The Teflon Party

by Ruth A. Sheets

President Reagan was often referred to as the “Teflon President,” particularly by those who were not enthralled by his charm.

While president, he put thousands of people’s lives in danger by firing the air traffic controllers because he didn’t want to pay them what they were worth.  Reagan was seen as the hero.

Reagan’s administration added to the poverty rate in America through its “trickle down economics,” which of course, did not work.  Everything else was blamed for this plan’s failure.  Reagan’s plan is still at the top of the Republican Party’s policies thirty years later.

The Reagan administration illegally sold arms to the Contras after dealing with Iranians, the guys who held Americans hostage for more than a year.  Reagan’s claim that he was out of the loop and Oliver North, looking good in his uniform, allowed the charges to slide off.

The Bush administration was asleep at the switch when 911 happened, but they were allowed to trick America into two wars which are still not behind us, eleven years later.

The Bush crowd passed policies that led to a near depression, yet has been able to blame the Democrats because the nation has not fully recovered in less than four years under President Obama.  Republicans actually look good and honest to about half the US population even though their economic plans, such as they are, have never been even a bit successful.

I just don’t get it!  Republicans can nearly bring down the global economy, put a lot of people at risk, deal illegally with foreign powers, spout overtly racist comments, bust unions so people will earn less for their work and receive fewer benefits.  The Government and our economy  can be held hostage or even shut down so Republicans can get what they want.  Yet a lot of folks don’t seem to mind at all.

What am I missing here?  If any of these things had happened during a Democratic watch, everything would stick for the next twenty or thirty years and no Democrats would be elected.  The Republicans have paid little or nothing for the damage they have caused. 

I suspect that big money has a lot to do with this situation.  Republicans have a lot of it and spread it around in just the right amounts to breed power.  The money myth tells Americans that those who have money must have America’s best interests at heart.  They don’t!  The only interests they have at heart are their own.  But, for many Americans, whatever the Republican wealthy do is okay, no matter who is hurt.  Money and power are Republican Teflon.  

Grover Who?

By Ruth A. Sheets

When I hear the name Grover, I think of the charming, Muppet monster.  Grover Norquist, though, might be considered a “monster” by some, but he is certainly not charming, particularly in his relentless efforts to subvert the American political system.

Grover Norquist is a huge voice in Republican Conservative circles.  He is like the puppet master with his hand controlling Republican policy through his organization Americans for Tax Reform (ATR).  The group is responsible for the “pledge” that nearly all Republican members of Congress have signed.  These elected officials have promised not to raise taxes under any circumstances among other things.

 

Instead of running for elected office, he has chosen to work behind the scenes to manipulate the political discourse.  The main tactic used is fear.  Distract people from what is really going on and who is actually responsible for the economic situation we are currently experiencing.  Blame the folks with no power for our nation’s ills. 

ATR convinces conservatives that lowering taxes and eliminating all programs that help to support the society will make life better for America.  Maintaining things as they are will destroy America as we know it.  That is probably true for him and those whom ATR represents (intimidates), a clever slight-of-hand. 

Many of those ATR folks are what I call SWG’s (Scared White Guys).  They are so used to being in power that they can’t imagine what it would be like if someone else shared some of it, and they are terrified.  They are aware of the demographics.   

Mr. Norquist’s family had financial resources which enabled him to more readily achieve the American dream than other baby boomers.  But, of course, he doesn’t see that.  He believes he got where he is solely because of hard work and true convictions. 

According to Wikipedia, Norquist entered politics as a 12-year-old working for Nixon in 1968.  He honed his conservative values over the years and has championed most of the conservative positions for the past 40 years.

As an American, of course, he has the right to stand for anything he wants to.  He can push his doctrine of no raise in taxes.  He can hope the Government will get so small that it can be flushed down the drain (his words). 

What is wrong in my view is the undeserved influence he wields.  His organization is one of those groups that does not have to disclose where their money comes from. And, it appears that a lot of wealthy guys cough up money for it.  ATR can pressure candidates into signing pledges and taking particular positions on pain of being unelected.  Through media contacts, ATR seems too powerful to question if one is a Republican.  In addition, he is on the NRA’s board as well as the boards of other powerful conservative organizations.

Who is Grover Norquist?   He is one of the SWG’s who want to shape America in such a way that he and his peers will stay as comfortable and prosperous as possible for as long as possible.  Does it matter to them how devastating the effects of their actions will be for poor and middle class Americans?  Not one bit.  With their policies in place, he and his will have enough financial resources that it will make no difference to them at all what happens to the peons.   

Why do we give such self-centered, power hungry  people so much influence?  Fear!  They are scared and they scare us into feeling their fear and believing that what we fear is the same as what they fear.  It’s not.

What works against fear?  Courage!  Remember the lion in “The Wizard of Oz?”  It’s time that we all stand up to the power brokers like Grover Norquist.  America is not just Scared White Guys.  We’re a rainbow of ideas, backgrounds, needs, challenges, talents.  We don’t need a bunch of SWG’s to set our agenda for us, no matter how much money or influence they have.