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The first were my grandparents from northern Georgia. I asked them why they were Republicans and they sited Abraham Lincoln saving the Union and freeing the slaves. What brought me to asking them this at the ripe age of nine was my Democratic party Grandpa. I had first asked him why he was a Democrat (I was 8 years old at the time) to which he responded:"Well, Davey, the Republicans are there for the rich people, and we are not rich." That explanation has stuck with me, even when some of my Democratic brethren start looking too much like corporate hacks.
But other Republicans I've known, veered way out into libertarian realm. I went to work for Bob and Sheila in the 80's, small business owners contracting with the Federal government to fulfill Reagan's vision of welfare reform. Bob and Sheila were also "swingers" who partied regularly with other like minded folk in the St. Louis area. I learned some things from these folks, but still voted Democratic.
I met Mitch McConnell in the 1980s too. In 1984, when he was elected to the Senate, I met with him as a citizen lobbyist on hunger and development issues. Yes, he's the biggest corporate whore in the senate, plying the free speech bull shit for artificial entities.
The last time I saw him was coming out of the theater at the "Lord of the Rings." We said hello to each other...but I really wanted to ask him which side he identified with in the film.
One of dearest friends, a pot-smoking methodist minister, has a picture with themself and GWB. My youngest daughter asked how she could have gotten that close to him without giving him a piece of her a mind, thank you very much! A chip off the old block. My daugther fared better than I did in the political arena with our minister. She wanted me to watch videos of Cheney and Rumsfeld explaining why they were doing what they were doing: Weapons of mass destruction, links to Al qaeda, etc. "It's bullshit" I said "They're lying. They're doing this because it's part of their Neo-con plan to make sure the world knows just how strong our military is, not to mention profitable. They have already said why they wanted to do this, now they're filtering intelligence to convince "we, the people" that this bullshit is necessary." At this point, my friend tells me she can't take it anymore and leaves in a huff. BE AFFRAID. BE VERY, VERY AFFRAID. That's the core of the republican strategy, color coded for your viewing pleasure.
I did once speak with Governor Louie Nunn on the phone while working on an independent's campaign. Nunn was supportive of our candidate's efforts, maybe as a back door way of helping his own son.
I've never met Bush or Kerry. But I've watched them debate. Kerry won each of them. I do not want a president that's not inclinded to read. Nor whose foreign policy is a neo-con driven death dealing, profit machine, empire builder...
Kerry debated the way Gore should have in 2000. He showed his command of facts as well as pointing out the Bush administration's hypocricy. Yes, Al Gore was much smarter than Bush too. Kerry really took it to Bush. He proved that he is more presidential. He proved that Bush is in the hip-pocket of corporate interests and that their "project" in Iraq is in deep do-do. Let's get this asshole out of the white house and give John Kerry a chance to show us what he can do. If Kerry is elected, it's time for Democratic rank and file to step us as citizens and participate beyond voting. There are a number of things that need fixing, starting with corporate regulation,
protect the environment and\\\\\ empower the poor, create opportunities to participate.
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