[Note: this was intended as a much longer post, but (sigh of relief from beleaguered readers 🙂) I just ran outa time.]
Anyone who’s read this blog for long knows I don’t believe there’s a lot of difference between Republican’ts and Democraps on the national level (both are firmly committed to unconstitutional Big Government, for example), but that I do recognize that what little differences there are are important enough to vote against the Democraps at nearly every opportunity.
That said, let me attempt to very briefly use a local race where I will vote for the Republican (not exactly a national Republican’t) candidate as an example of something I think does carry over to a show a like, significant (though still relatively minor in the scheme of things), difference even at the state and national levels between the two parties.
(Note: in the examples below, I will make some major redactions in order to obscure location and candidates, and for effect–you’ll see what I mean–although readers located in America’s Third World County will likely be able to tell who I’m quoting.)
Candidate #1 in a race for a county position lists as qualifications for the position:
“…hands on administrative experience… more in touch with the needs of our youth, hard working families and… a strong committment to ease the burdens of our seniors… over fifteen years of public service experience…” [working for a non-profit NGO]
Candidate #2 in that race lists:
“…in the office for eight years and Chief Deputy ____ for six years… over 100 hours state training on the _____ _____ level… 60 hours state training on dealing with _____ _____ issues…familiar with all aspects of the _____ _____’s office.
Now, you might think from candidate #1’s list of qualifications that the position is one dealing with outreach to youth, to families needing assistance, to the elderly, right?
County Clerk. Responsible for the nitty-gritty of elections, County Commission minutes, workman’s comp claims against the county by employees (the “60 hours training” listed by #2) and issuing of liquor, notary and other county-issued licenses.
Candidate #1, who lists things that have damn all to do with being able to do the job but are nice-sounding buzzwords is naturally the Democratic candidate. Candidate #2, who apparently knows that when the newspaper asks for ones qualifications that what should be listed are, well, qualifications for the job, is naturally the Republican candidate.
And so it goes at the state and national level, getting progressively worse as the responsibilities expand: Democraps invariably list nothing but smoke, mirrors (and as the stakes rise, lies) as reasons to vote for them. Republican’ts are at least slightly more limited by what they can give as reasons in that they are at least slightly more likely to list actual, well, reasons.