Joey Dauben, host of the Ellis County Observer Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio, mentioned my new association with the Democratic Party, and called my support and activism for Barack Obama as “Multicolored Socialism.” I would like to let everyone know that I am a Liberal, not a Socialist. Many would say there is no difference, but there is. Socialists believe in complete Government control over economic policy, and strong Government supervision of personal activity. While I stand strong for quality & affordable healthcare for all Americans, I do not believe the Government should be peeking into the bedrooms of average Americans and telling them what is right and what isn’t, nor do I believe the FBI/CIA should have the power to tap into phone lines at the slightest suspicion of terrorist communications. I would also like to speak for the Democratic Party and say that we as a whole are not Socialist, or else we would call ourselves by that label. Just because the Democratic Party is “left” in the political spectrum, I do not refer to anything to the right as Nazism. Sounds like something our radio host would do.
Many Conservatives say that many Liberals are afraid to drop the “L-Bomb”, or say the “L-Word” about themselves. President John F. Kennedy said it best when he said “If by ‘Liberal’ they mean, as they want people to believe, someone who is soft in his policies abroad, who is against local government, and who is unconcerned with the taxpayer’s dollar, then … we are not that kind of ‘Liberal.’ But if by a ‘Liberal’ they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people — their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights, and their civil liberties — someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a ‘Liberal,’ then I’m proud to say I’m a ‘Liberal.’”. I too, in this context, am happy to call myself a Liberal.
Joey Dauben, although the next wanna-be Joe McCarthy, also cannot accuse me of “jumping all over the board” between parties and candidates, without standing firm himself. For a long time, I was a strong advocate for Republican candidates and Conservative action. When the reality of the Minimum Wage crisis came to me at my first job and the Healthcare issue became more clear, I realized that the GOP was losing it’s way in truly making progress in America. Joey himself has done some jumping of his own, going back and forth from the Libertarian Party to the Republican Party. When I met him, he was a strong libertarian Republican (The small “l” means you are a libertarian by philosophy, not party affiliation. Uppercase “L” shows you are an official Libertarian) who stood for the Ron Paul Revolution and wanted not only to reform the local party to Paul’s Liberty-oriented platform, but work together in a network to do the same to the national party. Now he has announced that he will join back up with the Libertarians in January of 2009. But his party jumping doesn’t stop there. He also made an appearance at the headquarters of the local Democratic Party, asking if he could start a Young Democrats chapter at SAGU, doing so under the name Joseph instead of his popular and casual Joey. So Joseph Dauben once had a “D” next to his name? I’d prefer a question mark.
When we look at how politics works, we see that it’s all about doing what it takes to win, and what it takes to make your opponent lose. Unfortunately the Republican Party has resorted even to attacking the candidate’s spouse in the form of Michelle Obama, Barack’s loyal wife, something I do not feel is just in any form or fashion. Joey was willing to not only jump between two parties, but to even nudge a third. He’s a true Conservative, protecting the status quo of the political game. I don’t think it should be a game. We live in a Democracy, in which the people pick their leaders. How about we start doing what we say we will do and stand firm on what we campaign on, instead of saying we’re with one party while we sweet talk another? Joey’s done this for way too long, and I personally could not do the same, as my conscience wouldn’t allow it. I guess maybe I’m too good for politics. But I believe it needs a change, and I’m willing to be a part of it.
-Kevin Crouch, (D-Waxahachie)
