The wRight Way
By Ron Wright
(Cazenovia, NY – July 2014) Interesting that several local commenters from both sides are pressuring Sen. Dave Valesky to leave the small Independent Democratic Conference. Perhaps Upstaters should be thanking Valesky. State legislative activity will be controlled by Manhattan’s Sheldon Silver probably as long as he lives or chooses to remain Assembly leader.
How much time do you think Silver spends thinking about Madison County? He probably would consider us, if at all, as being from another planet. With the closely divided Senate, about the only voice most Upstaters have on state issues is to have a swing group such as the IDC aligned with the Republicans in the Senate.
Granted, the Democrats would love a single-party state (their party), but long-term, this leads to a tyranny of the majority. (Right after composing this, I heard on the radio that 59 percent of all New Yorkers approve of the IDC caucusing with the Republican Senate.)
So following this logic, what about those two independent U.S. senators from Maine and Vermont caucusing with the Democrats in the U.S. Senate? They were not elected as Democrats. A few years ago, Vermont’s U.S. Sen. Jim Jeffords, who was elected a Republican, during his term just decided to become a Democrat – a very liberal, active Democrat. Where was the outrage?
I believe a healthy representative democracy generally has fairly close elections with generally just two major parties. When a candidate wins comfortably by 3, 4 or 5 percent, for example, you can take some comfort both parties were fairly balanced in representing their array of supporters and interests. If a major party fails to field a reasonable candidate for a race and just throws in the towel, the minority party constituents are being held in contempt by their party.
Third parties have a short-term reason for being active and will eventually align with and begin to influence one of the major parties. Don’t worry about a large party “slowly dying.” Parties need to change in order to get an opportunity to win 51 percent of the vote. Remember the history of the Whig Party and the emergence of the Republicans before the U.S. Civil War.
Speaking of change, look at how much the Democrats have changed in the last 75 years.
Back on the subject of New York state, what do most Republicans and other conservatives have to look for regarding ultimate representation? A Democrat governor who says, “If you don’t agree with me on abortion, gun control and gay marriage, just get out of the state; we don’t want or need you here.”
A heavily Democrat state Assembly, two Democrat U.S. Senators and a Democrat president of the United States.
During Sen. Charles Schumer’s first run for the U.S. Senate, I called his campaign office twice asking about Shumer’s stance on hunting in New York state and nationally. The first individual was very hesitant to talk with me. I heard muffled talk in the background, then someone laughing as the phone was hung up.
Sometime later, I called one more time, and the campaign person slammed the phone on me. Shumer has been quoted as saying, “In New York state, there are only barbarians and barefoot bumpkins living west of the Hudson River.”
And don’t forget that half of New York state, the big city, currently has a mayor with a radical left-wing history. Who doesn’t believe he would be cozy with and have influence on kindred political planners statewide?
Nationally, we have a single U.S. senator of questionable mental state who controls the life or death of all federal bills coming up for consideration in the Senate. This Senator lost his whole state last time, except for the area around Las Vegas controlled by unions supporting the gambling industry.
Talk about national legislation being held hostage by one person who represents a very small cross-section of the country. And they blame the Republican-controlled house for being non-productive.
In 2006, a little-known U.S. congressman from Florida lost his seat after emailing suggestive notes to one of his aides. During the last eight years, the Democrats and their supporters in the media have leaped on every allegation of moral or “politically incorrect” short comings of anyone called a Republican, a conservative or a Tea Party advocate.
If a Republican just uttered a “non-progressive” comment, it was a huge story splashed across news-land and the whole Republican party was tarred. Meanwhile, most any Democrat gets a free ride no matter to what depth the Democrat or liberal or progressive sinks to. Imagine a Republican ever being elected to any significant office after he did what Congressman Charlie Rangle got away with.
And, finally, our president. Remember what he has said. He wants to fundamentally transform America. That could mean anything. And fundamental is not a small word. What if all of his fundamental change does not happen – whatever his ultimate intent – before he leaves office in January 2017?
How much damage or experimental change can he do to the country in the remaining 2-and-a-half years as he threatens with his pen?
He probably will never run for another office again. What does he have to lose politically? Will the next several years become a scorched earth situation?
Mr. Obama has gotten a free ride from most of American media and his political supporters to a degree which has been breathtaking. During what previous U.S. administration have more lies and distortions been uttered by a president?
The IRS tax manipulation is just one of many scandals covered with Democrat political fingerprints. Richard Nixon was long gone at this point, and his list of nefarious accomplishments was nowhere near as long and as serious as this president’s.
Even Republicans turned on Nixon.
And what attorney general in U.S. history has been more selective or corrupt in law enforcement activity than the current office-holder?
Remember two telling statements on the eve of the critical Ohio race in November 2012. Mr. Romney said “Go to the polls for your love of country.” Mr. Obama said, “Go to the polls and get your revenge.”
So for millions of Americans like me, our elected leadership tells us: 1. Our interests are something to be voted against for the sake of revenge. 2. We are barbarians. 3. We just need to leave if we don’t go along with their ideas of marriage, killing the innocent unborn and revocation of parts of the U.S. Constitution.
Ron Wright of Cazenovia is a retiree with keen interest in his family, history, politics and his church. He began putting his thoughts on paper a little over a decade ago to share with family and friends. Ron, whose column appears the third edition each month, may be reached at madnews@m3pmedia.com.