[education]

I couldn't agree more. When I heard that quote on the radio as the preeminent sound bite from CPAC it was sort of pathetic. That, and to hear that Rumsfeld and Cheney were featured guests. At least they garnered some boos from Tea Partyists.

I don't know why more people don't get upset? I mean it's like you're saying that you elect someone for the sole purpose of concentrating all their energy on removing someone from office. What about doing their job? What about their responsibility to their constituents? Is it me?

[dyestymum]

I don't know why more people don't get upset? I mean it's like you're saying that you elect someone for the sole purpose of concentrating all their energy on removing someone from office. What about doing their job? What about their responsibility to their constituents? Is it me?

Sheer crazy talk. Politics is a team sport. Party loyalty is everything! Didn't you get the memo?

[education]

Sheer crazy talk. Politics is a team sport. Party loyalty is everything! Didn't you get the memo?

sheeesh, yeah I must've missed those million memos!

But seriously, people that are voted into office are accountable to the people. & there are a few good people. People often seem to want to hear something that is comforting rather than truthful (even if not so comforting).

That, & 'fiscally conservative' is basically a meaningless term. Who claims to be fiscally irresponsible? It's easier for a rep to explain where they stand on social issues. People often get divided by the social issues because it's easier to take sides.

[agolutuaddiff]

Lets not confuse social issues with the Culture War. The Culture War is only about finding wedge issues to frame in such a way as to fire up the base and get flames shooting right out their ass so they will rush down to vote to "save America!!!" It leads to TEA Party members thinking that they have to Take Back America, even though they have no idea who has taken America away or where they took it.

[Scukonahuy]

I'm open to different types of solutions. The longer time in office might be helpful however if there is still no cooperation or compromise?

I agree with ConLib if for no other reason than the fact that the President would not be campaigning for a second term...He or she just might be able to get something done...

An aside to ConLib: In what part of Texas do you reside?...I spent many years in Dallas and Austin...

[education]

Lets not confuse social issues with the Culture War. The Culture War is only about finding wedge issues to frame in such a way as to fire up the base and get flames shooting right out their ass so they will rush down to vote to "save America!!!" It leads to TEA Party members thinking that they have to Take Back America, even though they have no idea who has taken America away or where they took it.

Well sure but using the term 'Culture War' may not be helpful in bringing an awareness of the need to perform the critical analyses necessary to actually bring about the necessary changes?

I dunno, maybe you're right to highlight the kindof marketing schemes that seem to rally the people to vote against themselves (like getting them to bite their noses to spite their faces). Maybe you are right about that?

[Yyaqyped]

I agree with ConLib if for no other reason than the fact that the President would not be campaigning for a second term...He or she just might be able to get something done...

An aside to ConLib: In what part of Texas do you reside?...I spent many years in Dallas and Austin...

I didn't put that up to confuse the issue. If I remember, it didn't ask where you live, but what part of the country/world that influences you. My first 21 years was in the Dallas area, a small town SE of there. I now live in Iowa, but still consider myself a Texan.

If a president had only one term, you'd expect them to do what they felt was the best thing for the country, maybe.

[agolutuaddiff]

lol... I recently talked with a Republican who receives food stamps. He was saying how we have to cut spending; thank goodness for the Republicans. I asked him if he realized they plan to cut his food stamps. He looked at me real funny, like, I was crazy. He just did not make the connection.

[Scukonahuy]

I didn't put that up to confuse the issue. If I remember, it didn't ask where you live, but what part of the country/world that influences you. My first 21 years was in the Dallas area, a small town SE of there. I now live in Iowa, but still consider myself a Texan.

If a president had only one term, you'd expect them to do what they felt was the best thing for the country, maybe.

I agree 100 percent...Seems presidents spend their first term campaigning for a second one...

I lived in Farmers Branch for many years...It was a really quiet suburb back when I lived there...I now live in Quepos, but have to come back to MN every so often...

[yurawerj]

I mean really...... if you are a fiscal conservate and social liberal (labels that do apply to many Americans) who the hell do you vote for?

Libertarians...

[siklop]

Is there a religious left?
just curious since since the religious makeup of the U.S. is 97%

[uphokyhuP]

The right is definitely fractured in an interesting way because they just organically have a better grassroots than the Democrats do. The Republican grassroots that consists of mainly the religious-right is over 30% of the entire vote of the country from the moment a campaign starts while what we think of as the liberal wing of the Democratic party is somewhere closer to the high teens to 20%.

The Tea Party definitely has a good number of religious-right folks in it, but is tempered by the fact that they're the group within the Republican party that still promotes libertarianism. They're the ones who are really playing hardball right now with reining in the budget and aren't very interested with renewing the Patriot Act or engaging in the culture war stuff. Cut the debt, cut defense and promote civil liberties seem to be their big three and it's obviously a popular message still because Ron Paul rode it to another 1st place finish among CPAC voters. Paul 30% and Romney 23%.

You know if Romney/Paul decide to make friends or to make some kind of deal, that is an attractive ticket, although the religious-right would be marginalized within that structure so maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. Ron Paul would be the most misunderstood President of all time, but the most lovable VP of all time.

[Yyaqyped]

I agree 100 percent...Seems presidents spend their first term campaigning for a second one...

I lived in Farmers Branch for many years...It was a really quiet suburb back when I lived there...I now live in Quepos, but have to come back to MN every so often...

It is truly a small world. You live in Costa Rico, once close to Dallas, and I've lived in 10 different states and Midway Island and also close to Dallas. Believe it or not, met my wife on Midway Island.

[Yyaqyped]

Is there a religious left?
just curious since since the religious makeup of the U.S. is 97%

Why does religion, or lack of, have anything to do with politics and our secular government.

[Wrencytet]

Personally, I think a legitimate platform would not be:

To ensure the current President (whomever that is, not just presently) does not get elected for a 2nd term.

I think the American people deserve better than that, a platform should include more about improving this Country!

So you can envision a Republican platform that does not have as it's predicate ensuring that this president does not get re-elected?

[dyestymum]

You know if Romney/Paul decide to make friends or to make some kind of deal, that is an attractive ticket, although the religious-right would be marginalized within that structure so maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. Ron Paul would be the most misunderstood President of all time, but the most lovable VP of all time.

Do you really think Ron Paul would run on a ticket with Romney??

[dyestymum]

lol... I recently talked with a Republican who receives food stamps. He was saying how we have to cut spending; thank goodness for the Republicans. I asked him if he realized they plan to cut his food stamps. He looked at me real funny, like, I was crazy. He just did not make the connection.

Yeah, yeah... and on Penn and Teller's bullshit they had liberals enthusiastically signing petitions to prevent H2O from polluting our water supply. It's not hard to find idiots of either stripe.

[fotochicaes]

GOP, Dems, Tea, Religious, Labor and other parties, to more clearly define their platform.

The only way to get multiple parties would be through a Constitutional Amendment changing our elections to proportional representation, as in Parimentary systems.

I'd like that better than our winner-take all system, which necessarily devolves into two-party politics.

[fotochicaes]

Is there a religious left?
just curious since since the religious makeup of the U.S. is 97%

I've actually seen a lot of polls showing 15 to 20% of Americans express no religious preference.

Most of my friends are liberals. Some believe strongly in a god, some (like me) don't believe at all, but none are into dogma like the noisy fundamentalist conservatives are.

[dyestymum]

The only way to get multiple parties would be through a Constitutional Amendment changing our elections to proportional representation, as in Parimentary systems.

I'd like that better than our two-party system.

I'd like to see that as well. I also think changes to the way we vote could go a long way. "Approval voting" makes a lot of sense to me, and would basically neuter the "lesser of two evils" nonsense.