Why I Would Vote For A Republican...

Yesterday, I had this conversation with a friend.


"Why would you vote for a Republican?"


"Lincoln was a Republican..."


"Yeah, but he was a different kind of Republican..."


And that would be my answer as well. In a recent blog I endorsed Bert Bleke for GRCC college board. Yes, I know he is a Republican endorsed by Republicans. I was a parent in East Grand Rapids under his tenure. I was a parent under his term as interim superintendent for GRPS. He was the super for Lowell and went on to fill the interim spot at Blandford Nature Center and United Way.


I think you have to look at people and not parties. I think you have to look at the trajectory of a life and see if it is pointed towards your community, your children, your values and, most of all, the future of those things. Will they be a perfect match? NO. But not because of his party affiliation. It will be so because we are all different and is that not our value as liberals, democrats, progressives, independents, etc.? Or do we only embrace difference that agrees with us?


I heartily endorse Fred Sebulske. According to the Press he is winning in the polls and that is a good thing. But there are TWO spots for the board and to choose only one spot means that someone else will fill that second spot. Who will that second person person be? Make no mistake, to not vote is to nullify the vote you did cast.


That the remaining choices are all Republicans is no accident. That they are all different is also no accident. You must judge them as people. Not so much by what they say but by what they have done and who endorses them, who pays for their passage into the race.


I will tell you that Mr. Bleke is currently running third in the polls and has little or no signage out, no FaceBook fans and you won't hear him Tweet. His endorsements are from the Press and other conservative media, community and business people. He is an old school Republican. Think Gerald Ford, Vern Ehlers, Paul Henry, the kind of men we used to send to Congress here. Men I admire. No, I did not always agree with them and I do not always agree with Mr. Bleke, he will undoubtedly side with managements, privatization and other conservative ideals.


But what are your other choices?


I am really trying to keep my blogging about being FOR something and not against, so I can equivocally say that I am FOR Fred Sebulske and Bert Bleke. 

I will let the others speak for themselves:


http://michiganfamily.org/main-votersguide/2011ComCol/GrandRapidsCommunityCollege.pdf


You will notice that Mr. Bleke and Mr. Sebulske 'chose not to respond'. Sometimes the most responsible course is to not respond. Other times? Not so much. You too can choose to not respond and allow others to vote in your stead. You can also choose to vote for only one of two spots and leave the rest to others who are well funded, endorsed and  voting in droves. Or you can choose to fill the two vacancies with those you believe will best fulfill the mission of a college that is growing at an unprecedented rate and was intended to be an institution for Public Education. For All.