No Change At All

I think that America is growing up. Becoming more tolerant more open. Maybe we have become more pragmatic in general. This was not just made apparent by the election of the first minority President but the reasoning behind it. My fellow citizens ,some truly against their natural instincts, voted for the better candidate. They listen to his message and ideas for the country and made an educated choice.

I think some of this tolerance stems from self preservation. I don't think if your losing your home or job,if your dealing with bankruptcy because of an illness or disease you really don't care if gay men and women want to have the right to be as miserable as the rest of us. Or if women exercise their right to choose what happens to their bodies. Nor do we seem to care if the new president has a Muslim middle name.

The democrats have won the last 2 congressional elections and the White House in large part due to inclusiveness. Micheal Steel, newly elected chairman of the Republican Party, was touted as the historic rebirth of the party. I really heard a guy on Fox News say that.

But if the GOP has made an historic change at the top that's all the change some in the party want to happen. Even though this is the man,(Steel), that said that a job created by the government was not a real job, every time he says anything that would be described as sensible or inclusive, such as moderate positions on abortion or questioning the legitimacy of conservative host Rush Limbaugh, he has been hammered by those within the party. Now some are calling for him to resign.

When will the grand old party realize that a change in leadership without a change of ideas or methods will yield no change at all.

Barry Goldwater, the father of the conservative movement, although rigid in his stance of smaller government and even voting against the Civil Rights Act, said that "a man can change his mind" when he reversed his long held views on abortion. His wife was co-founder of Planned Parenthood in Arizona. I bring this up because as long as the conservative movement is defined in large part by the intolerant christian right they will never be able to grow the party.

When you can believe in smaller government and be gay or black or Hispanic and believe in lower taxes and still be considered a conservative, that will be change. If you stick with these issues and show the population how it will be better for them, now that is change.

A Fringe Party

How can you wish that the person running the country, (the president), will fail? Who would hope that the leader of our country, a country in one of the worst economic down turn in its history, would fail to turn it around? Is there really a person that would relish in the suffering of millions of Americans for the sake of politics? Yes. Radio personality and apparent leader of the GOP, Rush Limbaugh, said he is hoping that President Obama will fail in his efforts to change the direction of the America.

I didn't agree with many of George W. Bush's decisions as president but that's a long way from wanting him to fail. If he fails it effects all of us. That bit of common sense was also shared by a Republican congressman in regards to President Obama's policies. He didn't agree with the methods but he hoped that the President would be successful. Asked if he would say Rush Limbaugh was wrong in his view point and the congressman danced like he was in the Soul Train "grove line."

Why are they so scared to speak truth to this demagogue? This is not only Representatives in conservative districts that won't speak up but apparently all Republicans including the newly elected Chairman of the GOP, Michael Steel. He, (Steel), made the mistake of criticizing Rush. Calling him a entertainer only to apologize profusely a few days later. Rush responded, "Steel is not the head of the GOP."

I asked again, why do they allow this entertainer with fringe appeal to represent their party? Is that the Republican party today? A fringe party?