(10-31-2020, 05:20 AM)TurndownforWatt Wrote:

(10-30-2020, 05:36 PM)KodiakJag Wrote: It may appear that way to a lot of people on this board, but that is because Mike is what we used to call a compassionate conservative.  They almost don’t exist anymore.  I kind of view myself the same way.  I guess to Trumplicans that makes me a pinko commie sympathizer as well.

Mike is never someone I'd call a compassionate conservative. What you and Mike's stances are was never any part of the conservative political spectrum, not even close to the Kennedy democrats.. Hell, if JFK was alive today he would be a republican. His party has shifted so far left that it's left it's base behind.

I'm not sure I'd take the label "compassionate conservative".  That was a motto that Karl Rove invented for Bush 43.  90% of what Bush 43 said was said from a place of humility and respect for all Americans.  I like that.  Bush was also willing to accept ideas from his opponents if he thought they were good, specifically, the NCLB act which greatly enhanced federal oversight of public schools.  Unfortunately the policy itself was a disaster, just like choosing to invade Iraq while also antagonizing Iran was a disaster.
But yes, I'm conservative in the sense that I defer to tradition, I defer to the status quo.  And I'm compassionate in the sense that I wish our politicians would be more respectful to each other and consider each other's ideas on the merits instead of just rejecting everything the other side wants.  I'm also compassionate in the sense that I think politicians should analyze social problems like generational poverty and racism.  Now, a Democrat or modern progressive would act as if the government had the total solution to these things, all we have to do is spend more money.  I'm not that, though.  I'm a conservative so the main reason I want to look at these types of problems is just to see if current government policy is contributing to the problem or not.  If we find that current policy is part of the problem, that's when we have an imperative to change it.  
I just would rather not be associated with Bush 43 either.  I'm my own guy.  As are some of you.

Do you think Ted Kennedy would be a Republican today if he hadn't passed 10 years ago?

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