Comments on: On ‘Moderate’ Republicans

By: Turkish Prawn

Turkish Prawn — Sun, 10 May 2009 02:15:01 +0000

Jon Steward put it best in his book, “America, the Book” when he referred to our political parties as a “bi-chromatic” rainbow of choice. It’s just as you say. Are you anit-abortion? Congratulations. You must now also be pro-drilling in ANWAR. Don’t like guns? Then you therefore support affirmative action!

It’s such crap. How about “diverse people having diverse opinions!” Whoa! What a thought!

-Turkish Prawn

By: Puttin’ Yer Dukes Up | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen

Puttin’ Yer Dukes Up | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen — Sat, 09 May 2009 08:02:00 +0000

[...] on the Specter situation, Mike at The Big Stick notes, If there is a more damning case against ‘moderation’ I don’t haven’t heard it. When I [...]

By: Philip H.

Philip H. — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:53:27 +0000

Mike,
I think you decied on a party affiliation you can stand for Primaries (since the case law is moving away from pirmaries as open contests), research the post-primary candidates well, and vote your consceince in the general election. Then you keep in touch with thepolitician in question during their term, and hope for the best.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 07 May 2009 01:41:38 +0000

So if you’re socially moderate i.e. you hold typical Democratic positions but you also hold typical Republican positions…how do you decide which party to belong to? Is it just a % thing or something else?

As for being ‘deal makers’ you sort of make that point when you say they brought millions back home to their states. There was a reward for their votes. That is what is so dangerous about the compromise game. It puts 3 senators in significant positons of power.

By: Steve Nizer

Steve Nizer — Thu, 07 May 2009 00:50:05 +0000

Douthat is a moron. Moderate Republicans have always tended to be socially liberal, at least compared to Republicans in other parts of the country. They are people like myself, who hold positions on issues like guns and the border that place them at odds with the Democratic mainstream. Conservatives have had little use for us. It’s no surprise that we’re bailing on the GOP.

His assertion that they are simply deal makers is also wrong. Specter, Snowe, and Collins took a bill in the stimulus that was awful and tried to make it more reasonable. They also had the added benefit of bringing millions of dollars back to their home states. They could have been like other Republicans and offered no solutions.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:30:09 +0000

I think the real problem here is the tendency for someone to be labeled based on specific positions. Just earlier today I was called a ‘Republican douchebag’ because I voiced my opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act. Granted, I am a Republican (the douchebag part is pure speculation) but it shouldn’t be an automatic assumption. It speaks to the polarization of the U.S. that if you hold position A then you it’s assumed you also hold postion B,C and D.

By: Philip H.

Philip H. — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:15:36 +0000

These sort of labeling challenges are why, however obliquely, I would love to see a few more political parties here in the U.S.