Republicans in trouble with young voters

Tue, 07/10/2007 - 3:47pm
By: Letters to the ...

One of the things that separates Republicans from Democrats is the openness of Republicans to criticize their own party when they feel that their leaders have ideologically failed them.

I believe a majority of Republicans will openly admit they have held their nose while voting for certain Republican candidates or stayed at home in defiance for a certain election in order to punish the party for its misdirection now and then.

Such may be the case in 2008, for if you are a conservative, it is hard to feel any excitement concerning the coming Presidential elections.

The candidates are saying all the right things about fiscal conservatism, cutting spending and enforcing our borders, but how can one take them seriously when these ideals have been abandoned for the past eight years?

2008 may indeed be the year that many conservatives stay home. It may take four years of Hillary and a Democratic Congress to excite the conservative base in 2012, as happened in 1980 when Reagan crushed Carter in a startling landslide.

However, it may be in fact that the Republicans have more to worry about than just a conservative boycott.

I was speaking with a young lady the other day who was in her early 30s. She proudly declared herself a Democrat, which immediately invoked the usual response from me when someone states loyalty like that, “Why?”

She then proceeded to recite some of the usual rhetoric such as the war in Iraq, etc. However, she did say one thing that I have mulled over ever since. She said that the Republicans are spending too much money and growing government far too big and that we need Democrats to reverse these trends.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. At first I thought she was just being sarcastic or silly, but I soon realized that she was being sincere.

After contemplating where she was coming from, I came to realize that people her age and younger, may indeed associate the Republicans with the party of big government and spending.

She of course has no recollection of the collapsing economy of the late 1970s when the controlling Democrats had burdened this nation with a crippling tax rate that approached 71 percent at the top end, which helped contribute to 20 percent interest rates (the prime rate hit a peak of 21.5 percent at one time) accelerating inflation and stagnant job growth.

She has never heard of Barry Goldwater and has no recollection of the Reagan Revolution as the Gipper slashed tax rates that led to the booming economy of the mid ‘80s.

She is not aware of the vision of Newt Gingrich and how in a single election, Republicans startled the political pundits and took over Congress with their highly touted conservative principles and ideals.

No, sadly, all she really knows about the Republican Party is the era in which the [GOP] had total control and squandered it. The era in which they finally had the opportunity to truly implement the ideals of fiscal conservatism and smaller government that we as conservatives have held dear to us for so long, only to desert us once they obtained power.

They have shown that when it comes to spending tax money and growing government, the elephant can run just as fast as the donkey, if not faster.

Of course, should the Democrats take control in 2008, they will probably once again show their true colors as well, and their lucid lust for governmental control over health care and other facets of our economy will once again become self-evident.

Perhaps, there is no difference between the two political parties when it comes to spending. Maybe it’s just a simple fact that the party in power spends our money on stuff that they value, which is labeled as waste to the party currently out of favor.

Maybe both parties should use the pig as their mascot as they both eat from the taxpayer trough with equal desire.

If this is the case, maybe everyone should just stay home in 2008, for what’s the difference?

[That’s a question] you often hear from the left, mere statements that are not supported by any supporting data or factual events, which make them what they simply are, rhetoric.

Brad Rudisail

Peachtree City, Ga.

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AF A-10's picture
Submitted by AF A-10 on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 3:07pm.

Brad, here may be another reason your party is in trouble. Soehow 1bighammer feels that the "liberal media" assigns the democratic view to each and every story and somehow people become democrats. You converse with a girl who stated she was a democrat and cited Iraq. And your reaction? "She then proceeded to recite some of the usual rhetoric such as the war in Iraq, etc."

News flash Brad. Over 100 thousand Americans are in Iraq right now, fighting for their lives. Many will not come home. More will come home injured and permanently scarred. And the reasons for their sacrifices have changed so many times. The rational shifts. The goals change, and are still unmet even when the bar is lowered. Many of us feel this goes beyond "rhetoric." Your party, by and large, has accepted an open-ended philosophy which keeps young Americans in Iraq's civil, sectarian violence for an undefined amount of time. Many of us democrats, see an absolute lack of sincere criticism of your party's leadership, and an unwillingness of your legislators to vote in accordance with the will of the American people. Therefore, voters turn to the party with different ideas.
If you expect people to vote Republican now because of your opinion of Ronald Reagan's leadership, I would encourage you to join us in the 21st century. If you think Newt Gingrich's "vision" should inspire us to become Gingrich conservatives, I'm afraid you have a different view of Mr. Gingrich than many others do. Rationalize as you wish as to why there are people who dare to vote and think differently than you do, but I encourage you to seek a larger sample group than 1. And you may benefit from questioning the validity of the principles and policies you support, that may not be serving this country well currently. It just might possibly be that you hold beliefs and opinions that, at rare times, might possibly, somehow, be......wrong.

Kevin "Hack" King


Submitted by 1bighammer on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 3:55pm.

and if a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his arse every time he jumps! I’ll agree that the media doesn’t assign the democratic view to each and every story, however the way things are reported or NOT reported does affect it’s interpretation.

I’m an independent thinker, I don’t just follow the Republican party in lock step and I question some of our current administration’s policies. Your so called “open ended” policy in Iraq, isn’t one of them. Was there a date for pullout of our troops in Europe during WWII? No, they stayed until the job was done. Should there be a date for withdrawal in Iraq? No. That being said, I do believe there should be a clear set of deliverables for our military and the Iraq government. Once those deliverables are achieved its time to bring our troops home. Our current administration has not done and adequate job in establishing those deliverables.

I don’t “expect” people to vote Republican. Am I conservative on all issues? Probably not, just most of them. What I “expect” of people is for them not to do what I or anyone else says to do, but instead use their brain, and make their own choice. Right or Wrong.

Submitted by 1bighammer on Wed, 07/11/2007 - 11:04am.

I too have spoken to many young adults who consider themselves Democrats. Once upon a time before the advent of the internet and the cornucopia of cable news channels, youngsters derived their political views from their parents. In this day and age however, the liberal controlled media is constantly bombarding our youngsters with their liberal views. These youngsters don’t take the time to research anything they just take what is spoon fed to them as the gospel.

I’m a Republican now, however when I was growing up I thought I was a Democrat. That’s what my parents were, so naturally that’s where I found myself. My children see themselves as Republicans. We talk about politics a lot, something I’ll bet most parents don’t do with their children. Yes, I give them my conservative point of view about things, but only because they get enough of the liberal view from the media and such. They often debate their liberal classmates on issues of the day, and more times than not, their classmates go away questioning their own position.

Some people will say I’m indoctrinating my children with conservative views. Maybe, but I think if people just let children go until they are adults with no previous political knowledge, they aren’t prepared to use the greatest right bestowed upon them by the Constitution of the United States, the right to vote.

So parents, educate your children yourself, don’t let the liberal media and the government schools shape their political futures.

Submitted by KBETS on Fri, 07/13/2007 - 12:16am.

You most be joking about the Constitution and the republicans.They have broke so many laws that they should be impeached and sent to Iraq.Ive never in my life would believe that America would start a unlawful war and just let it keep going even though nothing good is gonna come out of this unnecessary war on a country we supplied all there weapons to them.Then to lie when they knew there was no wmd to the whole world.I never in my life have seen so many country's hate us for old W but I didn't put him there so I'm not the one to blame.Even you guys Colin Powell tried to talk some since to drunk Bush but he acted just like Hitler did and lied his butt off to get his way.The thing that trips me out is how many people around here still think that he is a great leader.You guys need to get your heads out of your rear ends and wake up like the rest of the world has.What are you talking about with the media have you ever watched a channel called fox.The supreme justices decided who went to the office not the American people check vote totals for 2000.poplar vote not electoral.Its been a scam for 7 years now I just pray we can make it to the next election before he starts another war with Iran. I'm sure the problem around here is that no one have anybody on the front lines in there family's like I have 2 brothers and 1 cousin that are fighting in this war for nothing now if the war was like ww2 I wouldn't care but this war sucks

pentapenguin's picture
Submitted by pentapenguin on Fri, 07/13/2007 - 12:18am.

Please put some line breaks between your rants to at least make it readable. Eye-wink

Bush but he acted just like Hitler did
Oh really? Where are the millions upon millions of dead bodies that Bush has killed? Hmm?

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tell Senior El Presidente no to amnesty!


Submitted by KBETS on Fri, 07/13/2007 - 12:29am.

I was talking about the way he has lied to the country.If you will read your stats on the war on terror theres right at a million that has died for this war.Also its 130 am I'm to tired to put spaces down.One more thing about ww2 it was alot more countries than just Hitlers thugs going around.He just started it by lieing to his people about Poland attacking Germany when it was really his Nazi party.I just don't like Bush sorry but we could still be friends you don't have to attack before you even know someone.lol

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