The Sad State of Republican Politics

I usually try staying out of political subjects, because they usually degenerate into namecalling and other such garbage. I have been a Republican since I was little, I guess. My grandfather was a senator, and I can remember as a small child working in campaigns, standing at a table handing out Dole Pineapple with a Bob Dole sticker on it. I used to travel the state driving him in parades and other functions.

My uncle was a Republican too, and I can also remember working on his campaign for state attorney general. He worked all his life as either a prosecutor or as a judge.

My grandfather was on the Ways and Means committee, and I can remember how proud he was of getting things done, no matter who was in office, a Democrat or Republican. Republicans used to be proud of working with others to make things happen.

Why are Republican's working so hard to stop any progress occurring in the current administration? It truly seems like the GOP has become the party of no, while at the same time, they are splintering into various groups. The Tea Party folks, the birthers, the religious conservatives, and a few moderates. Finding a moderate republican anymore has become a little rough, with the tea crowd calling them traitors, communists and everything else.

It seems as if the current GOP is more involved in eating their own than working to try and get things done. If campaign rhetoric is any reflection, Republicans are more afraid of each other than anything. Two GOP candidates recently debated here, and even though they were asked questions about the current administration, their answers turned into attacks on each other regarding which one had the better Tea party credentials.

My district now has a representative who does not vote yes on anything unless John Boehner tells her to do it. I think it is a bad situation, when I am effectively represented by the representative of Ohio when my district is in Kansas. She also while spouting off about we have to cut spending, spends more money than others on printing and postage sending us constituents slick mailers that look more like a magazine, and seems to be more campaign literature than anything else. Her predecessor spent every weekend in our district, holding coffee’s and other functions, and finding out what the people of the district thought. I used to be able to pick up the phone, talk to a staffer about something, and then get a call back from our representative to discuss my concern. Our current rep, she doesn’t even acknowledge getting any correspondence from me, and never returns a call. Even while running for re-election, she has been in the district once that I know of recently.

Another phenomenon in Republican circles is Sarah Palin, an ambitious woman, who seems to be proud of her ignorance. How many people would write on their hand and call it a hillbilly teleprompter? The woman is from Wasilla, not Appalachia. I really don’t understand her appeal. In my opinion, she single handedly torpedoed John McCain’s chances of being elected President. Of course, he had a part in her selection, so she can’t take all of the blame. She is great at promoting herself, but it seems like Sarah is the only subject she knows. She seems to be out of her depth in almost any subject, and I find it hard to believe that anyone wants her as a president in 2 years.

Michelle Bachman seems to be working overtime to out Sarah Ms Palin. I am trying to have an open mind, but to be honest, both of these ladies scare me.

Can you imagine a Senate with the likes of Sharron Angle in it? The lady has not met a nutjob idea she hasn't liked. I am no fan of abortion, but I don't understand saddling an incest victim with her father's child. Oh, and don't forget she likes the idea of giving inmates massages to help in their rehabilitation. As a guy who is on Social Security and Medicare, I am not too fond of her ideas to eliminate them. I also can’t understand how a campaign can function, when the candidate is afraid to speak to the press.

The whole state of the Republican party bothers me. The antics of Michael Steele, the improprieties in the Florida and Kansas State partys. Funds that may have been embezzled. Bad things all around.