Saturday, February 2, 2008

It must be the ZIP Code

I've gotten two robocalls for Republicans in the last three days. Don't know why they're calling me, except that I live in a ZIP Code that includes a lot of rich people.

The McCain call was actually pretty benign. It was recorded by an Alabama person (I didn't take notes unfortunately). He talked about how McCain was the best person to lead us in the war against radical Islamic terrorism, and he invoked the sacred name of Reagan.

UPDATE: Just got another McCain robocall, this one from McCain himself. He's ready to lead the nation as a Reagan Republican. Lower taxes and return "our party" to the small government principles it was founded on. Secure our borders, appoint conservative justices like Alito. Protect the sanctity of life, which his 24-year record supports. Best qualified to fight our relentless enemy of radical Islamic terrorism. We can and will win this war.

(Good thing he's not promoting the sanctity of marriage, considering his record in that regard. And it seems like saying he wants to return to small government roots is a bit of a dig on the current Republican party, no?)

The scary one came today from Mike Huckabee, who recorded the message. Sounding oh so sincere, he talked about how he was the one to further conservative principles and be a leader for "conservatives like us." His main focus - and this is what scares me - was how he would immediately get to work on a federal "life" amendment and a federal "marriage" amendment. No details of what those actually entail; I assume his target audience responds like Pavlov's dogs to the words and doesn't need an explanation.

He also talked about how he "cut taxes 94 times" when he was governor and that he would be the person to promote "the values of Alabama."

Not a word from Huckabee about the economy or Iraq, which as we know are the main issues people care about. At least McCain, misguided as he might be, acknowledged the issue.

Most of us, regardless of our political bent, are a lot more concerned about whether they'll have a job and be able to pay the mortgage, or whether their family member or friend is going to come back from Iraq in a flag-draped coffin. They really don't care about the homosexuals and they barely care about abortion. They might parrot the lines that the preacher gives them on Sunday, but in day to day life they are a) more tolerant and b) more realistic than Huckabee seems to give them credit for.

If you must vote on the Republican ballot, please for the sake of our nation, vote for anyone but Huck. That kind of narrow minded dogmatic thinking doesn't deserve the respect of your vote.