Guest Column - I Want to Vote Republican Again
by Albert Couch
I will if the GOP again becomes the more fiscally conservative but socially liberal party. But I am hoping that the party loses BIG time this year and learns from it. I contend that on the following list, Bush/Cheney & McCain/Palin are not conservatives, but ideologues. Below is my report card on this current GOP as dominated by religious zealots, Wall Street tycoons and extreme right wing media. When the GOP again nominates candidates who turn enough "Nope's" into "Yep's" I will be voting their way.
Shrinking Government? Nope.
(Largest expansion that I have ever seen under Bush.)
Fiscal Restraint? Nope
Balanced Budgets? Nope
(Twenty of the last twenty-eight years in office and no GOP president has submitted a single balanced budget to Congress.)
Restrained Foreign Policy that avoids "Nation Building" or other meddling? Nope.....
and doesn't initiate war? Nope.
Respect for civil and constitutional protections and for the rule of law? Nope.
(First advocacy of torture of prisoners as policy. But McCain gets this right.)
Reasonable and fair minded taxation sufficient to pay the bills? NOPE!!!
Solid forethought and planning for major issues facing the nation such as energy independence? Nope!
(Planning? What planning?)
Free markets with less government interference? Nope.
Competent use of government in its proper roles? Nope.
(Poor management is endemic.)
Allowing business to succeed or fail without taxpayer's getting stuck with the cost? Nope.
Maintaining our American tradition of church and state separation? Nope.
Minimal but appropriate and effective market, environmental and workplace regulation? Nope.
Support for a strong currency? Nope.
Encouraging free trade? Yep.
(got one)
Properly maintained and leading edge expansion of infrastructure? Nope.
Do they recognize that a huge and growing debt is a tax? Nope.
(subtract your investment losses from what you got from the Bush tax cuts to see this indirect but reliable result.)
Exercise caution about foreign debt especially to adversaries or feigned "allies?" NOPE!!!
Narrowing the definition of "patriotism" to fit their own political purposes? Yep.
(But this "Yep" stinks.)
Respecting Citizens as Citizens rather than as consumers? Nope -- not in my opinion
(Bush after 9/11 -- "Go shopping" -- this is a responsible war-time sacrifice?)
Support for family choice & empowerment in education? Yep
(Got a second one right but more rhetoric than reality. Yet Dems are much worse.)
Teaching science in science class rather than religiously approved "science?" Nope.
Conservation? Nope (Actually some but nowhere near the Dems).
(The root word for "conservation" is "conserve" as in "Conservative.")
Responsible and conservative management of entitlement programs and solid plans for basic health care? Nope.
Running cleaner campaigns than the opposition? Nope.
(Nationally, the GOP runs campaigns of fear, distortion, guilt-by-association and cynicism.)
Standing by your record? Nope.
This current Republican Party is not the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt or Eisenhower. When it is, I will support it. Meanwhile I will not play the role of angry, resentful chump as driven by FOX News. I like Ike. Ike would not be a FOX hound.
--
Bert
I will if the GOP again becomes the more fiscally conservative but socially liberal party. But I am hoping that the party loses BIG time this year and learns from it. I contend that on the following list, Bush/Cheney & McCain/Palin are not conservatives, but ideologues. Below is my report card on this current GOP as dominated by religious zealots, Wall Street tycoons and extreme right wing media. When the GOP again nominates candidates who turn enough "Nope's" into "Yep's" I will be voting their way.
Shrinking Government? Nope.
(Largest expansion that I have ever seen under Bush.)
Fiscal Restraint? Nope
Balanced Budgets? Nope
(Twenty of the last twenty-eight years in office and no GOP president has submitted a single balanced budget to Congress.)
Restrained Foreign Policy that avoids "Nation Building" or other meddling? Nope.....
and doesn't initiate war? Nope.
Respect for civil and constitutional protections and for the rule of law? Nope.
(First advocacy of torture of prisoners as policy. But McCain gets this right.)
Reasonable and fair minded taxation sufficient to pay the bills? NOPE!!!
Solid forethought and planning for major issues facing the nation such as energy independence? Nope!
(Planning? What planning?)
Free markets with less government interference? Nope.
Competent use of government in its proper roles? Nope.
(Poor management is endemic.)
Allowing business to succeed or fail without taxpayer's getting stuck with the cost? Nope.
Maintaining our American tradition of church and state separation? Nope.
Minimal but appropriate and effective market, environmental and workplace regulation? Nope.
Support for a strong currency? Nope.
Encouraging free trade? Yep.
(got one)
Properly maintained and leading edge expansion of infrastructure? Nope.
Do they recognize that a huge and growing debt is a tax? Nope.
(subtract your investment losses from what you got from the Bush tax cuts to see this indirect but reliable result.)
Exercise caution about foreign debt especially to adversaries or feigned "allies?" NOPE!!!
Narrowing the definition of "patriotism" to fit their own political purposes? Yep.
(But this "Yep" stinks.)
Respecting Citizens as Citizens rather than as consumers? Nope -- not in my opinion
(Bush after 9/11 -- "Go shopping" -- this is a responsible war-time sacrifice?)
Support for family choice & empowerment in education? Yep
(Got a second one right but more rhetoric than reality. Yet Dems are much worse.)
Teaching science in science class rather than religiously approved "science?" Nope.
Conservation? Nope (Actually some but nowhere near the Dems).
(The root word for "conservation" is "conserve" as in "Conservative.")
Responsible and conservative management of entitlement programs and solid plans for basic health care? Nope.
Running cleaner campaigns than the opposition? Nope.
(Nationally, the GOP runs campaigns of fear, distortion, guilt-by-association and cynicism.)
Standing by your record? Nope.
This current Republican Party is not the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt or Eisenhower. When it is, I will support it. Meanwhile I will not play the role of angry, resentful chump as driven by FOX News. I like Ike. Ike would not be a FOX hound.
--
Bert
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