The 2010 gubernatorial race has been a nasty and dirty fight. It has become more than just a state election; it has become a battleground for liberal vs. conservative ideals this election season. The Democratic candidate, Andrew Cuomo, is facing off against Republican candidate Carl Paladino, who has the support of the Tea Party movement. According to the latest polls, Cuomo is firmly in the lead. New York state is heavily influenced by the people in the heavily populated areas of the state, which are overwhelmingly Democratic.
This is because people in urban areas can see the negative effects of the issues Tea Party supporters cling too. Whereas lax regulation on guns and banks and low spending on public infrastructure might be beneficial in a rural area, in a city, these things become disastrous, as can be seen by everyday events. Gun violence, along with irresponsible banks and low regulation by the government, creates a very hostile environment for New Yorkers.
This is why for a majority of New Yorkers, the Republican position makes no sense, and even seems hypocritical. Tea Party supporters claim that they hate big banks and Wall Street yet their candidates clearly support policies that would make it much easier for these groups to abuse the system. Like all fringe radical movements, they seem blind to any criticism and shut down every attempt at honest discussion with buzz words and key phrases that really don’t mean anything.
Whenever their positions or lack of real ideas is challenged they yell out “Don’t tread on me!”, “Down with big government spending!”, or “Liberals are socialists!” They don’t really understand the true meaning and history of these phrases, and it is insulting that they take iconic American symbolism like the Gadsden flag, which is the coiled snake on a yellow background, the phrase “Don’t Tread On Me” and events like the Boston Tea Party and twist them into symbolism that matches their extreme and radical views.
It is not unlike the radical Islamists, who take religion and do much of the same twisting and misconstruing to convince people to support insane and violent positions.
This election day, it is clear that most New Yorkers will choose the Democrats, not because they are perfect but because they are not extreme. Republicans of old were intelligent and respectable candidates all worth voting for, who honestly did want to help the country and make it a better place for all.
New Yorkers elected two Republican mayors in a row. However, this Neo-Conservative movement that is so extreme and contradicts itself at every opportunity gets very little support from New Yorkers who directly know how positions translate into reality.