Via Jeff, comes Roxanne:
It’s Time for Moderate Republicans and Moderate Independents to Represent
I know you’re out there, reading this blog. Never commenting because you don’t want to incur the wrath. I can’t say that I blame you.
But, please consider de-lurking today to let some good folks know how the Democratic Party can get your vote. Screeching from both ends of the spectrum discouraged. Let’s try to have a serious discussion.
I left comments there. My recommendations:
Fiscally conservatism is a bonus.
Drop all efforts at additional gun control (mind you, they still don’t seem to have learned that one even when Clinton has pointed it out)
Do not pander to the chimpy mchitlterburton, no blood for oil, selected not elected, Michael Moore crazy crowd.
Take a stand on Kelo, denounce the ruling, and become the party of property rights.
Border and immigration control (which I failed to mention there).
Head on over and give you $0.02.
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Posted in uncategorized on October 8th, 2005
by SayUncle | RSS 2.0 |
October 8th, 2005 at 1:57 pm
I wasn’t aware you qualified yourself as a Moderate Republican or Independant. Or do they actually want input from us small ‘L’ libetarian, small government types?
October 8th, 2005 at 2:00 pm
I’m moderate on a few issues. I gave my opinion anyway 🙂
October 8th, 2005 at 2:10 pm
Are those bullet points?
October 8th, 2005 at 11:14 pm
Oh, and the Dems will have a really hard time becoming the party of property rights, thanks to the environmentalist wing. Denying individual property rights to protect the environment is central to them.
October 9th, 2005 at 11:51 am
You know, I once considered myself a party Republican, and in the last five years, I’ve been wondering why I’d have loyalty to a party more and more. This post is evidence of why-not: With all the recent failures (in my mind) of the Republicans (spending is out of control, Bush nominated a dunce to SC), I’m just itching for someone else to support.
Gun control is my main political issue. Everything else is secondary, because without 2A, the rest doesn’t matter. I don’t trust our government, regardless of who is running it (okay, if Jesus Christ came back and ran in ’08…).
But that, and the things you listed, aren’t my only problems with Dems:
Affirmitive Action is stupid at this point — if someone isn’t hired based on race, they’d be a media sensation and the company would lose out.
The constant whining is bad, too, and so are the “leaders”. People like Reid, Pelosi, DiFi — every time they talk it grates on me. Don’t get me started on Hillary and Howard Dean.
There is an element of free-speech-squashing that the Democrats seem to have.
There’s more, of course, but I could write just as long a comment about the Republican party (and Libertarian, and one twice as long about the Green party…)
October 10th, 2005 at 12:46 pm
I agree with HL that environmentalism prevents the Democrats from becoming the party of property rights, but we obviously disagree about whether or not this is a good thing. I understand that Libertarianism and Environmentalism are almost completely incompatible, but that to me seems more a problem with the former than with the latter. Until the former group gets serious about how to prevent pollution, resource exploitation, etc., I can’t take them seriously on the issue. (And I’m sorry, but “dismantle the EPA” is not a proposition worthy of serious consideration.)
That said, however, I think some traction can be gained by Democrats on property rights issues, and Kelo serves up a good example of where. The land in that case was not taken for environmental protection, but to benefit corporate interests. The Democrats claim to be the party of the “little guy,” protecting that guy from the big faceless corporation, and this would be a good place to show that.
My list for the Democrats:
You’ve got a golden opportunity to paint yourself as the party of fiscal responsibility, since the GOP has irreparably screwed that pooch. Don’t blow it.
Give up on gun control, already. You’ve lost that fight, and there are far more important battles, anyway.
Make education a top priority. Despite their rhetoric, Republicans are vulnerable on this issue.
More focus on health care. Not necessarily universal health care, but focus on finding ways to control costs and make health care affordable for all who need it.
Reframe the tax debate. Nobody likes to pay taxes, but most people really like the stuff taxes pay for. So get people to understand that, and put the virulently-anti-tax folks on the defensive. But that’s going to be a losing battle unless you lobby for decreased pork and increased accountability.
October 10th, 2005 at 3:14 pm
Forgot a big one: Sponsor a late-term abortion ban. The kind that the GOP won’t support: one with the proper exemptions for health and safety of mother and badly deformed fetuses, etc. In other words, a ban on cosmetic or convenience late-term abortions. Such a ban, I think, would attract more votes than it would scare off. (And as compared to the GOP’s archaic abortion stance, you’d still look pretty good by comparison.)
October 10th, 2005 at 3:26 pm
What the Democrats really need is more people to say stuff like this.
October 10th, 2005 at 4:52 pm
The problem is, the only idea the Dems have for controlling costs in health care is to go single-payer, a la Canada. Which leads to lousy health care.
As far as education goes, the Dem policy there is set by what’s good for the teacher’s unions, not what’s good for the students.
October 11th, 2005 at 2:40 pm
I agree that an influx of new ideas on controlling costs would be useful, and I’m not personally married to the single-payer idea. But despite its problems, I wouldn’t classify the Canadian health care system as “lousy,” either. Room for improvement? Absolutely. Lousy? Hardly. Although I prefer the Swiss health care system as a model.
The problem is this: there seems to be this false dichotomy presented by both sides, wherein on one hand you can have mediocre or lousy health care for everyone, and on the other hand you can have good health care for those few who can afford it, and lousy or no health care for those who can’t. There’s got to be some middle ground.
But with health care costs growing at better than triple the rate of inflation, something’s got to give. (And I haven’t seen any evidence at all that Tort reform would make the tiniest bit of difference…)
October 12th, 2005 at 10:06 am
Porcine Aviation Watch
You may have already seen this, but if you haven?t head on over to Rox Populi, where Roxanne has asked, ?I know you’re out there, reading this blog. Never commenting because you don’t want to incur the wrath. I can’t…