With permission and because I definitely identify with those who feel that the Republican Party moved away from them instead of vice-versa; here is commentary sent to me from a thoughtful reader and re-posted with permission:
Building a Bridge to Somewhere Else
Being a republican in Indiana is like falling over after 6 drinks, it’s easy and expected, as only a few get away with doing otherwise. I’ve had a lot of fun being a republican. And I cherish the friends, the networking and conversation, a sense of belonging among wonderful men and women who genuinely want what is good for our country. Because I respect the level of political and ethical acuity of most of my peers, I have to believe I am not the only one who feels it’s time to sober up. I like Senator McCain personally and deeply appreciate his sacrifice of service to our country. But I do not think he is able to distinguish his proposed leadership from that of President Bush, whom I also deeply respect, but disagree with on some critical issues. I disagree with Senator Obama on abortion, but I know that we are not going to resolve that issue in the next 4 years. I am pro-life. Life is precious, but also fragile- requiring food, housing, healthcare and a stable family and nation. Senator Obama is not perfect, but I do not question that he is sincerely committed to our country’s wellbeing AND capable of discerning how to bring that about. I am, if not a good republican, a good American, and I am saying I can no longer vote along party lines, ignoring the positions I don’t really agree with, trusting it will have a net positive affect.
You know, being a republican used to mean taking care of our needs at home before spending money buying allegiances overseas. It used to mean fighting a war, if necessary, on the correct front. It subscribed to a true definition of free trade, i.e. good for both countries. And it recognized that our country was built with strong backs and citizenship, not by finding legal means to unethical ends. Perhaps Senator McCain really belongs to the party of Republicans-gone-awry. Or maybe it is just insane to keep voting the same way and expecting different results.
I imagine this election will go on the books as one of the most engaging and ideologically challenging, and for that we can say we will have experienced the best of the democratic political process. We have had to search our souls and confront what were perhaps underdeveloped or even inherited ‘personal beliefs’ about a host of issues such as race, gender, and equity. For all that work, I believe that our next president will be bore out with the help of a new type of republican voter – one that is keenly aware of and is fine with the fact that we cannot go back, even if we wanted to, and we cannot stay here.
I have been impressed by the depth of political analysis and insight that so many people have, in the line at the grocery store, at the high school football games- even the young people are chiming in. As for myself, I keep thinking back to the readings and lectures I had in my political science courses. My $72,000 epiphany is this: We are a great nation, a uniquely blessed society with rights to pursue the inherent goodness of freedom, human dignity, security and prosperity. And we are also uniquely positioned to inspire that pursuit throughout the world. But that our nation, so conceived and constitutionally established, being uniquely blessed and positioned as a nation, is true, not because of the leadership of the past decade, but in spite of it. Something to chew on while we get busy building a bridge to somewhere else. And once we get to somewhere else, we can fight about the rest.
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