Op-Ed
’Tis the Season
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The election season is finally upon us, and after months of phone calls, rallies and scandals galore, it is finally time for Americans to choose the Congress that will work with George W. Bush for his last two years in office. Unfortunately for many Republicans, the sobering effect of numerous scandals has overshadowed the accomplishments of the party. As a result, many pollsters and pundits have spent the past year predicting the demise of the Republican Congress. However, we are not a party to go down lightly, as there are plenty of accomplishments of which the GOP should be proud. Thus, in light of the current political climate, and because lists are so gosh darn fun to read in the Ivy Room anyway, here are the top five reasons why it’s great to be a Republican this year:
1. Iraq
To summarize recent liberal thought on the situation, I turn to United Nation Weapons Inspector Hans Blix: “Saddam would still have been sitting in office. Okay, that is negative and it would not have been joyful for the Iraqi people. But what we have gotten is undoubtedly worse.” Luckily for Americans, the Bush administration and a Republican Congress realized that living under Saddam Hussein was slightly worse than negative. In spite of intense opposition from France and Russia, two countries who coincidentally were involved in illegal trade with Saddam, the United States liberated an oppressed people and caused countries such as Libya to rethink their former policies. Though it will take time, the sense of personal responsibility inherent to members of the Grand Old Party dictates that we stay until we finish what we started.
2. War on Terror
As someone who’s spent the last five months phone banking for various Republican candidates both in New York and Pennsylvania, the War on Terror is without a doubt the issue that is affecting the decisions of these swing state voters the most. After being attacked on September 11th, the Bush administration did not respond by pulling troops out of Saudi Arabia per Osama’s request. Instead, we’ve taken the fight to Osama, whose current residence is now a mountain cave. The Republican Congress passed the Patriot Act, a series of statutes that clarified many existing procedures and allowed intelligence officials to do their job. This War will unfortunately continue for the foreseeable future, so it is important that we establish ground rules now. Simply put, Republicans make the difficult decisions when it comes to national security, as evidenced by their policies on the War on Terror.
3. Economy
It is the Democratic James Carville who coined the now famous phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid.” Unfortunately for him, the words that defined Clinton’s meteoric rise to the presidency may also define a strong Republican showing in 2006. For the past 20 quarters, the economy has achieved significant levels of growth. The Dow is up over 13 percent this year, and is continuing to rise. Great economic news coupled with an increased amount of money in a voter’s pocket from tax cuts are good news for the Republicans who created the situation. While that may not seem important to the more wealthy members of the Cornell community, the ability to use those few extra dollars to provide for your family can mean a tremendous amount to a voter.
4. Judges
For social conservatives such as myself (and there are a lot in America, just not in Ithaca), the ability to appoint judges that adhere to the written rule of law is of the utmost importance. As possibly landmark cases involving abortion and gay marriage work their way through the court system (I’m looking at you, South Dakota abortion ban), we cannot afford to permit activist judges to reinterpret the laws to fit their own agendas. The GOP is the party that does not stand for this overreach of powers (pesky adherence to the Constitution). Perhaps even more so than in 2004, keeping the Senate is a vitally important investment in the future of this party and this nation.
5. Immigration
Once again, this is an issue in which Republicans defend the letter of the law. Simply put, allowing people to enter our country without going through proper channels is dangerous and unfair to both those crossing the border and those forced to live with the consequences. Obviously, thorough reform is needed, but not at the expense of Americans and those that came here legally. We cannot reward those whose first act toward our nation was breaking the law; therefore we must allow the debate for immigration reform to continue with an increased emphasis on our national security and the economic welfare of those states most affected.
The debate is almost over, and the time for Americans to decide who will lead this country for the next two years is at hand. We are living in one of the most critical times in American history, both in terms of foreign and domestic policy. We cannot afford to have an electoral lapse in judgment in America. There have been scandals and missteps, yes, and we as a party need to assume responsibility for that. However, the Republican Party is one of hope and promise, a party that rewards hard work and moral values. We just need to tell America what we already know.
Megan Sweeney is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at mps65@cornell.edu.The 700 Level appears alternate Mondays.
Ha
1.) Saddam was overthrown in 2003. It's been almost 4 years since Iraq was liberated...I'd say "Iraq" is no longer a feather in the cap of the GOP.
2.)Osama is in a cave in either Afghanistan or Pakistan. We are fighting the brunt of the war nowhere close to him. The real "war on terror" would address border and port security. Oh, right, the fence.
3.) Bush is the highest discretionary spender in history, including LBJ. His tax cuts would be admirable if he wasn't wasting the money on the war, no child left behind, and all matter of subsidies. The GOP can no longer claim fiscal responsibility, and that will have disastrous affects on the economy.
4.) Harriet Miers? If the GOP had its way judges wouldn't be "activist" they'd be a list of Gdub's best friends.
5.) Oh right, the fence again.
I am not a Democrat but to claim the GOP is strong in any of the above areas (OK, maybe the judges) is shaky, shaky ground.
and
" The GOP is the party that does not stand for this overreach of powers (pesky adherence to the Constitution). "
Eliminating my right to playing a friendly game of internet poker. Wiretapping without appropriate approval. Giving my tax dollars to "faith based" groups. Granting the president near total power without nary a check or balance.
Hun, both parties stand for overreach of their power. That's why they are party politicians.
I'm a Republican and beleive
I'm a Republican and beleive that the Party is on the right side of all 5 of these issues. I'm sorry to say, however, that your article is very poorly written. You discuss the issues in an extremely simplistic way, as if you don't really understand them yourself. Please don't write about the Republican Party again, you've done it a disservice.
ARe you serious?
I am not sure that you are a Republican. For one, you criticize her for poor writing while you can't spell the word believe; and second, you don't explain how the issues are discussed in a simplistic manner. I think the Article outlines the strength of the Republican party without going in depth about it. I mean, they do have word limits in the sun. It is an opinion piece, it isn't meant to be a detailed analysis.
"For social conservatives
"For social conservatives such as myself (and there are a lot in America, just not in Ithaca), the ability to appoint judges that adhere to the written rule of law is of the utmost importance. As possibly landmark cases involving abortion and gay marriage work their way through the court system (I’m looking at you, South Dakota abortion ban), we cannot afford to permit activist judges to reinterpret the laws to fit their own agendas."
By that logic, you would have been opposed to the Supreme Court striking down school segregation in Brown v. Board of Ed., since those "activist" judges did not "adhere' to the written rule of law.
Also, since I assume you are anti-abortion, I don't quite get your point about the South Dakota abortion ban. This ban outlaws all abortions except to save the mother's life, which is not in accord with Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. According to you, the courts should adhere to the letter of the law and strike down this ban. If that's actually your view, I applaud you taking a consistent stance, even if it means going against your beliefs on another issue. Of course, this is probably not the point you were making and that you somehow think the current case law actually permits this statute.
"The Republican Party is one of hope and promise, a party that rewards hard work and moral values."
What the hell are you talking about? Not that the Democrats are any better (See Congressman Jefferson), but that statement does not even come close to accurately describing the Republican Party. Please explain to me the "moral values" exemplified by Mark Foley.
Tis the Season
Hats off to Megan Sweeney!!!
Thank you for having the courage to stand up and list some of the many accomplishments of the Republican Party. I am sorry you were limited to this small space, because the list is long. As a Conservative Republican, I am so happy to see some take a stand, especially in this liberal culture of Ithaca. "However, the Republican Party is one of hope and promise, a party that rewards hard work and moral values. We just need to tell America what we already know."
I couldn't agree with you more.
We may be human but we are not afraid to say "God", we don't endorse killing the unborn, and we will look under every rock to find the snakes like Saddam. Isn't it sad that those who criticized this article were more worried about losing their freedom to play on-line poker than praising the merits of what you wrote. Son, Grow Up!!!! Get on your knees and thank God for every military man and woman who are defending you tonight. They don't have the luxury of playing poker.
And fyi to you, I believe the expression is 'Hon' not "Hun".
Megan, I cannot tell you how good it makes me feel to know there are young people like you waiting in the wings to take the reigns. If you ever run for office, and I have a feeling from your previous articles that you will, consider me as your #1 voter.
"Go Get "Em Girl" and always remember:
"GOD LOVES YOU AND HE APPROVED THIS MESSAGE"
Patrick
AS, thanks for pointing out
AS, thanks for pointing out the typo, that supports your argument well. As for the article, let's tackle the economy section. She says the economy is strong due to 20 quarters of significant growth, the Dow being up over 13% this year, and more money in my pocket due to tax cuts.
You ask how is this simplistic? What has the growth rate been over the past 20 quarters and what qualifies as significant? What specific growth rate is she talking about? Shall we assume GDP? How about some data on tax receipts and a comparison of those receipts pre and post tax cut? What about the unemployment rate? Consumer spending? Housing starts?
Yes, it is an opinion piece - a poorly written one, especially given the amount of data that exist to support her position. You won't change minds by outlining the strenghts of the party without going into detail about it.