Why I’m Embarrassed to be a Republican

Since I reached the age to vote I have identified myself as a Republican. I never agreed with all the ideals they hold. For example, I fully support the rights of gays and lesbians to marry, I am pro choice (not that I could make that choice, but I don’t feel the government should have a say), and I don’t feel religion has a place in politics. That being said I also feel that Republicans generally have a stronger stance on foreign affairs, are better with the national budget, and allow for less government aid and illegal immigration. While gay and women’s rights are certainly important issues and ones I do feel strongly about, as a nation we have bigger concerns, especially in a time where it seems like every country in the Middle East wants to terrorize us.

I was truly disappointed when Obama was elected, not that McCain was a much better option but I felt he was the lesser of two evils at the time. Turns out I was right about Obama. He has not been a good president. Between bail outs, the economy, and pulling us out of the ‘war’ abruptly our nation is even in worse shape than Bush left it!

Yes, Obama killed Bin Ladin (or the Seals did anyway) and Obama did get rid of the horribly outdated ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’. I am reasonable enough to give credit where it is due. No one is completely awful. Obama has done some good, but not where it truly counts.

With all of this in mind I was very excited going into the GOP primary season. I wanted to get a candidate that would beat Obama in the election. I have long since given up hope of a ‘good’ nominee, but I’d settle for one I could confidently say was the lesser of two evils.

Instead we’re going to get someone worse than Obama.

As of the writing of this post it’s down between three men: Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, or Newt Gingrich. Yes, Ron Paul is still technically in the running, but he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell, which is unfortunate since he would actually be the lesser of all evils in this particular case.

I’ll start with Mitt Romney since I feel like he will ultimately be the GOP choice given what we currently know. He can deny it all he wants, Obamacare is his brain child. And please spare me the argument that it was designed to work in one state, not nationwide. The ideals of Obamacare are what’s wrong with it. No matter how you slice it, state or nation, it is just wrong. He also continues to make comments that just make me cringe.


"I get speaker's fees from time to time, but not very much." —Mitt Romney, who earned $374,000 in speaking fees in one year according to according to his personal financial disclosure (January 2012)

"I should tell my story. I'm also unemployed." —Mitt Romney, speaking in 2011 to unemployed people in Florida. Romney's net worth is over $200 million.

"Corporations are people, my friend… of course they are. Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to the people. Where do you think it goes? Whose pockets? Whose pockets? People's pockets. Human beings, my friend." —Mitt Romney to a heckler at the Iowa State Fair who suggested that taxes should be raised on corporations as part of balancing the budget (August 2011)

These are just a few examples. Romney needs to admit he has no idea what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and that while there is that disconnect between himself and the middle class, he wants to listen and learn what we need to make things better for this country. I honestly believe Romney has good intentions, but he is so far disconnected from the American people we can’t expect him to represent us. And ‘Corporations are people’? Really? This comment ALMOST makes me want to join Occupy. Almost. Corporate greed is what is wrong with America. The bailouts, unearned bonuses, tax breaks, and corruption have all led us to where we are now. It is clear Romney doesn’t get this.

Next we have the runner up, Rick Santorum. Now, I’ll admit it, I used to be a supporter of Santorum. I saw him on the ‘Today’ show and he said some things that sounded good. I thought perhaps he was a Christian Republican that would be able to set aside his religious views and run the country fairly. It’s ok, you can laugh at me. I was extremely wrong. This is the same man that compared abortion to slavery. I’m not kidding. Gay don’t have rights in his eyes but an unborn fetus does? Do you see the flaw with this logic that I see?

Santorum also said the following:

“If the Supreme Court says that you have the right to consensual [gay] sex within your home, then you have the right to bigamy, you have the right to polygamy, you have the right to incest, you have the right to adultery. You have the right to anything. Does that undermine the fabric of our society? I would argue yes, it does. It all comes from, I would argue, this right to privacy that doesn’t exist in my opinion in the United States Constitution. In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing.”

I have always hated this argument. First of all I support people’s right to polygamy as well as long as all parties are consenting adults. And ‘Man on dog…’? Seriously? SERIOUSLY?! Call me crazy, but last time I checked dogs (or any other animal that isn’t human) couldn’t consent to marriage. And that goes for ‘man on child’ too. Children are not of age to consent. All I’m talking about here are consenting human adults. Why is this such a hard concept to grasp? This argument is ridiculous and the fact he even uses it shows a lack of common sense.

“One of the things I will talk about, that no president has talked about before, is I think the dangers of contraception in this country. It’s not okay. It’s a license to do things in a sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be. [Sex] is supposed to be within marriage. It’s supposed to be for purposes that are yes, conjugal…but also procreative. That’s the perfect way that a sexual union should happen…This is special and it needs to be seen as special.”

I have no qualm with the fact Santorum believes this as part of his personal morality. I have an issue that he is pushing it on America and would happily outlaw birth control if he could. Last time I checked the government didn’t have the right to tell me not to have sex out of wedlock.

Come to think of it, when did the sex lives of Americans become such a big issue anyway? I’m sorry, what I do in my bedroom is not anyone else’s business. Same goes for you. I don’t care what you do in your bedroom. As long as everyone is of consenting age and species (thank you Santorum for making me feel a need to clarify species) then I don’t care what or who you do. That’s your business, not mine and certainly not the government’s.

This seems like a good time to move on to what really made me take a step back and look at what my party was doing. Unless you live under a rock you heard about the controversy Rush Limbaugh stirred when he called a college student a slut and prostitute for suggesting the birth control be covered by insurance.

First of all, for many years I’ve often found Rush to be thought provoking and willing to speak truths others would not. I feel this needs to be clear so it is clear I’m not bashing on Rush because it’s Rush (which I feel some have used this opportunity to do). I’m against this because I’m truly shocked and dismayed at the way this stance was taken and even more so because of the fallacy in the ‘facts’ presented.

Rush commented that expecting taxpayers to pay for birth control was the equivalent of having tax payers pay a woman to have sex and if this was the case he wanted something for his money, such as a tape. First, sick. Sick, sick, sick. Second, no one ever said anything about taxpayers paying for it, just private insurance. Third, some people do need birth control for legitimate medical issues (like me for one). Forth, isn’t birth control cheaper and a better alternative to an unwanted pregnancy?

Rush made these comments without proper facts and in a way that was nothing less than insulting. That being said, Rush is nothing more than a radio host. It’s easy to tune out and at the end of the day his little radio show doesn’t affect anything any more than any other opinion. What alarmed me is that the Republican party didn’t denounce his comments! When the media started in about this being the way the GOP felt they didn’t disagree. In fact many said that they did agree with the message even if they would have worded it differently.

Excuse me?

So, let me get this straight, the party I lend my support to does want to eliminate birth control? They do think they have a right to control what happens in my bedroom? This is more than Santorum? This is a party wide idea now?

Oh really now?

And just like that I was forced to step back and look at what my party stood for. And just like that I found myself without a party. After this whole ridiculous incident I was far too embarrassed to call myself a Republican. Then again the Democrats are just as bad as they ever were. I’m a girl without a party. I’m a girl that honestly doesn’t know who she will vote for come Election Day.

Which reminds me, I never did talk about Newt Gingrich. I honestly feel he’s incidental at this point. He won’t win the nomination, but it’s just as well. I wanted to like Gingrich. I truly did…but the guy is as corrupt as the day is long. And who talks about themselves in the 3rd person? Priscilla thinks it’s lame and Priscilla wouldn’t trust anyone that talks about themselves in the 3rd person because it’s just weird.

I’m just saying…

That said I do want to cite one quote Gingrich said that I actually very much agree with:

“Let me draw a distinction. Virtually every American has a reason to be angry. I think virtually very American has a reason to be worried. I think the people who are protesting in Wall Street break into two groups: one is left-wing agitators who would be happy to show up next week on any other topic, and the other is sincere middle-class people who frankly are very close to the Tea Party people who care. And actually...you can tell which are which. The people who are decent, responsible citizens pick up after themselves. The people who are just out there as activists trash the place and walk off and are proud of having trashed it, so let’s draw that distinction.”

Now, Gingrich has made his share of stupid quotes I could fill a book with, but this one, solitary quote is awesome, intelligent, and succinct. Those ‘left wing agitators’ are the hippies I refer to often. The other half are Tea Partiers that don’t know how else to speak out. They are simply misguided and suffer from being lumped in with the hippy activists. It’s hurting their cause unfortunately and making them all look bad.

But, I digress, the point here is that no matter how you slice it there is no hope of a GOP nominee that is a lesser evil than Obama. That said I just don’t think I can bring myself to vote for Obama either.

I know there are others that agree with me on this. I hope there is a third party candidate and I implore everyone that feels like I do to vote for the third party should their be one. That would be the quickest way to show the Republicans and Democrats that we’re sick of this corrupt two party system. It would do more than Occupy or any other ‘movement’ to force a change. You want to use your voice, then use your vote.