One Man’s Descent into the Two Party System

The Republican Party

The Republican Party often refers to itself as the GOP.  Many believe this stands for “Grand Old Party”, but the original meaning was “Gallant Old Party”.  When cars were first being manufactured this also came to mean “Get Out and Push”.  The GOP began in 1856 with the nomination of John C. Fremont for president.  In 1860 Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, was elected and of course became one of the most revered presidents of all time.  The party claims it is built on the principles of equality for all, reducing the size of government, streamlining bureaucracy, and returning power to individual states.  The early accomplishments of the party tend to support these ideals, which include:

The Emancipation Proclamation

Issued in 1863 at the height of The Civil War, The Emancipation Proclamation declared that all persons held as slaves within the rebellious states were free.  Although this didn’t free all slaves, it did free most of the south.  This of course was not a constitutional amendment but was a granted war power of Abraham Lincoln.

The Thirteenth Amendment

Adopted in 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States.  This completed and solidified what The Emancipation Proclamation started two years earlier.

The Fourteenth Amendment

Adopted on July 9th, 1868 the Fourteenth Amendment provides a very broad definition of U.S. citizenship.  This amendment, among other things, overturned a court ruling that blacks could not be U.S. citizens.  Its Due Process Clause protects citizens and corporations from loss of life, liberty, or property without a public trial.  This amendment also requires each state to provide equal protection to everyone within its jurisdiction which lead to the dismantling of racial segregation in the United States.  It is interesting to note that some Republican’s now want to repeal this amendment as it gives children of illegal aliens citizenship.

The Fifteenth Amendment

Ratified on February 3rd, 1870 the Fifteenth Amendment prevents state and federal government from prohibiting a citizen’s right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”.  Former slaves can now vote.

The Nineteenth Amendment

Ratified on August 18th, 1920 the Nineteenth Amendment prevents state or federal government from denying citizens the right vote based on sex.  Woman can now vote.

The Republicans are off to a great start.  They freed the slaves, protected U.S. citizens from the possibility of a predatory government, desegregated the nation, and made sure all citizens were able to vote.  There is simply no way I could not support a group of politicians working toward the goals outlined above.  Let’s see what the GOP is up too today.

As with all things I went to the Internet to find what I was looking for.  What better way to see what a party stands for then to go to their website.  I typed in http://www.gop.com/ and was redirected to http://www.novemberstartsnow.com/ .  No problem, elections are coming up and the marketing has begun.  So here at the home of the Republicans I find they stand for:

  • Barack Obama’s presidency has been a disaster. He is either unwilling to or incapable of doing his job.
  • The economy is in shambles.
  • The government is failing.
  • Americans are losing hope.
  • Barack Obama was not ready to be President.

I can take away from this that the Republicans stand for not believing in Barack Obama and they have intense fear for what the future holds.  This isn’t good, but it is just the first page.  I’ll read further.

I clicked on the “Continue to the GOP” button and am now at the site I was looking for.  On this page I will find what Republicans are all about.  Here are the headlines:

  • First Steps Down the Road to Appeal – This covers states trying to undo Obama’s health care plan.
  • Buck Passing Catching Up to Obama and Pelosi – This discusses how Obama always blames George W. Bush for what’s wrong with America.
  • Rising Unemployment Welcomes President Obama To Atlanta – This ties Obama to rising unemployment in Georgia.

At the bottom of this list of articles is a link that says “Read more and react” which actually made me laugh out loud.  See the articles here are all reactionary.  It’s funny.  I’m funny too.

Fortunately they have a “Who We Are” section, and since that’s why I’m here I’ll check it out.  Here are the bullets I took from that page:

  • It all started with people who opposed slavery.
  • The Republican Party also played a leading role in securing women the right to vote.
  • Republicans believe individuals, not government, can make the best decisions
  • Under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, the United States won the Cold War, releasing millions from Communist oppression, in true anti-big government Republican spirit.

All these items are true, and they are great.  But they all exist in the relatively distant past.  The GOP also has a Learn tab so I’ll head there now.

The Learn tab was a jackpot.  There is a page that is titled “What We Believe”.  Here is an overview:

  • We’re fortunate to live in America.
  • You can be what you are, and become what you are capable of becoming.
  • Helping those around you is worthwhile.
  • Small government is a better government for the people.
  • You know what to do with your money better than government.
  • Free markets keep people free.
  • Our Armed Forces defend and protect our democracy.

Too bad this is buried under tons of negative press against the president.  Here we have what the GOP claims to be about, and from reading it I would say I support all but a couple of points.  Here is the problem; it doesn’t look to me like the party actually stands for these ideas.  Let’s look at each point:

We are fortunate to live in America – This is an emotional statement.  I have seen it used to force a wedge between people trying to make genuine change and those trying to keep power where it stands.  You see if I speak out against something I don’t appreciate the country, or if I try to change something I’m an enemy.  I could also use this statement to condemn the status quo depending on how I want to position it.  The statement is pointless as it can be used as a blunt instrument to attack any point of view.  At face value it is correct, we are fortunate to live in America.

You can be what you are, and become what you are capable of becoming – Interesting statement and I like it. It is empowering and understanding.  I’m OK and you’re OK sort of position.  I agree with this.

Helping those around you is worthwhile – While the statement is accurate of course, it is an interesting way to word the sentiment.  I guess it would be like Jesus saying, “Give to the poor and the helpless if you have the time.”  The GOP recognizes the value of charity but doesn’t promote it very well.

Small government is a better government for the people – The only way to accurately measure the size of government is by the amount it spends.  I mean if the government suddenly offered 500 new social services that didn’t cost any money to the taxpayers would it be bigger government?  Obviously a broken premise, but it gets the idea across.  If my system of measurement holds up then the government under the Republican Party has become so immensely huge that it can no longer function under its own weight.  During the presidency of George W. Bush the debt almost doubled from $5.7 trillion to $10.6 trillion.  Most of this time was spent with a Republican majority in both the House and the Senate.  Point to war or 9-11 or anything you like and it doesn’t change the fact that small government is not what the Republican Party stands for.  It’s so obvious they should just stop pushing it.  Deficit spending like this hasn’t happened since Reagan, who is thought of by many to be the ideal Republican.  Stop it with the small government crap, you don’t believe it and everyone knows it.

You know what to do with your money better than government – A truer statement has never been made.  However, though the statement is true, the spirit behind it is a bit different.  See this is a preamble to demand lower taxes.  Lower taxes are great, and right now the poor and middle class are paying less than they did under the Republicans.  The wealthy are taking a hit now, but from what I’ve seen not too terribly bad.  So while I do know what to do with my money, the taxes I pay are the cost of living in America.  And the highest tax bracket right now is less than most industrialized nations by quite a bit.

Free markets keep people free – Another confusingly positive statement.  Instead of me droning on about how the GOP doesn’t actually believe this just look up how many Republican representatives voted for the Wall Street Bailout.  It was probably a good idea and it is possible that the future is brighter because of it, but it would not have happened in a free market economy.  A free market decides what lives and dies within its purview, and there are no do-overs.  According to a free market most of the banks and financial institutions were intended to go under because they did not operate in a fiscally responsible manner.  The market was in the process of removing these institutions presumably to make room for better managed ones until the government stepped in and fixed it. The United States is not a free market economy, and maybe it shouldn’t be.  Don’t confuse a free market with Democracy or a managed market with Communism.  One is a system of economics and the other is a system of government.  The two concepts are often confused by groups purposefully to scare people.

Our Armed Forces defend and protect our democracy – While it is possible to use this statement to support the continued funneling of an unsustainable amount of money into the military industrial complex, it is a true one.  Any misuse of the concept would be obvious and need not be discussed.

Let’s return now to the core values of the Republican Party which are stated as equality for all, reducing the size of government, streamlining bureaucracy, and returning power to individual states.

Equality for All

Currently Republicans are reconsidering the 14th Amendment.  Specifically they no longer want to automatically grant citizenship to children born in the United States.  Birthright Citizenship has been an issue for a long time in fringe right wing groups, but it is making its way to the front of the party.  With all of the questionable laws getting thrown around in Arizona, it would seem now is the time to push this agenda.

Also in the realm of equality are taxes.  Republicans seem to scream for lower taxes from the mountain tops, but they are not clear on what they want lowered.  I hear about capital gains tax, the top end tax rates, and taxes on business.  A tax I have not heard about from the GOP is payroll tax.  Payroll tax is also called withholding tax, and it is taken out of an employee’s check before they receive it. Here is where the equality issue comes in.  Payroll tax is applied to the first $106, 800 earned per year.  If you make $106,800 or less then 100% of your income is hit by the payroll tax.  If you make $1 million dollars per year then 10% is taxed in this fashion.  If Republicans are so against taxes, why do they never speak of this one?  My guess is that they know payroll taxes fuel social security and though they claim to hate that social program people seem to love it.  Also large businesses are not hit too hard by payroll tax, and the wealthy barely notice it.  These are guesses but this doesn’t look like equality for all.

Reducing the size of Government

We have covered this.  The GOP increased the size of government beyond most people’s wildest imaginations.  Conservative predictions estimate that it will take over 20 years to reduce the government to a manageable level without causing further damage.

Streamlining Bureaucracy

During the previous eight years of GOP lead government the tax code has increased by over 30%.  This included massive savings at the highest income levels, and almost no change at the bottom.  I will give them the Patriot Act however.  This cut through bureaucracy like a razor.

Returning Power to the States

This idea seems to be currently championed by the Tea Party within the GOP.  I have not heard much about it specifically as of late however it is certainly a core principle of the party and one the Democrats oppose on many levels.

So what I take away from the Republican Party is this:

  1. They were once a great party for the people.
  2. They know exactly what they stand against but not so much what they stand for.
  3. They use emotionally charged statements that confuse rather than communicate.
  4. They are a party of opposition, not of ideas.

This started strong but ended badly.  Let’s see if the Dems can do any better.

NEXT UP: The Democratic Party