The Republican Party must love Independents, they've created so many of them.
I hear it a lot in the threads and in real life. Someone begins trashing President Obama and the Democrats and quickly gets called out for being "partisan". But, they protest, they can't possibly be partisan because they are an INDEPENDENT! Independents see both sides of each issue and have no partisan loyalties at all. How could they- they are independent!? Why only a Demoncrat or a Demorat could fail to see that...
Maybe it just seems to this Demoncrat that there has been a near-wholesale abandoning of the Republican ship by rats deserting to the Independent party since last November. Maybe. But, wouldn't true Independents be a little bit more middle of the road and a lot less versed in Republican talking points?
I'm not sure exactly what Independent talking points might be but, I'd guess that they would have more to do with maybe Ron Paul and not so much Sarah Palin. It get's a little cloudy when people throw Republican vitriol about Obama out there and sound EXACTLY like the right wing nut Republicans in doing so.
Is that the idea? Muddy the waters by claiming that TWO parties think that he's an evil, communist/socialist muslim/marxist so that, there you go, un-biased proof...?
Please. Who are you kidding?
They're just kidding themselves and they're not doing actual Independents much good.
This country needs more than the two party system that we've had for ever. We need a strong, viable third party (Independent or Whig or Know Nothings- I don't care) to keep the other two reasonably honest. I'm tending to believe, like so many do, that there is no actual difference between Republican politicians and Democrat one's. Both sides want your money and they will get it. One side does seem to want to line the pockets of big business and one side wants to feed children in the ghetto. Neither side seems to spend our money wisely no matter their stated goals. But, I'll continue to side with those who endeavour to help those who can't help themselves. I figure that rich people are already rich and they can get by on their own. The poor, not so much.
I would also hope that people, rather than claiming independence to dissassociate themselves from the taint of defeat from last Fall, would either actually become INDEPENDENTS or quit pussying out and STAY Republican. Fix your own party rather than tear down America because you "lost". You did not lose. America won. We all won, with Obama last Fall. It's just that some people- these neo-independent pussies- want only to piss and moan. Be the "Party of No". Be the "Independent Party of No".
But, I hope your numbers dwindle everyday and that ya'll are replaced by true Independents and true Republicans. This goes for Democrats as well. We're looking at 8 great years with this man, Obama. Whoever succeeds him will have big shoes to fill. Learn from this.
3 comments:
I agree. Part of what has occurred is that the republican party has a total identity crisis. Other than the religious right issues what do they really stand for, anyway?
They trumpet being fiscally conservative, but they really are anything but, and particularly so whenever a republican is President. If you really boil it down, unless you are on the religious right, they have nothing to offer you. Absolutely nothing.
Sure, now that a democrat is in the office we are hearing them all talk about how we are doing too much spending again, but where was any of this stuff for the past 8 years?
So, I think a lot of people rightfully left the republican party because they consider themselves to be fiscal conservatives foremost, and the republican party is just really not about being fiscally responsible. These types are not going to like the democrats either, because the democrats' platform is more humanitarian and by its nature less concerned with the cost of things. But, I will say, at least they are honest about what their agenda is. Republicans for too long have said one thing and done quite another.
As for me, I agree with the democrats on most issues. However, what is most important to me is having fiscal restraint and by that I mean a paygo system. Any other way is just absurdity.
When people want to create programs to help people, start unnecessary wars, develop new weapons, or do whatever, the politicians and the people need to know what it will mean to us in terms of taxes or cuts in other areas. You just cannot continue to have a system, where we constantly increase spending, but no cuts are ever made and no taxes are ever raised. This seems to be the republican way, however.
For example, take the Iraq War, if the average joe in this country knew before the war started that everyone was going to be taxed, I don't know, but let's say 1000 extra dollars each year until the end of the war, maybe a lot of people would have said, geeze, maybe we don't really need to do this. Maybe people would have thought that the potential benefit of starting a completely worthless and unnecessary war without at least exhausting all diplomatic efforts just does not outweigh the costs. But, people don't have that. They are making decisions yet only see half the picture.
I would go so far as to say unless it is balanced by spending cuts, I think every appropriations bill should include a tax amount that will be attributed to the average person. You could even break it down into income brackets. If it is balanced by spending cuts, the bill should also explain what they will be and what this really means to people who receive benefits from the affected programs. Would it be more work? Sure, but it would be the best thing this country has ever done.
Everything sounds wonderful, under the current system. Heck, why stop at free health care for those that cannot afford it, why stop at free prescription drugs for senior citizens (despite the fact that we are on an unsustainable trajectory when it comes to medicare and ss, which means, when people my age get older, we are just not going to have it this good, and we are going to have to pay off a lot of debt too), let's keep going and give every man, woman, and child a steak dinner, a leer jet and a lamborghini, while we're at it. After all, it is free, no new taxes and no spending cuts. We'll let the next generation worry about it.
IMO neither politicians nor the people can possibly make good rational decision without knowing the good and the bad, whatever they truly may be. Our system is a fraud, and the cost is that we have basically mortgaged our future in the form of huge deficits. I don't care on what side of the aisle you are on, unless you are a hack, you'd have to admit the republicans, who are supposed to be the fiscally responsible ones between the two, are just as much if not more at fault than the democrats for this.
Thanks for the excellent comments, Sublime. I like the way you think and your writing is great.
Thanks, man.
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