My mom's side family is huge. I don't like 70% of them anyway. If they disowned me for any reason, I would be fine with that.
LOL. When I was young I used to think " man, my family is really messed up!" As I grew older, I began to realize that all families are messed up to some degree and my family wasn't that bad.Never met a family that didn't have some degree of "dysfunction". Including mine, of course...
Well the GOP doesn’t have Buckley preventing the real radicals from taking power anymore. The truth is that the GOP has less restrictions on their radicals than the DNC on theirs.The older I get the less conservative I get. I think a lot of this has to do with certain family members and friends who believe that conservative christian values, fiscal and social conservatism is the only way to fix what is wrong with our country. Due to my upbringing in small town Alabama of the 1960's; I am not totally opposed to these principles and believe that in moderation, they can be beneficial. The problem I have, and what drove me away from the GOP, is that there is no longer any moderation. The GOP has succumbed and sold its very soul to the Alt Right, evangelicals, Freedom Caucus, NRA, et al. It seems, at least to me, that they have no compassion and understanding of the poor and marginalized segment of our country. The guiding political concept of finding a middle ground consensus where the most can benefit is dead. Being a centrist in today's society is political suicide.
We are a society where civil disagreement is dead.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
There's a lot I could say on this that would take us away from the central point. However, the GOP has no more kowtowed to their groups than the DNC has to blacks, women, socialists, and gun control nuts. You're correct there's not any moderation - but there isn't really any in either party. Look at who the deputy chair of the DNC right now for Pete's sake. Farrakhan is every bit as distasteful and bigoted as the David Duke that Trump had to be goaded to denounce. It's not that I personally care who holds the position as its mostly nonsense anyway.The older I get the less conservative I get. I think a lot of this has to do with certain family members and friends who believe that conservative christian values, fiscal and social conservatism is the only way to fix what is wrong with our country. Due to my upbringing in small town Alabama of the 1960's; I am not totally opposed to these principles and believe that in moderation, they can be beneficial. The problem I have, and what drove me away from the GOP, is that there is no longer any moderation. The GOP has succumbed and sold its very soul to the Alt Right, evangelicals, Freedom Caucus, NRA, et al.
True, but it's only political suicide because there is no centrism in EITHER party; if there was, every centrist could run to whichever one provided them aid and comfort.It seems, at least to me, that they have no compassion and understanding of the poor and marginalized segment of our country. The guiding political concept of finding a middle ground consensus where the most can benefit is dead. Being a centrist in today's society is political suicide.
Because the GOP doesn't rig the outcome with super delegates.Well the GOP doesn’t have Buckley preventing the real radicals from taking power anymore. The truth is that the GOP has less restrictions on their radicals than the DNC on theirs.
That’s the reason I don’t see Pocahontas or Bernie winning the Democratic nomination. Granted I still don’t think they win without the SD, but the SD pretty much guarantees they don’t.Because the GOP doesn't rig the outcome with super delegates.
(There's something to be said for super delegates - but let's not pretend they're impartial arbiters).
trump is a pretty uniquely awful human being. the man has no redeeming characteristics at all. trying to both sides what is going on now doesn't really do much but continue to normalize this crap. it started with falwell, et al in the moral majority and as gray mentioned above, the moderating influences have been drummed out.Somewhere along the way it began to be decided that if you voted for Candidate X, that meant you approved of EVERYTHING
candidate X ever did. So, if he was a draft dodger, it meant you approved of that (etc).
That is transparently ridiculous but people - both Left and Right - actually believe that about folks.
No argument here at all.trump is a pretty uniquely awful human being. the man has no redeeming characteristics at all.
You know what? I've lived long enough to see the very same things said about Reagan, Bush 43, and Romney.trying to both sides what is going on now doesn't really do much but continue to normalize this crap.
WHAT started with Falwell and the Moral Majority? Extremism? What exactly? (I'm well aware of the cherished political myths, but I'm also aware of reality). It wasn't Falwell who rioted at the 1968 Democratic Convention. It wasn't Falwell who voted for George Wallace in the 1972 Michigan and Florida primaries, either.it started with falwell, et al in the moral majority
He's right. I didn't argue that point. They were drummed out years ago. The Democrats drummed out theirs in 1968 (Carter won for much the same reason Trump did - the ten other major candidates all took votes from each other) and the GOP drummed theirs out between 1980 and 1994.and as gray mentioned above, the moderating influences have been drummed out.
Bernie cannot because he isn't "really" a Democrat. Well, he "is" but he doesn't wear the label, and the party has no loyalty to him and shouldn't. (Of course, he shouldn't have any to them, either).That’s the reason I don’t see Pocahontas or Bernie winning the Democratic nomination. Granted I still don’t think they win without the SD, but the SD pretty much guarantees they don’t.
Right - but in the interest of the thread's message......trump is a pretty uniquely awful human being. the man has no redeeming characteristics at all. trying to both sides what is going on now doesn't really do much but continue to normalize this crap. it started with falwell, et al in the moral majority and as gray mentioned above, the moderating influences have been drummed out.
Now to be fair.....maybe the GOP SHOULD have super delegates. The SD scheme was concocted by the Hunt Commission in 1983 (fwiw, my aunt was one of the medical caregivers for Governor Hunt, not that she had any influence on it). The committee was stacked with Mondale and Ted Kennedy supporters. What they were trying to do was prevent something like Trump, although it was clear in their case that they didn't want another Jimmy Carter, a moderate who won the system fair and square. But they were also concerned - but don't expect any of them to be honest enough to admit it - that what would happen was that you might have five white candidates splitting the vote and Jesse Jackson getting large portions of the black vote and getting the nomination. Indeed, that happened during the middle phase of the 1988 race and scared the party structure to death. When Gephardt, Gore, and Dukakis were still in the race, they were splitting the white votes while Jackson was cornering the black vote to the tune of 96%. He won Illinois and Michigan and scared the super delegates to death - so there was a mammoth rush to get on board and declare publicly for Dukakis.That’s the reason I don’t see Pocahontas or Bernie winning the Democratic nomination. Granted I still don’t think they win without the SD, but the SD pretty much guarantees they don’t.
outside of a few cousins that i occasionally keep in touch with i don't deal with much family and of the one's i keep in touch with, i didn't learn much new about them after the election. i was moderately surprised with one cousin i assumed would be all in for trump, but he had apparently moderated once he had moved back to the states with his family.Right - but in the interest of the thread's message......
Doesn't mean you have to turn your back on those with a different opinion.
I mean - as long as they don't get all up in your grill about it.
Just remember that the slimy filthy scummy nature of politics is something no one will ever change.
No matter who is in office and no matter what that office is. They are all parasitic vermin!
And they love nothing more than to turn folks against each other.
Right - but in the interest of the thread's message......
Doesn't mean you have to turn your back on those with a different opinion.
I mean - as long as they don't get all up in your grill about it.
Just remember that the slimy filthy scummy nature of politics is something no one will ever change.
No matter who is in office and no matter what that office is. They are all parasitic vermin!
And they love nothing more than to turn folks against each other.
outside of a few cousins that i occasionally keep in touch with i don't deal with much family and of the one's i keep in touch with, i didn't learn much new about them after the election. i was moderately surprised with one cousin i assumed would be all in for trump, but he had apparently moderated once he had moved back to the states with his family.
none of the ones in my family have asked me to give them a pat on the head and a participation trophy for their trump support, so i'm mainly in this thread to derail it
I think the GOP needs it. They don’t have the influence of Buckley anymore that can keep the David Dukes, Ayn Rands, and Buchanans from ascending in the GOP. Granted Buckley backed Goldwater, but he mostly put the most deplorables outside the party, and inadvertently gave power to the neo conservatives (who most are considering going back to the Democrats or going third party with the rise of Trump). But I think super delegates are a good thing and a bad thing, but the GOP might be better respected with them.Now to be fair.....maybe the GOP SHOULD have super delegates. The SD scheme was concocted by the Hunt Commission in 1983 (fwiw, my aunt was one of the medical caregivers for Governor Hunt, not that she had any influence on it). The committee was stacked with Mondale and Ted Kennedy supporters. What they were trying to do was prevent something like Trump, although it was clear in their case that they didn't want another Jimmy Carter, a moderate who won the system fair and square. But they were also concerned - but don't expect any of them to be honest enough to admit it - that what would happen was that you might have five white candidates splitting the vote and Jesse Jackson getting large portions of the black vote and getting the nomination. Indeed, that happened during the middle phase of the 1988 race and scared the party structure to death. When Gephardt, Gore, and Dukakis were still in the race, they were splitting the white votes while Jackson was cornering the black vote to the tune of 96%. He won Illinois and Michigan and scared the super delegates to death - so there was a mammoth rush to get on board and declare publicly for Dukakis.
Again, I don't blame them for having it. There ARE legitimate reasons for a party to favor it, in fact (see Trump as a great example).
But you can't then be surprised when the public doesn't understand and you build the perception of rigging the nomination for someone. Make no mistake, the 1984 outcome was certainly rigged for Mondale. The fact he won the most votes was just a way to give them cover - they were still going to nominate him (this is laid out real nice in Germond and Witcover's "Wake Us When It's Over"). Also - the whole party was happy when Ted Kennedy announced in late 1982 that he wasn't running. They sort of had the same view about him that they had about Hillary - could easily win the nomination but might be toxic in the general.
I think we've found the new campaign sticker for Trump / Pence 2020.I think Trump is a distasteful, disgusting pig, a sexual assaulter, and thoroughly unqualified to hold the office he now holds.