Spring Break
The natural progression: Democrat to Independent to Republican?
Kevin Rand
Issue date: 10/3/07 Section: Opinion
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The candidate for the Democrats was Michael Dukakis.
In my house it was all Dukakis.
Dukakis. Dukakis. Dukakis.
See, my father is, and was, a Democrat.
His father was a Democrat.
His father's father was a Democrat.
So Bush Sr., no exaggeration, was Beelzebub incarnate.
Those cold-blooded Republicans.
"Well what the heck, then?" I thought. "I guess I'll be a Democrat, too."
After all, Democrats cared about education, and my father was a teacher.
They cared about healthcare. They embraced minorities. They helped the less fortunate.
What's not to like about all that?
And those Republicans - all they wanted was money. They were older, richer … whiter, even.
Bleeding hearts? You couldn't find so much as a golf ball behind a Republican's chest plate.
So it was settled. Democrats all the way.
And then Bush won.
Damn.
Hey, I was a passionate, politically conscious 7-year-old.
But that's how I felt. That's what I believed.
Then all of a sudden, we were at war. The country's economy was also in recession.
I knew I was right. It was all Daddy Bush's fault.
Turn the page 19 years forward. I'm a 26-year-old registered Independent.
I think I'm a Liberal, but I also believe in what some would call conservative values.
My heart is in favor of socialized medicine, but my mind tells me something different.
The problem now is that I've grown older, and I don't think that translates into more wisdom.
If anything, I'm more skeptical and definitely more confused.
But at least I'm thinking.
I was watching YouTube videos the other day when I came across a clip from a debate for the 2008 presidential candidates for the Republican Party.
"Ron Paul courageously speaks the truth," it was titled.
OK, I thought.
Click.
I found out he was one of six Republicans to vote against the current war in Iraq.
Now bear with me, whether you're for or against the war.
Paul argued, "Have you ever read about the reasons (the Sept. 11 hijackers) attacked us? They attacked us because we've been over there. We've been bombing Iraq for over 10 years."
Viewing Comments 1 - 9 of 9
creator
posted 10/03/07 @ 12:51 AM PST
Kevin!
Your piece about Ron Paul is a breath of fresh air!
Thanks for writing from the heart! thanks for coming out and saying that a persons ideas can change, that we are not all "two-party robots", that we can actually recognize and care about a real statesman like Dr. (Continued…)
Clovis
posted 10/03/07 @ 1:35 AM PST
I totally feel what you've written. I even stopped voting because I just couldn't bring myself to vote for the "lesser" of two evils. It was still evil! So disgusted, cynical, feeling like my vote didn't matter I gave up on politics and just tried to live my life. (Continued…)
Gray
posted 10/03/07 @ 1:41 AM PST
Nice article, it's good to see Dr. Paul's campaign gaining more traction every day. I just want to clear up one statement you make, though.
"If Paul ran in 1988, and if I was allowed to vote, I don't think I would have voted for him because he was a Republican. (Continued…)
Bryan
posted 10/03/07 @ 6:02 AM PST
Well hell yea you summed up me the first time i got to hear Ron speak. I thought all politicians were full of it. I heard him speak and thought hey!
thats what i think! but he is a libertarian conservative running as a republican? odd yes. (Continued…)
Jon
posted 10/03/07 @ 7:20 AM PST
FYI Paul ran in 88 as a libertarian. This is your second chance to support him!
ctjohnson
posted 10/03/07 @ 7:40 AM PST
Your experience was the same a mine. Except it was religious Republican zeal. I ended up going independent to give myself more perceived freedom and have been disgusted with the Republicans. (Continued…)
Ted Rudow III,MA
posted 10/03/07 @ 8:44 AM PST
Conscious, manipulative lies were also at the root of U.S. intervention in Vietnam. Hysterical cold warriors portrayed Vietnam as the key domino in a global struggle against
communism. (Continued…)
Texas Little El
posted 10/03/07 @ 11:20 AM PST
www.ronpaul2008.com
The Ron Paul campaign has just released their 3rd Quarter totals at $5,080,000 with $5.3 million cash on hand.
Seems Rep. Paul's star is on the rise. (Continued…)
Brad Pearce
posted 10/03/07 @ 12:59 PM PST
Ron Paul DID run in 1988! He came in third place on the Libertarian ticket. Ron Paul was the candidate for those who realized that both Bush senior and Dukakis were terrible choices. (Continued…)
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