This site is best viewed using Firefox.
Democrats verse Republicans
Intro: I grew up in a Republican family and when I turned 18 in 1975, I registered as a Republican without any hesitation. I voted for Ronald Reagan against Gerald Ford in the 1976 primary and for Ronald Reagan in 1980 and in 1984. I also voted for George H.W. Bush in 1988. I left the Republican Party in 1989, became an independent for a couple years and then with the 1992 primary and emergence of Bill Clinton, I registered as a Democrat, albeit a bit uncomfortably at first.
My reasons for changing parties were caused by my perception versus my expectations. I expected the Republican Party to be fiscally responsible. Under Reagan, it was not. I expected the Republican party to be law abiding. Under Reagan, it was not. I expected Republicans, as businessmen to be better managers of the government than bureaucrats, who I have been rasied to despise. Under Reagan they were not.
The right had done such an effective job of portraying Democrats as weak, corrupt and incompetent, I could not vote for Michael Dukakis in 1988 even though I most likely would have had Reagan been up for a third term. My reasons were that the economy was in such bad shape and the situation in Europe so precarious with the collapse of the Soviet Union that the country could not afford to gamble with an unknown like Dukakis. I also saw Bush has substantially more moderate than Reagan, and therefore a substantial improvement over the oppressive fanatical years under Reagan.
By the time Clinton emerged and Bush showed that he, although more adept at the problems that faced us then the destructive Reagan, was not getting the job done. I then took the plunge. However, the eight years of Clinton's presidency did not endear me to my newly adopted party. I did not see much of a difference between the way Clinton managed things compared to the first Bush, except that I loved the balancing budget. But I become solidly behind him because of hte Republicans constant harragfning of him, first over Whitewater and then Monica Lewsinsky. when they began the impeachment proceedings I hated the Repubicans like no other, even though I would have supported a censure.
But the straw that broke the camel's back, was the 2000 election. It was cheating plain and simple and for this I became a complete partisan. I can respect a team that beats my team, so long as they don't cheat. Cheating is off limits for me in any contest, including mine against the IRS. I like to play by the rules, and then win. Apparently, Republicans don';t care aobut the rules, only the winning. I am still upset over that election.
I believe that in general Republicans do not respect government. As a result, they manage it badly. Democrats on the other hand, respect government and the role it can play in improving people's lives. Therefore they work had to make sure it works. As far as I am concefrned, there is no other explanation for the mismagement of our govenrment today then this theory, other than pure greed. It is almost like the Republican Party views govenrment as just another instrument ot make money with, even if the money comes from the national debt.
From the hundreds of billions squandered in Iraq, New Orleans, Homeland Security and elsewhere, it is like pirates have gotten control of our government and are ripping it off for everything then can get their hands on. My mental image is one of the looting that went on after the fall of Baghdad, except it's Republican congressmen and White House insiders and cronies streaming out of Washington D.C. with their arms wrapped around millions of greenbacks.
It also appears that the Republican has complete disdain for the law if the law is not in their favor. No better example of this is the current George Bush administration. Their breach of law includes the war on terror, both detaining people illegally and torturing them, wiretapping without a warrant, invading Iraq and violating the rights of voters.