How the GOP Lost Me
Now that the election has come to a close, I can talk about this candidly.
I'm one of those shades of grey people-- the 'middle' the press talks so vividly about-- that each campaign had to capture. There are more of us every day, and I think this is a step in the right direction.
Let me begin by saying that I'm not on a righteous crusade for or against anything. Frankly, people who are on righteous crusades scare me, because things are never that black and white.
I don't believe in outlawing abortion, but I don't think that a woman ought to be able to walk into a clinic at 6 or 7 months and have a viable fetus destroyed either. I favor common sense positions on this; expanded adoption, social and economic programs to help women who face a tough road if they choose to give birth, better education for teens and easier access to birth control.
I think the right to bear arms is necessary and vital, but I don't think a convicted felon or a mentally ill teenager ought to be able to walk into a gun store and buy an Uzi with cash. I favor common sense approaches to this; reasonable background checks, wait times, increased penalties for gun-related crimes.
I am a big proponent of the idea of personal responsibility, but I favor common sense positions on this; access to bankruptcy encourages reasonable risk on the part of small business, many social and education programs do a great deal of good are an investment in the nation's future (you can't cheer on America as a collective entity and then tell your neighbor to go screw themselves, we're all in this together!).
I like the idea of a progressive tax, but I favor common sense positions on this; the wealthy already get taxed only 15-20% on their biggest source of income, capital gains. Why shouldn't they pay more for their corporate bonuses and CEO salaries? I like a low capital gains tax, by the way. It encourages investment and capitalism.
I like small-government and states' rights, but I favor common sense positions on this; sometimes states are dominated by regional interests that are detrimental to a group or groups of people, and thus detrimental to the ideals of fairness and justice our country was founded on.
So what does this have to do with the GOP? Well, it seems like for the past eight years the GOP has been on one righteous crusade after another. Everything was black or white. Pro-life or nothing. Cut taxes or nothing. Total victory or nothing. Guns or nothing. The GOP lurched so far to the right they no longer stood for anything meaningful except absolutes. That's why they lost last night.
Bring back the party of small government and personal freedom. Lead from the middle. Don't try to legislate morality to me; offer realistic, common-sense solutions. It can't be your way or the highway; my biggest hope for this election is that people realize 'Wow, trying to tell people how to live their lives doesn't work.' At least, I hope so. Then I might be able to vote Republican again. Or maybe a third party with rise, one that champions the common-sense middle ground. Either way, this process can only be healthy for everyone.
And before you ask; yes, the Democrats lean too far left for my tastes. But for the moment, they're not the ones thinking in absolutes, and I liked what Obama had to say about unity and cooperation. I can only hope he fulfills that promise.
I'm one of those shades of grey people-- the 'middle' the press talks so vividly about-- that each campaign had to capture. There are more of us every day, and I think this is a step in the right direction.
Let me begin by saying that I'm not on a righteous crusade for or against anything. Frankly, people who are on righteous crusades scare me, because things are never that black and white.
I don't believe in outlawing abortion, but I don't think that a woman ought to be able to walk into a clinic at 6 or 7 months and have a viable fetus destroyed either. I favor common sense positions on this; expanded adoption, social and economic programs to help women who face a tough road if they choose to give birth, better education for teens and easier access to birth control.
I think the right to bear arms is necessary and vital, but I don't think a convicted felon or a mentally ill teenager ought to be able to walk into a gun store and buy an Uzi with cash. I favor common sense approaches to this; reasonable background checks, wait times, increased penalties for gun-related crimes.
I am a big proponent of the idea of personal responsibility, but I favor common sense positions on this; access to bankruptcy encourages reasonable risk on the part of small business, many social and education programs do a great deal of good are an investment in the nation's future (you can't cheer on America as a collective entity and then tell your neighbor to go screw themselves, we're all in this together!).
I like the idea of a progressive tax, but I favor common sense positions on this; the wealthy already get taxed only 15-20% on their biggest source of income, capital gains. Why shouldn't they pay more for their corporate bonuses and CEO salaries? I like a low capital gains tax, by the way. It encourages investment and capitalism.
I like small-government and states' rights, but I favor common sense positions on this; sometimes states are dominated by regional interests that are detrimental to a group or groups of people, and thus detrimental to the ideals of fairness and justice our country was founded on.
So what does this have to do with the GOP? Well, it seems like for the past eight years the GOP has been on one righteous crusade after another. Everything was black or white. Pro-life or nothing. Cut taxes or nothing. Total victory or nothing. Guns or nothing. The GOP lurched so far to the right they no longer stood for anything meaningful except absolutes. That's why they lost last night.
Bring back the party of small government and personal freedom. Lead from the middle. Don't try to legislate morality to me; offer realistic, common-sense solutions. It can't be your way or the highway; my biggest hope for this election is that people realize 'Wow, trying to tell people how to live their lives doesn't work.' At least, I hope so. Then I might be able to vote Republican again. Or maybe a third party with rise, one that champions the common-sense middle ground. Either way, this process can only be healthy for everyone.
And before you ask; yes, the Democrats lean too far left for my tastes. But for the moment, they're not the ones thinking in absolutes, and I liked what Obama had to say about unity and cooperation. I can only hope he fulfills that promise.