An Open Letter To The Republican Party While the Republicans look on at one of the most complete power shifts since their own Republican Revolution, they must do some soul searching. None of the typical tactics of the last few election cycles worked. The scare tactics, thinly veiled innuendo, last minute surprises and religious pandering all failed. The Democrats won because they fielded a likable candidate and the right leaning Christian voters did not turn out in force. And finally the Democratic Party and Barack Obama, who ran an almost flawless campaign, should be congratulated for their well earned victory. What follows are seven points to ponder as to why I believe you have ended up where you are.
1. You Must Keep Your Word While most U.S. citizens were willing to vote for the lesser of two evils, and accept the excuses the Republicans keep coming up with, sooner or later you have to at least try to keep your promises or you will lose your credibility. People will assume you are lying to them and never had any intention of keeping your word. You ended up having no valid excuses, and the wakeup call should have been the midterm elections two years ago. You failed to keep the promises made in 2000 of controlling spending, reforming tax codes, streamlining government, and keeping government out of our lives, no nation building, humble foreign policy or job creation.
2. You Must Protect Freedoms You Don't Like
Even the people you do not agree with have certain rights guaranteed under the Constitution. You can't expect your fellow citizens to protect your rights if you do not protect theirs. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and they may not share your version of it. Remember over the next 4 years, that the weapons you employed to control and subdue your social and political opponents, are now in their hands. And it will be very tempting for them to use them.
3. Stop Preaching Moral Superiority This is not a Theocracy and our fellow citizens do not necessarily share your views (No matter how right you are). The first question asked after you decide to have a religion influenced government is which religion to follow. Unless you can name which religious viewpoint or which Denomination will set the rule, it is best to keep the government secular. Currently in our country we have over 3800 separate Christian denominations, not to mention the smaller factions within many of these. This does not even include Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hindu etc...Besides, between the Republican scandal lists, the Presidential candidate not even attending church, dishonest campaign tactics and the frequent outburst of profanity from high level party members, you don't practice what Christianity stands for.
4. Care For The Working Class
The Republicans told everyone in the working class that they would protect jobs and create new ones. But no matter how you measure it, that hasn't been the case. Jobs are being lost to unrestricted illegal immigration, sent overseas with tax breaks for the companies that sent them and U. S. companies have been sold to foreign interest. Now you may consider the ordinary working class persons not able to comprehend complex economic situation, but they vote (or don't vote) based on how they are doing personally.
5. Stop Protecting Wall Street
Your loyalty to business in general is one thing, but you have given Wall Street the keys to the vault. Now that the financial house of cards has collapsed and we are left with a financial catastrophe, your expertise in economics has lost all credibility. How could you not realize the flaw in your economic plan, that you can always trust the greedy to be greedy? Enough is never enough to corporations, and restraint will not work without consequences. It is not the fault of the fox when you put him in charge of the hen house and he behaves like a fox.
6. Confront The Big Lie
Once and for all tell the world that within our current tax system that raising taxes on the rich will not work because the rich don't have to pay taxes like the rest of us. The tax codes are designed to give shelters, loopholes and breaks that most people cannot take advantage of. The reform of the tax system has been the talking point of both parties but the fear of losing campaign contributions was greater than the fear of the people. If the flat tax were implemented, with all loopholes and shelters removed, then everyone would pay an equal percentage. While it may not be perfect, at least it would be fair to everyone.
7. RON PAUL WAS RIGHT
He told everyone so before, during and after the Republican primary debates that the economy was going to tank, and they ridiculed and smirked at him. They were rude and dismissive when he said we could not afford the war. And while Bernanke and Paulson were trying to keep the Titanic economy afloat with all the bailing wire (pun intended) and duct tape in the Federal Reserve tool box, the Republicans said the fundamentals were sound. And they are not laughing at Ron Paul now.
And as a follow-up question, since when is the Republican Party against the following:
• Limited government power
• A balanced budget
• Personal liberty
• Strict adherence to the Constitution
• Sound money
• A strong defense while avoiding all undeclared wars
• No nation-building and no policing the world
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