The Jerry Seinfeld Theory For Voting Republican

[Dr Ron]

From Light Up The Darkness--See original post for links.

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/?view=plink&id=767


The players change, the manager changes, the ballpark changes. About the only thing that stays the same is the uniform. When you get down to it, what you're really rooting for is the shirt."

--Jerry Seinfeld

Jerry Seinfeld's observations on baseball remind me a lot of current politics. While many long-time Republicans supported John Kerry in 2004, realizing his views are more in accordance with their underlying values than the extremist views of the neoconservatives currently in control of the Republican party, many people continued to vote Republican. Obviously the players have changed. The "ballpark" has also changed--in this case the underlying viewpoints. While there are no uniforms, what they were really rooting for was just the party name.

On foreign policy, imagine if a Democrat had taken office receiving specific warnings from the previous administration about a foreign threat and ignored it, and then continued to ignore continuing warnings about an impending attack. In the old days, Republicans would have been all over such incompetence, not voting to reelect the administration based upon national security concerns.

True Republicans would respect the military service of John Kerry, not attack it in order to make the record of someone such as George Bush who avoided his responsibilities appear less objectionable.

The modern conservative movement often refers to the Goldwater take-over of the GOP in 1964 as their start, forgetting how Barry Goldwater was a major opponent of their new allies on the religious right. Republicans who in the past promised to get government off our backs now support a government which has become more intrusive in individual's lives.

Republicans warned about deficits and big government in the past, Bill Clinton announced that the era of big government is over, and left office with a surplus. George Bush brought back both deficits and big government. Corporate welfare has replaced their support for free enterprise.

Republicans oppose the current judges, forgetting most were appointed by Republicans. For example, according to the Los Angeles Times, "Ninety-four of the 162 active judges now on the U.S. Court of Appeals were chosen by Republican presidents. On 10 of the 13 circuit courts, Republican appointees have a clear majority. And, since 1976, at least seven of the nine seats on the U.S. Supreme Court have been filled by Republican appointees." Similarly Republicans have forgotten their old support for Federalism on issues ranging from the Terri Schiavo case to tort reform.

If Republicans had cool uniforms, maybe Jerry Seinfeld's ideas on baseball would apply to voting Republican. Unfortunately, not only have they abandoned their values, they don't even have uniforms. Observing the Bush administration, a better analogy would be to say that the emperor wears no clothes.

[Atman]

1. Not much to add! So I rec'd it instead.

Thanks for the post.

[tridim]

2. "What is the deal with these people?"

In typical Seinfeld speak.

[Dr Ron]

3. If only more thought in Seinfeld-speak

Gays getting married--not that there's anything wrong with that. It's not a wedge issue in the Seinfeld world.

[ArkDem]

4. >While many long-time Republicans supported John Kerry in 2004

LOL

[Dr Ron]

5. Many Republicans among Kerry supporters

Many of those active in the campaign and Kerry blog were former Republicans.

There were severeal Republican or Conservatives for Kerry sites.

Many traditionally Republican newspapers and writers endorsed Kerry over Bush.

Unfortunately the average voter was totally unaware of any of this.

[ieoeja]

6. The majority of people I know here are Republican.

And the majority of them voted for Kerry. But this is in Chicago where the news reported:

1. All the anti-Bush news.
2. All the anti-Kerry news.
3. All the pro-Bush news.
4. All the pro-Kerry news.

The word "liberal" as applied to "media" is, by definition: unbiased. So, yes, here in Chicago we do have a liberal media because they report all sides of all issues.

But in southern Indiana where I grew up, most people I know still call themselves Democrat and most of them voted for Bush. And when I was down there for a visit I could not fail to notice that the local news (print, TV and radio) had a complete news blackout on any news which would fall into the 1st and 4th categories above.

I keep having this argument with people in that area. They have no way of knowing how much news goes unreported in their neck of the woods, and how THAT -- not the candidates, not the parties' messages -- shapes their perceptions of the candidates.

[Dr Ron]

7. So much for the liberal media

Not that we ever falled for that line.