the Republican party is desperate to hold power. For months now, candidates have waged highly negative campaigns to try to stop any takeover by the democrats of either house fo congress. The rhetoric has reached a fever pitch as those ads have seemingly lost their effectiveness. Out of the ashes of those unsuccessful attacks, the portable punditry has unleashed their latest round of "why everyone should still vote republican."
Now, the pundits speak of conservative philosophies. They try to spin and backwards spin different mantras of conservativism and try to show either how democrats will supposedly crush those mantras or how democrats in the past are really the ones who have stopped any hope of a conservative utopia. Unfortunately, they have a record.
For as long as this latest congress has been in session, no democrat has been able to even get a bill on the floor. Yet republicans want us to believe that some boogeyman democrat has been stopping their efforts. They have attempted to slander and trash anyone and everyone who dare speak anything against this administration. They even trash fellow republicans who exercize their free speech rights. But now we're supposed to forget the fact that they have been a virtual rubber stamp for the Bush / Cheney agenda. We're supposed to forgive the fact that they haven't adequately balanced or checked any of the executive expansion of power. We're supposed to endorse their arrogance, stupidity and insults.
They make false charges...still. Even tho the American people are tired of it, and see thru the hyberbolic rhetoric. They accuse anyone and everyone who dissents of weakness, betrayal or even treason. They call good Americans names and ostracize anyone who won't blindly follow. Now we should vote republican not because of this record, but because of their philosophies.
Sorry, wrong number...please try again.
seems every democrat has to be a "far left wing liberal" or the like
everyone who disagrees with "staying the course" is a "cut and run" liberal
anyone who doesn't want the rich to get an unfair free ride on the backs of the rest of us wants to "raise YOUR taxes"
anyone who doesn't want to treat illegal aliens like hardened criminals "wants illegal immigration"
whomever wants just a little bit of accountability and oversight outside the executive branch on issues like surveilence "is trying to help the terrorists"
because i believe in habeas corpus rights, last week i was accused of "celebrating US soldier deaths."
anyone who refuses to give wall street a trillion free dollars "is against any social security reform"
anyone who questions any policy by this administration "must hate bush."
and on and on...
What the neoconservatives and their cronies don't realize is that now, after years of lashing out at anyone who disagrees, they have now effectively insulted everyone. And further, what they don't seem to realize is that the rest of us shut that off a while ago and just started out own dialogue. Our dialogue isn't left vs right or anything divissive. When I talk about issues with anyone who isn't a bush pundit in conservative clothing, something different happens, no one gets called names. Understandings are reached, common ground is found.
If you've paid attention to the campaigns, you have seen common threads. Many democrats have campaigned on the premise of "we need change" and we need to include everyone at the table.
republicans have campaigned on the idea of "if you vote democrat, you will be poor and die...and you can't be that stupid" and "if you don't like george bush, i'm nothing like him,,,i'm a real conservative...don't ya know that, dummy?"
And they wonder why they are losing.
Now, 2 weeks out, the punditry has tried to sterilize the rhetoric. They are trying to further distance themselves from Bush despite many of their 90% + voted with the president records.
But the american people know an empty gesture when they see it. And the GOP candidates can preach all the "i'm a real conservative " philosophy speeches they want, Americans aren't gonna be fooled again.
Voting for a continued majority only supports 2 more years at least of arrogance and insults. If the democrats take 14 seats in the house and 5 in the Senate, Ken Mehlman will be declaring that the results are a "mandate" from the american people supporting George Bush's agenda.
Again, I don't know who will control congress next january, but for sure, the GOP doesn't deserve it. I don't know if the democrats deserve it either. But i'll take their attitude of inclusion and change vs the attitude of sit down, shut up and let us run the show.
We shall see....