Amazingly, in my discussions with ordinary Americans, many of which are Republicans,  I have found they call themselves that because of Ronald Reagan.  If they are young, it is because they grew up during those years.  If they are old, it is because Ronald Reagan wiped out memories of Goldwater, Nixon, Ford, and further back, Joe McCarthy.

When you speak with them, it becomes apparant that they really don’t know anything about their party.  That may be hard for many to believe.  But a very small percentage of Americans even cares about politics, although many care very much about this country.

Their ideas of Democrats and Republicans, are still those shaped by Reagan.  If you engage with them, and show them facts,  you see them crumple.  Just like most of us would if we’d found out something we thought was true since little,  wasn’t.  Some may carry on the sham of their beliefs, by putting their hands on their ears and closing their eyes,  but many are dazed, and confused.

Here are some myths that many people believe because of Reagan.

Democrats are the party of big spenders.   False.   If we are talking about discretionary spending, or what Congress meets and votes on, both are about the same.  In fact, that total is pretty even no matter who has the majority, and has been that way since Reagan’s time.   But the big spending items are wars.   Republicans picked a fight, but did not raise taxes to pay for that fight.  The current deficit is 15% Clinton and before, 15% Obama today, and the remainder 70% came from Bush.  Democrats are more apt to have a pay as you go system, where if you pass a funding bill, you have to have it paid for by doing something else.  Republicans say… as did Vice President Cheney,  “deficits don’t matter.”   So Democrats are not the big spenders.  Republicans are.

Ronald Reagan said “Democrats were tax and spend. ”  The truth, is Democrats are “Efficiently Spend.”  Republicans are “Spend Today, Pay Back Tomorrow.”   Doesn’t help our grandchildren, now, does it?

Democrats are the party of Big Government.  False.    Ronald Reagan used this phrase against Jimmy Carter.  Jimmy had cut the amount of government bureaucracy from what he’d inherited from Nixon, then Ford.   Ronald Reagan swelled government actually,  It was bigger than what Jimmy Carter had to work with.   Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore, trimmed spending.  They were helped along by the downsizing of the military, since many of the very costly items deployed to contain the Soviet Union were no longer needed.  However the government shrank enough to create a surplus, and surpluses were projected “as far as the eye can see.”   George Bush,  grew public sector jobs (government) which hid the loss of private sector jobs from most of the public.  Those government jobs were put on the national credit card.  Obama has cut public sector jobs.  Government has shrunk under Obama.

The largest grower of government was George W. Bush.  The last two Democratic Presidents, have turned in less discretionary spending subsequent year after year…..

So the myth that Democrats are the party of tax and spend, is false.

Republicans care more about life.  False.   Both Democrats and Republicans are equally divided on the question of using all types of contraception.  Some may profess to be against abortion as long as the recipient is not their progeny.  Republicans who get pregnant and don’t want to carry the child, rarely go through a full term pregnancy.  They get the abortion.   For you see, Republicans really don’t care about life.  They don’t care about children born without two parents.  They don’t care about orphans.  They don’t care about public schools for those children.   They don’t care about executing prisoners.  They don’t care about the happiness of those whose genes predispose them to like the same sex as they are.   They don’t care about life.  They care about telling people what they can and can’t do.

Democrats are the ones who nurture children. The support Head Start, school lunches, textbook funds, better teachers,  daycare, Boys and Girls Clubs, scholarships, and “affordable” versions of Student Loans.  Democrats are also the ones who build and maintain safety nets, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security. Democrats are the ones who fight against injustice, the ones who keep our legal system intact.  Democrats not only care about life; they more importantly, care about the quality of life of each of their citizens.   If there were free contraception, without telling people what they can and can’t do, they could eliminate 99% of abortions.  They are trying to stop abortions.   Republicans keep stopping them by getting in the way.  Democrats have a better grasp of reality. Republicans don’t care what they are speaking about; they simply want to tell people what to do.   The quality of the life of anyone else around them, is inconsequential to them.  I believe it was a Republican (Ron Paul?) in the debate who said if a person shows up at the hospital emergency room, and doesn’t have a method of payment, they deserve to get turned away and die.  (The applause was thunderous)  Yep, they certainly have a genuine care about  life, don’t they?  Lol. .

Those old ideas of  of what Republicanism stand for,….  are outdated.

Here is what today’s Republicans really believe.

A.  Their money is more important than people.

B.  Truth and morals are for accusing the other party of not having; they are not for following them oneself.

C. The wealthy have a legal right to tell and use every means necessary, to make you vote their way.

D. To be a Republican, you are required to be anti- middle class.  Their party is owned by billionaires.

E. Income tax forms are for hiding stuff; not releasing to the public.

For the American people to make correct choices, they need to know that this Republican party is no longer the one they assume.  This Republican party, is out to get them.

The debates need to make that clear.