Do they even exist within the GOP anymore? I see a rash of extremists winning smaller elections where I feel that more moderate candidates are what the party needs. How could any Republican president who was a moderate keep in check all of the far right elements of his/her party?
You could say that for both parties. I would say it's much worse on the left these days.
I would love to hear you argue that position.
Quote:Do they even exist within the GOP anymore? I see a rash of extremists winning smaller elections where I feel that more moderate candidates are what the party needs. How could any Republican president who was a moderate keep in check all of the far right elements of his/her party?
Most of the leadership of the party is far too moderate for my tastes. I'm hardly an extremist, I just don't care for the hard left politics of Obama, Reid, Pelosi, et al. America is a center-right country being run by leftists and RINOs.
Quote:You could say that for both parties. I would say it's much worse on the left these days.
THE MOON IS MADE OF GREEN CHEESE!
Quote:Most of the leadership of the party is far too moderate for my tastes. I'm hardly an extremist, I just don't care for the hard left politics of Obama, Reid, Pelosi, et al. America is a center-right country being run by leftists and RINOs.
Which members of the GOP who are not extremists would you replace them with?
Quote:Which members of the GOP who are not extremists would you replace them with?
Why would I want to replace them with GOPers who will do the same things? If changing the letter doesn't change the output then there's no point to it at all. I'm more in favor of eliminating them all and starting over from scratch, there's not a dime's worth of difference between statist democrats and big government republicans.
So is there any Republican who is a non extremist, big or small that you feel aligns with what you seek in a leadership role?
Quote:So is there any Republican who is a non extremist, big or small that you feel aligns with what you seek in a leadership role?
Eh, maybe Pence in the House and Thune in the Senate. That's about it. Kasich in the group of governors, Bob McDonnell was a huge disappointment.
What's stopping them from making a run at the helm. Admittedly, I know very little of Kasich and only marginally am familar with the other two.
Quote:Eh, maybe Pence in the House and Thune in the Senate. That's about it. Kasich in the group of governors, Bob McDonnell was a huge disappointment.
If you think you were disappointed in McDonnell, imagine me. I voted for him, AND even had a bumper sticker. It is no longer adorned on my bumper. I feel hoodwinked.
Quote:So is there any Republican who is a non extremist, big or small that you feel aligns with what you seek in a leadership role?
Who do you consider Republican extremist?
Louie Gohmert I consider a great many things. I was piggybacking off of his statement he feels the current leadership is too moderate (which I do not quite agree with) though he does not consider himself an extremist. He mentioned a few others I would like to research. I feel the GOP needs good moderate leaders to right the ship.
Quote:Who do you consider Republican extremist?
I was wondering the same thing. Tea Party candidates? If they're extreme, what's libertarian considered?
And I'm not sure I understand the question posed in the OP. If anything, the entire GOP has moved a bit to the left. How much more moderate can one become? And that shift is partly responsible for the Tea Party's existence.
What examples do you see the current GOP leaning left? I view it as the opposite.
Quote:What examples do you see the current GOP leaning left? I view it as the opposite.
For example, W's claim to be a compassionate conservative. He backed it up with an expansion of government. And Romney was a right winger? He seemed quite moderate to me. Same with McCain.
Quote:For example, W's claim to be a compassionate conservative. He backed it up with an expansion of government. And Romney was a right winger? He seemed quite moderate to me. Same with McCain.
You're mistaking political leaning with governmental method.
All parties are by their nature authoritarian because that's what government is, authority.
You really need to make your choices on what you want authority to focus on, not whether you think there should be authority, because you don't have a choice there.
So you can vote left-wing which tries to make sure people get as even a start in life as possible and a safety net to allow people to take risks in life like starting a business.
Or you can vote right-wing which tries to make sure that if you're born on the bottom you stay there and if you dare to take a risk in life that doesn't work out welcome to poverty.
Basing your vote on the misguided idea that any party will relinquish their authority is idiocy, and even if they did abolish governmental authority all that would happen is another party would step in to assume the control of that power vacuum, and chances are it wouldn't be an improvement.
Quote:You're mistaking political leaning with governmental method.
All parties are by their nature authoritarian because that's what government is, authority.
You really need to make your choices on what you want authority to focus on, not whether you think there should be authority, because you don't have a choice there.
So you can vote left-wing which tries to make sure people get as even a start in life as possible and a safety net to allow people to take risks in life like starting a business.
Or you can vote right-wing which tries to make sure that if you're born on the bottom you stay there and if you dare to take a risk in life that doesn't work out welcome to poverty.
Basing your vote on the misguided idea that any party will relinquish their authority is idiocy, and even if they did abolish governmental authority all that would happen is another party would step in to assume the control of that power vacuum, and chances are it wouldn't be an improvement.
I see you've bought into the proletariat vs. bourgeoisie drivel that's been bandied about years.
Sorry, but there are politicians that work to expunge the depredations of men like FDR. Reduction in the size of government in no way means its abolition.
Quote:I see you've bought into the proletariat vs. bourgeoisie drivel that's been bandied about years.
Sorry, but there are politicians that work to expunge the depredations of men like FDR. Reduction in the size of government in no way means its abolition.
I use the terms left-wing and right-wing because the dems and repubs don't really represent a full spectrum any longer. They're both pretty well inhabiting only from the center and rightward.
Every time you "reduce the size of government" what you're actually doing is handing the authority of that segment of government to another body, and likely one that you have no actual say in, regardless of how you might imagine your immense individual "free market" power. (lol)
Quote:What examples do you see the current GOP leaning left? I view it as the opposite.
The ENTIRE Bush Administration for starters. Government Bailouts, No Child Left Behind, The Patriot Act, the NDAA, I mean seriously it IS the reason for the emergence of the Tea Party and the Libertarian Party.