Mark Small

For too long progressives - ppl who believe in human rts, oppose militarism & the huge corporate state, and favor intelligence - have seemed 2 sit back, politely, as stupidity, ignorance & hatred dominated the GOP. 4/21

In 2010, the so-called tea party used the political primary - and transformed a noun into a verb - to challenge candidates in the GOP who, in the views of the tea party, were not sufficiently doctrinaire, i.e., right wing. 5/21

Both the Democratic Party and the GOP, over their histories, have embraced policies & philosophies on the continuum fr liberal 2 conservative. At various times each has had conservative and liberal wings. 6/21

Some who label themselves “conservative” and decry any approach to “socialism” have cheered as the current occupant of the Oval Office has gutted programs for clean air and water, housing for the poor, and public schools. 7/21

If one believes such programs are socialistic, then the last “socialist” President of this country was Richard Nixon, who, despite many - many, many, many - flaws, was proud of these policies and to have been a lifelong Republican. 8/21

The 2010 play by tea party ppl to take over the GOP & force it to be ideologically pure was both cynical and strategically savvy. Each party, in 46 States and four commonwealths, is a corporate entity. Corporations are not people. 9/21

The current occupant of the Oval Office - I do not like to write or speak his name; I’d call him Voldemort, but dont want 2 insult death eaters, so I use lower case initials “dt” - made a move similarly cynical when he decided to run for Prez. 10/21

In 1987 was GOP; 1999 he switched to Independence Party of New York; 2001 he became a Democrat; 2009 he rejoined the GOP; 2011 he marked "no party affiliation"; finally in 2012 he rejoined the GOP. 11/21