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I liked your post but I don't understand why your description is a "quintessential republican." I know several people who fit that description and are bright blue democrats. One is a supervisor at work...
But then again I'm from the East Coast so maybe that's why...
I agree. I'm on the West Coast and I don't know why that is the description of a Republican?
Yeah, I get it. I remember the day the music died quite vividly.
But perhaps I am just jaded. I do not believe for one second that any President - I repeat - ANYONE - can just magically change a thing. It is Congress that legislates. The Prez can perhaps put on a happy face and make quips, smile a lot and look good walking, like Reagan did. But even tho I am a Republican, I can't for the life of me understand why anyone thinks that Presidency was so great or why people point to Reagan as this icon of GOP success. ???? He was a nice guy, but life was not so great during his administration. So I don't get the feel good nostalgia. Never have understood it. So I didn't have the "ain't life grand" feeling during the Reagan years.
I think I would have liked Teddy Roosevelt. I think I would have respected his cousin, Franklin. But I don't think this country has been feeling good for a very long time. Do I think Obama can give us that? Well, if you liked Reagan, then I would think you would like Obama, cause it all appears to be about "let's be happy and move forward" w/ Obama. No doubt about it - Reagan was an optimist, too, but for the life of me, I cannot remember one thing his administration accomplished other than getting out of Iran-Contra . . . and making some nice speeches. I liked his idea of Star Wars but that never took hold, LOL. So I figure - about the same w/ Obama. If he can make people feel good . . . then perhaps that is enuff. He seems to be a very intelligent guy. But unless he has a Congress that wants to move forward . . . what does it matter, really, in the end . . .
It's much more than "feel good". There are specific issues Obama has cited that I much prefer to Hillary's. I never, ever wanted Reagan for president because I knew he was only a puppet and he ruined so many things in spite of how popular he was. He was NOT a good president. To me, comparing the two is day and night.
Having a drink with a friend the other evening, the subject of politicis came up as it often does. Demographically this guy should be the quintessential Republican, Viet-Nam vet, 60 years old, self (via the GI Bill) educated, BS in Economics, MBA from a "mid level" school, self made millionaire, reads about 4 or 5 newspapers a day.
That guy actually fits the Obama supporter demographic to a T. He's educated and well-read, which makes him much more likely to find appeal in Barak Obama. There are actually alot of Democrats, too, that share very similar life stories. It's a myth that everybody in the Democrat party is a "welfare queen", feminist, minority, or fast food worker.
Republicans, on the other hand, also tend to be a diverse lot. But they also tend to have very different values and recreational activities than Democrats. Alot of them are into guns, hunting/fishing, sports/football, or motorcycles (usually Harleys- I know plenty of BMW riders that aren't Republicans). Typicly, they are anti-intellectual, and they don't read much. If they read, it's strictly fictional works or polemical non-fiction. The libertarians are usually more intellectually inclined, but even then they are more interested in subjects like history or technical areas than in philosophical issues or current events. Republicans also tend to be much more religious than Democrats, that's another big issue seperating both parties, and typicly that religion is Eangelical/fundamentalist Christian.
Obama may have convinced the OP's former GOP friend he's a new JFK but he still hasn't convinced almost half of all rank and file Democrat party primary voters. He has lost 5 out of the last 7 primaries and is predicted to lose 2 more, in West Virginia and Kentucky in the next week or so, and this is after voters have been told he has the nomination basically rapped up. We hear about the fainting in the crowds, the money rolling in, the new voters registering just to vote for him, the fawning press, and yet in the privacy of the voting booth he still isn't all that impressive, especially as people have gotten to know him better. Not saying he won't win, but right now, the hype doesn't meet the reality.
Tell your friend to enjoy his massive tax hikes and being sold up the river by another CFR type (not saying Obama is the only one in the race like that - all three are different piles of the same crap). Oh, and if he likes guns, tell him he may as well get rid of them now.
Obama may have convinced the OP's former GOP friend he's a new JFK but he still hasn't convinced almost half of all rank and file Democrat party primary voters. He has lost 5 out of the last 7 primaries and is predicted to lose 2 more, in West Virginia and Kentucky in the next week or so, and this is after voters have been told he has the nomination basically rapped up. We hear about the fainting in the crowds, the money rolling in, the new voters registering just to vote for him, the fawning press, and yet in the privacy of the voting booth he still isn't all that impressive, especially as people have gotten to know him better. Not saying he won't win, but right now, the hype doesn't meet the reality.
Lets not forget that Obama wrapped up 9 straight victories shortly after Super Tuesday amazing how quickly we forget little details. Its all semantics anyways West Virginia and Kentucky are pretty much tailor made for Senator Clinton. She has struck a chord with the working class Democrat. So its no surprise that she will do well in those states. However, it will make little difference in the long run. It will take a slight miracle for the math to work out for her.
Lets be honest does hype ever meet reality? Especially when it comes to the political realm? Obama and Clinton are both good candidates it speaks volumes that the race has been this close. I just wish that they would have been able to stick to the high road and not get into the negative campaigns but that was me only being naive.
... but considers his postions pretty carefully... Back in the early '60s things in the USA seemed to be pretty positive...
Let's get this straight. Your "friend" considers his positions carefully... but thinks things were good in the 60's?
Your friend, apparently, isn't much of a history buff. The world was faced with possible nuclear war between the the U.S. and the USSR and had a face off. The race relations were Shameful. President Kennedy (D) started Viet Nam. Regulation had a stranglehold on industry and the only thing that was keeping the U.S. ahead was that no other country had yet to develop. And if you think the U.S. was winning the Space Race, I would respectfully suggest you do some research.
Further, the country was getting ready for the "electronics bubble" of the 60's to burst and (get ready... ) dependance of foreign oil set up the nation for the 70's oil embargo.
Now, had the government stayed out of the race relations business, it might be cleared up by now if they'd of just stuck to giving blacks fair treatment rather than going from segregation to governmental racism to government forced integration between races on the social theorist's schedules rather than letting people come together gradually in their own comfortable time.
If they'd not have elected Kennedy, 200,000 service members might not have been missing, wounded or killed.
With all due respect, please do some research. The 60's was bad news for a lot of reasons.
So when Obama offers "change" without specifying what change is, it strikes a chord with a lot of folks, my buddy included. 40 plus years of negative headlines and negative politics via Newt, Rush, Hannity and O'Reilly can sure make a country boy blue.
My buddy says it's time for a change, and I agree with him. He'd like to find that feeling we had in the 10th grade, before the music died.
golfgod
Your buddy's experience mirrors mine. And even though I've voted Republican all my life, I too see the urgent need for change. The Republican party has mutated into an ugly caricature of what it once was. It no longer has leaders like Eisenhower, who wisely saw the future with the perils of wars fought for corporate profits. Its wise, rational leaders have been replaced by blood-sucking scoundrels who no longer care about America or Americans, only their fellow ultrawealthy cronies.
Very sad. But we all have a ringside seat to the spectacle. The Republicans are in for an electoral beating of historic proportions this November. And they richly deserve it.
Your buddy's experience mirrors mine. And even though I've voted Republican all my life, I too see the urgent need for change. The Republican party has mutated into an ugly caricature of what it once was. It no longer has leaders like Eisenhower, who wisely saw the future with the perils of wars fought for corporate profits. Its wise, rational leaders have been replaced by blood-sucking scoundrels who no longer care about America or Americans, only their fellow ultrawealthy cronies.
Very sad. But we all have a ringside seat to the spectacle. The Republicans are in for an electoral beating of historic proportions this November. And they richly deserve it.
Have you checked into McCain? He's alright.
You know, the all Bush did was fulfill his campaign promises and let people's Congressional reps do what they wanted within the limits of his promises. I don't know why everyone's angry with him. Didn't he fulfill every promise?
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