steveox
Well-Known Member
Give him a grade
Substance aside — the president delivered yet another effective and persuasive politcal speech. He framed himself as a sensible politician in a dysfunctional town full of straw-man opponents.... He acknowledged our deficit problem, but said we can’t cut our way to prosperity... In a heartfelt way, he explained how smart government will educate our kids, protect our social safety net, reduce our school loans, provide health care, fix our bridges, increase our wages, eradicate poverty, and end our wars. These are all great goals, but conservatives rightly differ on the best way to get there....
Only conservative policies can make the promise of American opportunity and prosperity reality for every American, but the president has captured that rhetorical high ground, using center-right terminology to justify an expansive government vision that purports to solve every ill. He gave a speech ... as he regularly does ... that meets people where they are, regardless of the policy reality that follows (and he is abetted by a largely uncritical press).
Yes there is a big difference in being a Conservative/Republican..They don't mean the same thing anymore...An accurate critique of the Prez.
If conservatism is a return to the values/politics of yesteryear will conservatism really result in a good outcome. Don't the pubs spend almost as much? Don't they seek power to the same degree? Don't they also grow government and debt?
I think even the brainless recognize that the republicans are not that much better than the dems so too many stay home on election night. I used to think that first we needed to oust the dems and then we needed to change the pubs. Now I think that we need to get rid of them both. I think we are seeing the demise of the pub party right now. The only question is will the next party win against the dems?
I have been doing a lot thinking on why this President was re-elected...IMO this is the curse of identity politics, and I hope that it will not permanently disfigure the country’s politics.. The majority of Americans have decided that,whatever his faults, this president must be deemed a success, even if he has not actually succeeded.. must be allowed his greatness in lieu of his failure really to have earned it. There may be wisdom in the judgment that eight years of dubious leadership is a small price to pay for the sake of the symbolic value of the spectacle... One only wishes that the president had the self knowledge to recognize the gift that has been given him, and the humility to acknowledge that his success derives, not from the flawed policies he continues to pursue, but from an act of electoral grace and favor.An accurate critique of the Prez.
If conservatism is a return to the values/politics of yesteryear will conservatism really result in a good outcome. Don't the pubs spend almost as much? Don't they seek power to the same degree? Don't they also grow government and debt?
I think even the brainless recognize that the republicans are not that much better than the dems so too many stay home on election night. I used to think that first we needed to oust the dems and then we needed to change the pubs. Now I think that we need to get rid of them both. I think we are seeing the demise of the pub party right now. The only question is will the next party win against the dems?
I have been doing a lot thinking on why this President was re-elected...IMO this is the curse of identity politics, and I hope that it will not permanently disfigure the country’s politics.. The majority of Americans have decided that,whatever his faults, this president must be deemed a success, even if he has not actually succeeded.. must be allowed his greatness in lieu of his failure really to have earned it. There may be wisdom in the judgment that eight years of dubious leadership is a small price to pay for the sake of the symbolic value of the spectacle... One only wishes that the president had the self knowledge to recognize the gift that has been given him, and the humility to acknowledge that his success derives, not from the flawed policies he continues to pursue, but from an act of electoral grace and favor.
"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the majority discovers it can vote itself largess out of the public treasury."
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BO won because of three things.
1. Romney was a terrible candidate, who ran a terrible campaign, and was advised by big government establishment Rs, who now blame the TP for their failures. The R party, as it exists today, stinks.