[quote]rainjack wrote:
McCain is a shining example of a moderate Democrat. He should just switch parties. Heck - he spends most of his time on the left side of aisle anyway.[/quote]
He plays to the media a bit, campaign finance reform was misguided, McCain has a few other problems. But how exactly is he a moderate Democrat? Despite the smear campaign in South Carolina, he stood by the party and the president, both in 2000 and 2004.
And for that matter, how exactly is the President a “conservative” in any real sense of the world? Fiscally? I don’t think anyone in their right mind would argue that. Socially? Maybe, in terms of sometimes pandering to the worst elements of evangelical Christianity (Bob Jones, Jerry Falwell, etc.). National security? Nope. He refuses to increase the size of the Army, downplays the threat of China, has no strategy for Iraq (anyone with even the slightest interest in the war should spend 8 bucks and read Andrew Krepinevich’s article in Foreign Affairs this month) and has given free rein to a man anyone should see is the worst defense secretary since McNamara. What’s left?
A “conservative” in any real sense of the word, I meant.
And I sound like a McCain apologist, which definitely wasn’t the point of the thread. He has his problems, as I noted, but as others have said, I’m not the only one who wished he’d rode the NH primary to victory in 2000.
[quote]Wreckless wrote:
GDollars37 wrote:
Do you miss Ronald Reagan as much as I do?
It’s Clinton you should be missing. Remember the good ol’ days when all you had to worry about where the stains on a blue dress? When the econmy was up? when there was a surplus? when the US was leading the UN? and you had allies all over the world?
Remember that?[/quote]
There are a lot of crispy kids down in Waco who don’t miss Clinton at all.
I look at plenty of things that the republicans do and I’m not at all happy. Then I look across the isle and think about what the liberal democrats want to do and I suddenly become very happy with the republican party. I guess it’s a matter of perspective.
I think the current adminstration is atrocious. And I’ve felt that from the beginning. I also much preferred McCain to Bush. At heart, I prefer moderate (not liberal) Democrats stances on many issues. I have voted Republican and I have voted democrat. But the Democratic party is such a mess. I can’t even tell what they stand for beyond the opposite of what Bush stands for. It’s a sorry state of affairs. I would vote for a quality Republican over what I’m seeing from the Democrat right now unless one of them can miraculously get their act together and somehow articulate a set of sound policies that I agree with. Overall, politics is too much about money and power. There are politicians who care about policy and the people they claim to represent, but they are the minority. It’s always been that way (to an extent) but not perhaps as much as it is currently. The statement, ‘power corrupts’ is remarkably apt. It seems that once people get in a position of power they feel above the law and free to pursue their interests with careless disregard to what’s legal, moral, best for the country-and no thought for how their misdeeds will reflect on their party and politics in general.
[quote]ZEB wrote:
I look at plenty of things that the republicans do and I’m not at all happy. Then I look across the isle and think about what the liberal democrats want to do and I suddenly become very happy with the republican party. I guess it’s a matter of perspective.[/quote]
What do the liberal democrats want to do? And who are they even? Howard Dean and Kennedy are the only ones I can think of. Hillary may be liberal at heart but she’ll never, ever, in a million years be able to pursue a liberal agenda if she has any hope of being elected. As far as I can tell, the Democrats haven’t expressed what they want to do at all. Maybe if they did it would be better and we’d have a logical and sound alternative to current ideas.
[quote]Wreckless wrote:
GDollars37 wrote:
Do you miss Ronald Reagan as much as I do?
It’s Clinton you should be missing. Remember the good ol’ days when all you had to worry about where the stains on a blue dress? When the econmy was up? when there was a surplus? when the US was leading the UN? and you had allies all over the world?
Remember that?[/quote]
Isn’t it interesting how we conveniently forget the fact that the companies leading the economy during the Clinton administration were companies that were born during the Reagan days.
And what good are allies who are only your friends during the good times? When the times get tough, then you know who your real allies are.
So who would you all (I guess I asking the “disaffected Rebuplicans,” like myself, who were addressed in the title of the thread) like to see nominated in 2008?
I would say Giuliani as my first choice, McCain as my second. I don’t think Giuliani will ever happen, though. McCain, maybe.
[quote]ZEB wrote:
I look at plenty of things that the republicans do and I’m not at all happy. Then I look across the isle and think about what the liberal democrats want to do and I suddenly become very happy with the republican party. I guess it’s a matter of perspective.[/quote]
That’s the thing. I’d normally agree with you, but on many issues (especially fiscal) it’s hard to imagine the Democrats being any worse than the Republicans (see the article from Cato I posted). I couldn’t imagine voting for virtually any prominent Democrat, Obama talks a good game but he’s just to the right of Mao, but letting a complacent GOP continue to dominate two, if not three, of the branches of government isn’t doing the country any good.
[quote]Damici wrote:
So who would you all (I guess I asking the “disaffected Rebuplicans,” like myself, who were addressed in the title of the thread) like to see nominated in 2008?
I would say Giuliani as my first choice, McCain as my second. I don’t think Giuliani will ever happen, though. McCain, maybe.[/quote]
Not a strong field. Allen, Giuliani, Frist, Romney…not a big fan of any of them. McCain, probably, who I like but not as much as I did 5 years ago.
But this administration has over three years left. That’s plenty of time to increase the deficit, ignore energy issues, sanction torture in the armed forces, and lose the war in Iraq, on the home front if not on the ground. That’s what’s worrying.
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Professor X wrote:
jsbrook wrote:
What do the liberal democrats want to do?
I am wondering what the answer is to this myself. Anyone in fear of what the democrats will do should at least have a concept of what that is.
Mandatory gay marriages.
Mandatory abortions.
Raise taxes.[/quote]
Mandatory, as in a legal option? Taxes are a problem, but what gays and pregnant women do is no one’s business but their own. Like I heard someone say, let God be the final judge.
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Professor X wrote:
jsbrook wrote:
What do the liberal democrats want to do?
I am wondering what the answer is to this myself. Anyone in fear of what the democrats will do should at least have a concept of what that is.
Mandatory gay marriages.
Mandatory abortions.
Raise taxes.[/quote]
Those are three pretty good issues to oppose. If you were to throw in one more for good measure it would be soft on terrorism. How many times were we attacked by terrorists during the Clinton administration? And what was our response? Nada!
The country is moving away from liberalism for a very good reason: it doesn’t work!
One poster wanted to know who these liberal democrats were. Well…how about everyone who ran for President in the last democratic primary? And finally the two who ended up heading the ticket. Do you think John Kerry and John Edwards are moderates? The only modeat democrat is John McCain (and he’s a republican
In order to win the democratic nomination you have to prove that you are a liberal! It’s actually a great thing for the country as anyone who can win the democratic nomination (in most cases) cannot win the general election! Therefore the democrats disqualify themselves right out of the gate.
Naturally the republicans are not perfect. There are plenty of issues that I simply disagree with them on. However, as I have stated, when I compare them to the liberal democrats they start to look really good!
[quote]Professor X wrote:
jsbrook wrote:
What do the liberal democrats want to do?
I am wondering what the answer is to this myself. Anyone in fear of what the democrats will do should at least have a concept of what that is.[/quote]
Based on the last 60 years, it has been:
to tax and spend,
to take the responsibilities of parenthood away fron the parents,
to ensure that every child from the 5th grade on has all the condoms they need.
to make sure that if you think 2+2=5, there is teachers their to make you feel good about your answer.
to create an entire generation of welfare dependents.
to villify anyone that is wealthy - UNLESS they are liberal.
to villify and punish “evil corporations”
Want examples? Look at California (specifically the Bay Area), and look at NYC when shit head Dinkins was Mayor. It’s really not that much of a mystery what the far left stands for. Well - that is if you don;t have your head stuck in the sand.
[quote]GDollars37 wrote:
Speaking as someone who’s voted for Bush twice, worked on a Senate campaign, and been a Republican since I was 11 and H.W. Bush was running against Clinton, I’m finding it harder and harder to defend this administration, and Congress for that matter, to friends and to myself. Katrina doesn’t bug me that much, that’s a local failure more than anything else, but the military and financial mismanagement at the highest levels of government is staggering. From the failure to get serious in Iraq to the unequalled profligacy (although that’s more Congress) of once-fiscal conservatives, it’s been three or more years of growing disaster. The one-note Democrats are not an answer of course; maybe McCain is? Do any of you other forum Republicans (particularly some of the more serious ones) ever find yourselves thinking this way, or are you all just content to rally around the (Bush) flag?[/quote]
How dare you question our leaders!
Don’t you know that when you question the Iraq war, the terrorists win.
[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Professor X wrote:
jsbrook wrote:
What do the liberal democrats want to do?
I am wondering what the answer is to this myself. Anyone in fear of what the democrats will do should at least have a concept of what that is.
Mandatory gay marriages.
Mandatory abortions.
Raise taxes.[/quote]
Well, I’m guessing that this is sarcasm or a joke. If not, please tell me one politician whose advocated mandatory abortions or madatory gay marriages. what does that even mean-madatory abortion? The majority of Democrats, I believe, don’t even support gay marriage beyond a civil union. Raising taxes, well-I don’t actually agree with it though I’m fine with where they are now.
