Democrats versus Republicans

[PBzeer]

Nice post to follow my previous one. A perfect example of my point.

Oh, and if you're uncertain how it proves my point, then you've double proved it.

[erps]

Originally Posted by sck5

"the only thing wrong with the conservative movement is a lack of articulation and adherence"

well, that and a depression and an unnecessary war and LOSING big time in two straight elections. Other than that, its all roses and sunshine!

sck5,

Do you believe there are any redeeming qualities associated with the conservative movement?

[wind_magic]

What this country needs is a party that believes in people working hard, and then doing whatever they want with their money and the rest of their time so long as it doesn't kill anybody.

Neither of the existing parties measures up to that simple standard.

[erps]

I'd like to see the Libertarian party gain more traction. Seems like the deck is stacked against third party candidates though.

[wind_magic]

Originally Posted by erps

I'd like to see the Libertarian party gain more traction. Seems like the deck is stacked against third party candidates though.

There is usually a Libertarian candidate on the ballot in most states, vote for them.

[camaraderie]

Setting aside Sck's predictable response Beez...I'm not sure I agree with you totally though since there has been so LITTLE articulation or adherence since about 1994 (I think that is when Gingrich left) that you could be right.
I admit to being concerned that the population, and public beliefs have changed so much that simply speaking and adhering to traditional conservative principles may no longer attract a majority of Americans even if there was not a recession.
Lets say you did research (absent the present blame republicans for everything atmosphere) a year or two from now and found that only 40% of Americans preferred our values to more liberal values... and that the trend was for our values to get smaller shares as the population aged. Would you be content to hold those values firm and essentially make this a one party rule...or would you look to reach out to a broader segment of current day society? If the latter...what to do? what to change?

It may be all we need to do is oppose what the dems plan to do loudly and wait for them to fail. But I am not sure this is enough for the future. Perhaps a republicans vs. republicans thread is in order!

[wind_magic]

Here is what I really want - I want a government that can give Americans the bad news, and then deal with it like grown ups. I'm tired of talking circles around Social Security and Medicare, I'm tired of ever increasing deficits and the national debt, and I'm tired of the government printing money like there's no tomorrow and they've only just begun doing that - think how tired I'm going to be of it when they really get going! I just want a government that can say, look, this is how it is, we really can't afford all this &%&$, and we're going to have to fix it. But both parties seem completely incapable of doing that.

[erps]

Lets say you did research (absent the present blame republicans for everything atmosphere) a year or two from now and found that only 40% of Americans preferred our values to more liberal values... and that the trend was for our values to get smaller shares as the population aged. Would you be content to hold those values firm and essentially make this a one party rule...or would you look to reach out to a broader segment of current day society? If the latter...what to do? what to change?

Nuts. Now I'm depressed. I always counted on conservative ranks being replaced with former liberals once they settled down and had a family. One of the guys here posted a piece on the average lifespan of a democracy. The gist was that a democracy bankrupts itself when the people start voting themselves candy from the public candy store. When I watched badsanta's video on forms of government, that theme came up again with the fall of the Roman republic. While I was watching that I thought to myself "that's where we are right now." Nuts.

[PBzeer]

If the Dems can get their healthcare plans through, along with their middle class welfare disguised as tax cuts, then we will, for all intents and purposes, become a one party country. Who's going to vote against ever more goodies? And when they finally wake up to the fact that there is no free lunch, it will be far, far too late to change it.

[erps]

Originally Posted by wind_magic

Here is what I really want - I want a government that can give Americans the bad news, and then deal with it like grown ups. I'm tired of talking circles around Social Security and Medicare, I'm tired of ever increasing deficits and the national debt, and I'm tired of the government printing money like there's no tomorrow and they've only just begun doing that - think how tired I'm going to be of it when they really get going! I just want a government that can say, look, this is how it is, we really can't afford all this &%&$, and we're going to have to fix it. But both parties seem completely incapable of doing that.

Yeah, we've been dancing around those sacred cows for years now. It will take some politicians that are not concerned about running for re-election to get it done though. But I agree. Amputate a little now before we lose the whole thing.