"Lack of Substance"

There have been several criticisms of FDT that he does not express any substance in his speeches or on his web site. There are no policy proposals on his website, but rather just generalities with the exception of a long discourse on Federalism. The latest that I read is a CBN article by David Brody. But this is only one: I had a discussion with my mother on this subject just a couple of days ago regarding Fred's position on the "Fair Tax"--which has been elusive.

My response to her--and to Brody and whoever brings this topic up--is that we have gotten to a point where we expect our Presidential candidate to have a proposal to deal with any issue that may come up. Most of the other candidates have dozens of proposals for more legislation or policies or spending programs. Fred has none. Rather he just has a concept of Federalism. You can either interpret that as him being an empty suit, or you figure that something else is going on!

With his focus on Federalism and his occasional mention of Barry Goldwater's Conscience of a Conservative, I suspect that the following quote from that book probably represents where Fred is coming from:

Who will proclaim in a campaign speech, "I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution, or that have failed in their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is 'needed' before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents’ 'interests,' I shall reply that I was informed their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can."

Maybe Fred will be that person.