20060128

Politics From the Left Wing

I have been perusing a few blogs that I can only describe as "left wing" recently. First I will admit cowardice in that I did not even bother leaving comments of my own (rebuttals to some of the comments I read). However I do have valid reasons for not doing this. I did not want to stir up a storm and then bail out. I have to return to the road in a couple of days and I do not have access to the internet, yet, while on the road.

It is my opinion the "left wing" just does not get it. I do not describe myself as a conservative, but rather as a moderate. But I am shaking my head at what the "left wing" has in store for us if they get their way in the next round of elections. They have not learned a thing. The left wing has lost two Presidential elections in a row, lost both houses of Congress, and what do they plan on doing as a result? Do they plan on retrenching and offering up some "reasonable" candidates to win over some "moderate" support? Not if you believe what you read in the blogs. They scheme to take the Democratic Party even FURTHER to the left. Sigh.

Take for example the "War on Terror". While I agree (and I have held this opinion since back BEFORE we invaded Iraq) that the Iraq war was a mistake, I do not think the War on Terror is wrong. 9-11 did happen, although there are some real loonies out there who seem to think it was not Osama who was behind the attacks on the World Trade Center, but the American Government itself. 9-11 did happen, Osama was behind it, and America and the rest of civilized society faces an evil (yes I will use that word) and conniving enemy that still seeks to carry out further attacks on Western civilization. While the invasion of Iraq was a foolhardy distraction, the fact that Dubyah led us into that quagmire does not in any way remove the fact that a legitimate enemy is still out there plotting against us.

Is Dubyah providing wise leadership in this war? No he is not. But I do not hear anything coming from the left that I would describe as wisdom either.

What worries me is that the Democratic Party is strongly in the clutches of those I describe as the "loonie left". They are a major bloc of those who vote in the Democratic Party primaries and they serve up to the voting public a slate of candidates who swear fealty to the left wing extremist positions.

I am looking for an alternative to the Republican Party candidates when I go to the voting booth. Problem is that I insist it not be just any ole alternative it must be a "reasonable" alternative. The "left wing" can stand firm on what they call principle and they are going to continue finding out that a majority of Americans do not agree with them.

Let me warn Democrats that this is coming from an independent who's vote they succeeded in winning as I cast my ballot for John Kerry. While I did not particularly like John Kerry, I considered him preferable to Dubyah, and winning the votes of people like me is not going to be enough.

What would I suggest? How about presenting to the voting public a real moderate candidate such as former Virginia Governor Mark Warner for President? And do not force him to swear fealty to a left wing extremist party platform in order to win the primary. Let him remain a moderate with a moderate's message.

Last I heard there is fertile ground to be sown upon should the Democratic Party allow some reasonable, moderate, candidates to represent them on the ballot. 45% of Americans describe themselves as moderates. We chafe at the "conservative" yoke the Republican Party has thrown on us, however we, as a group, are unwilling to trade that yoke in for a "liberal" one... and trying to describe the "liberal" yoke as "progressive" ain't gonna cut it, we still recognize it for what it is. Just changing the name without changing the positions is insulting.

Gay marriage? Think again. Partial Birth Abortion? Think again. Tax and spend? Think again (although this one is probably preferable to "borrow and spend"!) Cut and run? Think again. Further gun control? Think again.

I am begging for the Democratic Party to give me an alternative to the Republican candidates. The Republican Party has been given their chance and they have failed miserably. But I plead with the Democrats to give me an alternative I can actually vote for. Please do not offer up candidates who represent a wet dream for the left wing extremists. Give the American voting public a "reasonable" alternative and surrender to the moderates the right to define "reasonable".

Either that or get used to the idea of remaining as a minority, opposition party. We moderates might not like the Republicans, but that does not mean we are going to automatically start loving whatever fare the Democrats put on the menu.

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