Thread: Size matters
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Old 09-21-2009, 09:16 PM   #12
Redux
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Quote:
Originally Posted by classicman View Post
The leftists are in charge now. They have nothing to protest. Its always the minority that does the protesting. Weighing one extremist group against another wasn't my point. My point was they are just as adamant. I do see your point though.
Leftists? Isnt that painting with a broad brush in the same way you criticized others?

Please look objectively at the Democrats in power...
* a president and many members of Congress who voted for the Patriot Act and the FISA extension - joining the Republican majority...hardly "leftist"

* most supporting the current policy in Afghanistan, which is more neo-con that "leftist"

* most of the 50+ Democrats elected to the House in the last two elections are moderate "blue dogs" - fiscal conservatives, not even so-called tax and spend liberals and no where near leftists (socialists?)

* wide divisions within the Democratic party on health care reform, with both sides digging their heals in on the public option

* on the social issues, a Senate majority leader who is anti-choice, most of those recently elected Democrats and the Senate who are opposed to more gun control - can you imagine a pro-choice Republican leader? or gun control Republicans?
The biggest difference between the two parties, looking solely at the representation in Congress, and not the public as a whole, is that one has a much bigger tent.

In the broadest terms, Republicans in Congress are in lock-step together on national security/foreign policy and the differences on the domestic side are social conservatives v fiscal conservatives with a lot of overlap...with at most, a small handful of "renegades"

IMO, that bigger tent and greater diversity within the Democratic party in the manner described above -- from near neo-con to true leftist on the national security side and from fiscal conservatives to the tax and spenders on the domestic side -- is a luxury and a challenge.

Leftists? Only in the rhetoric coming from the other side.

Last edited by Redux; 09-21-2009 at 09:31 PM.
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