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restoring our biblical and constitutional foundations
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Those Predictable Republicans
Upon any review of GOP betrayals of the “Contract with America” principles that catapulted the party to its majority status in Congress in 1994, a predictable pattern of responses emerge from loyal Republicans. Shoulders and backs stiffen, chins drops slightly to tilt heads forward, brows furrow and nostrils flare and soon some brilliant jewel of political debate like, “So, you want Kerry to be president,” bursts forth like jelly out of an improperly eaten doughnut. Such presumption suggests that only Democrat voters criticize Republicans and that the GOP is beyond the analysis of anyone else. It is also reflective of an arrogant political perspective that only Democrats and Republicans are entitled to contemplate the mechanisms of government and politics.
Certainly either Republicans or Democrats will occupy most positions of power in Washington and in the various state capitals throughout the country, but if there are a considerable number of individuals who choose not to vote for Republicans or Democrats is there a problem with the wildcat voters or with Republicans or Democrats? Consider that if the millions of voters who vote for alternative parties are added to those who are not even inspired to cast a ballot then Republican and Democrat candidates would sink to a distant second and third place in most elections.
The point should be noted that criticism of the Democrat Party is considered here to be a monumental waste of time. Such is similar to informing an old sow hog that her pig pen stinks – she doesn’t care because wallowing in the slop of her own making is her nature. Similarly Democrats revel in a perverted view of American liberty that is a vast departure from the principles of classical liberalism. Consequently, the party has put itself in a position of defending everything from debauchery to subversion, and it is deaf to the reasoning of logic, science, or heritage.
The Republican Party, on the other hand, has ascended to power by proposing to restore the balance of powers between states and the federal government, keep federal budgets in balance, protect free markets, and end the intrusion of the government in the daily lives of citizens. Over the decade that the GOP has held majorities in the US Congress and most of the state legislatures there has been no progress made on any of those promises, and, in fact, the agenda of “Compassionate Conservative” Republican government actually contradicts those principles.
The promises of the GOP over the past decade has attracted voters who are generally a decent lot who respect moral absolutes, do not want a nanny state, and value the opportunity to build stable, safe communities with their convictions and commerce. They tend to have a conscience that helps them avoid the type of antisocial behavior that is embraced by the Democrats. They also like to believe that the candidates they support with their votes will defend their virtues and hopes that government will reduce its size, cost and intrusion into our personal lives
Funny things happen to the high talk of candidates when they’re thrown into the sausage grinder of American legislative politics, however. Somewhere among the 40,000 lobbyists, legislative pecking order, and demands from campaign donors convictions are reduced to guidelines and guidelines become little more than references in amendments to bills or subjects of non-consequential resolutions that are passed for the political benefit of office holders seeking reelection.
Let the presumption be made here that the only influence from voters that candidates for political office really understand is their ability to help them win or cause them to lose elections. This influence will only be taken seriously when it is applied. If the actual record of the Republican government contradicts promises that attracted voter support, then it is not unreasonable to suggest that further votes for Republicans are wasted. Rewarding Republicans with continued electoral victories is not going to make them repent of their profligate ways to return to the principles they claimed to believe and have since abandoned 10 years ago.
July 28, 2004
Since 1993 Bob Strodtbeck has been writing commentaries for The Apopka Chief, a news weekly circulated in a community ten miles north of Orlando. His analyses investigate a wide range of topics from what he calls a “Christian pragmatic” view – that is to say, he considers that human interactions are largely driven by the human instinct toward self-service, which is traditionally known as sin. This perspective has given Bob great liberty to criticize governmental officials from both parties upon the standards of constitutional laws they swear to uphold and review cultural and economic phenomena from moral standards defined in the Bible. Bob currently lives in Orlando with his bride Pam and children Charlotte and Richard. He may be reached for comment here.