Congressman Todd Akin’s comments about rape and abortion have offended the nation. It is funny to see Republicans condemn him and suggest he leave the stage. I never thought I’d see the day when women-basher Rush Limbaugh would call someone stupid when it comes to reproductive rights.
However, what amazes me is why are so many people appalled? The Republicans have been trying to ban abortion for 40 years.
The reason I think these comments struck a nerve is because the Olympics are over and professional football season is still a month away. This gives the heavily wooed Independent voters a chance to look at the alternative to President Obama.
While Independents are making a decision about who to elect, political junkies like myself aren’t shocked by what comes out of the mouths of Republicans. Watching the Republican primaries was like watching an Archie Bunker convention: It was a carpet bombing of contempt for anyone who wasn’t rich or a middle-aged white male. Spreading their hate from women to immigrants, they even attacked their own base, which is made up of seniors.
Newt Gingrich opened his South Carolina rally by telling voters that blacks need to get off food stamps and become janitors, and in one debate the crowd booed a soldier who was fighting in Afghanistan because he was gay. Presidential candidate Ron Paul said if you have no money for healthcare, tough luck, while Mitt Romney gave the audience red meat when he told immigrants to deport themselves. To me the Republican primary was an audition for who could be the biggest dick.
While it was entertaining to watch Rush Limbaugh dismiss Todd Akin, I believe we live in scary times because there is a segment of society which listens to and buy into all the hate the crackpots spout. Once upon a time there were people who put aside their political views to denounce crazy talk. In the 1960’s, the members of the John Birch Society were so far out of the mainstream that conservatives William Buckley and Barry Goldwater kicked them out of the Republican Party. Even Richard Nixon put aside his ideology to integrate school buses and create affirmative action.
But today people on the right are more reluctant to denounce nut-wingers for fear of being primaried and voted out.
It’s sad because Independents like myself don’t want to vote for either candidate. I don’t want to vote for Obama just because the Republicans are crazy.
I consider myself someone who is a religious conservative. I try to live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ which is to be a servant of others and to treat others like you want to be treated. Because of my faith I am opposed to gay marriage and abortion.
However I detest the perversion of Christianity that is preached by people such as Mike Huckabee and Michele Bachmann. Their views don’t reflect mine and they make me wonder who made them the moral czars of our country.
But I don’t support Democrats because I clash with liberalism and feel that many lefties are contemptuous toward God. Also I feel there are better ways to help the poor than social programs that don’t alleviate poverty but create dependency.
Socialism and collectivism are just as detestable as free markets. Both systems were tried and the results are apparent. You can go to any park in D.C. and see people who are homeless, depressed and addicted.
America is tired, because the people who can make change are staying out of politics, hunkered down in their own selfish interests.
After Obama gets reelected it’s time for the 99 percent to quit supporting political parties and form their own.
