Can the Republicans nominate someone who won't make me barf?

The BBQ Pit
1

I cast a vote for a Republican Presidential candidate once. Yes, Reagan, in '80 (not in '84, by which point it had become apparent that he was kidding about the balanced budget but, unfortunately, not kidding about the abortion and the Bible-pounding).

If you’re an American conservative, please do something about the Republican party. They’ve been unvoteworthy through most of my voting-eligible life, and I’m middle-aged.

I’m not delightfully comfy with the sense that the Democratic Party doesn’t have to work for my vote. In fact, for a party that proclaims itself “democratic” so eponymously, they’ve got a lot of elitists who don’t trust the judgment of the citizen and I haven’t seen a motion to extend participatory democracy since the 18 year olds got the vote.

But damn… the Repubs have managed to locate themselves midway between Jerry Falwell and Fred Phelps, and now the Dems have the Blue Dog Caucus trying to outflank them on fiscal responsibility?

::shakes head::

I’m an anarchist with a deep-seated distrust of state-centric solution-mongers even if I am a vehement social liberationist. I know that on this board and any other environment my opinions have been aired no one would assume me to be seriously thinking of voting Republican, but you might be surprised at how much I distrust those Donkeys. Anyone ever notice that I’m kind of opinionated in a partisan way about psychiatric forced treatment? Guess which party has been more inclined to embrace the Brave New World of Fully Reimbursed Involuntary Psychiatric Treatment? Guess which party has been more inclined to say “The person is in his own home and not violating any laws and has the right to be left alone, no matter what services you may think are needed”?

C’mon, look, dammit. You don’t need to embrace the wonderfulness of “alternative lifestyles”. You only need to embrace the notion that it flat-out ain’t the government’s business one way or the other. Social conservatism is state bossiness. No way in HELL you’ll ever see my vote while you’re marketing that shit.

Your major traditional and authentic claim to fame was fiscal responsibility. Yes, there are different versions:

• Don’t waste any taxpayers’ money on any silly-ass bleeding-heart social programming;

•Spend the money effectively so as to do the most good for the country at large, even if in the short run it mostly consists of diverting lots of taxpayers’ money towards socially disadvantaged people and the fixing of social problems that victimize people. But don’t spend money you ain’t got. Try to avoid raising taxes, it strangles the machine when you do.

• Anywhere in between, attempting to get a finger on the pulse of the majority attitude on charitable / social remedies and how much we want to spend on it.
… it’s all a continuum. Charitable or miserly, thrifty or inclined to throw money at every problem to make it go away, the point is you don’t spend what you don’t take in and you can’t take in more than the voting public will tolerate, and a good conservative loves moderation, and books that stay in the black even more.

Where the freaking hell have you BEEN? Can you manage to nominate someone who can speak, who can act responsibly, who can bring both the image and the substance of stolid, mature, reasoned wisdom to the endeavor, someone who assumes that we want and expect efficiency and a minimum of state-sponsored intrusions into our lives? Someone who acts like an adult and treats us like adults?

If you let the Blue Dog Democrats seize the mantle of fiscal responsibility and leave you with little more than mean-spirited narrow-minded Bible-bound social conservatism, you are so dead, for the foreseeable future if not permanently. And if you stay on that trajectory, I’ll give up on being an independent and go register as a Democrat so I can vote in the primaries and be done with it.

2

I could see myself voting for Giuliani, but he has a snowballs chance in hell of getting the nomination.

3

Jack Kemp and/or Pete Domenici and/or Olympia Snowe and/or Susan Collins.

In some combo. Ideally not the two guys-in-their-seventies as running mates, and not the two-Senators-from-Maine as running mates either. The fellows are more socially conservative than the women. All are solid economic conservatives. Even the guys have a distinct and notable focus on economic conservatism first and foremost. All four of them are solid players whose bona fides are on the table. They all have a track record they need not back away from. All four would have a decent degree of crossover appeal to moderate Democrats.

All four have brains. None of them has a reputation for having a “my way or the highway” attitude, and I could see any of them working effectively with a Democratic Congress, which is likely to be the environment in which they would preside.

It would not hurt the Republicans to stick a woman out there. It would behoove the Republicans to embrace the tattered remains of their moderate faction, and, unlike the Dems, they could really do with some favorite son, or favorite daughter as the case may be, support in the northeast, where mainly they are toast these days. (It will play well elsewhere too).

Both ME Senators have earned their creds. They are genuine independent-minded, they work hard, they’ve been on committees and they show up, and they’re willing to buck trends and be controversial if necessary.

The guys, both senior statemen (from a time when the Republican Party stood for something besides itself), are the living breathing icons of balanced budgets, responsible economics, and resource management.

All four are popular figures, respected and celebrated by the people who voted them into office. (Kemp is a bit post facto but no one has forgotten him).

All four are in regions of the country that the Republican Party could afford to do better in.

4

I’m waiting for the Dems to do the same. Not Kerry in a dress, not some unknown who picks up a percentage because he’s a minority, not another dimwit whose platform is, “I’m not like them.” Yawn.

5

What other group do you think is disenfranchised unfairly? Democrats are fighting against Republican efforts to mangle the voter rolls, but that’s not exactly the same thing.

6

Moving thread from IMHO to The BBQ Pit.

7

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Here is his interview on the Daily Show:

8

He sure is personable, no doubt. I like the guy, from having seen him on the Daily Show and the Colbert Report.

But I feel somewhat similar to the sentiment expressed by Stewart near the beginning of the interview. Can we trust that you aren’t just another crazy fuck who has the capacity and insight to recognize that the typical conservative schtick won’t get you anywhere anymore. As Huckabee said, and I paraphrase, he’s a conservative who doesn’t hate.

That’s a great start, and you’ll get my ear, but I do want to hear more. I like his recognition that pro-life should include being in favor of improving the quality of life for children after birth as well. (However, I’ve already had to deal with my feelings that my own brand new Democratic Senator, Casey, voted against the stem cell measure, so I’d prefer to have someone who is pro-life about the possibility of saving lives of those with diseases as well.)

I just hope that what you see is what you get from Huckabee. I’d love to return to the days of feeling like, if a Republican won an election, that things will still largely be okay in two or four years.

For the time being, however, I’d rather keep pushing Hannibal Lecter around on the dolly in a straightjacket and face mask than let him free again.

9

Not Giulani. As far as I’m concerned, if the Republican Party nominates Giulani for President, I’d better not hear one squeak from them about being “pro family values” or “pro-marriage”. Given Giulani’s record when it comes to marriage and adultery, I’d hardly call his actions “pro-marriage”.

Other than that, what AHunter said. I still get a kick out of voting and if I had a candidate worth voting for, I might even be proud of voting for a major party.

10

As a NYC resident through the Giuliani reign, I implore you to rethink this. Giuliani is every bit as bad as President Bush when it comes to listening to any point of view he hasn’t already set his mind upon.

As an independent, I’d like to expand your title: Can any major political party nominate someone who won’t make me barf? I’m tired of choosing which candidate makes me less nauseous.

11

While I sort of agree with your sentiment, I think Kerry would have made a fine president, even if he wouldn’t have been my first choice among the Dems. He was a terrible campaigner, but I think he would’ve done well once he got into office. It doesn’t bother me so much if a guy’s campaign style is nausiating as long as I can see what he’s got behind the smoke and mirrors.

12

One problem with the US president is that he is both head of government and head of state. I think Kerry would handle head of government, basically an administrative position, quite well. But I think a head of state needs to be inspirational. And Kerry was boring. At least to me.

13

Sadly, the Republicans made “I’m not like them” a winning strategy (for the Dems) in this last election. At this point, I’d vote for Mr. Potatohead before I’d vote for a Republican again- it’s going to be a while before I can trust a Pub again.

I don’t quite understand how anyone can be willing to immediately give the Republicans another shot.

14

I’m a Democrat, but I keep an eye on the promising GOPpers. John McCain looked like a contender (and he still may be) because he occasionally speaks out when he disagrees with the totalitarian wing. More often, though, he’s willing to be a cheerleader for boneheaded policies. McCain was viciously smeared in the 2000 primary, before “swiftboat” became a verb. The former POW was branded a traitor, and some people still believe it.

I was disappointed with our last two presidential candidates, Gore and Kerry. Both were willing to bob and weave when attacked by the GOP. Neither man would dig in his heels and say, “Yes, I said that, and here’s why.” For Pete’s sake, Al Franken did a better job of standing up for the candidate than the candidate himself. Dennis Kucinich would have been my choice, but they never asked me.

I have never had a voice in the presidential primaries. My state’s primary is in May, and the candidate is always a done deal by then.

15

Felons and ex-felons (over 20% of black men, in some states).

16

Perhaps you should consider a name change. :wink:

17

Felons are unfailrly disenfrachised? What about the ~80% of non-blacks? They don’t count? Why is race a part of it? A felon is a felon. Felons can’t vote. And according to your claim, a minority of felons are black. So the majority of felons that are “disenfranchised” (overused talking head word) are not black.

I’m guessing you’re speaking up for them, right?

18

In answer to the OP: probably not. They lost me as a Republican, likely for a very, very long time, at least until the “Jesus is my running mate” and “Rights? You have no rights in a world teeming with brown terrorists” crowds leave. Unfortunately, the Democrats don’t want me either, so I guess I’m just a political misfit.

19

I agree, but I don’t see anyone on either side of the aisle that could handle both roles with any degree of competency.

20

Listen, uh… you’re a moron. I’m sorry.