Georgia, moving towards a bluer (more democrat) state? (Atlanta, Decatur: schools, income)

[south-to-west]

Originally Posted by neil0311

The black community has blindly followed the Democrats for 40 years, since the Kennedy/Johnson era, when it was the Democrats who pushed through civil rights legislation like the voting rights act. The problem is that many in the black community don't take the time to think through the effects many failed liberal policies have had. Many of those policies have hurt that community instead of helping it. It's also interesting that many blacks (especially southern blacks) say they don't agree with the social policies of the moveon.org types but continue to vote for them in near monolithic numbers.

Well Barry Goldwater's opposition to the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Southern Strategy, segregationist's Strom Thurmond's defection to the GOP, Reagan's presidential campaign kick-off speech in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and the Willie Horton ads of Bush Sr's campaign have been really effective in keeping blacks from voting for Republicans.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Merin

This is insulting. Many black people vote democrat because of their platform. Additionally its your opinion that liberal policies have failed the African American community, but others may feel differently. Finally no one party is perfect, there are many people who vote republican who do not agree everything the party tends to stand for.

Not sure why you feel insulted because I stated my opinion and some demonstrable facts. The fact is that in recent years, black voters in the US have voted in monolithic numbers for liberal Democrats.

Sure some people who vote Republican don't agree with all that many Republicans stand for, and I'm one of those people, but not sure how that's relevant here. Many people vote for Democrats too and don't agree with all of their platform. What is relevant is that unlike many other demographic groups that split their vote, there seems to be a lockstep vote among black voters for liberal Democrats.

Do these votes accurately represent the people who cast them? Are they cast out of political pressure or because "community leaders" say that voting any other way is bad?

[Merin]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Not sure why you feel insulted because I stated my opinion and some demonstrable facts. The fact is that in recent years, black voters in the US have voted in monolithic numbers for liberal Democrats.

Sure some people who vote Republican don't agree with all that many Republicans stand for, and I'm one of those people, but not sure how that's relevant here. Many people vote for Democrats too and don't agree with all of their platform. What is relevant is that unlike many other demographic groups that split their vote, there seems to be a lockstep vote among black voters for liberal Democrats.

Do these votes accurately represent the people who cast them? Are they cast out of political pressure or because "community leaders" say that voting any other way is bad?

It’s your opinion that certain policies have hurt the African American community, yet may in our community are in disagreement as shown by our voting trends. Stating that a great percentage of the African American community vote democratic is a fact; however proposing we as a community vote democratic without contemplating the democratic platform( as it relates to us) is insulting.
You state that many blacks don’t agree with the social policies yet vote democratic anyway. As a result I advised that many people vote along party lines without agreeing with all of their policies.
In regards to “political pressure” from leaders, again this applies to many communities. For example Cuban Americans and evangelical Christians.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by Merin

In regards to “political pressure” from leaders, again this applies to many communities. For example Cuban Americans and evangelical Christians.

Agreed on Cuban-Americans, but they don't live in GA in any appreciable numbers, and "evangenlical Christians" can be white or black. In fact, many blacks are very conservative in their religious beliefs but yet support liberal Democrats. That's my exact point.

[l12]

Originally Posted by neil0311

The black community has blindly followed the Democrats for 40 years, since the Kennedy/Johnson era, when it was the Democrats who pushed through civil rights legislation like the voting rights act. The problem is that many in the black community don't take the time to think through the effects many failed liberal policies have had. Many of those policies have hurt that community instead of helping it. It's also interesting that many blacks (especially southern blacks) say they don't agree with the social policies of the moveon.org types but continue to vote for them in near monolithic numbers.

It's very simple:

Black people are mostly relatively poor or at least have family members, friends, or ancestors who are poor or were poor not so long ago.

Democrats care about poor people, Republicans don't.

I wouldn't say they are the blind ones, the blind ones are the many poor white folks who continue to vote Republican for religious reasons even though nothing is really going to change in that regard (abortion, schools), when in fact on the issues that do matter and do get changed all the time the poor folk white or black are the ones getting screwed (sons dying in war, rich getting richer while poor get poorer economic policies).

[CMMom]

[quote=l12;3490743]Democrats care about poor people, Republicans don't.



OK, I'm sorry, but don't you think you might be overgeneralizing just a bit?

There are some people out there (like myself) who don't really fit in with either party, and vote Republican somewhat by default. I agree that the religious right-wing is entrenched in the Republican party, and not all of us buy into all those positions (e.g., anti-abortion, anti-stem cell research, etc...). However, I am a fiscal conservative. I work really hard for the money I earn, and would like to keep more of it!!

Here's my feeling. I totally agree with you that there are needy people out there who were born into poverty, etc..., and need a little help. However, I would like to be able to choose which charitable organizations I want to contribute my hard-earned money to. I am a big believer in education for teenage/low-income parents to prevent child abuse and neglect. I could totally get on board giving a portion of my income to contribute to that cause. But, as it stands right now, I get no say where my tax money goes.

I think that Democrats AND Republicans in Congress and the Senate spend too much money and need to tighten the belt, so to speak.

So, please reconsider your statement. Maybe you're not asking the right people the right questions in order to determine whether they are "compassionate" or not.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by CMMom

So, please reconsider your statement. Maybe you're not asking the right people the right questions in order to determine whether they are "compassionate" or not.

Yeah, you should have rephrased it. Here's one possible way you could have said it:

"Republicans can't enjoy their dinner unless they know someone else is going hungry."

[bdawk]

There is some absolutly priceless stuff in here!

"Democrats care about poor people, Republicans don't."

Are not at least some of these Republicans, the evangelical, extreminst Christians that are repeatedly mentioned? Not that I agree with all of their positions but to say they do not care for people is just not a well thought out statement.

"Personally, if you "win the game" and strike billions, it's time for a reset and you should give most of it back. I don't have an issue with some people having $10 million or so, and believe that the ability to become relatively wealthy is a good motivator (like a credit system), but I think there should be some cap since people having hundreds of millions is ridiculous and I consider it stealing and not rightfully theirs. I'd rather the US be almost completely middle class and have no poor or no extremely rich people. I learned in one of my classes that if the income of the US were distributed equally, almost everyone would make an upper middle class salary. Furthermore, I don't think it's a billionaire's right to decide how to distribute money that they have stolen in a sense from hard-working people."

I'm not sure where to start here. A cap on what I can accumulate? What incentive would there be to continue to innovate, succeeed, grow, employ more people, support more familes, all paying more taxes along the way?

It also IS the owner of the money's right to decide how he/she should spend/distrubute it. To say that is is not goes against everything that this country was built on.

I'm not sure about this one. Maybe someone can help me out here. Is there not a tax form available now, that can be filled out and sent in with whatever amount one chooses to the IRS if one felt he or she was not paying enough in taxes?

As to the original question on Blue or Red, why not purple? There have got to be better alternatives to what the two parties currently in power give us for candidates. Why not a 3rd or even a fourth party?

[Iconographer]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

If you're talking about Norherners moving here.....I think the number of red's from the North, is far greater than the blues....

....I actually think you'll see ITP, turn more red in the next 20 years.

I can't speak for fact, but I think once Dems move here, they tend to move to Conservative views once they've lived here for a while. There's a reason why it's so attractive to move here!

There's no way in Hell GA goes with a democrat in this election, just ain't gonna happen.

Many have the false impression that GA is red because of voters outside of Atlanta...the truth is that the lion's share of the red vote comes from the suburbs on the north side of the Atlanta metro area, an area considered one of the most politically conservative in the country (next to Orange Co, CA). I see GA going even more red in the near future. And it's also folly to think the typical red voter in GA is a member of the religious right...more likely, they are voting with their pocketbook, with tax reform foremost on their mind.

[BGS99]

Originally Posted by bdawk

There is some absolutly priceless stuff in here!

You must be new. Me too. Give it some time. They will grow on you.
Kind of like a puppy biting at your ankles. Sure it's annoying, but is kind of cute too.