What the hell happened to the Republican party?

[MaGZ]

I'm a European and I tend to favour the Democrats.
But to be fair: I've never been an America hater and I've never seen the Republican party in a typical European (negative) light.

OK, so they're pro-gun. I'm a rarity: a European gun owner (and nut).
If I lived in the states I'd have a bigger arsenal than Hunter S. Thompson and a third world country combined.

OK, they're anti-abortion. I hate the idea of abortion, but I'm pro choice.
I can see the arguments against abortion and I can agree to disagree.

OK, they're Christians. I'm an Atheist, but I stem from a Christian (and Jewish) tradition.
For all practical purposes, You can say that I have a Christian moral code.

But what I see and read these days in depressingly undeniable:
The GOP has become the party of the stupid. I can hardly believe that an intelligent person would still dare to be associated with them.
Even if this person was in principle a pro-life Christian gun nut who thought that the last Iraq invasion was a good idea.

In fact the GOP seems to have become a very dangerous phenomenon in a democracy:
A marketing machine that connects to a voter base through advertising and slogans, whilst the actual party has no connection to any kind of reality.

I'm truly deeply shocked by the image that FOX and others are creating of Obama. I see GOP speeches where the audience boos when the NYT is mentioned. I see Republicans asking McCain when he'll "take the gloves off".
What the seem to mean is: "confront Obama head-on with his terrorist connections etc". But McCain will never do that because he cannot go in a national debate and make a fool of himself by going all Rush Limbaugh. Obama would simply clobber him to death with his own lies.

McCain seemed like a (for me) acceptable Republican. Perhaps even detached enough from GWB to claim he had very little to do with running the country into the ground during the last two administrations.
Then he came up with Sarah Palin. A woman who is perceived to win a debate if she manages to deliver memorised slogans without stuttering.
Or if her opponent gets all "unfair", and puts pressure on her, poor thing.

What kind of standards are these? This is one of the most demanding management jobs on the planet!!!!!!

I see a terrible rift through America, one that cannot be bridged.

Has the GOP truly become the party of the stupid, the reality challenged and the shameless?

Please tell I'm wrong. Please tell me that there is a rational wing to this party that has been sidetracked the last eight years.

The Republican Party represents the angry White voter. They only wish they had a candidate other than McCain to represent them.

 

[MaGZ]

Whle the GOP have successfully allowed the party of Lincoln to transform into something rather different, I ask you to consider the following:

GW Bush was offered up as a Pres with an older and experienced (Dick Cheney) mentor as an anchor to getting things done in Washington. Obama has no resume, or a short one, and is being offered up with an older and experienced mentor (Joe Biden) as an anchor to getting things done in Washington.

Neither W nor Obama had the kind of resume and job experience needed for the job, though W as governor had some executive experience.

One of the few US Presidents who had a well rounded resume, GHW Bush, was about average as a president.

So, long story short, your resume ploy is dead in the water.

This is politics. Different rules, different means, different aims. It isn't a business, though I suppose if you want government to be run like a business I can write you off as yet another neo fascist. Should I, or do you have something for me to digest that isn't rubbish?

The GOP have successfully pulled defeat from the jaws of victory. This self inflicted wound is decades old, and is rooted in the courting of the "silent majority" of previously disillusioned religious voters. The GOP time and again, since I began voting, has amazed me by giving the abortion issue a place as a single issue to both attract, and repel, voters of certain positions. (I have never considered that to be very smart, but so it goes.) The GOP will keep the losing streak they began in 2006 alive and well, until such time as they can reinvent their platform, and until such time as Americans once again get sick of the Democratic party. (The parallels between the GOP and the Detroit Lions football team can work on a lot of levels, as can the irony involved in using that city's team for comparison.)

The Democrats have done similar things, blowing a strong hand, to include blowing the Gore run in 2000.

It's a curious game, politics. Play never ends.

An important element of critical thinking is that thinking has to be involved.

Your post had zero evidence of any being put into it. Have you actually paid attention to what's been going on for the last eight years? The last fifteen? The last twenty?

DR

If the Republicans never made an appeal to the social conservatives those voters eventually would end up in a third party with a something of a 50/30/20 spilt of the electorate. Dems would win every time.

Republicans give thanks to the wisdom of Nixon.

 

[HereticHulk]

Whle the GOP have successfully allowed the party of Lincoln to transform into something rather different, I ask you to consider the following:

DR

Party of Lincoln?

Lincoln had quite a few things in common with W.

Led the country into a unnecessary war, suspended habeas corpus and arrested thousands of dissenters and confederates. His party platform consisted of mercantilistic interventionism, complete with high protectionist tariffs, a politicized banking system, corporate welfare, and much more. But I digress.

Re: the OP.

The country is very divided. You can attribute a lot of that to W.

But IMO the biggest thing that has hurt the GOP and what really started to divide folks was the introduction and the attempt to cater to the Evangelical X-tians for the large base of voters.

While the rest of the country seems to be getting more secular as we evolve, the x-tian ideals are causing the biggest rifts.

One thing that we can all agree on based on the Congressional approval rating is that no one likes the job they are doing.

 

[Travis]

Party of Lincoln?

Lincoln had quite a few things in common with W.

Led the country into a unnecessary war, suspended habeas corpus and arrested thousands of dissenters and confederates. His party platform consisted of mercantilistic interventionism, complete with high protectionist tariffs, a politicized banking system, corporate welfare, and much more. But I digress.

Yes, the constant mass arrests of Confederates is very annoying. I wonder which death camp they are being sent to?

 

[kurious_kathy]

Jesus wept.

Kathy, do you know why?

He knew that you would be around trying to speak in His name.

To answer your question, it's in your own handbook, aka the Bible: the human race had happen to it the propensity to sin and to err, from the get go. Why are you surprised that this continues? Or maybe you aren't, and I am not understanding what you wrote there.

DR

Your right, but maybe God can use a loser like me. I'm not ashamed to preach the Gospel which is what can save a man/ or womans soul. And yes all human beings have a soul. I'm just stubbornly loving others when I say you don't have to be damned to hell forever. After all don't you think this world is hellish enough. It's the closest I want to ever see of the lake of fire!

Also I do have a hard time not losing heart when I see all the wickedness in this world. We need HELP! If God doesn't save us then no one will. I just know when Jesus entered my life he cleared my vision. I don't want to make excuses for sin anymore I try to get rid of it and others need to realize until they confess their sin and accept Christ they have no hope. Can't you understand this? Sin is killing all of us and no one escapes the first death but we can escape the second death.

 

[wolfgirl]

I think there is every indication of this man being a undercover Muslim and I'm sorry but that's not right for the US to put a Mulim into the presidents office.

Ummmm....we don't have a religious test for public office in this country. Anybody of any religion is equally free to run for and hold any position up to and including the highest in the land. Ever heard of separation of church and state?

(Of course, Obama is NOT a Muslim. There is absolutely NO evidence that he is or ever has been.)

 

[kurious_kathy]

The Republican Party represents the angry White voter. They only wish they had a candidate other than McCain to represent them.

Excuse me? That sounds pretty prejudice to me. I am white and my not liking Obama has nothing to do with his color, it has everything to do with his political backround and who his friends are. The fact that he supports his cousin in Kenya is enough for me to be concerned. These poor people in Kenya are running for their lives and it's because of Obamas cousin. If his cousins a monster in his country what will happen when Obama shows his true colors in ours? What if he is an undercover Muslim, will all us poor lowly Christians need to run for our lives? I do fear he's got a hidden agenda and it's not going to be pretty if he wins this election. I just pray the Lord won't allow him to.

And as for Obamas spiritual cult leader who hates white people, that makes me think Obama is the one who's been programmed to be prejudice, he just doesn't let it show. I'm sorry but this man reaks of dishonesty and if people don't wake up it will be too late. America has been guilty of sleeping with the enemy in our greed for oil for a long time now, and now what can we expect? On that note did you ever read Epicenter? That says a lot.

 

[Corsair 115]

Use the "noparse" brackets if you're trying to explain something. What they do is turn off the html code For example you can type [noparse][/noparse] and it shows up just the way you would type it in the entry box. It prevents you having to explain about swapping the brackets.

Cool, I did not know about that. Thanks! (I may never use the info, but it's still nice to know.)

 

[KingMerv00]

What the hell happened to the Republican party?

*Enter KK and MaGZ*

Well Eddie...I hope that clears things up for you.

 

[Oliver]

I am white and my not liking Obama has nothing to do with his color ... his cousin in Kenya is enough for me to be concerned. *snip*

What if he is an undercover Muslim , will all us poor lowly Christians need to run for our lives ?

I do fear he's got a hidden agenda and it's not going to be pretty if he wins this election.

I just pray the Lord won't allow him to.

And as for Obamas spiritual cult leader who hates white people, that makes me think Obama is the one who's been programmed to be prejudice, he just doesn't let it show.

So on the other Hand, what are the rational reasons to be against
Obama in your point of view?

 

[kurious_kathy]

Ummmm....we don't have a religious test for public office in this country. Anybody of any religion is equally free to run for and hold any position up to and including the highest in the land. Ever heard of separation of church and state?

(Of course, Obama is NOT a Muslim. There is absolutely NO evidence that he is or ever has been.)

I don't believe in separation of church and state, it's not the principles this great nation was founded on. God has always been an important part of the US since it's beginning until the past 100 years or so when all these rebellous leaders started trying to take God out of the picture.

Also how the heck can you be so sure Obama's not a Muslim? He has been known to be an activist involved with terrorists many times over. Doesn't this concern you? I say a person is like the company they keep and what I have been seeing of who Obama hangs out with is a Big Red Flag saying warning this guy is an enemy, he doesn't care about anything but gaining more power. I am sorry but I have major trust issues with Obama and I won't back down. His charsmatic smile doesn't sway me at all! Ophra may not see through him, but I do. He's not someone we can trust with leading our nation!

 

[GreyICE]

Okay, the neonazi and the Born again arguing over whether Obama is a stealth Muslim, here to destroy America, or a Black Jew-sympathizer here to destroy America.

This thread is full of fail.

 

[Oliver]

Okay, the neonazi and the Born again arguing over whether Obama is a stealth Muslim, here to destroy America, or a Black Jew-sympathizer here to destroy America.

This thread is full of fail.

Need Popcorn?

 

[Hokulele]

Okay, the neonazi and the Born again arguing over whether Obama is a stealth Muslim, here to destroy America, or a Black Jew-sympathizer here to destroy America.

This thread is full of fail.

It certainly answers the question in the OP...

 

[Terry]

If God doesn't save us then no one will.

That attitude is asking for bad things to happen.

 

[Oliver]

That attitude is asking for bad things to happen.

That attitude is what is tearing the Rep Party apart. Funny ****, indeed.
I just hope that none of them is going on a Christian jihad mission.

 

[KingMerv00]

Need Popcorn?

None for me thanks...I wouldn't be able to hold it down.

 

[KingMerv00]

...it's not the principles this great nation was founded on. God has always been an important part of the US since it's beginning until the past 100 years or so when all these rebellous leaders started trying to take God out of the picture.

Hmm...perhaps we should, I don't know, FRIGGIN CHECK the principles this great nation was founded on on which this great nation was founded. What do ya say?

Article Six:

The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.

That's right, ARTICLE six...not Amendment. It has been here since day one.



Argh! I need to take a walk.

 

[Corsair 115]

I am sorry but I have major trust issues with Obama and I won't back down. His charsmatic smile doesn't sway me at all! Ophra may not see through him, but I do. He's not someone we can trust with leading our nation!

Well, if he does something particularly egregious, he can always be removed from office by successful impeachment, yes? Or do you think Obama will take over in a sort of Senator/Chancellor/Emperor Palpatine sort of way?

 

[Miss_Kitt]

Sigh.

So, when I was younger, the big differences between the GOP and the Democratic party were that: 1) The Republicans were fiscally conservative (didn't like deficit spending or any optional government programs) and thought people should manage their own lives and the government should leave them alone. 2) The Democrats believed in the "Great Society", where an enlightened government would step in and make life better for the poor, downtrodden, and discriminated-against by using the government's powers and money to bring the bottom up. To do this, they'd have to spend lots of money, so they believed in Big Taxes. The catchy aphorism was, "The Democrats love my civil rights; the Republicans love my property rights. Who loves all of my rights?" (The answer is, Thoman Jefferson.) Furthermore, although members of each party might disagree with the political views of members of the opposition, they were careful to be respectful--and were even largely collegial--respecting each other as people who disagreed on some ideas. Religion was not considered a major issue in election campaigns.

All that has now gone by the wayside. The Bush Administration has spent money like a drunken sailor; the Democratic congress is throwing earmarks at its business buddies (ethanol, anyone?), and both sides are acting as though the other party is comprised wholly of Baby-Eating Zombies from the Planet Zarg! This unthinking hatred of the members of the other party--exemplified in the Clinton Impeachment and the No To All Things Bush Wants Congress--is stupid, vicious, and counterproductive. Worst of all, some younger members of the House and Senate have never known how a mature and reasonable governing body functions: Schoolyard one-upsmanship and partisan fingerpointing is all they have ever experienced.

I am horrified by this election, and 6 short months ago I was looking forward to it. I thought we had a couple of the best representatives of the strengths of their parties' traditional stances; and two men of intelligence and character who would argue about the issues, not appease their most extreme followers by using attack ads and mouthing policy positions well out of step with their prior worldviews. How wrong I was!

I can't imagine what McCain and his advisors were thinking when they went with Sarah Palin. She has a certain down-home cowgirl charm that would make her a decent selection for a minor cabinet post; she might even succeed in going to the Senate, and thence eventually to national politics after seasoning, growing up, and learning the ropes. But to find about the only person on the VP candidate list who is *less* qualified for the Oval Office than Barack Obama, and nominate her--apparently because she is a woman, and will make the Religious Conservatives happy--was idiotic.

On the other hand, Barack Obama's message of "we will change, we will work together, reach across the aisle and do the People's business" doesn't map well to picking an old-school, longtime, powerful Insider who has a lot of "pull" on the Hill. It has some practical benefits--his foreign affairs background fills a hole in Obama's resume, and he does have experience working legislation through the system--but it doesn't match the "change" message. I still don't understand why the Democrats didn't put Barack on a major committee (Foreign Affairs or Ways and Means) and get him the experience he needs to be a better candidate. I love the man's potential, but he has less applicable background than any presidential candidate I can remember in my lifetime. The reason why most nominees are former governers or long-term Congressional reps is that the President needs to know how to get his initiatives turned into laws; needs experience synthesizing and comparing information from multiple sources; needs to know when to cut a deal, and when to stand on principal. Obama can speak like no candidate since JFK; but he has a paucity of experience. (Palin, while underqualified, at least has been a Governor, run a budget, pushed legislation through, and dealt with upsetting the Old Boy applecart; and she's only running for Veep--her lack of experience is only important IF McCain has a health crisis.) I'm thinking perhaps the Dems thought that they'd give Barack a cabinet post in the H. Clinton Administration...

Finally, both men have been pandering to the worst of their supporters. Obama impressed me so much in his unscripted comments late on election night 2004: Here was an intelligent, thoughtful, historically and politically aware Democrat, a man of mixed race who could comfortably say, "The government has a role to play in rescuing the inner cities, but the Black community needs to step up and do their part." Except he doesn't say that now. He doesn't talk about government not being the answer. He promises a tax cut to everyone, a tax credit for college for everyone, and to nationalize the healthcare system (to all intents and purposes). This is a platform that would take thousands of billions of dollars to finance, and that was untenable even before the financial system tottered on the brink of collapse.

What happened to these guys? They've both discovered that they may be looking out through the windshield, but they aren't driving the Party Machines.

I despair for my country. I am reduced to hoping that these two men whom I once thought honorable are merely pandering for votes. I fear for a Republican administration that might appoint a religious zealot to the Supreme Court--and there will be at least one, more likely three, vacancies in the next four years--and I fear a Democratic President with a filibuster-proof Democratic majority in Congress creating a host of new federal bureaucracies that will be sucking in money that my great-great-grandchildren will have to pay off. I fear that, whoever is elected, I will lose my right to select how much I value medical care, and to pay accordingly; that I will see scientifically unsound, panic-based "preventative measures" for Global Warming instead of reasonable plans to understand, plan, and mediate for warming impacts.

What happened to the Republicans? They fell on their swords a little more vigorously than the Democrats, but I'm sure there are plenty of old school Dems who are miserable with their national leaders of today.

I think a lot of the "reasonable Republicans" have given up on the new look "GOP" but can't agree with the 21st century Democrats, who are far left of what the 70's party would have ever recognized. Call us "Blue Dog Democrats" or "Log Cabin Republicans", the moderates have been squeezed out of the US national political scene, and have had no choice but to "hold our noses and vote" for about 20 years now.

I had hoped for better. I am disappointed. I could have been happy with either of the men who started running for the Presidency taking office; I am despondent of the choice between the two hacks I see making speeches this fall. I can't wait for this whole thing to be over.

Shaking my head, Miss Kitt