THE NEW REPUBLICAN PARTY

[yesthattom]

Andrew Tobias (the financial advise guy) wrote in his blog yesterday:

Tom Friedman in yesterday’s New York Times: “Last year, we cut the National Science Foundation budget, while indulging absurd creationist theories in our schools . . . ”

I just want to stress that those of you who are Republicans or libertarians are welcome in the Democratic Party.

• We don’t rack up massive deficits without good purpose (the last one we racked up was to fight and win World War II).
• We find ways to topple and imprison genocidal dictators like Milosovich at relatively low cost – we would have been more effective with Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
• We would be encouraging embryonic stem cell research, not seeking a global United Nations ban (which, thankfully, we “lost” most recently, 79-80).
• We don’t believe Tom DeLay should make life’s intensely difficult choices for your daughter or your dying parent.

You won’t like everything about us. But overall, isn’t it time to reevaluate?

Comments

[entirelysonja.livejournal.com]

We don’t rack up massive deficits without good purpose

My cynical side suspects that the only reason the Democrats don't do this is because it's what the Republicans are always accusing us of doing, so therefore we have to be particularly careful.

Whereas the Republicans are perceived as being the party of "fiscal discipline," allowing them to get away with murder. Almost literally.

[lillilah]

I'm saying this because it has been on my mind a lot recently. I want to mention in advance that I'm a Democrat. However, it seems to me that there are plenty of Democrats who aren't doing jack to make anyone from outside the party feel welcome in it. I've seen lots of people insult Bush and his followers, and either imply or say that conservative Christians are idiots for believing in creationism, voting for Bush, etc. Seems to me that people who aren't comfortable with others telling them what to do or with intellectuals who look down on others aren't going to be really inclined to join our side. Bush and the Republicans are looking more like the party for the average, midwestern guy, who probably doesn't see creationism as the most horrid thing ever; while the Democrats are starting to look more like the party for the intellectuals, the rich yuppies, gays and hippies. I was a lot happier when the Republicans were the party of the rich guy and the Democrats were for the people. I'm becoming really unhappy with the vitriol we are spewing. I don't know what the answer is, but I'd like to see the Democrats stop treating half the people in this country as if they were idiots or the enemy. I'm also tired of getting yelled at when I suggest being nice to people. I never thought that I would get tired of the Democrats. I like the Democrat policies but the nastiness and shit-talking is so unpleasant. (Oh, and I know that the Republicans are worse, but in my mind they are wrong and we are right.) In fact, it is so bad, that I really don't want to post this comment, 'cause I know people are going to go after me.

[holzman.livejournal.com]

The thing is, if you give an inch, Republicans take a mile.

Anyone who isn't at least an upper millionaire who voted for Bush was stupid. And wrong. I've yet to see someone who wanted to get let off the hook for being stupid on the point who didn't also want to get let off the hook for being wrong. When I'm talking to them, I can phrase it more nicely than that, but there's no getting around the fact that they made a wrong choice. If they aren't willing to cop to that, they aren't likely to move to the Democrats anyhow.

In the meantime, there have been people who have been willing to cop to it, and they're who it makes sense to reach out to.

[sierra-nevada.livejournal.com]

The choice between Republicans and Democrats is a choice between your Money and your Rights.

I choose both. This is why I vote Libertarian most of the time. I voted for Kerry in the last Presidential election because I knew that even if he were elected, a Republican Congress would keep him in check.

It is the Democrats who need to very seriously re-evaluate their positions.

You want my vote? OK:

Promise me a federal government that is less than 10% of GDP, with no annual budget deficit, and a tiny public debt (if any).

Promise me free trade with all other countries.

Promise me much more stringent limits on Eminent Domain taking of private property than we saw from Kelo v. New London.

Promise me a complete repeal of the PATRIOT Act.

Promise me proper trials in courts of Law for all American citizens arrested in the name of "terrorism".

Promise me an end to the War on Drugs.

Promise me a vastly expanded judiciary at all levels: it is criminal that one cannot get a civil lawsuit adjudicated in less than a week. Not to mention the mess in the criminal courts. "Justice delayed is justice denied."

Promise me that psychological testing will be required of all persons applying for law enforcement jobs, and those who show a tendency towards power tripping or control freaking will be precluded from hiring. Clean out the existing people who show those tendencies, too.

Promise me a New Orleans that, if rebuilt at all, will be rebuilt in an environmentally and economically responsible way, ending both the levees and the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico, and providing for the restoration of the Mississippi Delta wetlands.

You want transfer payments? OK: promise me a flat income tax with a poverty level exemption, and payments to those earning less than poverty level to bring them up to it (i.e. "negative income tax").

I think that's a good starter list.

[yesthattom.livejournal.com]

While I disagree on the things that we've historically disagree about, why not send this to Andrew Tobias? He's the Treasurer of the DNC, gay, and actually reads the feedback to his blog.

[aguynamedwill.livejournal.com]

I agree with you on the Dems, which is one reason I supported Ralph Nader and not Kerry in 2004.