If the GOP wants to become Dem-Lite I have no problem leaving the GOP. I stick by my principles first..and for those who say “A third party means that the Dems will win” well voting for the GOP if they want to become a mirror image of the Dem party, whats the point..Id rather vote for a party that agrees with MY beliefs instead of one who wants to out-Commie the left
Well said! I heartily concur!!
Well said, Sarah Barracuda.
I think the party for breaking from England was a minority party, at least to begin with. I'm not talking about seceding from the Union but THE GOP CONTINUES TO SECEDE FROM ME, so if there's a viable alternative with viable people like Sarah, who I greatly admire, I may be in.
I wish it could be like Washington and some of the founders believed - no factional parties, just those for America or not - kind of like the values the Tea Party hold dear. God bless them. But I think until we get to Heaven and Jesus comes to rule as the Price of Peace, I think factionalism is a reality we have to live with as it was a reality in Washington's time. However, Washington's words are worth reflection and contemplation. Here's a sampling...
from http://archive.mises.org/7789/washingtons-wisdom-on-factions/ (by Gary Galles)...
The danger of factions to American liberty was a major part of [Washington's] 1796 Farewell Address.
Washington offered ‘sentiments which are the result of much reflection, of no inconsiderable observation, and which appear to me all-important to the permanency of your felicity as a people.’ In particular, he insisted that we keep ‘indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest … ‘
‘One of the expedients of party to acquire influence…is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other[s]. You cannot shield yourselves too much against the jealousies and heartburnings which spring from these misrepresentations; they tend to render alien to each other those who ought to be bound together by fraternal affection.’
‘They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation the will of a party … to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by the common counsels and modified by mutual interests.’
‘Liberty … is, indeed, little else than a name, where the government is too feeble to withstand the enterprises of faction … and to maintain all in the secure and tranquil enjoyments of the rights of person and property.’
‘Let me … warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party … in [governments] of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.’
‘The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension … is itself a frightful despotism … the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it. It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another …
‘[faction] is a spirit not to be encouraged … And there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume.’
Neil Young sang about searching for a heart of gold. I think George Washington had a heart of gold.