10 most absurd things in GOP state platforms

[GreyArea]

What’s up with this?

Newsweek has more. Apparently, this is a jab at President Obama's Nobel Prize.

Alternative, holistic treatments that demonstrate efficacy and safety in 852 peer-reviewed studies.

Well, this is Tom Harkin territory, after all.

 

[Ladewig]

Newsweek has more. Apparently, this is a jab at President Obama's Nobel Prize.

Thanks for the link. It was helpful in understanding what is going on.

 

[Accidental Martyr]

Not particularly. To tell the truth, I had to look it up.

OK, how about the teaching of creationism and the use of the bible as textbook in public schools? Are you in favor of that?

 

[defaultdotxbe]

i had a look through the IL GOP platform, only absurd thing i found (other than the standard anti-gay marriage and anti-abortion, which i dont consider "absurd") was this:

We call on the United States Senate to reject treaties which cede the powers and rights of the American people to the United Nations and other international agencies

other than that, its actually quite moderate as far as GOP platforms cited in this thread, even regarding abortion

End the taxpayer subsidy for abortion;

Require a doctor to involve a minor’s parents before aborting her unborn child;

Outlaw the barbaric practice of partial-birth abortion; and

Enact the Illinois Born-Alive infant Protection Act guaranteeing medical assessment and appropriate medical care for babies whose birth is incidental to abortion

although isnt "partial-birth" abortion already outlawed?

and the last bit i guess is pretty weird, im not even sure what they mean by it

 

[Manopolus]

I have a theory that the party out of power tends to be more crackpot then the one in power.

Well, that's easily debunked... do you really think that the dems were more crackpot than the shrub during his time in office?

Please note also... Dems do not engage in groupthink the way the republicans do. Looking at the actual votes shows that the democrats split their votes to a much greater degree than the republicans... in other words, evidence of actually having a personal opinion and voting their conscience, rather than merely spewing a bunch of hateful rhetoric about how bad government is and toeing whatever party line they are forced to adopt to get the paranoids fired up enough to show up at the polls.

To me the current defining difference between the parties is that dems tend to think that it is OK to disagree and have differences while Republicans want everyone to gravitate toward the loudest and most listened to voices of a vigilante mob.

You don't have to be an animal rights activist, a vegetarian, an alarmist tree hugger, or a legalized pot advocate to be a liberal dem. Liberalism has many forms which are often in disagreement with each other.

On the Republican side there is much less disagreement in voting patterns, and they are also much more susceptible to the popular political trends of the time... such as the tea party movement.

There are reasons for this effect. Conservatism suggests unity and stability of culture and a resistence to change. That which is unfamiliar and different must be opposed. This also suggests that we must be more similar to each other in our opinions, our rituals, and our values than what we actually are.

Liberalism wants progress. We can progress in many different directions. There is historically no need nor desire for a contract for or on America on the liberal side of the house.

 

[KingMerv00]

"Alternative, holistic treatments".

Fair enough. In the crazy pile it goes.

 

[jnelso99]

Well, that's easily debunked... do you really think that the dems were more crackpot than the shrub during his time in office?

I think an example of the difference between Democrats during Bush's time and Republicans during Obama's time is this: liberals were threatening to just leave the country; conservatives were (and still are) threatening full-blown secession. That, and talks of various (terrorist) cells around the country and "Second Amendment solutions" if they don't get their way.

 

[Kegeshook]

OK, how about the teaching of creationism and the use of the bible as textbook in public schools? Are you in favor of that?

NO!

I could see the Bible used in a religious studies course, but not as part of any science curriculum.

 

[fishbob]

100% agree with this part:

. . . What concerns me is the rise of Conspiracy Theories in the GOP Platforms. That is something new..and dangerous. CTs to me are Canaries in the Mine.
It's worrying to me since I feel we need a reasonable conservative party to keep the liberals in line, just like we need a reasonable Liberal party to keep the conservatives in line. The GOP is rapidly going bonkers on us, and I am appalled by that...though for different reasons then a lot of "progressives" have.

Seems to me that all the GOP effort these days is focused on gaining power by any means possible, including appeals to CTers, whackos, and the unreasonable. I have not seen a GOP policy recently that is aimed toward solving real problems, and I am appalled by that.

 

[leftysergeant]

Seems to me that all the GOP effort these days is focused on gaining power by any means possible, including appeals to CTers, whackos, and the unreasonable.

The margins of the far right are the source of most CTs to begin with. You didn't think Alex Jones was a lefty, did you?

I have not seen a GOP policy recently that is aimed toward solving real problems, and I am appalled by that.

The crazies have been gathering in the elephant paddock for thrity years now.

 

[Ladewig]

The margins of the far right are the source of most CTs to begin with. You didn't think Alex Jones was a lefty, did you?

Once again, you are letting your politics color your perceptions of the world. Alex Jones is not on the right. His theories are so bat **** crazy that they cannot be plotted on the left-right spectrum.