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JerryBaumchen

40+ Years as a Republican

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Hi folks,

I come from a family that could not be more Democratic; as in, you only vote Democratic.

In the late 60's I changed my registration to Republican as I could no longer stand LBJ and his 'Great Society.'  It was about 40+ yrs later that I had finally had it with the Republican party.

In the 70's, here in Oregon, we had a Republican office holder who was known in this state as Mr. Republican.  He was Clay Meyers.  When I read of his death back in 2004, his obituary said,  "I didn't leave the party. The party left me."

This exactly how I feel about the Republican party of today.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._Clay_Myers_Jr.

Jerry Baumchen

 

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I'm right there with you.  I voted conservative Republican all my life, but at 57 years old in 2016 I voted for Hillary Clinton.   After the Republicans fell in line to support Roy Moore, my wife and I both went to the courthouse to change our voter registrations to Democrat.

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Two good examples of how far the GOP is moving to the right - and how the democrats are following them to the center.  Neither Clinton nor Biden would have been electable as democrats 20 years ago; they'd be too far to the right.  And today, Reagan would be attacked for being too liberal.

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Just now, billvon said:

Two good examples of how far the GOP is moving to the right - and how the democrats are following them to the center.  Neither Clinton nor Biden would have been electable as democrats 20 years ago; they'd be too far to the right.  And today, Reagan would be attacked for being too liberal.

I'd have to say that "moving to the right" is distorting what the right really is; it's moving toward the seeking of power for its own sake, and a "might makes right" approach. If you honestly believe that might isn't the be-all and end-all, then the party is moving away.

Wendy P.

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12 minutes ago, wmw999 said:

I'd have to say that "moving to the right" is distorting what the right really is; it's moving toward the seeking of power for its own sake, and a "might makes right" approach.

I think that's also happening.  But when you look at how often the right has embraced right wing extremist ideals over the past 20 years (xenophobia, white nationalism, isolationism) they are also moving in that direction.

 

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Just now, billvon said:

I think that's also happening.  But when you look at how often the right has embraced right wing extremist ideals over the past 20 years (xenophobia, white nationalism, isolationism) they are also moving in that direction.

That's been a back-and-forth theme in American politics (and those of lots of other countries, too) for a long time. Look at the Know-nothings, the USA Firsters of WW2, even a lot of the populist swings in the past. We've probably been due for one of those swings, dagnabbit. You'd think people would learn from past mistakes, but they keep doing the same stuff over and over.

Wendy P.

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1 minute ago, wmw999 said:

I'd have to say that "moving to the right" is distorting what the right really is; it's moving toward the seeking of power for its own sake, and a "might makes right" approach. If you honestly believe that might isn't the be-all and end-all, then the party is moving away.

Wendy P.

And the winner is.

There is an absence of leadership within the GOP. Since McCain died there is only McConnell left and he is responsible for the current state of the GOP. Graham is a follower not a leader.

I suggest this because McConnell is alone in standing up to trump, abet in a limited way. Within the last week he shot down a second stimulus bill even though throwing more cash around would help the GOP and trump in this election. Thats not to say that McConnell is not complicit in the trump program. But like trump he is a transactional thinking person. He looks at the end game of specific legislation getting passed and a greater goal of conservationism without values.

That corporations pay, that gerrymandering pays, that everything that comes into contact with the tank treads of government pays. With an objective of GOP control of the smallest government possible. A government without values. Before there was trump and Stephen Miller there was Mr. McConnell. Leading the drive to kill Obama's SC appointment.Fighting everything Obama stood for. Here he is leading the GOP charge to appoint SC #3 under trump. Consequence be damned.

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There have been others who stood up to Trump; only McConnell (and to a lesser degree Dr. Fauci) have power of their own. Jeff Sessions, Mattis, Tillerson, all had at least some backbone. Not to mention the people like McGahn and Vindmann who testified. 

Even though people like a whistleblower or someone who stands up to authority, it doesn't usually end well, and they (especially middle and lower level people) end up in significantly lesser jobs, or with no job at all, because most businesses value what they see as loyalty.

Wendy P.

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10 minutes ago, wmw999 said:

There have been others who stood up to Trump; only McConnell (and to a lesser degree Dr. Fauci) have power of their own. Jeff Sessions, Mattis, Tillerson, all had at least some backbone. Not to mention the people like McGahn and Vindmann who testified. 

Even though people like a whistleblower or someone who stands up to authority, it doesn't usually end well, and they (especially middle and lower level people) end up in significantly lesser jobs, or with no job at all, because most businesses value what they see as loyalty.

Wendy P.

I perhaps should have prequalified that with elected republicans. The others have left, my apologies to Mitt Romney,...duh!  Perhaps the only GOP member with a backbone and values.

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1 hour ago, wmw999 said:

That's been a back-and-forth theme in American politics (and those of lots of other countries, too) for a long time. Look at the Know-nothings, the USA Firsters of WW2, even a lot of the populist swings in the past. We've probably been due for one of those swings, dagnabbit. You'd think people would learn from past mistakes, but they keep doing the same stuff over and over.

Wendy P.

Hi Wendy,

Re:  'USA Firsters of WW2'

Actually, they were America Firsters.  While I was alive back then, I was but a wee child and did not really know about them.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_First_Committee

Jerry Baumchen

 

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1 hour ago, wmw999 said:

There have been others who stood up to Trump; only McConnell (and to a lesser degree Dr. Fauci) have power of their own. Jeff Sessions, Mattis, Tillerson, all had at least some backbone. Not to mention the people like McGahn and Vindmann who testified. 

Even though people like a whistleblower or someone who stands up to authority, it doesn't usually end well, and they (especially middle and lower level people) end up in significantly lesser jobs, or with no job at all, because most businesses value what they see as loyalty.

Wendy P.

Hi Wendy ( again ),

Re:  'Jeff Sessions, Mattis, Tillerson, all had at least some backbone. Not to mention the people like McGahn and Vindmann who testified.'

And let us not forget Jeff Flake of AZ.

Jerry Baumchen

 

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