Politics As Usual

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
So the Republicans met in their state convention last week, and on Friday, they approved the platform. Some highlights:

• Denouncement of "any unconstitutional act of judicial tyranny that would demand removal of the words 'One Nation Under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance."
  
• Support for adoption of "American English" as the official language of Texas and the United States.
  
• Restoration of plaques honoring the Confederate Widow's Pension Fund contribution that were removed from the Texas Supreme Court and other state buildings.
  

1. "unconstituional act of judical tyranny"? Damn, guys, chill out.

2. If English was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for the children of Texas.

3. What's this about? Were the plaques really offensive? I mean, I understand their husbands fought for the wrong side and all, but we're talking widows here. And they're all dead anyway.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by bilmore
Some of us are trying. The religious loons have a hold, and they need to be gone, or we need to deaden their influence, but, for some of us, the Kerry/Dean/Gore option still ain't an option.

Rock - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - us - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hard place

I'm not saying that you need to come over to the side of sunshine and love. I'm just saying that this party doesn't look like it's accomodating you moderate types, and either you're going to have to quiet them down, kick them out, otherwise wrestle the party back or figure out a third party option.

I'm also saying that when I start badmouthing Republicans as a class, this is what I've been used to for the last 12 years.

Originally posted by baltassoc
1. "unconstituional act of judical tyranny"? Damn, guys, chill out.

I think we are all united in our opposition to unconstitutional acts of judicial tyranny and I applaud the Texas GOP for reaching out with such a universal message. This must be the Republican "Big Tent" I've heard so much about.

[bilmore]

Originally posted by ironweed
I think we are all united in our opposition to unconstitutional acts of judicial tyranny and I applaud the Texas GOP for reaching out with such a universal message. This must be the Republican "Big Tent" I've heard so much about.

I think of the Big Tent of the Democratic Party, and all that comes to mind is a joke about Clinton, Monica, and the front of his pants, but that would be tasteless, and so I'll leave that one to the socks.

[sgtclub]

Originally posted by bilmore
Some of us are trying. The religious loons have a hold, and they need to be gone, or we need to deaden their influence, but, for some of us, the Kerry/Dean/Gore option still ain't an option.

Rock - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - us - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Hard place

But what has been their influence? Seriously, there is a lot of lip service paid, but I don't really see them having much effect. Abortion is legal. The proposed consitutional amendment is a pipe dream. The 10 commandments were removed.

Originally posted by bilmore
so I'll leave that one to the socks.

Well, I do appreciate your taking the time to respond before you log out and back in again as Gin Rummy. Cheers!

[bilmore]

Originally posted by sgtclub
But what has been their influence?

Primarily one of PR and attitude. Yes, Bush dropped the amendment like the bad idea it was, and, yes, most of the other texan planks are pipe dreams, but the fact that they appear to be seriously advanced, and by substantial numbers of R's, leads to a perception that espousing non-liberal thought puts me into bed with loons.

Now, I have been in bed with loons in the past, and it was enjoyable, but those were a different breed of loon. Loons who fight for clearly unconstitutional fluff because gawd told them to only detract from our cause.

[sgtclub]

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...802EDT0477.DTL

[bilmore]

Originally posted by ironweed
Well, I do appreciate your taking the time to respond before you log out and back in again as Gin Rummy. Cheers!

I'm guessing you have a much better idea of that particular identity than I do.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by sgtclub
But what has been their influence? Seriously, there is a lot of lip service paid, but I don't really see them having much effect. Abortion is legal. The proposed consitutional amendment is a pipe dream. The 10 commandments were removed.

That you make this observation on the occasion of Reagan's passing is interesting. Back in the day, I think that people who Borked Bork were worried that more than lip service was paid to (for example) those GOP-advanced views on abortion, and the probabilities that their goals were in reach.

In any event, I take comfort in your assurances, and bilmore's, that scary as those crackpots in both my father's GOP and today's version may be, the smiling face of Tom DeLay is really that of (say) Fred, the harmless and somewhat dotty carnival barker. He might be out front, but really all he does is smile and accept tickets for admission. He can't really affect what happens inside the tent, of course.

Those silly crackpots! What'll they think of next?

[bilmore]

Originally posted by Gattigap
In any event, I take comfort in your assurances, and bilmore's, that scary as those crackpots in both my father's GOP and today's version may be, the smiling face of Tom DeLay is really that of (say) Fred, the harmless and somewhat dotty carnival barker. He might be out front, but really all he does is smile and accept tickets for admission. He can't really affect what happens inside the tent, of course.

You prove our point. DeLay gives you great PR. But, what impact has he had on those "core" planks listed by RT?

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Secret_Agent_Man
An excellent quote. I think he was the best President I've heard at the inspriational/uplifting speech.

2

Originally posted by sebastian_dangerfield
No, she's not. She's an angry loon, like Krugman's become. Its a damn shame as to Krugman. He was once interesting as hell and had great insights. Now, he's a raving partisan who's more politics than economics.

You will no doubt be shocked (shocked!) to learn that I think Krugman is dead on most of the time, but what I wanted to ask is who you (and any others who want to chime in on this) think gets it right among the punditocracy (if anyone). Safire? Brooks? Coulter? Lewis Lapham (ok, just threw that one in for a laugh).

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by sgtclub
But what has been their influence? Seriously, there is a lot of lip service paid, but I don't really see them having much effect. Abortion is legal. The proposed consitutional amendment is a pipe dream. The 10 commandments were removed.

The abortion language should never have appeared as it did in the platform. As has been established here numerous times, nobody has a clue when life truly begins. Not the GOP, not the Dems, not anybody.

The platform point should have related to process. The harm is alienating people. Every party should try and be the party of common sense, the party of rational thought, the party of democracy and capitalism and charity-begins-at-home compassion. Well, at least this should be the GOP.

I'll endorse RT's reservations about the final two clauses (fix the death penalty now before you expand it..., but once fixed then A-OK for forcible rape if that's what the public wants).

Anyway, the only one that really threw me was that abortion thing, and its only because its not an enforceable or defensible position IMHO. Not even defensible in biblical terms.

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by bilmore
You prove our point. DeLay gives you great PR. But, what impact has he had on those "core" planks listed by RT?

Not so much, no.

That your majority leader serves as a wonderful boogabear doesn't prove anything about it merely being a RP facade.

I'll grant you that it doesn't conclusively prove that he represents the center of gravity of the GOP, or tell us much about the degree of influence help by the Hard Right, though I might humbly suggest that the fact that he's the majority leader is at least mildly suggestive of it.