A Talking Point We Ignore: Republicanism Is A Package Deal!

[Vogon_Glory]

One of the things that drives me nuts about our Democratic and progressive candidates is that while we talk about the issues, occasionally talk about Democratic initiatives, and occasionally go after right-wingers and right-wing candidates, we tend to play nice and fail to discuss a very fundamental short-coming (and I think vulnerable point) of the right-wing/Republican Party.

Time and time again, Democrats and progressives fail to mention a very basic truth about the Senile Elephant Party and the so-called "conservative" movement: the Republican Party agenda is a package deal.

The point we need to make to our neighbors is that if you vote for the Republicans on one item--like the economy, you get the entire right-wing package of social and government proposals--LIKE IT OR NOT!

If you vote for Mitt-sie thinking that he'll revive the economy--you're voting for union-busting billionaires.

If you vote for Mitt-sie thinking that he'll create jobs, you're voting to cut funding for public schools and universities that would keep tens of millions of Americans from sinking into a permanent underclass and keep the US from turning into a neo-Third World economic power like the klepto-crat controlled Russian Federation.

If you vote for Mitt-sie thinking that he'll create jobs, you're voting to gut environmental regulations. You might create some jobs for drillers and minimum-wage jobs to the Wal-mart and grocery-store workers that supply them in the back of beyond, but you'll be getting the polluted water and contaminated soil that ruins drinking water supplies and makes hundreds of thousands of acres of grazing land unusable.

If you vote for Mitt-sie thinking that he'll create jobs, you're not only voting to ban abortion, you're also voting to severely limit access to health care and birth control.

If you vote for Mitt-sie, you're allowing insurers to once again decide who they'll insure, who they won't, and subject you and your loved ones to "free market" "death panels."

If you vote Republican, you DON'T get a choice of what items you get, YOU GET THE WHOLE BLAMED THING!

[Fumesucker]

1. A lot of people feel the same way about Democrats..

Not to mention a lot of them think all the things you mention are features rather than bugs, assuming they care at all or even believe you in the first place.

That's just the reality we have to deal with.

[Vogon_Glory]

2. A Lot Of People DO Feel That Way About Democrats, BUT

A lot of people DO feel that voting Democratic is a package deal, but I'd say that most of them are already right-wingers and that we probably aren't going to get their support anyway.

I think there is STILL a double-digit percentage of the electorate that DOES want to pick and choose, that does want its economic and political concerns served as individual entrees, and that can either be pried away from voting for right-wingers or hopefully stopped long enough to think so that their familiar habits of voting Republican can be disengaged.

[Freddie]

3. Correct--this is a point that must be emphasized

I once asked a Republican friend why misogyny was part of the "package deal" of the party of so-called fiscal responsibility. He had no answer.

[Vogon_Glory]

4. This Last Congressional/Legislative Cycle Was A Case In Point

As I said in my opening post--the Republican Party political package is a package deal--you vote for it, you get the WHOLE THING--like it or not. This last congressional/legislative cycle was a case in point. Most of the swing voters who voted Tea Party or Republican THOUGHT they were going to elect candidates who would get the economy moving again and promote job growth. What they got instead was a focus on things like voter ID, abortion restrictions, cuts to government services, union-busting, environmental protection repeal...I don't remember the stuffed shirts the Tea-b@ggers sent to Congress and state legislatures doing very much about jobs (except cutting them)--do you?

[MyshkinCommaPrince]

5. I agree, but...

I agree. The RW tent is full of crazy. But I recall some analysis of our political system which showed that we inevitably end up with only two monolithic political parties and a bunch of tiny, marginalized, ineffectual parties. It was suggested that we should, ideally, have half a dozen or more significant political parties, in order to provide representation for all of the major political views. With only two, both end up being package deals to some extent. Look at DU, and the arguments that erupt surrounding porn and guns. We have many different stances on our side. So I agree with your point, but it seems to me like it's a failing of our specific version of democracy.

On the other hand, the RW has done a lot to try to amplify the craziness on their side. They keep pushing to become more and more extreme. We have one party which tries to make things work and another which tries only to break them. Based on this, I think you have a good talking point.