This past campaign pointed out some of the popular misconceptions of parties that have creeped into the political landscape over the past couple of decades. Iblame it on a few–but influential-individuals who have a disproportionate amount of sway on the public. The result has been a distortion of party beliefs that do not do the parties or the country well.
To hear the Republican party in the last election, the Democrats are socialists or Marxists even though there was not a shred of evidence to those alligations. The Republicans painted Democrats as tax-and-spend even though under two Republican presidents (Reagan and Bush II) the national debt has more than quadrupled to it’s highest point since World War II. The Republicans portrayed Democrats as the party of surrender even though it was a Democrat who brought us through World War I (Wilson), Democrats who brought us through World War II (Roosevelt & Truman), and a Democrat who brought us through the Korean War (Truman). As for Viet Nam, it was a Republican that withdrew without victory (Ford), although I think he made the right decision.
Since the election, there is a run on guns because Republicans believe that Democrats are going to take away the right to bear arms. Never mind that the President-elect has said otherwise and previous Democratic presidents have made no such move.
Today Republicans contend that Democrats are going to take away our basic freedoms. Yet, it has been under a Republican president (Bush II) that imprisonment without due process, warrantless wiretaps on US citizens, and the development of terrorist watch lists without due process have all come into being.
It is the Republicans that contend the Democrats are making a concerted effort to remove God from our schools and government institutions. Yet, our Founding Fathers, in developing our Constitution did not want religion to be imposed on our citizens by government mandate. Indeed, our Pledge of Allegiance did not have the words “under God” until the Knights of Columbus–a Catholic religious group–successfully lobbied Congress in the 1950s to add the words.
Republicans contended that electing a Democrat would be bad for the economy, yet it is under a Republican president (Bush II) that the economy has taken its worse turn since the Great Depression (an event that started under another Republican–Hoover).
The scary thing about all this is that some 48% of the voting public voted Republican in this past week’s election. This means that almost half of the voting public were able to hold these conflicting beliefs and still vote Republican!
I don’t particularly fault John McCain as he is actually a fairly moderate Republican. He may not have acted the part during the election, but his record is decidedly centrist when compared to Palin or Huckabee. But there is a far-right element to the Republican party that should be alarming to any freedom-loving American. We got a taste of this belief system over the last eight years. It is insanity to vote against the Democratic candidate for the very reason of avoiding what the Republican incumbant has championed for the past eight years.
Your thoughts?
Posted by wwcasey 
Political Thoughts 
An Extraordinary Event
January 21, 2009Yesterday, the world witnessed something truly unique: A peaceful governmental transition from one leadership to another. Here in the United States, we often do not appreciate the magnitude of our approach to this governmental change. Yet, to many in the world, they can only dream and wish that they lived in a country that was so blessed with a system that would allow them the opportunity to enjoy the same leadership change mechanism.
Yesterday, we were not witness to an ongoing struggle for governmental leadership through civil war such as the ones being waged in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Iraq . Yesterday, we did not see the desparate and brutal hold to power such as Rober Mugabe has been doing for years in Zimbabwe, or the junta in Myanmar, or Vladimir Putin appears to be attempting to resurrect in Russia. Yesterday, our transfer of power did not take place based on the determination of an elite group of religious rulers as occurs in Iran. Yesterday, our transfer of power did not take place based on heredity and relationship as occurs in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Yesterday we were not witness to a complete governmental breakdown in leadership as has existed in Somalia for decades.
Instead, our governmental transition was the culmination of a years-long debate by the citizens of this great country. We discuss, we argue, and we debate. Then we vote. Once done, we lament the loss and we celebrate the win. Then we have the winner recite a simple oath, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” For good measure, the tradition has been to append, “so help me God.” Then we throw a parade, have a big dance party, and set about governing in such as way that will improve our collective lot in life. We repeat the process every four years so things can’t get too far off track.
It is such a simple process, not perfect, but one that is the envy of the world. We are so lucky.