I named this blog Pragmatic Economics in part because of my desire to avoid politics. That’s why my tag line is, “I want to explain how things work, not what you should believe.” However, I am so distressed by the 2012 platform released by the Texas Republican Party that I find it impossible not to comment. While I am hardly in agreement with everything forwarded by the Democrats (and have taken aim at President Obama on a number of occasions, especially with respect to his desire to balance the federal budget), it is difficult to believe that what the Republicans put together during their convention in Fort Worth was even written in the 21st century. It is anything but pragmatic.Read it at Forbes | Pragmatic Economics
The Terrifying Texas GOP Platform
by John T. Harvey | Professor, Texas Christian University
In Harris county, where Houston is located, the largest county in Texas, a 20 something young Republican with no experience decided to register to run for county commissioner against the incumbent Democrat who had years of experience and a good reputation. The Republican never campaigned, never raised money, never appeared in public. And the Republican won. Most people here vote straight ticket for Republicans. I expect the majority of voters that vote Republican aren't engaged and don't subscribe to this non-sense on the GOP platform. Our state legislature only meets every couple years and the session is limited to 140 days so the politicians spend most their time in their communities and don't get paid enough to live. They don't become the slick career politicians you see in places like Chicago and California and Boston. They are generally pretty normal reasonable people when you meet with them, which you often do/can because there are around almost all the time.
ReplyDelete