Is the the GOP?
March 14, 2008
Reading President Bush’s speech today to the Economic Club of New York, I am struck by how much the political parties have changed over the decades.
It used to be it was quite easy to tell the difference between Democrats and Republicans and economic issues. Among other differences, the Democrats were the Party that believed in government intervention to solve people’s problems. When Franklin Roosevelt ran in the 1930’s, he advocated government action to help what he called the “forgotten man.”
The Republicans were the party of small government, that is was simply not the job of government to change the course of markets, or intervene to help people. Herbert Hoover stuck to the small government no interference principle, and succeeded in making the Republicans a minority party for half a century. Ronald Reagan said that government was not the solution, it was the problem. Remember that?
You might not know this is the same party when you read Bush’s speech today. His difference with the Democrats, he said, is not whether we should take action, it was how much, when and where.
Contrast the small government, no intervention thoughts of prior Republicans with what Bush said today:
“Fortunately, we recognized the slowdown early and took action. And it was decisive action, in the form of policies that will spur growth. We worked with the Congress. I know that may sound incongruous to you, but I do congratulate the Speaker and Leader Reid, as well as Boehner and Mitch McConnell and Secretary Paulson, for anticipating a problem and passing a robust package quickly.”
Part of their robust package, as they call it, was to send a rebate check to every American taxpayer in the country. Does anyone recall when George McGovern was laughed off the national stage for proposing a tax rebate check for every American?
Speaking of Mcgovern, whose reputation is as the most liberal person ever nominated for President, his view of abortion was that the States should be free to regulate abortion, exactly the view today of the most conservative Republicans. Barry Goldwater’s position in the 1960’s was that abortion should be legal.
So I ask you this question, what does it mean to be a Republican or a Democrat today?
Jim Fiorentini
March 17, 2008 at 9:20 pm
You know, i’ve taken political science classes galore and not one of them can define either party. the definitions given are just examples; such as what bills each is likely to vote in favor of or against. we beat this to death in the first class i took, but again, no concrete definition. my grandfather once defined me as this; part democrat, part commie, part green. so i guess im a democrat.