(I don't know why I do this, I know I will be attacked as a Godless Liberal in the comments section, but so be it.)We have been brainwashed into believing that we have to make a choice between a ‘D’ or an ‘R’. We are all victims of a dysfunctional system that makes government less responsive, less efficient and less effective.
Independent voters now constitute the largest segment of the American electorate. The Democrat and Republican parties have done everything in their power to ensure their continued monopoly on elections, by enacting election laws and rules that benefit themselves and that make it extremely difficult to get Independent or candidates of other parties on the ballot.
I personally believe that the Democratic and Republican parties are both, at a national level, evil to the core.
What brought on this rant? Since you asked, I’ll tell you. Sarah Palin (and I’m neither a Palin lover or hater, I’m neutral), recently addressed a gathering of Republican and Tea Party activists in Arkansas. Her advice to the Tea Party movement was this:
"Now the smart thing will be for independents who are such a part of this Tea Party movement to, I guess, kind of start picking a party," Palin said. "Which party reflects how that smaller, smarter government steps to be taken? Which party will best fit you? And then because the Tea Party movement is not a party, and we have a two-party system, they’re going to have to pick a party and run one or the other: ‘R’ or ‘D’."
No, no, no Sarah, they don’t have to. I’m sure that the majority of Tea Party members, at least in our area, do belong to the Republican party. If they were happy with that party, they wouldn’t be at Tea Party events.
An alignment of the Tea Party movement with the Republican party would spell the end of the movement, it would become just another fund-raising arm for an already bloated monster. The anti-tax Tea Party movement is a great thing, but lowering taxes while borrowing trillions from other countries to feed our greed just doesn’t work.
I’m preaching to my Northwest Louisiana crowd here, so I will grant you that the Democratic Party is terrible. Nancy Pelosi is everything you say she is and Harry Reid is an idiot. What I am questioning is your choice of an alternative.
If you are a ‘conservative Republican’ answer this for me: what great conservative achievements has the Republican party given us in the last 25 years?
I could name some liberal achievements that both parties have rejoiced in. The Medicare prescription entitlement, which is a convoluted mess being one, and No Child left Behind, which is the bastard progeny of Ted Kennedy and George W. Bush being another.
I will grant you that gridlock worked pretty well when Bill Clinton was president, the Republicans held the line. The problem was that when they got the White House and both houses of congress, we saw an orgy that put the Democrats to shame. With these guys, it is all about being in power.
True, conservatives love to listen to Republicans talk purty, but that’s all it is. If you can prove me wrong, please write a blog and send it to me and I will gladly publish it for you.
I’m really sick of hearing people say that if they vote for an Independent or candidate of another party, they will be ‘wasting their vote’. You only waste your vote if you buy into the mess that these two parties have given us.
You don’t have to choose ‘D’ or ‘R’. Maybe it’s time to choose ‘none of the above’ and start healing our nation and our society.
Independent voters now constitute the largest segment of the American electorate. The Democrat and Republican parties have done everything in their power to ensure their continued monopoly on elections, by enacting election laws and rules that benefit themselves and that make it extremely difficult to get Independent or candidates of other parties on the ballot.
I personally believe that the Democratic and Republican parties are both, at a national level, evil to the core.
What brought on this rant? Since you asked, I’ll tell you. Sarah Palin (and I’m neither a Palin lover or hater, I’m neutral), recently addressed a gathering of Republican and Tea Party activists in Arkansas. Her advice to the Tea Party movement was this:
"Now the smart thing will be for independents who are such a part of this Tea Party movement to, I guess, kind of start picking a party," Palin said. "Which party reflects how that smaller, smarter government steps to be taken? Which party will best fit you? And then because the Tea Party movement is not a party, and we have a two-party system, they’re going to have to pick a party and run one or the other: ‘R’ or ‘D’."
No, no, no Sarah, they don’t have to. I’m sure that the majority of Tea Party members, at least in our area, do belong to the Republican party. If they were happy with that party, they wouldn’t be at Tea Party events.
An alignment of the Tea Party movement with the Republican party would spell the end of the movement, it would become just another fund-raising arm for an already bloated monster. The anti-tax Tea Party movement is a great thing, but lowering taxes while borrowing trillions from other countries to feed our greed just doesn’t work.
I’m preaching to my Northwest Louisiana crowd here, so I will grant you that the Democratic Party is terrible. Nancy Pelosi is everything you say she is and Harry Reid is an idiot. What I am questioning is your choice of an alternative.
If you are a ‘conservative Republican’ answer this for me: what great conservative achievements has the Republican party given us in the last 25 years?
I could name some liberal achievements that both parties have rejoiced in. The Medicare prescription entitlement, which is a convoluted mess being one, and No Child left Behind, which is the bastard progeny of Ted Kennedy and George W. Bush being another.
I will grant you that gridlock worked pretty well when Bill Clinton was president, the Republicans held the line. The problem was that when they got the White House and both houses of congress, we saw an orgy that put the Democrats to shame. With these guys, it is all about being in power.
True, conservatives love to listen to Republicans talk purty, but that’s all it is. If you can prove me wrong, please write a blog and send it to me and I will gladly publish it for you.
I’m really sick of hearing people say that if they vote for an Independent or candidate of another party, they will be ‘wasting their vote’. You only waste your vote if you buy into the mess that these two parties have given us.
You don’t have to choose ‘D’ or ‘R’. Maybe it’s time to choose ‘none of the above’ and start healing our nation and our society.
Opinionated Catholic has posted an answer to this post. Don't miss it.
We know you hate Republicans just admit it.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't it be great if none of the above was really a choice on the ballot. It will never happen in LA.
ReplyDeleteYou can't just throw anyone in to the mix. Say whatever you want, but the Republican party has people who have experience and have served. You can't just throw an unknown in there and run them for public office.
ReplyDeleteAnon at 7:14: You think everything is just hunky dory and that the country is in great shape? You think that all of the problems we are facing can be blamed on just one party?
ReplyDeleteIndependent voters now constitute the largest segment of the American electorate.-- Jim do you mean that there are more Independents than there are Democrats in the nation and there are more than there are voters in the Republican party? So maybe there is more than a third of the electorate that are independents? It is just my impression that if the tea parties decided to run their own candidate, it would hurt the Republican party, especially in the 2012 presidential election.
ReplyDelete"We know you hate Republicans just admit it."
ReplyDeleteFebruary 18, 2010 6:31 PM
There is no discussion when this type of thinking submerges. I have never based my voting on a party affiliation. I am proud of that fact. I dont lump all people in a category strictly due to an affiliation. I consider myself conservative on some issues yet in some eyes would be considered liberal. I dont judge a person by his skin color nor do i condone those who do. To many that would be liberal thinking. I judge the actions more so than the person. I support leaders when they deserve supporting. I support helping others when they need help. Our national government is crippled due to someone planning his next political run for office. I did not vote for Obama, but I support his efforts in the health care movement. No one is going to agree on every item; however, politics should take a back seat so that achieving a health care program that will benefit all will be possible.
Darrell, what if it did hurt the Republican Party? I challenge you to name me four or five conservative objectives that they have achieved in the last 30 years or so.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, you might like what the Republicans say but when they get in power they do just the opposite.
Jim, I was just making an observation/statement neither for or against. Sorry it came across any other way.
ReplyDeleteI understand Darrell, I get too excited on this subject:-)
ReplyDeleteAs far as my question about the number of independents I was just trying to clarify for me what you said.
ReplyDeleteDarrell, Opinionated Catholic has posted an answer to this, you might want to check it out.
ReplyDeletehttp://opinionatedcatholic.blogspot.com/2010/02/making-gop-pitch-to-tea-party.html
I also consider myself an "Independent", or the term I like to use: Citizen.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me there already is a party for the Tea Partiers - Libertarian. Their stance on strictly interpreting the constitution, in giving power to the federal government only where constitutionally allowed, and leaving everything else up to the states, seems a pretty close match to what I observe the TP wants.
No need to reinvent the wheel, just get on the right wagon! :)
except tea baggers don't really believe in limited government; just limited on policies with which they disagree. "gov't health care, oh my!" "Illegal wiretaps and torture?" Fine by me." they are disingenuous in the extreme.
ReplyDeleteWhen the Tea Party movement started, it was much more libertarian in nature, since then it has been all over the place.
ReplyDeleteWhile leery of it, I will be interested to see where it lands. The Republicans want it - badly.
Bob Barr was booed at CPAC today for saying waterboarding is torture.
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/bQWDk6
If the tea partiers align formally with either party, they've lost whatever power they had.
ReplyDeleteThat's why I was opposed to that "convention". When they become The Tea Party, even if it's just as a wing of either the Ds or Rs, it's over.
The Republicans are going to infiltrate and neuter the tea party before the 2010 elections. This will happen soon. You are already seeing a migration of Republican leaders moving to the Tea Party. They did the same thing the the Christian Coalitions in the 80's and 90's. We actually have Republicans that have given money and helped Planned Parenthood no one holds them accountable. This will happen with budgets and healthcare once the Tea Party is neutered. For instance, Jindal has not reduced the budget and most likely won't. There is no real dollar difference in his budgets and prior budgets, he's just making cuts like everyone else did in the financial downturns. Tea Party faithfuls beware of wolves in sheep clothing.
ReplyDeleteUnknowns should not be elected. But Christian, educated, professional, non-political citizens should be elected. Those who have the qualities that we need to change. They should have owned a business and/or served in the military. Excelled in school not just barely made it. These people don't want to run, they are drafted like George Washington was. So consider drafting your neighbor if they meet these qualities. We need the collective IQ of our leaders to increase quickly. I bet the average IQ is about 105 for all Shreveport/Bossier leaders at all levels. It should be about 125-135.
This is what other states are doing. I think in Louisiana we will just do more of the same and call it whatever we want. We don't have the political fortitute to implement real change.
I hope each of you will actively draft someone to run for each race. Parties don't have to select them we can draft them.