Discussion: The REPUBLICAN Party

[Thundercrack85]

Well, we have the origins of man figured out.

I can only infer that you have some misgivings about evolution.

 

[SV Fan]

Oh vey just watching Meet the Press. Why do they even bother getting John McCain or Lindsey Graham to talk about foreign policy when they always wrong.

 

[Tech]

Well, we have the origins of man figured out.

I can only infer that you have some misgivings about evolution.

If mainstream Democrats were asked 'if they believed in evolution' and if answered yes were asked as a follow up to give a detailed 'intelligent' synopsis what the theory requires.....how many would do well in your estimates? Has any media interviewer ever done this? I wouldn't expect it to happen.

It's really turned into a tribal political issue instead of an intellectual or academic issue. I doubt most Democrat leaders are as passionate about this issue as you clearly are. It's an ends to means for power...get those voters and use their clout to pursue an expansive secular domestic agenda.

At end of the day, everyone who knows how they're gonna vote before the question is asked...its just a means to alienate voters about topic aimed at accelerating the culture war.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Because it's not necessary. Do you believe in gravity? Probably. Can you explain how the theory of gravity works off the cuff? Probably not. Although I suspect Obama probably could, since he's actually fairly educated, and a bit of a nerd.

I don't think most Democrats care about evolution, since they take it for granted. Which they really shouldn't, since Republicans are still trying to sneak it into schools.

 

[Tech]

I am talking about when he was asked in 2008, he gave an answer. In terms of 2012 I personally believe Biden blurting it out a month before Obama sided with it was just a case they wanted to put out feelers first to see how people would react. Biden basically was used as Cannon Fodder. The whole "Obama evolved on Gay Marriage" was a huge pile of BS

I'd rather a candidate refuse to answer a question than lie about it, personally. I'm not going to give a politician points for misleading public so you can gain power. If he didn't answer question, it'd have been more honest and you can infer where he stands. Lying doesn't help. We can all admit, he was lying...he didn't evolve or listen to his kids, etc...etc.

 

[The Overlord]

Here's the thing though, other right of centre parties in other Western countries believe in evolution:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-refusal-to-answer-question-on-evolution.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/15/o...s-the-religious-right-and-evolution.html?_r=0

You wouldn't have a Mike Huckabee in any of the Tory Parties in the Common Wealth or the Christian Democrats in Germany. Stuff like this makes the GOP seem far more reactionary, extreme and backwards then other Western center right parties.

I think with the newer generations of Americans being less religious then the older generation, all this bible thumping seems to be only able to appeal to the republicans base of super conservative aging old white men. The GOP increasing comes across as a relic of the past, rather then a party fit for the 21st century. Frankly if the GOP were replaced by a modern and rational center right party, it would be better for everyone.

 

[Tech]

I'm not sure I agree I want American political parties to mimic European ones. I'd want to see how they get their act together with currency, debt, and ethnic clashes before they lecture Americans.

 

[The Overlord]

I'm not sure I agree I want American political parties to mimic European ones. I'd want to see how they get their act together with currency, debt, and ethnic clashes before they lecture Americans.

I'm talking about other center right parties and remember the crash of 2008 happened under Bush's watch and almost every GOP government has increased the debt rather decrease it. What is Reagan or Bush's excuse for increasing the debt?

For this talk about small government the GOP loves to increase the size and scope of the government through growing the size of military industrial complex. Military spending is government spending and it does increase the debt and really most dictatorships use the military to maintain control, conservatives who support a stronger military, actually support a stronger potential dictatorship. Any conservative who is worried about the US becoming a dictatorship, should not support the military industrial complex.

I don't like the Canadian Tories, but they have done a better job at reducing the debt then the GOP has.

Also exactly how has say Angela Merkel done a bad job running Germany? She is right of center in Germany and she is not some bible thumping extremist. She is not perfect, but I think she has done a better job at running her country then any Republican has done running America.

So yeah, I do think the GOP can learn things from other more moderate right wing parties and its hubris to assume they can't.

 

[CaptainWagner]

To begin with, belief in evolution should in no way equal lack of religous convictions, but sadly, that's how far too many people view it. That said, this is just basic politics. While appealing to new, young voters is a top goal, you also can't just ignore your base constinuants, espically before Primaries. When someone asks you an irrelevent question that could alienate your core voting bloc, no sensible politician is going to answer it.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I think it's already backfired. People are now questioning his education (hell, I never knew he was a college drop out until this came up) and his ability to answer simple questions.

Granted the Republican Party is pretty anti-science, and the Tea Party is full of creationists. But if you want to win a presidential election, they're not the ones you need to impress.

 

[CaptainWagner]

I think it's already backfired. People are now questioning his education (hell, I never knew he was a college drop out until this came up) and his ability to answer simple questions.

Granted the Republican Party is pretty anti-science, and the Tea Party is full of creationists. But if you want to win a presidential election, they're not the ones you need to impress.

Some of the richest people in the world are college dropouts. Any attempt to make that an issue will seriously backfire in the Democrats' faces.

And I don't want to drag this completly off topic, but I've always hated the term "creationist" because it implies that in order to believe the universe and everything in it were created by a diety, that you must also disagree with evolution. Which is simply not true. I'd love Walker to say that, but it runs the risk of upsetting the people who will ultimatly choose who runs for office.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I'd rather a candidate refuse to answer a question than lie about it, personally. I'm not going to give a politician points for misleading public so you can gain power. If he didn't answer question, it'd have been more honest and you can infer where he stands. Lying doesn't help. We can all admit, he was lying...he didn't evolve or listen to his kids, etc...etc.

All politicians lie.

Their job isn't to be honest about their inner most feelings. It's to play a role that their base expects them to play.

That's why they rarely say things opposite of what their base expects them to say.

Bush and Clinton also said things they were expected to say. They did things they were expected to do.

If you think all of those thing were an honest expression of their personal feelings then I have a bridge to sell you.

 

[Cosmic]

To begin with, belief in evolution should in no way equal lack of religous convictions, but sadly, that's how far too many people view it. That said, this is just basic politics. While appealing to new, young voters is a top goal, you also can't just ignore your base constinuants, espically before Primaries. When someone asks you an irrelevent question that could alienate your core voting bloc, no sensible politician is going to answer it.

I agree. It was a "gotcha" question to make headlines, and he passed on it, because he has nothing to gain by playing that game at this time. That's just politics. I don't like him, but I don't blame him for making that move.

 

[DJ_KiDDvIcIOUs]

Jeb Bush made his first foreign policy speech today and claimed to be "My own man".

Here is a Venn diagram of all the people he chose to bring with him into foreign policy should he win:

 

[Thundercrack85]

Iran, here we come.

 

[SV Fan]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...de0bd0-ba17-11e4-bc30-a4e75503948a_story.html

Gov. Scott Walker: ‘I don’t know’ whether Obama is a Christian

Walker is now going to be peppered with questions that should in theory be easy until you take the Republican base into question

 

[Thundercrack85]

I think it's a calculated move. Throw the Tea Party some meat.

But it can also backfire spectacularly.

This Republican tactic of painting Obama as a foreign, alien non-American / Anti-American smacks of racism.

This is a party that doesn't need more problems with minorities.

 

[SV Fan]

Walker 2016 slogan:

I Don't Know

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Iran, here we come.

More like "here we come Iraq, Libya, Syria, Iran and Afghanistan (again)".

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Walker 2016 slogan:

I Don't Know

Not Sure for Vice President.

/Idiocracy reference

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

I think it's a calculated move. Throw the Tea Party some meat.

But it can also backfire spectacularly.

This Republican tactic of painting Obama as a foreign, alien non-American / Anti-American smacks of racism.

This is a party that doesn't need more problems with minorities.

It's a difficult balance.

Solidifying the base with xenophobia for legislative power versus reaching out to skeptical minorities for executive power.

 

[Kelly]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...de0bd0-ba17-11e4-bc30-a4e75503948a_story.html



Walker is now going to be peppered with questions that should in theory be easy until you take the Republican base into question

Well, hell, I don't know if he's a Christian either....the question, though this one is pretty stupid also, but to me the better question would have been...
"Do you think that Obama is a Muslim?"

But, I don't see the need for knowing that or not...who cares? Again, what does he think about Tax Reform, what does he think about the US now being the biggest competitor with OPEC, what does he think about the problems we are seeing and hearing about the EU.

When they start asking Hillary about whether or not she thinks that Obama is a Christian, or a Muslim, or whatever then get back to me.

 

[SV Fan]

Well, hell, I don't know if he's a Christian either....the question, though this one is pretty stupid also, but to me the better question would have been...
"Do you think that Obama is a Muslim?"

Here is my guess at Walker's answer: I don't know

When they start asking Hillary about whether or not she thinks that Obama is a Christian, or a Muslim, or whatever then get back to me.

What's the use of asking Hillary if Obama is a Christian, my guess is she won't answer "I Don't Know".

But, I don't see the need for knowing that or not...who cares?

I think questions like this give us more incite to Walker then if we asked him about policy and he just rolled off some BS answer full of statistics or points that are cherry picked to support his agenda. At least with a question like this it's much harder for him to try talk his way out of it without looking bad

In all honesty if he just answered the Evolution question a week ago or the one about Giuliani(who at a fundraiser of his said Obama hates America), I think he wouldn't open himself up to future questions like the do you think Obama is a Christian. It would be a case his answer would fly under the radar and nothing would be made out of it. Instead he is turning into the guy who can't answer simple questions by actually having an opinion

 

[Siby]

I wish the answer to the religion question would be, "Why does it matter if he is Christian? There is no requirement in the Constitution that the President of the United States has to be a Christian."

 

[Anubis]

How about an answer of a simple "Yes" since that's what he is?