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November
7, 2006
Dear
Senator/Congress Person/Political Party Chairperson:
This
letter is to inform you that I have officially changed my party affiliation
from Republican to Independent. Why should
you care? Because I have been a straight Republican party-line voter for the
last 24 years.
The
first time I voted straight Republican was 1982, that was after the 1980
election where, as an impressionable college student, I supported John Anderson. Mr. Anderson’s decision to run was based upon
his realization that neither Democrats, nor Republicans, represented American
ideals. The Democrats' tax-and-spend,
social welfare agenda ignored economic realities. The Republicans were too socially conservative
and intolerant. How familiar does that
sound today?
And
today, since Congress has conveniently re-shaped fund-raising rules so that
both parties are now essentially extensions of big business and corporate
interests, there are fewer real differences between the two parties. The effect is to restrict any real debate or
policy alternatives to ordinary Americans.
How nice that this now gets left to the shallow, live-for-the-moment,
drive-by media. No wonder a lot of folks
actually get their news from Jon Stewart or Steve Colbert!
The
icing on the cake is the negative campaigning practices in use by both parties
today. Any shred of integrity, or
communication of real ideas, is gone.
Thank goodness I have TIVO, and have been able to skip past most of
them.
It
used to be, that I could count on any politician on the ballot identified as a
Republican, to at least adhere to a basic core set of values: personal freedom
and integrity, national strength, limited government and judicial restraint.
But
now, the values of the party have strayed so far from these ideals, as have the
number candidates that truly commit to supporting these ideals as my
representatives in our government. The
rubber stamp doesn’t work for me anymore.
So
from now on, I’ll be spending the time to understand each candidate’s position
on the issues that matter to me. Party
affiliation is now irrelevant. That
information, which is now readily available to me, thanks to the web, will
drive my votes.
Be
duly notified: you can’t count on my vote anymore, unless you and your team get
your act together.
Sincerely,
Paul
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