Liberty Counsel: Newt Gingrich Q&A- 'Why Do You Admire Theodore Roosevelt?'

Source: Liberty Counsel- Newt Gingrch, talking about his Theodore Roosevelt Progressive politics, back in 2012.

Source:The Daily View

"Open Q&A Session with Presidential Candidate Newt Gingrich at the Aloma Church in Winter Park FL. Hosted by Mat Staver of Liberty Counsel on Saturday January 28, 2012."

From Liberty Counsel

A lot of members of the Tea Party, sound like Libertarians on economic policy, even if they are Big Government Republicans when it comes to social policy and would like to outlaw a lot of personal activities including what people do in their own homes and privacy. Former Representative Michele Bachmann, former Governor Sarah Palin, Governor Scott Walker come to mind, Phyllis Schlafly from back in the day.

Newt Gingrich even though he has many things in common with the populist blue-collar wing of the Tea Party that now backs Donald Trump 100%, he's not a Big Government Republican when it comes to either economic or social policy. He doesn’t want government taxing and regulating private business’s to the point where they’re essentially public utilities that are owned by shareholders.

But Newt is not a Libertarian either or even a Conservative-Libertarian. He believes in a big strong national defense and strong law enforcement, as well as low taxation and regulation. But he does believe in limited regulation not to run business’s, but to protect consumers and workers from predators.

Theodore Roosevelt was a Progressive Republican and so is Newt Gingrich. Where they differ on the issues, is anyone’s guess. They both believe in a strong America both economically, but also militarily and believe America can be positive force working with our allies around the world. And they both believe that government has a limited role in helping people achieve success for themselves.

Neither one of them are Liberal and certainly in Teddy Roosevelt’s case, not a Conservative. But both believe in using a limited government to help build a better America by empowering people to take control of their own lives. And seeing that America is as strong and safe as possible. This is why they’re both Progressives and both Republicans.

James Michl: The O'Reilly Factor- Glenn Beck: Talking To Bill O'Reilly About Newt Gingrich

Source: James Michl- Bill O'Reilly, giving Glenn Beck, The O'Reilly Finger, talking about Newt Gingrich. LOL

Source:The New Democrat 

"Glenn Beck on the Factor Newt G. Progressive"

From James Michl

I just have a flat disagreement with Glenn Beck on what a Progressive is and also find myself on this weird planet if not universe, where I'm agreeing with Bill O'Reilly on anything. I wasn't sure I could agree with Bill O'Reilly about current weather in Miami or how many states are part of the United States, because Bill is wrong about so many things.

But O'Reilly is right about Newt Gingrich at least in the sense that what was a Progressive in the early 20th Century about being someone who is about progress and using government to help create that progress and what's supposed to pass as a Progressive today (like the Cleveland Browns trying to pass as an NFL franchise) , are two completely different things.

According to Glenn Beck a Progressive and a Socialist, are the same thing. Hell, why not add Communist and say being a Communist is the same thing as being a Progressive. Even though most of the Communist ideology is regressive with how authoritarian it is and all the rights and freedom that people would lose if Communists were to some how come into power even though democratic means.

Theodore Roosevelt, Progressive. Bernie Sanders, Socialist. The Progressive doesn't want a government dominated society where most if not all of our social benefits and economic security, is provided by government and financed through our taxes. The Democratic Socialist at least, doesn't want government completely in charge of society. But our individual freedom and personal income, would be much more limited if Democratic Socialists were to ever come to power.

Newt Gingrich is obviously not a Libertarian, or a Nationalist, has some things in common with the Christian-Right, but doesn't roll with them on all their policies. Not a Conservative-Libertarian either, but he's a Progressive in a conservative sense. Someone who believes in using government to create progress, but through conservative free market principles.

For example: instead of just having people on public assistance just stay there and give them some money, Newt would say that those people should be looking for and getting work, as well as education so they can get themselves a good job and no longer need public assistance at all. As a condition of receiving that taxpayer funded public assistance. With is very different from a Libertarian who says that government shouldn't be involved in public welfare at all. And a Socialist saying that government should guarantee a basic income for everyone with no conditions.

For perhaps the first time in my life I find myself in agreement with Bill O'Reilly on anything. I don't even drink alcohol, let alone use illegal narcotics but it feels like I'm on some high and seeing things that shouldn't be there. Like Donald Trump being President of the United States. Wait, that actually did happen.

But O'Reilly's idea of a Progressive is inline with Teddy Roosevelt's, as well as mine. That progressivism is about progress. That the first eight letters in the word progressive is actually progress. And that being a Socialist is about socialization and using government to solve most if not all the problems in the country. With Glenn Beck believing that Progressive is another word for Socialist. Someone who believes in big government. Even though a Socialist is lot more ideological than a Progressive would actually ever be.

Real Time With Bill Maher: 'Monologue: Sweet Home Alabama'

Source:Real Time With Bill Maher- talking about Alabama Judge Roy Moore.

Source:The Daily Review

"Bill reacts to the latest sexual assault allegations against Judge Roy Moore and others in his Real Time monologue."

From Real Time With Bill Maher

I'm not from Alabama and have never even actually spent a day in Alabama, but I get two things out of this story: One, that this behavior (assuming Roy Moore is guilty) is actually normal and if Roy Moore wasn't running for the U.S. Senate, maybe it wouldn't have become news. I mean, you had Republican leaders in that state saying what Moore is accused of are gifts from God and natural acts. I'm paraphrasing, but thats pretty close.

That if Moore wasn't the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate that this story would have never come out. The women wouldn't have come out because no one in Alabama including the media there, would have taken them seriously, let alone bothered to look into the allegations. Once Roy Moore not just declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate and then won the GOP nomination, is when this story became a national story.

The Senate is part of Congress obviously and a Federal institution and not many people more powerful in the country than a U.S. Senator. And not many institutions covered more closely than Congress, because of how important it is. Which is why you had a Washington Post reporter covering an Alabama Senate race in Alabama and the women going to The Post to talk about their allegations. Now, if Roy Moore was running for State Senate in Alabama representing Gadsden, Alabama, then this story wouldn't be a big deal. Again, we wouldn't have heard from the women because they wouldn't have been taken seriously. And again, to go back to Alabama as a state: this behavior seems to at least be acceptable to the Christian-Right there. Which is more of a religious cult than anything else.

The other thing that I get from the Roy Moore story is that this is Alabama. Anyone left to wonder why Alabama is seen as a backwards, redneck, neanderthal, state that was in a statewide coma during most of the 20th Century and would only come out of their coma to prevent African-Americans from exercising their constitutional rights as American citizens. So of course a lot of Alabama is not aware of what has been going on in America in the last ten years or so, let alone the 20th Century, because they still believe America is in a pre-civil war area. And that women should be nothing more than servants to men. So why not teenage girls being servants to men and their sexual needs. At least this is the perception of Alabama and not just for Washington, or New York, or San Francisco, but Atlanta and a lot of the state of Georgia which is a neighbor of Alabama.

Andrew Kaczynski: Newt Gingrich- 'I'm a Theodore Roosevelt Republican'

Source: Andrew Kaczynski- Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich: being interviewed on CSPAN, in 2008.

Source:The Daily View

"Newt Gingrich, in footage from 2000-2009, talks about being a Theodore Roosevelt Republican. Follow me on Twitter for more great political videos."

From Andrew Kaczynski

This video is about the 2012 Republican presidential primaries when Newt Gingrich was doing well in December, 2011 and January, 2012 and even won South Carolina in January. And was a real threat to defeating the so-called Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney for the presidential nomination. Mitt only won 1-3 of the first three primaries which was New Hampshire which of course is in his backyard and represents his own progressive Northeastern brand of Republicanism. Which is ironic since the Romney Campaign went out of their way to label Newt Gingrich as a Progressive, because Mitt Romney up until he decided to run again for president in 2007 and then again in 2011, was essentially a Progressive Republican himself.

I would label Newt Gingrich’s politics as a Conservative Right-Progressive, who believes in using government to achieve progressive goals through conservative principles. Using government to reduce things like poverty, but through conservative policies. Things like requiring work and education for people who are on public assistance. So they can improve themselves while they’re on Welfare or Unemployment Insurance, living in Public Housing, so they no longer need those public benefits and can become self-sufficient. Conservatives wants fewer people in poverty and on public assistance as well, but instead of saying we’re just going to eliminate those programs, Newt’s approach was to instead using those programs effectively so people would no longer need them because now they can get themselves a good job.

Newt’s politics are conservative and believes in things like low taxes, low regulation, strong national defense, strong long enforcement, fiscal responsibility and not running high deficits and debt, but he also believes in limited regulations and needing at least some taxation so we can fund the things that government should do. Including an effective safety net for people who truly need it, but use it to help people become self-sufficient and no longer need public assistance at all. Instead of saying that government should do practically nothing other than national defense, homeland security, law enforcement, foreign affairs. Which is more of a libertarian approach to government.

College Humor: 'Visiting Home is Weird On Thanksgiving'

Source: College Humor- The one day where we get to see the people that spend the rest of the year not even talking too.

"Visiting Home Is Weird On Thanksgiving"

From College Humor

Source:The Daily View

To paraphrase the great Johnny Carson: "Thanksgiving is that one day a year that we spend visiting our relatives that we hate. And then discover why we don’t see them very often and just once a year." Hate, might be too strong of a word here. (Key word might be) Or at the very least worth debating if it's too strong of a word in this case. I don’t actually have any relatives that I hate (that I know of) and my family is relatively small even if you include both of my in laws.

Thanksgiving is that one day a year where we can be proud of the fact that 1/2 Americans are obese, because one of the major activities during Thanksgiving is of course not just eating, but seeing how much you can eat before you break the chair you’re sitting on or literally lose everything you’re eating. And not because the food is bad but because you overindulged. Perhaps the number one motivation for actually seeing those relatives that you spend 364 days a year pretending you don’t even know, because you know at least the food will be good and more importunely it will be free.

Not to make too much about Thanksgiving because it is literally that one day a year where we can celebrate eating, which just happens to be one of my favorite holidays. As well as little things like being thankful for what we have and thank our military personal for the great job they do protecting our country so we can celebrate holidays like Thanksgiving. But there reasons why all of us have relatives and even close relatives like siblings and even parents that we not only not see very often, but stay away from and not even communicate other than maybe email and its not just because of physical distance. Some of that distance is personal as well.

Relatives might be that only group of people where you have so much in common with those people physically and as far as DNA and everything else and yet you seem so different from them personally. And end up socializing more not just with your friends, but your coworkers and even clients, because personally you’re more in touch with those people, than you are with people who have the same face, or eyes, or hair, like your parents and siblings, or even grandparents. And its not because you’re a bad person or your relatives are bad people. Well, in most cases thats true, but because no one knows you better than your siblings and parents. And they probably know you better than anyone else.

Our relatives know all of our strengths and weakness and we know all of their strengths and weaknesses as well. We know each other so well and like the Americans that we are we tend to focus on the things about people that we don’t like even to the point that we try to change people that are close to us to make them more like us or more acceptable to us. And tend to forget about the things that we have in common with the people that we’re supposed to love like our relatives. And we end up driving each other crazy and go a year or years without seeing each other.

Thanksgiving gives us an opportunity every year to be thankful for what we have and not dwell on what we don’t have. And an opportunity to discover our relatives again and hopefully see why maybe we should get together more often in the future.

Andrew Kaczynski: Brian Lamb- Interviewing Newt Gingrich in 1999: 'Theodore Roosevelt-Robert La Follette Tradition'

Source:Andrew Kaczynski- Newt Gingrich, being interviewed by C-SPAN's Brian Lamb, in 1999.

Source:The Daily View

"Newt Gingrich, speaking to CSPAN's Brian Lamb in 1999 on his time as Speaker, when asked about his ethics violations investigation of other politicians coming back to haunt him, says he comes out of the "Theodore Roosevelt-LaFollette Progressive tradition of reform."

From Andrew Kaczynski

This might sound at least borderline crazy at least for hyper-partisans, on the Right who see Democrats as immoral criminals and terrorists, who all deserve to be locked up and hyper-partisans on the Left, who see all Republicans as nothing but ignorant fundamentalist neanderthal bigots, but there is such a thing as Progressive Republicans and reform republicanism, which is what Newt Gingrich has always represented in his 20 years in the House of Representatives and his post-Congressional and political activist career.

Again, progressivism is not socialism and is not even liberalism. And its the least ideological of all the political ideologies in America that it barely qualifies as an ideology. The definition of s Progressive in a political sense is someone who believes in progress and making things better and using a limited government to help create that progress. So a Progressive on the Right like a Newt Gingrich, is going to be different than a Progressive on the Left. Someone like a Teddy Roosevelt or a Sherrod Brown today is currently a U.S. Senator from Ohio.

Progressives right or left, are different from Conservatives, because Conservatives believe in conserving the status quo when it comes to government. And that current society and the way of life is already great and doesn’t need improvement. Progressives always believe things and society can be better. That things and life aren’t always good or bad, but they can always be improved. That progress can always be made.

So someone like a Newt Gingrich can be a defense hawk and believe in a strong national defense and law enforcement strong enough to protect the innocent from predators, believe in fiscal responsibility and that government shouldn’t run high deficits and debt, that taxes and regulations should be low for everybody. But that there should also be a safety net for people who truly need help in society, but to use that safety net to help improve people’s lives. Not just give  them cash in the short-term, but help them improve their lives so they no longer need public assistance in the future. Newt is one of architects of Welfare Reform that became known as Welfare to Work in the mid 1990s. If he was a hard-core Conservative-Libertarian, he wouldn’t believe that there should even be a government Welfare program or public assistance at all.

Being a Progressive is not about being pro-big government or anti-government all together. Or being for a big strong national defense, or almost no national defense at all. Or someone who believes in freedom, or believes in statism. Being a Progressive is about believing in progress and believing that government can serve a useful purpose in making things better for everyone in society. But progressivism is not very ideological at all in how that progress is achieved.

GBTV: Glenn Beck- 'On Newt Gingrich, Teddy Roosevelt & Other Progressives'

Source: GBTV- Glenn Beck, talking about Progressives.

Source:The Daily View

"Glenn Beck on Newt Gingrich, Teddy Roosevelt and other Progressives."

From GBTV

I agree with Glenn Beck on one thing with his little rant here. Newt Gingrich, is a Progressive but on the Right when it comes to progressivism. Newt believes in using government through conservative what’s called free market principles to solve problems that Progressives, Liberals, Socialists, and others on the Left believe should be solved. So by that definition House Speaker Paul Ryan would qualify as a Progressive. Republican Senator Tim Scott and perhaps Senator Marco Rubio, would qualify as Progressives as well. AEI President Arthur Brooks, again under this definition, would also qualify as a Progressive.

Where Glenn Beck goes off the rails and gets lost in Fantasy Land, perhaps on a week-long meth, alcohol, or marijuana high, with absolutely no sleep, is when he compares progressivism with all sorts of statist philosophies. All sorts of collectivist ideologies that put the interests of the state over the individual and believes Big Government should treat all of the people as its little children who aren’t capable of making the most basic fundamental decisions for themselves.

And in that sense even democratic socialism as it relates to economic policy and to a certain extent personal freedom social issues and trying to prevent people through government force from being involved in unhealthy personal activities, certain parts of democratic socialism and certain Democratic Socialists who aren’t Communists, qualify as statists and collectivists.

The real big government statist collectivist ideology, that Glenn Beck seems to be talking about, is actually communism. Progressives both on the Left where Progressives tend to be now (and that means Center-Left) believe in a limited government to use to help improve society so more people can succeed in society.

Things like education and job training for low-skilled workers and for kids who come from low-income families.

Expanding infrastructure to low-income communities and incentivizing companies to invest in low-income communities and hire low-income people so they can work instead of collecting Welfare..

As well as basic financial assistance for people who fall on hard times.

These are the things that Progressives believe in that government can do to create progress and help people in need from an economic standpoint. This is not a big government socialist or statist approach to governing in America. But a pragmatic limited government progressive approach, that perhaps even a  Conservative-Libertarian like a Glenn Beck could support.

Reason Magazine: Nick Gillespie- Interviewing Judge Andrew Napolitano: 'How Teddy Roosevelt & Woodrow Wilson Destroyed Constitutional Freedom'

Source: Reason Magazine- Libertarian lawyer Andrea Napolitano, talking to Reason about Theodore Roosevelt.

Source:The New Democrat

"The radical change in the relationship of the federal government to individual Americans was ratcheted up greatly in the Progressive Era," argues Judge Andrew Napolitano in his new book, Theodore and Woodrow: How Two American Presidents Destroyed Constitutional Freedom.

The first decades of the 20th century saw an assault on individual liberties that was both unconstitutional and unprecedented in American history. From crackdowns on freedom of speech to the seizures of vast swaths of land, Judge Napolitano shows how the policies of two presidents from opposing parties laid the groundwork for a century of ever-expanding federal power.

Judge Napolitano is chief legal analyst for Fox News, a syndicated columnist, and a Reason contributor (read his archive here). He recently sat down with Nick Gillespie to talk about his latest book and discuss the relevance of the Progressive era - a time of prohibition, military expansionism, and vilification of wealth - to today's political struggles."

From Reason Magazine

Libertarians which is what both Nick Gillespie and Andrew Napolitano are, (not that there's anything wrong with that) understanding of the U.S. Constitution, is very different from every other political faction.

Every political faction in America except the Socialists on the Far-Left and the Christian-Nationalists, Alt-Right racist terrorists on the Far-Right, generally support and believe in the U.S. Constitution. But Conservatives and even Conservative-Libertarians, now believe that government and even the Federal Government, has some role when it comes to the safety net and public welfare in the country. They believe that these programs should be run by the states and local government's and be block granted to them. But Progressives, Liberals, and Conservatives, all now support some role at least for the Federal Government when it comes to the public welfare and a regulatory state.

So course the Andrew Napolitano's of the world are going to disagree with Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow, Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, and other Progressives, when it comes to the general welfare clause and commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution. There are Libertarians who believe taxation is theft and don't see America as like a club with hundreds of millions of members that we are all part of and have to pay dues (meaning taxes) in order to keep our membership in that club. So of course Libertarians are going to see the Square Deal which gave us the regulatory state in America, the New Deal, which gave us the safety net in America, and the Great Society, which expanded the safety net in America, of course Libertarians are going to see these programs and agendas as unconstitutional.

Progressing America: Theodore Roosevelt- 'The New Nationalism'

Source: AZ Quotes- Theodore Roosevelt: talking about what he called The New Nationalism.

Source:The Daily View

"This is not the speech of a conservative republican.  In this speech, Theodore Roosevelt lays out plenty of the progressive agenda, which we are stuck with today.  The text of the speech can be found here: Teaching American History 

From Progressing America

Source: Progressing America- Theodore Roosevelt: talking about what he called The New Nationalism.

What Theodore Roosevelt was advocating for in what he called The New Nationalism, was what became The New Deal in the 1930s. Which is what became the American safety net. Progressives don’t believe in blowing up capitalism, they simply want to make it better so it benefits more Americans. Unlike Socialist presidential candidate Eugene Debbs who also ran for President in 1912 and Senator Bernie Sanders and other Socialists (whether they call themselves Socialists or not) today.

Teddy Roosevelt’s New Nationalism was the political platform that he and his Progressive Party ran on in 1912.

Unemployment Insurance for American workers who are unemployed.

A minimum wage for all workers.

A national pension system for all workers that they could collect from when they retire.

A national health care program that would cover both health care and health insurance for Americans.

Most of these proposed programs became part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal agenda in the 1930s. Pre-safety net in America if Americans fell on hard times, they either had to take care of their problems themselves, or get friends or family to help them out, or rely on private charity. If they still couldn’t get their issues taken care of, then they were essentially screwed, or out of luck. (If you want a softer term)

What became the New Deal in the 1930s and then later the Great Society in 1960s, did was to guarantee financial help and assistance for any American who fell on hard times and needed financial assistance in form form. Neither Teddy or Frank Roosevelt, wanted to blow up the American capitalist system and replace it with a socialist system. But instead make American capitalism better and make it work for more Americans.

Progressive People's Coalition: Teddy Roosevelt- 'Progressive Party Declaration'

Source: Wikiwand- Progressive Era Progressives.

Source:The Daily View

"Part 1 - 1912 Progressive Party Declaration by Teddy Roosevelt"

From New Progressive Voice

Source: New Progressive Voice- Theodore Roosevelt: the Father of the Progressive Party.

Where I agree with Doris Kearns Goodwin and her book about Theodore Roosevelt, is that Teddy Roosevelt was a much better political leader as President of the United States, then when he left the White House and decided to run for President again in 1912. I would disagree with Doris Goodwin that Teddy was a Centrist as President. As President he was an actual Progressive  who not only believed in progress, but believed in using government to help create that progress. But he wasn’t a Socialist and instead put limits to what government should try to do for the people.

But once TR left the White House he moved further left and became more ideological, more idealistic, and more romantic. And started advocating for things that simply were never going to happen. Like making it easier to amend the U.S. Constitution so it kept up with the times. As a lot of Social Democrats in America advocate for instead of guaranteeing a basic set of fundamental constitutional rights that make it almost impossible for us to lose. Socialists would want the majority to rule at all times.

What makes progressivism at its best and makes it work well when its practiced in its classical form, instead of people who are much further left and more ideological and prefer to be called Progressives because of the social popularity of that term, or don’t want to be labeled as lets say Socialists and even Democratic Socialists, because of the negative stereotypes of those terms, is what progressivism effective is the pragmatism of it and that Progressives believe in the United States, our Constitution, and form of government. Progressives aren’t interested in breaking up our form of government and governmental system. They don’t believe individual freedom and individualism, are dangerous selfish things, but that instead they want to use government to expand individual freedom so more people can benefit from those things. Not just the wealthy and people born to wealth.

I and Doris Goodwin, believe that Teddy Roosevelt moved away from those progressive pragmatic mainstream principles of his time as President from 1901-09 and by the time he decided to run for President again in 1912 and was no longer in the White House, he became more of a left-wing social democratic activist. That perhaps would have been comfortable running as part of the Socialist Party with Eugene Debbs back in 1912. What made both Roosevelt’s (TR & FDR) great President’s, was their knowledge, intelligence, progressive values, but also their pragmatism. And didn’t say that government had to do this or that, but instead looked for the best solution to all problems. Whether that meant expanding government or not.

Progressive People's Coalition: 'Progressive History of America'

Source: IZ Quotes- Theodore Roosevelt, on being a Bull Moose Progressive.

Source:The Daily View

"The Transformation of American Democracy: Teddy Roosevelt, the 1912 Election, and the Progressive Party - By Sidney M. Milkis."

From New Progressive Voice

Source: California Perspectives on American History- The 1912 Progressive Party ticket.

I disagree with the guy talking in this video on perhaps only one thing. He argued (and I’m paraphrasing) that progressivism is neither left or right, but a belief in improving the human condition or welfare of the people. And doing what’s best to achieve those things somewhat at least regardless of ideology. The only thing that I disagree with that is that progressivism is neither right or left. To me at least progressivism along with liberalism, is on the center-left of American politics and very mainstream to the point that probably most Americans whether they’re aware of that or not, are Progressives. Which I’ll explain.

Progressives believe in progress and ,making things and life in society better. What puts them on the center-left is that they believe government has a major role, but not the only role and the national government even, in seeing that society moves forward and progress is always made. I agree with the guy in the video that progressivism is different from both conservatism and liberalism. Conservatism at least in the political sense, is about conserving the status-quo and conserving the U.S. Constitution and our constitutional rights. Liberalism is based off the U.S. Constitution and our individual rights. But not about conserving the status-quo. Protecting the Constitution and our individual rights, but always looking to move forward and make things better.

What makes progressivism different from liberalism, is that progressivism is not as individualist and less based on individual rights and more based on society as a whole. So it's similar to socialism in that, but where progressivism is different from socialism is that Progressives don’t believe government can do everything for everybody. Progressives don’t believe in nationalizing certain parts of the economy, or having a welfare state big enough to essentially manage people’s personal and financial lives for them.

Progressives believe in American capitalism and even a certain level of economic freedom, short of centralized wealth and having no rules in the economy to protect people from predators. But that everyone in life should be able to be successful and live well. Instead of the private market completely being responsible for who wins and who loses in society. Progressives believe that everyone should have the right and opportunity to succeed in America. Instead of economic wealth and freedom in America to be completely determined based on where, and whom people are born too. That even people born to low-income and even irresponsible parents, should have the opportunity to do well in America.

Slick Rick Nixon: Theodore Roosevelt- 'Why The Bosses Oppose The Progressive Party'

Source:IZ Quotes- Theodore Roosevelt: on bosses and leaders.

Source:The Daily View

"This is a speech from former Republican President Theodore Roosevelt (also known as Teddy or simply TR for short) along the campaign trail in 1912. This time, however, he is running under the Progressive Bullmoose Party ticket. Roosevelt compares the Republican and Democratic parties to the Progressive party. He administers the Abyssinian Treatment to the Standard Oil Company and defends his policies. This is the AUDIO RESTORED version, so most of the static is totally gone and it should be pretty easy to hear. There are a few faint pings at the end, I did my best to remove them and overall I think I did a good job of that.

Fun Fact: TR gave the best third party showing come election day of any third party candidate in United States history, sealing 88 electoral votes and 27.4% of the popular vote, while splitting the Republican vote with incumbent President Taft. Because of this Republican split, Democratic candidate Woodrow Wilson won handily...

Source:Slick Rick Nixon- Theodore Roosevelt: talking about the Progressive Party n 1912.

From Slick Rick Nixon

People who are interested in third-parties and are interested in a new third-party whether its center-left, or center-right, should look at Teddy Roosevelt and his 1912 Progressive Party. TR was the center-left version of Ross Perot.

Ross Perot ran a strong 1992 center-right third-party campaign against President George H.W. Bush and Governor Bill Clinton. Ross Perot had a strong center-right fiscally conservative reform movement, that was designed to shake up Washington and the political system there.

In 1992 Perot and his reform movement, ran against high deficits and a national debt, and an economy that was just starting to come out of recession that still had high unemployment. And had a plan that was designed to lead America back to strong economic and job growth, by first addressing the budget deficit and national debt.

TR was a Progressive and was someone who did believe that America should pay its bills and not run up high deficits and debt, especially when the economy was strong, but he also was a Progressive. And believed that government and even the Federal Government, had a major but not the only role, in seeing that the country moved forward and where everyone could succeed in America. Not just the wealthy and the people who are born to wealth. And believed that the wealthy had too much power and money and the country. While too many Americans struggled just to survive and pay their bills.

Back in 1912 America had a choice between two right-wing parties: the Center-Right Republican Party, that had a progressive Northeastern wing in it that TR was part of, but they were a conservative party. And the Democratic Party that was even to the right of the Republicans, with a Southern Neo-Confederate Nationalist wing in it that accepted the fact that Civil War was over and slavery was now illegal, but still believed that Africans were inferior to Europeans and therefor African-Americans weren’t entitled to the same rights and freedom, as European-Americans.

The Progressive Party under Theodore Roosevelt, was obviously to the left of both the Republican and Democrats. With TR now representing a new and growing progressive movement in the country.

Library of Congress: Theodore Roosevelt- 'Shall We Prepare?'

Source: Donald Brynelsen- "Theodore Roosevelt Preparedness against War: Great Quotes."

Source:The Daily View

"Summary
Two sequences of TR: Sequence 1: views of TR walking onto the porch of Sagamore Hill, Oyster Bay, N.Y., facing the camera, and then speaking on military preparedness during WWI; Sequence 2: views of TR sitting at his desk in the Metropolitan Magazine office in New York City and speaking with a man who may be Carl Hovey, editor of the magazine...

From the Library of Congress

Source: Library of Congress- Theodore Roosevelt, talking about the need for a strong national defense.

Conservatives tend to be labeled as the hawks in America when it comes to national security and foreign policy, especially the Neoconservatives and for good reason. Because they tend to talk and sometimes it's just talk about the need for a strong national defense in America and America is special as being the leader of the world and setting the example that other countries, especially in the developed world to follow.

But what tends not to get mentioned is that it was Progressives and even Progressive Democrats like President Woodrow Wilson, that moved America from being a dovish isolationist country that didn’t believed it needed a strong national defense, if America simply didn’t get involved in the rest of the world, to developing America into the world power that its today. America is still the only country in the history of the world thats a developed country, a free country, and a superpower.

That started with President Woodrow Wilson, but former President Theodore Roosevelt, another Progressive but Progressive Republican and then later a member of the Progressive Party and their 1912 presidential nominee, believed America needed to be strong both economically, but also have a strong national defense. That would make America so strong that no other country would even try to attack us. But to help other countries and our allies when they’re under attack by an aggressive power.

What a lot of Americans I don’t believe understand is that Progressives got us involved in World War I under President Woodrow Wilson, moved us to becoming a world power and tried to create what was called the League of Nations in the 19 teens, that would later be recreated as the United Nations in the 1940s. But Progressives under President Franklin Roosevelt got us involved in World War II in the 1940s and created our National Security State.

A Department of State that works and talks with the rest of the world, including our opponents.

The Department of Defense that is responsible for our own national defense, but works with our allies to keep the peace in places like Europe.

The Central Intelligence Agency that is reasonable for making sure America has the best available information about what both our allies and foes are doing.

Our National Security Council that brings all of these agencies and departments together to see that information is being shared. Progressives are responsible for making America the world power that it is today.

Again, I feel the need to talk about progressive stereotypes, but Progressives get labeled basically as softies if not wimps, and perhaps you have a stronger word. As people who don’t even believe in having a national defense, let alone a national defense. Doves who believe that the job of government is do nothing but look after our economic and physical well-beings, even at the cost of our individual freedom. Except when it comes to national security and law enforcement. When the fact is historically and even now, Progressives have a stronger record when it comes to foreign policy and national security, even strong than some Conservatives especially Conservative Libertarians.