For much of my adult life I was a Democrat. During my college years I saw the Democratic Party as the party that held my views: Pro-environment, pro-choice and against those big, bad corporations. I remember some heated discussions with my parents and others who supported Ronald Reagan. Couldn’t they see that the Democrats could feel the pain of the average person and that the Republicans were just there to protect the rich folk?
Then I became part-owner of a small real estate business and it didn’t take me long to open to a new reality. I soon began to understand that while the Democratic Party looks to the government to solve problems, the government doesn’t understand or appreciate business. Our government considers business as some sort of evil enterprise that needs to be watched closely, regulated and taxed so that the money business owners earn can be used to help other people. Money spent by businesses on taxes, adhering to regulations or paying for insurance to protect you from frivolous lawsuits, is money you cannot spend on additional staff, advertising and marketing, or donations to local causes – it hurts the entire economy. When you own a business it doesn’t take you to long to understand what Ronald Reagan meant when he said, ‘Government is not the solution to our problems; government is the problem.’
Barack Obama says he can bring change to the country and improve the economy. There are three reasons I disagree and suggest you vote for Republicans for Congress and McCain for President:
1) John McCain and Sarah Palin are optimistic about the future of this country. They understand and encourage the entrepreneurial strength of Americans. His economic plan focuses on cutting government spending, lowering taxes, and lowering energy costs by both increasing supplies, and encouraging alternative energy sources and conservation. McCain has a core set of conservative values, but he has a proven record in Congress of getting things done and working with both parties. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has spent the last eight years badmouthing the President without offering any useful alternatives. While they have succeeded in demonizing Bush to the point that he is blamed for everything from dandruff to the price of oil, they gloss over the fact that the Democratic Party has been in control of both houses of Congress for the past two years. Can you think of any positive initiatives that they have accomplished or even attempted in those two years or can you only remember two years of Bush bashing? Have you seen any initiatives from the Democratic Congress that dealt with the impending financial crisis? Did they acknowledge that this problem has been stewing for the past 25 years ever since the federal government began aggressively pushing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to underwrite riskier loans? Instead, the Democratic Party just keeps spouting the same mantra: Voter, we have taught you to hate Bush, McCain is really Bush, you should vote for us. What has Barack Obama accomplished while he has been in the Senate that makes him a worthwhile alternative?
2) We watch the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and are all exasperated with the loss of life and the seemingly unending costs, but many in the Democratic Party believe that the solution is to come home now, no matter what the costs, and avoid intervention in further conflicts. There is a substantial wing of the Democratic Party that believes that the 9-11 attacks were caused by America’s foreign policies. They call on Obama to apologize for America’s transgressions and negotiate with the terrorists. History will tell you time and again, peace comes through strength. For example, if Europe had stood up to Hitler earlier could World War II have been averted? Tyrants and terrorists, such as those in Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan are watching and waiting to pounce on weakness. So far America has not blinked. Will Obama blink?
3) The Republican Party has made mistakes and they hold some positions that I disagree with. But I believe they espouse a healthier attitude towards government’s role in our society than the Democratic Party. Government does some things well: education, fire and police protection, parks and recreation, and national defense are examples. But this election is fundamentally about the future role of government. It’s about how much control we want to give the government over our decision-making and economic system. Obama talks about change, but I just see more governmental control over our lives. Are you sure you trust the government to be in control of your health care? Your investments? Robin Hood sounds like a great story, but it really doesn’t work in the real world.
~ Tim looks forward to the election being over so he can talk to his liberal friends again about something besides politics.
