Comments on Brutally Honest Politics: A Brief Comment on Senator Arlen Specter’s Switch...

The interesting thing is that moderate conservativ...

2009-05-01T14:43:21.657-04:00

The interesting thing is that moderate conservatives have yet to discovered themselves in one identity. Some are still clinging to the bare threads of the GOP. Some call themselves Libertarians. Some are joining the Democrat party for the popularity but know themselves as "Conservative Democrats". When I look at all these individuals and their ideologies, I see pretty much the same pattern in every person's ideology with a different loyalty leaning. If there is one thing that liberals (whacky or otherwise)and moderate Democrats have in their favor right now is a drive to socially organize (fiercely! even in a disorganized way). But this value of political or community organization is seen as too "socialist" a skill (read value) to adopt.

The Republican party seem to be contracting to the...

2009-04-30T13:33:04.432-04:00

The Republican party seem to be contracting to the hard-core righties and wing-nuts. If that continues, they will be a marginal party for years to come.

While part of me thinks this is a good thing, I also recognize that a conservative counter-balance to some of the more whacky liberal impluses of the Democrats in a healthy thing, and a severely marginalized Republican party will be ineffective as a counter-balance.

Maybe this will actually give rise to a real third party of moderate conservatives.

Great comments. I completely agree that Arlen Spec...

2009-04-29T18:27:55.779-04:00

Great comments. I completely agree that Arlen Specter is basically just trying to save his ass here. And I didn't mean to imply that I'm a big fan of his, by the way.

But I do think it says something about the state of the Republican Party that Arlen Specter can't be a member.

And yes -- it will be entertaining to see Sarah Palin run for President -- but it is also really terrifying that she's a serious contenter.

For me, politics is generally entertainment, with ...

2009-04-29T16:56:54.675-04:00

For me, politics is generally entertainment, with the few folks who are serious about actually doing something laboring in the background.

I'm quite looking forward to Sarah Palin's run for President in a few years. (While also hoping that the entertainment doesn't turn from comedy into tragedy.)

That said, the Republicans will only survive if the real conservatives regain the upper hand. I know a few of the whackadoodles and if you mention, for example, someone like Russell Kirk or Richard Weaver and they have no idea who those people are (not that I necessarily subscribe to Kirk or Weaver, but at least I have read some of their work).

True conservatism is a philosophy, but the Rebulicans have gone from philosophy to ideology to being ideologues to being just idiots.

Hello LostSailor. I don't blame you for your cync...

2009-04-29T15:36:28.688-04:00

Hello LostSailor. I don't blame you for your cyncism. I felt the same way yesterday when I was reading the Senator's profile in full. He has a real flip flopping record as far as affiliation.

It will be interesting to see how political parties will realign in this country if the GOP officially falls. I've been seeing this coming ever since the election when I was canvassing right along with a group called: "Republicans for Obama".

However, political debate is still alive and well even under one party. Like the one happening between Patterson and Diaz Sr. in this state.

So...will everyone just camp out by more precise ideologies next?

While I agree completely that the GOP has become a...

2009-04-29T14:04:38.005-04:00

While I agree completely that the GOP has become an party of whackadoodles who are obsessed with adherence to the orthodoxy of whackadoodledom, thus making themselves more irrelevant with every screech of opposition to virtually anything except war, torture, and no taxes for the wealthy, I can't give Specter a pass.

While it's great he's "joined" the Democrats, it's a pretty nakedly opportunistic move based purely on electoral politics and maintaining his power in government. He's facing a brutal primary against one of the whackadoodle's own and has been trailing in the polls. He read the writing on the wall: stay a Republican and lose your Senate seat; switch parties and run as a Democrat and likely win the general election while gaining more power by being in the majority.

I read a report that Specter may get the chair of the Judiciary Committee, which would be quite a perk.

Sorry, I may be cynical about this, but I just don't see this as a move based on principle.

Now, if Olympia Snow makes the jump, I would see that as a move based on principle.