Friday, November 16, 2012

The Republican Party Needs To Wake Up! If It Doesn't Want To Become the Whig Party of the 1800's

Right here in the Town of East Haven you can see the national trend that the Republican Party is in deep, deep trouble if it doesn’t get it’s proverbial head out of it ass. A few years ago a quiet movement was put into motion to try to move the older East Haven Republican Party Bosses into retirement to allow the younger members of the party to control the platform. We all recognized the glory days of Joe Maturo were long gone and the party needed to evolve into the 21st Century if it doesn’t want to become like the non-existent Republican Party of New Haven or the Whig Party of the 18th Century.

I’m middle of the road as a Republican despite what many may believe. My value systems are built from my parents who were depression aged folk who believed in many traditional things such as marriage, God and the 1950’s America. As much as I don’t want to let that go it has become apparent that those values are becoming increasingly sparse. I’m Generation X and I have seen many things. The end of the Vietnam War, the Iran Hostage Crisis, The Reagan Era, The Fall of Communism, A New World Order, 9-11 and the immigration of people of the Americas into our country. Many of them are of Spanish origin from Central, South America and the Caribbean. Some people distain these people but have we forgot that Spanish influence has been in the Americas since 1492 when Christopher Columbus was paid to come to America by the Spanish Monarchy. The Caribbean, South and Central America, Western North America, The Gulf of Mexico and the State of Florida were all a part of the Spanish Empire in America.
Today’s states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, North and South Dakota and Florida were all under Spanish control where the indigenous people spoke Spanish and had Spanish culture. Yet, we somehow have forgotten that as Republicans. How ironic that half of those territories are in the Republican red territory! The Republican Party, the party that freed the slaves has yet to embrace the largest growing population in the United States and we wonder why we’ve lost two consecutive national elections?
Culturally, in many ways the divide in Europe in the 19th and 20th century still exists here in America. When the Italians and Irish came to America it was their fellow Europeans who also immigrated to America that discriminated against them. They were Irish, Polish, German or whatever Northern European groups. Today those Northern European groups could care less about Irish, Italian, English or whatever yet we still have a problem with Spanish. My question is why? Those Spanish that some despise have a direct European link but are treated like they are 2nd class citizens. It’s almost like there is Europe and then there is the Spanish. To me it makes no difference and it is a terrible position the Republican Party has put itself in because I can bet that the majority of the Spanish population has the same core values of our party but because they speak Spanish, they come from Central America, Caribbean or South America they cannot be Americans.  In turn we have allowed the Democrats access to this group uncontested and what a missed opportunity.
As for East Haven, there is no better example of how not act than Joe Maturo. His ignorance and his spice to be the class clown has alienated the growing Spanish population of this Town. It’s people like Joe Maturo that give opportunists like Fr. Manship, Eric Holder and Barack Obama the mantle of their cause and frankly I’m sick of it. I know many Puerto Ricans, and by the way they are just as American as I am. I know their Roman Catholic culture. I know their core beliefs and I know at the end of the day they are like minded. I know many Cubans they too are like minded and are very much aware of the dangers of Socialism. I know some Mexicans and do you know what? They too are very similar to us. Did you know that their system of Government is almost identical to ours? They are the United States of Mexico with a Federal Government like ours. So how can people that are of European decent, of Christian values, some that fly an American flag and some that have a Representational government like ours not asked to be with us? Why isn’t the Republican Party leading the charge to get this group on our side of the issues? Why is it that people like Joe Maturo continue to be the face of what we don’t believe and represent? Our Republican party needs to move into the 21st Century and finally incorporate others like the Democrats have so successfully done. It burns me to see a neophyte like Gene Ruocco come on top and you know what? If you’re a Republican in East Haven it should burn you too! It burns me to see it on a National Level and we need to change.
There is no one more qualified in this Town that can make this statement than I. Back in 2004, I made a major issue of Gay Marriage and I was wrong. I hurt people, I embarrassed people and made many people uncomfortable with my approach. I made that a political weapon and I was incorrect in calculating that there were many, many like minds like me. Or was I thinking like my parents from the 1950’s? Sometimes your thoughts and your actions cloud your vision. Sometimes it’s best to let free people to decide on their own. Have I changed my personal beliefs on the subject? No, I still don’t believe in Gay Marriage but I’ve learned that I have no right to stop someone to have one either. That’s between them and God and I have made peace with that. Do I think the Republican Party should have anti gay marriage in their platform? No! I don’t anymore, why? Because it is not politically savvy in the 21st century and with early childhood indoctrination in the 1980’s and 1990’s it’s a losing cause. Once again the Republicans were asleep at the wheel and allowed that teaching in our schools and today it’s socially acceptable. That ship has sailed and that war is over.
There is nothing more intriguing than a smart, self-reliant woman who has an opinion. I live in household full of women. Even my dog is a female and I had no problem at all with “fixing her” reproductive rights so why do I care if the girl next door wants to have an abortion or has access to birth control? Am I socially responsible for her actions? Is she my child that I have to care for? As I see it, I have the responsibility to my three women in my home. I set my expectations along with my wife and we together set the expectations in my home. Do I believe in abortion? No, I don’t but then again, it is not up to me to make that decision that’s between that person and God. Again, indoctrination of children has happened, it’s socially acceptable and that ship too has sailed and that war is over.
Do you see the pattern fellow Republicans? We are fighting the wrong fights and there are 55% who are always going to be against those stances. You cannot mathematically win. Is Dan McCann becoming a liberal? Not in the least, in fact maybe he’s become a realist and someone who has to evolve with the times so that the Republicans can win on the real issues that affect us all. Maybe all we really need is to do away with the Republican label and call us the “Realist” party that is open to everyone even if you speak Spanish, has an opinion on women’s issues and has a same sex spouse. It could be that simple!
The 2012 campaign should be a LOUD wake-up call for all Republicans that taking minority positions on social issues is a losing battle even though you might think you’re right. It’s time to figure out how to get more people on our side of the National economic issues, military issues, global issues instead of playing in the Democratic Sandbox of personal attacks and distractions that really don’t mean a whole lot. That also applies to the East Haven Republican Town Committee that needs a big wakeup call and needs to find someone other than Joe Maturo and Art DeSorbo to lead the Republicans of East Haven.  We need young, fresh blood to lead this party or there will be no party locally or nationally. It’s time to become real and realize that Republicans got beat on issues that are between the four walls of one’s ever changing home.

2 comments:

  1. GOP- don't bother waking up. We the people are wide awake and we don't want you! Go away and never come back, please.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The quiet silent majority need to slowly step up once again. I am tired of all the old farts at the helm of so many things in the repub party (if you want to see fossils in control, look to the democrat national party).

    Stop the old Bob Doles who (Dole actually said this while running for prez) "It's MY turn!"

    No it is not. While Maturo did a hellava good job during Sandy to protect from looters/gawkers at the beach (far better than April) it is time for him to go.

    ReplyDelete