Brilliant!
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Puffs Daddy
Member
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Posts: 265
Re: Here's the problem (Political)
« Reply #53 on: October 30, 2009, 09:09:32 AM »
It's rather silly to get into a discussion on this topic with so many people who haven't a clue what they're talking about. I usually limit my comments on this sort of thing to boards where the focus is political and the contributors are more informed. But just for the record...
() Saying that the country's "area" is conservative is blatantly absurd. One might as well say that America is made of up of tractor owners because there are more tractors in Nebraska than in Rhode Island.
() Claiming that Obama won the election in 2008 because he appealed primarily to those looking for a handout is similarly absurd considering that he carried demographic groups at the upper end of both education and income. Likewise, claiming that major urban areas were the basis for Obama's victory ignores the fact that in most cases the margin of victory in such metropolitan areas was significantly enhanced if not determined by Obama carrying the wealthier and more highly educated suburbs.
() Neither party and neither candidate in 2008 can claim a monopoly on support from the uninformed. For every youtube video supposedly demonstrating the idiocy of an Obama supporter, there are numerous others demonstrating the level of "sophistication" of attendees at McCain/Palin rallies.
() The fact is that the GOP no longer represents the majority of "hard working" Americans. What it does represent is a significant portion of middle aged white males living in small towns and rural areas. Overall, it has become a rump regional political party that is rapidly aging. (In the last decade those who identify themselves as Republicans has increased by an average of 11 years.) And any political party that relies almost exclusively on the South for its support is by definition a minority in American politics. That was true of the Democrats from 1896 until 1932 and it's true of the GOP now. And any party that fails to attract a significant portion of young voters is literally dying. And that, too, is true of the GOP.
() For many years the GOP managed to win elections by claiming to be (and often demonstrating) its competence as managers of a modern nation state. The Bush II administration largely exploded that myth. And those who value competent management have deserted the party in droves. If and when the party returns to a moderate governing philosophy it will stand a chance of being competitive again. But it's going to take awhile for voters to forget what happened between 2001 and 2009.
() As for the "plague on both houses" libertarians, I've been hearing about the coming "libertarian" wave for the last 40 years. It's a political movement that derives its energy largely from post-adolescent males who spent their time in the audio-visual club in high school. It manages to stay alive because such folks are always available for recruitment. And it never grows because it loses as many adherents as it gains as "libertarians" become acquainted with the real world.
