Life long Republican. I too have seen the shift to the absurd in the GOP party politics. A lot of honey trying to hide a bitter dash of hate mongering. It isn't so much as the candidates, it is those backers with the money bags with their own agendas. No good candidate of any party with a simple good platform, could not make it these days without being anal-yzed by reporters or other pundits.

Joelene

I am pleased to see this political discourse has stayed away from personal attacks as passions can be inflamed.  I found the worst flamming surrounded the affordable care act debate here.

That said it is important to recognize the corrosive influence of $$$ and the attendant power that some find so irresistible.  I do want to see the GOP more relevant if only because we are all better off when real choices and debate are part of the process.  A strong multiparty system is desirable as well and we would also benefit from the growth of third parties and candidates able to be a national presence.  The "loyal" opposition is needed or we may as well get out a big rubber stamp.

The parties do make a difference and we can see the impact of appointing Supreme Court Justices with right wing agendas of their own.  Can't wait to read the Scalia/Thomas responses to gay marriage;-)

There is no doubt in my mind that many people have a single powerful issue such as civil rights or gun ownership that will trump all others and foster party loyalty.  This sort of compartmentalized thinking allows the cynical campaigns for "value voters" to gain so much traction.  Most national level candidates have a clear record and being an informed voter is critical.  I will never vote for anyone who would deny us equal rights and opportunities.

Tessa, I'm not fond of single issue voting, either, but when the single issue is whether someone has the right to fire me, refuse to sell to me, or beat me to death simply due to an accident of birth it's hard not to vote that way. Every other issue pales when put up against my right to exist.

It really hurts not to be able to vote my principles. Perhaps the Republican party will split as parties have done from time to time and our options will increase.

Yesterday I was shocked to hear that my 73-year-old father, a lifelong Republican has finally gone indy.  He even admitted that he voted for Obama and will be likely voting for Hillary Clinton.  Seems the GOP has no place whatsoever for atheists, pragmatists and scientists anymore. 

They lost me after GHWB's "Read my lips" bit.

Quote from: Dee Marshall on June 23, 2015, 03:02:16 PM
Tessa, I'm not fond of single issue voting, either, but when the single issue is whether someone has the right to fire me, refuse to sell to me, or beat me to death simply due to an accident of birth it's hard not to vote that way. Every other issue pales when put up against my right to exist.

It really hurts not to be able to vote my principles. Perhaps the Republican party will split as parties have done from time to time and our options will increase.

I completely agree and have been told i threw my vote away by voting for 3rd party candidates who didn't have a chance.  I have also held my nose and voted for the best of two when that is the only option on the ballot.  And yes, everything else does pale compared to our right to exist...on my priority list anyway

I don't understand this topic. The House and the Senate majorities were both taken by Republicans just a year ago.

As far as presidential alignments, these things also run in cycles. 60's GOP, 70's Democrats, 80's and 90's Republican and 90's and 00's Democrat. And if we look at the group running for the candidacy now, we see more than half who are not the "old school" GOP (And there is nothing "exclusive" there. One is black, and another is female)

Quote from: Marlee on June 23, 2015, 07:20:14 PM
I don't understand this topic. The House and the Senate majorities were both taken by Republicans just a year ago.

As far as presidential alignments, these things also run in cycles. 60's GOP, 70's Democrats, 80's and 90's Republican and 90's and 00's Democrat. And if we look at the group running for the candidacy now, we see more than half who are not the "old school" GOP (And there is nothing "exclusive" there. One is black, and another is female)

It seems the OP is off line and we can't speak for them but they do lament the GOP being "kicked out" and hoping for a recovery?   That reminds me of those who feel their christian god has been kicked out, their gun rights infringed and their rights to discriminate abridged.  All that in a country where the majority consider themselves christian, we have more guns than people and rights that are the envy of many around the world.

Interesting perceptions about who is the most maligned minority???

I have yet to see a national GOP candidate speak in favor of equal civil rights for LGBTQIA+ people and I am not holding my breath on that one

Quote from: Marlee on June 23, 2015, 07:20:14 PM
I don't understand this topic. The House and the Senate majorities were both taken by Republicans just a year ago.

Yeah, because people hate the Affordable Care Act.  The Republicans won because people hate the Democrats, not because they like Republicans.  I'd be willing to bet that if you look at the stats, most of the Democrats that were voted out probably voted for the Affordable Care Act, and most of the Republicans that were voted in probably made public statements against the act.

The Democrats lost the majority because the Democrats were stupid.  The GOP didn't gain relevance.  People voted Republican because that's the only way to get the Democrats out.  Voting for a third party is practically the same thing as wasting a vote.

Quote from: Marlee on June 23, 2015, 07:20:14 PM
As far as presidential alignments, these things also run in cycles. 60's GOP, 70's Democrats, 80's and 90's Republican and 90's and 00's Democrat.

It's true, and that seems to be to some extent a trend in the House as well. I think many swing voters are almost always dissatisfied with the status quo so they keep giving the other side a chance in hope of change, but both parties ARE the status quo. Follow the money and you will see most major contributors donating to BOTH sides almost the same amount. Both sides have been bought.

A winner-takes-all voting system is by design a two-party system which is incredibly limited in its ability to even remotely represent people.

The two-party system is incredibly limiting, and it seems almost like they let third parties exist just to humor them. They're allowed to exist and sometimes even run for office, maybe even gain small offices, but aren't allowed to win the big elections.
But then again, they'd probably be bought out eventually as well if they ever became major players in government. C'est la vie.

Quote from: VeryGnawty on June 24, 2015, 03:42:37 AM
Yeah, because people hate the Affordable Care Act. 

Well no doubt some people feel that strongly and may explain the dozens of ineffectual GOP attempts to repeal it.  But tell that to the millions of people who are now insured for the first time and the rest of the civilized world that wonders why this so called super power is incapable of caring for all our citizens.  And what is the GOP plan for providing health care for all?  Yes, irrelevance prevails.

Hate explains way too much behavior already.  Let's give it a rest

Quote from: redhot1 on June 11, 2015, 08:07:38 PM
The GOP was kicked out of the youth and Hollywood demographics. They were kicked out of the minority vote. And with LGBT voters, they might as well be kicked from that too. I cannot accept what is happening. People want to stick to traditional principles instead. I don't freaking care. I want the GOP to be able to win society's hearts and minds again. What is your opinion? They have been kicked out of pretty much everywhere. It's not like the dems have to suffer this hard.

The republican party has merged with evangelical Christians ever since roe v wade. Politicians on both sides use their religious views to get voters, that's why we have never had an open atheists as president (or even run for president). unfortunately for republicans, much more of the voters are Christians or Catholic so there is the need to appease their voting base. It has been this way for a long time and it took a while for the left to exploit the bigotry that is so blatant in traditional white Christians morals ( the morals republicans have to support if they want to get re-elected ever), because they still had and have to progress a lot them self

A interesting post. Let me throw in my two cents. The politicians you have in the Democratic and Republican parties today are corporatists. They do the corporation's bidding lobbying for the laws that they want passed. You don'g have your Roosevelt Democrats or you Eisenhower conservatives. Back then you had some kind of moral fiber among lawmakers. Now it's everybody for themselves.

If I have the power everyone in the congress and assembly would dismissed. The are an embarassment to the country and to the constituents they allegedly represent. I left the Democratic Party over a decade ago because they don't listen to me. I'm a Independent. I don 't always vote the party line. In the upcoming presidential primary I can say that I would never ever vote for Clinton, Bush, or Donald Trump.

Quote from: Terra13 on June 24, 2015, 06:43:19 AM
The two-party system is incredibly limiting, and it seems almost like they let third parties exist just to humor them.

Quote from: Jill F on June 23, 2015, 03:39:14 PM
Yesterday I was shocked to hear that my 73-year-old father, a lifelong Republican has finally gone indy.  He even admitted that he voted for Obama and will be likely voting for Hillary Clinton.  Seems the GOP has no place whatsoever for atheists, pragmatists and scientists anymore. 

They lost me after GHWB's "Read my lips" bit.

That is where gop fails, the gov be should be ran by leaders with scientific facts, not beliefs which hurt the majority.  The wars this party has led us into, and the simple fact they deny global warming.  Over in west texas 100 miles away, those idiots were on the news nightly for a decade saying they were in a terrible drought because of homosexuality?  Guess they rather it rain water then men, but to each their own;)

Im atheist myself, but see religion as a good thing for some.  It does make some good people..  but the rest of these Christians use religion to scheme and prey on others (note I said prey as a bad thing!)  THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THE GOP WHO THINK ALL LGBT SHOULD BE MURDERED FOR OUR CHOICES!  After that sentence, are you still with them?  Remember this quote,"all women can stop a rape if they want!"  Not exact words, but close.  Im just not up to looking up disgusting quotes and ideals today..  But can anyone prove it was any other group than the grand OLD party!

I spent almost a decade fighting for peoples rights.  For laws like on abortion or even our choice to transition, nobody else should have a say except the owner of the body!  They even chose to take out birth control out of some groups insurance, so they didnt have the freedom to choose.

What about this slave flag thats been flown decades after they lost the war.  I saw nobody but republicans defending this flag for years?  Now after these murders, they are only emoving it in self interest, not that it has hurt the black oppulation for years..  I have unfortunately met racists through the military and other jobs, and not one were democrat!

Gonna quit here, there are too many real events that have happened that the gop denied.  I dont want to ruffle feathers, but I could imagine them denying the holocaust if their greatest financial backer for the gop wasn't jewish.

It is starting to happen with the democratic party too, to buy the candidate.  We need to fix terms in all positions, weed out the old ideas..  we need to pass tough laws on lobbying.  We need to get corporations out of gov. 

We need to get hold each campaign with a dollar value paid by the gov.  If they overspend during their campaign, then maybe they shouldnt be in office? 

Wow, im done, I just realized I need my e shot today;)

Until Citizens United is overturned with a constitutional amendment, both "D"s and "R"s will be beholden to the same corporations.  Elections in this country have basically turned into a choice between drinking bleach or drain cleaner, and water is no longer an option.

If the "R"s want to go back to fiscal responsibility, paying off the debt and staying out of your business while dropping the evangelical front, then I'm all ears. (Get it?)  Until then, I'm mostly voting for people in the party that I find somewhat less odious.  At least they're giving us lip service instead of being up front about denying us rights and pandering to the wrong people.

Quote from: Jill F on June 25, 2015, 01:55:00 PM
Until Citizens United is overturned with a constitutional amendment, both "D"s and "R"s will be beholden to the same corporations.  Elections in this country have basically turned into a choice between drinking bleach or drain cleaner, and water is no longer an option.

If the "R"s want to go back to fiscal responsibility, paying off the debt and staying out of your business while dropping the evangelical front, then I'm all ears. (Get it?)  Until then, I'm mostly voting for people in the party that I find somewhat less odious.  At least they're giving us lip service instead of being up front about denying us rights and pandering to the wrong people.

Jill, they offer water!  Either the type that burns when lit by fracking, or full of mercury from coal.  Republicans dont wanna give up oil and coal for the cock bros (dont know if spelled right, but should be this way).  So many other countries are changing their form of energy, but we just have sooo many excuses why not.  Now we have clean coal and smart gas?  I just think we have weak leaders mostly gop who cant say no to bribe money:(

Quote from: Jill F on June 25, 2015, 01:55:00 PM

If the "R"s want to go back to fiscal responsibility, paying off the debt and staying out of your business while dropping the evangelical front, then I'm all ears. (Get it?)  Until then, I'm mostly voting for people in the party that I find somewhat less odious.  At least they're giving us lip service instead of being up front about denying us rights and pandering to the wrong people.

Well I don't want to let this devolve into a debate. But who is for smaller government,reducing a deficit which has tripled over the last ten years, less spending and states' rights?

Also, bribes were mentioned in another post. But what about brainwashing? A power called environmentalism (a new kind of evangelism) has stepped way up and have influenced the denial of many opportunities that would provide jobs for common people.

Quote from: Marlee on June 25, 2015, 04:55:45 PM
Well I don't want to let this devolve into a debate. But who is for smaller government,reducing a deficit which has tripled over the last ten years, less spending and states' rights?

That is a good question.   Under Rs Reagan and Bush II the deficit grew very quickly.   The Rs are only in favor of reduction of the dept if it comes from reducing the social programs that help the poor and disadvantaged, but are opposed to anyone taking funding from the military and security industries.   I guess that is their definition of smaller government.

Quote from: Marlee on June 25, 2015, 04:55:45 PM
Well I don't want to let this devolve into a debate. But who is for smaller government,reducing a deficit which has tripled over the last ten years, less spending and states' rights?

Also, bribes were mentioned in another post. But what about brainwashing? A power called environmentalism (a new kind of evangelism) has stepped way up and have influenced the denial of many opportunities that would provide jobs for common people.

Environmentalism is as important as civil rights if you ask me. If the planet gets destroyed by global warming ( like 95% of scientist say is gonna happen) then civil rights advocacy wont really mean much.

The gop's denial of global warming is another area that has caused them to stumble. It is also one of the biggest issues I have with the republican party.