By RICH MUNY, aka "TheEngineer"
From my PPA Blog:
Register to vote now so you can vote in the general election. Your opinion doesn’t mean anything if you don’t vote! Register at www.poker2008.org.
Republican Party
Presumptive Presidential Nominee: John McCain
AZ senator. McCain has not sponsored legislation against online poker, nor has he led efforts against it, but he has voted against Internet gaming the past (primarily sports betting). And, while Sen. Clinton and Sen. Obama supported a study on Internet gaming prior to the NV primary caucuses, McCain stayed silent on the issue.
Presumptive Vice-Presidential Nominee: Sarah Palin
AK governor. Palin proudly opposed expanded gaming in Alaska on her campaign website. “I am pro-life and I believe that marriage should only be between and man and a woman. I am opposed to any expansion of gambling in Alaska.”
Source: Campaign website, www.palinforgovernor.com, “Issues”, Nov 7, 2006
Democratic Party
Presidential Nominee: Barack Obama
IL senator. Obama supports a study on Internet gaming, but has made anti-gaming statements and voted against gaming bills while in the Illinois State Senate. He is reportedly a good poker player.
Vice-Presidential Nominee: Joe Biden
DE senator. Biden voted against Sen. Jon Kyl’s Senate Resolution 474, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act of 1997 — a bill that passed the Senate 90-10.
Libertarian Party
Presidential Nominee: Bob Barr
Barr is a former Republican congressman from Georgia. His campaign replied affirmatively to my inquiry on his online poker stance. Additionally, the Libertarian Party strongly supports our right to play.
Vice-Presidential Nominee: Wayne Allyn Root
Root is a very strong proponent of our right to play. He posted a great article on his blog arguing for our rights.
Constitution Party
Pastor of the Crossroads (FL) Baptist Church and former state chairman of the Florida Moral Majority.
The Constitution Party is strongly anti-gaming. From their national platform: “Gambling promotes an increase in crime, destruction of family values, and a decline in the moral fiber of our country. We are opposed to government sponsorship, involvement in, or promotion of gambling, such as lotteries, or subsidization of Native American casinos in the name of economic development. We call for the repeal of federal legislation that usurps state and local authority regarding authorization and regulation of tribal casinos in the states.”
Pastor Baldwin has made many anti-gaming statements:
- From a Baldwin article on the Constitution Party website: “Can you imagine a nation without an A.C.L.U. or a N.E.A.? Can you imagine a country that did not legally murder its own unborn children and that would not pander to sexual deviants and criminals? Can you imagine a country without legalized gambling? Can you imagine a nation with strong state governments and an unobtrusive federal government?” Note that Baldwin didn’t write, “Can you imagine a country where individuals each chose of their free will to not gamble”. Rather, he wrote, “Can you imagine a country without legalized gambling”. It seems he is advocating a country where the majority collectively assert rights over individuals in the area of all gaming. Additionally, the only way for there to be no “legalized” gaming in America is for the federal government to deauthorize Indian gaming (already in the CP platform), for all 50 states to ban all gaming, and for the federal government to expand the Wire Act.
- From a News With Views article by Baldwin: ”George Barna summarized his findings by saying, “Faith makes very little difference in their [Christians] lives: believers do not train their children to think or act differently [from the world]. It’s no wonder that they [Christian children] grow up to be just as involved in gambling, excessive drinking, and any other unbiblical behavior as everyone else.”
- From another News With Views article: “Can you imagine a nation without an A.C.L.U. or a N.E.A.? Can you imagine a country that did not legally murder its own unborn children and that would not pander to sexual deviants or criminals? Can you imagine a country that did not glorify, much less sponsor, gambling? Can you imagine a nation with strong state governments and a limited federal government?”
- From an article at The Conservative Voice: “Beyond that, our nation has become addicted, yes, even obsessed, with sports, leisure, and gambling! Sports celebrities are more than icons, they are gods! Leisure is more than a pastime, it is the greatest motivation for living. It seems that all people dream about is having the financial ability to retire. By retirement they mean living a life without responsibility, duty, or obligation. In other words, a life of total self-absorption. And since most are unwilling or even incapable of earning such a life, gambling is the preferred method of obtaining this ultimate life of irresponsibility.”
- From an article at Renew America: “In our once great America, virginity and chastity were popular virtues, and one could live to old age and never be exposed to the abominations of homosexuality and adultery. There was a time in this great country when, except for a few certain morally corrupt large cities, the most egregious gamblers hung out in bingo parlors, and anyone who even whispered his or her support for state-sponsored gambling would be run out of town on a rail.”
Following the initial inclusion of Pastor Baldwin in this guide, his campaign asked for a question on online poker to be submitted to the Independent Political Report for an interview conducted on July 7, 2008. When that interview took place, Baldwin was oddly noncommittal and hesitant when asked about online poker rights. Click here to listen to the interview (choose Part 2).
Vice-Presidential Nominee: Darrell Castle
Attorney from Tennessee. Castle is an attorney in private practice with firms in Memphis, TN, St. Louis, MO, and Kansas City, MO. The Castle Law Firm specializes in bankruptcy and personal injury.
About the author: Rich Muny, an engineer who lives in Union, Ky., is an advocate of Internet poker rights. He is on the board of directors of the Poker Players Alliance.
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