What is the future of the republican party?

[Cap’n AMatrixca]

I think there are more people who have moved to the center than the press let's on...

McCain will herd the far right/left...

McCain is Cap'n Queeg looking for the missing strawberries...

 

[kbate]

Still not a single comment about what the republican platform is going to be, I notice.

Actually - the Republican Platform - or the Bush Doctrine has been laid out fairly:

1. Continue war on terrorism - (stay the course).
2. Secure the borders - The Great Wall (revisited)
3. Tax Cuts to spur economy - (fait accompli)
4. Protect sanctity of American family (mollify religious right with anti-gay/anti abortion laws to buy votes)
5. No Child left behind - (of dubious success)
6. Tough on Crime

The democratic platform since 2000 has been:

1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. Everything the republicans do is bad.

 

[ezlay_2nite]

It's the bi-annual democratic shuffle.

It's like the hokey pokey, cause that's what it's all about.

Agreed...



Rep: We have a shitty idea...

Dem: We hate it, but can make it worse...

 

[unregistered]

 

[Cap’n AMatrixca]

Actually - the Republican Platform - or the Bush Doctrine has been layed out fairly:

1. Continue war on terrorism - (stay the course).
2. Secure the borders - The Great Wall (revisited)
3. Tax Cuts to spur economy - (fait accompli)
4. Protect sanctity of American family (mollify religious right with anti-gay/anti abortion laws to buy votes)
5. No Child left behind - (of dubious success)
6. Tough on Crime

The democratic platform since 2000 has been:

1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. Everything the republicans do is bad.

On number two, I listened to Rush interview Cheney, they are only proposing 700 miles of physical walls in the urban areas where these invaders can quickly meld into the population centers and transportation hubs and high-tech surveilance for the desert areas; a sound plan in my mind as long as Fox is bound and determined to get those people out of his hair so he doesn't have to deal with them.

 

[kbate]

On number two, I listened to Rush interview Cheney, they are only proposing 700 miles of physical walls in the urban areas where these invaders can quickly meld into the population centers and transportation hubs and high-tech surveilance for the desert areas; a sound plan in my mind as long as Fox is bound and determined to get those people out of his hair so he doesn't have to deal with them.

Before we scream with joy, remember Ronald Reagan's words - "Mr. Gorbachev - Tear this wall down."

 

[sticky_keyboard]

Still not a single comment about what the republican platform is going to be, I notice.

Maybe it should be, "We've spotted Osama more times than any previous administration!"

Im still waiting to hear a Demcratic plan for anything. They're so busy campaigning against Bush they're forgotten he's not running again. Bush is bad, this is wrong, that is wrong, vote for us.

Um, okay, what's the Dem plan for something like, say, illegal immigration?

 

[Cap’n AMatrixca]

I don't think any Republicans have even replied...

 

[ezlay_2nite]

I love McCain, or did. He's showing early signs of selling out. Time will tell, here, but I can't elect him with the price his party's going to expect from him. He'll pay it.

Maybe, but I think he's just testing the waters...

There is something to be said about back room deals...

He's one of the last ones, who can make them...

 

[Cap’n AMatrixca]

The wall was effective as long as the government was strong...

If you're saying the entire government is too powerless to help us because it is too big, too powerful, and too divided, I'd have to say yes, but that wall kept half of East Germany in place for a helluva long time. We only have to stop the flood for a short time until Mexico deals with it or it deals with Mexico...

 

[kbate]

The Berlin wall only worked because of the machine guns and minefields behind it.
The Great wall of China only worked while manned - at great expense.

No wall in the history of mankind has ever survived a persistent effort to subvert it, they all have holes and this one will have more than most, while costing more to maintain than any other in history.

Removing the incentives - tax free labour, free medicine, access to schools, periodic amnesty and automatic citizenship, no penalty on employers, etc. is the way to handle immigration -and at least Bush's plan addresses some of this.

Physical barriers are simply for show - the meat of the program is in the reforms of immigration law and employment law.

 

[Recidiva]

The Berlin wall only worked because of the machine guns and minefields behind it.
The Great wall of China only worked while manned - at great expense.

No wall in the history of mankind has ever survived a persistent effort to subvert it, they all have holes and this one will have more than most, while costing more to maintain than any other in history.

Removing the incentives - tax free labour, free medicine, access to schools, periodic amnesty and automatic citizenship, no penalty on employers, etc. is the way to handle immigration -and at least Bush's plan addresses some of this.

Physical barriers are simply for show - the meat of the program is in the reforms of immigration law and employment law.

I agree. It's like a "war against drugs" and not so much being done to stop consumers in the US. Mostly sound and fury signifying nothing.

 

[Cap’n AMatrixca]

I agree on everything; but the Mexicans require a show or they're not going to take the border anymore seriously than they have for the last 20 years...

We're not dealing with a brain drain here, just simple peasants who see no barrier to crossing into the US what-so-ever and a lot of welcome mats being put out, even from the highest levels as people like Tyson Foods bribe BOTH parties to keep the slaves coming.

 

[unregistered]

 

[islandman]

Anyone know where I can find a vid of the entire Bush speech from this past Monday?

 

[Cap’n AMatrixca]

Consider that they're conditioned to harsh government and shows of force. Been to a Mexican bank? The guys with AK-47's and hang-grenades coupled with a one person at a time in the bullet-proof glass corridor leading to the teller's slot create that special little memory of Mexico, no?

 

[unregistered]

 

[kbate]

f welcome mats being put out, even from the highest levels as people like Tyson Foods bribe BOTH parties to keep the slaves coming.

Ahem. (I just had 75 new chickens shipped in). :emoticon: I'm going to free-range chickens - no walls here!

IN order to protect them - I'm putting signs on my borders - (posted - No Hunting, Trapping, Fishing, Trespassing or Foxes.)

That'll do.

 

[zipman]

Actually - the Republican Platform - or the Bush Doctrine has been layed out fairly:

1. Continue war on terrorism - (stay the course).
2. Secure the borders - The Great Wall (revisited)
3. Tax Cuts to spur economy - (fait accompli)
4. Protect sanctity of American family (mollify religious right with anti-gay/anti abortion laws to buy votes)
5. No Child left behind - (of dubious success)
6. Tough on Crime

The democratic platform since 2000 has been:

1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. Everything the republicans do is bad.

Really? I can lay it out quite easily.

1. Homeland Security - Democrats actually pushed for the department of homeland security which Bush then took credit for. Unfortunately, Bush's incompetence has resulted in a bloated organization, staffed by cronies and rather ineffective. There is much to be done to actually improve our security right here in this country while the focus has been on Iraq, which was little more than a red herring on the security front. I do fault democrats for not creating a "where's waldo" game for Bush with Osama in it. Perhaps then he would have been a little more interested in actually catching him.

2. Equal opportunity regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual preferences etc. This has been a driving part of the ideology of the party for quite a long time. I realize it is in stark contrast to the republican ideology of labeling gays and lesbians as legitimate targets of discrimination, but I think it is quite a worthy ideal, one we should strive towards, not one we should roll back decades worth of progress on.

3. Economy - There are more people to be benefited than just the wealthy who are pretty much the sole recipients of republican largesse. A part of the economy that must be addressed is our bloated national deficit and trade deficit. The democrats were committed to vastly reducing if not eliminating the deficit and did far more than just state it as an ideal, but achieved clear results on during the Clinton years. Bush's fiscal irresponsibility has been staggering and indefensible.

4. Affordable Health Care - This doesn't mean a socialist system but merely affordable health care for those who need it. I think everyone should be entitled to basic health care without going into bankruptcy if someone falls seriously ill.

5. The environment - A clean environment is another core value and it doesn't have to happen at the expense of a good economy. I think a clean country (air, water and land) for our children is just common sense.

 

[zipman]

Zip just PM'ed me.

I'm gonna break the rules and reveal what he said just this once.

He called you a Republican, twice.

Does @#^#$%^&@#$%$ mean republican now?

 

[Incandesce]

Does @#^#$%^&@#$%$ mean republican now?

Only if you add more $$$.

As you well know they love to spend it and then make additional tax cuts to primarily profit the rich.

 

[zipman]

Only if you add more $$$.

As you well know they love to spend it and then make additional tax cuts to primarily profit the rich.

My bad.


If you believe in redistributing money from the rich to the poor you're a socialist.

If you believe in redistributing money from the poor to the rich you're a republican.

 

[MakersandIce]

Physical barriers are simply for show - the meat of the program is in the reforms of immigration law and employment law.

A good start would be enforcement of current laws.

 

[bptalt]

I have a feeling that this mid-term election is going to decide what the republican party is going to become.

There's a fire smoldering in the big tent and the religious right seem to be the match. There's a lot of frustration on the part of the religious right that Bush hasn't vigorously pushed their anti-gay amendment.

There's also a lot of anger from fiscal conservatives to the utter lack of fiscal restraint demonstrated by both congress and the president over the course of the Bush presidency.

About the only core group who isn't pissed at him is big business.

The republicans have abandoned many of their supposed core values over the last 5-6 years, such as fiscal responsibility, small government, american isolationism, etc.

It should be pretty interesting watching what happens.

I am big on fiscal responsibility and small government and this administration goes through money like Ted Kennedy goes through Scotch at and open bar.

 

[MakersandIce]

I am big on fiscal responsibility and small government and this administration goes through money like Ted Kennedy goes through Scotch at and open bar.

And bridge railings.