Movies and TV shows about zombies have been popular for some time
now. And why not? Who doesn’t love to
see soulless, brainless creatures attempt to consume the brain or intestines of
the living? What car to buy next year,
whether to mow the yard Sunday, what to cook for dinner tonight and other side
issues don’t matter to zombies. They are
single-mindedly obsessed with just one purpose: consume the innards of the
living.
As I examine today’s political climate, I notice a striking
similarity to the Grand Old Party. The rank-and-file of the party are
single-mindedly obsessed. Their one
overwhelming desire is to vote for the Republican candidate no matter
what. What that candidate stands for,
his (the majority are white males) morality, his stance on issues all mean
nothing to the GOP voter. What matters is the symbol “R” next to the name.
For example, most Republican officials want to dismantle Social
Security. They disparage the popular
program constantly. They attempt to pass legislation that will curtail payments
almost every session.
They attempt to
destroy it internally by trying to lessen the amount of money paid into the
system by reducing taxes on corporations or the rich. However, the rank-and-file of the party love
Social Security and are working back-breaking jobs and long hours with the
belief that when they hit the right age, they’ll be able to enjoy that added
retirement income.
Of course, they’ll also still vote for those same candidates that
will do everything in their power to kill it. Because they have an “R” next to
their name on the list of candidates.
The vast majority of Republican voters are working class people,
who toil tirelessly day to day in difficult and exhausting jobs. From coal
miners to farmers, they put in a tough, long day of work. However, even though
their representatives want to raise the retirement age for those seeking Social
Security, they’ll still vote for those candidates and gladly build up more
calluses on their own hands because, hey, the candidate has an “R” next to his
name.
Everybody loves Medicare. Although sometimes the system can be
balky, they still love that most of their medical costs can be handled by this
program when they reach that magical age. Often, it saves them from having to
worry about Mom and Dad’s medical bills too. It means they don’t have to bail
out their folks.
So it seems rather odd that the Republican rank-and-file voter
will still vote for the Republican candidate.
The party consistently attempts to destroy Medicare. They try to pass
legislation that will weaken the benefits or, change it completely from its
current system to one of vouchers. Vouchers would mean that your 90-year-old
folks would get a set amount of money to pay for their medical costs. In other
words, they’d have to wrangle with insurance companies. So even though it would
be tough for Grandpa to go toe-to-toe with that insurance agent, the
rank-and-file GOP voter will still vote for the candidate that desires to see
that outcome.
Just like zombies fixated on that nice brain over there, the
average Republican will zero in on that candidate with the “R” beside the name.
They stagger into the voting booth, arms outstretched seeking their prey,
grunting and moaning scarily, drooling as they approach their target and then
strike. Making a mark by any candidate with an “R” next to the name.
It doesn’t matter that their 12-year old daughter was raped by
Uncle Ted and the candidate believes she must bring the baby to term. They’ll vote for him.
It doesn’t matter that the city will have to lay off more
policemen because the GOP implemented tax cuts for the rich and it took money
away from cities. They will vote for the guy with an “R.”
It doesn’t matter that they feel sorry for that out-of-work
veteran begging for money at the stop light.
Even though the GOP party voted in unison to defeat the veteran aid
bill, the zombies will vote for them.
It doesn’t matter that women GOP voters believe women should be
treated fairly and equally. Even if the
candidate votes against equal pay bills or anti-domestic violence legislation,
the zombies will still vote for them.
So if you see a crowd of them chanting that they want to go out
and get haircuts even though there’s a raging virus in the country, roll up your
windows and drive by. Protect yourself from their infection.
Don’t even try to explain to your Republican father that his party
wants more tax cuts for corporations, which means he may lose his pension. He
won’t listen, he’s a zombie.
And your right-wing brother who avoided the draft so he didn’t
have to go to Vietnam, but now supports any GOP candidate that proposes
war? Well, just turn up the TV and hope
he’ll ignore you. He can’t help himself, he’s a Republican zombie.
