Rats Deserting A Sinking Ship?

Posted on by under Election 2022, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, voting rights

Five Republican senators have announced that they will not run for re-election next year.  They are Rob Portman (Ohio), Richard Burr (North Carolina), Pat Toomey (Pennsylvania), Richard Shelby (Alabama), and Roy Blunt (Missouri).  I found the reason Burr gave for his decision to retire particularly interesting:

“I think the country in the last decade or so has sort of fallen off the edge, with too many politicians saying, ‘If you vote for me I’ll never compromise on anything,’ and the failure to do that — that’s a philosophy that particularly does not work in a democracy. We’ve seen too much of it in our politics today at all levels, and rather than spending a lot of time saying what I’d never do, I’d spend more time saying what I’d try to do and be willing to move as far in the direction of that goal as you possibly could rather than saying, ‘I’ll never do this.’ ”

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what he’s talking about.

Rob Portman is one of the more reasonable Republicans in the Senate, if any can be said to be reasonable, and his stated reason for retiring was …

“… honestly, it has gotten harder and harder to break through the partisan gridlock and make progress on substantive policy, and that has contributed to my decision.”

I wasn’t too concerned about Portman’s retirement until this morning when I read that none other than Geraldo Rivera is strongly considering running to replace Portman next year.  I see this as a sign that our Congress is turning into a three-ring circus and has been ever since the former guy, who was far from presidential material and more of a circus act, took over the Oval Office in 2017.

Like the former guy, Rivera has zero qualifications for the job:  he is not an intellectual, he is not a thinker, he is not a humanitarian … he is an entertainer and not a particularly good one at that.  He is a sensationalist rather like Alex Jones or Sean Hannity, and in fact has worked for Fox for a number of years now.  The controversies surrounding Rivera are numerous, from giving away military secrets that got him expelled from Iraq, to shoving aside a woman so he could have a photo op.  But the one that made me the angriest was when he claimed on March 23rd 2012 that Trayvon Martin would not have been shot if he had not been wearing a hoodie.  No, this is not the ‘man’ I want to see replace Rob Portman in the U.S. Senate!

The five who are retiring constitutes 25% of the Republican senators up for re-election next year, and I won’t be surprised to see a few more decide it’s time to leave.  I think that sends a loud, clear message about the current state of the Republican Party.  What will be left will be the those who would turn the United States Congress into a spectacle that would rival anything Barnum & Bailey ever did.

From where I sit, it seems obvious that the time has come for the Republican Party to step back and assess their values, or lack thereof, to make some changes in their ideology rather than blindly throwing their lot in with entertainers who will do almost anything to stay in the limelight, to get attention.  This nation needs two viable political parties … competition is a good thing and leads to compromise that benefits everyone.  But instead of trying to improve the party, to remedy past mistakes, their tactic is to rob the people of this nation of their voice, their right to vote.  If that is the only way they can win elections, then they are already a failure.  Just like back in college, some find it easier to cheat than to study.

27 thoughts on “Rats Deserting A Sinking Ship?”

  1. [I was in the hospital for some days, Jill, but think I’m better now] Nothing the GOP does these days surprises me. The shock value has worn off. Many seem to continue to make fools of themselves and the party. 😦 — Suzanne

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      • Thanks, Jill. I’m just weak from laying in bed. My confused body seemed to think at 79 it was again time to have a period. My doctor got the test results before I have and thinks there’s an Ayer Vedic drug that can help. He doesn’t think it’s serious. They put me under general anesthetic and took a sample of the uterus lining. My joints later remembered and are giving me hell. Between the weakness and arthritis, I have difficulty walking. My other organs seem okay. It seems I’m in good shape for the shape I’m in. 🙂 — Suzanne

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        • Oh my! How stressful! I am pleased, though, to hear that the doctor doesn’t think it’s anything serious and that they can hopefully get it all under control with medication soon. Take care, my friend. Hugs!

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  2. Jill, I believe you said Portman was the guy for your area? Then you have more than a year to find a Democratic candidate that people can get behind, one who can turn voters away from the Retroactive Party, and provide forward-thinking ideas in an appealing way. Then, get out and campaign door-to-door for that candidate. Don’t fight with how bad the GOP has become, but how good the Democratic Party already is, and will try to improve to be.
    I have no idea how strong the repuglygarbagecans are in your electoral district, but there is plenty of time to change the minds of those who traditionally vote that other way.
    And think about maybe running yourself. If I know anyone who could make change happen, it is Filosofa.

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    • Portman is one of the two senators for Ohio, and while I would love to see a democrat take his seat, it’s so unlikely as to be laughable. Our other senator, Sherrod Brown, is a democrat, which is surprising when you consider this is very much a republican state … foolishly.

      While I appreciate your confidence in me, no way could I run, for unlike some who have shoved their way into Congress, I know I am not qualified, nor do I have the energy for it. But thanks!

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  3. The first problem is that starting in 1980, the GOP began running compromise and compassion and empathy out of the picture, along with breaking the ATC union, among other things, and tossing mental patients out onto the streets. Between that and somehow conning US into believing in Trickle Down economics and making selfishness ok, which then made greed ok, it was the entire culture that changed, and not for the better. Education levels in terms of Critical Thinking skills and empathy both fell dramatically, particularly with shows like The Weakest Link, etc and then even worse with The Apprentice and shock radio, etc.

    This is why I believe that not only is compromise an important value to recover, but empathy itself, is crucial to believe in and to work on building, along with all of the rest of our public domain social infrastructure that has weakened over those decades, like the public library system, and belief in learning, particularly in continual learning.

    All of these issues need to be addressed as part of a whole.

    Stay safe,
    -Shira

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    • Yes, really! Turns out his legal residence is up around Cleveland, though he spends most of his time in Florida, and he appears to be dead serious. And, worse yet, the people in this state are just fools enough to like him, to vote for him. I told Chris tonight that if he runs and if he wins, we are moving out of Ohio! No, it isn’t funny, not one bit. Sigh.

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