by Adam Smith

Created on: June 15, 2008

Up until 2004, I was a fervent Republican. I voted straight Republican ticket and even helped out with many different campaigns from the state house to the Presidential Elections.

However, I have lately realized that the Republican Party really isnt what it use to be and it no longer follows my ideals. I dont know if I would call it "broken", but it is broken for me and for many others out there. This Presidential Election season I have been swayed by our parties decision to nominate John McCain, to vote not only for Barack Obama but for all the democrats on my ticket, and if this is the Republican Party for the future they can expect very big losses in the future.

Here are my reasons for stating that the Party is Broken

1. John McCain was decided as the candidate by liberal states that WILL go Blue in the Fall. He has no chance at winning a west coast state, little chance at winning a New England state and may even lose a couple deep south states. Through this horrible election season we have also seen our presumptive nominee completely throw states like Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin to the wayside. These will be the states that seals his fate.

2.Big Spending. Bush, who was elected as a fiscal conservative who would keep our surplus and stay out of foreign affairs that did not concern us, has followed through with neither and has in fact done the exact opposite. I live in the Bible belt and am a through and through conservative, but I have no problem saying that George Bush will go down in history as the worst president ever.

3. Inaction in congress. Many of the partisan hacks in Washington will tell you that the Republicans lost there majority in 2006 due to the war in Iraq. While there is some truth to this. It is not alone the only reason why we lost. Republicans spent one of the largest budgets in American history and were mared by political scandal after political scandal.
Our leaders are flawed and thus the party is flawed. Fatally flawed.

4. Republicans where unable to deal with crisis like Hurricane Katrina and the Iowa Floods of 08.

5. Democrats are, for the first time in my history, coming out on the more conservative side of the coin in many issues and are able to argue against big money republicans and win trasition votes. Were as Republicans will NEVER get out of the shadow of George Bush and wont be able to be any more liberal than they already are.

Lastly, I believe the Republican party had two last chances to get revived and to win in 2008. And those where Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul. When those two left the building so did Republicans chance in 2008, 2012 and maybe even 2016.

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