As a registered Republican I fear I must confess that I no longer recognize the party that I grew up with in Oregon. I voted for Mark Hatfield, Tom McCall and other Republicans who found enough common ground with Democrats to govern. Now I watch in dismay as those in my party boast that their primary objective is to defeat the President. Not to govern. Not to bring together a sense of responsibility and willingness to compromise to solve problems we face. Such as the budget. Such as bridges, roads and our electric grid that need maintenance and upgrading, which actually costs money. There is nothing wrong with achieving wealth, but must it be the only measure of success? Wall Street seems no different now than when Republican Teddy Roosevelt was taking on the robber barons (with regulation, by the way).
I don’t recall seeing Grover Norquist on the ballot anywhere, yet somehow he and the talk-radio crowd have cowed our representatives from both parties to agree even before being elected that they will close their minds to the concept of Americans paying a bit more in taxes. We all got tax breaks under President Bush that are not sustainable. We are retired folks but realize that our taxes need to go up some to fund our country. Is it right that the rich like Sean Penn and Michael Moore pay less? Under Republican Eisenhower the top rate was 90%.
It is truly sad that Governor Romney was selected to lead the party. He appears to be out of touch with the rest of us. I cannot vote for a man who asks to lead while he squirrels his millions of dollars in off-shore accounts and pays 14% on the rest. He would keep the wealthy paying a minimal tax rate, while his partner Paul Ryan proposes to balance the budget by neutering Medicare, Social Security and other programs. These wealthy folks are the ones dependent on the government for their special tax breaks to a far greater extent than those with the greatest need. So count me a Republican for Obama.
Hi Mike. Welcome to RFO. So much time has passed since 2008 when this group started, or rather when I found it. Place was really hopping back then. But now it seems the action has shifted over to Facebook.
Please feel free to join us over there. https://www.facebook.com/RepublicansforObama
I miss this place. It was easier for me to keep up with the flow of the conversation.
Hope to see you there,
Pat
I have found a refuge here. Sometimes I feel so vexed. For years, I taught my child the virtues of the Republican platform--what I believed was true at the time. Then I discovered that they are not actually a party committed to less spending. That in fact, record-breaking spending and debt occurred under Reagan, Bush and Bush. Shocking. On the other hand, I am not a "bleeding heart liberal" and really can't see myself ever becoming one.
I do believe that Obama is a moderate. He strikes me as a very sensible and intelligent fellow. When he was first elected I thought it was merely charisma and the excitement of our first black President--which I did feel, but I voted Republican in 2008 because I believed in the economic values I thought the GOP represented. I've never voted for a president based on religion, personality, looks, or even their position on abortion issues or guns or gays. I have always voted based on economic principles. Without a stable economy, the whole thing falls apart.
I think the so-called "moral majority" really ruined us. They play on the superstitions and fears of people who think God will bless or punish this nation for its legal system. It's shameful and detrimental.