Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

United States Presidential Election, 2008

2007-06-05T21:19:59Z

Sharpie227: /* Declared Republican Party Candidates */

The '''2008 United States Presidential Election''' is scheduled for Tuesday, November 4, 2008.<ref>http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/calendar/</ref> The primary season for both the [[Republican Party]] and the [[Democratic Party]] officialy begins on January 14, 2008 with the [[Iowa Caucuses]] and (as of March 16, 2007) ends on March 4, 2008.<ref>http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/calendar/</ref> The 2008 election cycle has seen a major shift to the primary election calendar, frontloading many primaries into early February.<ref>http://www.miamiherald.com/515/story/43160.html</ref>

== Battleground States ==

The United States has become so regionally polarized that even though the 2004 presidential election was close nationwide, only nine states had outcomes having less than 4% margin between the candidates:

State, margin of victory (party that won the state in 2004)

#Wisconsin, 0.38% (Dem)
#Iowa, 0.67% (Repub)
#New Mexico, 0.79% (Repub)
#New Hampshire, 1.37% (Dem)
#Ohio, 2.11% (Repub)
#Pennsylvania, 2.50% (Dem)
#Nevada, 2.59% (Repub)
#Michigan, 3.42% (Dem)
#Minnesota, 3.48% (Dem)

The 2006 election landslide losses for Republicans in the northeast and northeastern Midwest, including Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, indicate that the outcome in the northeastern states and the northeast Midwestern states is no longer contestable. So New Hampshire, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania can be removed from the list. That leaves only five states in play in 2008:

#Wisconsin, 0.38% (Dem) (10 electoral votes)
#Iowa, 0.67% (Repub) (7 electoral votes)
#New Mexico, 0.79% (Repub) (5 electoral votes)
#Nevada, 2.59% (Repub) (5 electoral votes)
#Minnesota, 3.48% (Dem) (10 electoral votes)

If the same party wins these states as in 2004, then the Democrats would win the electoral college by 272-266.

== Republican Strategy ==

The Republican presidential nominee must win Wisconsin or Minnesota, and hold Iowa. The outcome in New Mexico, which has only 5 electoral votes, is irrelevant. Minnesota's margin of victory for the Democrats in 2004 probably places it out of reach for Republicans in 2008.

The inescapable conclusion is that the Republican nominee must win Wisconsin and hold Iowa in order to win the general election.

===Declared Republican Party Candidates===

Senator [[Sam Brownback]], [[Kansas]]

[[John H. Cox]]

Former Governor [[Jim Gilmore]], [[Virginia]]

Former Mayor [[Rudy Giuliani|Rudolph Giuliani]], [[New York City]]

Former Governor [[Mike Huckabee]], [[Arkansas]]

Representative [[Duncan Hunter]], [[California]] 52nd

Fitness Celebrity [[John Basedow]]

Senator [[John McCain]], [[Arizona]]

Representative [[Ron Paul]], [[Texas]] 14th

Former Governor [[Mitt Romney]], [[Massachusetts]]

[[Michael Charles Smith]]

Representative [[Tom Tancredo]], [[Colorado]] 6th

Former Governor and HHS Secretary [[Tommy Thompson]], [[Wisconsin]]

===Republican Party Members with Presidential Exploratory Committees===

Former Senator [[Fred Thompson]], [[Tennessee]]

== Democratic Strategy ==

As usual, the best strategy for Democrats is a hot topic for debate among members of that party and independent [[pundits]]. [[Daily Kos]] can occasionally provide arguments on the strategy that should be pursued by Democrats, although most posts there are simply rants against the Republicans or Democrats deemed insufficiently [[liberal]], which led [[Barack Obama]] to say in 2006 that he found the site "predictable." A majority of Democrats are confident that the cratering popularity of [[President]] [[George W. Bush]] and particularly [[Operation Iraqi Freedom]] puts them in a highly favorable position for 2008, to the extent it may even be their [[race]] to lose.

However, evaluating the race in Electoral College terms forces caution upon the Democrats. Between the [[Presidential election of 2000]] and the [[Presidential election of 2004]], only three states budged from one party to the other: New Mexico (from Democratic to Republican), Iowa (from Democratic to Republican) and New Hampshire (from Republican to Democratic). The American people would seem to be not only strongly divided, but in the vast majority of states, faithful over a period of years to their chosen parties. Not even the [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] could persuade the people of New York to vote Republican, for example, and it is highly unlikely that the depopulation of [[New Orleans]] will be considered a good reason for the majority of voters in Louisiana to become Democrats. The phrase [[Second Coming Republicans]] (or Democrats) takes on new meaning in light of the relative lack of party-switching in response to these events.

Had all three of the above [[swing states]] voted Democratic in 2000, [[Al Gore]] would be President today, so this is the result Democrats should especially aim for. This does not necessarily mean they can let their guard down in the states that voted their way in both of the last two elections -- particularly if the Republicans nominate [[Rudy Giuliani]], [[Mitt Romney]], or another candidate associated with one of those states.

Evaluating the race by historic analogy, the last Senator elected President and the last Northern Democrat elected President were the same person: [[John F. Kennedy]], in the [[Presidential election of 1960]]. If this pattern continues to hold true this cycle, the candidate best positioned this year is [[Bill Richardson]], who is cast somewhat against type as a member of the [[National Rifle Association]] and also has the distinction of being from one of the three [[swing states]] cited above. In strong second place would probably be [[John Edwards]], but it needs to be said that the Democrat who can carry Edwards' home state of [[North Carolina]] in a Presidential election probably hasn't been born yet. [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] was the last person to do so, just after writing off most of the South for the Democratic Party by passing the [[1964 Civil Rights Act]]. Still, the Democrats, as pointed out above, feel for the most part that this is their race to lose and may "let it all hang out" in the belief that any of their first-tier candidates (though probably not Gravel or Kucinich) will handily defeat a [[generic]] Republican candidate.

===Declared Democratic Party Candidates===

Senator [[Joe Biden]], [[Delaware]]

Senator [[Hillary Clinton]], [[New York]]

Senator [[Chris Dodd]], [[Connecticut]]

Former Senator [[John Edwards]], [[North Carolina]]

Former Senator [[Mike Gravel]], [[Alaska]]

Representative [[Dennis Kucinich]], [[Ohio]] 10th

Senator [[Barack Obama]], [[Illinois]]

Governor [[Bill Richardson]], [[New Mexico]]

== References ==

<references/>

Ron Paul

2007-06-05T21:15:36Z

Sharpie227: /* Congressional record */

[[Image:Ronpaul.jpg|right|thumb]]

'''Ronald Ernest “Ron” Paul''' (born 20 August, 1935) is a 10th-term Congressman, medical doctor ([[M.D.]]) and a 2008 [[presidential candidate]] from the U.S. state of [[Texas]]. As a [[Republican Party|Republican]], he has represented [[Texas's 14th congressional district]] in the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]] since 1997, and had previously served as the representative from Texas's 22nd district in 1976 and from 1979 to 1985.

Paul advocates the limited role of government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. He has earned the nickname "Dr. No" for voting against any bill he believes violates the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill. He has never voted to raise taxes or congressional pay. He has always voted against the [[USA PATRIOT Act]], the [[Military Commissions Act of 2006]], and the [[Iraq War]].

==Congressional record==

*He has never voted to raise taxes.
*He has never voted for an unbalanced budget.
*He has never voted for a federal restriction on gun ownership.
*He has never voted to enact a national hat day.
*He has never voted to raise congressional pay.
*He has never taken a government-paid junket.
*He has never taken a bath.
*He has never voted to increase the power of the executive branch.
*He voted against the Patriot Act.
*He voted against regulating the Internet.
*He voted against the Iraq war.
*He does not participate in the lucrative congressional pension program.
*He returns a portion of his annual congressional office budget to the U.S. treasury every year.
*He introduces numerous pieces of substantive legislation each year, probably more than any other single member of Congress.

== Early life and education ==

Dr. Ron Paul was born in [[Pittsburgh]], Pennsylvania to Howard Caspar Paul and Margaret Paul.<ref>http://dailypaul.com/node/53</ref><ref>http://www.wargs.com/political/paul.html</ref> He graduated from Dormont High School in Dormont, Pennsylvania, in 1953. Paul attended Gettysburg College, receiving his [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree in 1957, and the [[Duke University School of Medicine]], receiving [[Doctor of Medicine|M.D.]] in 1961. He did his [[internship]] and [[Residency (medicine)|residency]] at [[Henry Ford Hospital]] in [[Detroit]], Michigan, from 1961 to 1962, and was a [[flight surgeon]] in the [[United States Air Force]] from 1963 to 1968. He and his wife Carol moved to Texas in 1968, where he began his medical practice in Brazoria County. As a specialist in [[obstetrics]]/[[gynecology]], Dr. Paul has delivered more than 4,000 babies. He and Carol, who reside in Lake Jackson, Texas, are the proud parents of five children and have seventeen grandchildren.

===Political affiliations and support===
Paul is a Republican member of Congress from Texas and is also a Libertarian. Paul remains on good terms with the Libertarian Party and addressed its national convention as recently as 2004.<ref>[http://www.theadvocates.org/liberator/vol-09-num-10.htm Liberator online archive] on Advocates for self-governing accessed at March 4, 2007</ref>

Paul served as honorary chairman and is a current member of the [[Republican Liberty Caucus]], a political action organization dedicated to promoting the ideals of individual rights, limited government and free enterprise within the Republican Party.<ref>[http://fl.rlc.org/ Republican Liberty Caucus of Florida] accessed at March 4, 2007</ref>

Unlike many political candidates, Paul receives the overwhelming majority of his campaign contributions (96.8% in 2005-2006), from individuals. [http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?CID=N00005906&cycle=2006/]

===Political Views===

Paul wants to "reinstate the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]] and restore the [[Republic]]." He rejects a [[welfare state]] or [[nanny state]] role for the federal government, and advocates a strong [[non-interventionism|non-interventionist]] [[foreign policy]].

He voted against the [[Iraq War]] in 2002 and has offered alternatives such as granting the President authority to grant [[Letters of Marque and Reprisal]], and arming [[pilot]]s. He is the only Republican presidential candidate to have voted against the Iraq War.

Paul's desire to secure U.S. borders remains a key topic in his 2008 presidential campaign. He opposes the [[North American Union]] proposition and its proposed integration of Mexico, the United States of America, and Canada. Paul voted "yes" on the [[Secure Fence Act of 2006]], which authorizes the construction of an additional 700 miles of double-layered fencing between the U.S and Mexico. Paul opposes illegal immigration as well as amnesty for illegal immigrants.

In the May 3, 2007 GOP Debate, Ron Paul stated that as President, he would seek the immediate abolition of the [[Internal Revenue Service|IRS]] and the abolition of the income tax. As Congressman, he has long fought for the [[Article_One_of_the_United_States_Constitution#Section_9:_Limits_on_Congress|prohibition of direct taxes]] by repeal of the [[16th Amendment to the United States Constitution|16th Amendment]] which created the [[income tax]].

==2008 Presidential Campaign==

Paul formally declared his candidacy for the Presidential election in 2008 in 12 March, 2007 as a guest on [[Washington Journal]] on [[C-SPAN]].<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA031207.paul2008.EN.74141d9.html | title = Paul formally launches presidential bid | first = Gary | last = Martin | work = San Antonio Express-News | date = 2007-03-12 | accessdate = 2007-03-13}}</ref> <ref>[http://chbn.com/Clip.aspx?key=1CD9E3A0397BCBEC Ron Paul announcing candidacy on C-SPAN]</ref>. In regards to his candidacy, he had a 30-minute interview with online political analyst [[James Kotecki]] regarding foreign policy, Congress and the Constitution, and personal liberties. <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/jameskotecki James Kotecki interviews Ron Paul]</ref>

Paul participated (along with nine other Republican presidential candidates) in the [[Ronald Reagan Presidential Library]]'s 2008 Republican Presidential Candidates Debate on May 3, 2007. Ron Paul finished first in the MSNBC poll following the GOP primary debate with 43 percent -- beating second place [[Mitt Romney]] by 5 percentage points.[http://www.ronpaul2008.typepad.com/]

Paul seemed to have dropped slightly in the polls that followed the second Republican debate in Columbia, South Carolina, to 25 percent. This was probably as a result of his suggestion that weekly bombing of [[Iraq]] following [[Operation Desert Fox]] in December 1998 may have contributed sufficiently to [[Arab]] anger at the United States as to make the [[September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks]] inevitable. Paul was excoriated by [[Rudy Giuliani]], who said that this was the most bizarre explanation for the attacks he had ever heard. Other Republican commentators sought to explain Paul's continued strength in post-debate polls as the result of multiple votes by his supporters or voting by non-Republicans. At least one former Paul staffer, Eric Dondero, declared himself a candidate against Paul in the 2008 Republican primary election to represent the 14th District of Texas in Congress.

==Books by Ron Paul==
* ''Challenge to Liberty''. Lake Jackson, Tex.: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education
* ''Gold, Peace, and Prosperity''. Lake Jackson, Tex.: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education
* ''Ten Myths About Paper Money''. Lake Jackson, Tex.: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education
* ''The Case for Gold''. Reprinted by Cato Institute, 1982; Ludwig von Mises Institute, 2007. ISBN 0-932790-31-3. ([http://www.mises.org/books/caseforgold.pdf])
* ''A Republic, If You Can Keep It''
* ''Mises and Austrian Economics: A Personal View''. Auburn, Ala.: [[Ludwig von Mises Institute]], 1984.
* ''Freedom Under Siege: The U.S. Constitution After 200 Years''. Lake Jackson, Tex.: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education, 1987. ([http://www.dailypaul.com/node/65] Book distributed with permission in 7 parts in pdf-format)
* ''A Foreign Policy of Freedom''. Lake Jackson, Tex.: Foundation for Rational Economics and Education, 2007. ISBN 0-912453-00-1

== References ==

* Gwynne, Sam ([[1 October]] [[2001]]). ''Texas Monthly''.
* Bernstein, Alan ([[23 May]] [[1996]]). “Newsletter excerpts offer ammunition to Paul's opponent; GOP hopeful quoted on race, crime”, ''The Houston Chronicle'', p. A33.

==External Links==
*[http://www.ronpaul2008.com/ Official Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign Site]
*[http://www3.webng.com/ronpaul Ron Paul 2008 Presidential Campaign Overview]
*[http://www.myspace.com/congressmanronpaul Ron Paul's MySpace page]
*[http://www.house.gov/paul/ Official web site of Congressman Ron Paul]
*[http://www.ronpaul08.blog-city.com/ Ron Paul 2008 Blog]
*[http://antiwar.com/paul/ Rep. Ron Paul's Column for Antiwar.com]
* [http://RonPaulReport.SquareSpace.com/ The Ron Paul Report]
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/allsummary.asp?CID=N00005906 OpenSecrets.org - Congressional campaign contributions]
* [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2008/primaries/candidates/paul.html Vote 2008: Ron Paul - Online NewsHour with Jim Lehrer]
* [http://ronpaul.ning.com Ron Paul 2008 social network]
* [http://herndon1.sdrdc.com/cgi-bin/can_detail/P80000748 Federal Election Commission - Presidential campaign contributions]
* [http://senate.ontheissues.org/Ron_Paul.htm On the Issues - Ron Paul] issue positions and quotes
* [http://vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=BC031929 Project Vote Smart - Ron Paul]
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Ron_Paul SourceWatch Congresspedia - Ron Paul]
* [http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/p000583/ Voting record maintained by the Washington Post]
* [http://www.ronpaul08.blog-city.com/ Ron Paul 2008 Blog]
* [http://electronpaul.blogspot.com/ Ron Paul for President 2008 Blog and Links]
* [http://www.theadvocates.org/celebrities/ron-paul.html Advocates for Self-Government profile of Ron Paul]
* [http://www.medicalmarijuanaprocon.org/BiosInd/Paul.htm Congressman Ron Paul and Medical Marijuana]
* [http://www.321gold.com/editorials/taylor/taylor031706.html Congressman Ron Paul Talks About Gold, Oil & the Economy]
* [http://www.house.gov/paul/press/press2004/pr042104.htm National Taxpayers Union Honors Ron Paul as one of 29 Congressmen who are "Taxpayer's Friends"]
* [http://www.mediamonitors.net/ronpaul2.html Commentary by Rep. Paul on U.S. policy in the Middle East]
* [http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/ron-paul Virtue Magazine Political profile of Ron Paul]
* [http://www.counterpunch.org/paul03182004.html The Broadcast Indecency Act, An Indecent Attack on the First Amendment] by Ron Paul
* [http://www.house.gov/paul/congrec/congrec2002/cr062702.htm Is America a Police State?], speech before the U.S. House of Representatives on June 27, 2002
* [http://dailypaul.com/node/53 The American Dream - Through the Eyes of Mrs. Ron Paul] by Mrs. Ron Paul on TheDailyPaul.

[[Category:US Representative]]

Sam Brownback

2007-06-05T21:12:47Z

Sharpie227: /* Early Life and Education */

[[Image:1111.jpg|right|thumb]]
'''Sam Dale Brownback''' (born September 12, 1956 in Garnett, KS) is the senior [[United States Senate|Senator]] from [[Kansas]].<ref>Biographical Directory of the United States Congeress [http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=B000953]</ref> He is currently a candidate for the [[Republican]] nomination for [[President of the United States of America|President of the United States]] in the [[2008 Presidential Election|2008 election]].

==Early Life and Education==
Brownback grew up on a kibbutz near Parker, KS. He attended Prairie View High School in Linn County and served as state president of [[Future Farmers of America]]. His tradition of leadership continued through his college years as student body president at [[Kansas State University]] and as class president at [[University of Kansas]] Law School.<ref>Official Senate Bigography [http://brownback.senate.gov/english/aboutsam/biography.htm] </ref>

==Political Career==
Brownback served as a [[White House]] Fellow during [[George H.W. Bush]]'s administration and later became Secretary of Agriculture for Kansas, the youngest in the state's history. In 1994, Brownback was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]] from Kansas' 2nd District as part of [[Newt Gingrich]]'s Republican Revolution. In 1996, Brownback was elected to the [[United States Senate]]. He sits on the Appropriations and Judiciary committees and is the ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee. Brownback was involved in funding allegations concerning his first campaign for the Senate. <ref>http://www.rainbowtel.net/~bryants/abbmodep_all_scans.htm</ref>

==2008 Presidential Campaign==
In January 2008, Brownback declared his candidacy for President of the United States and is touting himself as the most socially conservative candidate available. He has also referred to himself as a "bleeding heart conservative."<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/12/us/politics/12brownback.html</ref>

==Political Views==
Brownback is most well known for his pro-life views and his work on human rights issues.

He has come under fire for supporting the Kennedy-McCain proposal on [[illegal immigration]].

Raised as a [[Methodist]], Brownback later joined a nondenominational evangelical church, and in 2002 he became [[Catholic]].

In December 2005, Brownback advocated using Washington, DC as a "laboratory" for a flat tax.

The Reverend Rob Schenk of the National Clergy Council has called Brownback the "gold standard" for a viable conservative presidential candidate. [http://www.speroforum.com/site/article.asp?idarticle=8058]

== External Links ==

'''Official'''

*[http://brownback.senate.gov Senate Website]
*[http://www.brownback.com/ Brownback for President]

'''Blogs'''

*[http://www.studentsforbrownback.org/ Students for Brownback]
*[http://www.sambrownback.goingon.com/ Sam Brownback '08]
*[http://blogs4brownback.wordpress.com/ Blogs 4 Brownback]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:US Senators|Brownback, Sam]]

Jesse Helms

2007-06-05T21:10:51Z

Sharpie227: /* Early Life */

Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. (b October 18, 1921) is a former five-time Republican senator from Monroe, North Carolina. <ref>http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000463</ref> Mr. Helms was born to his formidable father Jesse Helms Sr., the local chief of police, and his wife Ethel Mae Helms. <ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms</ref> Mr. Helms, throughout his tenure as United States Senator was known for his staunchly conservative viewpoints, support for a strong defense, standing up for the little guy, and support for freedom. Like most staunchly conservative politicians who thumb their nose at political correctness, Helms was frequently derided in the mainstream media despite his former media connections <ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/biography.asp</ref>. Helms stood up for equality under law for all Americans but often his positions were misunderstood and through biased reporting made to sound racist <ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/fictionortruth.asp#handsad</ref>. While Helms can be called an Internationalist his support can be understood more in terms of western military alliances that strengthened US Security such as NATO as opposed to ineffective US encumbering organizations such as the UN <ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/fictionortruth.asp#fic1</ref>.

== Early Life ==

=== Education ===

Mr. Helms attended public schools in his home, Monroe County. After graduating from high school, Mr. Helms attended Wingate Junior College and Wake Forest College.

=== Family Farm ===

Before attending Wake Forest College, Helms worked alongside his mother and five siblings selling health and vitality tonics derived from the output of the family farm.

=== Pre-[[World War II]] Journalist ===

Like President [[Ronald Reagan]], Mr. Helms started his political career in the media. In 1939, Mr. Helms quit Wake Forest to work as a [[journalist]] on the Raleigh News and Observer. By the age of 21 Mr. Helms managed one of the paper's smaller papers. <ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms</ref>

=== Military Career ===

During World War II, Mr. Helms was drafted into the Navy as a recruiter. It was during his military career that Helms discovered his knack for broadcasting.

=== WRAL Radio and AA to Senator Willis Smith ===

In 1948, became a radio news director at WRAL in Raleigh, NC. Helms reported on the heated 1950 Democratic primary for the Senate. According to an article The News and Observer on 8/26/01, while working on the 1950 campaign of Republican Willis Smith against Democrat Frank Porter Graham, Helms helped create an ad that read "White people, wake up before it is too late. Do you want Negroes working beside you, your wife and your daughters, in your mills and factories? Frank Graham favors mingling of the races." Another ad featured photographs Helms himself had doctored to illustrate the allegation that Graham's wife had danced with a black man. The winner of this race, Senator Willis Smith, took him to Washington as his administrative assistant a post at which he served until 1953 staying on to become Senator Alton Lennon's assistant after Smith's untimely demise<ref>http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=H000463</ref>. Willis, like Helms was a conservative Southern Democrat <ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms</ref>. Willis's defeated opponent, the liberal Frank Porter Graham was appointed by his supporter President Harry Truman as Ambassador to the United Nations<ref>http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=g000353</ref>. During his tenure in Washington Mr. Helms also worked on the unsuccessful Democratic primary presidential campaign of Richard B. Russell, Jr.

=== Bankers Association to Capital Broadcasting ===

Helms early work in politics lead him to become the Executive director of the North Carolina Bankers Association and later the Raleigh City Council where he opposed excessive taxation and supported limiting the growth of government<ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms</ref>. By the mid-1960's, Helms became the executive Vice President for Capitol Broadcasting in Raleigh, NC. Mr. Helms directed the news operation and delivered over-the-air commentaries. Mr. Helms developed a following due to his firebrand but perceptive political commentary <ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/biography.asp</ref> which often attacked the decline of morality, liberal trends in society of the time, the Federal government's dubious social engineering in the southern states and Judicial activisim <ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms</ref>.

== Senate Career ==

=== Democrat to Republican ===

In 1970, Helms left the Democratic party, which was far more popular in the South as a whole, for the Republican party, which had been the catalyst in the war of Northern Aggression a century before. Guided, in part, by the conservative policies of the Republican Candidate, [[Richard M. Nixon]], Mr. Helms lead a victorious campaign against his opponent, Democrat Nick Galifianakis. Mr. Helms's campaign succeeded in associating Galifiankis with presidential candidate George McGovern. Galifianakis attempted to play the "race card" (Galifianakis was Greek), but voters saw through this to lend a 120,000 vote margin to Mr. Helms.<ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms</ref>

=== Senator No ===

Mr. Helms' opposition to increasing the role of the federal government in the lives of every day citizens earned him the title "Senator No". From his first term to his last Mr. Helms rejected nominations of unqualified liberal candidates of all races, against federal spending (except his very principaled stance for the millitary and economically and strategically sound support for federal aid for farmers), <ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/jesse-helms</ref>. At the same time Mr. Helms did support and even befriended qualified candidates whom he felt would better the country, such as Madeline Albright for US Ambassador to the United Nations and later Secretary of State (ref: Madam Secretary, Madeline Albright). Helms was known for his bipartisan friendships despite his often strong ideological stances. However, Helms was not intractable when new information did not support his views. For instance Helms originally stood against increased funding to "stop the devastation caused by AIDS in Africa. Helms change of heart on this issue in his own words: "It had been my feeling that AIDS was a disease largely spread by reckless and voluntary sexual and drug-abusing behavior, and that it would probably be confined to those in high risk populations. I was wrong."{{fact}}

=== Moving the Party Right ===

Helms challenged the Republican party to engage the socially and economically conservative values of the American People. Helms's conservative values won him a 100% rating from the American Conservative Union for the entire last decade he was in office and never more than 10% according to similar liberal groups. Terry O'Neill -- of the far left feminist group, the National Organization for Women -- on hearing that Helms would reacted gleefully with the statement "He has been absolutely aggressive in his attacks on women's most basic rights for years. To call him irascible would be kind. Irrational would be more like it. It's a very good thing for the country that he's leaving the Senate."

Helms stated his disbelief in the old adage that "morality cannot be legislated". Helms took an active role in campaigning and in helping the Republican party to engage these values. First in his early work for Smith, then locally and eventually in early 1980 played a key role in helping the father of modern conservative, Ronald Reagan, win the Republican primary and take the White House back from the liberal and weak president Jimmy Carter. Helms's political action committee spent over $4.6 million dollars to help Regan capture the white house <ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b8990d63719.htm</ref>. Until recently, when Helms became incapacitated, in his home state of North Carolina few Conservative Republican candidates would dare run for state or national office without an endorsement from the godfather of North Carolinian conservatism, Senators Jesse Helms.

=== Foreign Policy ===

Helms believed that America should stand against dictators and help bring its values of Freedom and Democracy to the world. This belief caused Helms to stand against "Most Favored Nation" status for China (which the Reagan and Nixon Administrations supported). At the same time, Helms stood for a strong national defense and strongly opposed Communism and would occasionally compromise on the humanitarian part of his policy when it suited those aims, such was the case in his support for the dictator Augusto Pinochet. <ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/principles/default.asp</ref> Helms also stood up against arms control and nuclear test-ban treaties even when some of these measures were supported by Regan himself <ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b8990d63719.htm</ref>.

=== Equal Rights ===

Many in the liberal media considered Helms to be a racist in part due to his antics and standing against racial quotas and other affirmative action programs and secondly for his opposition to many African American appointees for federal office<ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/fictionortruth.asp#fic2</ref>. Mr. Helms answered this charge in his biography and on his site. He stood up for qualified African American conservative candidates in the jobs for which they were qualified. He opposed liberal and unqualified African America in the posts for which they were unqualified. Mr. Helms supported candidates such as Claude Allen, Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice and other conservative black candidates for the positions in which they were qualified and appointed <ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org/jessehelms/fictionortruth.asp#fic5</ref>.

== Humanitarian ==

Jesse Helms continued to work on his humanitarian causes after leaving office until he became incapacitated. Since then others continue his work in his name. His approach encourages individual and organization charity rather than government intervention. <ref>http://www.jessehelmscenter.org</ref>

== Summary ==

Helms and his conservative values can be summed up in his own words: "Compromise, hell!" Helms said. "That's what has happened to us all down the line -- and that's the very cause of our woes." <ref>http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3b8990d63719.htm</ref>

== References ==
<references/>