PO’d Republicans

Democrat voters not to blame

With all the mess being caused by the Democrats in Congress and in states all across the country it is not the Democrat voters nor the squishy ill-defined “moderate” or “independent” voters nor the Republican voters who actually showed up last fall to vote that are to blame.

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No the blame lies with the conservatives – Hillary’s “Vast right wing conspiracy” – those who stayed home. I’ve heard from many friends who thought staying home would “give a spanking” to the members of congress who – spent too much – wouldn’t close the border – weren’t conservative enough. These are the ones who claim to be Reaganites but forgot that one of Reagan’s prime messages was that someone who is with you 75% of the time is your friend not your enemy.

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Those congressmen and women who were tossed out last fall sure got a spanking but it is the country that is paying. The “I won’t vote ‘cause they are not conservative enough” crowd bears the whole blame. I’ve analyzed the numbers in New Hampshire (easier to crunch numbers in one small state than the whole country) and what I found was: in the two Congressional districts, both GOP incumbents were not considered very conservative – Charley Bass in district 2 even touted his record of not voting with the GOP majority. Both had easily won re-elections in 2004. I looked at ’04 because it was the last non presidential election.

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What the numbers tell me is that : 1) The Democrat challenger picked up votes from the ‘04 election. 2) Both incumbents lost votes from ’04. 3) Neither challenger picked up enough votes to beat the GOP incumbent’s ’04 numbers.

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What were missing were the p*ssed off Republican conservatives. They stayed home.

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Some stayed home because President Bush had disappointed them in some way, but not because they wanted us out of Iraq. They may have been upset over the way the war was being run, they may have been upset over the administration’s willingness to provide amnesty for illegal aliens. Some were upset that President Bush did not veto the bloated pork barrel spending bills the GOP congress handed him (heck, I was upset at Reagan for not vetoing one back in the 80’s but I still voted for him and only his being dead and it being unconstitutional would prevent me voting for him again.)

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The blame for all that is going on in Washington (and the state houses) lies not with Democrats or independents but with Conservatives and Republicans who decided to stay home on election day. That is unconscionable, especially when we have the Afghanistan and Iraqi voters with their purple dyed digits illustrating how important voting is to our way of life.

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The first of the congressional primaries are about a year away, the Presidential primaries are as well. During those coming months I hope that the stay at homes pay close attention to the damage they are doing and vow every day to go to the polls next time and put it right by voting (and dragging their friends and relatives with them). Shame on them.

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Hon. Robert Boyce
Alton Bay, NH

Former state senator