Jezebel 
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New York, 3:50 PM
Thu Nov 12
73 posts in the last 24 hours
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08/11/09
I think the both parties have moved to the right, and it's notable in the inability or unwillingness to handle the actors that helped usher in this "new depression"....the people who helped burn everything down but are still making off like bandits with their billion-dollar bonuses and astronomical salaries.
Right now it's the dominance of the Christian Right and meta-assholes like Glenn Beck/Rush Limbaugh being their unofficial mouthpieces.
Seriously--I would like to know what would make the parties "viable" but also different, because I think today's Democrats are about as beholden to corporate America ("fiscally conservative"), religious hate-mongerers, and the same lobbies we've always been (everything from agriculture to the militarization to oil) as this country can stand.
Maybe they'd seem less toothless if the Republicans grew up and made the concept of "bipartisan progress" an actual possibility, but my point is, the current "left" is pretty far to the right, and I don't know how the revamped "right" could distinguish themselves without being as bad as the contemporary GOP.
08/11/09
THIS is why the debate over health care really drives me nuts right now. It would be great to have an actual dialogue about what people do and do not want from this, and to have more fiscally-minded Congresspeople give some viable options for how to deal with the cost (other than taxing health care, which doesn't appeal to anyone). Instead of people throwing out blatant lies about it and saying "no" to any and every proposal Democrats come up with. This is a really really really important issue, and the health of our country depends on it. And it's turning into something more ridiculous than an SNL skit.
PLEASE, Republican party. Logic is not the enemy, and I am hard-pressed to believe that your precious Ronald Reagan would genuinely approve of your behavior. Or the founders of this country.
This is not a joke! It's real life.
08/11/09
contrary to the talking point, data shows that republican administrations have been just as bad if not worse when it comes to growing the size of government, and have engaged in plenty of wasteful spending; even republican hero st. reagan. to the GOP, fiscal responsibility has basically always stood for not spending money on things that benefit groups of people they don't like.
08/11/09
08/11/09
While I feel quite differently for myself, I think she is fully aware of where she stands politically and quite comfortable with it, if not with those standing next to her.
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08/11/09
Now, I wouldn't be supporting this hypothetical party because judging from Mccain's conservative persuasion, it would be a moderate party and I personally favor near-socialist politics (hint, hint - check out ma name!), but it would start the ball rolling on the American political spectrum shifting to the left, which I think would be better for everyone.
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08/11/09
It's a bigger question, really. Who on the right, if anybody, has had an original thought lately?
08/11/09
What?
08/11/09
08/11/09
My fear is that all the Republican party is dying rhetoric will lead to Democrats underestimating the Republican party at their own peril. They may not be a viable party 50 years down the road if they continue down this path but they are a viable party today and are a viable party in 3 years. 57% of white men and 53% of white women voted for McCain. There are significant portions of people that identify with this party. Obama seems to be steadily losing independents are hot button issues.
08/11/09
Paul Begala gave her a nice smack down, and her rebuttal was that she was young and blonde? Oh honey, go away.
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08/11/09
When Rudy Giuliani a former mayor of NYC is screaming at the GOP convention about elitists, there's a problem.
When a woman who doesn't know basic sentence structure thinks she's more qualified to run for public office than a former Consitutional law professor from on of the top law schools in the country, there's a problem.
When the GOP convention floor looked like a meeting of the John Birch society circa 1952 there's a problem.
Good luck Meghan. I think your party left you.
08/11/09
Word. Even the good can become bad. Power corrupts. See Tony Blair.
08/11/09
Because discounting the Republican party as viable seems odd to me considering they were in power in the White House until 6 months ago and in Congress until what, 06?
08/11/09
08/11/09
Now the Conservatives are trying to block anything Obama attempts to do, no matter how beneficial.
Just because one or the other is in power doesn't mean they're really healthy in terms of structure. Our political system is so rife with either infighting or partisan politics it's difficult to get anything that might actually improve things done. To me, that means they're not "viable" even if they're in power.
08/11/09
Because right now, the reason there isn't much room for moderate conservatives is the same reason why getting Democrats to accomplish anything is like herding cats. A big tent means conflicting ideas, compromise, etc. And that's not something Republicans do often. They run and win and do whatever they want until people get sick of the unilateral treatment and vote them out. (See: 1994; 2002 congressional classes).
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If that's it, then that's not good enough.
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08/11/09
I welcome megan to stay in the GOP. We're always going to have at least two parties.The country benefits by having different views and philosophies represented. I'd rather the GOP have at least a small rational core than be run only by mouth breathing paranoid racists.