Dear Democrats,
I have given up on you. At least on a national level.
Now I can hear many of my fellow liberal and progressive friends yelling at me about voting...blah blah, our people were slaves blah blah, and more recycled arguments than I care to think about.
In my travels and estimation...I get the feeling that today's Democrat at the national level is weak, wishy washy, and needs to MAN UP...(yes I said it....If I said Man Up as a republican people would take the phrase in the sense it is spoken not want to give me no 15 minute lecture.)
I think I have figured out the reason.
I often tell people when discussing politics that the last REAL, TRUE, in apologetic liberal...non war monger Democrat we had in The White House was Jimmy Carter.
After President Obama, Carter is the former President I respect the most.
Here's the problem.
Carter did not win the 1980 Presidential election in fact he failed to win a lot of states.
However, I would not say that Carter lost or that he failed.
After his first 4 year term he ran on true Democratic, Liberal principles....Opposition To War as anything but a last resort, tax money going to help ALL AMERICANS, and so on.
In 1980 America elected Ronald Reagan and his ghost has been haunting the Democratic Party ever since.
Here is the reason, I and Republicans view the Democrats as Weak. Since Carter, The Democrats have been apologizing and trying to out Reagan the Republican Party. They have been scared to say exactly what they stand for and worse have been afraid to call The Republican Party the haven for the bigoted and the greedy. Republicans though, after Clinton and Obama...still stand and espouse the pretty basic sentiment of "white men...first, last and always..." "Greed is Good..shoot it's GREAT" ..."Poverty is a crime to be fixed by jailing the poor" and "raid the middle class for every dime they can save."
Why Won't Democrats say these things? Why did Hillary Clinton run a campaign on "Vote For ME Because Trump Is A Jerk"...?
I believe it's because they are still haunted by the 1980 Election.
Here's also what I believe.
On a state by state level....People are looking for help....people want to be able to eat, save some money and send their kids to college, people want to be able to open businesses, people want to be able to say their health care system is at least as good at communist Cuba...and people believe in inclusion for women, people of color and immigrants...lastly...there are people that are against war...as anything but a last resort...and we truly do not believe in war for the sake of making rich people RICHER.
Now people will tell me...Clinton believed in all those things. However, when I watch DVR shows from election time....all the campaign ads show Clinton referring to Donald Trump as a Jerk.
I feel if you go down...? Go Down Swinging...Go Down RIGHT! Do not go down scared to speak because some people may not like your message. Get some back bone and understand....because you didn't win today? Does not mean you lost!
When I think about ALL the reasons I respect Jimmy Carter? Here are a few I need The Demoractic Party to think long and hard about.
1. Long after 1980.....Jimmy Carter has still served his country...at home helping to get Americans into their own homes with workers in need of employment. And over seas as a man helping other countries to VOTE, instead of WAR.
2. Carter went down...not trying to white wash his message. I knew what Carter was about and still do.
3. Carter was the last President to not start a war of choice, or be involved with a war of choice.
4. The first and last time I heard of a President involved in PEACE TALKS...? Jimmy Carter.
In closing ...The Republicans will lie, cheat and dance so close to all out bigotry it's a shame....but even after a great set of wins by President Obama..they did not retreat or back down from their core values (or lack of.) I still know what Republicans stand for and their code words.
If someone asked me what Democrats stand for in 2016/2017....I would honestly say...it depends on what day, what election and who is watching....
My advice? Confront the ghosts of Ronald Reagan and 1980...and let's move on.
In my travels and estimation...I get the feeling that today's Democrat at the national level is weak, wishy washy, and needs to MAN UP...(yes I said it....If I said Man Up as a republican people would take the phrase in the sense it is spoken not want to give me no 15 minute lecture.)
I think I have figured out the reason.
I often tell people when discussing politics that the last REAL, TRUE, in apologetic liberal...non war monger Democrat we had in The White House was Jimmy Carter.
After President Obama, Carter is the former President I respect the most.
Here's the problem.
Carter did not win the 1980 Presidential election in fact he failed to win a lot of states.
However, I would not say that Carter lost or that he failed.
After his first 4 year term he ran on true Democratic, Liberal principles....Opposition To War as anything but a last resort, tax money going to help ALL AMERICANS, and so on.
In 1980 America elected Ronald Reagan and his ghost has been haunting the Democratic Party ever since.
Here is the reason, I and Republicans view the Democrats as Weak. Since Carter, The Democrats have been apologizing and trying to out Reagan the Republican Party. They have been scared to say exactly what they stand for and worse have been afraid to call The Republican Party the haven for the bigoted and the greedy. Republicans though, after Clinton and Obama...still stand and espouse the pretty basic sentiment of "white men...first, last and always..." "Greed is Good..shoot it's GREAT" ..."Poverty is a crime to be fixed by jailing the poor" and "raid the middle class for every dime they can save."
Why Won't Democrats say these things? Why did Hillary Clinton run a campaign on "Vote For ME Because Trump Is A Jerk"...?
I believe it's because they are still haunted by the 1980 Election.
Here's also what I believe.
On a state by state level....People are looking for help....people want to be able to eat, save some money and send their kids to college, people want to be able to open businesses, people want to be able to say their health care system is at least as good at communist Cuba...and people believe in inclusion for women, people of color and immigrants...lastly...there are people that are against war...as anything but a last resort...and we truly do not believe in war for the sake of making rich people RICHER.
Now people will tell me...Clinton believed in all those things. However, when I watch DVR shows from election time....all the campaign ads show Clinton referring to Donald Trump as a Jerk.
I feel if you go down...? Go Down Swinging...Go Down RIGHT! Do not go down scared to speak because some people may not like your message. Get some back bone and understand....because you didn't win today? Does not mean you lost!
When I think about ALL the reasons I respect Jimmy Carter? Here are a few I need The Demoractic Party to think long and hard about.
1. Long after 1980.....Jimmy Carter has still served his country...at home helping to get Americans into their own homes with workers in need of employment. And over seas as a man helping other countries to VOTE, instead of WAR.
2. Carter went down...not trying to white wash his message. I knew what Carter was about and still do.
3. Carter was the last President to not start a war of choice, or be involved with a war of choice.
4. The first and last time I heard of a President involved in PEACE TALKS...? Jimmy Carter.
In closing ...The Republicans will lie, cheat and dance so close to all out bigotry it's a shame....but even after a great set of wins by President Obama..they did not retreat or back down from their core values (or lack of.) I still know what Republicans stand for and their code words.
If someone asked me what Democrats stand for in 2016/2017....I would honestly say...it depends on what day, what election and who is watching....
My advice? Confront the ghosts of Ronald Reagan and 1980...and let's move on.