The Open-Minded Party

What I have found, more than anything with the Democratic Party, is that they can be swayed if a policy works.  You see, conservative Republicans have a plan and they stick to it.  That means that if necessary, they will go down with the ship, and bring everyone else with them.  When their tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans failed to bring about economic development, they called for more tax cuts, and when large corporations cheated the public and their employees by using false accounting practices, they called for more privatization and less corporate regulation!

On the other hand, with health care rates on the rise, people like Tim Kaine consider alternatives like reducing frivolous malpractice claims (similar to the Bush plan) while supporting imported drugs from Canada (opposed by the Republican Party platform). 

This is the reason that Democrats sometimes have trouble unifying the party.  They are more concerned with getting positive results than party politics.  This is the nature of the Democratic Party, with a purpose of progress for all people, while not adhering to a strict belief system that limits their options to choose the best possible solutions. 

Democrats, like Tim Kaine, are wise enough to realize that as times change, sometimes not all their original ideas or plans are going to work; so they listen to other opinions, to find the best solution to the problem.  This is the primary advantage of the Democratic Party, and something that should unify each and every one of the open-minded people in the State of Virginia. 

If we elect Tim Kaine to the Governor's seat, that doesn't mean we cannot hammer him for four years to make sure that he makes the most responsible choices and promotes Democratic principles.  However, with a candidate like Jerry Kilgore, all bets are off.  You get what you voted for, and the door is shut to alternative viewpoints.  It takes a lot for a conservative Republican to admit they should go down another path or consider another option, and by the time they decide to change a policy, the damage has already been done.

Look at gas prices, which have gone up by over $1 per gallon in just a couple years, and while conservative politicians preach about oil independence, they do nothing about improving fuel efficiency standards.  Look at the environment where climate change and water pollution threaten our health and the health of our children, but most Republicans are cautious and want only marginal improvements in the enforcement of environmental regulations, while the majority of Democrats support increased efforts to assist the business community in pollution abatement and innovative developments in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Whether the issue is immigrant day-laborers, stem-cell research, drug policy, or improving education for underprivileged youth, Republicans like Jerry Kilgore will look to the GOP to see what to do, while Democrats like Tim Kaine will look only to the needs of people in Virginia.

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