Many, many years ago when they thought I was too naive to catch on, they (one of our political parties) wanted me as one of their Precinct Chairmen. They asked if I would accept, and I in return asked, "What exactly will I have to do?" They explained I would need to knock on my neighbor's doors and ask for their vote, pass out literature, put campaign signs in lawns, host fundraisers for local party candidates, and just in general pledge my loyalty and support for all the candidates the party puts forward.
"But what if I don't like the candidate you put forward? What if I for some reason find your / our candidate to be unworthy of my and my neighbor's vote? Do I still have to support him?"
They said, "yes", and I said "no thanks".
That, on a far grander scale, is what we're seeing in Washington right now. Republicans seem to be honoring their loyalty pledge to their fellow party member, without reservation. Every single intelligence agency head has publicly stated the Russians actively interfered in our recent election, but President Trump just gives it a "maybe". "It might have been the Russians, or maybe someone else" he says. "Who knows?"
Congressional Republicans almost uniformly say, "Yeah, well probably, I guess, but I'm not sure." Why can't they put party aside and say, "Yes the Russians interfered, and I don't like it one damn bit!" But they don't. They just give President Trump a pass, who in turn will likely not even bring the matter up with Russian President Putin when they meet tomorrow at the G-20 summit. Everyone is just tip-toeing around this little Russian bully. Is Washington now a "Backbone Free Zone"?
So the party....either party....is now more important than our nation's sovereignty and security? Unless they speak up boldly, now, I'll have to conclude their answer is "yes". That's their dirty little secret. To them the party is more important than The People they serve.
And that's why I will never be a member of either the Republican or Democratic Party. My loyalty will never be given cart blanche to either party, ever.
S
It's a good reason to have more than 2 parties and to never have 1 party control the entire government. It's a shame old timers like McCain constantly grumble in the press about Trump and things like the disastrous "health care bill" and then just fall in lockstep with The Party anyway. We've all been deceived into thinking this is a democracy when it's little better than Soviet Russia or China.
ReplyDeleteWe have gotten to the point that our leaders do not seem to care about the people, as long as their party comes out on top who cares what it does to the people, I am not a member of either party for this exact reason, my vote has always gone to the person I thought was most suited for the job regardless of party they were affiliated with.
ReplyDeleteMini-ME! :)
DeleteSo, it's an anomaly that the same people keep getting re-elected, even while everyone complains about them? The 2018 elections will return the same nitwits to Congress.
ReplyDeleteThe attitude has always been "Those guys are a bunch of crooks....except MY guy." GRRRRRR!
DeleteI must admit that I''m surprised by how much the Republican Party has jettisoned its principles to secure the power they believe Trump provides. Where are parties of loyal opposition? If our political parties can't put country first perhaps its time for different political parties.
ReplyDeleteI came to that same conclusion years ago, Steve. *still waiting*
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