08.28.08
The convention
I have to admit that the actual nomination—at the convention—made me emotional. I didn’t expect that, but when it became a fact I was so proud, so happy, and even tearful. It’s been a long time a-coming. The US has come a long way since Martin Luther King led the civil rights movement and LBJ twisted arms to pass civil rights legislation, with the white South fighting it every step of the way. We are gradually growing up as a society. The GOP now carries the dark torch of bigotry, racism, and contempt for the common people, and that fact is becoming clear.
The speeches by Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden are breathtaking. You can see them in many of the political blogs and on the YouTube links here, so I won’t post them—but you should watch them. History is being made.
Let me just post a Kevin Drum comment:
Ezra has his choice for the best passage in Bill Clinton’s speech here, but my favorite was this bit:
On the two great questions of this election — how to rebuild the American dream and how to restore America’s leadership in the world — [John McCain] still embraces the extreme philosophy that has defined his party for more than 25 years.
And it is, to be fair to all the Americans who aren’t as hard-core Democrats as we, it’s a philosophy the American people never actually had a chance to see in action fully until 2001, when the Republicans finally gained control of both the White House and the Congress.
Then we saw what would happen to America if the policies they had talked about for decades actually were implemented. And look what happened.
They took us from record surpluses to an exploding debt; from over 22 million new jobs to just 5 million; from increasing working families’ incomes to nearly $7,500 a year to a decline of more than $2,000 a year; from almost 8 million Americans lifted out of poverty to more than 5.5 million driven into poverty; and millions more losing their health insurance.
Now, in spite of all this evidence, their candidate is actually promising more of the same.
Think about it: more tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans that will swell the deficit, increase inequality, and weaken the economy; more Band-Aids for health care that will enrich insurance companies, impoverish families, and increase the number of uninsured; more going it alone in the world, instead of building the shared responsibilities and shared opportunities necessary to advance our security and restore our influence.
They actually want us to reward them for the last eight years by giving them four more.
Italics mine. Overall it was, of course, a great speech. The guy’s a natural. And that line about people the world over being “more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power”? Pure Bill.
Jeff said,
28 August 2008 at 12:46 pm
Pretty offensive comment: “The GOP now carries the dark torch of bigotry, racism, and contempt for the common people, and that fact is becoming clear.” Not clear at all. You are right about being emotional. There is nothing rationale in that comment at all. That’s the key difference between Democrats and Republicans (emotional vs. rationale.)
LeisureGuy said,
28 August 2008 at 1:01 pm
The GOP is well known for “the Southern strategy,” and it constantly fights against anti-discrimination legislation, whether the discrimination is based on race, sex, ethnic group, or sexual orientation. The GOP also fights against any help for the working class, fighting an increase in the minimum wage, fighting to make unionization impossible, saying (just today) that there are no uninsured Americans so far as healthcare is concerned—anyone can go the ER and get treated, so we don’t need any healthcare reform. These are facts, Jeff. One problem that has cost the GOP a lot is its refusal to recognize reality.
The word you want, BTW, is “rational,” not “rationale.”
Anonymous said,
28 August 2008 at 3:15 pm
Many Democrats seem to demonize Republicans as “evil” or “bad” because they don’t believe the same thing. You need to open up to view the two sides to debates without labeling things. Your comment is offensive, flat out offensive. (Also, the Bush administration is not conservative, we haven’t seen this level of spending and entitlement programs in the most liberal of Democrat administrations.)
Discrimination: Most people in the U.S., most Republicans (even in the South) do not believe discrimination is appropriate nor should be allowed. What legislation are you referring to? What legislation is needed to protect against discrimination? I thought we had many laws passed in the 1960s and 1970s on this. Fighting against more legislation doesn’t mean people think it’s wrong, just like how Obama fought (sole vote) against protecting babies that were born alive from botched abortions. There is an other side. Surely he doesn’t want to kill babies. (He just values abortion higher than the life of babies that have been born.)
Help for the working class: There are many people who believe rights are not given by government, only can be taken away. As such the government’s role is not to help anyone, but assure inalienable right. Also, the term “working class” is inappropriate. You mean the poor. Most rich people work very hard to get where they are (therefore are part of the working class). You don’t get rich by not working unless you win the lottery. If so, tell me how.
Unionization: I asssume you are referring to the open vote policy being pushed by unions, where voting is made public rather than by secret ballot where intimidation can become an issue (no doubt why our vote for president is secret). If so, that couldn’t be more inappropriate. I don’t believe unions are relevant today, but if people want to without intimidation and undo pressure, that’s up to them. Why are laws necessary to make it easier to form a union anyway?
Minimum wage: You refer to this as if increasing the minimum wage is a good thing. I would argue it’s not a good thing. It increases the cost of goods (passed on to the same people with the jobs), reduces growth in new jobs, impacts inflation (many other salaries including unions are tied to this). Not to mention the high proportion (vast majority single under 25). Question for you, why not increase it to something decent, like $20 per hour. Or $25. Why a dribble? It’s nothing but pandering. What does the government know about setting wages?
Healthcare: Long debate there but I’m not aware of all GOP saying there are no uninsured Americans. The question is what is a “right” that the government should be protecting. These are rights we have already (the government doesn’t provide rights, it protects them). Healthcare is not a right. There is nothing inherent about being provided a service for free. I refer to the Bill of Rights. Yes, there are safety nets, including Medicaid, to cover care for the poor. The difference between you and me is that I am not suggesting to take away your (or anyone else’s) money (e.g., property rights, a true right) through taxes to pay for someone else, yet you are willing to spend my money that way. One is for freedom, the other is for tyranny (of the masses).
Thanks for the spelling check. I did mean “rational”.
LeisureGuy said,
28 August 2008 at 3:23 pm
The Bush Administration was, as you perhaps have noticed, completely supported by the GOP (a conservative political party) during his years in office, and even today the GOP fights to prevent any investigation into, or oversight of, the Bush Administration. So far as spending money like drunk sailors, that wasn’t Bush, that was the GOP Congress. (Congress holds the purse strings, not the president.) Like it or not, Bush was celebrated as a Republican president and the GOP-led Congress gave him everything he wanted.
You seem to know nothing of the GOP’s fights to maintain discrimination.
How to get rich without winning the lottery? Ask John McCain, who wears $500 shoes and can’t even remember how many houses he owns.
Actually, I’m tired of responding to GOP talking points. I’ve observed that regardless of the care in responding, regardless of links to information that proves the case, my responses are ignored and more talking points are trotted out.
I have no sympathy for the GOP after seeing what they’ve done to the country.
Anonymous said,
28 August 2008 at 5:11 pm
There it is again, just labels. Talking points? I don’t give talking points. This is just logic. You can’t make a decent argument other than pointing out the how Congress (GOP led) that over spent on social programs. But Bush approved it and promoted it. Don’t know why he did it as liberals don’t give him any credit and conservatives criticize him for it.
Yes, I know nothing how GOP fights to “maintain” discrimination. That is ludicrous. No one is “maintaining” discrimination. One asinine comment after another, thrown out as “facts”. What discrimination? Getting a job? Buying a house? What?
As for your Democrat talking points, you must be referring to the silly point about the number of houses. Is is relevant that a potential president is not focused on his investments? On can argue that is a good thing, if one were objective.
I am not supportive of what the Republicans did or the many mistakes of the Bush Administration. They had an opportunity to fulfill their pledge years ago and squandered the chance to really change things. The only thing that makes sense now is to reduce the influence of government, it simply is about power, getting more and more influence over peoples lives, creating dependency and need. That isn’t what our founders wanted, nor what is sustainable in the long term. I think America continues to degrade into a selfish, give-me-something-for-nothing society. Very sad.
Goodbye.
LeisureGuy said,
28 August 2008 at 5:14 pm
Good luck. So far as McCain’s houses, I was responding to your question, which you seem to have forgotten—one reason I don’t like trying to discuss things with the Right.