Ah, National Review, we thought we knew ye. But that was before Trump Derangement Syndrome (“TDS”) set in and WordPress logins were handed out to this year’s crop of freshly graduated College Republicans. Proving that NeverTrump is a gateway drug and that addicts who started off with a little NeverTrump on the weekend with friends for the kicks quickly up the ante and seek out a more powerful high. In the manic search for their next virtue signalling rush, they have been known to do unspeakable things. Some have been known to publicly endorse Hillary “Benghazi” Clinton and at least one has said that a Leftist Supreme Court majority “is not the apocalyptic scenario painted by Trump supporters.” Eviscerate the First Amendment by overturning Citizens United? No biggie. Gut the Second Amendment and deny citizens the right to protect themselves? Meh. Like every junkie, when they’re feeling sick they’ll do anything to get their next fix.
Some of the kids are experimenting with a popular college party drug called libertarianism. But it’s not the libertarianism parents remember from their days in college in the 70s and 80s. It’s not The Road To Serfdom and a straight shot of Atlas Shrugged. And it sure isn’t the insightful and politically helpful essays from Frank Meyer on Fusionism. Now it’s just straight up libertinism calling itself libertarian so no one’s parents call the cops. And in case you think this is something that just happens to kids at state schools, now they are shilling for the drug dealing ex-governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson at National Review, American conservatism’s version of Bushwood Country Club. And their doing it based upon – wait for it – his pro-life bona fides. No really.
From a piece titled Why Pro-Life Conservatives Should Vote For Gary Johnson
Gary Johnson and the Libertarian party are generally pro-choice, framing abortion as an individual-liberty issue, but they staunchly support states’ rights as enshrined in the Tenth Amendment. Thus, it is highly unlikely that a Johnson administration would interfere with states’ efforts to restrict abortion within their borders. Abortion is not the only issue that should prompt conservatives to vote for Gary Johnson.
More here.
This is the same Gary Johnson who said that “religious freedom as a category” is a “black hole.” Sounds great, but hey, at least he’s not a big meany like Donald Trump. In the same interview he also had this to say about abortion rights:
“The law of the land is Casey v. Planned Parenthood. I have no intention of changing the law, and Casey v. Planned Parenthood says, ‘you, woman, you have the right to have an abortion up to viability of the fetus.’ And the Supreme Court has defined viability of the fetus as being able to sustain the life of the fetus outside of the womb, even by artificial means. That is the law of the land.”
National Review and its writers might want to read up on current events. I’m sympathetic to appeals to the largely ignored 10th Amendment – it’s the amendment no one talks about but upon which our system of federalism rests. Unfortunately that knowledge and $3 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. No refills. Abortion law has been taken out of the hands of the people and their representatives and put in the hands of judges for over 40 years.
Pro-lifers regularly spend years crafting and passing well thought out bills at the state level only to have them overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court as happened in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt just this past June. The case voided a Texas law that would have restricted abortions by requiring abortionists to have admitting privileges at a local hospital. The Court reasoned that this created an undue burden. Regardless, Johnson plainly states that legalized abortion is the law of the land as mandated by the Supreme Court and that he has no intention of changing it. End of story.
So much for Gary Johnson as the pro-life candidate. On a positive note, Governor Johnson did pledge to stop getting high while he’s running for President. His supporters might want to do the same.
UPDATE: A reader pointed me to this ancient interview (last week) conducted by Nick Gillespie at Reason.tv with Gary Johnson and Bill Weld. Here’s an excerpt on judges and who they think are their kind of people in Congress:
JOHNSON: Really, there are going to be no litmus test. You’re going to appoint good people, and you’re going appoint people that look at the Constitution of original intent.
WELD: Well, I don’t think you have to panic and say it has to be a way lefty or way righty. Steve Breyer has been a good justice. He was appointed by Democrats.
GILLESPIE: A Massachusetts guy, right?
GILLESPIE: You mentioned far-right and far-left people in Congress. Who are current members of the Senate and the House that you think you can work with? Because if you guys come in, obviously you’re not going to have a libertarian Congress.
JOHNSON: I think there is a real opportunity to, not naming names, but just–
GILLESPIE: Name names! Name names.
WELD: Rob Portman, obviously. Kelly Ayotte. Susan Collins, the best of all. Mark Kirk on the Republican side. A guy, he’s a challenger, Russ Feingold in Wisconsin. Not saying I’m endorsing him, but he’s obviously a person of substantial ability.
Got that principled conservatives for Johnson?
Good judges? Breyer and Garland. Not even a tip of the hat to the 3 members of the Court who actually consult the Constitution before rendering an opinion.
And Congress? The Senate’s most liberal Republicans and Feingold who was one of the most liberal Democrats.
Sounds like the pro-life Dream Team.