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Searching for political traditions

We're looking for the Republican Party. They have been missing now for several years. We fear it has been kidnapped. Seems a new entity called The Tea Party has infiltrated the traditional Republican Party, taken over its leadership and eviscerat...

We're looking for the Republican Party. They have been missing now for several years.

We fear it has been kidnapped. Seems a new entity called The Tea Party has infiltrated the traditional Republican Party, taken over its leadership and eviscerated the thinking of traditional Republicans.

Republicans have always been a "go slow, plan ahead, think things over before taking action" people. There is much to be said for this philosophy, but it seems to be gone now.

Can you help us relocate this lost relic? They were very supportive of military might, but quite short on domestic programs. But they would move toward the center on most ideas.

Yes, we used to have spirited debates on many issues! There could be loud haranguing and some back-room dealings, but now, with the absence of reasonable thought and reflection, those days seem gone. We long for its return. Shouting and finger pointing without much thoughtful consideration of other points of view seems to be today's order.

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We have lost a valuable resource to a new order of Republicans. What a tragedy!

In past days, Congress constituted a great number of wise members. The Everett Dirksens, the Sam Rayburns, the Hubert Humphreys and the Mark Hatfields often had wide ranges of ideas and opinions, but they worked together to achieve a unity.

They respected one another. Their disagreements didn't make them disagreeable toward one another. And regardless of who the President was, he was acknowledged as the leader of this nation and respected as such. We don't see much of that anymore, either. No one shouted disrespect at the President publicly or called him a liar when he spoke before the Congress.

Can you help us find the lost Republicans? They were such decent people.

Since the disappearance of the Republican Party, our legislatures have been in turmoil at all levels of government. Why, the entire state of Minnesota was shut down because both parties refused to move toward the center of a political spectrum.

Finally, the Democratic governor, Mark Dayton, did so, rescuing the state from that collapse caused by those who refused to work together. Yes, we miss the Republicans of former days. We think they still exist, probably in small groups and in remote areas. But they haven't been heard from for a long time. Their voice of moderation has been stilled. We are certain they have been kidnapped. We hope they have not been destroyed. Will you help us find them? We thank you for your help.

Rod Broding

Battle Lake

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