by Robert Griffith

Created on: October 08, 2008   Last Updated: December 08, 2010

Can there be any doubt? Republican fiscal policy has trashed our economy, and the global economy in the bargain. Republican international policy has trashed our relationships with our allies. Republican terrorism policy has reduced civil liberties at home, contravened the Geneva Convention in favor of torture, and made Grandpa take his shoes off at the airport. Republican war policy has allowed Osama Bin Laden to live, and spun our military into acting out a personal vendetta against Saddam Hussein. And in case you haven't been keeping up with current events, in a time of national financial crisis, Republican campaign policy wants to smear their opponent rather than discuss the critical issues of our time.

It's a remarkable development in our society that campaigning Republicans would embrace the cynical view that there are enough Americans who believe what they hear without fact-checking or thinking to turn an election in their favor on the basis of sensational lies about their opponent. "Swift boating" as a last-ditch campaign strategy is perfectly OK with the Republican constituency, and this desperation to avoid issues and thoughtful dialogue is proof in itself that Republicans are not suited to be in the White House in 2009. If Republican policy were relevant to the difficulties America now faces, Republicans would be talking about that. But they're not. Because their policies led to this mess.

America needs more then manipulative, Machiavellian cynicism right now. Our media gives as much time to the screaming face, spraying vituperation and twisted disinformation, as it gives to the thoughtful, independent critical thinker. But America needs thoughtful, critical thinking right now. If character-assassination is the best that the Republican campaign can manage to counteract the bald-faced, proven insufficiencies of Republican policy, it must be seen for what it is: an admission of insufficiency and inabilty to address the issues of this time.

Consider the economy. Republicans support de-regulation of financial markets. "Swap" agreements, as documented by 60 Minutes on CBS on October 5, 2008 - in an incisive, to-the-bone revelation - are unregulated, bogus, unbacked "insurance" policies paid for by financial institutions who bought large numbers of crappy high-risk mortgages from mortgage-bundlers. The bottom line here is this: these unregulated instruments, along with the cupidity and greed of their purchasers, have caused a $62 trillion red-ink shortfall for financial institutions in America and abroad, and are at the epicenter of the current economic upheaval. Let me say it one more time. These instruments were not regulated. These instruments caused the economic crisis America is facing today. Republicans support deregulation as an integral policy. Do you think such a policy should be represented in the White House in 2009?

For eight years Republican policy has failed America. The preponderance of evidence supporting that fact is boggling. The party best suited to remedy the Republican-based dimunition of America's strength at home and around the world is the Democratic party. They belong in the White House in 2009.

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