The strange thing is, if any of these people had a D instead of an R after their names, they would be utterly loathed by Republican popular opinion (instead of just partially loathed). Especially Giuliani! but Romney is in many ways much like Kerry (without the need to Swiftboat him), and Thompson would be ridiculed as a Hollyweird type. McCain might be respected, or he might get the Max Cleland treatment. Probably the latter.
Really, the party of Lincoln has suicide-bombed itself. Me, I miss Republicans like Lee Dreyfus and Steve Gunderson. They'd be shown the door tout de suite today (and in fact, Gunderson was -- homophobia, not that the dairy farmers he represented gave a rat's ass about his boyfriend).
frack. Do NOT NOT NOT get me started on the party right now. Makes me rather sick. It's time for an internal reform. Or a new party, but I can't stand the local Demobrats (we're the Repugnants, no worries).
McCain if he was younger would be getting my vote, but it seems that age has not been kind and I'd expect him to kick off some time in his term. VPs are dangerous things. Quayle? Cheney? urgh. Idiocy and Darth Vader.
IDK what to do this time out. I don't like at all the idea of two families controlling the WH for so many decades is stomach turning. I know Richardson too well. I actually kinda like Biden. Obama looks like he needs a little more national level experience. God's sake, Kucinich's branch is what makes me a Repug. Then again We have Ron Paul too. oy. My brain hurts.
Um. You're seeing structural equivalence where none exists. The Kucinich wing of the Democratic Party in higher office consists of a few individuals. The radical right wing of the Republican Party in higher office is, if not a majority, a plurality, and they're actively hostile to any reform towards moderation. This was Newt Gingrich's plan back in the nineties -- he was very up front about it -- and it's succeeded.
I suppose you can hope for internal reform in the Republican Party, but as someone once said, hope is not a plan.
If you want some fun (if giving yourself an ulcer is fun), follow the escapades of the feeder lines into GOP activism, the Young Republicans. They're quite thoroughly corrupt. Remember Adi Yoshida? he'd fit right in, if he ever got out of his basement.
You're seeing structural equivalence where none exists. The Kucinich wing of the Democratic Party in higher office consists of a few individuals. The radical right wing of the Republican Party in higher office is, if not a majority, a plurality, and they're actively hostile to any reform towards moderation. This was Newt Gingrich's plan back in the nineties -- he was very up front about it -- and it's succeeded.
I guess its a matter of perspective. I'm steeped in very 'progressive' wing of the party - those that more often than not support Kucinich - here in the Bay. The 'moderates' around here are those guys too! Then we can talk about the Greens...Equally, so, in NM they were not all that different despite being a purple state (rather than a red or blue): I cannot abide the smell.
NOW I will agree that the Repugs need to be completely reformed: top to bottom. It's time to root out the dumbshit ubercons. It'll be the work of decades. Also agreed: hope is not a plan. Plans take time and this one will have to wait a bit: I have too much on my plate as is.
Too bad. It'd be fun to go clean house, esp if I could recruit so helpers. *hint*hint* Quixotic, thy name is Will.
A bit more here and now. I guess part of this time around is going to be voting against the person I fear most from my party.
See, that's a local thing. In Wisconsin, the New Left took over Madison's city government in the 1970s. They wanted more expansive social programs and less restrictive laws. To finance these things, they realized the city needed a better bond rating.
So they did the things necessary to get a better bond rating.
Along the way, the student radicals and civic-minded hippies became middle-aged Democrats who wore funky ties; and Madison became one of the top ranked places to live in the U.S.
I compare this to what I know of local government in the Bay Area in that period, and it's like day and night.
Personally, I think the corruption goes far too deep in the GOP for any hope of a moderate wing, let alone a liberal wing, to be salvaged. The rot goes down to the youth organizations, and it goes down to the county level in some places. Better to break it up into three or four pieces, and let them snipe at each other for the next twenty years.
It's sort of a jackasscon policy as applied to the jackasscons.
Which would leave us with a Democratic monoparty state. Forgive me, but the fact that Congress hasn't even been able to pass a budget under the current congress (continuing resolution instead grrr) has not endeared them to me very much as of late.
The Democrats have internal divisions enough to be their own checks and balances for a few years, I think. They're certainly rather far from the lockstep whinery of the GOP.
Even in the best case scenario, the Republicans have caused enough stink for major voting blocks (what they call "special interest groups") that shifting demographics will likely keep them in the minority for at least another decade.
(I.e., hard to recapture that Hispanic vote; never capture the black vote; and to hell with the immigrant vote and the familes of gay people vote. You eight million science types in the U.S.? Screw you. Also, you politically aware women? hahahaha. get us some coffee.)
Ha! When people say 'special interest group' I keep thinking of the sugar industry, petroleum industry, unions, defense industry, fundie bunch, AARP, etc. Anyone who goes and spends gobs of money lobbying for big changes legally or budgetary in their favor.
I didn't think of ethnic groups as such at all.
Yes, they've pissed off the science types (waves hand). Unfortunately, the current congress is doing a pretty good job too. Big time. Of that I can speak of first hand. They are seriously screwing themselves over.
BTW, don't remind me of Yoshi. That hurts. Almost as much as Qu*nster and Joba.
The strange thing is, if any of these people had a D instead of an R after their names, they would be utterly loathed by Republican popular opinion (instead of just partially loathed). Especially Giuliani! but Romney is in many ways much like Kerry (without the need to Swiftboat him), and Thompson would be ridiculed as a Hollyweird type. McCain might be respected, or he might get the Max Cleland treatment. Probably the latter.
ReplyDeleteReally, the party of Lincoln has suicide-bombed itself. Me, I miss Republicans like Lee Dreyfus and Steve Gunderson. They'd be shown the door tout de suite today (and in fact, Gunderson was -- homophobia, not that the dairy farmers he represented gave a rat's ass about his boyfriend).
frack. Do NOT NOT NOT get me started on the party right now. Makes me rather sick. It's time for an internal reform. Or a new party, but I can't stand the local Demobrats (we're the Repugnants, no worries).
ReplyDeleteMcCain if he was younger would be getting my vote, but it seems that age has not been kind and I'd expect him to kick off some time in his term. VPs are dangerous things. Quayle? Cheney? urgh. Idiocy and Darth Vader.
IDK what to do this time out. I don't like at all the idea of two families controlling the WH for so many decades is stomach turning. I know Richardson too well. I actually kinda like Biden. Obama looks like he needs a little more national level experience. God's sake, Kucinich's branch is what makes me a Repug. Then again We have Ron Paul too. oy. My brain hurts.
:( IDK what I am going to do this time.
Oh and when they started out saying that they were the party of Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, and Reagan in the same breath made me choke.
ReplyDeleteIt's true, but I have a feeling that only the last would recognize or even feel half comfortable with it.
Um. You're seeing structural equivalence where none exists. The Kucinich wing of the Democratic Party in higher office consists of a few individuals. The radical right wing of the Republican Party in higher office is, if not a majority, a plurality, and they're actively hostile to any reform towards moderation. This was Newt Gingrich's plan back in the nineties -- he was very up front about it -- and it's succeeded.
ReplyDeleteI suppose you can hope for internal reform in the Republican Party, but as someone once said, hope is not a plan.
If you want some fun (if giving yourself an ulcer is fun), follow the escapades of the feeder lines into GOP activism, the Young Republicans. They're quite thoroughly corrupt. Remember Adi Yoshida? he'd fit right in, if he ever got out of his basement.
You're seeing structural equivalence where none exists. The Kucinich wing of the Democratic Party in higher office consists of a few individuals. The radical right wing of the Republican Party in higher office is, if not a majority, a plurality, and they're actively hostile to any reform towards moderation. This was Newt Gingrich's plan back in the nineties -- he was very up front about it -- and it's succeeded.
ReplyDeleteI guess its a matter of perspective. I'm steeped in very 'progressive' wing of the party - those that more often than not support Kucinich - here in the Bay. The 'moderates' around here are those guys too! Then we can talk about the Greens...Equally, so, in NM they were not all that different despite being a purple state (rather than a red or blue): I cannot abide the smell.
NOW I will agree that the Repugs need to be completely reformed: top to bottom. It's time to root out the dumbshit ubercons. It'll be the work of decades. Also agreed: hope is not a plan. Plans take time and this one will have to wait a bit: I have too much on my plate as is.
Too bad. It'd be fun to go clean house, esp if I could recruit so helpers. *hint*hint* Quixotic, thy name is Will.
A bit more here and now. I guess part of this time around is going to be voting against the person I fear most from my party.
See, that's a local thing. In Wisconsin, the New Left took over Madison's city government in the 1970s. They wanted more expansive social programs and less restrictive laws. To finance these things, they realized the city needed a better bond rating.
ReplyDeleteSo they did the things necessary to get a better bond rating.
Along the way, the student radicals and civic-minded hippies became middle-aged Democrats who wore funky ties; and Madison became one of the top ranked places to live in the U.S.
I compare this to what I know of local government in the Bay Area in that period, and it's like day and night.
Personally, I think the corruption goes far too deep in the GOP for any hope of a moderate wing, let alone a liberal wing, to be salvaged. The rot goes down to the youth organizations, and it goes down to the county level in some places. Better to break it up into three or four pieces, and let them snipe at each other for the next twenty years.
It's sort of a jackasscon policy as applied to the jackasscons.
Which would leave us with a Democratic monoparty state. Forgive me, but the fact that Congress hasn't even been able to pass a budget under the current congress (continuing resolution instead grrr) has not endeared them to me very much as of late.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, the Repugs left town first w/o passing the budget either. dumbshits.
ReplyDeleteGive me a new party and I'd be happy. ;)
The Democrats have internal divisions enough to be their own checks and balances for a few years, I think. They're certainly rather far from the lockstep whinery of the GOP.
ReplyDeleteEven in the best case scenario, the Republicans have caused enough stink for major voting blocks (what they call "special interest groups") that shifting demographics will likely keep them in the minority for at least another decade.
(I.e., hard to recapture that Hispanic vote; never capture the black vote; and to hell with the immigrant vote and the familes of gay people vote. You eight million science types in the U.S.? Screw you. Also, you politically aware women? hahahaha. get us some coffee.)
Ha! When people say 'special interest group' I keep thinking of the sugar industry, petroleum industry, unions, defense industry, fundie bunch, AARP, etc. Anyone who goes and spends gobs of money lobbying for big changes legally or budgetary in their favor.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think of ethnic groups as such at all.
Yes, they've pissed off the science types (waves hand). Unfortunately, the current congress is doing a pretty good job too. Big time. Of that I can speak of first hand. They are seriously screwing themselves over.
BTW, don't remind me of Yoshi. That hurts. Almost as much as Qu*nster and Joba.