As much as I like to say, “Hang it up!” and as much as I think Republicans and Democrats should hang it up, I am going to offer some advice to both sides: Listen to your base.
The truth is the only genuine centrists left are the apathetic and the “once-a-year” voters. The majority of Republicans are conservative and the majority of Democrats are liberal (at least at the grassroots level). Politicians are not catering to you because they know they can count on your vote because he or she isn’t “the other candidate.” Politicians cater to the indifference in hoping they can persuade more indifferent people then their opponents.
My advice for Republicans and Democrats is to vote for the candidate who most represents your values in the primary. Don’t worry if the candidate is electable in a general election. If you feel the candidate of your choice is not electable, then take a closer look at your values.
One reason why people think both parties are the same is because politicians from both parties cater to the centrists (and the fascists, but I’ll save that discussion for another time. 😀 ) It’s the two parties’ catering to the center thay causes the most flip-flopping of power between the two parties.
If you want someone with the same values as you elected, vote ONLY for those candidates that share your values the most with you. If there is too much wiggle room between you and your party’s candidate, then take a pass on Election Day. Don’t vote out of fear and compromise your values. It damages your party’s reputation in the long run. Republicans can no longer be considered a fiscally conservative party because their party spent like drunken sailors when they were in power. Democrats can no longer be considered a “Peace Party” because they are in power now and we are no closer to ending either the war in Iraq or Afghanistan any time soon.
If you believe in your philosophy, you must allow your party to lose if your party’s candidate does not adequately represent your point of view. If your views are not adequately represented and you truly believe in your views, you must allow the party to win and prove that their philosophy works.
I am going to be frank. The problem with both parties (and to a lesser extent, third parties), is they are so concerned about being electable, that they overlook other qualities like leadership, intelligence, and especially principle.
Don’t vote for a centrist. They only take bad ideas from Democrats and combine them with bad ideas from Republicans. There are options you cane take if your party’s candidate does not fit your principles:
- Vote for a third party or independent candidate that is closer to your views.
- Write in somebody who does have your principles.
- Sit the election out and relieve yourself of having blood on your hands for not voting for an unprincipled candidate.
I will be honest with you. Even with the advice I am giving, I would still rather eat glass than vote for a Democratic or Republican candidate. I will only vote for candidates with a radical libertarian agenda, because to vote for anybody else would give a false impression that I approve of that candidate’s non-libertarian stances.
The future of our country (and to a lesser extent, the reputation of your party) demands that you vote for a candidate with principles and will not cater to the centrists who know nothing about politics.
How Mike Sees Things 