Jack Kemp dead at 73

[scandal 951]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ja...0,4950829.story

Another pillar of the Reagan era passes away.

Kemp, as much as anybody, helped convince Reagan to embrace supply-side economics, designed to stimulate growth through tax reduction.

Kemp's tax bill was defeated in the House, but a similar measure was approved two years later, offering a 25% cut in taxes. He favored a return to the gold standard and took a hard line against the Soviet Union, supported aid for the Nicaraguan Contras and was a firm friend of Israel.

In many ways Kemp was ahead of his time in Republican circles, calling for the party to embrace all races and ethnicities and pushing for inclusion of blacks, Latinos and Jews.

Sigh. Where is that Big Tent today?

[Nagishkaw 510]

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

A class act. Few of his kind are left in politics. R.I.P.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

[Danno 1,228]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ja...0,4950829.story

Another pillar of the Reagan era passes away.

Kemp, as much as anybody, helped convince Reagan to embrace supply-side economics, designed to stimulate growth through tax reduction.

Kemp's tax bill was defeated in the House, but a similar measure was approved two years later, offering a 25% cut in taxes. He favored a return to the gold standard and took a hard line against the Soviet Union, supported aid for the Nicaraguan Contras and was a firm friend of Israel.

In many ways Kemp was ahead of his time in Republican circles, calling for the party to embrace all races and ethnicities and pushing for inclusion of blacks, Latinos and Jews.

Sigh. Where is that Big Tent today?

As far as I know people of all races and ethnicities are welcome in all major political parties.

But if you were running the GOP what exactly would you do to attract a more diverse crowd?

[scandal 951]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-ja...0,4950829.story

Another pillar of the Reagan era passes away.

Kemp, as much as anybody, helped convince Reagan to embrace supply-side economics, designed to stimulate growth through tax reduction.

Kemp's tax bill was defeated in the House, but a similar measure was approved two years later, offering a 25% cut in taxes. He favored a return to the gold standard and took a hard line against the Soviet Union, supported aid for the Nicaraguan Contras and was a firm friend of Israel.

In many ways Kemp was ahead of his time in Republican circles, calling for the party to embrace all races and ethnicities and pushing for inclusion of blacks, Latinos and Jews.

Sigh. Where is that Big Tent today?

As far as I know people of all races and ethnicities are welcome in all major political parties.

But if you were running the GOP what exactly would you do to attract a more diverse crowd?

You are correct that all are welcome to join the GOP - overt discrimination would be illegal!

The question is whether all are embraced and encouraged to join. And whether they feel embraced and encouraged.

Many Latino Americans, who are legal citizens and vote, feel alienated from a party platform that has appeared hostile to comprehensive immigration reform. Even when Republican efforts by McCain (and even Bush! My gawd he was actually on the right side of an issue for once!) pushed for immigration reform, the party dug in its heels and showed its back. Fair enough - the party has the right to choose its policy positions. But don't expect to not alienate Hispanic voters. There is a consequence to such a position and it is the narrowing of the party to its traditional base. Similar arguments can be made about the party stance on abortion and gay marriage, issues in which it's increasingly out of touch with mainstream America.

I'm no big fan of Jack Kemp. Or Ronald Reagan. Or the GOP. As an outsider, it's really not for me to say what the party should do as it goes through its internal reorganization. My views are from the perspective of an American who wants to see a vibrant democracy with TWO parties who propose a contrast of ideas to the country's problems. I'm a Democrat. But the last thing I would want to see is a GOP in disarray for decades while a complacent Democratic party in charge of the national agenda grows corrupt. We need a strong GOP that is a national party and reflects the moderate center-right views of an important part of the electorate. Reagan and Kemp understood that. Current GOP leadership does not. Rush Limbaugh most certainly, certainly, certainly!!! does not.