5 Discussion Points For Republicans Thinking Of Switching

Many Republicans are considering voting Democrat for the

first time. Today, I’ll begin a series of talking points for encouraging our
Republican friends who are leaning in that direction. Point one: The fundamental flaw of one-party rule. . . .

The Republicans control the Presidency, House, Senate, and
the Supreme Court. Where there is one-party rule, there is a lack of
accountability. Those in the pubic trust need monitoring, and an adversarial
political system guarantees that. Because all congressional committees are
headed by Republicans, and because the current crop of Republicans are so
fiercely partisan, Democrats are effectively barred from policy decisions in Washington. (Click here
to read the report “America For Sale,” which documents Republicans physically
preventing Democratic committee members from entering chambers where important
Bills are being discussed). You don’t have to like everything the Democrats do
to see the harm in one party holding absolute power. Indeed, when the Democrats
held a lock on power in Washington,
sleazy stuff went down. That’s why the founding fathers instituted several
governing bodies, to prevent the things we see going on today. Now, me, I’m a
Liberal, and no fan of former President Reagan, but I have to admit, during the
mid-1980’s when Democrats controlled the House and the Senate (real Democrats
with backbone), and Reagan was President, stuff got done. That’s because each
party held genuine turf, could wield power from its own base of support, and
thus, each party held a genuine stake in positive outcomes. That’s healthy
government. However, the current polarization, where one party holds all power,
encourages corruption, extremism, and obstructionist politics.

Many Republicans are considering voting Democrat for the
first time. Here are a few reasons why that would make sense.

Reason 1. The Danger of One-Party Rule
The Republicans control the Presidency, House, Senate, and the Supreme
Court. Where there is one-party rule, there is a lack of accountability. Those
in the pubic trust need monitoring, and an adversarial political system
guarantees someone is looking over your shoulder. But because all congressional
committees are headed by Republicans, and because the current crop of
Republicans are so fiercely partisan, Democrats are effectively barred from
policy decisions in Washington.
(Click here
to read how, in 2004, Republicans began physically preventing Democratic
committee members from entering chambers where important Bills are being
discussed). You don’t have to be a big fan of the Democrats to see
the harm in one party holding absolute power. Indeed, in the 60’s and 70’s,
when the Democrats held a lock on power, sleazy stuff went down. That’s why the
founding fathers instituted several governing bodies, to prevent the things we
see going on today.

Now, me, I’m a Liberal, and no fan of former President Reagan, but I have to
admit, during the mid-1980’s when Democrats controlled the House and the Senate
(real Democrats with backbone), and Reagan was President, stuff got done.
That’s because each party held genuine turf, could wield power from its own
base of support, and thus, each party held a stake in positive outcomes. That’s
healthy government. However, the current polarization, where one party holds
all power, encourages corruption, extremism, and obstructionist politics.

Reason 2. The Republican Party Has
Become Extremist
Imagine yourself a moderate Democrat in the early 1970’s. All around you
are Democrats who want to let murderers out of jail, Democrats who smoke pot
and chant “Ban the Bra,” who promise every American a thousand dollars in their
pocket. And you? You’re a Kennedy fan, but realize
that for now, there’s no place for you in this party.

Well, that’s the state of Moderate Republicans today. Republicans who are
fiscally conservative but don’t necessarily think that Christianity should
become America’s
State Religion. You believe in tightly controlled immigration, but understand
that transforming our southern border into a wall is impractical. You believe
in strong national security, but understand that if we torture, then Americans
abroad can expect the same in response. You are suspicious of social programs
and government spending, but gosh, the Party seems like it’s
being taken over by people who want to make abortion flat-out illegal in all
cases.

Sadly, in order to minimize losses in this election, the Republican party is forced to appeal to extremists. This started back
in 2004, when President Bush had to appeal to ultra-conservatives who would
support the war at all costs. They proved that they would march, pass out door
hangers, and vote like robots. And now, they are the core of the Republican party. But today, they’re spittin’
mad, because Bush did not reduce taxes, institute school prayer, or make
abortion illegal. And so, the Republicans have a week to win them back. Who’s
suffering? Moderate Republicans, that’s who, especially incumbents like DeWine
in Ohio and Chaffee in Rhode Island. Who is being left out? The Republicans who wanted to reign in the Abramoffs
and the Delays, who wanted to cooperate with the Democrats and pass bipartisan
legislation, and who wanted to find an alternative to the carnage in Iraq.
Republicans like you. Indeed, the RNC leadership has written off moderates, and
is employing Bin Laden ads and basic character assassination to bring the
ultra-conservatives back into the fold.

And that is why you, a moderate Republican voter, get the feeling
something’s wrong this year. And if you do end up voting for a Democrat, it won’t be because you have abandoned the party, but
rather, the party has abandoned you.

Reason 3. No Meaningful Debate Within The Party
Some Republicans believe that a Republican vote is not necessarily a vote
for Bush. Some are hoping to vote for new Republican faces who
can encourage Bush to change his tune.

It won’t happen. Commentators on all sides tell us that Republican
leadership in Washington
does not tolerate dissent. Republican congressmembers
vote along party lines, always. They are not allowed to get in and tinker with
legislation to make it more inclusive and less partisan. The Republican agenda
is not up for modification. Republican congressional leaders have told us NOT
to expect a change of course in the face of changing realities. The Bush team
and Committee Chairmen simply expect their wishes to be carried out, and they
are. If what I just said sounds harsh, it isn’t really contested by anyone.
Some commentators praise their party discipline, calling it a healthy contrast
to the ever-bickering Democrats. Others just think its
bad. Regardless, in today’s Republican party, you do
what your told. If you doubt me, just check out Congressional voting records of
the last six years, and you won’t doubt me anymore. One example, the recent
torture bill that gets rid of habeas corpus for non-citizens, altering
what’s always been considered a fundamental right, received a “yes” vote from
every single Republican. And there was no debate. Every member of the Party
voted for that bill just as it was presented to them by leadership, a handful
offering the meekest misgivings before ultimately signing on. I don’t know
what’s more frightening, that the bill passed, or that it passed without a
single Republican raising a serious voice of dissent.

What does this mean? It means a vote for any Republican in any
national office is a vote for the entire Bush agenda. Period.

Reason 4. We are Less Secure Under
Republican Leadership
Republicans are no longer the party that can make America more
secure. Visit www.mypetgoat.50megs.com/priorities.htm
to learn how the Republican Congress has repeatedly voted down security
measures for America’s
ports and cities. Since 2002, they’ve consistently short-changed the very
agencies we depend on to watch what comes into this country, and short-changed
those who would respond to an attack.

Reason 5. Record Levels of Corruption
And finally, there’s the epidemic levels of
corruption in Republican leadership (Too many examples to list, so follow the
links below). This begins at the top, where Bush funnels No Child
Left Behind contracts directly to his brother, to Bush’s own dealings with the Bin Laden family,
through the profit-making machine that is running the war effort in Iraq and
Afghanistan, all the way to rank-and-file members of congress. Again, I’m not
saying Republican leaders are some sort of lower life form, but rather, they do
what most men would do when they have too much power. Give people too much access
to money and power, and no one to watch their actions, and you’ll get epidemic
corruption like we have today.