America, I love you but I have a question for you… Why are you gluttons for punishment?? Why do you continue to make the same mistake time and time again? Elections could be a time for fresh faces, new ideas, a potential change of direction, and for the people to have their say. So why, oh why America, are you throwing elections away by promoting dreadful candidates and yearning for past candidates who were dreadful to begin with?
Let me first deal with Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. There was a poll released the other day saying if the 2012 election were held today Romney would beat Obama 53% to 44% and this is leading to some rumblings that he will run a third time.
This is not a positive poll for Romney and should not be a call for him to run again. This President has more scandals going on right now and should be considered the worst President since Jimmy Carter. He has scandals ranging from the Benghazi terrorist attack to Fast & Furious to the Veterans Affairs to the Internal Revenue Service to the Border crisis. When you include how the economy is continuing to tank with continued high gas prices and the nightmare called Obamacare has yet to be fully implemented. Despite all these scandals, some operatives in the GOP are getting excited about a 9 point lead in a poll. Have the American people really lowered their standards that much?
Let me be perfectly clear, if you cannot beat Barack Obama of 2012, then who could you beat?
This problem is bigger than Mitt Romney; this is a problem with the whole GOP so let’s focus on the 2014 mid-term elections. Today America has two parties who constantly tell their bases why it is critical they win the next election and sadly far too Americans have now bought into the party mind-set of us versus them. The UNITED States of America was NEVER and should never be great because a political party is in power – it was and is great because of the American people.
Right now, most polls and pundits predict the House will remain under Republican control in 2014 but the Senate which is currently controlled by the Democrats 53 – 45 with 2 independents could be up for grabs. So if the GOP wants to control the Senate after the upcoming election they need to win 6 seats – That is going to be a significant swing toward the GOP and will need principles and bold policies to entice millions of voters to either switch to the GOP or vote for the first time?
So what is their platform to win? Depending on who you ask it is a combination of keeping their heads down, don’t rock the boat and don’t take any stands. Another GOP aide said last December, ““Ideally, we’d freeze things the way they are until November”. WOW! The party of Lincoln, Reagan, Anti-Slavery and low taxes now stands for don’t rock the boat. Sadly the problems don’t stop there for the GOP.
This currently party has not only stopped fighting a liberal agenda, it is now fully embracing issues of the left. I honestly cannot think of one positive reason anyone would consider voting for the GOP unless you think some of the following are “winning” issues today.
- Admitting one of the main reasons they support Immigration Reform is because they won’t win future elections without it.
- Not using its Article 1 Constitutional Powers in the House and instead asking elected judges in the Supreme Court to do the Constitutional job of the House.
- During a republican primary contest in Mississippi an ad aired claiming the Tea Party are racist.
- Raising taxes in the first vote of this Congress.
- Before any negotiations with POTUS, they confirm they are NOT going to use their Article 1 power of the purse and refuse to consider Impeachment.
I understand the need to win elections and advance an agenda but when was the last time the American people had a victory?? When was the last freedom and individualism won? I honestly wonder if this question ever goes through the minds of politicians and the strategists that advise them because the current GOP only ever offers one solution and that is just elect more republicans and if you get them back into office everything in the world will be fine. If you believe electing more republicans will save America, the 2014 elections will mean NOTHING! Washington will continue to act in the same way and the problems facing America will never be addressed and you will continue the long slide toward Utopia.
Please think about some of the issues below and ask where your local candidates stand and if they are even discussed:
- Any real reduction in the size of the federal government in any department, or reduction in rules, legislation or regulations.
- Returning power to the individual and a defence of federalism and the 10th amendment.
- Stopping Common Core, Abolishing the Department of Education and return standards and power back to the state and local level.
- Abolish the Federal EPA and let the states control their own environmental policies and stopping CAFÉ standards.
- Forget Immigration Reform but who is speaking about securing the border.
- Simplifying the tax code, and let EVERY American keep more of the money they earn.
- Stop the NSA spying on citizens.
- Forget a “crazy” idea of actually reducing the U.S. debt, but how about starting with a balanced budget and not some plan to do it over 10 years.
I could provide countless more examples of principles the American people used to support. However I would like us all to remember recent history. Between 2000 and 2006 the GOP controlled the House, Senate and the White House and what did they do? They increased the size and scope of government. I cannot remember any discussion of reducing the budget of ANY government department. They supported big government policies like No Child left behind and the Patriot Act. They helped increase the debt more under George W Bush more than any other President in history*(until Barack Obama came along). They did very little to increase border security despite being in power while America suffered the worst terrorist attack since Pearl Harbor in 9/11. So clearly, just voting GOP is not the answer to making America great again.
Now far be it for an Irish man to tell you who to vote for in the mid-term elections or as your next President but I will tell you what qualities I believe are important for your next politician and President to possess. Firstly they must love, honor and respect the Constitution of the United States and fully appreciate why that document is so special. They must understand why America is different from every other country in the world past and present and why those differences have helped America contribute more to the world than anyone else. Lastly they must understand that DC is not the answer to making America great, the people are, because only the American People have it in their power to begin the world again.