Posted on 10/06/2020 4:31:43 AM PDT by Kaslin
"I vote for the man (or woman), not the party" is what millions of Americans say and what, in fact, many do. It is intended as a noble sentiment: "I am not one of those Americans who votes blindly by party; I measure each candidate and then decide which one to vote for."
If there were ever a time when this was a noble sentiment, it would have been when Republicans and Democrats shared basic moral and American values and differed only on what policies would lead to the two parties' shared goals.
For example, though they never ran against each other, one might argue that the differences between the Democrat John Kennedy and his Republican predecessor, Dwight Eisenhower, were not particularly great. But that was very rare. The fact is that, since the inception of the Republican Party, which was founded to counter the Democratic Party's defense of slavery, there has almost never been a time when the philosophical differences between the parties were not great.
And since slavery, there has never been a time when the two major parties differed as much as they do today. Therefore, the notion that one should vote "for the individual, not the party" has never made less sense. It would be as if someone in the mid-1800s had said, "I strongly oppose slavery, but the Democratic candidate is a much finer and more likeable individual than the Republican candidate."
Fine Democrats who defended slavery did as much harm to blacks and to America as disreputable Democrats. And elected officials vote with their party more often than in principled opposition to it, however fine they may be as individuals.
Nevertheless, a great number of Americans still vote for "the individual."
The most obvious examples are Republican "Never Trumpers." They say that they would vote for any Republican except Donald Trump because they find his character so objectionable.
My friend, New York Times columnist Bret Stephens, is one prominent example. He believes in a strong American defense, supported Trump's withdrawal of the United States from Barack Obama's agreement with Iran, credits Trump with the Israeli peace agreements with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, saluted Trump's moving of the American embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, and presumably supports other Trump policies, such as the president's extraordinary success with regard to the American economy prior to the lockdowns that crushed the economy.
Yet, he so loathes the president that he will vote for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
He and many other Americans (we will soon know how many) who support the president's Republican policies will vote for the party that stands for almost everything they oppose because they will "vote for the man, not the party."
I find nothing admirable in this position -- morally or rationally. At this time in American history, to care more about an individual candidate than the party is to support the unraveling of America. It is so irrational as to be incredible.
Voting for any Democrat -- whether for mayor, district attorney, state legislature, state governor, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate or president -- is to vote for someone who will enable the left to destroy America as we know it. (That is their wording, not only mine.) The Democratic Party was once largely liberal. But today, it is left, and the left readily acknowledges it wishes to "transform" America, which means to destroy America as we have known it.
To vote for any Democrat is to vote for the party that believes America is "systemically racist," that it is rotten to the core, vile from its inception (in 1619, they claim, not 1776).
To vote for any Democrat is to vote for the party that will renew the Obama agreement with one of America's and the civilized world's greatest enemies, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
It is to vote for undoing every economic policy that led America to its greatest economic boom in memory.
It is to vote for Kamala Harris, the most left-wing member of the U.S. Senate, for vice president (and, given Biden's age and health, perhaps soon president).
It is to vote for the party that wants to allow millions more illegal immigrants into America and grant them benefits heretofore reserved for Americans. Democrats don't use the words "open borders," but they support this country-wrecking policy.
It is to vote for the party that supports the Green New Deal, or something very close to it, which will further ruin an economy already in ruins from Democrat-supported lockdowns.
It is to vote for the party that seeks to nationalize American health care ("Medicare for All").
It is to vote for the party whose mayors, governors and district attorneys allow violent riots and seek to "defund" police, a policy even most blacks oppose.
It is to vote for the party that supports the unprecedented suppression of free speech by Big Tech and universities.
It is to vote for the party that insists that men menstruate and that biological men must be allowed to compete against biological women in sports, no matter how often the biological men defeat them.
It is to vote for the party with the only anti-Semites, not to mention Israel-haters, in Congress.
It is to vote for the party that, for the first time in American history, openly identifies with socialism more than with capitalism.
It is to vote for the party that Big Pharma, big corporations and radical teachers unions support.
All because many Americans like their Democratic candidate for a Senate seat (as in Arizona) or the Democratic candidate for president more than the Republican candidate. They do not appreciate a likeable Democrat will do as much harm to our country as any other Democrat.
If you have a “D” after your name you are the enemy.
Just saying this morning, can’t imagine anyone wanting to vote specifically for Joe Biden.
These people will foist that idiot on us strictly because they believe the anti Trump hatred lines.
No one ever went broke by underestimating the stupidity of the herbivores formerly known as the Mercun Peepul.
Dems: Not your Father’s party any more
At this point in the game only a true moron is “undecided”.
I tell people that a vote is not just for the man but for a tail of advisors, appointees, and assistants.
That’s it in a nutshell. We’re in this mess because of the blind allegiance of Democrats to vote their party in no matter what. This has been going on for a hundred years or more.
I vote for the platform #1 and person #2.
Looking at the Democratic platform and contract with Bernie; anyone would be a fool to vote for them!
Democrats are heard animals and Republicans are by naturally lone wolves that come together occasionally in packs when necessary.
Fixed it.
A Democrat candidate may be a great individual. However, once in office, he will either follow the orders of party leadership, or his political career is over.
I'm assuming that, these days, "undecided" mostly means "Ain't telling you", which seems a wise stance as far as revealing your politics to potentially hostile strangers.
If 60 000 white Democrats had failed to vote for “the man, not the party”in 2016, Hillary Clinton would be President.
Don’t vote for the party; don’t vote for the individual; vote instead for the policies and for the actions taken prior to running or while in office.
bump
I make it a point to READ every name I vote for. Even early on when TEXAS has the “party” lever, I looked at every name.
The only D I ever voted for my entire life was Dixie Lee Ray. Sure, she was a D lesbian. But I was only 18 and this is why I voted for her:
She was frank and honest about Nuclear power, even though she was a democrat.
But now the party platform is so skewed to the left that voting for a D that I liked would be like saying, “sure, he’s a member of the satanic party and believes in his party’s platform about killing all Christians and bringing Satan to power over the human race, but I think he cares about the poor and minorities and he’ll bring fairness back into government.”
I don’t think (most) Democrat voters are evil. I think they are horribly misguided sheep and, given the chance, will wise up. But they just might destroy our country while I wait, so the battle must go on.
But the older the democrat, the more likely they are just plain evil - or horribly stupid.
What’s wrong with nuclear power?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.