Voting Against "Big Goverment"

[QUENTIN]

Obviously you cannot vote against "big government" or "the expansion of government" or whatever. I mean, a vote for the Republican Party or the "tea party candidate" is many things, but it is obviously not a vote against government. It's a vote for a Republican in government; more broadly, toward a Republican government. Equally obviously, these Republicans in government aren't going to give up powers already claimed (nor will a Democrat in government for that matter).

Rather, they will arrogate to themselves those same powers, and then dream up some more. And this is really the genius of the system: it is incredibly elastic; it has an inexhaustible capacity to take rage and frustration at the government, the mechanisms of the state, and to direct that anger and frustration into a ritualized affirmation of the very government that you resent and despise.

 

[Revere]

Is Marco Rubio the same as Charlie Crist?

 

[QUENTIN]

No, they are different people. Different people who would neither of them reduce the powers of the government.

 

[Revere]

How do you know?

 

[Revere]

Does a son of a Cuban refugee believe in a "powerful" government?

 

[QUENTIN]

How do you know?

No one in recent history has reduced the power of government upon assuming office, despite their rhetoric, their party, or the ostensible reason they were elected.

Then there's the axiomatic truth that one cannot vote against government by voting for government.

 

[Revere]

So what? Was any black man elected President until 2008?

 

[uptownlivin90]

I don't care what size the government is as long as the budget is balanced, the border is secure, the federal reserve is dissolved, defense spending is reigned in, bank bailouts are made illegal, earmarks are made illegal, and the tax code is reformed.

Then the government can be whatever size it wants to be, as long as they keep the fuck out of my business.