I have been writing here for the past three years and have really enjoyed the give and take with readers as I have thought out loud about some of the more complicated subjects our modern politics has to deal with. But the time has come to make a change.
As regular readers have certainly realized, this blog has been moving in fits and starts for the past few months. The reason for this is because my political views are taking a beating. Last night's GOP debate sort of sealed the deal for me. I am having a harder and harder time calling myself a Moderate Republican when candidates like Rick Perry, whom I am supposed to take seriously as a conservative get applause lines for executions. I am pro capital punishment, but applaud? Really?
My interests have also changed. I introduced my new writing project, A Certain Quality of Life, this summer and have been thoroughly enjoying writing there. If you have not stopped by yet, feel free. I'd love to hear your thoughts. I have also been fairly active on my Tumblelog site, Thoughts & Quotes, where I post a lot of links to things I find interesting in the realms of politics, culture, society and education as well as think out loud about a variety of issues.
In reality, I think Thoughts & Quotes is the descendant of The Moderate Republican in a lot of ways. It is just that I now favor a more rapid fire approach to posting- lots of short posts rather than long essays- and a more diverse selection of topics. So, long story short, I will be closing down The Moderate Republican in a few days. It no longer defines who I am politically (I am becoming more of a hybrid libertarian every day) or intellectually (my interests have simply broaden to include more than just intra and inter party fighting).
So if you have enjoyed following along on this journey I hope you'll continue with me on the Tumblelog site or A Certain Quality of Life, if not, just know that I have appreciated your readership. Its been a fun three years.
5 comments:
I haven't seen Thoughts and Quotes but will definitely check it out. As always, what you have to say and how you express it in writing is very interesting, whether I agree with your point of view or not. Keep up the great posting. RIP Moderate Republican.
Yes, keep up the good work! I enjoy ACQL and I’ll check out your other stuff as well. I share your reaction to the debate and partisanship in general. Huntsman was pretty good, but a party that doesn’t have room for Gary Johnson isn’t really a place I’m going to feel at home in.
It appears that most moderate Republicans are 'closing up shop'.
Most unfortunate...
An observation: This blog sounds like it is written by a young person whose views are changing as time goes on. It might be better to have the writer a bit older and more established so that the views don't constantly change. Remember, both Ronald Reagan and Rick Perry (and probably quite a few other politicians as well) were Democrats earlier in their lives. Young people are far more likely to lean toward the Democratic side. But as you mature and begin to accumulate things in life, the more conservative your approach becomes because you see the value of holding on to what you've earned through your own hard work. You also have a chance to experience history and let it dictate to some extent your direction. As you can tell, I am not a young writer. My philosophies have changed as well. The first election that I firmly recall (as a 12 year old) was when Kennedy defeated Nixon in 1960. Kennedy projected a youthful visionary enthusiasm. Much later on, I was more comfortable with candidate George Bush (Sr) instead of Ronald Reagan. However, Reagan surprised me and was really successful. So my point is that even as we amble though life our points of view continue to evolve. Is there such a thing as a moderate Republican? If there is, it's probably a candidate like Jon Hunts man. If he were to get the nomination and choose a VP like Gingrich, it might be an interesting combination. The eight or nine Republican debates that have taken place so far have been informative and entertaining. But there is a lot more that we need to know about this group of candidates. For example I was dismayed at how little attention Huntsman has been given up to now, even though he has arguably a better gubnatorial track record than Perry or Romney. In a one on one interview on CNN, Huntsman came across very funny and charismatic. But in the debates, he has not been as impressive. Just a few personal impressions. Alan in SoCal
Hi;
Your blog is a treasure. I'd like your thoughts on my own effort to find a new position that transcends "republican" and "democrat."
www.newindependentwhig.blogspot.com
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