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| Artur Davis is becoming a Republican because of the GOP's embrace of "diversity." Stop laughing. |
No sh*t, Sherlock.
Former US House member Artur Davis, from Alabama (go figure), has left the Democratic party because he says the party has moved too far to the left. His "proof" of this move to the left is simply priceless.
Here are examples of the "diversity" that Davis thinks the Dems lack, but the GOP has:
Imagine if a Democratic candidate, senator or congressman were to say this week, "The Supreme Court is going to issue a ruling soon on the Affordable Care Act, and I sure hope the court overturns it." Can you imagine what the reaction would be? And this is, mind you, two years after 36 Democrats voted against the Affordable Care Act in the House. I can't imagine a Democrat saying that.Imagine.
You mean, Democrats aren't willing to welcome fellow Democrats who try to undermine the President's number one campaign promise and the singular achievement of his entire first term? The horror!
That's not a sign of Democratic intolerance. It's a sign of politics. Neither Democrats nor Republicans tolerate party members who try to undercut their most important policy goal of the coming four years. Since Davis wants to talk health care reform as a litmus test of party intolerance, let's talk health care reform.
How many Democrats voted against their party and against health care reform? 36
How many Republicans voted against their party and for health care reform? 0
Now tell me again which party is more intolerant of a diversity of viewpoints on health care reform.
But oh, it gets better. More examples of Democratic intolerance from Davis:
Take same-sex marriage. Can you imagine if a prominent Democratic elected official were to say this week, "I think the 1st Circuit got it wrong on the Defense of Marriage Act, and I think the president's got it wrong on same-sex marriage"? I don't mean Sanford Bishop in Georgia, or an African-American politician perhaps in the South. I mean if a major Democratic figure were to say that, that person would be denounced instantly.Can you imagine if a prominent Democratic elected official were to say that the Supreme Court got it wrong on Brown v Board of Education or Loving v Virginia? Would Davis be cheering their "diversity" then? Doubtful. But don't try too hard to find consistency among southern bigots. (Oh, and before Davis trots out the old "it's not the same thing" line, Coretta Scott King says it is.)
Davis is upset because the Democrats won't tolerate his intolerance.
Then there's Davis' third example:
Look at what happened to Cory Booker on Bain Capital. Mind you, that wasn't a philosophical disagreement; that was a tactical statement that the Obama campaign was unwise to attack Mitt Romney's history running Bain Capital. Cory Booker was savaged, particularly in the blogosphere, for just tactically questioning an element of the campaign.Yes, how dare anyone criticize Cory Booker for undercutting his own party's primary argument against electing Mitt Romney as president. Shouldn't the Democrats openly welcome people who give aid and comfort to the Republican nominee? I mean, the Republicans would be just as welcoming of their own party members who supported Democratic policies and principles - just look at how many Republicans voted for the President's stimulus package: 3.
Lots of diversity in Artur Davis' GOP.
And finally, Artur Davis, a black man from Alabama, thinks the notion of "inequality" being a problem in America is overblown.
Last fall when Occupy Wall Street was in vogue, there were a few major Democrats who said, "Well, they need to get their act together and develop a sense of priority." But I don't remember a single major Democratic elected official who said that their focus on inequality is an overstatement, is an exaggeration, is wrong, and that the dominant focus of the administration ought to be finding ways to strengthen the entrepreneurial class.Yes, because there's certainly no inequality in Artur Davis' own Alabama:
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| Source: Kids Count |
Oh, and here are a few other fun facts that demonstrate Artur Davis' commitment to diversity by moving over to the GOP:
Percentage of African-Americans in the US population at large: 12.6%
Percentage of African-American Republicans in the US House: 0.8% (2/242)
Percentage of African-American Democrats in the US House: 22% (42/190)
So Artur Davis thinks there's more diversity in a party that has 0.8% people like himself than a party that has 22% of the same.
Artur Davis isn't leaving the Democratic party because the Democrats have gone too far to the left. Artur Davis is leaving the Democratic party because he cares more about Wall Street than racial inequality, civil rights, or affordable health care - which is pretty much the textbook definition of a conservative Republican. I'm sure he'll be quite happy in his new home.
