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A Frightened New World

Do you want to know?

The conservative revolution going on in the Republican party right now is ugly. What is being proposed by the new generation of would-be senators and congressmen from the right is a mix of misinformation, embarrassing radical positions, and ridiculous fear tactics that border on the kind of paranoia normally reserved for liberal extremists. Riding the wave of it all is a generation of extremely weathy opportunists who are taking advantage of the Citizen's United decision to pump more money into campaigns than we have ever seen in the history of our country.

If you listen to Republican leadership, they will repeat over and over “nothing to see here, please vote as you see fit in November, the choice is clear between failing politics today and the promise of new leadership.” However there is something to see here.

The question is, do you want to know?

Three things. Three elements are combining to hijack American conservatives into voting some of the most dangerous and destructive people ever seen into leadership. I'll cover em briefly, then make a plea to conservatives to look closer.

Citizen's United
In January, the Supreme Court ruled that money is free speech, and corporations, as 'persons', could not be restrained in how they speak by the 1st amendment. This ruling opened the flood gates for corporations, orgnizations, and foreign countries to fund US elections. This is an opportunity the wealthy have not passed up. This election alone, Republican senators are outspending Democrats as much as 5:1. Hundreds of millions of dollars are pouring into elections from unmarked sources, many of which are admittedly foreign. Congress scrambled to produce the 'Disclose' act to give Americans some transparency as to who was giving what to whom even if the amounts could no longer be controlled, but the Republicans filibustered and killed it.

This means candidates who have no business or ability to be in government are being money-washed into being electable. They are taking advantage of being everywhere in people's media all the time and drowning out the opposition. Ask yourself this: Who is more right. The person with the best argument, or loudest person. In electoral politics, the latter tends to win – the more exposure you have, the more likely you are to catch the undecided vote.

This also gives a powerful tool to the extremely rich who can dictate who the average apathetic voter remembers when they go to the polls.

Is this the America you believe in? American for the rich?

The Tea Party
Conservatives are angry. They have hijacked the normal Republican candidates from primaries across the nation putting people like Christine O'donnell, Sharon Angle, Ron Paul, and Ken Buck among others into office. These conservatives take radical social positions to a new level that would redefine the freedom that you and I cherish. Under normal circumstances, voices like theirs would never have stood a chance in a general election. Taking positions against abortion even in cases of rape or incest, abolishing medicare, rolling back safety regulations on industry, and comparing homosexuals with pedophiles would have rendered them abhorant to all but the most radical right wing voters.

But with unlimited funding and a population frustrated with how hard it is to dig us out of the economic hole created by 8 years of private sector mismanagement, the chance exists that these lunatics might get into office on the wings of nearly infinite cash.

Is this the America you believe in? One that entrusts our welfare to one version of radical Christianity and corporate profits?

Misinformation
Republicans are doing what has made them powerful in the past. They are falling in behind their chosen representatives, good or evil, to stand together. This has been the strength of that party throughout our lifetime – they will fall into step and lock arms to stand with one another come hell or high water.

Well hell has come, and maybe someone should step forward and say what we're all thinking: Why has the party so concerned with Christian morality become adamant about defending the hatred and fear being used against voters by their members these days. When did this party openly embrace evil?

Average conservatives when asked about what is wrong with Obama or the current politics spout ridiculous lies. They are not evil people, but someone evil has poisoned their minds. You can be arrested for not using Obamacare? The government will tell me what car I must drive? The government seeks to make children homosexual? Global climate change isn't happening?

When did the Republican trade global science and facts for a pulpit?

Is this the America you believe in? One where a charismatic few preach their fears as if they are facts and the population carries them like gospel truth?

Look. I have numerous conservative friends. I believe in the strength of conservative politics. But the Republican party who normally represents conservatives has become downright evil in this election, using everything underhanded and immoral to reclaim power. I'm begging people at this point to start doing their own research and voting their conscience. Don't vote Republican because that's the 'default' choices for conservatives. Make sure the conservative you vote for is one you can stand behind and proudly say you share views with.

But many conservative Americans will just vote Republican, business as usual.

They don't want to know.

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