Democrats and Republicans have no one to blame but themselves

In Sunday morning’s Gaston Gazette, “liberal” columnist Bill Poteat predictably laments the Democratic Party’s fall from dominance in N.C. politics, but the Democrats (indeed the Republicans as well) have no one to blame but themselves for the growing disaffection with both legacy parties, as evidenced by their dwindling voter registrations, and the increasing number of voters signing up as (or changing their registration to) independents.

I agree with Sheriff Alan Cloninger’s observation that the Democratic Party has “lost touch with its working class values, values that treasured hard work, personal freedom and patriotism.” And I agree also with (retired) Judge Jesse Caldwell’s spot-on notion that “healthy government cannot thrive when it is dominated by one party…In a democracy, people need choices.”

I invite Judge Caldwell to join me in supporting other choices, especially the Libertarian Party, which espouses the very values Sheriff Cloninger cited.

If we continue to vote for Democratic and Republican Party candidates, we’ll continue to get what we’ve always gotten: higher taxes, more regulation, less freedom, foreign military adventurism as The World’s Policeman, and inflation which discourages saving— and hurts most the less affluent.

Albert Einstein said it best: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” It’s time to examine our own mental health, if freedom is to survive in this country!

David Hoesly is a member of the Executive Committee of the Gaston County Libertarian Party.

This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: Democrats and Republicans have no one to blame but themselves