Secret New Ideas from the Republicans!

I bow, with respect, to those who abhor American politics.

At the same time, I urge you to spend a few moments with this here missive! Someone recently asked me if my contributions to the Elephant Journal supported Republican values and ideas—after all, the Elephant is the symbol of the Republicans.

It took me a moment to regain my composure and make sure my Taoist grin wasn’t conveying any disrespect. Let’s face it, Elephant Journal is, if anything, the online embodiment of everything that drives Fox News/Palin/Hannity/Beck/The Tea Party/and Waylon’s dad crazy.  It was a genuine question! It’s a pleasure to engage with people when they embody honest curiosity. Besides, I honor the truth that we all embody both “conservative” and “liberal” ideals. You don’t have to believe me, just see: Professor George Lakoff’s “Don’t Think of An Elephant“.

For a moment, I wanted to respond by asking for a clearly articulated and substantive list of precisely what those Republican values are (you know, beyond sound bites), but I refrained. Professor Lakoff often reminds us that all politics are ultimately moral…and, he notes, that Republicans are generally superior, when it comes to “messaging”!  Given that politics is moral, would you agree that it’s time to install an ethical compass into the process?

Thank goodness, imho, that one third of all those who fulfill their obligations as citizens and actually vote, are independents—choosing candidates they hope and trust are aligned with their own wishes and aspirations, as well as their moral and ethical values. This is where powerful messaging plays a deadly serious role in the Win/Lose game of politics.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see the Donkeys and the Elephants get along. Wouldn’t we all?! Let’s resolve to bring Domesticated Donkeys and Wild Elephants  (or vise versa)  into balance and harmony in a transpartisan kind of way. Peace in the jungle of geo-politics! What a concept!  We’re far from experiencing the desired peaceful landscape in our political arena (appearing more like a “mortal combat zone” these days). If moderates drop out of the process from fatigue or disgust, we’re left with corporations, crazies and extremists—on both the left and right—calling the shots!  If you’d like to find out which candidates and public office holders actually care about protecting and preserving our environment and the integrity or our life support system we call Planet Earth – check out the Colorado Conservation Voters Score Card! It will tell you all you need to know to vote intelligently! Wouldn’t that be great, an educated and informed electorate!?

Remember: we deserve the government we allow.

In this political season, thank goodness for Jon Stewart!  Click on “Post Cards from the Pledge” It’s simultaneously pathetic and humorous – most definitely entertaining!

Postcards From the Pledge
www.thedailyshow.com

In this short clip (Post Cards from the Pledge) he reveals the truth behind the new and fresh ideas being espoused by the Republicans—you’re gonna love the last two minutes! Brilliant.

Was that worth it, or what?  For a more serious inquiry, analysis and thoughtful reflection from a Nobel Prize winner…read on, with the courage to engage. Paul Krugman skillfully reveals the secret formula of the brand new Republican “Pledge to America” just released yesterday!

“The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center has done the math. As he points out, the only way to balance the budget by 2020, while simultaneously (a) making the Bush tax cuts permanent and (b) protecting all the programs Republicans say they won’t cut, is to completely abolish the rest of the federal government…”

Can we see the absurdity and urgency in our current debate yet?

Here is a challenge, what corporation would like to anonymously (thanks to the recent Supreme Court Ruling) finance 30 second clips of Jon Stewart’s powerful satire (click now, in case you missed it above)? Poignant outtakes could be positioned on prime time news broadcasts. Let’s cleverly embed them during the weather reports!  Or, buy movie theater screen time and place the ads right after the military recruiting ads. Let your imaginations run wild!

Onward with courage!