My Party Has Been Hijacked

The results are in from Delaware and another responsible, intelligent Republican has lost a primary election. It shouldn't have been a contest. A former Governor, a current Congressman and a fiscal conservative with Moderate views on social issues, Mike Castle has lost to a "tea party" candidate whose only apparent qualification was her endorsement by the high priestess of mediocrity, Sarah Palin. A chance to pick up another US Senate seat lost in the transaction. Voters who can read, understand, and appreciate will desert in droves to the Democratic candidate. If I lived in Delaware I would most definitely be with them. After all here in Florida the self same right wing zealots have pushed our great Governor right out of the Republican party. The Republican nominee, Marco Rubio embraced the same close minded segments of the tea party movement as his fulcrum to power, and now must live with the consequences of his unholy arrangement. He will soon discover that the recipe for success in the primaries will not translate to victory in November. To win you must attract independents and moderates, those voters will flock to Governor Crist.

What does a lifelong Republican do, what do I do? I look at the candidates on my party's line and I am unable to embrace them, even a little. I have never been a fan of Bill McCuollum, yet I voted for him in the primary. I held my nose, but I voted for him. I cannot even hold my nose and vote for Rick Scott or Marco Rubio. This isn't the first time I have felt this way, but it is the first time I cannot stand silent. My party has been hijacked by the kind of mean, small minded people that used to elect the Eastlands, Russells, Maddoxes to high office in the South. In those days they peddled the intolerance of racial hatred, their current heirs now peddle the intolerance of women who believe in choice, of people seeking equal rights irrespective of their sexual preference and at the same time ignoring this nations heritage of freedom of religion by trying to marginalize all people who believe in Islam. Today they talk about burning prayer books, what is next. My party fought a Civil War to free the slaves, my party integrated the schools, my party was the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower and Goldwater. None of those men would be a part of the tea party mentality, and neither will I.

It is time for Republicans to take back the Republican party and run these pretenders out. So I will not leave, but will stay and fight. But I will not in the name of party unity support those whose negativism, and intolerance are anathema to me. I will vote for candidates elsewhere on the ballot. The message is simple, winning is the Mothers milk of politics and you can't win if you continue to select the meanest among us and not the best.