Crazy Email

I get all sorts of email. Most people do not know this, but I have 5 or 6 email accounts. I do not check them all frequently. I have one account that forwards to my phone, and another I check on a regular basis - but the others are pretty much just there to catch the spam.

One account is used just for political shit. I sign up for various bullshit "action alert" stuff. Moveon.org has this address. And so does the RNC. I also got email from both candidates for the last election cycle. I did not read most of it, but I could have if I wanted to.

It is just that I did not want to.

But every so often I get a real gem. Something that stands out. A subject line that says "do not just delete me without reading it".

Like this one, from the RNC. Outrage over Arlen Specter. I just had to open that one. I was down for some good old fashioned outrage. So in case you did not get the email - here it is!!

"Dear Lazy,

I hope Arlen Specter's party change outrages you. It should for two reasons:

First - Specter claimed it was philosophical--and pointed his finger of blame at
Republicans all over America for his defection to the Democrats. He told us all to
go jump in the lake today.

I'm sorry, but I don't believe a word he said."

OK so far I get it. I should be outraged because Specter switched parties. Well as one who does not really care much about parties (unless there are hot chicks at them) I could care less if Specter changed parties. None of my business really. He did not tell me to jump in a lake. He told what is left of the Pennsylvania Republican primary voters - who do not like him anyway - to jump in a lake. I live in Florida. Specter is not even my senator.

And it seems to me that his reasons were philosophical. The man said so himself. Specter has a rather moderate voting record. I can respect that. I think most people are actually moderate. In the middle. Leaning one way on some issues, and another way on other issues. Maybe you support stem cell research, and also believe in the right to own guns. How about that? Is it possible??

Well no. Not if you want to be Republican.

Bottom line is that Specter was chased out of the party. No longer welcome. Get out. How dare you disagree with one issue! So who else is there to point the finger at? Me? I do not even live in the man's state! No, the finger of blame is pointing at the party. The party that turned too far to the right for most Americans. The party that continues down that path - even in spite of dropping poll numbers.

And there is no room for moderates. There is no room for people in the middle. There is only room for those who agree 100% with everything being said on Fox.

"Arlen Specter committed a purely political and self-serving act today. He simply
believes he has a better chance of saving his political hide and his job as a
Democrat. He loves the title of Senator more than he loves the party--and the
principles--that elected him and nurtured him."

This may be true. It was purely political. Political parties are purely political. And Specter may just win reelection as a Democrat. You see, the Democrat primary pool in PA has a lot of moderates in it. A lot of people switched parties for the last election. They had enough. But that does not mean all those who changed parties are going to be hard to the left. They will not be. They just realized that they did not fit in with the "base" and were pushed out.

And really - what is wrong with liking the title of "senator" more than your party affiliation? Is your job as Senator not representing the people - not the party? So if the people in your state want something, it is your job to vote for it.

Or am I crazy?

"Second--and more importantly--Arlen Specter handed Barack Obama and his band of radical leftists nearly absolute power in the United States Senate. In leaving the Republican Party--and joining the Democrats--he absolutely undercut Republicans' efforts to slow down Obama's radical agenda through the threat of filibuster."

And now we get to the good part! And if this does not prove my point (there is no room for moderates in the Republican Party anymore) nothing will. Because Specter changed a single letter in his title (Senator R-PA to Senator D-PA) he is now.......

A radical leftist. Specter is Che Guevara reincarnated. If you are not a Republican - you must be a radical leftist. Specter - the moderate - will hand power over to the "radical left" -0 giving them absolute power.

Now of course this is not true. Specter is still a moderate. So are many democrats in the house and senate.

And what is so "radical" about Obama's agenda? I do not see it. Now I know the RNC and talk radio sources like to say it is "radical" - but is it? And if so - what is radical? Name one thing.

If any "radical" policies are proposed, we can count on the moderates to vote no. This is what moderates do. They vote no on crazy shit. This is why there is no room on the Republican side for them - the party platform is too far to the right. So why the hell would they suddenly go for a platform too far to the left?

They will not. It is just bullshit. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Facing defeat in Pennsylvania's 2010 Republican primary due to his left-wing voting record, and an end to his 30 year career in the U.S. Senate, he has peddled his services--and his vote--to the leftist Obama Democrats who aim to remake America with their leftist plan."

Have you ever seen a paragraph that used the word "leftist" so much? And what "left wing" voting record are they talking about here? One vote? Voting yes for the recovery plan? That suddenly makes him "left wing"? What about his other 30 years of votes? Do they no longer count? I guess not! He is now "left wing". A radical. A far leftist.

And he has handed his vote over to the radical left. All because he disagreed with the party on ONE issue. One. Not 10. Not 1,000. One. One single vote.

As recently as April 9th, Senator Specter said he would run in the Pennsylvania primary next year as a Republican. Why the sudden change of heart? Clearly, this was an act based on political expediency by a craven politician desperate to keep his Washington power base -- not the act of a statesman."

Once again - I do not agree. A statesman is supposed to represent ALL of the people they represent. If you are a senator - this means the whole state. Not the base of your party - unless the base of your party happens to be the majority. If the base is going to reject him in a highly partisan primary, then why not change parties? Why not switch to the more moderate party? Let the primary voters of that party decide who they want - then run in the general election. Or run as an independent. If you truly represent the people of your state, you will win the general election.

His defection to the Democrat Party puts the Democrats in an almost unstoppable position to pass Obama's destructive agenda of income redistribution, health care nationalization, and a massive expansion of entitlements.

Arlen Specter has put his loyalty to his own political career above his duty to his
state and nation."

OK OK got it. Far left voting record, going to pass the destructive agenda, automatic vote, and so on. Even if he is a moderate, usually leaning to the right on most issues. OK.

You and I have a choice. Some will use Specter's defection as an excuse to fold the tent and give up. I believe that you are not one of those people. When Benedict Arnold defected to the British, George Washington didn't fold the tent and give up either.

He grit his teeth more determined than ever to succeed. That's what I'm asking you
to do today."

Uhhh...so now the RNC is George Washington? Specter betrayed his nation to a foreign power? Other Americans are the British?

Really? Is this not just a little tiny bit of a stretch here?

Join me in this fight by making a secure online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 right now to build our army of supporters and defeat Democrat candidates like Arlen Specter in next year's elections.

Stand with me. I need your support today.

Sincerely,

Michael Steele
Chairman, Republican National Committee"

And now we get to the real reason! Send us money! To defeat the far left and people like Specter.

Mr Steele - you need more than my support, which as someone closer to the center I can not give you anyway. You need to get a grip here. I know you have nothing else to go on, but that is not my fault. I did not decide to label anything I do not agree with as "the far left". Now I may not know everything about politics - but I do know that Specter is NOT the "radical left". You, and people who think like you, helped push me away from supporting any Republican long ago. You see, I did not agree 100% with everything. I happened to disagree on some issues. most notably, the "wedge" issues. So I was part of the "far left" too. A radical. Like Specter.

P.S. Lazy, we need to respond to Senator Specter's decision to join President Obama's efforts to change America into a European Welfare State. Please help our Party move forward by making a secure online contribution of $25, $50, $100, $500 or $1,000 to give our Republican leaders & candidates the political muscle they need to resist the Obama-Pelosi-Specter agenda. Thank you."

Another pitch for money huh? You just made a pitch a paragraph ago.

And I like how it is now the "Obama-Pelosi-Specter agenda. What happened to Harry Reed? I thought it was "Pelosi-Reed". But now it is "Pelosi-Specter".

And of course, another pitch for money. Just in case I missed the first one.

Simply amazing. If you do not agree 100% with EVERYTHING the base of the Republican party (as heard on talk radio) says - you are a far left radical. A communist. Or at best, a socialist.

This is why the Republican party is losing in the polls. People are sick and tired of hearing about how they are "far left" just because they happen to not agree on even one issue.

Moderates have nowhere else to go. As the base turns harder and harder to the right - candidates that hope to win a primary will have to adopt harder and harder right wing views.

Moderates are unlikely to do so - meaning they could lose in a Republican primary.

And if by chance they win the primary - if their hard right positions are not what the majority in their state want - they will lose the general election.

One of two things will happen. The moderates left in the party will have to take it back, then clean house. Make the party more inclusive.

Or else the party will have fewer and fewer seats.

If I could pick one of the two - I would pick the more moderate party option. It would keep the Democratic party from swinging too far to the left, as moderates on the Democrat side would also have someplace to go if the day ever comes when their views are not welcome. But right now the Democrat party is looking more like the party that WANTS the moderates.