Ronald
Reagan was a "Greatest Generation" Conservative Democrat. He survived
the Great Depression, and served his country during World War II. He respected
unions, and he was even the President of one: The Screen Actors Guild. His
leadership prevented the infiltration of Communist elements into the movie
industry, but he stood up for the professionals in this guild.
When
the Democratic Party refused to take a tough stand on Communism, Reagan openly
endorsed Barry Goldwater, the first Republican Presidential candidate to talk
tough about Communism, Big Government, and the dangers of an expanding welfare
state. Goldwater's inarticulate stance on civil rights and his misguided
jingoism, plus the nation's hurt feelings following the sudden assassination of
John F. Kennedy, hurt Goldwater immensely, and the Republican Party suffered
its worst "shellacking" in US History.
But
Goldwater's failure turned into Conservative-Democrat-turned-Republican
Reagan's success, first for his two terms as California's governor, then his
two terms as United States President. He did not get there with Republican
votes only, especially in 1984, when he swept forty-nine states, including
liberal Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and the rest of the "moderate"
Northeast. He needed a lot of help from Democrats, who go by unique labels:
Gun-rack
Democrats: these men and women work for their bread and provide for their
fields and their families. They care about God and country. Some Gun-rack
Democrats live in the Central Valley, where they take care of business, but
more importantly they want a party that will take care of the "working
man".
Reagan
Democrats: this term is more comprehensive, but refers to those who liked the
strong leadership and charisma of a President who understood what they went
through growing up during the Great Depression, who understood the preeminence
of working hard for pay to make your way in this world from day to day.
Moderate
Democrats: these men and women honor the individual interests of people, and
they perceive the growing distance of party elites with the well-being of
working people on Main Street. They do not like abortion, but they are
concerned that a woman's right to choose will be completely removed. They would
prefer wise governance, but out of tradition they vote Democrat.
Conservative
Democrats: These men and women care about faith, family, and finances, but they
believed that the Republican Party represented the "Rich, Elites",
while the Democratic Party cared about "you and me". This seeming
respect emerged during Franklin Delano Roosevelt's four terms in office;
however, his policies caused more harm than good for a country whose small
recession expanded into a "Great Depression" because of Roosevelt's
ruinous policies. The realignment of a growing welfare state has now created a
culture of confusion and unrest for many, and conservative Democrats, who
recognize the failures of FDR's agenda, deserve to maintain their conservatism
where it will be honored: in the Republican Party.
Then
there are the "Greatest Generation" Democrats, who fought for this
country, whether in World War II or Korea. They understand the value of a
dollar, they worked hard for themselves and their future, and they look forward
to raising their children and their grandchildren. Today, the Democratic
leadership in Sacramento respect neither the vote nor the values of these
"Greatest Generation" Conservatives.
The
values of faith, family, and fiscal responsibility no longer define the
Democratic Party. Today, the Democratic Machine has turned into a coalition of
competing ideologies, in which different pandering, self-serving special
interests demand a different piece of the state's revenue, whether individual
taxpayers want to pay for them or not.
The
union lobby has a stranglehold on the statehouse and the schoolhouse. The
Greatest Generation never assumed that the government would take care of them,
but union leaders have forced working employees to take "union
support" and then demand that future generations pay for retired workers
pensions and benefits, which school districts and cities can no longer afford
without cutting basic services.
The
environmental lobby has put the welfare of plants, animals, and the earth ahead
of people. Conservative Democrats did not fight for this country and work their
way into prosperity, only to see a dedicated vocal minority of
environmentalists take it away with high regulations and red-tape
interventionism. The rugged outdoorsmanship of "gun-rack Democrats"
is also being displaced by this elite cadre of "Green freaks", whose
policies are just as wasteful and dangerous as the tax-and-spend statism of
current Democratic leaders like President Barack Obama.
The
divergent social views of the LBGTQ Lobby clash with the traditional attitudes
about faith and family, abortion and marriage, which conservative Democrats
have always honored. Frankly, "Greatest Generation" Democrats are more
socially conservative than a growing number of young Republicans and limited
government advocates. The CA GOP tent is wide open, and there is a special
place for Conservative "Greatest Generation", Reaganite, and
"Gun-Rack" Democrats, where their voice, their values, and their vote
will find the honor and respect which they deserve.
Conservative
Democrats: your party has passed you by, but you are not passed your prime. The
Republican Party will not pass you over. The Republican Party respects you and
your vote more.