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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

The Politics and Science of Healthcare. Yet Again Hoping Obama Fails.

I’m having some trouble roping around all this stem cell and healthcare nonsense from Barry the Black Jesus.

Obama says, “Our government has forced what I believe is a false choice between sound science and moral values.”

“It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda — and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology,” Obama said.

But then he went on to say that human cloning is “dangerous, profoundly wrong and has no place in our society, or any society.” Why exactly?

If we’re going to put science ahead of politics and ideology, why is human cloning off limits? Isn’t it because it is a moral hazard filled with all sorts of ethical problems, in addition to some potentially huge scientific advances?

All of this comes apart when we start looking at healthcare reform.

Jay Rockefeller, one of the senators who will take the lead on healthcare reform, says we can’t have it all.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), a longtime champion of overhauling the health care system, raised the controversial prospect of new limits on the care that American can get.

“We can’t all have everything we want when we want it,” he said. “And it’s going to hurt everyone’s feelings. But I don’t see any other way.”

But doesn’t that conflict with the President’s approach to science? After all, if a treatment will help someone, shouldn’t they get it? It not only advances science, but it is also a moral good, in the same way cloning people is a terrible moral hazard?

It seems to me that Barack Obama is picking and choosing whether he wants to be scientific or moral or ethical on an issue by issue basis. When we get to healthcare, he will be unable to get money and politics out of the decision making process. Do we really believe that he would allow the government to deny a life saving treatment to Warren Buffet? That is, though, what Rockefeller proposes.

When the government gets involved, politics and money come into play. It does not matter whether it is stem cell research or healthcare. To say otherwise is disingenuous and it exposes a potential achilles heel in Obama’s administration.

Say what you will about the last administration, but it was consistent. Obama, given the direction he wants to take healthcare reform and the direction he is taking stem cell issues, but not cloning, is picking and choosing between science, politics, and morality. The inconsistency in chooses is going to come back and bite him.

Again, we can only hope he fails.

COMMENTS

  • Alberta

    Im glad Im not the only one who went Huh? when Barry said cloning was bad but turning a woman into a material factory was ok.

  • Addison

    Really?

    Ok, then.

  • http://www.RedState.com/ETCartman Kenny Solomon

    ………if the person is registered and voted as “D” or “R”.

    De Gubmint will just simply access whatever records they want or ‘deem necessary for a person’s care’ and take things from that point.

    I know it sounds insane, but so did electing a Marxist to the position of POTUS.

  • not_neo_just_conservative

    Obama on Stem Cell Research:

    ?It is about ensuring that scientific data is never distorted or concealed to serve a political agenda ? and that we make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology,? Obama said.

    Obama on Climate Change:

    “All across the world, in every kind of environment and region known to man, increasingly dangerous weather patterns and devastating storms are abruptly putting an end to the long-running debate over whether or not climate change is real. Not only is it real, it’s here, and its effects are giving rise to a frighteningly new global phenomenon: the man-made natural disaster.”

    “Today we’re seeing that climate change is about more than a few unseasonably mild winters or hot summers. It’s about the chain of natural catastrophes and devastating weather patterns that global warming is beginning to set off around the world.. the frequency and intensity of which are breaking records thousands of years old.”

    “The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. There may still be disputes about exactly how much we’re contributing to the warming of the earth’s atmosphere and how much is naturally occurring, but what we can be scientifically certain of is that our continued use of fossil fuels is pushing us to a point of no return. And unless we free ourselves from a dependence on these fossil fuels and chart a new course on energy in this country, we are condemning future generations to global catastrophe.”

    Anyone else see the contradiction here?

  • Joe_Cor

    I really, really don’t like the guy. But may I respectfully suggest that we abstain from “Barry the Black Jesus” to characterize him. It’s not the type of thing that can or should win us points with winning people over to our side. Let’s stick to his policies, which are horrific enough.

  • not_neo_just_conservative

    I think it’s a sardonic comment on how he’s viewed by the left.

  • warkarma

    Good Freaking God…. Do you folks just not get it???

    FOR THE RECORD, before anyone starts with the name calling: I did NOT vote for Obama, I wanted Romney or Giuliani in office, I’m a devout Christian, and I consider myself an independent voter who leans right on most issues.

    Stop with the name calling. Stop with the implied racial slurs. Stop with saying you want Obama to fail. It’s not helping.

    The GOP is in complete disarray. The only way it will survive is if it figures out how to appeal to younger voters, who are voting Democrat to Republican 70/30, how to expand it’s base beyond the Southern Bible Belt, how to expand and enhance from a technology standpoint, and how to stop being viewed as the racist, exclusive, country-club party of old white men.

    This is the truth. Have you looked around you? College kids on campuses wear torn-off jeans and flip-flops. The work place is now casual, and the country is slowly but surely becoming more liberal and open-minded. You guys are moving in the opposite manner.

    Here’s an interview with Newt Gingrich. Here are a few highlights of what he states:

    ESSENCE.COM: You say Rush Limbaugh isn’t the leader of the Republican Party. Is there is a clear leader in your opinion?
    GINGRICH: No, that’s the whole point, when you don’t have a president or a presidential nominee. John Boehner’s sort of a leader, but so is Eric Cantor who is much younger. Bobby Jindal is kind of a leader, but so are Mark Sanford and Tim Pawlenty and Sarah Palin. There are probably 30 to 50 people who are sort of leaders, and Michael Steele is clearly one of them.

    ESSENCE.COM: The Republican Party isn’t tracking well with Americans in general right now, while President Obama has a high approval rating. Why do you think the Republican Party is losing support?
    GINGRICH: First of all, in that same NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, both Pelosi and Reid had negatives. And the President’s a brand-new elected President. The country has a deep desire for him to succeed. Anybody who does not want the President of the United States to succeed is irrational. Furthermore he’s attractive, he’s got a nice family, he’s articulate, and he represents a sense of hope. So I think he ought to be fairly popular. I would be cautious about over-reading polls.

    “Anybody who does not want the President of the United States to succeed is irrational”.

    I’m not a fan of Rush. Personally, I think he represents all that is wrong with the Republican party. I think if the GOP is to recover, first, then survive, it needs new faces, like Pawlenty, Jindal, Giuliani, Romney. Not the divisiveness and exclusion that brought the GOP where it is now.

    And, as an aside – for all the folks on this board who said I would rather have Obama or Hillary rather than Giuliani – are you still making that statement? Think about tha, and remember itt. A moderate is better than a liberal every day and twice on Sunday.

  • warkarma

    http://www.essence.com/news_entertainment/news/articles/newt_gingrich_intertview?xid=031009-cnn-newtgingrich.

    Forgot it in my first post. Apologies.

  • warkarma

    http://www.essence.com/news_entertainment/news/articles/newt_gingrich_intertview?xid=031009-cnn-newtgingrich.

    Forgot it in my first post. Apologies.

  • Flagstaff

    ‘But then he went on to say that human cloning is ?dangerous, profoundly wrong and has no place in our society, or any society.? Why exactly?’

    Or another example of Obama putting his oratorical skills to good use. Smoke and mirrors.

  • Flagstaff

    Which part of this do you think I disagree with?

    “The only way it will survive is if it figures out how to appeal to younger voters, who are voting Democrat to Republican 70/30, how to expand it?s base beyond the Southern Bible Belt, how to expand and enhance from a technology standpoint, and how to stop being viewed as the racist, exclusive, country-club party of old white men.”

    I’ll tell you. “how to appeal to younger voters….”

    That is the path that’s caused the problems. We either believe in basic principles, or we believe in trying to emulate people we profoundly disagree with. The path is not to appeal to voters by changing our principles, it’s to show those voters that our principles are the ones they actually will support once they are understood.

    “how to expand it?s base beyond the Southern Bible Belt….” I don’t exactly disagree with this, I just point out that we already know. Ronald Reagan showed us the way, but some of us seem intent upon blotting that from our memories. Once again, his appeal was based on principle, not “ideology.”

    “how to stop being viewed as the racist, exclusive, country-club party of old white men.” This depends entirely on getting our message out and buying up all the current SCUM newspapers and broadcasters to change their editorial and reporting policies. Oh, yes, and also muzzle all the Liberal spokesmen. Until those happen, this won’t change.

  • Flagstaff

    “Have you looked around you? College kids on campuses wear torn-off jeans and flip-flops. The work place is now casual, and the country is slowly but surely becoming more liberal and open-minded.”

    Some do, and some dress that way becasue it’s comfortable yet are open to conservative ideas. Have you heard of Morton Blackwell and the Leadership Institute. They’re addressing the “young liberal” problem by training young Republicans to become campus leaders and local leaders who can counter those liberal ideas with convincing, conservative ones.

    “The GOP is in complete disarray.” And that’s new?

    Gingrich: ?Anybody who does not want the President of the United States to succeed is irrational?. And anybody who thinks his policies are the road to anything but serfdom is even less rational. Do you support those policies, Newt? If not, you want him to fail, in the same context that Rush made his statement. You’re suffering from Chuck Schumer syndrome, Newt.

  • Flagstaff

    “In the wake of the public feud between Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and radio host Rush Limbaugh over who is the head of the Republican Party”

    There was no feud. The disagreement was between Michael Steele’s words and his intent. Rush has never claimed to be the leader of the Republican Party. He has said that he agrees that the leader of the RNC (and by extension the Republican Party) is Michael Steele. But he probably wouldn’t argue if you called him the leader of small “c” conservatism in the US.

  • Flagstaff

    The question is, “When will his failure become evident to the majority of Americans?”

  • Flagstaff

    “While 68 percent of Americans surveyed in a recent NBC/Wall Street Journal poll have a positive view of President Obama, just 26 percent have a favorable view of the Republican Party.”

    Many people in both groups are Republicans, Republicans who believe the Party has lost its way. Therefore, they voted “other than favorable.”

  • Flagstaff
  • warkarma

    You can’t buy the type of credibility you’re looking for. And blaming these problems on the media isn’t going to solve anything.

    THE PARTY HAS TO CHANGE, SIMPLY BECAUSE TIMES CHANGE. That’s just fact.

    500 years ago, people started wars over land and gold and that was OK. 150 years ago, public hangings took place, and that was OK. 50 years ago, black people had to sit in the back of the bus and had separate restrooms, and that was considered OK. 20 years ago, being gay was equal to being a leper, and gay marriage was not even formulated as a thought.

    Unless the core of the GOP plans on living forever (currently not possible), the core beliefs of the party will have to get altered to cater to the new generation of voters. Otherwise, the GOP will continue to bleed numbers.

    The GOP will have to embrace the fact that times are changing. It will either change with them or become a minority party as time passes.

    I don’t agree with everything liberals do, nor with everything conservatives do. I believe that global warming is a problem, and I also believe you’ll take my gun from my cold dead hands. I believe the war in Iraq was wrong, and I believe Obama’s stimulus plan makes as much sense as the tooth fairy. I believe in a strong national defense, small government and the right to basic health care for everyone. What does that make me?

    Give moderates who lean right more of a voice, instead of muzzling them. Begin harvesting change inside the party to grow the base. The GOP brand is not a brand young voters support. Sorry. But fighting time is a losing proposition. Sorry, but concessions will have to be made in painful areas such as climate change, abortion (gasp), gay marriage, etc. in order for the party to survive.

    Or it won’t.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    Not only firing Liberal Editors but having the New Management fire any Reporters that would try to continue to pass Liberal Bias in the stories they file. I’m sure there are people that will step up to do the job of Objectively correctly and proudly if they knew the market was open (finally) for them (since they would be excluded/passed-over for those with only clear Liberal bias to impart in the past). Conservatives independently owning separate local Newspapers could even pool resources and syndicate (across them) stories from proven real Journalists to populate the pages of the Newspapers, to better the content and control costs…

  • DONTREADONME

    “I don?t agree with everything liberals do, nor with everything conservatives do. I believe that global warming is a problem, and I also believe you?ll take my gun from my cold dead hands. I believe the war in Iraq was wrong, and I believe Obama?s stimulus plan makes as much sense as the tooth fairy. I believe in a strong national defense, small government and the right to basic health care for everyone”

    Plus you are a contradiction, you can not BE SMALL GOVERNMENT and for BASIC HEALTHCARE FOR EVERYONE,.

    No such thing as basic health care for everyone! This is a principle I will not sacrifice on, You give Government the charge of all’s health care and you give the Government to control every aspect of your life because they pay for it.

    You are quite the small mind… are you in college or something because your understanding of the world or the country is very short sighted. I can not help but respond to your ignorance. This kind of garbage that you are talking about is ridiculous,

    “First, quit blaming the media”, good God almighty, sacrifice your principles to get the positive press. Sell OUT! I will not to the day I die seperate from the principles that I know work. You can sacrifice your principles but I will not and many of my colleagues here will not either. So stop with this, here. You have shown nothing worthy of further remark, because if you keep this up you will not find any friends around here unless you stick to the small Government posts.

  • DONTREADONME

    “Give moderates who lean right more of a voice, instead of muzzling them. Begin harvesting change inside the party to grow the base. The GOP brand is not a brand young voters support. Sorry. But fighting time is a losing proposition. Sorry, but concessions will have to be made in painful areas such as climate change, abortion (gasp), gay marriage, etc. in order for the party to survive”

    Moderates ran in 06 and 08 how did that turn out now, MMMK, Maybe the GOP should swing to the Right instead of swinging to the left of center.

    NO CONCESSIONS NEED TO BE MADE, DEAL WITH IT. Nothing you have stated in your post makes me believe that you warrant any intellectual conversation other than GROW UP, and deal with the world!

  • DONTREADONME

    You need to reevaluate the party you align yourself with because the positions that you hold do not bring you anywhere near the true center-right. The Democrat party would be happier with your comments than I will. My hope is that you’re blasted for your pure idiocy and immaturity. You sound like you are 19 or 22 because if you are not then you most certainly have conflicts to resolve in your principles. Thanks for making go tyrant on your rear, but I have important business, that sort of deals with that war you seem to have a problem with to get back to, but then again what do you care.

  • warkarma

    People like you are exactly the reason the GOP is in the mess it’s in. You box yourself in into a small set of beliefs and refuse to extend beyond your narrow-minded views. Everyone thinks differently, and just because you can’t walk and chew gum at the same time doesn’t mean that other’s can’t.

    (that last remark was for your petty personal comments).

    I’m sorry the truth hurts. Your principles are what they are – you’re welcome to keep them just the way they are. I have mine as well, so do many other moderates. I abstained from voting this year for the first time in a LONG time, but most moderates voted left exactly because of people like you.

    Now the GOP is the minority, and it keeps shrinking. If you think you’re going to fix that problem by saying there’s only one way, and it’s this one – and this happens to be the way that 70% of new voters reject, you need to revisit basic algebra.

  • DONTREADONME

    I think you ought to watch what you say there warkarma, I am not part of the Republican party maybe you should not jump to conclusions.

  • DONTREADONME

    “People like you are exactly the reason the GOP is in the mess it?s in. You box yourself in into a small set of beliefs and refuse to extend beyond your narrow-minded views. Everyone thinks differently, and just because you can?t walk and chew gum at the same time doesn?t mean that other?s can?t.”
    (that last remark was for your petty personal comments).

    Stupidity like yours deserves comments like that, you do not belong here, the tent was opened for you and guess what the candidate that was better qualified lost.

    You spit opinions. The GOP is a minority because it stands for nothing, which is exactly what people like you have done, the GOP tries it your way and they lose, so we must move more to the left, stop tripping when you are chewing gum.

  • DONTREADONME

    but how many of these young voters actually go to the polls and what makes them right? because they vote that way? Darn it, this is the tyranny of the majority true Democracy idiocy that they teach in schools now. Basic Algebra, huh, maybe you should watch out for ADS while your at it.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    Yep/Agreed – Failure or Success comes for both….. It is simple, yet many (even several around here when the whole “Failure” thing started) keep trying to nuance it to be somehow separate. I guess they would have wanted Hitler to succeed, except for those pesky policies of his…. Or Stalin? etc….

    Again, it is so darn simple: If Obama succeeds it means his policies are implemented… you cannot be against his policies yet for the Man! Anything else is just silly attempts to be POLITICALLY CORRECT in some insecure fashion that you are afraid of being labeled something. Which, of course, you should be PROUD to be labeled CONSERVATIVE which demands you be against Obama and his Policies!

    People who are trying this PC “Obama succeed, but his policies not be enacted (Fail)” are just seen, IMO, as silly and not taken seriously…. That now includes NEWT, I want no part of him running for President (don’t think he has a prayer anyway)…. He provides the classic example of how he is trying to be PC as he thinks it will have peoples minds open to therefore listen to him with this nuance.

    The Right way, IMNSHO, is the way many of us (from when Rush first said it) have approached it which is to rationally explain the two are linked and cannot be separated!. That Truth will eventually get through to those with any Brains AND it simply will NOT (no matter how PC you try to nuance it) ever get through to an ObamaZombie. Just let them call you a name, shake your head at their ignorance, and move on.

  • DONTREADONME

    since you contradict yourself with HEALTH CARE and SMALL GOVERNMENT, which government is small with HEALTH CARE for 300 Million. I thought this was a conservative website, not necessarilty GOP BTW. Disagree with the WAR and for DEFENSE Contradiction, if you knew anything you would think more about that statement. Obama is in charge but I still support his use of the military force to finish the job. The GOP is not shrinking, it is in disarray because of people like you, the GOP brought you in 06 and what happened? Huh. I do not think you will find a real ally on this website with your wanting to concede on climate change since that is the most ridiculous terminology, I think you mean Human caused Global Warming, since climate change is inevitable. What you are proposing is that the GOP turn into the Democrat party of 8 years ago, since the Democrat party is so far left that it is off the reservation into the socialist party.

  • bs

    considering McCain was probably the most moderate candidate the GOP has run in years.

    You’re barking up the wrong tree, pal. Values don’t change with wind direction. The values that back those policies you insist we much change are constant and eternal. Have you thought about how many the GOP will LOSE if we were to change directions on those policies you mentioned? In 2000, when social conservatives thought George W. Bush was a social moderate, he nearly lost the election because the socons stayed home. If the GOP goes pro-choice, the GOP will be gutted. But oh, baby, we’ll have those young voters who vote in such vast numbers (18% of eligible youth vote voted in 2008). :rolls eyes:

    Obama is this year’s Nehru jacket. He’ll go out of style quickly once people realize how ridiculous he and his policies are. Conservative values are consistent and span generations, and they will return, as they always have. What we lack today is leadership that is capable of voicing conservative values in a way that is understandable. McCain was a train wreck of a communicator. We’ll find one – but it may take some time. There are a number of up-and-comers out there.

  • DONTREADONME

    what we were trying to say when it was support the troops and you don’t support the war?

  • warkarma

    Easy, or your blood pressure’s going to skyrocket.

    I’m stating facts, not opinions. I’m sorry if you don’t like them, but they’re what they are.

    Get your head out of the Kool-Aid bowl and take a deep breath. 70% of voters is still 70% of VOTERS. Those are votes you lose.

    And stop with the name-calling, for Pete’s sake. I’m not a bleeding heart liberal, I wouldn’t be bothering if I was. I don’t think a one-party system is good for America, so I hope the GOP begins to change. Yelling out at the top of your lungs and calling me names doesn’t exactly make you look brilliant.

  • DONTREADONME

    but this guy is off the reservation here, he is saying I am drinking the Kool Aid or something like that. Since I do not have anyones Kool Aid to drink, what Kool Aid would that be sir?

  • warkarma

    A Giuliani/Romney ticket would have sealed this election. The hard right didn’t want either one in the general because of the white elephant in the room.

    Whatever… I hope I’m proven wrong in 4 years.. for everyone’s sake.

  • warkarma

    A Giuliani/Romney ticket would have sealed this election. The hard right didn’t want either one in the general because of the white elephant in the room.

    Whatever… I hope I’m proven wrong in 4 years.. for everyone’s sake.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    Bush derangement syndrome….

    Would/did any of them want BUSH to Fail, yet his policies to Succeed?

    NO, that would just be silly….. They were 1 and the same…. Yet some want to argue the same thing in reverse…. Obama to Succeed, yet his policies Fail.

    It doesn’t rationally work!!!

    Some Hated Newt because of his Personality…. Yet the Contract and Newt where linked…. You can’t have hoped for Success of the Contract ideals yet want Newt to have Failed or not gotten credit…. It is Silly and Irrational!?!? Both, of course, received mixed results BECAUSE they are inexorably linked!

  • DONTREADONME

    “And stop with the name-calling, for Pete?s sake. I?m not a bleeding heart liberal, I wouldn?t be bothering if I was. I don?t think a one-party system is good for America, so I hope the GOP begins to change. Yelling out at the top of your lungs and calling me names doesn?t exactly make you look brilliant”

    Brilliant is what I do, just because you deserve a verbal lashing does not state anything about my brilliance. anyway let me correct you again, liberals would love the GOP to be more to there side and yes they do come here and pretend to be nice squishy left of moderate like you. Please show me the scientific poll that has been done that has done the statistics of new voters, BTW 1 or 2 Gallup polls or RCP is not enough here. You are stating nothing but opinions until you get going with some links to something substantial.

    I am sorry but my friend below “bs” appears to have agreed with me on this one, the GOP extended the tent with McCain. I just googled 70% and I can not see right now this 70% new voter registration Democrat all I see is comments after stories. Also, I would imagine that these voters thought O would have provided them something, I hate to think the failure of these policies are inevitable and maybe people will wake up to conservative principles that seem have helped us during the 50′s, 80′s and ’94-’02.

  • bs

    Giuliani was a self-admitted pro-choicer. The social conservatives would have abandoned the guy in droves.

    You simply can’t see past your self-proclaimed moderateness.

  • DONTREADONME

    that is exactly true that is why we have to say we want O to fail and his policies to fail. Though, I would caveat with I want him to win the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and the GWOT. Anyway, my arguement with warkarma, which is a great time, I am having a good time because he is helpful though, he helps with solidifying your principles and how they seldom if ever get comprised even if you are swayable on certain issues. Conflicts in your stances tend to arise from others pointing it out. Which has happened a few times to me here on RS. I just hope that I do not go off like mbecker908 to often, because I do not have the elbow room here to do that.

  • Flagstaff

    “You can?t buy the type of credibility you?re looking for. And blaming these problems on the media isn?t going to solve anything.”

    That’s leftist talking points. Don’t try to apply what I wrote about one small part of the problem (PR) to the rest of the article. And you CAN buy PR. The left doesn’t have to, because it’s freely given by the SCUM.

    “THE PARTY HAS TO CHANGE, SIMPLY BECAUSE TIMES CHANGE. That?s just fact.”

    The fact is, right and wrong are immutable, within the context of a society. The society of Republicans, and particularly conservative Republicans, has a pretty well defined concept of right and wrong. So the Party may have to change in certain respects, in techniques, in language, in posture, but not in principle. But having flirted with flexible principles we have given up the high ground of being known for what we are, rather than for what the Democrats want to define us as when it suits them to do so.

    “150 years ago, public hangings took place, and that was OK. 50 years ago, black people had to sit in the back of the bus and had separate restrooms, and that was considered OK.”

    I don’t claim to be competent to comment on the other parts of this paragraph, but for this part, I point out that Republicans led the way to overturn those practices, while the Democrats resisted. If you’re not aware of that, then you should be able to understand what I wrote about PR. The Democrat PR machine has tried to do the same today with the concept of “who is responsible for the mortgage mess.”

    “the core beliefs of the party will have to get altered to cater to the new generation of voters. Otherwise, the GOP will continue to bleed numbers.

    The GOP will have to embrace the fact that times are changing. It will either change with them or become a minority party as time passes.”

    That works for Democrats, or anybody whose beliefs are founded on the vagaries of public opinion, but not so well for Republicans. In fact, it doesn’t make any sense for Republicans. To make it crystal clear, Democrats pander to the public’s whims, misrepresenting themselves to get elected, whereas Republicans SHOULD convince the public to choose to follow conservative principles. See the difference? To do what you suggest is to become a Democrat in a three-piee suit.

    The GOP will continue to bleed numbers as long as potential converts have no idea what they’re being asked to convert to. And we’re already a minority party–time doesn’t have to pass. Continue current PRACTICES and that won’t change. About that, I agree with you.

    “I don?t agree with everything liberals do, nor with everything conservatives do. I believe that global warming is a problem, and I also believe you?ll take my gun from my cold dead hands. I believe the war in Iraq was wrong, and I believe Obama?s stimulus plan makes as much sense as the tooth fairy. I believe in a strong national defense, small government and the right to basic health care for everyone. What does that make me?”

    It makes you a person who’s been willing to take a position on certain issues, probably wrong about some and right about others, with the argument being about which is which. But some of your decisions are based on principles and some on your evaluation of evidence and its sources.

    “Give moderates who lean right more of a voice, instead of muzzling them.”

    Which voices have been muzzled? Which ones should we listen to? I suspect that some of the voices you want us to hear have profoundly counter-productive messages.

    “Begin harvesting change inside the party to grow the base. The GOP brand is not a brand young voters support.”

    Do you suggest we change the name?

    I didn’t miss your point. It’s simply wrong, IMHO.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    If you mean the Democrats nuanced the “Support the Troops, but the War is lost” lines…. Though I can see someone honestly thinking (which was NOT what the Democrats where doing, IMO) “Want Troops out, because you support them and don’t want them Fighting ‘That particular conflict’” … I see those two statements differently….

    That was mostly all BDR and knowing they had to nuance the message about the Troops to disguise their motives for anything/everything they did/do.

    None of us would like to see our Troops fighting/dying anywhere… but once the Country is engaged (regardless of who/how/why/etc) to want the Mission to Fail (is expecting, in some cases IMO hoping, the Soldiers Fail) and is NOT ACCEPTABLE to me…. I supported Clinton once we were engaged in Bosnia – despite his Cut-And-Run from Somalia (because that wasn’t his “deal”)…. WE HAVE TO WANT AND TRY TO WIN any/every battle we engage in.

  • DONTREADONME

    when Democrat said we Support the Troops but we do not support the War. Sometimes a missing comma, can mess everything up.

  • Flagstaff

    I said, “But some of your decisions are based on principles and some on your evaluation of evidence and its sources.” I left out “and some are based on emotion–what you’d like reality to be, rather than what it is.”

    I missed that before.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    Now that Obama has proven that HE LIED to his fellow Socialists… er… Progressives (I always forget, they insist there is “somehow” a difference) that he wants A COMPLETE AND IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWEL FROM IRAQ….

    While I still believe he is doing so for the wrong reasons and maybe still/yet too fast (see: Surrender First Doctrine) now that his “position” is to withdraw to a “drawn down” state (not complete withdrawal) … I want HIM/THAT to be successful… No problem in my mind that I want him to succeed on that one issue (especially now that it is the same as “withdraw on success” we’ve been advocating)…. Again, I still think it is DUMB to be announcing these moves (announced hard/firm timetables) and allowing our enemies to just sit and wait to re-engage as we withdraw…. So we still have a concern/difference in Strategy and manner in which he does it…. BUT, I would be grateful for it to be successful for us to pull most our Troops out …. IF THE COUNTRY DOESN’T FALL APART AS A CONSEQUENCE! It would be great to have the Troops (or as many as possible) out as soon as possible…

    Do I want him to successfully PANDER to CODEPINK in trying to have it both ways? NOOOOOOOO!!!!!

  • DONTREADONME

    I am apoligizing for losing my temper and making personal comments, you are most certainly correct, I should have not went into that. So I sincerely, apologize for going down that road, Warkarma, I could have conducted a discussion w/o the arguement if I had not written those. Hopefully, an apology from me on this one is something you will not find on any other websites (Lefty), because my conscience is bothering me.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    The hands type slower than our brain completes the thoughts….. I’ve seen you around enough to have thought I understood what you meant.

    related conversations:
    Iraq acquires SOFA (Status of Forces Agmt), can a TV (total Victory) be next? SOFA/TV, I tried to be clever ;-)
    Loose Lips Sink Ships – Feinstein (D-CA) Torpedoes Pakistan relations and our ability to Fight the Taliban

  • Leopard1996

    I know where I stand as a Libertarian, and if I happen to agree with something at 60%, then I am not going to vote against a party or group that disagrees with me only 40% of the time. I know I believe in small government, lower taxes, and basically the government staying out of my way. Now where I differ is on some social issue, I believe that Marijuana should be legal. Abortion is a decision that the woman and her God will one day have to come to terms with. HOwever, the money shouldn’t come out of my pocket, and because of my belief in small govenement and government staying out of my way, as far as gay marriage, I wouldn’t have a problem with it, except for the 5th column that would open up on churches, and groups that are based in religion being shut down by lawsuits (Catholic Charities). However, I don’t feel like I have a muzzle on me from the right, but the left on the other hand, different story.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    I think his stance on SCOTUS Judges to be enough that he would be supported… That plus him being more States’ Rights leaning…. I could be wrong, but don’t think I am…. 9/11 bought him allot of leeway….

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    more directly engaged back to the Rush/ObamaFail conversation rather than the Warring (yes, pun intended) with War above ;-) I wasn’t involved and no interest in being involved in that part…

  • Leopard1996

    Most Democrats in 06 and 08 ran as moderate to conservative to win their seats, vs a tarnished republican brand. Hell Obama pulled the snowball out of his ass with his 95% of Americans getting a tax cut garbage which appealed to moderate types disgusted with Bush and the RINO cause. So I tend to agree with everybody else here, stand for something or get the hell out of the way so somebody that does can step in. Doing it the way of well let’s be more pro-choice, let’s allow for more government intrustion, let the government spend this country to oblivion doesn’t work, because you are offering no true alternative.

  • Flagstaff

    an Obamatron on Fox News Channel. When it’s a lie to begin with, why not improve on it over time?

  • AKSteveB

    but people still are overreacting. Remember Rove’s Permament Republican Majority? Now we’re hearing about Obama’s Democratic Majority. The more I think about this, the more I think the idea about Obama being a symbol of this country moving vastly to the Left is nonsense. There is a huge difference between him and FDR. In FDR’s time, the country disagreed about the role of government in the economy, but there was no huge disagreement or culture clash between the sides. They had similar ideas on family, social mores, and National security, even if they believed in different roads to get there. We do not have that, and really haven’t had that since the late 60s/early 70s. We’ve split into two distinct societies with very different values, beyond just economics. It is one reason this whole moderate thing is wearing down. It is hard, and mostly counterproductive to compromise with people who have a totally different worldview. Obama was elected on a perfect storm, Bush, McCain, economics, etc. etc. I see no reason to believe that isn’t what it takes for a leftist to get elected in a country which really is two societies, but where the majority at least lean center right. Enough with the self flagellation. The left is in control right now, at least partially because they stayed unified, and paid a bit of lip service to “moderation” while following their principles. Let’s do the same, k? We “moderates” enabled this. Let’s cut it out.

  • bs

    and to be honest, I considered that when he was still in it. I was just on the verge of saying to myself that I could perhaps vote for him IF AND ONLY IF I could be sure that what you point out was true.

    Problem is that most folks don’t reason that completely. They see “he’s pro-choice. Therefore, I don’t vote for him”

  • http://groups.yahoo.com/group/republican587/ Elizabeth Christian

    This is another policy of Obama that I hope FAILS!!! In order for America to succeed.

  • http://www.ssce.net/Web-Articles/Web-articles-indexed-authors.html#authors-l JLenardDetroit

    Regardless of the Candidate it costs Republican Presidential votes…. Whether Pro-Life, Spending, Taxes, etc… Never fails….

    Many let 80% of their values be compromised and losing out over it!

    Most often a worst case Republican, is better than the best case Democrat. A less than 100% Pro-Life Republican is better than a 100% PRO-ABORTION (in any and all cases) Democrat (which is any Democrat that is the D Presidential candidate)….

  • Flagstaff

    your comments about “two societies” is interesting because you posit that the majority leans center-right. I sense the same thing, but I’m not sure the data would support it.

    Here’s why. I see the two societies differently, being split along the line separating tax-payers and welfare-recipients (in its broadest sense). We have reached the point already where plenty more than half of the electorate has no real direct interest in tax rates or policies. This makes the producers and wealth-creators of the country, a minority, beholden politically to the majority, who control policy through the ballot box.

    In the past the separation hasn’t been so stark and the welfare-recipient society has tended to vote in smaller numbers and smaller percentages than taxpayers. But in an Acorn infested world, it won’t be long until there will be nothing to stop the welfare-recipients from demanding so much from taxpayers that the economy will revert to stagflation (which I believe is what the market is currently preparing for, again) or worse. One society will be able to exploit the wealth of the other without impunity.

    Cutting out the fancy rhetoric, I’m saying that if we don’t get our stuff together, pretty soon anybody with wealth or means to earn an income will be at the mercy of others who want it for themselves, and they’ll be able to get it legally, with the help of elected and appointed officials.

    This means we have to do a better job of convincing the have-nots and have-littles that it is NOT in their own best interests to take rapaciously from the haves by governmental intrusion. It also means that whatever else we may be in disarray about, we had better be in agreement as to what our message is. And the message better be good.

  • itrytobenice

    Unless you pool reporters and get rid of the AP and Reuters, it wouldn’t matter if you were conservative or not. All the hard news stories about national and international events would be slanted left.

    And like it or not, you can’t slant a city wide rummage sale article. The only place it really matters is national and international.