Rand Paul calls out Republicans, while Ralph Nader calls out Democrats

image
Published: 14 Sep, 2010
Updated: 13 Oct, 2022
2 min read

Tea Party favorite, Dr. Rand Paul, criticized the GOP for the big spending and budget deficits during the Bush years, while long-time Progressive, Ralph Nader, criticized Democrats for being weak, indecisive, and beholden to big business.

Paul, son of Congressman Ron Paul and Republican candidate for US Senate in Kentucky, stated:

     "We as Republicans have taken the easy way out a lot of times.  We vote to cut taxes, but we don't ever vote to cut any spending..."

     He added, "The Republicans doubled the debt and now the Democrats are tripling the debt. There's not a lot of kudos to go around to either side."

Meanwhile, Ralph Nader condemned Democrats for their inability to inspire their voter base, challenge a rising Tea Party and Republican backlash, and enact unapologetic, progressive policies.  Nader stated:

     "People are really upset about where corporate globalization, one-sided trade treaties, and costly foreign wars have taken our country.  Working Americans who have lost their jobs can stay at home in November and cost the Democrats elections as they did in 2004..."

He added that few differences separate Democrats from "the most craven Republican Party in history", and the latest tax credit package will only benefit the big corporations that have outsourced production to China and India.  He also encouraged President Obama to raise the federal minimum wage to $9.50.

Nader even went so far as to praise former President Ronald Reagan as a model of conviction, steadfastness, and positive vision, despite his support of big business and a very weak economy in the early '80s. 

IVP Donate

These fair-minded critiques are badly needed in today's partisan-fueled political arena.  Both parties have significantly disappointed their respective bases over the last ten years, and unless internal reform is enacted, they can expect more and more of their once-loyal followers to register as Independents.  But, maybe that's exactly what the Doctor ordered for the "two-headed, one-party monster". 

Latest articles

CA capitol building dome with flags.
Why is CA Senator Mike McGuire Trying to Kill the Legal Cannabis Industry?
California’s legal cannabis industry is under mounting pressure, and in early June, state lawmakers and the governor appeared poised to help. A bill to freeze the state’s cannabis excise tax at 15% sailed through the State Assembly with a unanimous 74-0 vote. The governor’s office backed the plan. And legal cannabis businesses, still struggling to compete with unregulated sellers and mounting operating costs, saw a glimmer of hope....
03 Jul, 2025
-
7 min read
I voted buttons
After First RCV Election, Charlottesville Voters Back the Reform: 'They Get It, They Like It, They Want to Do It Again'
A new survey out of Charlottesville, Virginia, shows overwhelming support for ranked choice voting (RCV) following the city’s first use of the system in its June Democratic primary for City Council. Conducted one week after the election, the results found that nearly 90% of respondents support continued use of RCV....
03 Jul, 2025
-
3 min read
Crowd in Time Square.
NYC Exit Survey: 96% of Voters Understood Their Ranked Choice Ballots
An exit poll conducted by SurveyUSA on behalf of the nonprofit better elections group FairVote finds that ranked choice voting (RCV) continues to be supported by a vast majority of voters who find it simple, fair, and easy to use. The findings come in the wake of the city’s third use of RCV in its June 2025 primary elections....
01 Jul, 2025
-
6 min read