain?

What if Mr. Obama wants federal bureaucrats to ration health care and decide who lives and who dies? What if Mr. Romney spent the entire presidential primary season running against conservative and libertarian opponents and arguing that only the free market or the states should address health care, but earlier this week accepted a major federal role in its management? …

What if the system is fixed? What do we do about it?

Here’s my first conclusion. I don’t want to be part of any one political party because none of them truly represent me–especially the two “legitimate” ones that decide who their nominees are going to be, regardless of who else decides to run. The idea of having the word “Independent” on my voter registration card has become increasingly appealing.

Here’s my second and strongest conclusion. We’ve become so conditioned to “support the nominee” that we simply throw our convictions to the wind. Instead of clinging to what we really believe, we’ve embraced fear and pragmatism because, “No vote is a vote for Obama.”

So we throw in our lot with someone who accurately represents us about one-eighth of the time. (I’m not sure if I’m willing to give him even that much credit. See the above quotations from Judge Napolitano.)

“We are like ignorant children who want to continue making mud pies in a slum because we cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a vacation at the sea,” said C.S. Lewis. “We are far too easily pleased.”

This leads right into my third thought. Conservatives–and I’m talking about the common man, the average citizen registered in the Republican party–we’re working hard! We only want what’s best for our nation and our families, but what we don’t realize is that the leaders of our party are just dancing to the tune of the Marxists, same as the Democrats.

All this reminds me of one of my most favorite scenes EVER:

Sir William, Sir William! Inasmuch as you and your captains hail from a region long known to support the Balliol clan, may we invite you to continue your support and uphold our rightful claim.

(William Wallace starts to reply, but is interrupted.)

Mornay: (shouting) D— the Balliol clan! They’re all Longshanks’ men!

William: (shouting over the din) Gentlemen! Gentlemen!

Balliol: Now is the time to declare a king.

Mornay: (to Balliol) Wait! Then you are prepared to recognize our legitimate succession.

Balliol: You’re the ones who won’t support the rightful claim.

Mornay: Those were lies when you first wrote them.

(shouting amongst the crowd that reminds you of the Congress of the United States…Disgusted, Wallace starts to walk out.)

Craig: Gentlemen! Please, Gentlemen! Wait! Sir William, where are you going?

William: (turns around to address the crowd) We have beaten the English, but they’ll come back because you won’t stand together.

Craig: Well, what will you do?

William: I will invade England and defeat the English on their own ground.

Craig: (laughs) Invade? That’s impossible.

William: Why? Why is that impossible? You’re so concerned with squabbling for the scraps from Longshank’s table that you’ve missed your God-given right to something better. There is a difference between us. You think the people of this country exist to provide you with position. I think your position exists to provide those people with freedom. And I go to make sure that they have it.

We’ve missed our God-given right to something better. We’ve followed whitewashed statists for decades. Yes, there have been a few exceptions; yes, there continue to be a few (a very few) exceptions in the Republican Party, and I’ll support them quicker than you can say “knife.”

I’m talking about the leadership here, the “Establishment,” the “nobles.” And I for one don’t want any part with “the nobles.”

Okay, abrupt end to my political ramblings for the day. I’ll elaborate more on my new thoughts and conclusions in the coming weeks, I have no doubt–but it’s ten o’clock and I have two hours to turn my thoughts towards the plight of a young Queen and a humble, courageous Knight.

In other words, my characters are calling me See ya next week.