Politics is a Fussy Thing

The North Star

Politics is a fussy thing. 

I am often called a right-wing extremist, among other very colorful words of description.  I welcome them all; the First Amendment is alive.

One common thread from these colorful descriptions of my conservatism is that many of these folks have never met me or had a meaningful conversation with me. 

Their opinion usually changes after we meet and visit.  We are on the same political page on most issues, such as taxes, education, and border protection. We all bleed red.

This being said, there is a divide.  Let me explain what has happened to our country in the past 250 years.

We all know and understand how our country was founded, and we appreciate the writing of our constitution and the Bill of Rights.

We see government in action; we see how it has grown and crept into our everyday lives, controlling, mandating, and taking away our freedom to make mistakes, live, prosper, be ourselves, and struggle to buy groceries in today’s world.

What does this have to do with being a right-wing extremist?   Plenty.  Those who believe in the principles of freedom that founded this country have not moved from that mark.  We honor the time-tested traditions and first freedoms that built the greatest country in the history of the world.

The far left had gone so far left that we would never have imagined that we would see retail destruction of the reproductive ability of an entire generation of children by powerful medical and pharmaceutical businesses, for example.

I have not wavered in my belief in the principles of life, liberty, and freedom.

As the shift left moves, those who consider themselves “moderate” move left also. 

One of the tactics of the Marxist socialist communist community, no matter the political party, is that if they can not debate foundational principles, they get personal call names or whatever it takes to distract from the real issue.  The discussion becomes about personalities and not about principles.

This brings us to the Overton Window.  Very seldom does someone become elected to the legislature, serve more than a couple of terms, and continue to vote as strongly for freedom.

On my first day serving in my first term in the Idaho House of Representatives, a former representative told me, “You will never be a better legislator than you are today; for most, it is all downhill from here.”  He clarified that the voting record of 99% of all those who come to the legislature, their score will go down on any given freedom index, not just a little.

The Overton window of Political Possibility is one explanation of why that happens.  You can read about it here:

https://www.mackinac.org/OvertonWindow

Staying solid in your belief system when serving in the legislature is challenging. The pressure is intense, and retribution from leadership and others serving can be swift and severe. Your moral compass has to be very strong to not succumb to Stockholm syndrome and to want to be accepted by your cohorts in the legislative body.

On the wall in my offices at the Capitol, there has always been a framed list of what I use to keep my eye on the North Star:

·      Is it moral?  (Just because something is legal does not mean it is moral.)

·      Is it Constitutional?  (This speaks for itself.)

·      Who does it help?

·      Who does it hurt?

·      What are the unintended consequences?

·      What will it cost the taxpayers?

·      What do my constituents think?

 These principles are my North Star.  Protecting our first freedoms is one of the two most important things a legislator is to do.  I wear my “label” of “Right Wing Extremist” with pride; it means I am doing what you hired me to do. If successful in the November general election, I will continue to do what you hired me to do.

God bless,

Christy Zito
Candidate Idaho Senate LD 8