Many have speculated that the Tea Party has run its course. The 2012 election cycle was the death knell of the more conservative, fiscally responsible faction of the Republican Party. I disagree with this simply for the reason that there are still numerous candidates in Congress who have won elections running on the Tea Party platform. Ted Cruz won in 2012, as did Deb Fischer of Nebraska. The Tea Party candidates won in several primary elections only to lose to a Democrat in November. The thing that is important to remember about the Tea Party movement is that it is still relatively new. It has only been in existence since 2009 and will I believe continue to make inroads using the grassroots efforts that it has been using. With people like Rand Paul, Justin Amash, Mike Lee and Ted Cruz in Congress, as well as strong leaders like Sarah Palin, Allen West, Herman Cain, Rush Limbaugh, Ben Carson and Glenn Beck continuing to tour the country speaking to voters, I expect that the Tea Party will be here to stay. Even if they do not eventually take over the Republican Party, their presence will at least be a deterrent to establishment Republicans that may help keep them on track.
What the Tea Party wants is fiscal responsibility which is evidenced clearly by the fact they were formed after Democrats passed the ACA on a completely partisan vote. The idea that the Tea Party is racist or sexist is also clearly rebuffed by the number of African American, Latino, and women leaders it has. For me, the charge of racist or sexist is thrown at the Tea Party simply because it is the easiest way to try and silence the argument the Tea Party is making without actually answering to the charges.
Monday, May 19, 2014
The evils of Koch
The supreme court recently ruled that it was unconstitutional to put restrictions on the amount of money entities could give to political donations, effectively giving big corporations and wealthy donors the right to spend as much as they like to elect candidates. The money can't go directly to the candidates coffers, but through super PAC's, people such as the Koch Brothers and George Soros can spend unlimited amounts. Immediately, Democrats began a campaign against one particular entity, the Koch Brothers. At first I was curious because of all the talk, how much did the Koch Brothers give to conservative causes? I thought surely it must be the largest amount of all donors, and not by a small margin. I was very wrong. The Koch Brothers are not even in the top 50 according to opensecrets.org. The top 10 donors are all primarily Democrat donors with the exception of National Board of Realtors that is effectively split between the parties. Tom Steyer, the City of New York, Democrat Governors Association, and National Education Association are the top four donors and all of them are strongly democratic. The Republican Governors Association at eleven is the first truly GOP donor.
This calls into question why Senator Reid and other Democrats are so strongly pushing against the Koch Brothers. Is it because they want to draw attention away from their own financial masters? Or is it because they feel that a corporation should not have the same rights as a union for example? To me it seems like nothing more than smoke and mirrors, trying to draw the attention of America to the Koch Brothers and away from the many issues they face in this coming election. The democrats are in trouble this midterm, and they are desperately trying to control the losses that some are expecting in November.
http://www.opensecrets.org/overview/topcontribs.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/us/politics/supreme-court-ruling-on-campaign-contributions.html
This calls into question why Senator Reid and other Democrats are so strongly pushing against the Koch Brothers. Is it because they want to draw attention away from their own financial masters? Or is it because they feel that a corporation should not have the same rights as a union for example? To me it seems like nothing more than smoke and mirrors, trying to draw the attention of America to the Koch Brothers and away from the many issues they face in this coming election. The democrats are in trouble this midterm, and they are desperately trying to control the losses that some are expecting in November.
http://www.opensecrets.org/overview/topcontribs.php
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/03/us/politics/supreme-court-ruling-on-campaign-contributions.html
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Why only in Africa?
Nigeria is mired in violence and inequality. it's only girls who suffer? Nigerian counts as the highest GDOP in Africa., it also has more nature resource. so why many people are suffering? violence is everyplace siglr part you go in Nigeria. Is the UN watching what is going on in Nigeria or they just wast to ignore it?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/11/nigeria-boko-haram-education-schoolgirls-kidnapped
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/may/11/nigeria-boko-haram-education-schoolgirls-kidnapped
Sunday, May 11, 2014
Astroturfing
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/11/1297694/-Anti-union-astroturf-group-is-not-watching-out-for-your-best-interests
Astroturfing is an interesting phenomenon. It is the practice whereby monied interests veil their sponsorship of an interest group in an effort to present it as the product of grassroots activism. So named for the nation’s favorite plastic grass-substitute, and much like that petroleum-based pasture it feigns the existence of grass roots with naught beneath but artificial support.
Astroturfing is an interesting phenomenon. It is the practice whereby monied interests veil their sponsorship of an interest group in an effort to present it as the product of grassroots activism. So named for the nation’s favorite plastic grass-substitute, and much like that petroleum-based pasture it feigns the existence of grass roots with naught beneath but artificial support.
This practice seems sketchy at the best of times. Some defend it by claiming that it allows them to present their message free of any prejudice that may be attached to their reputation. While I can respect the desire to have one’s argument evaluated purely on its intellectual merits I can’t help but look at cases like the one I've linked to above and levy a certain degree of suspicion. Astroturfing doesn't just free monied interests from their own reputation, it allows them to co-opt the sense of legitimacy lended to actual grassroots organizations. There’s no such thing as a truly “neutral” medium when it comes to expressing political messages, and when you present a view that directly affects working-class people through a facade of working-class grassroots, it colors their perceptions just as much as presenting the argument as a corporate entity would.
Friday, May 9, 2014
What happened to the moderate political leaders?
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/oct/22/nation/la-na-republican-moderates-20121022
This article focuses on an older woman being a moderate voter and that it goes into detail how the moderate politician is a dieing breed. I for one agree with this article and I find it to be very disturbing. I believe that liberals are moving further and further towards the left side while conservatives are moving further to the right. Which scares me quite honestly. I am a moderate republican and I feel I am poorly represented by the republican party. I think America is heading towards socialist ideas and once again that scares. Our government should not be too far left or right and it should be right in the middle of the political spectrum. There are more registered independents than there are democrats or republicans and the independents get represented as a minority and are almost forced to choose a side. I understand that both parties represent different ideologies but they should be moving closer to the middle to represent the greater population rather then moving away from the middle of the spectrum. I just want to see the majority of people being represented to their fullest. Moderates do a great job of understanding both sides and do a great job of working with each other while it takes every once of energy for republicans and democrats to work with one another. Like I said I lean more towards the right but I want to see politicians move towards the middle rather than away from it.
This article focuses on an older woman being a moderate voter and that it goes into detail how the moderate politician is a dieing breed. I for one agree with this article and I find it to be very disturbing. I believe that liberals are moving further and further towards the left side while conservatives are moving further to the right. Which scares me quite honestly. I am a moderate republican and I feel I am poorly represented by the republican party. I think America is heading towards socialist ideas and once again that scares. Our government should not be too far left or right and it should be right in the middle of the political spectrum. There are more registered independents than there are democrats or republicans and the independents get represented as a minority and are almost forced to choose a side. I understand that both parties represent different ideologies but they should be moving closer to the middle to represent the greater population rather then moving away from the middle of the spectrum. I just want to see the majority of people being represented to their fullest. Moderates do a great job of understanding both sides and do a great job of working with each other while it takes every once of energy for republicans and democrats to work with one another. Like I said I lean more towards the right but I want to see politicians move towards the middle rather than away from it.
Wednesday, May 7, 2014
Being a modern day conservative.
A few thoughts on why I am a young conservative,
From the likes of Barry Goldwater to Ronald Reagan and through to our modern day conservatives, we have always been put on the forefront from political adversaries. The media has portrayed conservatives in a negative light and I simply want to put my views on paper and show that modern day conservatives are a different breed.
Being a conservative isn't always easy I do have to admit. Engaging in political discussion and talks with fellow classmates is always an uphill battle when it comes to convincing people that my principles and what I believe are worth listening to. Over my lifetime and since I have been politically aware it has always been "cool" and "hip" to be liberal. I have nothing against liberalism other than that I don't agree with a lot of it. What I do believe in as a modern day conservative is the rights of all people. I think being a young Republican and conservative is about fighting for the constitutional rights for all people while still maintaining and respecting that others may have a different view point. I separate my own personal views from what is legal and what is just underneath our law.
I believe in economic opportunity for all and the opportunity to achieve dreams and goals. I believe everyone should have that opportunity. Young conservatives and young Republicans alike believe that the American dream is still alive and well. We believe that the role of government should be to provide basic services for everyone and give everyone the equal opportunity to rise and do what they see fit. On the flip side we do believe that solving real world problems do not come from lobbyists and top-down approaches that Washington tends to put on us. Young conservatives believe that local control and states rights should be paramount in educating our generation and solving issues.
Young conservatives believe in protecting the environment at all costs. As humans, we love the places where we live, vacation and stay. We want to pass that on to our children and future generations. We don't politicize this issue. It's a common problem we want to tackle.
Young conservatives are leading the way in the fight against government overreach regarding our personal privacy. Young people have grown their entire life with technology as a role. We want to protect the rights and privacy of all citizens while maintaining peace and order in our society. It's paramount to us that we uphold our traditional consitutitonal values and show that the constitution is a timeless document in which applies to our society even several hundred years later.
young people believe in our rights as citizens. We want to show that there can be fiscal responsibility and economic prosperity for all as long as we are willing to work for it and make tough decisions. We want to make sure that our government is just the right size to provide and protect the people but be small enough that Americans are able to pursue their dreams and have their own pursuit of happiness.
These are just a few things that make up young conservatives. We all differ on issues and that is what makes the party and being conservative great. We can disagree on certain things but we always will fight for our rights and freedoms as US citizens. Thank you for taking the time to read why the next generation of conservative leadership is different.
-Connor Brown
From the likes of Barry Goldwater to Ronald Reagan and through to our modern day conservatives, we have always been put on the forefront from political adversaries. The media has portrayed conservatives in a negative light and I simply want to put my views on paper and show that modern day conservatives are a different breed.
Being a conservative isn't always easy I do have to admit. Engaging in political discussion and talks with fellow classmates is always an uphill battle when it comes to convincing people that my principles and what I believe are worth listening to. Over my lifetime and since I have been politically aware it has always been "cool" and "hip" to be liberal. I have nothing against liberalism other than that I don't agree with a lot of it. What I do believe in as a modern day conservative is the rights of all people. I think being a young Republican and conservative is about fighting for the constitutional rights for all people while still maintaining and respecting that others may have a different view point. I separate my own personal views from what is legal and what is just underneath our law.
I believe in economic opportunity for all and the opportunity to achieve dreams and goals. I believe everyone should have that opportunity. Young conservatives and young Republicans alike believe that the American dream is still alive and well. We believe that the role of government should be to provide basic services for everyone and give everyone the equal opportunity to rise and do what they see fit. On the flip side we do believe that solving real world problems do not come from lobbyists and top-down approaches that Washington tends to put on us. Young conservatives believe that local control and states rights should be paramount in educating our generation and solving issues.
Young conservatives believe in protecting the environment at all costs. As humans, we love the places where we live, vacation and stay. We want to pass that on to our children and future generations. We don't politicize this issue. It's a common problem we want to tackle.
Young conservatives are leading the way in the fight against government overreach regarding our personal privacy. Young people have grown their entire life with technology as a role. We want to protect the rights and privacy of all citizens while maintaining peace and order in our society. It's paramount to us that we uphold our traditional consitutitonal values and show that the constitution is a timeless document in which applies to our society even several hundred years later.
young people believe in our rights as citizens. We want to show that there can be fiscal responsibility and economic prosperity for all as long as we are willing to work for it and make tough decisions. We want to make sure that our government is just the right size to provide and protect the people but be small enough that Americans are able to pursue their dreams and have their own pursuit of happiness.
These are just a few things that make up young conservatives. We all differ on issues and that is what makes the party and being conservative great. We can disagree on certain things but we always will fight for our rights and freedoms as US citizens. Thank you for taking the time to read why the next generation of conservative leadership is different.
-Connor Brown
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