Repubicrats - what is the difference?

He is an evangelical Christian, active in the church and always ready with a quote from the bible. His military career was an accomplished one. He also ran a successful business in the rural south. As governor he cut waste by abolishing scores of government agencies. In his autobiography he complained that "often it is financially profitable not to work" and that "some combined welfare payments exceed the average working families income." He complained that the military budgets had been cut too much in the post war era and that lead to a declining morale among the troops. Who was he?

He created the Environmental Protection Agency. Before his administration was overwhelmed by scandal he had set his sites on the goal of comprehensive national health care. Who was he?

He raised taxes as governor in order to balance the budget. As president he signed two tax increases (one on Social Security and another called the Deficit Reduction Act). He also called for the elimination of all nuclear weapons. Who was he?

He was a military hawk. A supply-sider who promoted cutting taxes and spent much of his campaign frightening Americans by telling them that they needed more nuclear weapons in order to be safe. Who was he?

Carter, Nixon, Reagan and JFK. In that order. Yes, in that EXACT order.

Surprised?

Hey, I'm not trying to imply that Carter was a neo-con or that Nixon was a socialist tree hugger. Just a little perspective as we weather this perfect storm of an election year.

I just finished reading Jimmy Carters autobiography that he wrote just prior to the 1976 election. A committee of our current candidates – Republican and Democrat, could have written this book. Parts of it could have come from John McCain (the military career and the call to eliminate the impact of special interests and lobbyists in Washington). Part of it could have come from Mike Huckabee when he talks about his heavy involvement in the church and his Christian faith. And parts of it could have come from his foe Ronald "Raygun" Reagan where he talks about eliminating waste in government and maintaining adequate military funding. Other parts could have come from Obama with his optimism for the future and Gore with his call to protect the environment.

I decided to read "Why not the best" by Jimmy Carter to see how much in pre election rhetoric has changed and how much has stayed the same in the intervening 30 years.

Obama is running on "Hope" not unlike Reagan when it was "morning in America." McCain is giving us "straight talk" and preparing us for the hard realities of a possible long engagement in Iraq. Not unlike Carter who warned us of a "malaise" in America.

I am starting to wonder why we are so fixated on which party we are a member of when the distinctions are sometimes so blurry.

Of course there are differences between Conservative and Liberal beliefs but most people come up somewhere in the middle. Even presidents as my introduction tried to illustrate.

The point I am trying to make is that we seem to have been convinced that we have to root for our team. Either we hold a banner with a big R on it or he hold one with a big D. This division of people into these two camps serves the two parties far more then it serves the American people. The greater our party loyalty the more power the party has both in fundraising and in gathering blind support. If I see being a Democrat or Republican as a part of who I am instead of a fluid set of shared and divergent beliefs then I am more likely to be polarized in my beliefs and am more likely to turn my brain off when it comes to hearing what "the other side" has to say. The more one party can demonize the other party the more we see them as an enemy and solidify support for the home team.

Far more violence occurs between fans of rival sports teams then between the players of these teams. Isn't that interesting. Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neil were fast friends. Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford were inseparable when together at social events. We have been tricked! The two parties want us divided – that's how they make their money and justify their existence.

Having said that I must admit that I do lean towards one party over the other. I give them money and my vote because I generally agree with them more on more issues then the other party. But I refuse to turn off my brain and be one of their sheep.