How valuable are they? Ought to be? Do they work at all?
They should. They let a broader group of people know who has
support from whom. We can share in their knowledge and make judgments
accordingly. We know the reputation of the person making the endorsement. We
have a basis of trust in that. Endorsements have been useful for a long time.
Now is the time to recall what each candidate said about the
other candidates. Herman Cain was pretty much against all of the other
candidates. Newt Gingrich couldn’t stand Mitt Romney or many of the others
either for that matter! The same goes for Michelle Bachman, Ron Paul, Rick
Perry, and Jon Huntsman. Well, maybe not for Huntsman.
Jon Huntsman was cut from the old cloth of character. He is
polite, direct and factual in his public pronouncements. He didn’t undercut his
opponents, just policy positions and opinions. He was and is civil. He is
decent. I might listen to someone like him.
But not the others. Rick Perry wanted the Bible to guide the
nation; he wanted all neo conservative policies to be operating: no abortion,
no gays, no public debt, no deficit spending, no immigrants, no or little
government. And anyone who thinks differently is simply not an American! Whew.
What a guy. His endorsement would mean very, very little.
Michelle Bachman, nearly the same as Perry, but with womanly
wiles was much more pleasant. Unfortunately she too wants the Bible to be the
guide to all things American and rewrote history to be sure we got that point.
And marriage between a man and a woman only, no civil partnerships, even among
men and women, just to be sure we isolate all people who don’t think like her.
No; an endorsement from her wouldn’t hold water. Especially for Mitt Romney who
she made clear she loathed on many levels.
Herman Cain touched so many nerves he had to drop out of the
race early. His word was faulty. His opinions weird. His sense of history
upside down and not factual. And yet he may make endorsements within the
Republican Party? To whose gain or value? It seems to me Cain has no
credibility to rely on. Zero.
Ron Paul is a Libertarian.
I’m not sure anyone has a working definition of what that is, but he is
no Republican, or Democrat, either. He’s for small government or none. He’s for
self reliance. All good to some degree, but very mixed up on so many issues.
Some logical thinking. Some common sense applied. But all in all incomplete.
The whole picture is not developed. That’s the problem most libertarians have
in my opinion. They are works in progress and need to do more homework before
stepping upon the public stage. Taken on the whole, however, Ron Paul is a
decent person. More than a little odd, but decent and someone I would at least
listen to.
Newt is such an egotist and wannabe he has little authority
or credibility. He is pompous and manipulative. When in discourse on most any
subject, he diverges from topic and makes a political edict, as though it must
be followed. Trouble is the thought sequence doesn’t exist. You know about non sequiturs; well, Newt is the master
of the genre! His endorsements ring false. They are merely ideological
droppings. You pick each one up with great care or sheer avoidance.
No, the republicans have no voice of moral authority. They
have so devoured their own brand as to be meaningless. Too bad. Abraham Lincoln
is a personal hero of mine. His thinking, actions and struggle informed the
nation, our nation, of what it was about for then and for the far, far future.
Pity. The party has fallen so far. Self consumed on its own
petard of neo conservatism and intolerance. Intolerance of differing opinions,
philosophies, and values, all of which enrich our life together. How utterly
vacuous the party has become. Naysayers in the bush and upon every mountain
top. But oh so lonely. Voices in the wilderness without substance or future.
Such a pity.
May 6, 2012
I've been there done that. I was raised a Democrat. I really liked the idea that they stood up for the little guy. They lost me when they turned their backs on the smallest and least powerful humans in our society. This is their moral failing and one that is hard to overlook. So I tried the Republicans. It seemed to me that they worked long and hard on holding back progress and pandering to peoples fears. This is their moral failing.
ReplyDeleteI have three reasons I vote. I believe as a society we should care for the sick and the poor, we should protect the least among us and we should bring peace to the world.
For example I voted for President Clinton on the issue of health care for all. He blew it. Instead of mandating that all insurance companies must provide insurance to all at the same rate they insure their best customers, he created a plan for a massive government system. My father claimed it was the Republicans stop health care for all. Bull! The president should have fixed the main problem which is the greedy insurance companies and the American people would have demanded it passed. President Obama has perhaps created the same health care overhaul mess with his bill. I can't know yet since as of this date I can still be denied health insurance. I've also observed our President lie to the American Catholic Bishops which is a moral failing. While many might not agree with the Bishops, lying to get a deal is despicable in my humble opinion.
Seems the bottom line is we've got to protect the insurance companies. Why may I ask does the Democratic Party insist on reinventing health care when its the INSURANCE COMPANIES that need changing? How is it that INSURANCE COMPANIES call the shots? In a country where it's illegal to discriminate against people we allow this one industry to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions and give sweetheart deals to people they like better. That's called discrimination in my book so why do both political parties pamper these favored darlings? The avoidance of common sense and the appearance of being bought by the highest bidder is leading me to find a uncomfortable home with the Libertarians. I will never give my allegiance to any major political party again. I believe they are both owned by the rich at this point in history.
Respectfully George I find it weird to hear people placing faith in a political party. Often these dedicated party loyalists begin speaking of their party as if it were sacred. Yet never in history have the lies of both parties been so transparent, just go to YouTube and watch both sides lie. This is sad because if the insiders of both parties don't start standing up to the bankers and the mega corporations running the Country, demanding that the American people be served, the young people of today and many disillusioned baby boomers like myself, with the tool of social media, may birth the Libertarians into the next major political party.
The death cry of either the Republican Party or the Democratic Party will soon be heard because they didn't realize they needed to remove the log in their own eye first.