Don't worry, I voted. Though in Georgia we didn't have much to vote for. I mean I voted for Perdue and that was about all there was. Perdue's a decent govenor, Scott made a decent point that he's a bit too, "Let govt solve your problems," but I've lived under far worse govenors in Missouri so I figure he's a nice change, though his whole "Sonnydo" list thing was so dumb and I wanted to throw my TV out the window.
We had a lot of immenent domain issues which I tried to strike down. I'm generally against a government coming in and demanding your house or business be given up for the 'greater good." I mean what is the greater good? A new starbucks? I mean if a building is falling over and boarded up, sure just sell it and be done with it. One recalls the building in stelmo that was falling over and eventually the city stepped in and basically made the owner sell it if she wasn't going to do anything with it.
We also had some tax breaks for the advalorum for non profits and what not. I say don't give them any breaks. If I have to be taxed 150 bucks a year for a 1995 sentra, so should Red Cross. I mean for one there are some shady non-profits out there, and just because they say they're non profit doesn't mean they are. I mean Blue Cross is non profit and their employees make as much as i do if not more, their CEO makes millions of dollars even. So that's pretty much how I voted.
Scott and I kind of were frusterated that its hard to know how to vote on judges. In Missouri I recall you either voted 'yeah' or 'neh' on the judges... so I not knowing any of those judges voted 'no' on all of them. I figured get some new judges in there and give them a shot. But my electronic ballot didn't have that option today and I didn't feel like writing in my name for everything... so everyone got my vote.
I did write in myself for education secretary or some pithy thing that only had one person running for.
As far as the national picture, I feel republicans had control for a good few years and got little to nothing accomplished. Fix Social Security, fair taxes, smaller government... all the promises of the 90s republicans disappeared once they got control of the whole government. They got busy having fun with Jack Abramoff and what not. If the repubs lose big tonight I don't think its necessarily a referendum on the war, because we all know the dems are just as responsible, they voted for it with the repubs. I think its more of a referendum on the republican congress and senate's lack of accomplishments.
Its sad though, because there are still some good repubs out there. Talent in MO is a good man and I wish him the best and hope he wins.
I think a third party should have been started once it was evident that the republican party was not going to live up to the promises of the 90s. I also think Christians shouldn't limit themselves to a party as well. If a christian runs and doesn't agree with everything the democratic party or republican party holds then be independent or some other party... ***sigh***Give me the days of the old Weimar Republic with its dozens of parties. Granted make sure that an evil party can't gain too much power... don't need that happening again.
Posted by holtonian at November 7, 2006 10:48 PM | TrackBackWith regard to your last paragraph, unfortunately being Christian in the south only means one thing to many people...Republican. I've taken lately to referring to myself as a "Christian die hard conservative," versus a "die hard Christian Conservative." Think in computer “search terms.” The first term modifies and limits the parameters of the following terms. For example, I consider myself a “Christian United States-ian” as opposed to, say, a “United States-ian Christian.” To put it in another perspective, a “Christian Democrat” and a “Christian Republican” have MUCH more in common than a “Blue State Christian” and a “Red State Christian.” We may be citizens of this country, but first and foremost we are citizens of the Kingdom of God.
So yeah, we ought not to limit ourselves to the Republican Party. The Constitution Party, or the Libertarians, sound exactly like what you're looking for when you say a third party should have been started. I'd settle for a blending of the two, with a dash of Republican thrown in. :)
Posted by: Scott at November 7, 2006 11:04 PMRetreatist countryclub leaders make very poor statesmen or leaders...but they do make great statues...in fact...I want one for my garden.
Posted by: obscene gene at November 8, 2006 11:19 AMI think your gut instinct about corruption is well founded...in OCT of 2004, 5 million bucks can make tort reform disappear from the agenda radar, it's sad that the GOP could sell their soul so cheaply to the ABA.
Posted by: obscene gene at November 8, 2006 05:36 PM