Why I’m leaving the Republican Party…and Endorsing President Obama.

[kpete]

Why I’m leaving the Republican Party…and Endorsing President Obama.
No longer should the American people stand for the weak leadership and intellectual bankruptcy of the Republican Party. I’ll be voting for President Obama’s re-election.
by: Jeff Wartman
http://jeffwartman.com/...

I’m leaving the Republican Party. No longer can I say with a clear conscience that the Republican Party is focused on solving problems will benefit average Americans.

................

Many times, problem solving is the complete opposite of adhering to a rigid political ideology that dictates policy regardless of consequences. Our public servants need to be looking at what has worked, what has not worked, and using those judgments to form policy moving forward. The Republican Party refuses to look at what works and what doesn’t — they simply base policy on whether it fits into a rigid anti-government philosophy, whether it is good policy or not. Essentially, the effectiveness of policy is completely and totally irrelevant to Republicans. Additionally, the Republican Party believes more strongly in obstructing anything that President Obama proposes than in real solutions that would create jobs and help the average American.

........................
Even worse, the Republican Party has bamboozled the American people by portraying themselves as the party of fiscal responsibility. Any person who can recognize that some numbers are larger than other numbers know the obvious fact that the biggest spending Presidents are Republicans. Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush alone are responsible for most of the national debt. Bill Clinton cut government and actually spent less money than was taken in…but George W. Bush quickly changed that.

I believe in smart government that effectively does what it should and leaves the rest to the private sector, while still recognizing the legitimacy of the existence of government. I believe in equal rights for all Americans, whether gay, straight, female, male, immigrant or naturally born. The Republican Party no longer believes in any of that.

.........................


the rest:
http://jeffwartman.com/why-im-leaving-the-republican-party-and-endorsing-president-obama/

[Stuart G]

1. k & r thanks for posting...nt

[denverbill]

2. No idea who Jeff Wartman is, but he crystalizes Republicans pretty well.

"The Republican Party refuses to look at what works and what doesn’t — they simply base policy on whether it fits into a rigid anti-government philosophy, whether it is good policy or not. "

That's the problem with Teabaggers, and teabaggers and Rush Limbaugh completely own the Republican party right now.

[Bandit]

3. "The Republican Party no longer believes in any of that."

I do not believe the Republican Party ever truly believed any of that.....They are nothing more than serial LIARS

[great white snark]

4. True. Mr. Wartman's epiphany is way overdue.

But still welcome.

[nxylas]

13. Depends how far back you go

They probably believed it back in the Eisenhower era.

[Jackpine Radical]

19. Don't forget that the Progressive movement grew out of the Republican Party.

[Old and In the Way]

24. The 1956 Republican platform is an eye opener.

The 1952 platform was pretty paranoid and typical of what we expect today. But the '56 platform reads as a a very progressive document, for the most part. I credit Eisenhower for imprinting it with his values. He was the last great Republican President, IMHO.

[opihimoimoi]

5. This should be part of the AMMO DUMP we Dems have stored up for the big pissing contest in NOV

[bvar22]

6. Policywise, especially Economic Policy, any old style Republican...

..should feel right at home in today's New Democrat Centrist Party.
I don't believe that is necessarily a good thing.




[font color=firebrick][center]"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans.
I want a party that will STAND UP for Working Americans."
---Paul Wellstone [/font][/center]
[center][/font]
[font size=1]photo by bvar22
Shortly before Sen Wellstone was killed[/center][/font]


"By their WORKS you will know them."


[font size=5 color=firebrick]Solidarity![/font]

[chervilant]

10. hmm...

Do you ponder the apparent self-destructive behavior of a significant percentage of our brethren? What's up with that? I cannot wrap my mind around it!

I know, I know--we've had this discussion before...

Nevertheless, I MUST remain hopeful, because I see the beauty of this awesome Universe and I cling to the notion that there are many more humans like me than unlike me.

I should be in the Ozarks very soon, as I can no longer afford to maintain a separate household. Just in time for the 'Sarvis' bushes, the Dogwoods, and the trilliums.

I can't wait!

[harmonicon]

12. I agree.

In fact, I think that's been the biggest problem facing the Democratic Party for over ten years now. The final straw was Bush beating McCain. The Democratic Party cannot be effective when the only thing unifying members is simple sanity and connection with reality. Post-Bush, the Republicans have simply been the bat-shit-crazy party, and anyone not ok with that has moved over to working with/voting for/running as Democrats. This leaves Democrats with no coherent message, because the party has to accommodate almost any political position.

tldr: we're fucked.

[quaker bill]

15. A party of simple sanity and connection with reality

is not really a bad thing, when you consider the alternative.

[harmonicon]

18. I disagree, because there are many alternatives.

The Republicans are clear about what they want: maximized profits for wealthy corporations and individuals at the expense of the working class. Along with that, throw in the elimination of civil liberties and civil rights when they have the time.

Democrats? Not being Republicans. There is no agenda. The party is in no way unified apart from this one thing, which is not based in policy or governance.

An alternative would be a party unified in support of the working class. As it is right now, the party is run by those who would still exploit the working class in favour of the wealthy, but just not to the extent that people are working in sweatshops or debtors' prisons, which Republicans would have.

[Lifelong Protester]

7. I thought this was going to be about Huntsman, because

I think he's teetering on this edge, too.

[deacon]

8. K + R

[just1voice]

9. I don't believe one word of his spew

He's just another puke pretending to have grown a personality instead of a psychopathology.

[MilesColtrane]

11. I'm still sort of amazed at how someone who is (presumably) an adult...

can completely reverse their political philosophy.

Do they just start paying attention to things one day, or what?

[NNN0LHI]

14. What happened was we ended up with an entire generation of little Reganites from the 80's

I personally know some. They loved what Reagan was selling when those policies were just screwing over those "other", people.

But when they realized that in fact they were now those "other", people getting screwed over they panicked. Now many of the same people who once loved Reagan's policies are becoming hysterical because they have realized what they had done to themselves.

And then came the epiphany. That is how it happens.

Don

[Scuba]

16. +1

[Bluenorthwest]

17. No, not an entire generation....

Millions of people were protesting Reagan and his policies through that entire period, including the entire gay community, our allies and associated communities, many African American organizations and yes, churches, Unions, including my own Unions.
Here is some material that is what I recall of the times.

http://www.actupny.org/reports/reagan.html

[RoccoR5955]

21. Not only those, but

Environmentalists, proponents of social justice, intellectuals, and others.
Many of us were NOT duped by the actor who was playing the role of president. Many of us feel that we got Reagan because John Wayne was dead.

[JNelson6563]

20. I hope the "Both parties are the same!!1!" crowd reads this.

[Tarheel_Dem]

26. "I hope the "Both parties are the same!!1!" crowd reads this." It won't help, because they don't...

even believe that themselves. They already know better, but it makes them feel good to spread this falsehood. For some reason, they seem to hate the Democratic Party, particularly this president and his supporters, more than the GOP.

[Scurrilous]

22. K & R

[arthritisR_US]

23. Go into his biography section "About Jeff" and read the comments

by readers, very illuminating. There are others who identify with his sentiments and have also left the Republican party. Of note was the reply to Jeff from Skip Higgins. Thanks for this read, it gives me hope!

[Tarheel_Dem]

25. Great find. Thanks for posting, and welcome to Jeff W.

[Quantess]

27. Thanks for posting it.