FAIR AND BIASED: A sequel appears to be where America is today.

Sunday, April 23, 2023

A sequel appears to be where America is today.

Weekly Opinion Editorial

IMITATING OURSELVES

by Steve Fair

President Joe Biden will announce his re-election bid on Tuesday. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced they support Biden’s nomination and that no primary debates will be held. Biden, at age 80, is the oldest U.S. president in history. If he is reelected in 2024, Biden would be 82 when sworn in for his second term.

2024 is shaping up to be a sequel rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Biden will be the Democrat nominee. He faces token opposition and the leaders in the Party appear united in clearing a path to the nomination. While it is still a year before GOP presidential primaries will be held, Trump, 77, has a double-digit lead among Republican primary voters. Trump will face several viable opponents for the nomination, but none have the voter base or the fundraising ability of the former president. If a rematch happens between Biden and Trump in 2024, what must the two candidates do differently than they did in 2020? Three things

First, Trump must lead with his accomplishments. Trump tends to spend more time attacking/mocking his opponents than detailing public policy plan. During the 2016 election, Trump had great appeal to swing voters. Swing voters are the people who didn’t attend Trump’s rallies, laugh at his insults, or wear a MAGA ball cap. They voted for Trump because their manufacturing job had been exported by the Obama administration. They put Trump in office in 2016, but didn’t show up in 2020. No president in recent history did more to help America manufacturing than Trump. Buy America appeals to the working Democrat. Trump should recreate that appeal in 2024.

Second, Biden must campaign. During the 2020 election, Joe Biden used the COVID pandemic as an excuse to hide in the basement. He did less public campaigning than any presidential candidate in modern history. That bizarre strategy worked in 2016 because the pandemic had everybody hunkered down. But that approach will not work in 2024. Biden must detail his plan on how to deal with record inflation, high interest rates, and diminishing retirement accounts, while explaining how his failed policies created the problem.

Third, the VP pick must be carefully watched. If Biden or Trump are elected in 2024, they would be the oldest president in American history. That makes the vice president pick very important. Mike Pence was a capable and competent VP- Kamala Harris not so much. Harris is a far left ideolog that would will be a disaster as president. It’s a safe bet Pence will not be Donald Trump’s running mate again, but whomever he selects needs to be capable. American voters need to pay very close attention to who the VP picks are because they could very well be president due to the advanced age of the candidates.

A Washington Post/ABC poll conducted in February showed Republicans spilt between nominating Donald Trump or someone else. The poll found most Democrats preferred an alternative to Biden. It found few Americans were excited about a Trump-Biden rematch. Sequels are seldom as good as the original. Dr. Don Marquis was an American philosopher that taught at the University of Kansas. Marquis famously said, “A sequel is an admission that you’ve been reduced to imitating yourself.” That appears to be where America is today.

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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, April 23, 2023

A sequel appears to be where America is today.

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

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