The Big Party Switch Event - Are You A Democrat or Republican?

Each week brings with it news of elected officials who have switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party. Officials have the right to switch to whatever party they want, but when they are elected as Democrats; I believe that they should remain Democrats, at least until the end of their terms. When an official switches from one party to the other, after having been elected by the supporters of the party they switched from, it's clearly a slap in the face to their constituents. You don't have to go very far to find someone to slap you in the face these days, because if you voted for one of those individuals, you have already been slapped about as hard as one can slap you.

Some of those who have switched may not see it that way at all. Let's speculate a little. I would venture to say that the reasoning behind the switch was purely political. They knew that if they were going to be effective in their districts, and under the "Gold Dome", they had to be a part of the party of power, and that party just happens to be the Republican Party. Also many made the decision to switch parties because a great number of their constituents may have changed their party affiliation. When it is all said and done, it is all about respect and honor. I can only hope that those who switched took the time to talk with their constituents before they made their decision. If you are a citizen, and you voted for a candidate because you felt that the "person" would be a great representative, then you're in great shape because you'll still have that same person representing you. If you voted strictly because that person was a Democrat, then you might be a little disappointed.

My belief is that elections should be about the person and not the party, but that belief seems to be rapidly fading away. The evidence of this was clearly seen in Georgia's last General Election. There were some great people running for office, from both the Democratic and Republican Parties. However, this time around the majority of voters were not focused on how great those people were, but they were keenly focused on the political parties. I am by no means implying that there weren't any good Republicans, because I am friends with many of them who are as good as gold. I am saying that those Democratic friends of mine who are as good as gold too, just happened to be a part of the wrong political party (in the eyes of some of the voters). One may assume that voters who were sick and tired of being sick and tired did not vote for Republican candidates, but voted against the Democrats, if that makes sense.

I am Democrat, and it's no secret that I have also been very vocal regarding the deterioration of the Democratic Party's moral fabric and values system. The reason that I continue to be so critical is because it appears that our state and national party is refusing to face reality. Someone has to have the courage to call it like it is. One important reason that I chose to be one of those persons, is because I believe that the Democratic Party is worth salvaging. As I have stated in earlier writings, the Party should embrace the ideals of morality and distance themselves from supporting abortion, extreme Secularism, and the seemingly prevailing belief system of alternative lifestyles and same sex marriages. . If people desire to partake in those types of activities, it's their business, but it shouldn't be the business of the Democratic Party. Our country is already experiencing its share of murders, crimes, divorces, and other forms of turmoil in the traditional family.

If we want to dibble and dabble in something, let's try to strengthen the traditional family. I believe that like anything else that's broken, the Democratic Party can be fixed. I believe that a massive and carefully calculated plan of reformation for our party will result in a renewed since of democracy, which will be in the best interest of the people. I'm not ready to throw in the towel and switch to the other side just yet. However, if the powers that be, refuse to make the necessary changes to the Democratic Party, I predict that there will be several familiar names listed in other sections of the election ballot the next time around. Having said that, I am confident that there is enough historically significant data that indicates that our party has been the party that has represented working people and the middle class for decades and I believe that we can do it again. In order for this to happen, we must rethink our priorities and listen to the voices of the people.

By: Carl Camon, Ed.S - Former Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate - 2010