Principles that are ingrained as a part of ones inner self make for a great deal of commentary on my part. Yet, is that all there is when you have deep principles that can’t be compromised? Better yet, are those principles ones that will win an election to Congress?

What I have heard for the past few months is that the American people should simply “vote every incumbent out of office and start from scratch”. What I am finding is a complete and total distrust of politicians in general, Congress more specifically, and people clamoring for a new, fresh face as someone representing then in government.

The operative word is that people WANT to be Represented in what their desires and will is for their government. Our current political crop seems to have lost touch with one very important fact- the PEOPLE fund the government, the PEOPLE have a voice through their Representative, and the Representative has been charged with the role of listening to that voice of the PEOPLE and legislate accordingly. Our politicians are elected based on their campaign speeches and rhetoric, but those who elected them are believing that it is more lip service and hype simply to get elected/re-elected. Those we entrust with our vote are simply going about their way without regard for the voice of the PEOPLE having the final say in which side of an issue should be taken.

When you hear that infamous “stump speech”, what are you looking for? Someone who is promising the moon, stars, and the planets? Or are you looking for someone who shares your values, your principles and your ideas about the role of government in your personal life? I honestly believe that a candidate needs to stand on those basic, core principles and never waiver nor compromise for the sake of “getting along”, being “bi-partisan”, or moderating in an effort to achieve something that will result in re-election. All too often, the latter is the goal and the end result for the PEOPLE of this nation has those “unintended consequences” that costs YOU, the citizen in ways you least desire.

With all that has been prefaced, I find that many people here in Florida are almost unable to tell you who their Congressman/Congresswoman is. Even fewer even know what Congressional District they are in. Yet, these are the very people who are the first to utter those infamous words- “the government should do something about that” when things go a different way than they expected them to go. They find themselves not having a clue as to what their Representative is proposing, what direction his votes are going, nor what issues he/she might stand strong on or compromise for the sake of “getting something else” more important for a personal agenda. It seems that only those issues which receive national attention are people energized enough to even write or call their Congressman/Congresswoman.

So what does it take to get people involved in a new and fresh face. Former Governor Lawton Chiles had a moniker that few in Florida will ever forget- “Walkin’ Lawton”. He was a man who campaigned from door to door, neighborhood to neighborhood, and face to face with those in this State. EVERYONE, literally, knew who Lawton Chiles was and where he was on issues. He took his message directly to the people and they responded accordingly. He was elected by a good margin and appealed to the masses unlike any gubernatorial candidate in recent memory.

Can a viable election be ran where the candidate is a virtual unknown, stands on principles and values that are unwavering, and believes that most of the people they represent carry those same values and principles? Will face to face contact and talking about the fears that are coming upon this nation with the fiscal irresponsibility, the necessary increase in taxes that will come unless government is reduced, and that the Constitutional government needs to be restored in this nation?

I can answer that, from people I have spoken to lately, there is a desire for representation in Washington that not just HEARS what people are saying, but listens to them, believes in their desire for smaller and less intrusive government, and also fear the direction this nation is heading. I also hear that people really do desire a change of faces in the Capital and with those who have the same common sense values they also share with most Americans. Government needs to apply those same values to spending, government programs, and taxation that they believe is good for this nation. They WANT to know who is representing them in Washington and KNOW that the voice is on their side by being vocal, and not ignored by their elected official. I honestly believe this is what the vast number of voters and citizens desire from government and will take steps accordingly to assure that it happens.

I am proud to announce on this posting, I have officially entered the race for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 3rd Congressional District of Florida. I believe that as a Common Sense Conservative, principled and with unmoveable core values, I can offer that voice OF THE PEOPLE of our people in this District, and for the people of this nation who, just like me, work every day. My voice on issues seems small without the action to go with it.

I would hope you visit the Yost for Congress website. It explains the issues from a common sense perspective and the common sense solutions to what this nation is facing. I believe that unless we take the action to change the faces in Washington, we are going to never get the results that Americans deserve. I believe that we are begging for a voice of smaller government, a FairTax enacted, and a nation in which government no longer is in control of more and more of our lives.

With YOUR help, this can happen in this District. With YOUR support and efforts, I will be your next, new Congressman from the State of Florida. With YOUR help, WE THE PEOPLE can take back America and make her into the beacon of light for the world to see as the bastian of Freedom, Liberty, and a life lived as you choose. You can also follow the campaign, the issues, and the solutions at the Yost for Congress Blog.

This is going to be an adventure into reality for me. I hope you will follow the campaign, join our mailing list for updates as they happen, and support me in my venture. May God bless you and yours, and the United States of America.

A Republican “Listening Tour” needs to take notice from Conservatives- we want you to listen, but more importantly, we want you to HEAR what we are saying. I was taught by my dear Grandmother, there is a huge difference between the two. Will the GOP ever “get it” when it comes to taking this reborn Conservative movement in the direction We the People want it to go?

Face some hard facts. Republicans who are trying to recapture this party from it’s Reagan Conservative base are fighting an uphill battle. Conservatives are on the march, organizing into the growing “Tea Party Movement”, and begging for leadership from those who call themselves “leaders”. Constant bickering about who is going to win in the arena of ideas and whether to take the party to the left just a little or move even farther to the Conservative base is going to result in the soon-to-happen-death of the Republican party and the rebirth of a new, more common sense Conservative party. It is time for the GOP to wake up and not just listen, but hear what Conservative voices are trying to tell them.

In Congress, we have Republicans who fail to heed the warnings from the base of supporters and that base is in reality, growing and doing so from people who, for the very first time in their life, are becoming involved in the process from being more than a voter who casts a ballot. There are people what are now paying attention to what is happening and expressing a certain fear of where this nation is heading and I can tell you first hand, they don’t like that direction one bit.

Spending is out of control, government interventions is spreading as if there was no tomorrow, people are not finding comfort, nor lasting belief that wealth redistribution is a good thing. I hear people constantly talking about this administration saying one thing and seeing complete and total opposite action and they are wondering where the Republicans are on this type of tyrannical governance. Instead, we are hearing about a “listening tour”? Is this what our GOP leadership is all about and that being to “take a page from the Democrats playbook”?

We are hearing that Pakistan is facing the possibility of the Taliban taking control of their nation and having their finger on the atomic weapon trigger and I honestly don’t believe for a second they will be unable to contain themselves and not use it. These fanatical Islamic radicals have been trying for several years to get their hands on something more destructive and more feared and they very well  may succeed. What we hear from the administration is “studying the situation” and that they “have a grasp” of what is happening. Somehow they think that they can talk to these people and someway, charm them into submission to surrender their objectives. Well, folks, you can forget that idea. Only from a position of military might and military strength are we going to be able to assure you that this nation is going to continue to be safe from attack. Yet, military budget cuts are not just on the table, but happening right now. Where is the GOP leadership and the demands that our President do more that offer lip service to this national security issue?

We have been saying for years that government spending and the unsustainable level of government must stop. Yet, we find an expansion of government that is never before seen in this nations history. News almost daily is that government needs another $80 billion here, or another $50 billion there, and another $650 billion for health care (socialized medicine), and that taxes are going to be raised on the business and industry that is providing jobs (which will lead to more layoffs and unemployment). The multi-trillion dollar deficits are in the works and the GOP leadership is talking about modifying the proposals “around the edges”, rather than taking the spending issues to the public and asking for support in totally blocking these proposals. Every single politician that took his plan and his strategy to the citizens of this nation can say without backing up, that most battles fought were won with the support of the people. Believe me, WE THE PEOPLE are the ones who can make things happen, but it takes a plan of action from leaders who HEAR what we are saying, and not just listening and giving lip service to what is being said.

Our message is not hidden someplace in an obscure passage, nor in a legislative proposal, nor in a desire to enact a Constitutional amendment. Our message is from our inner fears that we are heading in a direction in which we can never recover. The recovery begins with leaders who understand that fear and stand before Congress and refuse to move from the peoples position. Right, wrong, win or lose, these are leaders who care about the plight and fears of the people and will not compromise that agenda no matter what happens. That is called Principled Leadership and that is what we need from Republicans in order to gain our confidence and our votes. Without that leadership, we may as well elect Howdy Doody to represent us as he probably has a better idea of reality than our “career” politicians have.

Throughout the past few months, I have outlined the major principles that nearly all Conservatives embrace. These are not complicated ideas and not ones that will cost elections. These are principles that one can stand on, develop policy from, and organize a political movement from that will turn this nation back to the basic, founding documents this nation was founded upon.

I have recently considered entering the political arena, yet in the back of my mind, I wonder if principles stand before personalities. The principles I personally stand for are a limited government, reductions in government spending, a more objective and fair taxation method, and a strong defense to protect this nation from all enemies we may face. I stand for these things without compromise and without taking a back seat to anyone. No one needs question where my inner, deepest principles lie, nor do they have to question my love of this nation and all she stands for.

With my very life, I am not only willing to defend her, but willing to take the stand for a free America and one which ALL men, who are created equal, can excel, strive and become the greatest individual God ever created. The foundation of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness is not something without meaning, but the very rights we need never fear being taken from us. Yet, we are seeing those very beliefs being taken from the people of this nation with promises of grandeur that will never be fulfilled on the backs of you, I, and our heirs for generations to come. Either we take back our nation from the very government that we are beginning to fear, turn this corner in a 180 degree fashion, or we are going to be nothing less than another “has been” in the annuls of history. Many, as myself, find the specter of entering the public arena with the personal destruction from the oppostion, deters good people from seeking office who would be profound leaders.

Will our alleged “leaders” listen now? I can only pray that they stop the “hearing” and take the principles we are talking about to heart and move in the direction this nation must head for survival. Will the real Conservative GOP please stand up and stand tall.

I ask once again, that you help determine the fate of this nation. On this site, there is a Redress of Grievances petition that outlines many of the Conservative principles I have discussed on this forum. Your signature and your support is needed now, more than ever. We, as a united front, on the basic ideas in this petition, can bring notice to those in Washington that we are not going to roll over and play dead as the Liberal/Statists take this nation down the destructive path it is on. Is fear of retribution holding you back? If that is the case, then the fear you have now is nothing compared to the end result we will be facing in the near future. Stand with those who have already signed this petition and become a part of the NEW Conservative movement that can and will put this nation back on the Constitutional track it must return to for the United States of America to survive. CLICK HERE and join this movement. I personally thank you for your support.

Republicans took this nation in a direction that saw Conservatism cringe when it saw what happened. New Republican ideas sure sounded a lot like Liberalism. The OLD ideas of Conservatism will win elections and put this nation back on track. Do otherwise and even more defeats are in store for the Republican party.

The 2010 elections will be here before you know it and as things are going, it could easily be a good year for Conservatives, a very bad year for Republicans who fail to heed the Conservative movement, and a new direction for this nation. Many long standing Republicans are heading as well for possible defeats at the hands of primary elections wanting new people in office and believe me, as long as these people run on true Conservative principles, they are going to be facing a Democrat poised for election in the General. Even some “self proclaimed” non-conservative Conservatives are going to find they are no longer desired by the electorate. The facts are simple- America is looking for change, but not the kind of “change” we are seeing from the “tax, spend, and debt out the ying-yang” Liberals, ie. the Tea Party movement which is gaining strength daily.

Issues are going to play such an important part of these elections and personalities only as to the ability to resonate a message to the American people. Conservative ideas and principles are solid and based on foundational truths that are rooted in the very essence of this nation. They are time honored and not to be taken lightly. Otherwise, the Republican party will become the party of “No”, that being the party of “No More”.

Basic, simple principles must be the foundational bedrock of any campaign. Simply put, they are easy to identify and easy to understand. Most Americans are going to not only embrace them, but be supportive of them. More than ever, people are going to be paying attention to issues far more than personalities in the next few elections. Our electorate has become savvy and understands the distinct differences in the parties and I honestly believe, they are getting a rude awakening from the party in power today. The liberal agenda has run amuck and taken this nation in a “new direction” that is causing much concern in the hearts of main stream Americans. Many, if not most, are looking for leadership to stop this invasion on freedom and liberty and they have become directly involved in the national picture of politics for the first time in their life.

Republicans, in prior years, who ran on Conservative values yet governed with Liberal ideas are in many cases, no longer representing any district or state.  People were paying attention, and those Conservatives either voted against them or simply sat out the last election. It was almost a “punishment” vote and I can assure you, many today are regretting that decision. Now, more than ever we need to embark on a movement with vision for America that will bring this nation back to the foundational roots of the Conservative mission:

1. Smaller government that is less intrusive on the daily lives of the people.
2. Reduction in the scope of government as it has created many of the problems we are dealing with today.
3. Lower taxes coupled directly with reduced government spending- dramatic reductions which have meaning, not offering simple lip service.
4. A return to Constitutional government and not the “ideological” interpretation of the constitution.
5. Individual responsibility as well as belief in the rights and abilities of the person, not government as the panacea.
6. National security policy that protects all Americans as the first responsibility of our government.
7. An Energy Policy that promotes domestic sources toward energy independence using all available technologies now and in the future.

Many will ask where are the other issues like pro-life, moral values, and many others embraced by what some call the Social Conservatives. Those issues in and of themselves are totally embraced by the principles above. Abortion has become, once again, the sticky wicket for Conservatism. With that said, let me make a very bold and perhaps controversial position on pro-life issues. First, if we are truly Conservatives, we should believe in the rights of the individual to determine their own lot in life. That means, in a somewhat libertarian way, governments place isn’t to be so involved in the decisions, nor the consequences of peoples lives, and that it neither supports nor condemns those decisions. Those ideas that with great freedom comes great responsibility should be the governing force, not the embracing of the strict ant-abortion stance.

Do I believe a woman’s decision to abort her child is wrong? In my own life, in my own decision making process, I do believe it is not something I would desire to see on a personal level for my family. However, I also need to respect the decision of one who chooses otherwise. I also believe (in the Libertarian way) that it is not my concern, nor a responsibility of government to dictate that as a “right of a woman”. Liberty and freedom guaranteed in the Constitution can’t be changed, but again, there comes great acceptance of the consequences of bad decisions on the part of the individual, and it is not the role of government to “make the individual whole” for a bad decision either. If there is one fact I can say I know is true, that you can’t legislate a persons morality. You also can’t legislate solving the emotional issues created from bad morals either. If you believe as I do, those questions are to be answered at a later day and to a higher Power and answerable by the individual. Conservatism can best lead on this issue from a local level by offering alternatives to abortion rather than making it illegal. Women have, for generations uncountable, been finding ways to end unwanted pregnancies. They will continue to do so whether illegal or otherwise. Those are the moral values we as a nation need to address on a personal level, not from a governmental level.

As a nation we need to become aware of the simple facts that more and more control of our personal liberties are being turned over to our government. No longer are we able to function as individuals without the interference in nearly every single aspect of our life we choose to live. Conservative principles can and will allow people to once again enjoy a life of great freedom and great liberty, but those principles need to be the foundational principles of governance, not just used to win elections. Our nation began an era of Conseratism that was unheralded under Ronald Reagan in which those principles above became the fabric of government. There is no historical evidence to prove they didn’t work, but quite the opposite is true and they worked extremely well for several decades. We have entered the era of Liberalism/Socialism and many are seeing it for what it really is- a shift so far left that people are taking actions to prevent it’s spread.

Are you ready to join the cause and take the steps to return this nation back to our foundations that made this nation the greatest nation the world has ever known? I am afraid if you don’t, you won’t recognize this nation in a few short years.