Forums >Off the Beaten Path>Why Is the Republican Field So Extreme?
What if a non-liberal had started the thread? What if it was sincere and not part of some leftist plot to take away your rights? What if there were people who didn't actually take sides in elections before they even knew who the candidates were? Would the topic be worthy of discussion then? At any rate, take a deep breath. Everything will be okay.
What if a non-liberal had started the thread? What if it was sincere and not part of some leftist plot to take away your rights? What if there were people who didn't actually take sides in elections before they even knew who the candidates were? Would the topic be worthy of discussion then?
At any rate, take a deep breath. Everything will be okay.
Gee thanks Mike. What if we saw you wearing an ARod Yankees uniform. Are we to believe you are now a sincere Yankee supporter based on your years of history and posting? Probably not.
I don't recall where I was worried about leftisits taking away my rights but then again I probably am one of those types who clings to my guns and religion so I will likely be ok there without your efforts to reduce my liberites.
The position posted by/in the OP implies that a side has already been taken.
Lots of topics open to discussion which don't offend my delicate sensibilities. But I do appreciate the patronizing tone you offered as opposed to any concrete rebuttal. That in itself goes to the heart of the matter of the discussions especially when political on this board. Don't engage but rather impugn.
Let me ask you this:
1) have you actually read the platforms of the current group in the primaries and I'll let you stick to the really viable candidates and not the fringes? Have you read some of their interviews? Looked at their records? Or do you just get your information in snippets from Big 3, CNN, MSNBC, FOX, NPR, Boston Globe, NYT and such (I'm not casting aspersions at these media outlets just listing the popular players) Full disclosure - I've only researched four to my comfort - Perry, Bachman, Romney, Cain but will continue my education process)
2) Why does Perry scare people so much? He is a federalist - are enhanced state's rights not a good thing? What scares you so much about Bachman - is fiscal prudence such a bad thing? Why believe Romney is boring? Is it because he has actually ran/managed something. BTW - his Romneycare issue in MA does not disqualify him for me since my personal belief is that you need some who tried and learned from errors and mistakes to possibly determine a better way forward (think Edison and the light bulb quip).
3) It seems the social issues are always the part that gets people frantic and for good reason but in the last 40 years have we not advanced in these areas and not due to politicians but rather by the people making their wishes known and affecting change locally? Looks to me like someone is seeing the glass half full. Real change takes time and hard work and instant gratification and quick fixes of today's culture aren't compatible.
So save the parental tone and insinuation of a higher positional for someone else. If you have something to say, have the courage of your convictions to say it straight forward and defend it.
"He conquers who endures" - Persius "Every workout should have a purpose. Every purpose should link back to achieving a training objective." - Spaniel
http://ncstake.blogspot.com/
not bad for mile 25
I don't think most people look to the President to be a moral leader.
Disagree. Moral leadership is the ultimate purpose of government. We vested our government with its moral authority by way of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Bill of Rights, etc.
Not to be confused with religion in government.
Jeff, thanks for flexing you 'xplainin' muscle.
Jeff - this is a good post and I have one question (serious). How can electing and depending on a central large government (DC) really address the issues in a your community? Isn't that best left to those in that community. One of the fundamental differences is the smaller government argument. What many have interpreted as simply slashing the federal government size is only a part of that coin. The other part is to take the power, money and influence away from the central and provide it to the local (states, communities, etc.) so you can solve problems and keep the central government working on issues germane to the entire country. Government in itself isn't bad but look at the diverse melting pot of our country. What works for TN may not work for CA or MA or IN? Consider it micro-management. Once you move power closer to the people, you can (I believe) affect decisions that are courageous and will change things for the better.
Philosophically, I am a pragmatist. I believe that the truest ideas are the ones that work best to solve problems. I voted for Obama because of his vision of American democracy as a problem-oriented and moral activity driven by individuals within communities. The activity of democracy requires two fundamental attitudes. It requires an attitude of tragic hope: the belief that despite present injustices, the present can be endured and addressed on behalf of a future to come. Second, it requires a melioristic belief in our power to make courageous decisions that will change the situation on behalf of the good.
C-R,
I love that you accuse me of using a patronizing tone after all of your worthwhile contributions to this thread, mostly consisting of drive-by posts to lob epithets such as "the liberals" as though it's a given that the phrase is an insult.
Believe it or not I don't have a dog in this fight. I would prefer the Republicans put forward an inspiring candidate and I hold out slim hope that they eventually will.
To answer your question: I know Romney very well. I've done some homework on Perry and Bachman. And, yeah, I do tend to let the main stream media do some of the vetting for me, particularly eight months or whatever before the primary. It's simply a more efficient use of my time than doing extensive research on a dozen or so people who will be gone before the New Hampshire primary anyway.
Oh, I initially thought Perry was a Federalist too but now I suspect he is just pretending. We will see.
Runners run
>> What scares you so much about Bachman - is fiscal prudence such a bad thing?
No, it scares me that she comes across as nuts.
>> Why does Perry scare people so much?
Long-time Texan (with Native Texan step-family, some of which liked Bush ok and think Perry is rad). Because he is a gigantic bully who comes across as pretty darned nuts. And his stated views on certain things. His federalism is a cover.
BTW, there are certain scenarios where being a bully can be downright useful. Then there are the rest.
Would scheduling a speech the same night as the other parties debate be "useful" bullying?
On a tangent....Jeff's blog contains a recent thought provoking post on the use of this word "useful".
His federalism is a cover.
Also, it is a complete lie. He has signed a pledge to involve the federal government in a state issue.
So, first off, he doesn't really tell the truth or doesn't know what federalism is.
Second, he is supporting, for the first time in U.S. history, to amend the constitution to take away rights from people. To me, it shows he does not care about the spirit of the constitution. It shows that, to some degree, he maybe finds it useful, but not controlling. It also shows me that, in a time of economic and military strain, he is going to meander off and create side issues. Have you ever worked at a place where the head honcho holds a meeting to discuss, I dunno, the amount of creamer people are using up? Do you think this is a leader with a vision? Do you think your career is safe on that ship?
I am very far from deciding who, if any, among the Republicans is better than President Obama, but I am hoping I will have a difficult decision to make.
"If you have the fire, run..." -John Climacus
Sorry Mike. Some of us have jobs that only allow us infrequent postings. Next time I will look for one that will allow me complete access IRT.
One follow-up. What kind of Republican candidate would get you inspired (be specific now)
SRL - you alluded to Bachman being nuts a couple of times. How so? I know some of the main stream media snippets but Big O and Joe Biden have had several of those gaffes as well. Where is the body of proof of "nuts"? Also, Perry is a bully has been said several times. What did he do to bully people? And aren't most politicians bullies of varying degrees? Why is he so bad or polished at it?
Mike and SRL - I do agree on the Federalist thing with Perry. I'm not convinced yet. It's easy to say but proof of conviction is required.
Prince of Fatness
I blame coffee for the following:
Hopefully you didn't think that I was picking on or labeling you. My comment was a (maybe poor) attempt at humor.
I thought that your post here was good read. Thanks. In a way I envy the fact that you bought into the hope and change that Obama offered. I'm a little too cynical at times (think that shows in my posts, heh?) to make that leap of faith. I do believe that most politicians go in with the best of intentions, but once elected it's like they get sucked into a vortex and just end up as one of the herd. I just don't see an environment where one person can make a difference. I wish that I could change that line of thinking but I always seem to make it back there.
Not at it at all.
>> Would scheduling a speech the same night as the other parties debate be "useful" bullying?
I was talking about Rick Perry. "A firm believer in intelligent design", btw.
One thing I *will* give Mr Perry thumbs up for... he is on record as opposing the dumb ass literal wall being constructed between Mexico and the US (see: maginot line)
I am not going to spend any effort on explaining why I think Ms Bachman is nuts. I've seen enough. And I don't think she's gonna be the elephant candidate anyway, so whatever.
Sorry Mike. Some of us have jobs that only allow us infrequent postings.
I wouldn't know, I just mooch off government programs and use the free internet that they provide me.
I'm glad my tax dollars are supporting you in some way then.
Would you like some of that free government cheese too. I have an address you can visit for that.
I missed this and I don't have time for a lengthy response since my attention is required elsewhere (standing in line for my government handout, probably.)
But for starters I'd like one who is not a phony.
I missed this and I don't have time for a lengthy response since my attention is required elsewhere (standing in line for my government handout, probably.) But for starters I'd like one who is not a phony.
So you are getting smart phones from the government now so you can post on RA. Excellent.
Define not phony? Since Big O seems to have given one vision of himself in the general election and certainly has not followed-up after being elected. That seems phony to me. Generally politicians tell you what you want to hear to get your vote. They are designed to be chameleons? No? So what level of phony is ok with you?