This is my Valentine's Day political report. I know, the marriage of politics and love is a stretch, but flex with me anyway.
Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack once sang an amazing song called "Where Is The Love". Because they sang it with such beautiful harmony, it is a song that few recount as a death of a relationship song. Conservatives have come to the "End of the Road" (Boyz II Men, another death of love song) and must separate themselves from those they call RINO's or accept that politician formerly known as Republican is just like the Democrat, the names we currently use to win elections. Over time those names and their meanings have changed to harm the innocent and protect the guilty.
Republicans have to recognize that the country's heart is breaking in two over this war that is destroying our understanding of conservatism. Modern political party's are more challenged than ever to define a clear direction for an internet electorate that is too smart to keep falling for the old tax and spend shell game, or the reducing of taxes only for the people who fund elections.
Rogue republicans have gone out on their own with the notion that only democrats are poor and that only republicans are interested in ending the need for welfare. The act of "going rogue" has been transformed by republicans into their business as usual. In fact, without an agreement about message, there technically is no stream to swim against.
The mythical character Captain Kirk always made the final call about what the Star Trek Enterprise would do in the midst of their travails, but it was rarely without disagreement and discourse. On occasion, the episode involved failed decisions that had drastic ramifications, but decision makers in this futuristic example were more likely to beat themselves up than to have it done by subordinates.
John Boehner should be so lucky.
Boehner is now being painted (or photoshop'd) with a sombrero for his unwillingness to continue to obstruct an immigration bill that is ready for signature. He got a similar line of attack when he allowed a vote on a clean debt bill.. Boehner believes that there are many republican voters, including Hispanic voters, who insist we bring the immigration bill before congress. Boehner does not hear America screaming for him to swim against this tide; to accept that we are forever married to the Mexican immigrant
The only real value of long term recession is that it squeezes the masses into action. Needs of the common man that were once ignored become significant electoral issue's that suddenly steer elections. Income equality, a living wage and healthcare changes have all conspired to make the economy the direct and indirect issue of this campaign season. Obamacare threatens to cause economic loss for some, but should be an economic benefit to most. Will those impacted be a significant enough number to turn the fate of an election?
The Hatfield and the McCoys fought for so long, that they probably found themselves a bit empty when the fighting came to an end. Similarly, the democrats are now looking over the fence as the republican family gets a weekly sheriff visit from all of the domestic violence going on in their house. No matter how bad you disagree with your neighbor, you never celebrate such demise. Unfortunately, its hard to find love when your mind is immersed in hate.
Obama bashing is starting to feel like a harmless prank. When you listen to internal republican strife, it makes Obama hate feel like getting TP'd by your neighbors compared to the domestic war that they are waging against one another over who shall determine the conservative agenda. Every egg that democrats throw on republican windows in response is simply adding to the mess of egg that they've created for themselves in becoming the anti-everything (except war and oil) party.
During this Valentine season of love, we need to remind the republicans to promote more love and not more war and oil production. If it were not for the Keystone pipeline or fracking, I would not know how to explain the current republican agenda. What the world needs now is love, sweet love. Its the only thing that there's just too little of. War and oil have their place, but they are hardly the instruments of unity.
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