Why I'm a Democrat

I+óGé¼Gäóm not your classical Democrat, as many of you have come to realize.  I don+óGé¼Gäót always agree with more liberal positions.  Well, that's probably because I+óGé¼Gäóm not a liberal.  I+óGé¼Gäóve considered myself a +óGé¼+ôBlue Dog Democrat+óGé¼-¥ for a long time now.  Though I+óGé¼Gäóm a strong Populist, my positions on +óGé¼+ôCivic Matters+óGé¼-¥ are rather Centrist, and occasionally slightly Conservative.  Whenever I take those little diamond +óGé¼+ôPolitical Philosophy+óGé¼-¥ tests, I+óGé¼Gäóm always a +óGé¼+ôModerate Populist+óGé¼-¥ with an ever-so-slight lean to the right.

I+óGé¼Gäóm very proud of my Southern heritage, and I don+óGé¼Gäót shy away from it.  I consider Robert E. Lee to be a man to emulate.  A statesmen, a soldier, and a Southern Gentleman.  I would be one of the luckiest men in the world to acquire a fraction of the devotion he has today.

I support the Second Amendment whole-heartedly, and I believe in a man+óGé¼Gäós right to protect his family.  I believe that there are some crimes that can+óGé¼Gäót go unpunished.  The only way to secure society, and to make sure somebody doesn+óGé¼Gäót commit an unspeakable crime again, is to completely remove their chance of doing it.  Yes, I support the Death Penalty.

I support limitations on Abortion.  I think that IDX (or Partial Birth Abortion) is a barbaric practice, and supported the Republican-led 2003 Partial-Birth Abortion Act.  And while I respect a woman+óGé¼Gäós right to choose in most situations, my personal opposition to abortion of any kind (except in the case of rape, incest, or life of mother) makes it quite difficult for me to sometimes listen to some of the arguments of fellow Democrats. 

I don+óGé¼Gäót support the legalization of drugs like Marijuana.  I support further funding for the Military.  I could go on and on where I differ from many Democrats.  I could point out people that I+óGé¼Gäóm similar to, and I could point out that I+óGé¼Gäóm not.  I could keep going and going, and probably warrant some flame comments below from fellow Dems.

But that+óGé¼Gäós not what I+óGé¼Gäóm here to do.  I'm not here to promote a Blue Dog Agenda (I know even mentioning the Dogs makes some Activists dry heave), nor am I here to inspire your anger.  I+óGé¼Gäóm here to make a point that so many Democrats these days seem to miss.  In our elitism and our +óGé¼+ôlitmus testing+óGé¼-¥ and our search for purity, we have become so standoffish that we ignore people that should be with us.  You may be asking what I+óGé¼Gäóm talking about.  I+óGé¼Gäóll give you an example.

The Democratic Party used to have an Iron-Grip on the South, and because of that, we won frequently.  I+óGé¼Gäóm a firm believer that the party that controls the South controls the Country, and that+óGé¼Gäós why Democrats have been losing so much frequently.  Why did Democrats do so well in an area we seem to do rather poorly in now?  Some say it+óGé¼Gäós because the Democratic Party became too liberal, and the Republicans became more appealing.  That may be a part of it, but not all of it.  Yes, Liberal Democrats seem to be rather picky these days about who is a +óGé¼+ôtrue Democrat.+óGé¼-¥  I+óGé¼Gäóve been told by many people (most infamously by I Do Not Trust Webb on NLS) that I+óGé¼Gäóm +óGé¼+ôNot a good Democrat+óGé¼-¥ and that maybe I +óGé¼+ôDon+óGé¼Gäót Belong.+óGé¼-¥  THAT+óGé¼GäóS a major reason why we lost the South.  We can+óGé¼Gäót tell people that they +óGé¼+ôDon+óGé¼Gäót Belong+óGé¼-¥ simply because we disagree.  That+óGé¼Gäós the way to staying in the minority. 

But there+óGé¼Gäós another reason the Democrats lost power.  This one+óGé¼Gäós not only in the South, but in many other places, though the South does stand out as the best example.  Democrats have this obsession with +óGé¼+ôParty Leaders+óGé¼-¥ and +óGé¼+ôOrganizations.+óGé¼-¥  We have leaders from the top down.  People who lead over their little crowd of people like it truly means something.  It+óGé¼Gäós this elitist attitude that has been our undoing.  This Party is supposed to be the PEOPLE+óGé¼GäóS party, not the Party Leadership+óGé¼Gäós party.  And when we form this tight little groups of +óGé¼+ôinsiders+óGé¼-¥, we make +óGé¼+ôoutsiders.+óGé¼-¥  And people don+óGé¼Gäót like being on the outside.  Can you see why the South, which has a nature of being rebellious, decided to leave us behind?  If we were going to keep the common man out of the political process, and work everything behind closed doors, they would look elsewhere.

Then why am I a Democrat?  If I find so many problems with the current incarnation of the party, why am I supporting it?  Why do I try my best to spread my opinion in a group that seems to be rejecting it?  Why am I still here?

I have to admit, there was a period where I questioned it.  There was a period when I felt so offended by the party elites that I considered dropping out of politics entirely, and leaving this party to destroy itself with its own prejudices against individual thought and diversity within the party.  Then came Mark Warner, who let us know that everybody is welcome in this Party.  You don't have to be a Liberal or an Insider to succeed here.  He was followed by Tim Kaine, a Democrat who wasn+óGé¼Gäót afraid of religion.  A Democrat who had problems with Abortion, just like me, and yet still was a proud Democrat.  And now we have Jim Webb.  A man who+óGé¼Gäós taken up my most important issue: returning the power back to where it+óGé¼Gäós supposed to be+óGé¼-ªin the hands of the common man.

Why am I a Democrat?
I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because I believe that every man in this country deserves a job, and wealthy business man shouldn+óGé¼Gäót give those jobs to China when there are starving men who can work in their own backyard.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because I believe that we have a duty to take care of sick children.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because I believe that every person matters, and that no matter there social standing or position in life, they deserve to have a voice.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because the Giants of this party have always lifted up the common men on their shoulders so they can be heard over those who would silence them.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because when Martin Luther King, Jr. said +óGé¼+ôthat men should be judged not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character+óGé¼-¥, this was the party that listened.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because I support Social Security, and taking care of those who have taken care of us.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because I remember that Washington answers to the people, not the other way around.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because Integrity and Justice still mean something to me, and I refuse to let them be pushed aside in the quest for power.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because of Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Carter, and Clinton.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because every man in this country deserves to be treated with decency and respect, no matter who his parents were or where he+óGé¼Gäós from.

I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because I believe we are the men and women who were born to fight back against any bastard who would give away your job, or take away your voice, or question your freedom.

And finally, I+óGé¼Gäóm a Democrat because I believe in this party.  This party was founded with the intention of giving the common man a voice amongst the Bureaucrats and Insiders.  This party used to unite people of different beliefs in the common goal of giving everybody a voice, and I believe it can do that again.  I believe that this is the party that every American should belong to.

I don+óGé¼Gäót care what people say.  Dan+óGé¼Gäós a Good Democrat, Dan+óGé¼Gäós a Bad Democrat.  Let the Party Purists talk their talk in their own little corner.  I+óGé¼Gäóm going to help rebuild this party into the grand coalition it has been in the past.  An alliance meant to destroy the boundaries between Inside and Outside.  The Party of Roosevelt, the Party of Kennedy, the Party of Jackson, and the Party of Jefferson.  We can do this together.  Liberals, Centrists, and Conservatives.  One party.  Different ideas, different backgrounds, but one common goal, the same goal that our founding fathers had: that every man will be free to have a voice in his government, and a say in his destiny.

And THAT, my friends, is why I'm a Democrat.

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