by Ray Keating
For some bizarre reason, I’ve chosen to live my entire life
in loopy New York. From a political standpoint, that has meant suffering under
a one-party system. This New York reality is now spreading across the nation in
the current presidential race.
Hillary Clinton, former U.S. senator from New York, squares
off with Bernie Sanders, originally from New York, on the Democrat side, and
New York City businessman and reality TV star Donald Trump leads among Republicans.
But what do I mean by this “one party” comment? Yes, New
York is a deep blue state, but there are Republicans in the state. In fact,
Republicans still have effective control of the state senate – barely. The
problem is that both parties, for the most part, are Democrats.
The New York Democratic Party ranks among the most hard core
of Democrats. They are unabashedly left wing, whether on economic matters or
social issues.
Meanwhile, New York Republicans amount to little more than
Democrat-Lite. They love big government; are a mixed bag, at best, on most
social issues; and are far too interested in pandering to keep some sliver of power.
Notions that Republicans should be principled in any way, and work to change hearts
and minds on the issues, are treated as an absurdity. Sure, there’s a real
conservative here and there in New York, but they are the exceptions. There’s a
reason why New York has a Conservative Party. It was created in 1962 to serve
as a conservative check on the Republicans, and that need has not gone away for
more than a past half-century. Apparently, few Republican Party leaders grasp
the idea that if voters have a choice between Democrats and Democrat-Lite,
they’re more likely to choose the real thing. And hence, the long decline of
Republicans in New York.
Welcome to New York, America.
Turning to the current presidential campaign, the Clintons,
of course, chose to move to New York as this Democrat state would give her an
excellent shot at winning a U.S. Senate seat. In her 2000 victory, Mrs. Clinton
was helped by the fact that Republicans made a complete mess of matters, with
Rudy Giuliani dropping out of the race and being replaced by Congressman Rick
Lazio, who ran an inept campaign.
Of course, Clinton is an unabashed liberal on nearly every
issue imaginable, from abortion to taxes to foreign policy, and beyond. That’s
no secret.
Meanwhile, Senator Bernie Sanders, a New Yorker for the
first 27 years of his life before moving to Vermont in 1968, manages to stake
out ground to the left of Clinton. That’s not easy. But, heck, the guy warmly
embraces the socialist label. What else needs to be said?
Welcome to New York, America.
And then there’s Donald Trump. Given his flip-flopping on
nearly every major issue, his being devoid of any principles, and his willingness
to say just about anything to gain power, along with an inability to think and
express himself clearly on issues, Trump rather nicely fits the New York
Republican model.
Welcome to New York, America.
In fact, America has become New York. The Democrats serve up
radical Lefties. The current leader among Republicans lacks any kind of
commitment to or understanding of conservatism and conservative policies.
Funny, I thought New York long ago no longer mattered when
it came to national politics. Silly me.
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Mr. Keating is an
economist and novelist who writes on a wide range of topics. His Pastor Stephen
Grant novels have received considerable acclaim, including The River: A Pastor
Stephen Grant Novel being a finalist for KFUO radio’s Book of the Year 2014,
and Murderer’s Row: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel winning Book of the Year 2015.
The Pastor Stephen
Grant Novels are available at Amazon…
