Dear Democrats,
I find myself in somewhat of a undesirably, unique position. I’d like to ask something of you, but seeing as I am a conservative in exile, the odds of you be empathetic to my request are nil. I will attempt to make this request using a simple fact to appeal to your sense of reason.
I’m not asking you to change your partisanship politics. Though the past year and a half, I’ve watching a liberal controlled legislative branch, provide a liberal controlled executive branch the means to enact whatever “hope and change” it deemed necessary — without any incite or inquiry from a liberal control judicial branch.
I’m not asking your to change your policies. Though I’m watching failed policy after failed policy be put into practice at a time when our government feels our once prosperous nation needs to be more like Greece — all while the the broken and destitute nation of Greece is trying to become more like how we used to be.
I’m not asking your to change your spending. Though your elected Congress and President has, in one year’s time, managed to spend more money then President Bush and his Congress did in eight.
I’m not asking you to stop passing your damaging and unsustainable bills. Even though though, twice now, your elected officials have passed bills and claimed that there’s no way to understand what the legislation will do until after its implemented.
And I’m not even asking for the so called “educated elite” to stop making preposterous statements such as “Unemployment benefits create jobs” and “Our borders are secure enough”. Though, honestly, the stupidity of these statements really does make my head hurt.
All I’m asking, is the you stop blaming Republicans for the pieces of your agenda that aren’t getting done. The simple fact is this: You control The House, The Senate, and the Office of the President. We simply don’t have the votes, or the veto authority, to block anything. Despite what the Ken and Barbie dolls on the television are telling you, if some piece of Democrat agenda isn’t getting done, it’s because your own party members can’t agree among themselves.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Paul Hobson
P.S. November is coming.
P.P.S. I think this comic is funny (click on the image to view it’s full size):
Democrats
July 2, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Paul,
You are hammering Democrats for partisan politics all the while playing the game yourself with harsh, black and white accusations. It’s this type of sharply divided and loud opinions that BOTH sides are guilty of, and are fueled, in part, by those Ken and Barbie types you talk about on the news. Although I admit that many of the talk-show hosts you see spewing out their slanted opinions as “news” are far from pretty. I applaud your passion, but I disagree with your approach.
In regard to your argument in bold, you are correct that Democrats do control the Legislative and Executive Branches. And sure, there is disagreement among democrats, as there is among Republicans. Broad assumptions are misleading and don’t capture the complexities of our world. Truth is, one has to consider the reality of cloture in the Senate, meaning that in reality, it is not a simple majority rules, but a 3/5 vote to block the inevitable Filibusterer on big bills.
I am admittedly and clearly a liberal, and I have been disappointed by the last two administrations, for very different reasons. I am sure you don’t agree with everything Bush did in his tenure, but maybe you do. We live in a media-saturated world that blurs the line between news and opinion, and then feeds it to us in short, digestible, black and white chunks. All Democrats do not think in one single way, nor do all Republicans. Keep fighting the good, opinionated fight, but I implore you to be a little less harsh toward others for their different world views.
July 3, 2010 at 1:57 pm
Hey James,
Thanks for your comment.
Just to be clear, my issue is not that there is disagreement between or among the political parties — this should be encouraged — my issue is with most major news outlets reporting it’s strictly the Republican’s fault that certain pieces of legislation aren’t being passed. Further more, I’m hearing nothing but these talking points repeated by Democrat politicians and vocal proponents. So all the while the “general” (those not paying that close of attention) are carrying on their way believing that the “evil” Republican party is standing in the way of all the good the Democrats are trying to do, when the Republican party literally can do nothing to stop anything. All the way, the policies and spending that are taking place by the current single sided government are unsustainable. I want to draw people’s attention to that.
As far as harshness is concerned, I really didn’t mean to come across as harsh and apologize if I did. My intent was to leave an impression, (hopefully) educate, and maybe to a small extent entertain anyone who may have stumbled onto this post.
July 4, 2010 at 1:58 am
Paul,
Well made points! I am entertained in your blog, and always love reading other view points. In fact, I often try to listen to Conservative radio or news to get another side, understand other arguments, but it is hard when some major personalities make things very black and white. I understand that maybe this is their stance, but I feel like THEY are too often putting words in other people’s mouths, and misleading the general public.
I also agree to your point that the Republican party has been shaded, rather unfairly, in a steep degree of evil by (the so-called) liberal media (a moniker that I disagree with, but I recognize that may be a product of my own political worldview). And perhaps this is why Republicans are so vehemently and passionately vocal, just as Democrats were over some of the policies of Bush.
Don’t get me wrong, I despise apathy and fear living in a country that is coated in it (although I do see a sad amount of it around me), and am not advocating you to quell your voice. Perhaps I mistook your passion for harshness, or perhaps you spoke harshly out of passion! I simply think, and hope that maybe you even agree, that some of the opposing rhetoric out there now is downright mean and unforgiving toward anyone who might disagree. And truly, I think it happens on both sides, and definitely plenty of Democrats were guilty of the same during the Bush years.
Anyway, I look forward to reading your posts in the future, and please don’t mind me if I disagree!
July 6, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Hey James,
I completely agree with you that the rhetoric is out of hand. In my experience there are people (conservatives and liberal alike) that get so caught up in the “me vs you” argumentative side of politics, I doubt they could discuss the real issues if they had to.
If we can be completely honest with each other, I think that conservatives and liberals both want the same thing — life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, etc… — but rather we butt heads on the process of achievement.
For example — and you can correct me where I’m wrong — as a conservative it is my belief that man should be able to make the most (or least) out of himself with little government involvement in his life. If and when the government is called upon to aid in an individuals lives, which there are certainly valid reasons to do so, it should be done in a manor that better equips him to take care of himself in the future. However, the policies that I seem churning out of the “left” most days are policies designed to “give a man a fish” rather than “teach him how to fish”.
Ronald Regan said it best of the welfare program: “Welfare’s purpose should be to eliminate, as far as possible, the need for its own existence.” We don’t see that happening. Instead, the program is growing and thriving. Again, from my perspective (and I would be interested in hearing opposing thoughts) it seems that welfare, primarily a liberal issue, is holding portions of the population captive in order to garnish votes for liberal candidates. For example, the down-on-his-luck citizens know that if they don’t keep certain politicians in power, their benefits would be cut.
Again, I thank your for your comments, and I never mind when people disagree with me.