Meet The Real Republicans

The Republican party has shown Americans what it really stands for recently and for most of us, it isn't pretty. There is a reason why Newt Gingrich is their front runner and will remain so unless he does something really stupid.

To show what Republicans really represent, lets begin by looking at those who wish they were the front runner.

First, there is Mitt Romney, a former governor who has experienced great success in both government and the private sector and who for a long time was the Republican front runner. It is hard to imagine why republicans would not want Romney as their choice to square off with President Obama. He has no skeletons in his closet or they would have come out by now and he has been happily married to one woman and raised a family any parent would be proud to show off. Sure, he is labeled a flip flopper, which may be true but then again, it may also show that he maintains enough of an open mind to know when and why to change his positions. Besides, if you look at most candidates, you can find some position they have changed on and could call them a flip flopper too.

Romney is not the choice of the big money wing of the Republican Party -- Christian Fundamentalists -- because they do not want to see a Mormon in the White House. It is that simple. If Romney were a Catholic or Protestant he would be a shoe in for the party nomination.

"That's not true," is the cry of Republicans. They claim to be an open minded party and love reminding us they are the party of Abraham Lincoln. That may have once been true but they more closely resemble the party of the Taliban with their hatred of anything that goes against their Christian beliefs and the Book of Mormon is right up their with the Koran on their burn list.

So Romney is out.

Why not Herman Cain? Okay, he has suspended his campaign amid allegations of a long time affair and reports of sexual harassment dating back to the nineties. I am not sure why this is a big deal to a political party who is supporting a guy on his third marriage and who actually left one wife after she was diagnosed with cancer. However, that is no big deal to republicans because A) Newt claims to have since come back to his Christian faith in the process of getting his life back in order, and B) Newt is not black.

"Wrong again," claim Republicans. "Newt is one of the smartest and most articulate politicians out there and that is what makes him our guy."

I will admit, Newt is quite intelligent and well spoken and seems to be the only candidate who actually answers the questions he is asked in debates rather than just rattling off talking points. However, if you ever listen to John Huntsman, you would find him just as intelligent and well spoken as Gingrich and he has served as a governor and government representative to several nations. Oh, but wait, he is also a Mormon so scratch him off the list of the party of the open minded.

Republicans could go with Governor Rick Perry of Texas but lets admit it, he is down right stupid. For this, I applaud the Republican Party for not backing a guy who continually reminds us he is the commander and chief of 20,000 troops. The Texas governor should have locked up the nomination by now but every time he opens his mouth in a debate he proves to us his predecessor, George W. Bush, was a rocket scientist compared to him.

Alright, so no Mormons, no blacks, and no stupid Texans. Well, how about an older guy like Ron Paul? "Not a chance," says Republicans. "We don't need some geezer who speaks his mind and breaks with the party line like he does." They're right. If they did, they could just run John McCain again and save money on campaign posters in the process.

Hey, how about running a female as your candidate? "Just as long as it is not Sarah Palin," you say. Actually, Republicans like Palin but lets face it, her priorities are focused on herself and her bank account. She can't afford to be the president. Besides, she does not have the kind of family you want to show off to the country. "Let's keep her on FOX where she can serve as a better looking Rush Limbaugh."

That leaves Republicans with Michelle Bachman, who for some reason, even they find to be a crazy lady. The only other viable female candidate the party has to offer is Condoleezza Rice but we all know wealthy, white, Christian males don't want to see an intelligent black woman calling the shots.

Okay, so no blacks, no females, no Mormons, no independent thinkers, and no stupid Texans. That just leaves Newt or Rick Santorum to choose from.

Newt has years of experience working in congress and has since gone on to make millions of dollars off of his "consulting" expertise. He knows how the game is played in Washington D.C. and will ensure the money wing of the Republican Party stays satisfied. He also will not hesitate to use our military in more pointless wars while insisting taxes do not need raising when there are plenty of programs left to cut.

Rick Santorum just hasn't been around long enough to master all that Newt has so I predict Republicans will run a Gingrich/Santorum ticket with the hope Newt mentors Rick as well as Obe Won mentored Luke in Star Wars. Together, in the ideal world of the Republican Party, they will lead our nation for sixteen years and guide us to the kind of greatness that only a real Republicans can appreciate; the kind that continues to benefit the one percent at the expense of the rest of the nation.

Neil Young And The 2008 Election

Recently, I turned on my stereo in my garage prior to a workout and heard Neil Young singing, "Keep on Rocking In The Free World." This is a great song that I have loved since I first heard it in the late 1980's. Young sings about the problems we seem to ignore while enjoying life in a free world. He covers issues like homeless people, drug addicted mothers whose children have no hope of making it in this world, Styrofoam burning holes in the ozone, and much more.
It is an angry song that chastises not only our leaders, but also a society willing to turn its back on what it does not want to be reminded of.
As I listened to the song, I got to thinking about how true the lyrics are today, twenty years later. Not much has changed the last two decades. While we may have ushered in the age of the internet, cell phones, and ipods, our leadership is essentially the same. Many of our top political leaders today were already entrenched in Washington D.C. when Young first released this song.
Over the past two decades, we have seen the rise of Senator John McCain's political star as he has worked his way up the political ladder to become the Republican Party's next choice for the presidency. We have also seen the rise of Hillary Clinton from first lady to first victim and now as Senator from New York with eyes for the white house.
Both candidates would like us to believe they have played a significant roll in making our country better and should become our next president. However, they are nothing more than examples of leaders who have, like many Americans, continually closed their eyes and turned deaf ears to real problems that continue to exist.
While they may have plans to handle the war, deal with a failing economy, and convince us they are the best qualified person to lead our country, they have failed to ebb the tide of homelessness, rid the country of drug abuse, or close the hole in the ozone. In fact, the problems of our nation twenty years ago are now generally accepted as a way of life thanks to their inactivity.
Both senators McCain and Clinton represent a generation of leaders who failed to provide us with any leadership. You see, while climbing the political ladder, both were too busy looking out for their own future to accomplish anything to ensure the future of Americans for generations to come.
Our children will end up better test takers than any prior generation but in all likelihood will end up unable to afford a college education and will probably have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Social Security and Medicare are still in danger of collapsing but this has little affect on our wealthy leaders even though it greatly impacts the millions of average Americans who have trusted leaders like McCain and Clinton to make sure it is there for them. And the middle class continues to be reduced while being expected to pay the tax burden of the nation while the wealthy lobby for loopholes that let them off the hook.
Before you blame them, remember, senators McCain and Clinton are no different than George Bush, John Kerry, or Al Gore, who came before them and are part of the same generation of leaders.
Worse, now that a leader from a younger generation has emerged on the national stage with a message of hope and leadership that leads from a higher ground, Barack Obama, McCain and Clinton resort to the politics of their generation's style; negative politics. It is what has allowed Senator Clinton to climb back into the race for the Democratic Party's nomination and it has allowed Senator McCain to take the lead recently in national polls.
When will our country wake up and realize if we always vote for the candidate who is best at smearing his opponent or instilling fear into our minds, we end up with leaders who have few accomplishments to hang their hats on but plenty of negative adds to run against their opponents?
If you want the status quo, leadership that expects little to nothing from the people while promising them little in return, you have a tough choice between McCain and Clinton. Both seem well qualified in this regard.
However, if you want a new leader, one who recognizes our problems and articulates them in a clear and calm manner; one who offers us hope while admitting we have challenging times ahead; one who can not be blamed for the problems Neil Young sang about twenty years ago but appears willing to tackle them; then Barack Obama should be someone you can feel good about voting for. I know I do.