Results tagged “Wayne Root” from Eric Sundwall.com

The short answer is no. Unfortunately the results of his recent article about Rush Limbaugh might suggest that he is according to the current standard. That standard is not entirely unreasonable if you apply the notion that generalizing about a particular group that is based on race. To wit;

" Yet this latest controversy about Rush Limbaugh's attempt to buy the St. Louis Rams is an example of why the Democratic Party and liberals in this country are even worse when it comes to the issue of freedom (and free speech). NFL players- particularly black NFL players- are incensed that Rush might become a NFL owner. "

According to a recent ABC News article only about six players have complained about the potential purchase by Limbaugh. One of them being personally wronged by Rush quarterback, Donovan McNabb. Former NFL player and ESPN commentator, Mike Golic (and fatty) expresses the reality of the situation;

"There are some superstars in this league. Most are foot soldiers," he said. "There are a lot of players in the league who probably don't even know Rush Limbaugh. Or they don't care what he does. He's the owner of their team, but they're getting their paycheck for their job."

For Root to generalize like he does about 'black' football players puts him the precarious position of being called racist, similar to his Reason magazine gotcha in 2008.

Some critics of Wayne Root cite his constant insistence on tax cuts rather than spending cuts as a critical flaw in his approach. While this chapter certainly refutes such claims, the idea of constitutional impoundment offers little succor to anyone who may have observed the behavior of the United States government in the last seventy years.

Root's premise is that as President he'll just not spend the money that Congress has appropriated for various items he deems unconstitutional. Barring any realistic chance of Root actually getting elected POTUS, he seems to lack a fundamental understanding of process and politics. Anyone watching the recent Ken Burns or Micheal Moore documentaries will find an almost slavish devotion to the idea that democracy can equalize economic differences in society. Utilizing FDR all the way.

Evoking Nixon's 'Silent Majority' to inspire a tax payer's union might have worked if Root anticipated the Tea Party protests that have popped up in the last six months. It's clear that Root didn't have a clue about this spontaneous uprising during what was likely the final revisions of the book. In fact, he claims that these noble wealth makers (which include 'married-with-children' folks as opposed to those dual income no children types) are simply too occupied with their own success. " We don't waste our time marching, complaining, or protesting (p.155)."

Of course, come last July 4th when the Tea Party protests were in full bloom we find Wayne taking the stage just prior to neo-con lapdog Michele Malkin at a very large protest in Dallas. No true politician can turn down an adoring crowd, even the anti-politician. This chapter seems like a lame filler before the solution section and it shows again with the strained, invented acronyms and automatic claims of socialism attributed to Obama. Once again the nature of taxation isn't approached so much as the levels thereof. No mention of the wars that got us into the mess, only the upcoming vilification of the 'rich' (p.155) by Obama.

With the exception of the obviously inspired chapter title, I actually found myself identifying with this chapter in a moment of weakness. As someone who has lived in the extended shadow of New York's Capital Region (and the other side of the River) hardly a day goes by without the reminder that those who work for the state are made men, or women as the case may be and the saying goes. Big fat pensions, sick and vacation time, the contrast to my own entrepreneurial existence, often present a stark contrast in philosophy and life style.

Like Wayne, I have also worked on holidays, extended after hours and sometimes even sick. I recall spending the last days in a business location dismantling the operation with a head cold that would have sidelined a state worker for a week. I was so happy to be free of the local bureaucracy's control after years of struggle, it was almost a joy. The extra lawn mowing in the summer, fixing the heating and air conditioning units in the facility are experiences that I imagine Root doesn't actually do, but the persistence and struggle is common amongst the self-employed and business owners.

I guess my only real question about this chapter would be that if Root had until May of 2009 to edit his book, why would he still make the claim that the Big 3 automakers all sought bailouts. I was under the impression that Ford did not. The reason why this is important is because the central claim that Root is making is that unions crippled these automakers and made them go bankrupt. If Ford didn't go bankrupt then there is plenty of room to dispute the notion that unions were the key point of failure.

The other dubious claim in this chapter is that the bailout money would be better spent on "small businesses struggling to survive (p.130)". It's not at all certain that such bailouts would be fundamentally better and certainly the synonymous claim to "Get government out of the way (p.129)" doesn't follow. While having no fundamental problem with the idea that small businesses contribute a lot to the free market, suggesting that the opportunity cost of bailing out large corporations in favor of those small businesses is not a real market solution. While he's on track with the notion of business failure as healthy by-products of the free market, to simultaneously suggest that one group deserves it rather than the other is schizophrenic at best. Seeing that Dr. Lynch made it to the margins of p.132 with a 'good' also finding the notion of attempting to find the next Apple or Microsoft through government funding as acceptable, I'm beginning to wonder who understands true free markets anymore.

The final message about bailouts is understood, but do we have to get there via a faulty route ?

Subtitle: A Toxic Brew of Big Government, Big Bureacracy, Big Unions, and Lots of Lawyers !

I was mildly surprised by this chapter. It begins with silly acronyms that Root makes up (ABC - After Bush Celebration) and actually transcends the expectation that the title of the chapter will follow from WR's inevitable bombastic self-immolation. Aside from the boogeyman like spectre he has continually created from his evocation of Obama thus far, he manages a decent critique of the problem of lawyers in business and government (p.122-124).

Of course it comes back to the whole issue of current policies and big bad Obama, but for this very short chapter it seems almost acceptable and without the whole I'm Wayne to save the day mentality. Maybe when talking about huge egos of others, it simply better not to exhibit your own.

Subtitle: Why California Leads the Nation in Deficit, Debt and Out-Migration

I was born in California. I visit family there every couple of years and I always have a great time. I can recount tales of Fremont, Steinbeck and Bukowski. Between Hollywood and the general world culture leading type of things that emerge from that space on the planet, you'd think that starting a chapter about California would give an author a myriad of devices, anecdotes or launch points that would be equally attuned to a modern hip political culture potentially emerging. Instead we get a contorted play on an old Mamas and Papas song (California Dreaming, not Dream btw) and a lame anti-communist dig to start things out. I'm beginning to think I'm the anti-root. After all I'm a former Californian turned successful New Yorker. Root's a former New Yorker turned away from California.

The best insight that we get from Root in this chapter is the claim that his failed business pumped sixty million into the overall economy despite failing sometime this year. While I understand this as a fellow businessman and appreciate the candid manner in which Root portrays this, the rest of the chapter isn't even good Californication. If anything, it gives the term nightmare a bad name because it doesn't evoke any real horror or imagery that we don't already know about or can somehow be morbidly attracted to. looking at any deeper level of the crisis out there does not happen in this chapter. Rather we are brought a long a litany of spending and budget boondoggles that feels like we're suddenly in the Hotel California.

Note to readers: the photo is for those with a subtle irony . . .

Subtitle: Why we need a Small Business Owner in the White House

Calling Wayne Root a credible business owner is like thinking Eddie Haskel was a credible altar boy. They each might able to pull it off with gullible voters or Mrs. Cleaver, but the rest of us are just laughing. Setting aside the dubious nature of what Root refers to as his business, the hilarity of his approach is certainly not something done on a conscious basis. The author becomes so enamored with his own self, experience and illusions of grander, as to make Lyndon Larouche seem almost credible in so much as his followers actually take to the streets with his message. It's never clear how Root will mobolize the disparate legions of small business heroes.

A perfect example (p.98):

"I believe that my life has been the perfect preparation for running the greatest economy in the world."

This statement alone belies a great ignorance about economies and prepares a good libertarians defense to any future candidacy. You see by this statement alone, Root has become just like his anti-self Obama, in so much as he figures it may actually be the job of the President of the United States to run the economy. Nothing could be farther from the truth and any which way that Root twists it afterwards is meaningless when placed in stark contrast to such a simplistic sentence, which was actually published. Any meaning or purpose in the chapter is rendered inert and useless from a libertarian perspective whether you are the most ardent of Austrians or just one of those milquetoast moderates who get their panties in a bunch about their credible minarchy.

Showing America How It's Done !

Thus begins the second part of the book entitled, " Let's Talk Money and Politics "

To hear Root talk about the Nevada economic and political model we should all move there in order to enjoy no income, business, inheritance or capital gains tax. Never mind the fact that over 80% of the vast desert that is Nevada is owned by the Federal government and has been ranked as the most dangerous state for five years running . . is it fair to mention Area 51 and all the bloody nukes (over a 1000) they've tested there ?

Of course if quality of life was simply measured by the lack of involvement in one's finances by the government or the lack of water, Nevada may well be the place to be. The reality is that Nevada has always somewhat of a political punching bag between its initial formation to benefit Lincoln's second election, to its current distinction of housing Sin City. Trying to apply Nevada's marginally libertarian-like laws and taxation policies to the rest of the country would be like trying to get parents to let their kids watch more TV and eat sugary foods. They may ultimately do it anyway, but getting the fussy policy movers to even consider is tantamount to heresy.

Chapter 7: God & Government

One of the more disturbing moments of the 2008 Presidential campaign for the LP was the Glenn Beck segment with Bob Barr and his questioning of the latter about all the atheists in the LP. It was as if all conservatives should in fact be god fearing Christians and libertarians were in fact the godless cabal of unreconciled and rampant libertines. Barr, of course, rightly just shrugged it off as a non-issue and pressed on with the interview. In my estimation Libertarian candidates are better off as closet atheists. The net affect being a more rational, less tempted to fall back on faith and country rhetoric. Having been a candidate for Congress twice now, I don't recall any reporter or voter ever questioning my belief system in regards to 'God' etc. Wayne Root, of course, will not be such a candidate. While he doesn't want religion being dictated by government, he certainly places the god fearing type on a pedestal far above us atheist types.

Chapter 6: The Citizen Revolution

After touting himself as the United States most successful odds maker and prognosticator (along with a litany of old TV gigs) Root predicts a 'Citizen Revolution'. Claiming that the two party system is failing, he spouts that "never before in modern political history has the time been more right (excuse the pun) for a third party to successfully do battle with the two major parties." Things that make you say hmmmmm. While it is nice to see someone say the the LP is a better fit for the large amount of independents that identify as fiscally conservative and socially 'liberal' (I'll use that term far easier than Root will allow himself - I can't stand the 'tolerant' implications on human relations) the reality on the ground is always drastically different than would be candidates and hopefuls can allow themselves and continue. So just turning on the Disney hope routine and the bashing of both sides never really ever amounts to much when the cold hard logic of history and politics takes hold.

Before getting into the specifics of Root's 9 point plan for the Citizen Revolution, I'd like to proffer a theory called the Fallacy of the Demographic. The idea is that just because you are a member of a particular demographic and a candidate for national office, it by no means transcends the reality of a system that will and has always favored two main parties. No amount of shilling or appeal will change this. With that in mind, let's look at why Root will not be successful in each regard.

The book gets harder to read not withstanding high local temperatures, a myriad of social events and a rare self-employed sick day. The platitudes, silly anecdotes and contrived conclusions really start to stack up and repeat . . .

Chapter 2: The Libertarian Model

It's simply this, according to my reading of Root; basically his father helped form the Conservative Party in New York and they elected the first independent Senator from the state. So if you think it can't be done, well it can. With all the hecks and darns I'm surprised that by golly wasn't included in this chapter. The horrible head of 'socially tolerant' reveals itself here. Trying using that on a worldly lesbian some time. They freak . . . kinda like I did after seeing hijacked spelled highjacked on page 24.

The sad part is how, practically speaking, out of touch Root has become about the Conservatives in New York now. A good or real politician should know the landscape before painting it. I spent some time in those circles from the mid eighties to mid nineties and it ain't pretty anymore. They've basically been fused to the Republican hip and won't let go. They burnt me with a little old lady in Poughkeepsie playing mule last time out . . . but that's another story. One wonders what a Columbia degree in political science amounted to in 1983. Did it require Columbia to adopt the history repeats itself platitude ? (p.23)

The last two paragraphs of this chapter are meant to somehow roust the rabble into some call for revolutionary electoral arms. No question the liberal press doesn't even have this on their radar like they did Obama. A shame really. We need a good rabble rousing . . . there is no model a real superficial sense of history and nothing to suggest Root fathoms the party beyond anything but himself. Credit due: At least he doesn't blame and bash the anarchists for thirty five years of failure.

Beyond the admission of an imaginary friend, a swell wife and the tired shtick of the last campaign (SOB - son of a butcher, small businessman, homeschooler, fellow Columbia graduate of Obama, heroes Reagan & Goldwater yadda yadda) WR should not couple playing with his boys as a testosterone fest, wholesome rough housing would have done sufficiently thank you. Seems crass and vulgar on some level. Unfortunately even us reluctant critics are rendered helpless by WR's thanks at the end of the intro, thus he psychologically insulates himself from any rebuff whatsoever. We're all just creativity bashers and do nothing naysayers who make him the better, relentless champion of freedom. The Peter O'Toole character in the Pixar movie, Ratatouille, hits that head on the critic nail in a much grander and illustrative manner . Us wingnut critics only fuel this great monumental passion for less gubmint and lower taxes. Sigh.

Sound familiar ? The latter's irritant effect in the first chapter as a device after each hagiographic rehash of the aforementioned AuH2O mercifully ends as one quickens the pace about reading how big gubmint has become not only since Obama took office, but even GWB himself now a fair victim on history's shelf. That the education and agricultural departments are expanded without Constitutional regard comes as a shock is only slightly less deafening as the omission of gubmint growth under Reagan is never seriously considered by WR . . . the classic libertarian take about the Cold War and the loss of the Old Right to the likes of Buckley and Goldwater isn't even on Root's intellectual radar. One wonders if he'll mention the unconstitutionality of foreign interventions since Korea. Nope, just that we defend rich nations. At least there's nothing smacking of Bill Kristol or Charles Krauthammer hubris with regard to empire and duty. The Islamo fascist language has quickly been purged from WR's bag of sales tricks since pursuing the LP nomination for prez.

The folks over at Reason clipped Libertarian VP nominee, Wayne Root, pretty hard during the last cycle. Just as the final stretch was unfolding in the campaign, the boys caught him at the Republican bar yammering on about Obama being a radical militant when they served together at Columbia. Apparently Wayne didn't check his political 'id' at the door and felt unencumbered by any implied journalistic promise of confidentiality or libertarian camaraderie. What went on the record should have been enough for any self described big L libertarian to take umbrage of their candidate's lack of self awareness while on the attack amongst assumed allies.

Root's description of the gaffe at the LNC meeting in San Diego in December shrugs the whole affair off as meaningless and a deception by Reason. Just a couple beers with the boys kinda thing. While the LNC and it's audience got to their feet after his presentation, my own response was less forgiving.

While controversy with the impending arrival of what is sure to be only be a shrill unforgiving rehash of fiscal conservatism and social 'tolerance' Vegas style, in the form of a new book, might be considered good marketing in some circles, it only intensifies the pain amongst those of us unable to be on constant libertarian tour because we have real jobs/businesses. Root is taking some real heat from Reason's own Radley Balko about appearing on the Michael Savage radio show. Root has subsequently defended himself in a letter back to Balko. I'm not sure if it's been publicly released, so I'll only leak a small segment that gets to the root of the problem . . .

I was worried that I might have to throw my hat in the ring for President if Wayne Root was the presumptive favorite going into 2012. I figured I could wait until January of that year given the somewhat simplistic process in which these things are decided in the LP. In the mean time I could flirt with a few other campaign attempts and get some other projects done (finish writing a few books, build an addition on the house and expand some business interests).

Fortunately the suspense of the revelation that Knapp2012.com was registered didn't go for very long. Long time libertarian activist, blogger, candidate and party turncoat, Tom Knapp, confirmed his intentions soon after. While a certain faction of the party (the non-active blogging types) are elated at the revelation, the only solace this observer can take from it in the next four years is that Wayne Root will be countered on a style and philosophical basis. Otherwise expect a torturous four years of pontificating, clarifications, bold pronouncements and nothing really being accomplished.

Perhaps Angela's pre-menopause infatuation with a hottie granny down in Texas will provide some relief.