By now, you've probably heard the remarks by Vice President Cheney basically stating that if we vote Democrat, we will most assuredly get attacked again. How's that for a slogan: vote Democrat and die?
Andrew Sullivan writes about this audacious statement and uses it as the frame for why he is not supporting Bush this time around. He is not backing the President for three important reasons (which pretty much mirror my views):
*Bush's support for the anti-gay Federal Marriage Amendment;
*His administration's fiscal irresponsibility:
*The botched handling of Iraq.
The reasons not only show why Bush does not deserve a second term, but it also shows how corrupted conservatism has become. Where it preached small government that allowed people liberty, it now supports a big government that governs people's lives especially in the bedroom. Where it preached fiscal conservatism, it now spends like there is no tomorrow. Where it preached a cuatious and sound foreign and military policy, it now supports a policy that uses only a stick and uses it quite ineffectively.
What Bush espouses is far from conservatism; it is a form of nationalism that makes the nation god and anyone who questions a heretic.
Seeing this and the decision by Log Cabin to not endorse Bush you see that part of the conservative coalition that was built by Ronald Reagan is slowly coming apart. Goldwater Libertarians, along with Rockefeller Moderates and Midwestern Conservatives are no longer infuatuated with Bush because he has crafted his presidency to placate only the Religious Right and the neocons.
Even though the polls show Bush ahead, I see more disintergration on the conservative side and more cohesiveness on the left.
I tend to think this story is the subtext beneath the polls. It will be interesting to see if this will mean a Kerry victory since seems to be doing such a good job of alienating key voters.
Posted by Dennis at September 9, 2004 11:48 PMTo Dennis Sanders,
Question: If you don't believe in the religious right or in what Bush and the Republicans have been doing for the last 30 years then why call yourself a Republican? I understand you want to associate yourself with the original roots of the party and as well distance yourself from the current administration, this is commendable and goes futher than most republicans would, however, the party you seek to represent no longer exists. Unfortunately I don't think there is any going back. If you ask me I believe your beliefs are more to the left and lean more towards democratic values. In saying that I must also point out that like the new republicans, democrats are not democrats. They have strayed from their liberal roots to somewhere in the middle in no mans land. In addition niether democrats nor republicans have shown any leadership lately. They trade favors of policy for special interest donations. They are together, completely irresponsible. My suggestion, forget them both. Vote for an independent like Nader or a third party like the green party that takes no corporate donations. No party or candidate is perfect but what we have now is leading us down the path of destruction. You have my respect minister.
Mike
Posted by: Mike at September 13, 2004 01:45 AMDennis--my husband Demetrius is the artist in the family, but Cheney's warning that the bad people will come hurt us if Kerry is elected got me motivated to go into Photoshop and make this:
http://bmgbiz.net/chenypuppy.jpg
The spammers--yuck. I noticed a while back on LiveJournal that I started getting spam comments. I have no idea what one does about that, but it's getting more and more necessary to have some sort of login on blogs. Bummer.
Posted by: Renee in Ohio at September 10, 2004 01:19 PMCheney's assertion that a Kerry victory would encourage another terror attack is wrong-headed: the terrorists are going to attack us no matter who is in charge. Hell, when you think about it, the terrorists have been at their worst with Bush IN OFFICE! What, like Clinton was still in the White House on 9/11?!
Btw, can you do something about the spammers. I don't need breast enhancement: I'm trying to lose weight as is...