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2004-11-18 : 5:23 p.m.
Dean and some
Hi guys,
Another article to read! oh yes! This one was written by Howard Dean, and whether you find yourself on the donkey or elephant side(condolences on the latter of course), it's a very good read. :) I've never wanted to affiliate myself with a party, I have to say. I didn't (like most) want to feel pigeon-hold to any one set of ideas. Being that Politics for the most part- just suck all around. Nevertheless, after attending my first (and not my last) meeting with the group Democracy for America; I finally came to realize how important it is to register with a party of choice. And without boring you with too many of the all-mighty detailed reasons, I will give you one... okay maybe two. One, the voter turnout rate is excruciating low. In some states it barely even registers on a scale. (Imagine a very general concept of .00001 out of ten turn out. And in some case even worse.) In any case, if you don't like who is running... then is the first and most fundamental way to change it. The primary system may not be the best. But it's all we have. And by registering yourself, you directly- more so than at the national presidential level, to directly influence the person you want up their, what agenda they carry, and how you want them behave. Once a candidate reaches the presidential level, the agenda for the most part has been set. Who you vote for at this level, makes for a greater indication with regards to what is important to you. To us. And hopefully, at an unselfish level- to the rest of the world. Point two, party affiliation does not mean YOU ARE BOUND TO THEM. You can ultimately vote for a different party candidate, when the presidential election arrives again. And there are other reasons as well, but longer and more winded as I mentioned. Just really, really consider it. It's that important. And to make it easier for you, I'll even mail you registration forms so you can do it! (And you can always change your mind too... This isn't like paying taxes, you have a choice at any time, for any which way!) Anyway, that's my schpeel... I don't want to tire you anymore, so you'll read Dean's small article below. It's good. And sorry I haven't been writing individually! Tooooo many! But I love you all! And this info that is important for your welfare as well as mine. And I don't want any one of you, to never be aware of the facts as they are. (Now read below!) Much love, Democrats Cannot Give Up By Gov. Howard Dean, M.D. The Democrats took a beating last week, at least at the Federal level. But while the re-election of the President may be a setback on many levels, especially from the point of view of fiscal conservatives like me; the Democratic Party is not in the middle of a catastrophe. First, at the local grassroots level, Democrats fared better than the Republicans. We picked up two state legislatures, and a number of other offices, we had some near misses in states where candidates who had never run before did very well, thus helping to build a strong bench for 2006. While President Bush's campaign did a flawless job getting out their vote, and preparing ahead of time by putting anti-gay marriage amendments on the ballot in key states, the Democrats also did very well, building a record turnout. The surge in young voters, who overwhelmingly voted for John Kerry, is a good sign for the future. Having said all this, the Democratic Party needs an overhaul. We will never win by trying to be "Republican-lite". The Republican Party consistently undermines the American middle class, makes it tougher to get health insurance, makes college education less affordable, and runs up large deficits, while giving enormous amounts of taxpayer dollars to the biggest corporations in the world. Two weeks before the election, the Bush administration passed a bill that was supported by too many Democrats, giving $139 billion away. The argument was that we couldn't win if we didn't support this legislation, which had lots of goodies for everyone. Well, the bill passed, and we lost anyway. If you want to win, you have to fight, and you have to stand for something. I disagree with President Bush on almost every direction he takes us in, but he is a disciplined campaigner with an easy to understand message. I think Democrats have a better message. First, we are fiscally responsible, and deficits hurt America. There is nothing moral about passing on our debts to our children. You cannot trust Republicans with your money. This week another increase in the debt ceiling is to be voted on, the Democrats need to stand fast for fiscal responsibility. The President successfully turned a discussion about moral values into a discussion about gay marriage and abortion. I think moral values are also about how you treat poor people, how you treat those who are different, how you respect the opinion of others, and what you leave to your children. On those moral values, I think the Republicans lose. We need to talk about these values too. Finally, we should also continue to do what I think the Kerry/Edwards team did well. Every American needs a job, every American needs affordable health care, every American needs a decent public education system, and every American wants a foreign policy consistent with the vision of American moral leadership, so we can be the moral leader, not just the military leader of the world.
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