Giving Train Wrecks a Bad Name

I have told the story before of why I vote Democrat.  Back in 1992, I remember walking to the Lake Calhoun Business Center in Minneapolis to vote, not really knowing who I would vote for, Clinton, Bush or Perot.  I really started to separate from moderate Republicans more than a decade ago.  When Bush, Cheney and the administration of neo-cons decided to pull the troops out of Afghanistan to start a new, "made up" war in Iraq, I was furious.  Not only did they not finish the job mandated by the 9/11 attacks, you do not put troops in harms way just so you can line your pockets with tax payer dollars, in a conflict solely being fought for a personal agenda.  Thousands of dead American service members and tens of thousands of permanently wounded soldiers later, I determined I could never vote another Republican into the White House if their standard was to lie to the American people on such a large and devastating scale.

A few years later I vowed to never vote Republican again, even for lesser offices, when, after being confronted with overwhelming evidence the White House just made up the justifications for the Iraq War, the right ignored the truth.  They accused anyone who pushed for an investigation as being driven by "sour grapes" or the "blame game."  The thought of Republicans screaming "sour grapes" at families standing over the coffins of dead American soldiers sickens me still today.

But now, I'm confronted with a undeniable reality.  The majority of people who vote for GOP candidates seem to be politically broken to their core, by choice.  People who identify themselves as Republican not only choose to ignore the outright favoritism GOP policy gives to the extremely wealthy and large corporations and ignore any Democratic policies which help them and their community every day, but they've become comical in how far they will go to overlook Republican politician's personal defects.  Having such a belligerent group of followers makes Republicans smile, knowing they will never have to answer for their warped decisions, atrocious behavior or lack of action.

How bad is it?  A Republican candidate for a Minnesota House seat, Roger Weber, sawed his neighbors garage in half.  Re-read that...I am not making this up.  Here is the link:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/09/22/1331517/-MNGOP-House-candidate-power-saws-neighbor-s-garage-in-half

The MNGOP Paul Bunyan did this because of a property dispute with the previous owner of the house.  Most rational people would feel as if someone who cuts someone else's private residence in two, committing crimes of vandalism and destruction of private property, might want to sit the election out, let alone question Weber's clear lack of conflict resolution skills.

The response from the right was shocking, but then again, shockingly predictable.  The conservative voters I heard from implied it was admirable (you have to respect his initiative[!]), somehow comparable (yeah, but at least he didn't suggest a train between Minneapolis and Chicago[?]), or just made up a heinous lie about a Democrat to justify not caring about it (who cares while Mark Dayton is doing drugs in the Governor's mansion [?!?]).  I have a hard time imagining they would feel the same way if it was their garage.  Many who vote Republican, to prevent from ever being wrong, choose to live in a self induced, ignorant stupor, creating the most bizarre excuses to never have to acknowledge their chosen leader's faults.

Want more proof the Republican voter is broken?  Look at the Minnesota GOP ticket and you realize Johnny Lumberjack is just part of a larger problem.  McFadden (Sen - incompetence, lack of media savvy, anti Minnesota business positions, Romney-esque), Johnson (Gov - lack of focus, campaign disarray, incoherent), Hagedorn (MN-01 - misogynistic, racist and homophobic comments), Kline (MN-02 - the chair of the House Education Committee, on his knees for the for-profit higher education industry, ruining many Americans future and credit ratings), Paulson (MN-03 - does he really even exist?), whomever the GOP is running in MN-04 and MN-05 (???), Emmer (MN-06 - anti worker, anti gay rights), Westrom (MN-07 conflict of interest and proposed legislative profiteering), Stewart Mills III (MN-08 - unabashed pro ultra-wealthy, spokespeople with questionable judgement and a Romeny-esque speech that outdoes Romney.  Seriously, watch it: http://blogs.citypages.com/blotter/2014/08/hubbard_broadcastings_decision_to_pull_anti-stewart_mills_attack_ad_sparks_controversy.php ), Severson (Sec. of State - Religious zealot, thinks public schools program socialism), my personal favorite Randy Gilbert (Auditor - SEX!  http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3560986.shtml?cat=1 and his name is Randy!), Michele MacDonald (Supreme Ct. - just finished up with her personal trial where she was found guilty on two counts), and the list goes on and on.

But none of this documented debacle matters to the modern Republican voter.  They will blindly vote for these people and never ask what the right has ever done for them, cursing all Democrats regardless of how much the left's policies have helped them directly.  Remember when the right wanted to get rid of Social Security?  How many Republicans initially loved the idea, but as they realized what the GOP was going to do, the voting right woke up and started to ask, "you're going to do what?"  That idea disappeared overnight from the GOP platform.

Republican voters, pay attention.  Hold the people you vote into office accountable!  Ask if the people you are going to vote for are worthy of the office.  As long as they never have to answer for their political decisions, or their personal conduct, they will continue to take you for granted and never deliver on anything.  Don't feel like you succeeded because the Democrat didn't win.  If you realize the Democrats are responsible for the majority of government you want to keep, and the Republicans are responsible for the majority of government you want to get rid of, you can at least begin to see if your representation is delivering for you.

I'm not holding my breath.  I'm sure there will be another school lunch, salute, pair of jeans, color of a suit, photo, handshake, or other made up Obama outrage for you to cower in the shade of to avoid the bright rays of Republican incompetence.