Effect of D.C. party policies on the economy outweigh state policies and voting for “the man”

Even as a young Democrat in the 1980s, I disagreed with former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill’s supposed axiom, no matter one’s definition of “local”. Then, as now, Democrats were facing an electorate suffering the consequences of policies enacted by their super-majorities in both houses of Congress and signed into law by their President. Clearly guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of economic and national security malfeasance based upon the relevant facts, one can understand the trial lawyer-like resort to avert the gaze of the jury to “local” facts irrelevant to the job description.

I voted the party as a Democrat from 1980-1998 because I favored liberal policies. Since my 2000 conservative epiphany, I have voted for Republicans because I favor conservative policies. The job of a member of Congress is to vote on issues that affect my wallet and national security.

I base my votes on how they will vote on issues that impact my life and that of the nation, rather than who I “like” as a person; campaign ads; so-called “smarts”; or other irrelevant factors usually even including ethics and character, except for executive positions as will discussed below. I also choose my barber based on how well he cuts my hair rather than on the quality of the patter.

In short, I vote the party, not the man. This is true at the national and state levels, but more so at the national level given the structural constraints of cities and states that can’t print money. Character doesn’t matter so much, it seems to me, in legislative positions given the publishing of laws and recorded votes. Character does matter in executive positions given the discretionary power of such offices.

That said, what matters most are the policies favored by parties as that is what affects our lives directly. Poor policies that wreck the economy or invite aggression from foreign enemies aren’t made more palatable when enacted by “good people” or those we like to watch in TV.

Moreover, I have always considered presidential and congressional elections to be much more important than state and local elections due to the determinative effect of national policies on the economy that dwarf the effects of policies of states, given the emasculation of state’s rights and the near all-encompassing power of the federal government since the 1930s.

Rare are the states that can avoid a recession brought on by failed economic policies emanating from Washington.

I said all that to say this: Nothing has been more important to me in politics since 2000 than that the failed liberal policies of the Democratic Party be utterly discredited in the electorate’s mind, once and for all, and that they be defeated at the polls.

I converted based on the success of Reagan’s monetary, economic, social and national security policies. When a liberal and a Democrat, it was always clear to me what both parties stood for. I was a Democrat because I was a liberal. When I was mugged by reality and became a conservative, I joined the GOP.

These facts are why it is so frustrating to me that so many Americans have had to be re-educated away from the obvious lie that there has been no difference between the parties except by degrees. I suspect this is the case because of the domination of American politics by the Democrats for most of our history. It has been the default party for too long. After all, it was good enough for Grandma and America has done all right, or so the thought process may go.

I would argue that America has done all right for so long due due to the conservative movement push backs made increasingly necessary by a JFK-less Democrat Party that started selling its soul to the Left soon after his assassination. Moreover, it seems we have reached a Big Government tipping point this past decade especially since ObamaDems tripled the deficit in two years.

Is the GOP perfect? No, and as a conservative I have to accept that all choices since Eve bit the apple are between lessers of evils. But liberals have made the Democratic Party their home for decades. They aren’t leaving it.

The GOP would be better with a responsible opposition. There has been no responsible opposition party for many years and I think the electorate is beginning to realize this after the past 20 months of rule by leftists.

The path to redemption for the Democratic Party can only be trod after a deserved liberal comeuppance election that is likely next Tuesday. We need good liberals. They are good at spotting fires that need putting out. Its too bad they didn’t declare victory 35 years ago on civil rights and the safety net for the truly needy, rather than going to seed.

The present duty is to rebuke them utterly. I will be voting, with but one or two exceptions for Republicans only, at the local, state and national levels. America can only begin to heal after the Democratic Party is rebuked.

NObama, NoDems…except Barnes

The Rule: Vote out the Ds!

Now, I hope my exception proves the rule, as I now lean toward voting for Democrat Roy Barnes for Georgia governor based upon his performance in the office before his re-election defeat soon after the turn of the century; lack of any great differences in policy proposals with Republican Nathan Deal; a general liking of divided government and the fact of a Republican General Assembly in the Peach State; and the fact that Deal has been in Washington for the past 28 years.

But I remain persuadable on this race, so committed am I to the proposition that party trumps the man. Feel free to persuade me.

Mike DeVine

“One man with courage makes a majority.” – Andrew Jackson

Charlotte Observer, The Minority Report and Examiner.com archives

www.devinelawvista.com