I’m a white guy. I’m straight. I’m married. I have a son.
I’ve worked for big companies in the private sector. I’ve hired dozens of people. I’ve let several go. I’ve run a small business for 12 years. I’ve dealt with all sorts of regulations. I’ve always paid my taxes.
I have a master’s degree. My student loans have been paid off for 15 years. My credit card bill is paid in full every month. I’m in debt to no one. Our household income is in the top 15-25%.
I was raised Catholic. I have a moral compass. I’ve never been arrested. I have no criminal record. I’m not a burden on the healthcare system: I’m not obese or unhealthy. I’ve run 25 marathons. I’ve never tried smoking.So I’m a well-off straight white guy. Every demographic study I see says I should vote R. But I never have.
So my question is this: At what point do I automatically vote R?
When 2 guys I’ll never meet get married? When I have to wait 3 days for an assault rifle? When my tax rate exceeds 20%? When one dollar of my income goes toward the public good? When everyone has access to healthcare? When every cop in my town is laid off? When a nonwhite family moves in down the street? When oil companies have to pay more than 5% in taxes?
Any idea? Can any Republican tell me what I’m missing?
This article appears in Aug 23-29, 2012.








Sometimes, one has to look outside of one’s own personal experience, to the experience of those in the remainder of the country. Freedom provides more benefits to more people than dependency on the whims of others (i.e., government) does. So you are not missing anything (as you say), but others in this country are – the virtues of freedom.
Automaticity of voting applies to those who vote emotionally. Being a libertarian (not the same as a Republican, but there are overlaps) means, in part, using logic and thought, in lieu of anger, envy, hatred, jealousy, and all the raw emotions.
Freedom provides that opportunity of choice, but not the guarantee. People have responsibilities, and actions have consequences, as someone has famously said.
So my answer is: Look at populations governed by liberals, and those governed by conservatives, and see which appeals to you.
When 2 guys I’ll never meet get married?
Marriage is defined by the Lord as between one man and one woman. I know the Bible rarely comes into play in Catholicism, but I am surprised you never stumbled across it at some point.
When I have to wait 3 days for an assault rifle?
You do!
When my tax rate exceeds 20%?
What you and all other liberals continually fail to take advantage of is the fact that the IRS will gladly accept your personal check for any amount you feel is your “fair share”.
When one dollar of my income goes toward the public good?
If you’re waiting on government to do this for you, good luck.
When everyone has access to healthcare?
Everyone does. They may have to work for it and pay for it instead of mooching it off other working folks, but its there.
When every cop in my town is laid off?
When a nonwhite family moves in down the street?
Not sure how these are partisan issues. Law enforcement is a constitutionally mandated function of government. People are free to live whereever they please.
When oil companies have to pay more than 5% in taxes?
Name one oil company that pays only 5% in taxes.
While not perfect by any stretch, you can vote for an R’s when freedom and liberty are trumped by security by government decree, aka slavery to your government masters.
Once again I was not going to let my typing finger overtake my common sense of what is worth a comment VS. what is not.THE R WORD!HAS THAT FALLEN IN THE COMPANY OF THE F,B,C and N word.Do you want a good conduct metal because you enjoyed the entitlements of an educated white man who had the oportunities to go to college,get a job and live the good life?Do you even know the history of how the major political parties evolved?President George Washington was against partisan parties.He felt it would cause friction and encourage special interest and unrest in Congress.Read your history,which obviously was not your major in college,so you can understand how our governing system started and that will give you insight on the state of our nation and how we got to where we are now.The R WORD!Now that’s funny in a pathic sorta way.
Step-by-Step, That’s how you do it.. Local/FED and then this nation will be Great again.