The 2012 election isn't just another presidential election. Of course, people have said that about nearly every presidential election, but this time that assertion is totally true. For many years the two major political parties—Republicans and Democrats—have had contrasting views in regard to the size and power of government, spending, taxes and other issues. However, never before has either one of the two parties rejected the Founder's view that a limited, Constitutional government is necessary to maintaining freedom and to avoiding a decline into an autocratic state.
Yes, beginning with Woodrow Wilson and continuing on with Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson, a greater emphasis was placed on government involvement into the lives of American citizens, but never before has a major political party endorsed policies, values, morals, and ideas that undermine the foundation of American society.
How exactly does today's Democratic Party reject the principles enumerated by our Founders? Consider these comparisons…
Founders Principles |
2012 Democratic Party Principles |
Limited Government. The Founders understood the fallen state of man, his inability to resist seeking power over others. That was why they created a federal government with very limited powers and had expressly enumerated powers. George Washington summed up the Founder's view when he said, "Government is not reason, it is not eloquence, it is force. Like fire it is a dangerous servant and a fearsome master." |
Limited Government. Today's Democratic Party rejects the idea that all men live in a fallen state. They believe that there are men and women who have "progressed" to a higher state of ethics and are thus capable of ruling over others to their benefit. They see no problem or danger in unlimited, all-powerful government, providing they are the ones in charge. |
The US Constitution. The Founders worked hard to limit the powers of the Federal government as they drafted the United States Constitution. They intentionally left the vast amount of powers to the states and to the people, knowing that it was the states that created the federal government, not the federal government that created the states. Even with all that effort, the Founders were worried about the ability of corrupt men to compromise their efforts to limit the power of government in the Constitution. That's why Benjamin Franklin responded to a question about what type of government they had created this way, "A republic if you can keep it." |
The US Constitution. The Democrats have intentionally and successfully eroded the idea of limited government. With the passage of Obamacare they have severed any limitations which the Constitution placed on the actions of government. During a radio interview as a candidate, Barack Obama said, "…the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and of more basic issues such as political and economic justice in society. …[the Warren Court] didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, …that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties. Says what the states can't do to you. Says what the Federal government can't do to you, but doesn't say what the Federal government…must do on your behalf." Obama went on to call that restraint a tragedy. |
A Government of Laws. The Founders' belief in a government of laws can be traced back to the protection as Englishmen they received from the Magna Carta. It was in the Magna Carta that the King agreed that the law was superior and above any monarch. The Founders believed strongly in a government of laws that were to be superior to the whims and actions of men and women in power. They knew that a government of men (and women) always leads to tyranny. But a government in which men are constrained by laws preserves freedom. |
A Government of Laws. Democrats now believe in a government of men, not a government of law. They believe that whoever is in power has the right to do whatever they want to achieve their ends. That's why Speaker Nancy Pelosi responded with such vehemence to a question asking if the Obamacare insurance mandate was constitutional. She responded, "Are you serious? Are you serious? That's not a serious question. That's not a serious question." According to the Democrats, laws, even the Constitution cannot get in the way of government power. |
America is Exceptional. Those who founded America, from John Winthrop to George Washington, understood that America was a special place blessed by God. Its prosperity and freedom were not an accident, but an act of Providence, a blessing from God. Since the founding of our nation, every schoolboy and every schoolgirl was taught that America was a unique place, a unique nation in history. They learned and believed that there had never been a nation before or since that cherished freedom and justice as much as the United States of America. It was not perfect, but it was exceptional. |
America is Exceptional. Not only President Obama, but a consensus of the Democratic Party leadership rejects the idea that America is an exceptional nation in the annals of history. They reject the idea that God has blessed America and indeed, as their 2012 party platform presented to their convention delegates shows, they want nothing to do with God or even to mention God. To the Democrats, America is just another nation, no better or worse than any other nation. Or, as President Obama put it, "I believe in American exceptionalism, just as I suspect that the Brits believe in British exceptionalism and the Greeks believe in Greek exceptionalism." In other words, in President Obama's view, the United States of America is just another nation, no better and no worse. |
America's Goodness, Generosity and Compassion. The Founders knew that America's greatness was inextricably tied to America's goodness. The Founders were generous and yet today, Americans are exceedingly generous, freely donating more than $300 billion per year to charity. America has always been the first to help in time of need. Voluntarily, without coercion, Americans have given generously as no other people on earth have given to help others. Since the beginning, Americans have proven themselves to be the most generous people in the history of the world and they still are today. |
America's Goodness, Generosity and Compassion. Democrats do not see America as good, generous or compassionate.Democrats do not define compassion or generosity as individuals giving voluntarily to help others. They define compassion as raising taxes on others and then having the government give the money away (with strings attached) to fix some real or imagined need. Of course such compassion always comes at the cost of individual freedom as the scope and power of government grows. The reality is that Democrats believe Americans are the most stingy and uncompassionate people in the world. |
America is Accepting and Tolerant. The Founders understood the fallen state of man, but also realized that man could do great things when exercising the self-restraint that comes from acknowledging there is a God who rules over all. America has been affected by many ills including slavery, but after many years of striving, all government condoned slavery and discrimination has been eliminated. Today, the United States serves as an example of being the most tolerant and accepting nation in the world regardless of origin, sex, nationality or race. In no other nation in the world can a man or woman from any station in life, of any color or creed, become the President of their country. |
America is Accepting and Tolerant. Democrats reject that idea completely. The very idea of the USA as a tolerant nation makes them angry. They see America as a totally flawed nation, founded on flawed principles that have enabled our nation to flourish by impoverishing other nations and oppressing minorities in our own land. They see America as incurably corrupt and evil. They see no way to make our nation better than to tear it down and start all over again. That's why President Obama went on a world apology tour, apologizing for our success and power and bowing to dictators. He even called Venezuelan dictator, Hugo Chavez, "mi amigo." |
America is the Land of Opportunity. From William Bradford to John Winthrop to George Washington to Booker T. Washington, traditional American leaders have always seen America as the land of opportunity. Since our founding, men and women of meager means have climbed the ladder of opportunity and achieved success regardless of their background. The Founders rejected the idea that any American is entitled to special privileges or to government ensuring a higher standard of living. They wanted government to stay out of the way of free citizens who were to be left to succeed or stumble according to their efforts, their initiative, their risk taking, and the blessings of God. |
America is the Land of Opportunity. Today's Democratic Party believes that America has never been or ever will be the land of opportunity. They think the game is rigged, providing opportunity to only a privileged few. President Obama has advocated the redistribution of wealth by the force and power of government. The entire Democratic leadership sees people as groups, not as individuals. They intentionally pit one group against another for political gain—men vs. women, young vs. old, rich vs. poor, employees vs. employers, black vs. white, etc. They see each American as in one camp or another, either they are among the oppressors or they are among the oppressed. |
America is a Beacon of Freedom to the World. This was the view of America's Founders. From all over the world, men and women and their families came to America to pursue the American dream of freedom and the opportunity to succeed or fail as they were blessed by God. Even today there is a clamor to get to America just to experience freedom. The Founders saw America as a beacon of freedom to the world, and people all over the world hearkened to that beacon. |
America is a Beacon of Freedom to the World. Democrats believe just the opposite is true. They ignore the stream of people trying to get to America and only see the flaws and imperfections of America. They detest what America stands for. Many believe that the United States of America is the source of all problems in the world and if they can only take America down a notch, peace and harmony in the world would thrive. |
America is Just. The Founders sought to not only create a free nation, but a just nation where every citizen had equal access to justice under the law. As long as slavery was in existence those protections were denied to all Americans, but today their dream of equal justice under the law is as close to reality as human institutions are capable of. No other nation prior to the United States of America attempted to make every citizen equal under the law and to an amazing degree that goal has been reached. |
America is Just. The opposite is true according to the Democrats. They believe America was built on injustice and oppression and it still exists today on that basis. They have no faith in the law and they believe in retribution, rather than equal justice under the law. The irony is that they themselves do not seek justice, but rather revenge. That's why the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice under Attorney General Eric Holder is so unbalanced in their treatment of different citizens under the law. They believe the system is rigged against minorities and the poor. |
Freedom Works. The Founders strongly believed in freedom. They didn't see freedom as a guarantee of happiness or success, but the right of every American to seek success and to pursue happiness. This is what they fought and died for. This is why they risked everything they had to secure freedom for themselves and for all generations to come. Pilgrim leader, William Bradford, found out that freedom works and socialism does not. It was not until he abandoned socialism (during which time they suffered through two years of starvation) and instituted what we now know as free enterprise that the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock prospered. |
Freedom Works. The platform of the Democrat Party makes it clear that they do not believe this. They believe that government works and that freedom fails. They believe in a powerful, centralized government that takes care of people from cradle to grave. They see economics as a zero sum game. Every dollar you earn is a dollar someone else did not earn. They do not believe in the marketplace as the fairest and most productive way of distributing goods and services. That's why President Obama scolded businessmen by saying, ""if you've got a business, you didn't build that." They believe in government, not in freedom or free enterprise. |
Religious Freedom. By and large, the Founders were religious men. Nearly half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence had formal seminary training. That's why the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights protected freedom of religion. They were well aware that many of the first colonists came to America to escape persecution by the state for practicing their faith in God as they saw fit. The first phrase of the First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…" There was one purpose for this Amendment, to protect religious freedom from encroachment and persecution by government, not to protect government from religion. |
Religious Freedom. Democrats have no problem with religion as long as it is quiet and does not affect public policy. From their perspective, religion has no place in the public square. They find the religiousness of the Founders embarrassing. They don't like the references to God in the Declaration of Independence, nor do they like the fact that the Treaty of Paris that concluded hostilities between England and the United States begins, "In the name of the most holy and triune God…" If left to their desires they would outlaw prayer, even silent prayer, in public. That's why President Obama is using the power of government to force Christian hospitals and other religious organizations and individuals to pay for abortions under Obamacare. Religious freedom is clearly of no importance to the Democratic Party of today. |
Free Speech. The Founders placed their protection of free speech immediately behind the right to practice freedom of religion in the first amendment of the Constitution. They knew that freedom cannot exist without either freedom of religion or freedom of speech. They understood that when government begins to censor free speech it crosses the line to a dictatorship. As messy as it is, the Founders would have never tolerated campaign finance laws that suppress the freedom of speech of those out of office, but provide protection to those in office. They understood that any encroachment on freedom of speech was a walk down a dangerous road. |
Free Speech. For years Democrats championed free speech, but that is no longer true. Political correctness has replaced free speech. Government now decides what is hate speech and what is not. Groups like Focus on the Family are now labeled "hate groups" by those closely allied with the Democratic Party. The Democrats no longer believe in free speech, they believe in free speech only for themselves. One of their goals is to take talk radio off the air because they cannot control it. Democrats also hate the freedom of speech that is embodied in the Citizens United decision of the Supreme Court. The more they can control free speech, the more powerful they will be. |
The Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The Founders understood that the last resort of free men is the cartridge box. They knew that free men and women owning firearms would always serve as a deterrent to the creation of a dictatorship. They knew that if free men no longer have the right to own and use firearms then only the state and criminals will have firearms and that neither can be trusted. |
The Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The Democrats believe that the right of an individual to own firearms does not exist. Obama was a member of a group whose primary purpose was to outlaw the private ownership of firearms. Many people believe that the White House originated "Operation Fast and Furious" and that it had one purpose, to curtail the right to purchase firearms. The President admitted as much when asked if he was doing anything to enact gun control and answered, "Yes, but under the radar." |
Self-Reliance. The Founders understood that government can't guarantee anything. They put their reliance in God and they expected every citizen to take advantage of their freedom and take care of their families and themselves. They didn't believe in government doing anything for its citizens other than to stay out of their way. This approach led to unprecedented prosperity and economic advancement. As a result, the prosperity of the United States of America became the envy of the world. |
Self-Reliance. While the Democrats gave lip service to self-reliance, their policies and platform tell a different story. They want to take care of every American because they don't believe people are smart enough or wise enough to take care of themselves. Every problem or make believe problem calls for a new government program that further reduces individual freedom and gives the ruling politicians and bureaucrats more power over our lives. |
Traditional Values. The Founders were men of strong moral character. They never believed that the ends justified the means and they never condoned immorality of any kind. They would be shocked that America is willing to kill babies in the womb just because they are inconvenient. They would never condone foul language or adultery.The Founders were men of good character and strong moral principles. It's not that they did not fail from time to time, but they never advocated or accepted immoral behavior. |
Traditional Values. Today's Democrats reject the entire idea of traditional moral values. In their view, the rights of a woman are more important than the life or rights of an unborn baby. They see no problem with adultery or with homosexuality. They reject traditional moral values entirely, relying on their own wisdom, and rejecting that of God. |
The table shown above provides a clear picture of the difference between today's Democratic Party and the values and views of America's Founders, from John Winthrop to George Washington. In essence, today's Democratic Party leadership rejects the entire idea of America as envisioned by our Founders. Their philosophy of government, of morals, or freedom is the antithesis of the beliefs of our Founders.
Take a look. Decide for yourself whose side you agree with. Do you agree with the Democrats that the United States of America must be torn down and rebuilt from scratch? Do you believe it must be replaced with an all-powerful centralized government that governs every aspect of our lives? If you believe in socialism and an all-powerful government that keeps every citizen in the same state of misery, then you should vote for the re-election of President Barack Obama on November 6th. If, on the other hand, you are in agreement with the vision of our Founders, then it's your job to not only vote on November 6th, but to show others the difference between the Founder's vision and the Democrat's vision of America before election day. This will truly be an election day like no other.
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