Citizen Journal

Moveover, I wonder that any conservative can suggest that the Republican Party machine, which has abandoned fiscal discipline and cast aside the ethos of the insurgent wave that led to Republican capture of the House of Representatives in 1994, can claim intellectual superiority over Republican citizens. If I were a conservative, I would fervently hope that the Republican party machine was craven and disfunctional, because if it is not, then the debacle of big government conservatism could have been intended, and that is a chilling thought.

On Social Security reform my positions shift somewhat, depending on the time of day I write a post and the quality of the coffee I had that morning, but always I have maintained a single theme: get something useful done (soon), and move on. I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat, but I sincerely hope that both sides can work together, because I am an American, and America's problems are not improved by partisan wrangling.

Regarding the issue of risk, which I admit to harping on somewhat excessively, I am in no way convinced that the issue has been adequately addressed, and as proof I submit to you the fact that Social Security reform does not have strong public support. In politics, voters are the best indicators of how convincingly a politician has made his/her case; and with Social Security reform, the verdict is in: voters are not convinced.

On the issue of the unwillingness of Democrats to negotiate, I would argue that the Democratic Party is acting as it should. There are viewpoints that the GOP does not represent, and our republic is only made stronger by the open clash of ideas. If Republicans fear being humiliated by a Democratic Party unwilling to capitulate, I would suggest that they remember that each party is in the long-term only as strong as its support among voters. If the Democratic Party has found an issue on which it can humiliate the GOP, than the GOP is giving away voters.

The issue of Social Security reform is complex enough without politicians attacking each other's positions and bloggers fanning the flames. I am a young man, I grew up believing that Social Security would not be available to me, and so I am indifferent to any benefits I may ever receive from the program. But not everyone thinks this way, and out of respect for the concerns of those for whom Social Security is essential, I will continue to advocate for a solution, regardless of what side of the aisle that solution originated on.