Republican Party Top Priority video highlights their allegiance to party over people
Sabotage: The Story Behind The Republican Party’s “Top Political Priority”
Ok let me preface the video first by saying that I am fully aware that anyone can edit footage or twist words to make them say or how what they want. My interest is not about propaganda or the silly spy vs spy game the two parties perpetually participate in. This video posted to YouTube, “Sabotage: The Story Behind The Republican Party’s “Top Political Priority””, caught my attention because it layed out what the Republican mindset has been during these recent times. If we can be honest and look at the statements and the actions taken by the Republican party during President Obama’s term and the debt crises the statement below from the woman in the video says a lot.
I think that from the beginning, conservatives have not been able to put country over party when it comes to getting us out of this economic crisis. And it’s so unfortunate because the kinds of ideas the president has put forward have been for the most part quite moderate and bipartisan in nature. Take for example the stimulus. The stimulus package had a number of tax cuts in it. You would think that Republicans would love tax cuts. In fact, it had the biggest middle class tax cut in history but because it was going to be a real victory, a sign of leadership from the president and the new Democratic congress, Republicans opposed it adamantly.
As the woman in the video said, Republicans place their party’s interest over that of the people. That should give any voter pause when assessing those candidates. These politicians are there to represent their constituents, not just their party and members of it. Also, at the congressional level their decisions affect the nation not just the local districts they represent. It’s a heavy responsibility that shouldn’t be passed off as a party line echo.
Being obstinate for the sake of being obstinate is no way to govern regardless of who is in office. That
being said this has obviously been their line of thinking since Obama took office. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said as much in 2010 in a statement he made about the Republican’s top priority was to make sure Obama was a one-term president. That clip is also included in the video. It’s not something they are hiding. Bill Maher famously referred to this in a recent talk show appearance. This hard-line pouting-bratty-little-kid approach is in some ways a bi-product of the backlash of George W. Bush’s presidency. During Bush’s final days in office the Republican party was in such a shambles that they were and still are in damage control mode. In that state, anything that Obama does that helps the people will be seen as a loss them and further highlight the failures of their party under Bush’s Republican presidency.
We’ve had several glaring examples of their unwillingness to negotiate just because it’s Obama in the lead. The revisions in the health care debate contained many items that were originally Republican ideals yet they no longer backed them when they were in the plan. They were willing to let the whole country go under in the Bush Tax Cuts renewal debate if they didn’t get their way. Then of course there was the debt ceiling negotiations. My point is, grow up. Everyone. This is not a spat in a school yard. This is a national discussion that affects hundreds of millions of people in this country and extends to the world at large. We all live in the same country. Hence the word United in our name. So actions affect everyone, good or bad. Republicans don’t live in a sheltered bubble where their decisions only affect them and their supporters. Neither do Democrats or any other party. Everybody loses in those cases. These statements and actions should put off voters from voting with this party because of it. It’s irresponsible at best and dangerous at worst.
Additional:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8a_msdw9VQ
http://www.tevitroy.org/8245/mcconnell-under-fire
Jaylon Carter is a blogger, social media marketing consultant, former Congressional Campaign Media & Communications Director, national labor union vice block leader, and a Hip Hop artist who performs under the stage name Timid (@timidmc).
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