Smart Politics

Since I was a kid, suffering through Roosevelt's depression (there was nothing "great" about it), I have said that the Democrat Party will lie, cheat, steal, commit fraud, and do anything and everything illegal, to win an election. That is not "smart" politics. That is crooked politics.

I believe the original display of "smart" politics occurred in 1787. Then, The Founders wrote Article I, Section 2 of The Constitution. It enabled slave-holding states to count a slave as only 3/5 of a person, for the purpose of determining the number of their representatives in Congress.

Yes, that was a horrible proposition, but it was not illegal. The prejudiced slave-holders happily agreed, believing, as they did, that a black man was not fully a human being.

The result was that the representation in Congress by the slave-holding states was reduced, paving the way for the passage of anti-slavery measures. Then, in 1868, after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th amendment was ratified, striking the 3/5 language from The Constitution.

Smart politics!

Now we are engaged in a debate over defunding The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). President Obama has threatened to "shut down" the government if such provisions are in a Continuing Resolution which, again, will bust the budget and spend another trillion dollars.

Recalling the events of 1995, many fear such an event would cause great harm to the Republican Party! It is time again for Smart Politics! Every credible poll shows that majorities of every imaginable group of Americans are opposed to ACA. If the Republicans clearly articulate their intentions to fund all of government except ACA, the public will support them. If the Democrats reject that proposal, it is they who will be shutting down the government.

Doing the will of the people, for the good of the people, is always smart politics!