Calling all Republicans/Conservatives
Jun. 10th, 2008 05:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
summer_sparrow(I know I must have at least one or two on my list; feel free to forward this to others. I want as many responses as I can get.)
*dusts journal off* Been a while, huh?
I have a question for you. This is an honest question, no sarcasm involved. It was sparked by a conversation with my boyfriend (Republican). I'll admit that while he's got a high base intelligence, his education is not what it could be and he is not the most articulate of people, hence why this is going on LJ.
I know a fair amount of Republicans (by which I mean people who identify with and seem to support the ideals of the party which currently calls itself Republican.) Now, I've tried to stay away from politics recently, because I'm flat sick of it, and besides which the guy I like dropped out ages ago.
Not a one of these people, some of whom are extremely smart folks, can answer my questions. Neither do the Republicans on television.
My question is, why? Okay, so Hilary is evil (another thing that no one will explain-- never why, just is) and Obama is inexperienced (which I'll grant, though it's not like it's his first day in politics either). So what makes the Republican candidates better? I'm willing to listen, but no one will talk. There's plenty of mud-slinging and blustering and nonsense words (that last can get pretty funny though), but no one will convince me. No one will tell me why-- except for reasons that are completely irrelevant. My boyfriend, for example, wants to vote for McCain, for no other reason than he spent six years in a POW camp. When I say, "Okay, yes, I also respect him for that, now what do you consider his qualifications as a president?" I get a blank look. The same has been true for other people.
My other question is, why are you a Republican? I don't understand how people can still follow the party. It's funny, my dad calls me a liberal (still don't understand why that word is supposed to be an insult). Really, if Republicans were still what I considered Republican, I would be one (my mom calls it "Goldwater Republican"). I'm extremely fiscally conservative, believe in small government with minimal governmental interference, as few taxes as can efficiently run the country, states rights (within, as now, an broader set of laws to maintain cohesiveness). I despise the way the current administration is throwing money around, quite frankly.
I'm about half and half on social issues; in some areas I'm very conservative, where in others I'm liberal. I think abortion should be legal. I think everyone should have access to education.
There's another question. WHY is education a 'liberal' thing? Isn't education good? Don't we want people in this country to know things? Shouldn't we know what's gone before, how to speak our own language*, you know, little things like that? Things most people don't seem to have ever learned, or promptly forgot if they did? So tell me, why is it 'liberal' to want education? Suppressing or preventing knowledge is a sign of tyranny, not the way of a free and civilized people.
*(that always cracks me up-- oh yes, it should be the official language, don't you dare make me press one for English, it's not like most of the languages native speakers can't use it for shit. When most of the people you meet who can use your own language properly grew up speaking another, it's time to be depressed.)
That's about all. It's not as clean and coherent as I would like, but it's been a long day, and there's a fire about five miles away with wind blowing strong towards my house, so I'm just a tad scattered.
My gratitude towards anyone who replies. I apologize if I sounded snarky anywhere in there; written word is a hard medium to get one's meaning across sometimes, and I do have a tendency to sound rather bratty if I don't watch myself closely. No offense is intended; I truly do want to hear answers to my questions.
Thanks.
-Sparrow
*dusts journal off* Been a while, huh?
I have a question for you. This is an honest question, no sarcasm involved. It was sparked by a conversation with my boyfriend (Republican). I'll admit that while he's got a high base intelligence, his education is not what it could be and he is not the most articulate of people, hence why this is going on LJ.
I know a fair amount of Republicans (by which I mean people who identify with and seem to support the ideals of the party which currently calls itself Republican.) Now, I've tried to stay away from politics recently, because I'm flat sick of it, and besides which the guy I like dropped out ages ago.
Not a one of these people, some of whom are extremely smart folks, can answer my questions. Neither do the Republicans on television.
My question is, why? Okay, so Hilary is evil (another thing that no one will explain-- never why, just is) and Obama is inexperienced (which I'll grant, though it's not like it's his first day in politics either). So what makes the Republican candidates better? I'm willing to listen, but no one will talk. There's plenty of mud-slinging and blustering and nonsense words (that last can get pretty funny though), but no one will convince me. No one will tell me why-- except for reasons that are completely irrelevant. My boyfriend, for example, wants to vote for McCain, for no other reason than he spent six years in a POW camp. When I say, "Okay, yes, I also respect him for that, now what do you consider his qualifications as a president?" I get a blank look. The same has been true for other people.
My other question is, why are you a Republican? I don't understand how people can still follow the party. It's funny, my dad calls me a liberal (still don't understand why that word is supposed to be an insult). Really, if Republicans were still what I considered Republican, I would be one (my mom calls it "Goldwater Republican"). I'm extremely fiscally conservative, believe in small government with minimal governmental interference, as few taxes as can efficiently run the country, states rights (within, as now, an broader set of laws to maintain cohesiveness). I despise the way the current administration is throwing money around, quite frankly.
I'm about half and half on social issues; in some areas I'm very conservative, where in others I'm liberal. I think abortion should be legal. I think everyone should have access to education.
There's another question. WHY is education a 'liberal' thing? Isn't education good? Don't we want people in this country to know things? Shouldn't we know what's gone before, how to speak our own language*, you know, little things like that? Things most people don't seem to have ever learned, or promptly forgot if they did? So tell me, why is it 'liberal' to want education? Suppressing or preventing knowledge is a sign of tyranny, not the way of a free and civilized people.
*(that always cracks me up-- oh yes, it should be the official language, don't you dare make me press one for English, it's not like most of the languages native speakers can't use it for shit. When most of the people you meet who can use your own language properly grew up speaking another, it's time to be depressed.)
That's about all. It's not as clean and coherent as I would like, but it's been a long day, and there's a fire about five miles away with wind blowing strong towards my house, so I'm just a tad scattered.
My gratitude towards anyone who replies. I apologize if I sounded snarky anywhere in there; written word is a hard medium to get one's meaning across sometimes, and I do have a tendency to sound rather bratty if I don't watch myself closely. No offense is intended; I truly do want to hear answers to my questions.
Thanks.
-Sparrow
Registered Republican from Nebraska
Date: 2008-06-15 05:48 pm (UTC)I don't really like registering because I think that voting is a complete waste. Also, if you register to vote, you automatically are eligible to get called up for jury duty. Jury duty is not interesting. Neither is voting. I think that we should all stop voting until a new system is in place. I'm all for not voting except that I have the fear that someone stupid will be elected. And then I remember that we never really get to elect that person anyway. Our votes are a pleasant "suggestion." So, again, I think we all need to stop at the same time. That would be an amazing, pig-flying, mother fucking day.
ANYWAY, I don't really talk to too many people back home who are Republicans anymore. The ones I do speak with are not voting for McCain. To me, it seems that the Republicans had to put SOMEBODY in the race, even though they know that their chances of winning are zero. The focus is on Obama and Hilary. It's a Democratic race. McCain would never win in a real election, which is why he looks so good as a poster ad in a poster campaign. He's just that porous Little Debbie cream filling.
My boyfriend thinks that McCain will win. He really believes that Obama and Hilary are a red herring and that McCain will somehow get put into office and it will be blamed on people not voting. We have a bet worth an entire Indian dinner dependent on the manifestation of this occurrence. I love Indian food.
A lot of wealthy people are for Hilary. She has a bad rep because she is SO political and she's quite vicious. She was born for politics.
Obama actually isn't a whole lot better. He's a a fantastic speaker. I hope he wins because his facade is a little better. Yes, Obama takes funds from Wall Street corporations just like any other candidate (even though he says he doesn't). Obama has created an image where he looks like he listens and is amenable to change and suggestion. He's very popular abroad because of this image. Most Hilary fans complain that Obama is just following suit on whatever Hilary declares. But Obama has structured his new measures for improving life in a way that makes it seem like an all-encompassing plan. It reminds me of Hinduism or something.
Either way, I do not believe in any of our candidates. Slightly better than our last election, these candidates are, nonetheless, battling images. You could watch Fantasia and get just as much meaning. I mean, who are they kidding thinking that there can be a national health care plan, etc.? America is fucking huge.
I'm a pretty big proponent of states' rights for many reasons including the legalization of all marriage, the legalization of drugs and prostitution, as well as better health care, better damage control (like natural disasters) and fewer taxes. Smaller area, larger voice kind of thing.
None of our candidates are for that kind of relaxation - and they never will be. Anyone who is president is (I hate to agree with Ayn Rand) a complete puppet. That's what they get paid to do. Acting is one of the highest-paid occupations in our nation. The President is just another role. You may never know the real people holding the reigns. It's like voting in the MTV Movie Awards or something.