DEMOCRATS: What is it that you don't like about the GOP??!!
BlueRepublican
2012/05/15 17:33:49
I would like to hear some real constructive criticism here and not just the repetition of the familiar MSNBC propaganda. What does the GOP need to do to improve as a party and to better the country?
What ideas do you have? Is it a change in leadership? Maybe some flexibility in certain areas? Where can we find common ground?
Please keep in mind that not ALL Republicans are the same and do not generalize about all of us. There are some uninformed and underinformed voters on both sides.
We need to work together in order to save this country and to save the economy from real financial threat. Things like the national debt, campaign finance reform, congressional inaction/corruption, term limits, lowering taxes, bringing the troops home, balancing the budget, etc...
In order for me to understand where we can start, I have to pose this question....
What ideas do you have? Is it a change in leadership? Maybe some flexibility in certain areas? Where can we find common ground?
Please keep in mind that not ALL Republicans are the same and do not generalize about all of us. There are some uninformed and underinformed voters on both sides.
We need to work together in order to save this country and to save the economy from real financial threat. Things like the national debt, campaign finance reform, congressional inaction/corruption, term limits, lowering taxes, bringing the troops home, balancing the budget, etc...
In order for me to understand where we can start, I have to pose this question....
DEMOCRATS: What is it that you don't like about the GOP??!!
Top Opinion
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Jimbo 2012/05/15 17:57:02
+21The GOP does not allow free speech at Allen West town halls. Rand Paul's people knock down a reporter and kick her. They will tell gays and the million children they raise they don't have the rights of heterosexuals. They will tell a woman what she can and must do to her own body. They will rescind equal pay for women in WI. They will get rid of locally elected government in MI. They will deny Muslims building permits for places of worship. They will make outsourced income for US corporations more profitable than here in the US. They will let the oil/gas industry pollute the water not subject to the clean water act. They will let an over million income boss pay a lower tax rate than their sec'y. They will take food off the table cutting WIC and SNAP. They will cut the safety nets for workers ending the EIC, cutting unemployment. They will not raise the min. wage for a decade, then cry poverty raising theirs from $90,000 to $172,000. They will fudge the data (Cheney daily trips to Langley) to give Halliburton no bid contracts, then commit treason (Valerie Plame) to get back at Joe Wilson telling you the truth about Nigerian uranium. They will get religious rubes to back them denying birth control with life at conception. They will make future grandmas pay another $6000 a year for medicare. They will shift more income to the top in the Ryan budget by cutting to shreds all the safety nets, not even reducing the debt.
Also they hate government because government can interfere in thier criminal business practices and regulate it and fine them for breaking the law. But they LOVE government when it comes to a womans right to choose, and forcing them to get unnecessary ultrasounds, and telling grown men and woman who THEY feel can and cannot get married
That party is evil to the core.....and still have the GAUL to call themselves Christians.
Just delusional.
First we need more transparency in legislation. One way to do this would be to limit the length of any bill passed by congress. If they need more words than the limit would allow, they can pass two bills. For example:
http://oathkeepers.org/oath/w...
It is 682 pages long. Was that really necessary? It is an appropriations bill for the Department of defense. Because it is so long people only have a va...
First we need more transparency in legislation. One way to do this would be to limit the length of any bill passed by congress. If they need more words than the limit would allow, they can pass two bills. For example:
http://oathkeepers.org/oath/w...
It is 682 pages long. Was that really necessary? It is an appropriations bill for the Department of defense. Because it is so long people only have a vague idea of what's in it. If your congressman voted against it he voted against funding the military. If your congressman voted for it then he voted for a bill that allows Americans to be held indefinitely by the military for merely criticizing the war on terror. If they had passed ten or even twenty bills I would at least know what my legislator is doing. I can list quite a few more things I think would help, but this post is already too long.
Punishing the poor, elderly, children so million/billionaires can live a life of ease is no way to tackle the debt/deficit. The vast majority of the working poor are NOT lazy.
We desperately need campaign finance reform. Our country has been sold out to corporate interests who have no concern for the environment, people who get sick because of toxins in the land/water & air.
Corporations should pay the same tax rate that their employees have to pay.
Above all else, I wish to God they'd show compassion to those who were not born with a silver spoon in their mouth.
1) The overturning of Roe vs Wade I am personally against abortion but I do not want to return to the days of back alley abortions, with women dying from infections or bleeding to death.
2) I was in the military so I support military spending but belive they often take it too far. Also in order to reduce the deficit it is going to take compromises on both sides and across the board cuts or entitlement reforms to get it down.
3) Bail-outs both parties are guilty and it has been happenning for 80 years or more and both need to cut it out.
4 ) I am not in favor of taxing the rich but we can cut some of the loopholes especially on luxury items like jets and yes the democrats are guilty of this too and both need to stop.
5) Gay marriage you may not like it but it really not going to hurt you at all so let gays get married and divorced same as the rest of us.
6) Minimum wage: anybody that knows anything about economics knows that this is primarily just a gesture because once you raise it inflation will go up and reset everything back. So let the people have thier minimum wage increases and COLA's every couple years to a...
1) The overturning of Roe vs Wade I am personally against abortion but I do not want to return to the days of back alley abortions, with women dying from infections or bleeding to death.
2) I was in the military so I support military spending but belive they often take it too far. Also in order to reduce the deficit it is going to take compromises on both sides and across the board cuts or entitlement reforms to get it down.
3) Bail-outs both parties are guilty and it has been happenning for 80 years or more and both need to cut it out.
4 ) I am not in favor of taxing the rich but we can cut some of the loopholes especially on luxury items like jets and yes the democrats are guilty of this too and both need to stop.
5) Gay marriage you may not like it but it really not going to hurt you at all so let gays get married and divorced same as the rest of us.
6) Minimum wage: anybody that knows anything about economics knows that this is primarily just a gesture because once you raise it inflation will go up and reset everything back. So let the people have thier minimum wage increases and COLA's every couple years to at aleast make them feel better.
7) America is not a christian country. It is a country based on the freedom of everyone to worship as they choose.
This last one is for both democrats and republicans:
I have been defending republicans as far as the reason we have not had but one budget in the last 4 years but the truth is that BOTH sides of the current congress have acted like children. BOTH sides have submitted budget proposals that they knew the other could not possibly accept, and BOTH sides should be ashamed for wasting time and taxpayer money in thier petty bickering.
Abortions only in certain cases(rape,incest,etc...), not as a "family-planning" option.
Cut spending, no bailouts, gay marriage as a civil contract handled by the states, raise the minimum wage only after you bring down the real inflation rate (10%), religious tolerance and tax/campaign reform.
You have a friend here :-)
- No bailouts,
- Gay marriage as a civil contract handled by the states,
- Religious tolerance
- Tax/campaign reform.
These are not part of the Conservative ideology today.
raise the minimum wage only after you bring down the real inflation rate (10%), - Real stupid idea, but let that be approved only if everyone in America that supports this idea are forced to live on that income too!
Inflation is making us all poorer because it is destroying the currency.
As far as your mention of my departure from the 'conservative' ideology, since when is being pro-life, free-market, and pro-Constitutional govt not considered 'conservative'??
Either abortion is murder in which case there should be no exceptions. (Would you kill the child of a rapist. If there is an eighty percent chance a women will die if she carries a pregnancy to term, there is a 100% chance the fetus will die in an abortion.)
OR
Abortion is not murder and you should you should mind your own FN business.
Bailouts:
The bailouts were approved because of the fear that without the bailouts the economy would have done a total collapse. Maybe they were wrong, but were we willing to take the risk that they were right. How many bullets does the gun need before russian roulette is too risky. Even if they were wrong about an economic collapse, the cost wasn't that high. Most, if not all of the money was paid back.
Gay marriage left to the states -The problem with that is article IV of the Constitution. Is the defense of marriage act constitutional? Should a same sex couple married in and living in a state that allows same set marriage have the right to file federal tax return as married filing jointly?
Religous tolerance - Of course! I respect your RIGHT to BELIEVE any stupid thing you want to believe. Just don't ex...
Either abortion is murder in which case there should be no exceptions. (Would you kill the child of a rapist. If there is an eighty percent chance a women will die if she carries a pregnancy to term, there is a 100% chance the fetus will die in an abortion.)
OR
Abortion is not murder and you should you should mind your own FN business.
Bailouts:
The bailouts were approved because of the fear that without the bailouts the economy would have done a total collapse. Maybe they were wrong, but were we willing to take the risk that they were right. How many bullets does the gun need before russian roulette is too risky. Even if they were wrong about an economic collapse, the cost wasn't that high. Most, if not all of the money was paid back.
Gay marriage left to the states -The problem with that is article IV of the Constitution. Is the defense of marriage act constitutional? Should a same sex couple married in and living in a state that allows same set marriage have the right to file federal tax return as married filing jointly?
Religous tolerance - Of course! I respect your RIGHT to BELIEVE any stupid thing you want to believe. Just don't expect me to respect stupid beliefs.
Tax/Campaign reform - Lots of luck. It's not as easy as it sounds. First there is the fact that while congress is still discussing the reform legislation, the big money interest are already working on finding the loop holes. Then there are hundreds of tax deductible "not for profit" organizations out there with the sole purpose of pushing their political views. We call them think tanks. They can give research grants to people they expect to support their agenda. The terms of the grant is that the research belongs to the think tank. If the results aren't what they want, the results don't get released. How far should congress go in restricting not for profits. Should Superpacs (not tax deductible) be required to release names of donors?
This is not a matter of likes or dislikes. It's what's good for the country.
1. They insist on pandering to the religious base, who by the way want to run our country based on bronze aged ideals that have been proven false by science, and have been on the wrong side of civil rights for over 2000 years.
2. They continue to support supply side economics, when even the guy who wrote reaganomics, and is the nation's foremost supply side economics historian, bruce bartlett, says it failed.
3. They're the idiots who marched land armies into the middle east in the first place.
4. They are inherently anti-regulation, insisting people can be trusted to govern themselves, without taking undue advantage of others, despite 5000 years of history as evidence to the contrary.
5. Having had their asses thoroughly handed to them in 2008, they've essentially taken their ball home, and refuse to play in the sandbox. Name 1 thing the republican house has done besides pass B.S. legislation they know won't get thru the senate, and holding our nation hostage, resulting in our current credit downgrade.
6. They run their campaigns like it's a Saturday Afternoon Football game, it doesn't matter what's right or wrong, just as long as they win.
7. They criticize critical reforms like the Affordable Healthcare Act, despite their own recor...
1. They insist on pandering to the religious base, who by the way want to run our country based on bronze aged ideals that have been proven false by science, and have been on the wrong side of civil rights for over 2000 years.
2. They continue to support supply side economics, when even the guy who wrote reaganomics, and is the nation's foremost supply side economics historian, bruce bartlett, says it failed.
3. They're the idiots who marched land armies into the middle east in the first place.
4. They are inherently anti-regulation, insisting people can be trusted to govern themselves, without taking undue advantage of others, despite 5000 years of history as evidence to the contrary.
5. Having had their asses thoroughly handed to them in 2008, they've essentially taken their ball home, and refuse to play in the sandbox. Name 1 thing the republican house has done besides pass B.S. legislation they know won't get thru the senate, and holding our nation hostage, resulting in our current credit downgrade.
6. They run their campaigns like it's a Saturday Afternoon Football game, it doesn't matter what's right or wrong, just as long as they win.
7. They criticize critical reforms like the Affordable Healthcare Act, despite their own record of not even attempting comprehensive healthcare reform. Meanwhile we're 46th in effectiveness and 1st in cost world wide.
8. They insist we can continue to pay for all that we know and love as the american way of life by taking public trust funds away from the people who need, and have paid into them their entire lives, to finance tax cuts for people who don't need them, and have made a good living, not paying what they owe for the privilege of living here.
And i'll cut it off here because i could go on for a while longer, but...
9. We have had 14 economic downturns in this country severe enough to warrant the term recession or depression.
10 of them including the great depression and the 2 longest recessions on record were the fault of a Republican President, and the economic policy he and his advisers put forth.
4 of them including the 2 shortest recessions were because of a Democrat and the policy he and his advisers put forth.
I suppose that has something to do with why Warren Buffet will also be voting Democrat this election cycle.
I think if people perceived the Republican party as at least TRYING to do what is best for the general public instead of a special interest group on every issue they might not be so disfavored.
Afer the 2006 State of the Union speech Feb 1, 2006 ....
Federal spending was up 42% under Bush, and CBO predicted further upward pressures on spending, including rising interest rates pushing up the cost of servicing the swelling national debt, and rising medical costs with Bush's new prescription drug benefit pushing up the cost of Medicare, a drug benefit plan that was unfunded.
2006 State of the Union speech Jan 31, 2006 ..
( George Bush )...." This year my budget will cut it again, and reduce or eliminate more than 140 programs that are performing poorly or not fulfilling essential priorities. By passing these reforms, we will save the American taxpayer another $14 billion next year, and stay on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. "
Mar 26, 2004 , ( George Bush)...." "Our economy is growing. It's strong and getting stronger." Bush tied what he described as a growing economy to his series of tax cuts and he called on Congress to make them permanent.
Third Bush - Kerry debate ( George Bush)...." Look at other countries that have tried to have federally controlled health care. Th...
Afer the 2006 State of the Union speech Feb 1, 2006 ....
Federal spending was up 42% under Bush, and CBO predicted further upward pressures on spending, including rising interest rates pushing up the cost of servicing the swelling national debt, and rising medical costs with Bush's new prescription drug benefit pushing up the cost of Medicare, a drug benefit plan that was unfunded.
2006 State of the Union speech Jan 31, 2006 ..
( George Bush )...." This year my budget will cut it again, and reduce or eliminate more than 140 programs that are performing poorly or not fulfilling essential priorities. By passing these reforms, we will save the American taxpayer another $14 billion next year, and stay on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009. "
Mar 26, 2004 , ( George Bush)...." "Our economy is growing. It's strong and getting stronger." Bush tied what he described as a growing economy to his series of tax cuts and he called on Congress to make them permanent.
Third Bush - Kerry debate ( George Bush)...." Look at other countries that have tried to have federally controlled health care. They have poor-quality health care. Our health-care system is the envy of the world because we believe in making sure that the decisions are made by doctors and patients"
2004 State of the Union address to joint session of Congress Jan 20, 2004 ..." By keeping costs under control, expanding access and helping more Americans afford coverage, we will preserve the system of private medicine that makes America's health care the best in the world. "
But then, we are always being invaded and occupied.
Very well put, why is it these are not the hot topics, instead we hear about gay issues and what palins daughter said.
Don't get me wrong - we DO need to cut unnecessary spending as well. But there, too, the Republicans have consistently blocked the most obvious and needed spending cuts we could make - to our overbloated military budget. President Obama proposed $4 TRILLION in spending cuts last summer when the debt ceiling was being fought over, and the Tea Party forced Boehner to reject the deal because of minuscule tax hikes that literally would have had no effect on over 99% of the American public.
Just ask Bruce Bartlett. He was Reagan's top economic adviser, wrote Reganomics, and is the country's foremost supply side economics historian. Even he agrees it's failed.
And then there's the previous 5 recessions in this country, that were caused by supply side economics...
Just sayin'... Just because you disagree doesn't make it any less true.