Old Retired Guy Blog
August 6, 2008
This year |
Why Would Anyone Vote Republican in 2008?I haven't written in this blog in quite a while. If you've read other entries you know that I try to keep the topics here on the light side. But, I can no longer avoid the topic of politics. The primary season is long over. It’s the dog days of summer. It seems so quiet and peaceful now but I know that it’s just the calm before the storm, the political storm of 2008. This year more than ever, when the choice seems so clear, I find myself baffled by American voters. Polls show that when voters are asked if America is on the right path or heading down the wrong track, nearly 80% believe we’re on the wrong track compared to about 15% for the right path. When asked if they prefer Democrats or Republicans for congress, nearly 50% want Democrats versus 38% for Republicans. And yet, when asked if they prefer Obama or McCain for president, Obama is ahead only by a few percent. Why are these results so inconsistent? In an episode of “Now” on PBS earlier this year, host David Brancaccio interviewed a couple who, due to a recent job loss, were losing their home. After they described how precarious their situation had become and how they weren’t sure of what to do next, Mr. Brancaccio asked them if this might affect how they would vote this fall. The husband didn’t hesitate to say he was sure they would still vote Republican because they felt the Republicans had better values. What are these so-called values? Starting wars based on lies? Giving huge tax breaks to the wealthy? Accepting bribes from wealthy lobbyists? A few weeks ago I had lunch with some acquaintances and the topic of conversation eventually turned to the election. When Obama’s name came up a woman in the group immediately asked, “But, isn’t Obama for abortion?” Having known this person for almost 40 years I said I was curious to know how abortion rights for other women affected her daily life. She’s Catholic, she said, and Catholics believe in the sanctity of human life. She couldn’t support anyone who is not against abortion. Do the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which have taken thousands of American lives and tens of thousands or more of Iraqi lives and Afghani lives, have no impact on the sanctity of human life? Does the lack of health care in this country not affect the sanctity of human life? Does the lack of good-paying jobs not affect the sanctity of human life? When Senator Clinton finally acknowledged what had been obvious for weeks, angry supporters blamed sexism and said they would vote for McCain rather than Obama. Are Hillary’s policies closer to McCain’s than to Obama’s? Will John McCain do more for women than Barack Obama? This seems like a very childish reaction. If you can’t be the team captain you’re going to take your ball and go home. Are Clinton supporters really that petty? Some are quick to point out that John McCain is a maverick; he’s not another George W. Bush. But John McCain is part of the Republican Party and cannot function without his party. For years now the Republicans have been in complete control of our country. They had the Senate, the House, the Oval Office, and are packing the Supreme Court. They have been able to implement their ideas will little opposition. What’s the result of this great conservative take-over? Take a look around. Wars continue to rage – wars that we started. The economy is a mess. We have a huge national debt and foreign countries are buying us out. (When you say Budweiser, you’ve said it all!) Health care is becoming a luxury. The middle class is disappearing and wealth continues to flow from the poor to the rich. We’ve lost the respect of the rest of the world. The television ads have just begun and already the McCain ads are filled with, for lack of a better term, lies. Did you know that Barack Obama is responsible for the high gas prices and has prevented oil companies from drilling in America? Forget the fact that McCain’s been in the Senate for decades and has had much more of an impact on energy policies than Obama. Forget the fact that American petroleum companies have been sitting on leases for 68 million acres for years and have chosen not to drill. This is not your father’s John McCain. In his quest for the presidency he has sold out to the religious right and no longer lets the truth affect his claims or decisions. I’m sure conservatives would say that I’m just another liberal pushing for the Democrats, but I think it’s very important to point out that I’m not arguing that voters never elect a Republican. There was a time when there were good, honorable Republicans in the legislature and there are undoubtedly a few left. Although I was born and raised in Wisconsin and am a Wisconsin resident again, I lived in Oregon for 25 years. During that time I voted for Mark Hatfield, the senior Republican Senator from that state. He was an honest, intelligent person who voted for what he thought was best for Americans. The Republican Party today, unfortunately, has been taken over by the Rush Limbaugh-loving neoconservatives. This year, more than ever, Americans need to make it clear that we do not want to continue down the extreme right-wing path of hatred and greed. We want our country back. Please open your mind and your eyes. America is sinking and voting for a Republican in 2008 is like drilling more holes in the bottom of this sinking boat in hopes that the water will run out. |
