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Agree as well. Social issues tied to religion in particular are poisonous on an national scale for our electability. Granted the majority of people in this country regard themselves as Christian...the moderate ones don't let that exercise a great deal of influence on how they feel about things like gay marriage or abortion. Massachusetts is one of the most Catholic states in the country and they are overwhelmingly pro choice and overwhelmingly pro gay marriage. These issues aren't going away, and we stand to be on the wrong side of history if this is a fight we continue to wage.
Same goes, as WIHS2006 said above, for the no-compromise mentality of the Tea Party. Whether or not the Tea Party is right on a particular issue is irrelevant...it's a matter of willingness to work to get stuff done. It's also a matter of professional maturity. We can't always get everything we want. It just doesn't happen. Furher, people don't elect those that they think are obstructionists. It's just not an admirable trait on the national level.
There is nothing extreme about being anti-abortion or anti-gay marriage. It doesn't even have to be religion based. Wrong side of history? WTH does that mean? So you think that compromise should include passing legislation that is harmful to our citizens just to "get stuff done"? It's not relevant to be right about an issue? Cave in anyway?
According to a study by the New York Times, 3 out of 4 self-identifying Tea Partiers were 45 or older (so 1 out of 4, are presumably under that.) The other thing was 29% overall, were 65 and older. In other notes, the male/female spread was fairly close with 59% being male and 41% being female. Tea Party Supporters: Who They Are and What They Believe - CBS News The Wikipedia entry for the Tea Party Movement has several citations that the Tea Party supporters tend more likely than Americans overall to be white, male, married, older than 45, regularly attending religious services, conservative, and to be more wealthy and have more education.
As for the point paradiseca makes, it is common theory that most Tea Partiers claim to be against welfare but do take some form of it. With it being a larger percentage that is 65 or over than under 24, it is something to think about.
The Teaparty is not opposed to welfare for the truly needy. Why can't the left be honest? How do you know if any Teapartiers are on any welfare or not?
Adrian, I agree. I am left of center, and Kucinich was my first choice for president in 2004. That said, I had to take a strategic approach because I REALLY wanted Bush gone, so I ended up backing Kerry. These Teajahdists are fooling themselves in thinking there is a ground swell of support for extreme right wing candidates. Nope -- there's not.
Teajahdists? What an ignorant remark. Anyone who doesn't agree with a liberal is considered to be extreme these days. Doesn't make it so. I think it is liberals that are the extremists.
There is nothing extreme about being anti-abortion or anti-gay marriage. It doesn't even have to be religion based. Wrong side of history? WTH does that mean? So you think that compromise should include passing legislation that is harmful to our citizens just to "get stuff done"? It's not relevant to be right about an issue? Cave in anyway?
How is someone else's right to choose or someone else's wedding harmful to you that you would want to limit one's civil liberties?
I think the mainstream Republicans should actually push them away if they want to win.
Someone like Jon Huntsman i could see winning the presidency.
But he's not extreme enough for the tea partiers. I've noticed that any candidate the tea party is for comes across as a gay-hating lunatic. And that doesn't attract the independent voters at all. The Republicans are finding out that they won't win many elections by playing to their old, bigoted base - at least not at the national level.
If they run a reasonable, more moderate candidate, they lose the tea party/social and religious extremist vote. If they run a tea party nut, they lose the independent vote. Either way, they lose
There is nothing extreme about being anti-abortion or anti-gay marriage. It doesn't even have to be religion based. Wrong side of history? WTH does that mean? So you think that compromise should include passing legislation that is harmful to our citizens just to "get stuff done"? It's not relevant to be right about an issue? Cave in anyway?
I oppose abortion except in cases where it may be needed for medical reasons or as a result of sexual assault, but I also recognize that abortion is here to stay and it's not going to go away. In regards to gay marriage, I am a bit more ambivalent on this issue but I lean against it. Guess what? Like abortion it is here to stay, it's not going away. Within a decade gay marriage will be the law of the land in every state and territory in the Union.
We might as well accept the fact that we have lost the "morals war" and move on. It's time to focus on expanding our big tent, right wing coalition instead of making it smaller and smaller by pandering solely to old White people who live in the Deep South and rural western states.
its call a primary, every branch of the party is represented. When Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Dennis Kucinich and Howard Dean who are to the far left and will never get elected in the general run in the primaries in the Democrat party I never hear the media call the party extremists. Double standard by the media.
I like debates and all sides and views being represented and debated. I like primaries of both parties and the more candidates the better. I don't like to label people extreme for having a point of view different than mine.
I have look at the platform for the Tea Party, and I find NOTHING extremist about it.......if there is 1 policy that is way out there let me know. I can't find any.
both parties move to the right and left during the primaries and then to the middle in the general. They both do it......but one party is called extremist by the media and the other gets a pass......you explain that one to me.
When you run Sarah Palin as VP candidate, that's EXTREME. On obvious fool and clueless nut job.
When the country, as a whole, is moving past the whole "hate the gays" thing and every Republican candidate has to go bow down to gay hating extremists like Tony Perkins, then your party is EXTREME.
But go ahead. I hope the Republicans run a lunatic gay hating, zygote loving, anti-sex, anti-science nut. It'll make the job a lot easier for the Democrats
But he's not extreme enough for the tea partiers. I've noticed that any candidate the tea party is for comes across as a gay-hating lunatic. And that doesn't attract the independent voters at all. The Republicans are finding out that they won't win many elections by playing to their old, bigoted base - at least not at the national level.
If they run a reasonable, more moderate candidate, they lose the tea party/social and religious extremist vote. If they run a tea party nut, they lose the independent vote. Either way, they lose
Welcome home, Hillary. Welcome home!
Like Obama? It it apparent that those who disparage conservatives and/or TEA Party do not take the time to educate themselves about either one. Unlike most other politicians, Cruz had the guts to stand up and warn us that Obamacare was going to be detrimental to Americans and this has proven to be true for most of us. Let's not forget, "If you like your healthcare plan, you can keep your healthcare plan." Or, that Americans will save $2500 a year on insurance. And of course, Gruber's assertion that the reason Obamacare passed is that the average citizen is stupid.
If Jeb is nominated, I'll write in Cruz. We don't need another Bush or Clinton in the WH. Been there done that. We need someone who is willing to move our country back into being held accountable for spending and begin paying off the trillions in debt.
BTW, the TEA Party doesn't want to cut funds for the poor and indigent, and if you (in general) believe that, you (in general) are believing biased sites and/or the democrat talking points. OTOH, I want to see pork like Murtha's airport - Remote Murtha airport lands big bucks from Washington - CNN.com
cut and projects such as the "bridge to nowhere" not to even be considered by Congress. Congress has a spending problem and needs to be stopped. And that is the primary stance of the TEA Party. Many TP members are like I am, fiscally conservative and centrist on social issues. Please explain how that is extreme.
The Tea Party, whether true or not, is considered extreme and uncompromising. The brand is tainted and nationally unelectable. On top of that...most Americans aren't hard right or hard left. They fit somewhere in the middle. Most people don't identify with Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, or Ted Cruz and Rand Paul.
As a Republican...it is my hope that the party will embrace Jeb Bush or more Eisenhower type Republicans moving forward. These are the types that will do well on the national stage. What kills us during national elections is having to swing SO FAR to the right during primaries...and then tow back to the middle during the general election. It's hard to walk that line.
Most don't indentify? Then explain how they got elected.
Embrace Jeb and therefore use the same idiotic policies that got us into our economic and foreign affairs debacles? The definition of insantiy is doing the same thing over and over again yet expect different results.
Agree as well. Social issues tied to religion in particular are poisonous on an national scale for our electability. Granted the majority of people in this country regard themselves as Christian...the moderate ones don't let that exercise a great deal of influence on how they feel about things like gay marriage or abortion. Massachusetts is one of the most Catholic states in the country and they are overwhelmingly pro choice and overwhelmingly pro gay marriage. These issues aren't going away, and we stand to be on the wrong side of history if this is a fight we continue to wage.
Same goes, as WIHS2006 said above, for the no-compromise mentality of the Tea Party. Whether or not the Tea Party is right on a particular issue is irrelevant...it's a matter of willingness to work to get stuff done. It's also a matter of professional maturity. We can't always get everything we want. It just doesn't happen. Furher, people don't elect those that they think are obstructionists. It's just not an admirable trait on the national level.
So the new buzzword for States rights is no compromise? Keep making the same mistakes and you'll get nowhere.
never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force.
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