By Alexis Russell

08/28/2008

We’ve previously reported on the Republican Party’s platform which contains language that’s decided not in favor of online gambling, as we’ve seen legislative evidence of in the past.  It seems they thought the general public would agree with them, but quickly found that wasn’t the case when the Republican Party launched a website aimed at getting citizens’ opinions on their platform.  So they took the anti-gambling language out, for a single day.

                So why did they strike the language from the platform only to put it right back in?  And why did the concern of so many voter voices last a slim 24 hours?  Isn’t that flip-flopping to the extreme which they have criticized the Democratic Party for repeatedly?  Many of us have been left with those questions, especially the rebuffed Poker Players Alliance who led the way in taking a stand against the party’s platform.

                What was a great step forward between Republicans and the online poker community has turned into a downward plummet.  The recent actions can only add to the worry that outside influences of a minority within the Republican Party might mean the end to a pastime enjoyed by many that is far from the dangers that they allege in their platform language.  Online poker players are left discouraged that the Republican Party can be so easily swayed by special interest groups.

                The Republican Party has done nothing but hurt their standing with the massive online poker community.  Removing the language only to put it right back in again was nothing but proof that they are choosing to ignore public opinion on the matter and that we are going to be hard pressed to get them to consider another point of view.  The concern shouldn’t lie solely in the online poker community as this is another instance of the Republican Party attempting to reduce our freedom of choice.

One thing is for sure, considering the surprise of the Republican Party at the overwhelming response from people who play poker online they obviously don’t understand the industry.  They have no idea how many U.S. citizens enjoy playing online and consider it a freedom of choice that shouldn’t be taken away.  At least one person on the Republican Party side realized that for at least one day.