Liberal Republican Snowe to retire! (president, Kerry, education, brainwash)
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I guess I don't see the D's as tied to the center, or automatically assume that the far left end will defect the party. The D's did have a multi generational majority, but the Reagan revolution was only possible because they pushed it too far left over time. As you stated--the only reason the D's are centrist now is because of attempts to negotiate and work with the increasingly right wing GOP. I agree that the far left isn't as powerful, and doesn't have the same pull as the far right, but I think there are lots of traditional liberals--not radical left wingers--who will move the party away from the center if they no longer have a reason to stay there. My hope is that, rather than moderate R's going D, we kick the extremists out of the GOP and regain some sense of balance and room for moderates again. The GOP needs to move back toward the center. I'm afraid that if we don't, the pendulum will swing back too far in the opposite direction.
Although I'm a R, I think we need two strong, balanced parties in this country to come up with the best policies--hashing things out and compromise is normally a good thing.
Absolutely agree with you and the need for a two party system. I've always kept the notion of "God help this country if the far right ever get everything they want and God help this country if the far left get everything they want." Our country only moves forward when in the middle of the road.
Olympia Snowe was considered a stalwart Republican conservative through her long career in the Senate. She never changed- her party tilted under her feet to the far right, then started sliding off the edge.
After serving 26 years, who can blame her? There simply is no room for moderation in the Republican party anymore. They have let their extremists take over, and have left their most faithful members behind in doing so.
Olympia Snowe was considered a stalwart Republican conservative through her long career in the Senate. She never changed- her party tilted under her feet to the far right, then started sliding off the edge.
After serving 26 years, who can blame her? There simply is no room for moderation in the Republican party anymore. They have let their extremists take over, and have left their most faithful members behind in doing so.
Another big thing is they're losing the womens' vote as well with their current extreme rhetoric and actions. I wouldn't doubt for a second the Blunt amendment going through the Senate was the straw which broke the camel's back for her. You can't field a party by chasing away 53% of the electorate.
I think that a very large number of Americans are center-left and center-right. The Republican party has let an emotional, vocal minority bring the representations of the part far from center-right. I really don't think there's a similar group of people that could pull the Democrats as a party far from center-left. I really just don't see it happening, ever. And I'm not too sure it happened prior to Reagan either.
I agree with you on social issues, but not on economic issues. Although I don't think liberals have a powerful social equivalent to the evangelicals I do think that liberal democrats would be very comfortable shifting the party to the left economically. When Reagan took office, the top individual marginal tax rate was over 70%--big government wasn't a joke. The problem the GOP has right now is that they're not much better--saying "no new taxes ever" isn't a rational response, especially when an economic discussion is replaced with debates about birth control and trans vaginal ultrasounds Both parties need to take a long hard look at how we rebuild a climate conducive to small business and manufacturing growth in this country--I think that's the only thing that's going to get us out of this financial mess long term. That's why I think we need strong moderates on both sides to keep the party focused in the center economically.
Quote:
Originally Posted by banjomike
Olympia Snowe was considered a stalwart Republican conservative through her long career in the Senate. She never changed- her party tilted under her feet to the far right, then started sliding off the edge.
After serving 26 years, who can blame her? There simply is no room for moderation in the Republican party anymore. They have let their extremists take over, and have left their most faithful members behind in doing so.
I think a lot of older moderate R's are in the same position. The problem is that if you leave the party it doesn't get better, so I think it's important to stay and work from within to bring the party back into balance.
Another big thing is they're losing the womens' vote as well with their current extreme rhetoric and actions. I wouldn't doubt for a second the Blunt amendment going through the Senate was the straw which broke the camel's back for her. You can't field a party by chasing away 53% of the electorate.
The vote on the Blunt Amendment will be public knowledge. I say, get them on the record.
Lepage won because of a strong left of center Independent.
Exactly, and even with one liberal and one center-left candidate (both of them good candidates without any overwhelming flaws or gaffes) LePage still just barely won. There is no way a conservative Republican will win a two-way race in Maine, at least not this election cycle or in the foreseeable future.
I agree with you on social issues, but not on economic issues. Although I don't think liberals have a powerful social equivalent to the evangelicals I do think that liberal democrats would be very comfortable shifting the party to the left economically. When Reagan took office, the top individual marginal tax rate was over 70%--big government wasn't a joke. The problem the GOP has right now is that they're not much better--saying "no new taxes ever" isn't a rational response, especially when an economic discussion is replaced with debates about birth control and trans vaginal ultrasounds Both parties need to take a long hard look at how we rebuild a climate conducive to small business and manufacturing growth in this country--I think that's the only thing that's going to get us out of this financial mess long term. That's why I think we need strong moderates on both sides to keep the party focused in the center economically.
I think a lot of older moderate R's are in the same position. The problem is that if you leave the party it doesn't get better, so I think it's important to stay and work from within to bring the party back into balance.
I'm not allowed the keep repping you so I'll give you a rep here.
I hope that the GOP falls off the cliff, and I hope they lose big in November. If they do, there will finally be a reckoning within the party (long overdue) and they will start to move back towards the center and rationality. You see it in many of the R posters here - many have just veered off so far to the right (and think it's what America wants), that they're really not seeing the forest for the trees. As in, sure, ideological "purity" is great, but the more people you say are not "right-wing" enough (like Snowe), the fewer votes you're going to get. This whole conservative pissing match is broken because there is very little room on the right left to move to. I mean, you have a candidate like Santorum! Rick Santorum!! And he's led the pack!!! In 2012!!!! A guy who rallies against contraception, thinks that women should make the best situation of out babies conceived from rape, thinks higher education makes people snobbish, and believes that the devil is roaming America!
And yet, the other candidates are still trying to out-conservative him. It's almost like a parody sketch from SNL. It's surreal.
So when Romney wins the nomination (and he will), he'll be so far to the right that he'll have no chance of winning (personally, I see him as John Kerry II).
The Dems DO have moderates and dissension within their ranks - witness the blue dog Dems who will vote to defeat Dem legislation. The Conservative pissing match has weeded moderation out of the GOP - like Snowe.
So I hope the GOP does lose big, and I hope they have a day of reckoning. The party needs it. The voters need it. The country needs it. Because once we have two rational parties fighting for votes, offering real solutions to the country's problems (instead of mere conservative-pleasing platitudes, as have been so common in these primaries. I mean, 999? WTF? Who rationally thinks that that would EVER work without completely bankrupting the country?), we will finally start digging ourselves out of this mess.
As happy as many conservatives seem to be about this, I think the odds of her replacement being more conservative are about 1 in 100. This is an almost certain Democratic pick-up, and it's a huge blow to our chances of taking the Senate. I personally am more conservative than Snowe, but I know I could at least count on one vote from her - a vote for McConnell as majority leader. And I know, you guys mentioned you don't like McConnel either. Does Harry Reid sound better?
Very well said................ you really wonder if some of these guys even understand the basic fundamentals of how are government works. I am as sick and tired of all these lame limp wristed moderate liberal republicans as anybody, but like you said , you are not going to get a Good Conservative in that seat.
02-29-2012, 09:57 PM
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n/a posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by silas777
Very well said................ you really wonder if some of these guys even understand the basic fundamentals of how are government works. I am as sick and tired of all these lame limp wristed moderate liberal republicans as anybody, but like you said , you are not going to get a Good Conservative in that seat.
The problem is that they live in a reality-free bubble, surrounded by other people who agree with them. It gives the false impression that their ideas are much more popular than they actually are.
Another big thing is they're losing the womens' vote as well with their current extreme rhetoric and actions. I wouldn't doubt for a second the Blunt amendment going through the Senate was the straw which broke the camel's back for her. You can't field a party by chasing away 53% of the electorate.
If you add Greens, LGBTs, Hispanics other than Cubans, Blacks, Mixed Race, Asians, College Educated, Unbanites, and Native Americans to that you are taking possible landslide (>58%). If you nominate a ******* like Santorum or Gingrich or Paul or Willard for a candidate we might be looking at another 1972. Tricky Dick pulled it off so why not?
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Both parties need to take a long hard look at how we rebuild a climate conducive to small business and manufacturing growth in this country--I think that's the only thing that's going to get us out of this financial mess long term. That's why I think we need strong moderates on both sides to keep the party focused in the center economically.
