Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Comments on the Election

I am going to have to say that I am pleased with the results of the election.

Of course, I am pleased that the Democrats obtained control of the House of Representatives. Nobody is calling the Senate yet. However, even if the Republicans keep control, the Democrats will be more secure in their power to filibuster the worst of Bush's activities.

The Theocrats suffered a number of key defeats, including Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, former Ohio Secretary of State running for Governor J. Kenneth Blackwell, and Representative John Hostettler of Indiana. All three of these had significant ties to the religious right.

I am pleased that Joe Lieberman won the Senate race from Connecticut. It’s not that I like Joe Lieberman. His support for faith-based initiatives and his statement during the 2000 Presidential campaign that a person cannot be moral without religion are certainly contemptible positions. However, I have also been worried about the power of that portion of the Democratic party that seems to be as foolish about getting the United States out of Iraq as the Bush Administration was in getting us into Iraq. Lieberman’s victory tells me that much of America rejects this branch of the Democratic party.

I am not saying that those Democrats are wrong. As I have written in the past, my position is that there is not sufficient evidence from which the average voter to draw a conclusion as to the best course of action in this war. None of us who do not have access to the top-secret reports and assessments can know what is best for the country. Just as the Bush Administration drew the rash conclusion that invading Iraq was the right thing and ignored any evidence to the contrary, this branch of Democrats are drawing rash conclusions about the benefits of withdraw and ignoring any arguments to the contrary. I am pleased to see that the bulk of the country is learning to reject rash and uninformed opinion.

I want the debate over Iraq to be carried out by people who are NOT making promises based on blind ideology and promises to voters who could not possibly have an informed opinion on the matter. I think that this is the best way to select the best policy.

I am going to be pleased to have an opportunity to to write about Democratic actions and Democratic policies.

I have been thinking recently that I have I could be comfortable among the liberal Republicans. I would really like to see the Republicans throw the theocrats out of the party.

The Republicans also need to learn and begin practicing recognition of the difference between being pro-markets and being pro-business. Too many Republicans are elected (bought and paid for) by businesses who want anti-market legislation that makes them wealther and the rest of us poorer.

With this defeat, moderate Republicans with a spine now have reason to stand up to the fringe elements and make the party more moderate - more rational.

Particularly since, as I noted above, the sound political defeat of the Theocratic wing of the Republican party.

Of course, the anti-gay amendments and referendums passed whenever they were offered. I expected this. There is still need for some social education on this nation. It is not "good news" that these measures were defeated. However, it was expected - and expected wrongs are easier to accept.

Here in Colorado, the most important measure on the ballot in this state was an Amendment that would force judges to campaign for public office. The most obvious implication of this policy is to give special interest groups power to control judgeships through campaign contributions just as they do the legislative and executive branches. That is a very poor plan. In Colorado, that measure was defeated.

Tomorrow is a new day - and a better day.

3 comments:

Curiosis said...

"I have been thinking recently that I have I could be comfortable among the liberal Republicans."

It sounds like you might be a libertarian.

Alonzo Fyfe said...

Inquisitor

I am afraid that I am not a libertarian. I tried that system once, but was forced by the weight of the arguments against it to give it up.

Primarily, its foundation of natural (intrinsic) rights and duties do not exist, so they cannot be used to defend anything.

Second, I find that libertarians typically confuse value as a means and value as an end.

I am a fan of free markets - when we can have them. However, libertarians tend to ignore areas where free markets fail - such as the problems with externalities, free riders, and comparable costs.

This is not to say that the libertarians were entirely wrong. Their views contain important insights and they are certainly worth listening to. I do not think that a libertarian would find the views that I defend too uncomfortable to live with.

As it turns out, I am reading a book on economics and was going to discuss some of these issues this weekend. So, I encourage you to stay tuned.

Anonymous said...

Country First or Family First with Palin?
Will this hot soccer mom be feeding her newborn at 3:00 am in the morning when the phone rings about an terriorist attack? She is very sexy..I am sure the terrorist will fall for her charm like McCain did..just kidding. Or if the rumor have it, I am sure her daughter can breastfeed for her if all that is true...Let's face it. I am not a dem or rep so keep an open mind when reading this.I am a female and I am all for equal rights. My hat goes off to Palin raising a family and having a corporate and political career. However, I find it embarrassing that the the republicans just insulted their entire party by picking Palin over other qualified republicans. It is not about Obama or Palin being a woman. It is about their party. Again, there were other republicans that earned their wings and they were not given a chance. They could have still did something for Palin later in her career at the right time..Not during desperate times. Not during times when our nation is in a crises. How can we trust a party that make decisions based off gender. And most of all why all of a sudden..They shocked their own and making their own have to defend a woman that they do not know nor the public does not know. All we know that baby could be of incest. And I am not attacking them personally we just don't know them. People who are asking these dishonest republicans to be truthful for once will defend their own to the end. And that is okay but God will look out for the true right human being. Don't even waste your time with them because God apparently is showing them that it is time for change. Obama spoke brilliantly and from the heart in from of 85 million people and it was perfect. The reps tried to attach and call him a rock star but God held the weather up so his message can come across. McCain panicked and picked a woman thinking any woman could beat Obama and any woman can be Hillary. That just goes to show you the mind set of how they view their women. I am not a dem or rep. I just use good common sense. Now...Back To God..Look at who the hurricane parade is raining on now..God is bigger than all of this..And my prayers goes out to all of those in the path of the hurricane that no lives are lost and property are not damaged. however, the damage has already be done to the republican convention...Remember, I am in the middle but my voice keeps is real...real voices..real people...