Rep. Justin Amash Has the Right Idea About Washington’s Politics

Yeah, I can’t say I blame him.

In fact, I don’t get how any free-thinking, liberty minded person could work in Washington D.C. these days, and maintain a sense of sanity or principle, given this new age of declaring loyalty to a person, rather than the idealism of conservatism.

I’ve mentioned this on several occasions since the 2016 election, but I’ll reiterate here, as a preface to this piece:

You don’t make politicians into heroes. They’re only human, fallible, and at some point, they will let you down.

I was certainly let down by a lot of people in 2016. I walked away from the Republican party and now consider myself “without party.”

Now, with that out of the way, I’m going to go on record here: I really find myself liking Michigan Representative Justin Amash, more and more.

Amash, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has, unlike many of his colleagues, maintained a healthy sense of conservative idealism, based on the merit of the ideas presented, and having nothing to do with proclaiming fealty to the executive branch of government, no matter the cost.

In other words, he’s not in Congress to rubber stamp whatever wild machination Donald Trump comes up with, from one day to the next.

He’s also not there to be a foil within the Republican party or the conservative movement.

Amash currently boasts an “A” Liberty Score (90 percent), as well as a 100 percent rating at FreedomWorks.

Compare that to the ratings of some of Donald Trump’s most shameless toadies, such as Reps. Devin Nunes (28% “F” Liberty Score, 68% FreedomWorks) and Matt Gaetz (68% “D” Liberty Score, 78% FreedomWorks).

It would appear that Amash is well-positioned on grounds of Libertarian conservatism. That is to say, the less government interference in our lives, the better.

Isn’t that what we all really want, anyway?

In a Sunday CNN interview, Amash discussed the conservative Freedom Caucus and how his fellow members are the barking seal cheer squad for King Trump.

Ok, he didn’t say it like that, but he is feeling some frustration with the mindless allegiance.

“Disenchanted” is the word he used.

“From the time the president was elected, I was urging them to remain independent and to be willing to push back against the President where they thought he was wrong,” Amash told the news outlet. “They’ve decided to stick with the president time and again, even where they disagree with him privately.”

He pointed to the caucus’s opposition to Obama’s executive orders to skirt Congress on certain policy matters, and said his colleagues have “delegitimized objections to the president” by backing Trump on similar measures.

That’s hypocrisy, and it’s the reason I’ve now separated myself from the party that was my home for all of my adult voting life.

“They are good, kind people,” Amash told CNN. “I may have my disagreements with some of the current approach, but I’d still take them over pretty much anyone in Congress.”

I can buy that.

I’m not convinced that supporting Trump makes you a bad person.

If you claim to be a conservative, but ignore the Constitution and your duty to be part of the system of checks and balances for the good of the entire nation, then you may very well be a hypocrite, or a spineless tool. You’re definitely weak, but not necessarily bad, in the strictest terms.

So I can buy that there are good people in the Trump Caucus, but I will not support them with my vote.

While speaking last week on CNN’S “State of the Union,” the topic of a Justin Amash 2020 presidential candidacy was brought up.

Just think – a Libertarian candidate who isn’t constantly stoned and knows where Aleppo is.

Will he throw his hat in the ring and challenge the Big Two parties?

He says it isn’t currently on his radar.

He didn’t say “no,” however.

“But I think that it is important that we have someone in there that is presenting a vision for America that is different from what these two parties are presenting,” Amash said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

I agree, and the time has come for a new voice. The choke hold that both Democrats and Republicans have on our politics is long overdue to be broken.

I don’t choose my heroes from politics, any longer, but watch Amash. If the time comes when he decides to jump in the fray, for the good of our republic, I’m prepared to join his cheering squad.