Do people overrate how liberal and progressive today is compared to other times?

[Clark Park]

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

I view both religion and sexuality as the most private of all matters. But I am as disappointed in the LGBT contingent's willingness to join the Democrats' coalition of dysfunctional losers as I am dismayed by the Religious Right's long-standing tactic of simple answers for simple minds ...

As long as the GOP slavishly panders to the "Religious Right" (i.e. evangelical conservative Christians like Huckabee and Santorum) there is no way the LGBT community ... or the Jewish community for that matter! ... will embrace the Republican Party.

There is no reason why gays, Jews, Asian-Americans, African-Americans, folks in the teaching and/or creative professions (all traditional Democrat voters) could not embrace more libertarian principals including smaller government and respecting the 2nd Amendment. It is the GOP that is driving them into the arms of the Democrats.

[The Postman]

Originally Posted by spicymeatball

It seems like there's too much focus on sexual issues like abortion and gay marriage and not enough on things that matter more, like people being able to make a living and ecological stewardship. Pretty disappointing.

I agree, these wedge issues make for interesting discussion but they're ignoring the big issues that affect most people. I don't think a piece of paper saying two men or women are officially recognised matters much if the Earth is a polluted, uninhabitable wasteland. Talk about priorities (or lack of)...

[2nd trick op]

Originally Posted by Clark Park

As long as the GOP slavishly panders to the "Religious Right" (i.e. evangelical conservative Christians like Huckabee and Santorum) there is no way the LGBT community ... or the Jewish community for that matter! ... will embrace the Republican Party.

There is no reason why gays, Jews, Asian-Americans, African-Americans, folks in the teaching and/or creative professions (all traditional Democrat voters) could not embrace more libertarian principals including smaller government and respecting the 2nd Amendment. It is the GOP that is driving them into the arms of the Democrats.

I agree with your point, but have to point out that the so-called "mainstream" media are delighted to provide an ideologue like Santorum, (who is not representative of the majority of voters who hold to a conservative economic stance) with center stage. The unfortunate fact is that with the still-substantial contingent of Democratic voters with a limited grasp of economics, the Religious Right is a "captive embarrassment" that the GOP party pros are unwilling to jettison.

Mike Huckabee, however, hardly qualifies as a raving Bible-thumper, nor do the majority of his backers; it;s the "spin doctors" who seek to portray all Christians as knee-jerk reactionaries,