Senator John McCain, 1936-2018 (c) lifenews.com
With the passing of John McCain, I would like to express my sorrow for the loss of an icon. Yes, John McCain, the same guy who made a monumental mistake in choosing Sarah Palin to be his running mate for the presidency, still represented values and character worthy of respect. When he lost his election bid in 2008, he saw the rancor his campaign had created against Barack Obama when they booed at his concession speech. It became obvious that the vitriol created and fomented by his presidential campaign had found a receptive audience in the GOP, and it appeared to frighten him. Where had traditional American politics gone when the loser concedes and his supporters refuse to accept that defeat? Unfortunately, America is witnessing the outgrowth of this attitude in the modern era of Trump.
Last Saturday, I mentioned to an acquaintance who happens to be a Trump supporter that Midterms this year will be as important as ever in order to restore the House of Representatives as a check on the presidency. His response was typical - "The Dems have swung so far Left that Socialism will now creep into our government and how stupid the Democrats are for allowing the fringe to take the party over!" My reply was simple; "The Tea Party breathed new life into the GOP and the base that came out of that movement has taken over the GOP, including the White House. Why is it okay for a fringe group in the Right to ascend to power but we can't afford the Left if it energizes the Dems like the Tea Party did for the Right?" His response was perfect - he simply walked away. Which gets me to my point. The hypocrisy of the Right has shifted the moral center of America, and not for the better. By claiming the Left will do damage to America but the Right fringe hasn't is simply not true.
A letter to the Editor in our local paper also reflects how skewed Right Wingers have become. The letter claimed that America was overrun by Leftists decades ago when they forced Social Security down the throats of Americans and how the Left should consider helping Venezuela out since Socialism worked so well there! Except since the inception of social security (in 1935), Leftists have not exclusively controlled Congress nor the White House. Which makes me wonder, where in the hell do so many get such ideas from? Fox News for sure purveys this nonsense, especially now that the GOP is going to try to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits to pay for the huge deficits they created in their last budget. Somehow we must always pay for the wealthy and corporations with huge tax breaks and the easiest remedy is to always attack senior citizens by making them pay for it! Talk about "redistributing the wealth!" I can think of many Republican leaders promising to protect Social Security. So how did Leftists force this upon the American people without the support of Righties? They couldn't and they didn't.
So Rest In Peace John McCain. There very well might never be another Republican like him to serve in the United States Senate. We can only hope Republican leaders come up with realistic and practical remedies for our great nation by somehow showing up to lead instead of leading just for show. And as far as Social Security goes for "Leftists", I leave you this quote from one of the most Left Wing Presidents ever (NOT!). "Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Try to have a great week!
Last Saturday, I mentioned to an acquaintance who happens to be a Trump supporter that Midterms this year will be as important as ever in order to restore the House of Representatives as a check on the presidency. His response was typical - "The Dems have swung so far Left that Socialism will now creep into our government and how stupid the Democrats are for allowing the fringe to take the party over!" My reply was simple; "The Tea Party breathed new life into the GOP and the base that came out of that movement has taken over the GOP, including the White House. Why is it okay for a fringe group in the Right to ascend to power but we can't afford the Left if it energizes the Dems like the Tea Party did for the Right?" His response was perfect - he simply walked away. Which gets me to my point. The hypocrisy of the Right has shifted the moral center of America, and not for the better. By claiming the Left will do damage to America but the Right fringe hasn't is simply not true.
A letter to the Editor in our local paper also reflects how skewed Right Wingers have become. The letter claimed that America was overrun by Leftists decades ago when they forced Social Security down the throats of Americans and how the Left should consider helping Venezuela out since Socialism worked so well there! Except since the inception of social security (in 1935), Leftists have not exclusively controlled Congress nor the White House. Which makes me wonder, where in the hell do so many get such ideas from? Fox News for sure purveys this nonsense, especially now that the GOP is going to try to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits to pay for the huge deficits they created in their last budget. Somehow we must always pay for the wealthy and corporations with huge tax breaks and the easiest remedy is to always attack senior citizens by making them pay for it! Talk about "redistributing the wealth!" I can think of many Republican leaders promising to protect Social Security. So how did Leftists force this upon the American people without the support of Righties? They couldn't and they didn't.
So Rest In Peace John McCain. There very well might never be another Republican like him to serve in the United States Senate. We can only hope Republican leaders come up with realistic and practical remedies for our great nation by somehow showing up to lead instead of leading just for show. And as far as Social Security goes for "Leftists", I leave you this quote from one of the most Left Wing Presidents ever (NOT!). "Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Try to have a great week!
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