The Republican Party is reeling from defeat, what changes should they make?

[MikeK]

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Me? I'd suggest that they:

Embrace a true small government platform. Part of that has to be a reduction in military staffing and spending without a significant reduction in war fighting capabilities (similar to what we did after Reagan left office. He extended the life of literally useless, obsolete ships just so we could point at how many ships we had. The Knox/Bronstein/Garcia Frigates were examples that come to mind). Another part has to be a rethink of drugs, freedom and our prison system. If there isn't a /really/ good reason to take away a man's freedoms, the conservative should want to see him left alone. There is no good reason to jail or fine people who use marijuana. We have a moral obligation to stop hurting the permanent job prospects of these people with offences on their permanent records. In addition to the morality of unneeded lockup, there's the financial aspect. If a person doesn't have to be kept apart from society, then money shouldn't be spent to lock them up.

I also suggest that they work toward finding a likable candidate. I thought Bob Dole was likeable, but I guess I was the only one. Bush2 was likable. McCain was not. Romney was not. Romney was also not relatable.

Lastly, I wish that they would embrace a moral high ground in campaigning. I detest liberals and I expect the worst from them. I expect conservative men-of-God to rise up and denounce those in their party who support them with misleading advertisements or mud-slinging, but we haven't seen that. I also expect the conservative man-of-God to be consistent, open and honest. While Mr. Romney was not obligated to release all of his tax returns, it was the right thing to do. His country asked, he should have said "be my guest, here you go!" He also shamelessly flip-flopped his stance on major issues depending who his audience was. This is not the behavior I expect from a conservative Christian man. State your case honestly. If you favor some abortions, don't let people paint you as pro-life. If you oppose abortion in all cases, say it loud and proud.

 

[catholicbybirth]

I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Me? I'd suggest that they:

Embrace a true small government platform. Part of that has to be a reduction in military staffing and spending without a significant reduction in war fighting capabilities (similar to what we did after Reagan left office. He extended the life of literally useless, obsolete ships just so we could point at how many ships we had. The Knox/Bronstein/Garcia Frigates were examples that come to mind). Another part has to be a rethink of drugs, freedom and our prison system. If there isn't a /really/ good reason to take away a man's freedoms, the conservative should want to see him left alone. There is no good reason to jail or fine people who use marijuana. We have a moral obligation to stop hurting the permanent job prospects of these people with offences on their permanent records. In addition to the morality of unneeded lockup, there's the financial aspect. If a person doesn't have to be kept apart from society, then money shouldn't be spent to lock them up.

I also suggest that they work toward finding a likable candidate. I thought Bob Dole was likeable, but I guess I was the only one. Bush2 was likable. McCain was not. Romney was not. Romney was also not relatable.

Lastly, I wish that they would embrace a moral high ground in campaigning. I detest liberals and I expect the worst from them. I expect conservative men-of-God to rise up and denounce those in their party who support them with misleading advertisements or mud-slinging, but we haven't seen that. I also expect the conservative man-of-God to be consistent, open and honest. While Mr. Romney was not obligated to release all of his tax returns, it was the right thing to do. His country asked, he should have said "be my guest, here you go!" He also shamelessly flip-flopped his stance on major issues depending who his audience was. This is not the behavior I expect from a conservative Christian man. State your case honestly. If you favor some abortions, don't let people paint you as pro-life. If you oppose abortion in all cases, say it loud and proud.

I think a lot of what you said has some merit. But I would hate to see marijuana legalized. Why? Because it does mess with your mind. At least when you are drunk, you can still be coherent, just slowed down.

When you are stoned, if someone asks you "How are you?", you won't look at them weirdly and say, "How old am I?"

Janice

 

[Aeyamar]

If they changed their stance on Climate Change and the environment that would be a really important shift in my opinion. I'd also like it if the Republican platform incorporated scientific data and testing into their platform in general. That is to say, that instead of embracing denialism for the sake of party ideology, they reacted to scientific research and understanding by adjusting their platform (e.g. Climate change, evolution being taught in schools, etc).

I'd also particularly like it if they became the party of individual liberty and championed an end to the security state that was ramped up under Bush's presidency and perpetuated under Obama's. This is in my opinion where one of our current president's greatest policy failure lies.

 

[LoAmmi]

I think a lot of what you said has some merit. But I would hate to see marijuana legalized. Why? Because it does mess with your mind. At least when you are drunk, you can still be coherent, just slowed down.

When you are stoned, if someone asks you "How are you?", you won't look at them weirdly and say, "How old am I?"

Have you been stoned?

 

[Protoevangel]

It would be nice for the GOP to offer a true pro-life candidate.

 

[Protoevangel]

I think a lot of what you said has some merit. But I would hate to see marijuana legalized. Why? Because it does mess with your mind. At least when you are drunk, you can still be coherent, just slowed down.

When you are stoned, if someone asks you "How are you?", you won't look at them weirdly and say, "How old am I?"

Janice

This is singularly the most ignorant post I have ever read.

 

[Cosmic Charlie]

What should they do ?

Well.........


.....I don't know......

It's hard to say because certain realities beginning with the fact that they are currently a whole owned subsidiarity of the US Chamber of Commence, which itself is bought a paid for by several Multi-National corporations. This puts a crimp in what they are either willing or capable of.

Also the Ayn Randism of the right wing which makes them think they know what's best for us make it impossible for them to think rationally. Right now, as I type, the Tea Party causus in the House is in a meeting with the House leadership saying the the House should push for the defunding of Obamacare.

These guys just got the butts kicked on this subject and their STILL not getting it.

What would I do ?

Put a coalition of disenfranchised Moderates and Independents and go a take over an existing third party, maybe the Greens or the Constitutional guys and gin up a third party of some size and then go RIGHT AFTER the what's left of the GOP after all those guys bolded.

Move the party to the center, win some seats and work with the Dems to actually legislate and just wait for the GOP to die.

That's what I'd do.


And btw

As a screaming liberal: thanks for your support.

 

[catholicbybirth]

Have you been stoned?

Not since I had kids 24 years ago. I did stupid things when I was young. I was even a Democrat then.

No, the person who responded to me like that hit me from behind while I was sitting at a stop light. She had a kid in the car with her.

Janice

 

[catholicbybirth]

This is singularly the most ignorant post I have ever read.

Thank you for your opinion. I am so glad to be able to be so useful to you. Do come again if you would like to insult without saying anything.

Janice

 

[LoAmmi]

Not since I had kids 24 years ago. I did stupid things when I was young. I was even a Democrat then.

No, the person who responded to me like that hit me from behind while I was sitting at a stop light. She had a kid in the car with her.

I am more fearful of belligerent drunks than people who are stoned.

 

[catholicbybirth]

I am more fearful of belligerent drunks than people who are stoned.

Well, not everyone who gets drunk is belligerent. But the belligerent ones are, indeed, to be avoided.

The thing I have against marijuana is that it turns people into zombies. They have no ambition to do anything. At least the father of my kids was that way.

Janice

 

[LoAmmi]

Well, not everyone who gets drunk is belligerent. But the belligerent ones are, indeed, to be avoided.

The thing I have against marijuana is that it turns people into zombies. They have no ambition to do anything. At least the father of my kids was that way.

I think it varies from person to person.

 

[catholicbybirth]

I think it varies from person to person.

At least we can agree on this.

Janice

 

[Maynard Keenan]

The thing I have against marijuana is that it turns people into zombies.

Tell that to the engineers, nurses, IT professionals, small business owners, physical laborers, and PhD Astrophysicists I know who smoke. Some people are losers. Some losers smoke pot. Toupee fallacy is in play here where you only see the bad ones. Successful, upstanding people who smoke don't make it public knowledge because of the stigma.

 

[MikeK]

It has been my experience that marijuana, while having some benefits and being somewhat interesting, can and does turn some people into zombies. I wouldn't reccomend anyone make a habit of using it and I wouldn't use it more than once or twice a year myself if it were legal. Still, I see no reason to fine or jail the person who does elect to use it, and doing so requires significant public investment and adds size to our government.

 

[catholicbybirth]

Tell that to the engineers, nurses, IT professionals, small business owners, physical laborers, and PhD Astrophysicists I know who smoke. Some people are losers. Some losers smoke pot. Toupee fallacy is in play here where you only see the bad ones. Successful, upstanding people who smoke don't make it public knowledge because of the stigma.

How often do these people smoke? I drink alcohol from time to time, but never when I have to go somewhere and never when I have to be at work before noon.

Some people are responsible. Some people are not.

When I drink, I get mellow and a little inappropriate.

When I smoke pot, (which I haven't for 24 years) I get paranoid and loose connection with time passing.

Janice

 

[TheOtherHockeyMom]

The comment (that I believe was misunderstood) about the Republicans being at war, is going to apply here, I think. When Obama said it, I think some took it to mean that the Republicans would declare war on the Democrats if Obama won, but what I think he meant is that the Republican party might be facing an internal war. The tea party has evolved into a group that is different enough from the more moderate Republicans as to split off some of the vote.

My dream would be to see 4 viable parties, let the dissatisfied Republicans strengthen the Libertarian party, and the dissatisfied Democrats strengthen the Greens.

It's eye opening to look at how the political compass placed both Obama and Romney in comparison with other US and global politicians. Both very close to center, Obama slightly right (and north), and Romney a bit more so. Because a lot of us here in America look at things from a US centered point of view, some see Romney and Obama as being on opposite ends of the spectrum, but when you zoom out to see the bigger picture, they are very close...and we have no real choices.
The Political Compass - US Presidential Election 2012

 

[LoAmmi]

People never believe me when I tell them that Obama isn't really on the left. I would be very interested to see a viable left candidate.

 

[Aeyamar]

Because a lot of us here in America look at things from a US centered point of view, some see Romney and Obama as being on opposite ends of the spectrum, but when you zoom out to see the bigger picture, they are very close...and we have no real choices.
The Political Compass - US Presidential Election 2012

This is especially obvious in the realm of foreign policy. Most of the debate between the two of them consisted of them laying out the exact same policies and plans and agreeing with each other. If you don't like Us foreign policy, then you're sol because no big two candidate is going to change it.

 

[Needing_Grace]

Well, not everyone who gets drunk is belligerent. But the belligerent ones are, indeed, to be avoided.

The thing I have against marijuana is that it turns people into zombies. They have no ambition to do anything. At least the father of my kids was that way.

Janice

Ex hoc ergo propter hoc? More faulty reasoning.

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