FAIR AND BIASED: It's about POLICY, NOT PERSONALITY!

Sunday, June 7, 2020

It's about POLICY, NOT PERSONALITY!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

RELEVANCE SEEKERS ARE IRRELEVANT

by Steve Fair

On Saturday, the New York Times reported former President George W. Bush, former Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice along with Utah U.S. Senator Mitt Romney will not support President Donald Trump’s re-election. The article implied former Speakers of the House Paul Ryan and John Boehner will not vote for Trump. They also said that up to four other GOP U.S. Senators plan to not support the president’s re-election. Four observations:

First, a vote isn’t about personality- it’s about policy. When President Bush and the others oppose the president of their own Party, they reveal their lack of commitment to the conservative movement. Trump’s abrasive personality is polarizing, but as Dr. Gerald Beasley once about an abrasive elected official: “We send them up there to vote. Little else matters. Watch how they vote, not what they say.” That is great advice. It’s about the cause, not the person.

Second, a vote is always the lesser of two evils. Until Jesus Christ is on the ballot, we are always voting for a fallen human being. In every election, voters make a choice between the lesser of two evils. They should base their decision on which candidate they believe will govern or implement policies most closely aligned with their convictions, values and political philosophy. President Trump has appointed more conservative judges, cut taxes and cut government regulation more than any president- Republican or Democrat- in modern history. Vice President Joe Biden has said he will do the exact opposite- raise taxes and appoint liberal judges. Trump’s personality and may be course and blunt, but his policies are conservative- Biden’s will be liberal.

Third, this fight/conflict is really over economic globalism. Every Republican mentioned in the Times article believe all the countries of the world should collectively operate as one system. President Trump has vocally opposed America being dependent on foreign manufacturing (much of which happened during the Bush presidency) and has encouraged manufacturing to return to the U.S.

Fourth, the rank and file Republican base remain behind Trump. Even with the COVID-19 pandemic, the George Floyd incident and the protests, Trump supporters are firmly supporting the president. That is the good news. The bad news is Democrat conservatives, many of them union workers, who supported the president in 2016 are not as enthusiastic about Trump, but aren’t in Biden’s corner yet either. With five months until the election, a lot can change- and will.

When candidate Trump was running in 2016, he promised, if elected, to ‘drain the swamp.’ That meant he wasn’t going to go along to get along. He vowed to be unconventional and to govern different than tradition dictated. That is why he makes career politicians and bureaucrats nervous. The Washington establishment, including many elected Republicans, have opposed his governing style and policies since his election. No president in modern history has been criticized, critiqued, and condemned more.

The fact is, none of those Republican listed in the article have enough influence to sway the election to Biden. They lose all creditability with conservative Republicans when they say the prefer Biden over Trump. Conservative Democrats won’t listen to them either. They have lost their relevance.

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Why FAIR & BIASED?

FAIR- because that's my name and BIASED because the truth is we are all biased- either for something or against it. What's important is that our bias(opinions) are based on right- on absolute truth and not on changing values. What's right cannot change based on a change in circumstances. That is the basis for situational ethics.

Situation Ethics is a theory that is concerned with the outcome or consequences of an action; the end, as opposed to an action being intrinsically wrong. In the case of situation ethics, the end can justify the means. There are no absolutes. Your actions are guided only by your conscience.

A person's view of right can be subjective. But there is a way mankind can definitely know what's right and that is revealed in God's Word- the Bible. As His creatures, we should be biased toward things our Creator is for and biased against those things He is against. May God grant us the grace and understanding to know the difference.

PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

How important is political party affiliation? Some people mistakenly believe only politicians need political affiliation, which they use for support to get elected. They contend the electorate or voters, do not need to be aligned with any Party. These same people often state they “support the man, not the Party.” But whether they recognize it or not, they are supporting a party when they “support the man.”
Most of the Founding Fathers had a negative view of political parties. In his farewell address to the nation, George Washington warned about political parties saying, “However [political parties] may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.” In spite of Washington's warning, political parties were formed anyway.
From 1796 to 1828 the first political parties were formed. Starting with the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, two opposing factions arose. Each was concerned with how the new government was to be organized. The Federalists believed in a strong central government. Their philosophy and beliefs would closely mirror the Democrat Party today. The Anti-Federalists strongly supported the rights of the states. They would more closely align with Republicans today.
Since the mid 1800s, the Ds and Rs have been the two major political parties in our country. Political parties flourished in our government mainly for legislative organization and expediencies sake. Why is Party affiliation important for the average voter? Party affiliation is important for three very simples reasons.
First, party affiliation is the first vote a citizen casts. When a citizen registers as a Democrat, then they are aligning philosophically with the values, beliefs, tenets, and positions of the Democrats on the issues. Party affiliation “defines” you are and what you stand for. It should be taken as seriously as a vote for a specific candidate. Research what each Party stands for, their positions on issues, and then align with the Party that is closest to your values. Copies of both major Party platforms are available on-line or at the local library.
Second, legislatures organize themselves and conduct business using party affiliation. The legislative branch of government is the most powerful arm of the three branches of government. Legislative bodies hold closed meeting of party members, called a caucus to decide on questions of policy or leadership. The Republicans hold a caucus meeting and the Democrats hold a caucus meeting-both at the state and federal level. Unfortunately, conservative, moderate and liberal philosophies do not hold caucus meetings or control the legislative agendas- parties do. When someone says they vote for “the man,” not the party, they fail to understand the power and function of a caucus system in a legislative body. The Party in the majority controls appointments, Chairmanships, the agenda and countless other things through the caucus.
Third, party affiliation should be a matter of conviction, not convenience. Often, people align with a party so they can vote in primary elections or based on family tradition or geographies. Even candidates will align, file and run affiliated with a Party they have little philosophical agreement with. That decision is made out of convenience, not conviction. While no political party is perfect or has all the answers, there is a distinct difference between the two major parties and honest citizens should align with the Party that reflects their convictions.
The Democrat Party is more liberal than the Republican Party. Liberals believe in more government control of business, the environment and speech, using large bureaucratic programs to address real or perceived social ills and constant reinterpretation of the Constitution. Liberals are more inclined to trust government than the people themselves. They see the role of government as a great provider of goods and services and have little faith in the individual to solve his own problems.
Republicans are more conservative than Democrats. Conservatives believe in less government control of the environment and business. They want fewer and less comprehensive government programs to address real or perceived social ills. They believe in personal responsibility and trust individuals to make decisions for themselves. Republicans believe in a strict literal interpretation of the Constitution. A person should find out which of these philosophies best fits their view if they wish to actively participate in the political process.
Party affiliation is important. Washington’s prophecy has come to past, and political parties have been used to empower “unprincipled men,” on both sides of the aisle, but like it or not, political parties are a reality in our system of government. Each concerned citizen should evaluate the philosophy, values, beliefs and tenets of each Party and align their party affiliation accordingly.

FAIR AND BIASED

Sunday, June 7, 2020

It's about POLICY, NOT PERSONALITY!

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PARTY AFFILIATION IS IMPORTANT! by Steve Fair- written in 2009

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