Has Your Party Changed? Check Out The GOP.

Do you know someone who shares many of your values but tells you they have always voted Democrat? Are the young people you know struggling to find jobs though the candidate they voted for in ’08 promised opportunities for everyone?

This might be the summer for change. Ask your friends about their beliefs. Are they religious? Are they finding their religious values conflicting with their political party? Do they believe in living within their means (even if it means a struggle)? Are they working hard to get ahead, hoping to save and offer a better life for their children…in other words, living the American Dream, while watching the government growing by leaps and bounds? Are they looking at the future of programs like Medicare and Social Security worried whether there will be any money left in the bank when they are ready to retire? Are they watching city governments struggle with bankruptcy because pension plans cost more than the city takes in but the unions aren’t willing to compromise?

Are they concerned that this country is headed the wrong direction?

Many people vote for one party because that’s the way their parents, family, community always votes. Years ago my sister moved to a small mining town. While ballots and actual votes were secret, her party affiliation was not. She quickly discovered if one did not register as a Democrat one would not be included with the town decision makers.

But times have changed. Today many are discovering their core values don’t line up with the party they grew up in. Perhaps your friends are discovering the same. This week two prominent Democrats announced they have changed allegiances to the Republican Party.

Artur Davis: Former Black Caucus member wrote on his blog:  “Democratic Label No Longer Matches What I Know About My Country … As I told a reporter last week, this is not Bill Clinton’s Democratic Party (and he knows that even if he can’t say it).”

JoAnn Nardelli: Vice president of the Democratic State Committee Women’s Caucus for Pennsylvania, a member of the State Committee Executive Board, and was the founder of the Blair County Federation of Democratic Women and the Women’s Equality Coalition of Blair County. But Nardelli is also a committed Catholic, pro-life, and in favor of traditional marriage. In her resignation letter she wrote, “I will miss you all very much as you are all a part of my family; however, it is time to move forward with my life in a direction that is more in line with my faith.”

Whether due to fiscal or social issues many moderate Democrats are finding themselves outside the policies being set forth by the Obama administration. Sometimes a party shift is gradual and many don’t feel the movement. But, sometimes, as in the case of the ObamaCare law, the new regulations suddenly make everyone take notice. Churches who generally stay outside the political fray are being forced to take a stand. Constitutionalists, and those who worry about the restrictions and regulations on religious organizations, are speaking out in fear that their own religion may find itself embroiled in the church-state separation issue. Dr. Martin Luther King’s niece Alveda King shared in her blog this week the growing concern that many religious blacks have for the left leaning policies of this administration.

For others there is great concern about the generational theft being thrust upon our children and grandchildren. The ceaseless spending and growing debt are of increasing concern to those who believe that the country, like our families, should live within our means.

If your friends are concerned about taking a stand on being pro-life or traditional marriage they should take heart. Gallup polls this week show 50% of the population are now pro-life with a rising trend.  Additionally, every time voters have had the opportunity to reaffirm traditional marriage it has been upheld.

While some are quick to criticize the ‘right wing nut jobs’ it’s worth remembering that the left also has it’s share of extremists. Contrary to media biased information, the Conservative Party is not just a one issue party. As disenfranchised voters compare their values they are invited to check the GOP party beliefs.  The always newsworthy Tea Party, while siding generally with Conservative values, has been working to remind us of our need for fiscal responsibility and made up of people from all religions and walks of life. Also surprising to some, the GOP is not a party of only the wealthy. Indeed, many middle and even lower income families support the Republican platform, the belief that less government is better to promote the American exceptionalism we all remember. Helping the needy is important but done better and more efficiently through private charities than government. Families are vital to a strong America. And a hand up—not a hand out is the mantra of many.

So when you talk to your friends who are looking for direction why not share this list with them and invite them to the fold.

GOP Beliefs

We’re fortunate to live in America
The Republican Party believes that the United States has been blessed with a unique set of individual rights and freedoms available to all.

You can be what you are, and become what you are capable of becoming
The Republican Party is inspired by the power and ingenuity of the individual to succeed through hard work, family support and self-discipline.

Helping those around you is worthwhile
The Republican Party believes in the value of voluntary giving and community support over taxation and forced redistribution.

Small government is a better government for the people
The Republican Party, like our nation’s founders, believes that government must be limited so that it never becomes powerful enough to infringe on the rights of individuals.

You know what to do with your money better than government
The Republican Party supports low taxes because individuals know best how to make their own economic and charitable choices.

Free markets keep people free
The Republican Party is supportive of logical business regulations that encourage entrepreneurs to start more businesses so more individuals can enjoy the satisfaction and fruits of self-made success.

Our Armed Forces defend and protect our democracy
The Republican Party is committed to preserving our national strength while working to extend peace, freedom and human rights throughout the world.