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Not attuned with American values (excellent must read)
DENNIS PRAGER ^ | Nov. 21, 2004 | DENNIS PRAGER

Posted on 11/21/2004 7:08:14 PM PST by Former Military Chick

According to The New York Times, Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, reflecting on her party's recent losses in the presidential, Senate and House elections, asked: ``How did a party that is filled with people with values -- and I am a person with values -- get tagged as the party without values?''

As one who was raised a Democrat and became a Republican 10 years ago, I would like to answer Napolitano's question as honestly as she posed it.

Napolitano, your party does indeed have many people with values in it. But the Democratic Party is no more representative of the average Democrat's values than the National Council of Churches is of the average Protestant's values. Both are far to the left of their membership.

Here is the Democratic Party as most Americans, including this John F. Kennedy liberal -- a New York City-born and -raised, Jewish, Ivy League-educated intellectual who lives in Los Angeles -- see it.

To most Americans, Michael Moore is a Marxist who has utter contempt for most of his fellow Americans, who goes abroad and tells huge audiences how stupid and venal his country is, and in his dishonest propaganda film, portrays the American military as callous buffoons. Yet, this radical was given the most honored seat at the Democratic Party convention in Boston, next to former President Jimmy Carter.

To most Americans, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton are race-baiting demagogues. Yet they are heroes to the Democratic Party. Most Americans do not see their country as the bigoted and racist nation regularly depicted by both black and white Democratic leaders.

To most Americans, a man who wears women's clothing to work is a pathetic person in need of psychotherapy. To the Democratic Party, he is a man whose cross-dressing is merely another expression of multiculturalism. The California legislature, controlled by Democrats, passed a law prohibiting employers from firing a man who shows up to work wearing women's clothing.

To most Americans, Eminem is a vulgar nihilist who poisons young Americans' minds. To John Kerry, he was a man whose anti-Bush hate video was worthy of endorsement.

To most Americans, obscenity-filled evenings should be restricted to R-rated films or a Las Vegas comedy act, not a major party's fund raiser attended by its candidates for U.S. president. To Democrats, those who object to such evenings are regarded as judgmental, hypocritical and narrow minded.

To most Americans, Hollywood stars are regarded as terrific to watch in films but also as narcissistic ingrates when, between private jet trips to Cuba and Cannes, they express their contempt for traditional America. That the Democrats have a veritable monopoly on support from folks such as Sean Penn and Robert ''Castro-is-a-great-leader'' Redford may give Democrats a heady feeling, but for tens of millions of Americans, it merely reinforces their belief that the Democratic Party shares Hollywood's values.

To most Americans, the American military is not only heroic; it is regarded as more important to safeguarding freedom than any other human institution, including the ACLU, the United Nations or the university, to cite three major Democratic Party affiliates. To virtually the entire Left, which includes the Democratic Party, the military is, at best, a necessary evil. Otherwise, the overriding doctrine is ''Make love, not war.'' That is why Harvard still refuses to allow ROTC training -- and it is unlikely that either of the Massachusetts senators even finds that wrong, let alone as reprehensible as most Americans do.

To most Americans, gays are fellow Americans who happen to be homosexual and who should be accorded the same respect that any fellow American is accorded. But most Americans also believe that America should retain the millennia-old definition of marriage as man-woman. They regard liberal judges who take it upon themselves to redefine marriage with contempt. And these judges are identified with the Democrats.

Whatever their views on abortion and abortion rights, the vast majority of Americans view the abortion of a viable fetus/baby (partial-birth abortion) as immoral. Kerry and his fellow Democrats repeatedly voted against a ban on this practice.

Napolitano, I hope that this short list answers your question about how it is that your party has gotten tagged as ''the party without values.'' Indeed, the real question is: How has this party retained so many people who have traditional American values?

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk show host, columnist and author of four books, including Think a Second Time.

©2004 Creators Syndicate


TOPICS: Editorial; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: democrats; politicalcorrectness; republicans
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While I would love for the democrats to move on, I sure do like the snazzy commentary of those who offer their thoughts on why the dems are where they are at.

OK, it is down right fun!

1 posted on 11/21/2004 7:08:14 PM PST by Former Military Chick
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To: Chieftain; Ragtime Cowgirl; gatorbait; GreyFriar; americanmother; The Mayor; Seadog Bytes; ...
''the party without values'' **PING**

America Supports You


2 posted on 11/21/2004 7:10:10 PM PST by Former Military Chick (Lets keep the MSM to the grind stone, stories like this should not be ignored.)
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To: Former Military Chick

Democrats' Axis of Evil is Religion, National Defense and Tax Cuts.

Hollywood, the ACLU, American United for Separation of Church and State, and liberal activist judges represent Democrats' mainstream. John Kerry's "I was an altar boy" appeal cannot overcome the party's well known hatred of organized religion.

Michael Moore, MoveOn.org, John Dean, John Kerry's slander of Vietnam Vets, and anti-war protesters form the bulk of the Democrat party. John Kerry's lame salute and four months in Vietnam are tranparent attempts to cover Democrat disdain for the defense of America.

Characterizing universal tax cuts as "for the rich," John Kerry's massive tax hiking record, and Hillary Clinton's effort to nationalize healthcare demonstrate Democrats' desire for larger government and higher taxes. Nobody believed Kerry when he suggested further middle-class tax cuts.

Democrats hate Pat Robertson, Condoleezza Rice, and George Bush, and comparatively ignore Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden and Kim Jong Il.

For Democrats to be competitive, they have to actually change their minds and demonstrate that they believe Relgion can be moral, National Defense is legitimate, and Tax Cuts spur economic growth.

Until then, Republican majorities will grow as resonable Democrats join us.


3 posted on 11/21/2004 7:14:22 PM PST by Uncle Miltie (Democrat Obstructionists will be Daschled!)
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To: Former Military Chick
Janet Napolitano asked: "How did a party that is filled with people with values--and I am a person with values--get tagged as the party without values?"

Of course you and your DNC colleagues have values. Just like Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin had values.

4 posted on 11/21/2004 7:18:54 PM PST by SpyGuy (Liberalism is slow societal suicide.)
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To: Former Military Chick

Prager says it all here. Gov. Napolitano is not the only one who needs to read this.

Do you think their little tiny brains can comprehend it?


5 posted on 11/21/2004 7:22:56 PM PST by jocon307 (Jihad is world wide. Jihad is serious business. We ignore global jihad at our peril.)
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To: Former Military Chick
"values"

the new dims talking point: use the word "value" at least 3 times in every sentence."

6 posted on 11/21/2004 7:23:09 PM PST by maine-iac7 ( Pray without doubt..."Ask and you SHALL receive")
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To: Former Military Chick

Excellent article, with many good points! I wonder how many democrats will switch to the Republican party after they've seen what their party really represents. (I can dream, can't I?)


7 posted on 11/21/2004 7:23:46 PM PST by Theresawithanh (Tagline go away, where tagline? He-e-e-e-e-e-re tagline.......)
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To: Theresawithanh

I will join you, nothing wrong about dreaming.


8 posted on 11/21/2004 7:25:03 PM PST by Former Military Chick (Lets keep the MSM to the grind stone, stories like this should not be ignored.)
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To: Former Military Chick
Look at Pittsburgh PA's fiscal bankruptcy to see the future of Democratic policy. Mayor Murphy signed sweetheart deals with the firefighters' union in exchange for support, and refused to make substantial and necessary cuts in services; the corrupt Democratic governor Ed Rendell is now signing a bailout bill, passed by our state legislators, increasing the city occupational tax from $10 to $52, among other increases; and the city is still in debt! The transit system is crashing.

Democrats increase the public tax load while paying off their voting constituency.

9 posted on 11/21/2004 7:25:15 PM PST by Ciexyz (I use the term Blue Cities, not Blue States. PA is red except for Philly, Pgh & Erie.)
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To: Former Military Chick
How did a party that is filled with people with values ... get tagged as the party without values?

First of all, it's a misconception to suggest that people regard Democrats as lacking values. It's not the ABSENCE of values that alientates voters; it's the values the Democrats DO possess.

And, to answer the question, while Democrats increasingly believe in things like gay marriage, abortion, phony women's "rights," keeping minorities on the plantation, and failed entitlements, most of America decidedly does NOT believe in those things. So the Democrat elite are completely out of touch with what their consumers want.

Does it surprise you that Democrats lose? That surprise alone should speak volumes. IF -- and that's a big "if" for a Democrat -- you're listening.

10 posted on 11/21/2004 7:29:11 PM PST by IronJack (R)
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To: Former Military Chick


Hating America is one of their values and it turns people off.


11 posted on 11/21/2004 7:39:32 PM PST by msnimje
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To: Former Military Chick

Actually the brief answer is that the demonRATs have been tagged as the party without values because their debasing of the discussion of virtues by using the sociologist/Nietzschian 'values' has partially backfired.

Instead of Americans who have a traditional conception of VIRTUE buying into 'values' as something which can be defined, chosen by the individural, redefined and 'transvalued', 'values' has become a synonym for 'virtues' among those who are not careful about language.


12 posted on 11/21/2004 7:45:18 PM PST by The_Reader_David (And when they behead your own people in the wars which are to come, then you will know what this was)
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To: Former Military Chick

To sum it all up the Democrats have become the GAY party.


13 posted on 11/21/2004 7:46:29 PM PST by expatguy (Fallujah Delenda Est!!)
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To: Former Military Chick

Napolitano is a carpetbagger whose beliefs are in sync with those of the democratic party. her motives are suspect and her apirations are obvious. fortunately, her constituents are aware of her political stunts to attract votes. one of her first embarrassing stunts was to change the name of squaw pek mountain to an indian woman's name who was the mother of illegitimate kids at a young age and who abandoned them to enlist the army. she was killed in an ambush and to solicit the indian vote napolitano illegally changed the mountain name. she is an opportunist to the hilt!


14 posted on 11/21/2004 7:49:50 PM PST by cocoapuff
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To: Former Military Chick

Ok then, Janet.....does THIS answer your question? I doubt it...... they'll never get it!


15 posted on 11/21/2004 7:51:33 PM PST by Just Lori (Before you can win the peace, you have to win the WAR!!!)
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To: Former Military Chick

Bump!


16 posted on 11/21/2004 7:52:50 PM PST by wagglebee (Memo to sKerry: the only think Bush F'ed up was your career)
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To: Former Military Chick

Dennis Prager is sensible, sensitive, wise and always relevant I read his columns every week. Values, mores, sensibilities watered down euphemisms for morality, I've been hearing since the late sixties. By then the cracks were beginning to show that would ultimately bring down the late great edifice of the Catholic Church in the U.S. I see it now in retrospect in the foibles of the Marist Brother where I went to High School. I take great inspiration from reading Dennis' profound understanding of the Judeo-Christian tradition.


17 posted on 11/21/2004 7:58:41 PM PST by Calusa (Bush cooked Kerry's Goose!)
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To: Former Military Chick

It is my belief that the values Democrats claim to have are all facades designed to win voters and they do not really have any core values other than that of gaining power. That they now claim to have values shows when they could not do so before the election shows that they are only claiming them now to gain an advantage. They never speak of their true values.


18 posted on 11/21/2004 8:05:15 PM PST by LachlanMinnesota
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To: Former Military Chick

I am not sure I agree with everything Prager says here. However I would add that most Americans tolerate gays but want to keep marriage protected, and being called intolerant, hateful, stupid bigots for believing so by demcrats is a big values gap.


19 posted on 11/21/2004 8:07:30 PM PST by KC_Conspirator (I am poster #48)
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To: Former Military Chick

Great OPED. I can sum it up thusly: When you lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas. When you associate with and support valuless organizations and people in order to get a few votes, you get painted with the same brush they do. Deservedly so.


20 posted on 11/21/2004 8:09:51 PM PST by No Longer Free State
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