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Mike from Greenville writes:
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4/2/2004 5:20:26 PM
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Democrats and Republicans differ on abortion.
Dems let women decide, GOP lets Govt decide.
Democrats and Republicans differ on gays.
Dems believe they are citizens, GOP does not.
Democrats and Republicans differ on security.
Dems preserves soldiers’ lives, GOP risks them.
Democrats and Republicans differ on welfare.
Dems help the poor, GOP help corporations.
Democrats and Republicans differ on taxes.
GOP cuts 'em more for the rich, Dems raise’em on the rich.
Democrats and Republicans differ on the military.
Dems use it well, GOP strains it.
Democrats and Republicans differ on education.
Dems educate all, GOP wants to limit education.
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Jimmy from Spartanburg writes:
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4/1/2004 11:06:47 AM
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| Hey Joe, I agree with the examples you mentioned. I was simply answering Laird's assertion that there was no difference between Republicans and Democrats. My answer to him was that people who are libertarians need to be active in the GOP to help promote their cause and get elected. Obviously, there are those in the Republican ranks who could absolutely care less about GOP values and beliefs. THOSE are the ones who need to be targeted in primary races by the Libertarian candidates. This is a MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE way to get their message out rather than trying to run as a third-party candidate. |
Joe from Edisto Island writes:
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4/1/2004 10:01:46 AM
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"This is where libertarian candidates would make the most difference and get elected!" - Jimmy from Spartanburg
Yo Jimmy... They ARE making a difference.
Gov. Mark Sanford, Congressman Ron Paul and SC State Sen.John Kuhn immediately come to mind... and those congressional members of the Republican Liberty Caucus.
But there sure are a bunch of RINO "McCainiacs" in the party too, that would just as soon erode our freedoms and rights one by one in their attempt to out Democrat the Democrats!
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Jimmy from Spartanburg writes:
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4/1/2004 9:28:10 AM
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Democrats and Republicans differ on taxes.
Dems RAISE 'em, GOP cuts 'em.
Democrats and Republicans differ on abortion.
Dems kill babies, GOP preserves life.
Democrats and Republicans differ on gays.
Dems want marriage, GOP calls it an abomination.
Democrats and Republicans differ on security.
Dems want to talk, GOP takes action.
Democrats and Republicans differ on welfare.
Dems want dependence, GOP wants freedom.
Democrats and Republicans differ on the military.
Dems want it slashed, GOP wants the best.
Democrats and Republicans differ on education.
Dems want more money, GOP wants accountability.
I could go on and on and on because the differences are CLEAR!
While I agree there are factions within the Republican Party that have liberal tendencies, these are few and far between. They are the ones that need to be targeted in primary elections by solid conservative Republicans.
This is where libertarian candidates would make the most difference and get elected!
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Laird from Simpsonville writes:
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3/31/2004 6:37:48 PM
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| Jimmy, you're talking electoral strategy, and you might be right. But you've avoided the question: as things stand today, what differentiates Republicans from Democrats (especially at the national level)? I continue to maintain that there is no principled distinction any more, which is why I left the party. What does it matter if we elect individuals running under the Republican banner if they are indistinguishable from Democrats? It's nothing more than a power struggle between interchangeable cliques, and if Libertarians truly are unelectable then all hope of regaining control over our government is lost. |
Jimmy from Spartanburg writes:
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3/31/2004 11:54:16 AM
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| Libertarians are unelectable outside of the Republican Party aparatus. I can name quite a few Republicans who are actually libertarians. The fact of the matter is that there are good and bad in both major parties. Is the solution to abandoned them altogether or seek to change them from within? I prefer the latter over the former since there has NEVER been a president elected in modern times from a third party. While I certainly sympathize with your concerns about the Republican Party, the reality of the situation is the group you are with now will not have an impact on the two big political parties. |
Laird from Simpsonville writes:
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3/31/2004 9:48:16 AM
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Jimmy, why don't you lay out all those alleged "differences" right here for all of us to see?
Do Republicans display spending restraint? No evidence of it at either the federal or state level. Nationally, once they got their hands on both the Presidency and Congress spending exploded faster than in Clinton's wildest fantasies, and here at home Republicans in the legislature couldn't override Sanford's veto of the offensive, pork-laden "Life Sciences" bill fast enough. Slowing the growth of government? Under Republicans, Washington has added a huge new Medicare entitlement, and hasn't eliminated a single program; in Columbia we're expanding unneeded universities and refusing any sort of rational governmental reorganization. Interventionist foreign policy? Maybe Republicans have a leg up there, although most Democrats voted with the President on the Iraq invasion. Multinationalism? It's the Bush White House, not the Democrats, who have taken up the mantle of the brainless Law of the Sea Treaty that we thought Reagan had killed 30 years ago. About the only real difference I can see is Republicans' opposition to gay marriage. Now there's an issue of real substance!
In fact, can you give me a single thing Bush has done which Lyndon Baines Johnson wouldn't have loved?
Libertarians provide the only real option today.
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Jimmy from Spartanburg writes:
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3/31/2004 8:19:34 AM
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| No differences, John from Lexington? If you ever want to talk about the differences, send me an e-mail and I'll lay it all out for you. THE DIFFERENCES ARE VERY CLEAR!!! |
Robert from Morgantown, WV writes:
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3/30/2004 10:31:24 PM
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John,
Must feel good to be known as the Dr. Pepper of political parties!!!!
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John from Lexington writes:
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3/30/2004 8:35:05 PM
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How about a new problem for the Republican party?
The Libertarians. Hahahahahahaha
The GOP leadership forbade its members to attend an event this weekend for one of their own congressmen in Columbia. Ron Paul (R. from Texas)
If you guys had any idea how many Republicans are going to show up to this thing you guys would freeek :D
People from both parties are flocking to the LP right now because there is ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE between the two prez candidates. They are the same guy.
The GOP ignores us at their own peril, because the more you try to ignore us the more you make it crystal clear you care nothing for the freedom that Americans once had.
http://www.sc.lp.org
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Andrew from Greer writes:
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3/29/2004 3:56:55 PM
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| Yes, deficits are a problem. Are Democrats the answer? It depends on whether they will cut spending or not. Clinton did it mainly at the incessant urging of Alan Greenspan (a Republican). But, that doesn't change the fact that Clinton actually did it. Is Kerry like Clinton on monetary/fiscal policy? I doubt it, but neither is Bush |
W. Andrew from Greenville writes:
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3/29/2004 3:03:50 PM
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First, "borrow and spend" is as accurate description of the Republican budgets. They are borrowing more than ever and they are spending more than ever. If you say otherwise, you are a liar.
Second, Bush's policies have not made the average American any better off. Job creation is virtually non-existent. Consumer spending binge is being financed with debt, not tax cuts. The tax cuts have caused increase borrowing which has affected the value of the dollar. The declining dollar means you have more dollars that are worth less.
How much more are you paying for gas? Thank Bush's debt and weak dollar strategy. I bet the average American will spend more because of higher gas prices than they got back from the Bush tax cut.
It has been my experience that most people are ignorant about monetary policy and the role government borrowing plays in the decline of the dollar. It seems to me that you prove my point: Get $300 back in taxes, and pay $500 more at the pump...and you think this is a good deal.
This is just one example.
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Josh from Spartanburg writes:
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3/29/2004 2:58:19 PM
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I would like to make just a few comments on the discussion points about Jimmy's article.
For one thing, national trends show that young voters, and students in particular, are moving more and more toward the Republican party. Andrew's statement that young people are not the key constituency of the Republican party is mostly true, but it will not take much action from the Republican party's ranks to make that age group one of their key constituencies.
Many students, even those with liberal tendencies, get so tired of hearing liberal indoctrination from some of their professors they are just waiting for a Republican or conservative organization to come their way. The liberalism that is taught on college campuses by some professors is so far to the left that some liberals don't even feel comfortable with it and come our way.
It is important that we continue to reach out to young people, students in particular, to move them into OUR party.
At USC-Spartanburg, our College Republicans chapter recruited nearly 100 students to be placed on our membership roster in one 3-hour period. This speaks volumes for the comments I made earlier in this piece. We are continuing to grow and actually have a day of activities planned for Monday, April 12 at the University. We will be holding a membership drive for College Republicans and a voter registration drive for unregistered students. Students for Bush will be holding their kickoff celebration at USC-Spartanburg that day as well.
I am excited about the growth we have seen in our organization and hope that our momentum will continue to build for the 2004 election cycle.
Correction for Bob's earlier comment: I was elected to Vice-Chair of State College Republicans, not Young Republicans. Thanks for mentioning it though! Good luck with everything in your future! You have been a tremendous help to the growth of our organizations and nothing but the best of luck to you in the future.
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Andrew from Greer writes:
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3/29/2004 1:29:06 PM
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For what it's worth, and just for discussion purposes, being one fairly recently I would give some non-exhaustive reasons why young people are not the key constituency for R's.
They (young people in particular) respond more to emotional implications than to rational arguments. I.e., The Environment! The Poor! The Children! Etc.
They tend to be in the lower half of the income bracket. They also don't (or pay to)do their own taxes. They have no concept of the costs involved in having gov't address the above emotional pleas. They only visualize the PRESUMED benefits.
They only know what they've learned. I didn't get a decent understanding in economics (macro, micro, or personal) until college. Some on this site would argue I still don't.
Lastly, they don't like judgmentalism that is seems to pervade some R circles.
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Jimmy from Spartanburg writes:
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3/29/2004 12:06:23 PM
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I have NEVER heard any young person utter the phrase "borrow and spend Republicans." It's not in their vocabulary, Andy. YOU are the only person who I have heard use this fallacious phrase.
While I will agree with you that spending needs to be cut if we are going to make reductions in taxes, I do not think the alternative from the Democrats is any better.
Their motto is "let's keep spending and spending while continually raising taxes time and time again!" That is a recipe for economic disaster that we do not need.
Bush's economic policies have been manifesting themselves in the form of increased consumer spending, a robust stock market and a spike in the overall GDP. Even on the issues of jobs, which Kerry has attempted to use as a campaign issue, we have seen 7 straight months of net job GROWTH despite what the Democrats and the mainstream media want you to believe.
The point is Bush's economic polices are WORKING and will continue to work if the tax cuts can become permanent. Voting for Kerry and Democratic lawmakers will prevent this economic expansion from taking place.
The fearmongering about the federal deficit is nothing more than an excuse to not give credit where credit is due to Bush. His policies have worked because people have been able to keep more of their own hard-earned money to spend as they wish. It's the American way of freedom and prosperity that has made this country the greatest nation in the world!
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W. Andrew from Greenville writes:
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3/29/2004 11:44:07 AM
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Bob:
No, but if you would listen you would hear young folks saying "blast those borrow and spend Republicans." Pay as you go protects young people and future generations.
President is bankrupting this country. Young people will discover that Republicans are mortgaging their future.
It is undeniable!
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Jimmy from Spartanburg writes:
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3/29/2004 10:37:48 AM
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You want to talk about hypocrisy, Andy, let's look at the likely Democratic presidential nominee John F'n Kerry. This guy is the epitome of hypocrisy! Do YOU even know where this guy stands on the issues?!
One day he's for an issue and the next day he's against it. I may not agree with everything my president has done since he was sworn into office in 2000, but at least I know where he stands because he is not afraid to stand up for what he believes.
Young people are easily swayed by clever marketing and I suspect the Democrats have used nearly every tool in the book to lay out their message. I will give your comrades kudos in that respect.
But Republicans have a message that a vast majority of Americans agree with: less government, lower taxes, support for family and marriage and respecting life. There is no hypocrisy in any of this except for scared-silly liberals who realize their days are numbered unless they manufacture scare tactics like they have against Bush.
How soon do we forget what a lying, crooked, cheating president we have in Bill Clinton. The man was THE worst moral example of a president in American history. Young people are turned off by the hypocrisy of the Democrat's ability to turn the other way on Clinton while lambasting Bush for comparably minor issues.
The point of my article is to say that Republicans need to ramp up their efforts to reach the younger generation of voters who could be longtime party activists if they are only told the truth.
They won't be getting it from the Dems!
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Robert from Morgantown, WV writes:
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3/29/2004 10:29:43 AM
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Andy,
Last time I checked I didn't see a bunch of young people running out in the streets of South Carolina saying "Blast those tax and spend Republicans!!!!" "Damn them all to hell!!!!" "I must join the Young Dems!!!!"
Hypocracy runs as rampant in YOUR party as it does ours.
While we as Young Republicans acknowledge certain double standards and problems in the party, we STRONGLY agree that whatever infighting or hypocracy that lies with us is better than being a DEMOCRAT!!!!!!!
Look in the mirror buddy! That's where the true answer lies.... |
Robert from Morgantown, WV writes:
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3/29/2004 10:15:33 AM
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Jimmy,
Cool beans man! I can imagine how busy you are. If you're up to it, maybe you'd like to speak at one of the Young Republican functions and let us know what's going on with you and what you do in the realm of communication? If you give Josh a call I'm sure he'd be more than happy to let you speak to us.
Bob
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W. Andrew from Greenville writes:
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3/29/2004 9:55:49 AM
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Jimmy: "Do their ideas of higher taxes, pro-abortion, pro-homosexuality, bigger government and such really resonate with younger voters? Perhaps."
I suspect that "pay as you go" fiscal discipline as demonstrated by the Clinton Admin. certainly appeals to younger voters who don't want to be saddled with the Bush debt. I suspect that the right to privacy is important to young people. They understand the hypocrisy of Republicans saying they want smaller government, but run up big debts and then want the government to insert itself in the marriage and procreation decisions.
Young people hate hypocrisy. It is this reason that Republicans will have a hard time with young folks.
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Jimmy from Spartanburg writes:
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3/29/2004 9:34:46 AM
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LOL! Robert, it's always great to read your insightful comments, my friend. You really missed an excellent gathering in Columbia. Me thinks the Dems will have trouble rounding up a few HUNDRED delegates to their state convention!
As for Josh, I could not agree more. He is a superb young man who has probably done more to attract young people to the Republican Party in South Carolina than anyone else. His passion and vigor for spreading the conservative message of the GOP is exemplary.
With that said, you have hit on several salient points worthy of discussion.
WHERE IS THE SUPPORT OF REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS?!?! Their conspicuous absence proves they do not value the contribution that young Republicans can offer their campaigns as well as the good will they can build up with a strong constituency.
I've heard preachers say the phrase "Pay Day Some Day" for many years. I think that aptly applies to the Republican lawmakers who think they don't need the support of young people. That's why it is so refreshing to see candidates like Bright, Parker and Wells stepping up to the plate and offering themselves as candidates. THEY ARE THE REAL DEAL!
As for my personal involvement in YRs, I have feet in so many different pots right now politically that I do not feel guilty about not being involved in the YRs on an active basis. Obviously, I strongly support the work that Josh and others are doing to spread the message. My involvement at CommonVoice, GOPUSA and Talon News keep me PLENTY busy and PLENTY involved in the process.
GREAT TO HEAR FROM YOU AS ALWAYS, Robert!
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Robert from Morgantown, WV writes:
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3/29/2004 8:48:51 AM
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Jimmy,
It's Bob. How ya doin? I didn't get the opportunity to attend the meeting this past weekend, but I'm glad it went well. I wanted to take some time out and let you know some interesting things that happened with the Young Republincans this weekend.
Our very own Josh Marthers was elected Vice-Chair for the YR's in Charleston. We now have someone in the upstate sitting on the committee who can help bring some organization to this state in recruiting and keeping young people. Josh has organized the College Republinans at USCS and has organized the local YR for Spartanburg county.
You will see in the future a more organized and grass-roots based effort to bring in more young people into the party.
There is one things I wanted to comment on. That is the reluctance of elected officials to support the Young Republicans. I have been involved since 2002 and we have only seen a handfull attend any of our meetings or show up when the DON'T want something.
Steve Parker, Lee Bright, and Carol Wells have been active in the YR's months before any of them decided to run for office. That's why most of us YR's have decided to work on their campaigns. We have a State Representative who is in his mid-20's and in two years he has only been to one YR meeting. The reason he was there was to see if we would help him with a possible run for Demint's congressional seat. He can go hang out with Hawkins and drink but he can't come to a monthly meeting? Rick Beltram has been supportive and our greates backer. We love us some Rick!!!!
If the Republican Party wants to attract more young people, they are going to have to reach out to young people. We as the future of the party need our elders to support us and teach us. I thank God for people like Walter McSherry who are able to impart some Republican wisdom every now and then.
That's my rant.
Thanks
Bob.
PS - When are we gonna see you at a meeting young fella?
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