GOP's Nuclear Option for Missouri

The Republican Party has itself a real disaster brewing in Missouri, thanks to Rep. Todd Akin's linguistic sojourn into both absurdly inappropriate phrasing and pseudo-biology. Mr. Akin, of course, is the Republican candidate for Missouri's US Senate seat, currently held by the deplorable socialist Statist Senator Claire McCaskill.

This is a seat that is key to progressing with the American Restoration. Lovers of liberty must do whatever possible to regain control of the Senate, particularly with probably a minimum of two Supreme Court seats to be appointed in the next Presidential term.

Mr. Akin, now a complete pariah in the GOP, has refused to get out of the race despite calls from both establishment and conservative/libertarian voices in the party to do so, and is currently imploding in the opinion polls as his political self-immolation continues. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) has stated that he's persona non grata for funding - as well they should, as Mr. Akin is clearly unsuitable for office based solely on his complete unpreparedness to cogently and intelligently answer a completely foreseeable question for any politician who holds pro-life views.

Mr. Akin can not be compelled or forced to withdraw. The GOP is stuck with him unless he withdraws on his own, and even the prospect for that is iffy as courts have to be involved, costs of reprinting ballots have to be covered, and an adequate candidate has to be found that won't cause any more division than already has been.

There is, however, another solution.


There is a Libertarian Party candidate running and on the ballot - no action or court intervention required.

His name is Jonathan Dine. Beyond his campaign website, there's not a whole lot of information of Mr. Dine and his background, sadly. Mr. Dine works as a personal trainer and has never held political office. Throwing support behind him could be a risk, think "vetting" and experience, but it couldn't be any more of a disaster than having Rep. Akin go down to defeat in flames and Senator McCaskill being reelected regardless.

I believe there are significant upsides to this option:

1. It absolves the GOP of association with Rep. Akin. 
2. It is a major outreach to the liberty, fiscal sanity, and Tea Party wings of the Republican Party.
3. It is a potential hook for fringe GOP elements (Ron Paul supporters, naturally) to focus on defeating the entire Democratic slate.
4. A Libertarian candidate might have better luck peeling off otherwise Democratic-inclined voters than whoever Akin in theory could be replaced with and certainly by Mr. Akin.
5. Rep. Akin does not have to withdraw.
6. Nothing is required to get the candidate on the ballot.
7. On fiscal/tax issues, regulatory issues, entitlement issues, etc., etc., etc., Mr. Dine would be a reliable vote for and proponent of the anti-Statist positions.

I'm a "conservo-libertarian"; I'd also describe myself as "inwardly conservative, outwardly libertarian". By that, I indicate that my private life and beliefs are very conservative but with respect to society and government, I rely on our Constitution. The national government must return to its Constitutional foundation and within the limits placed upon it. We have no chance now of driving that agenda via a Senate seat gain from Missouri so long as Todd Akin is the candidate.

Libertarian candidates are admittedly marginal propositions on the national stage. I've often criticized the Libertarian Party for focusing every four years on whatever marginal figure they nominate for President (not exactly the case this year with Governor Gary Johnson running) instead of building a party and a constituency by focusing on local elections. I'm not an LP member myself in part for that reason (I'm not sold on drug legalization either, among others).

A national Republican shift to supporting Mr. Dine puts the lie to our opponents' contention that it isn't a "big tent" party. There is a libertarian wing in the GOP, Senator Rand Paul for example, and as much as the GOP has little future unless social conservatives are kept in the fold, the same is true for those who hold liberty first.

There is a risk in backing Mr. Dine because of the LP's stance on abortion (platform, scroll down to 1.4) being a no-go for single-issue pro-life voters, but realistically, wouldn't returning abortion governance to the states be a step ahead in the direction of life? Don't we believe in getting the Federal government out of individual sovereignty?

Even with pro-life concerns on the table, I still think getting behind Jonathan Dine is a better option than having Claire McCaskill emplaced for another six years of liberal Statist destruction in Washington, DC.

Barring Mr. Akin's withdrawal and replacement with a qualified candidate, Their Finest Hour is proud to endorse Jonathan Dine for United States Senate and calls upon the GOP, NRSC, and the Romney/Ryan Presidential campaign to get behind his candidacy both in words and finances. Should Mr. Akin withdraw, this will naturally have to be reassessed based upon who replaces him, but until then Mr. Dine is the best option for the Republican Party, Missouri, and the United States.