# Republican Haters: Do you want a one-party state, or what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 22, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958 "2013-10-22T19:01:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![cornopean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cornopean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornopean)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/61 "2013-10-23T00:07:00Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > So you don’t see how people could consider wanting to, say, amend the Constitution to enshrine bigotry against a minority “evil”? > > I mean, I could just as easily say that the most “mainstream” extreme leftists I can think of are the radial environmentalists, and they never get anywhere close to national conventions, while Pat Robertson spoke at Republican ones. is this about gay marriage? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/62 "2013-10-23T00:21:57Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > Recall that in his first election, Arnold got fewer votes than Gray Davis. He became governor due to the crazy recall election system. He won his second term fair and square, but that’s highly unusual. Democrats have dominated the California legislature for over a decade, as well as offices such as State Atty. General. At the present time, they have large enough legislative majorities to pass whatever they want, while ignoring the Pubs. While it is pretty much true that California is a completely Democratic state right now, you overstate how long that has been the case. First of all, the the Democratic supermajorities in the legislature is a very recent phenomenenon. It’s only a few months old, in fact. Second, as others have said, California has had many Republican governers, and quite recently too. Third, it’s not true that there have been no state-wide elected Republicans recently. Steve Poizner was Insurance Commisioner from 2007 to 2011. Bruce McPherson was Secretary of State from 2005 to 2007. Both are Republicans. Going back to the late 90s there are Matt Fong and Dan Lungren. I’m old enough to remember when California was a reliably Republican state in presidential elections. It went for Ford, Reagan twice, and Bush I. So while I acknowledge that it is very Democratic at the moment, I don’t feel that this is in any way a permanent condition. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/63 "2013-10-23T00:26:35Z")
> [@cornopean](#): > > Here is the difference tho. Both parties have loonies. The Democrats, however, give their loonies a place of honor at their convention. The GOP distances itself from its loonies. Wow, talk about projection. That’s _exactly the opposite_ of reality. ---
**Author:** ![Karrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71c47a/32.png) [@Karrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karrius)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/64 "2013-10-23T00:32:49Z")
> [@cornopean](#): > > One difference between the left and the right is that when the left disagrees with the right, they regard the right as evil. When the right disagrees with the left, we just think they are in error or deluded but not evil. > > This is why the left is so violent. This is why conservative speakers can’t go on a university campus w/o bodyguards and adequate security. Seriously…how man conservative student groups have thrown pies at liberal speakers? or shaving cream? How many conservative groups have had their places of worship burned down to cheers of liberals? How many conservative groups have been told by liberal politicians that they should be put in concentration camps? These are both things conservatives do. I would like them to stop. Why don’t you? Which do you think have a higher rate of violence against them - conservatives or actual minorities (LGBT, muslims, african americans, etc?). > [@](#): > > The funny thing about leftists is that sometimes they shout down their own side b/c they aren’t left enuf. 🙂 Are you familiar with the term RINO? ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/65 "2013-10-23T00:35:57Z")
It’s already a one party state, the Business Party. Blue = good cop, red = bad cop. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/66 "2013-10-23T00:41:54Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > IRV/STV/preference voting will not foster third parties. It’s less favourable to them than FPTP. Are we talking about legislative or presidential elections here? Because in a presidential election, IRV seems like it has to help 3rd parties… if 20% of the country currently would really like a green party president and 20% would really like a Tea Party president, but almost all those people are scared about Nader2000 happening again, they all vote for the two main parties, and the support for those 3rd parties never has a chance to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/67 "2013-10-23T00:44:35Z")
> [@cornopean](#): > > One difference between the left and the right is that when the left disagrees with the right, they regard the right as evil. When the right disagrees with the left, we just think they are in error or deluded but not evil. > > This is why the left is so violent. This is why conservative speakers can’t go on a university campus w/o bodyguards and adequate security. Seriously…how man conservative student groups have thrown pies at liberal speakers? or shaving cream? The funny thing about leftists is that sometimes they shout down their own side b/c they aren’t left enuf. 🙂 If you don’t mind, what does any of this tripe have to do with the actual subject of the thread? ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/68 "2013-10-23T00:44:37Z")
> [@cornopean](#): > > One difference between the left and the right is that when the left disagrees with the right, they regard the right as evil. When the right disagrees with the left, we just think they are in error or deluded but not evil. Traditionally, the left views the right as evil, and the right views the left as stupid. But nowadays, in the US, the opposite (left calls right stupid and right calls left evil) seems just as common. My impression thus differs from yours. Putting this to a rigorous test sounds like a good topic for a content analysis PhD thesis. As for the GOP dying out – I don’t see it. Swing voters will have mostly forgotten the shutdown by November 2014. 2014 could be a good GOP year because the presidential party almost always loses in the off-year. And after eight years with a Democratic president, a lot of people will think it is time for a change in 2016. So it could easily take until 2018 for there to be a real GOP disaster. I do think, however, that demography is destiny, and this destiny will force the GOP to eventually choose between death and a sharp centrist turn. The latter is much more likely. I don’t want a one party state. I want two big tent parties. Or more, but our Constitution makes that unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/69 "2013-10-23T00:48:10Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > As for the GOP dying out – I don’t see it. This is a hypothetical thread in response to those who expressed the desire to see the Republican party implode. I’m not trying to argue that it will, I’m asking what the plausible and ideal scenarios are if such an unlikely event were to come to pass. ---
**Author:** ![cornopean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cornopean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornopean)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/70 "2013-10-23T00:54:27Z")
> [@Karrius](#): > > How many conservative groups have had their places of worship burned down to cheers of liberals? > > How many conservative groups have been told by liberal politicians that they should be put in concentration camps? > These are both things conservatives do. I would like them to stop. Why don’t you? Can you give the specifics? I don’t know what events you are referencing here. > [@](#): > > Which do you think have a higher rate of violence against them - conservatives or actual minorities (LGBT, muslims, african americans, etc?). conservatives definitely. no conservative is safe on a college campus. libs spit on them, throw stuff at them. libs often won’t even let interested students in to hear the speech or presentation. This never happens with liberal speakers. No conservative group has ever tried to force a liberal speaker to quit talking or tried to prevent other people from entering to listen. The fact is that liberals in this country do not believe in free speech. They only want liberal and leftist speakers to be free to speak. Just go to youtube and put in Coulter protest and you’ll see what liberals think of free speech. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/71 "2013-10-23T00:55:25Z")
I want everyone to calm the hell down. Step away from the keyboards and look at the stars outside. One more damn WORD that is pointless bashing and the warnings are coming in all directions and the thread will be closed. Is that clear, children? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/72 "2013-10-23T00:57:21Z")
Deleted due to uncertainly as to what is “pointless bashing” ---
**Author:** ![VirgilCaine1865](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@VirgilCaine1865](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VirgilCaine1865)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/73 "2013-10-23T01:06:20Z")
Ludicrous to me that there is so much hate on both sides. To answer your question, OP: a single party system isn’t that insane of an idea. George Washington was for a single party system but that didn’t end up happening. The problem is that there are corrupt people on both sides of the aisle, portraying their counterparts as evil, stupid, what have you. What we see today is a radicalization on both sides, not just the left or the right, and neither side has enough common ground to work together effectively. If it were to go 100% Democrat or 100% Republican, we would see a splintering and a more liberal or a more conservative faction taking the place of the extinct party. For instance, look at blue dog dems. If republicans disappeared, a more conservative sect of democrats would take their place and the media would have some more scapegoats. Party warfare is so entrenched in our culture now it is frightening. I’m sad for our country because Republicans and Democrats should be able to work together. I would contend that it is important to have both parties because the D side is typically more in tune with the needs of the people and the R side is more in tune with the needs of the checkbook. With their strengths combined, viable and effective solutions can be had. There must be give and take on both sides, not all take and all give on one side or the other. All I can say is that the sentiments of the leadership on both sides are certainly NOT what the majority of their constituency feel on both sides. On a final note, I am a Republican, though I do not share the majority of sentiments held by the visible leadership and in fact, find myself thoroughly disgusted with how these people have conducted themselves and saddened by the polarity of all of this. My more conservative view on the size of government was only solidified by earning an MS in Public Administration and my support of certain social issues was similarly solidified. I’m an ardent supporter of gay marriage and other traditionally “left” topics. I cannot stress to you all enough that hating others because their political views are different from yours without first sitting down with them and trading perspectives is the reason why we have this gridlock in DC. If we follow suite and hate on each other instead of putting aside our personal feelings and coming to a constitutional solution, fair to everyone, we are doomed. We are all humans, all people, and we owe it to each other to rise above the filthy party politics our so called leaders lower themselves to play. The other day I had the pleasure of sitting down with a woman and we got to talking. I told her my personal views and that I was a Republican and she shared that she was a Democrat and shared her views with me. Turns out, our views on things was not really all that much different at all and we had a fantastic conversation that lasted well over an hour. I feel like most people hear Dem or Rep and immediately shut the other person out. I say it is as simple as treating others with civility. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/74 "2013-10-23T01:14:25Z")
del ---
**Author:** ![Karrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71c47a/32.png) [@Karrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karrius)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/75 "2013-10-23T01:15:13Z")
[I am inviting cornopean to take his hijack down to the pit, where it belongs.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=16781684) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/76 "2013-10-23T01:17:21Z")
> [@VirgilCaine1865](#): > > The problem is that there are corrupt people on both sides of the aisle, portraying their counterparts as evil, stupid, what have you. What we see today is a radicalization on both sides, not just the left or the right, and neither side has enough common ground to work together effectively. No; that’s creating a false equivalence between the parties. The present-day Right is far more intransigent; if anything, the Democrats aren’t partisan _enough._ The Democrats have a history of caving in, not of being unwilling to cooperate. And in my opinion that has heavily contributed to the problem; by caving in so much to the Republicans, they have inadvertently helped the rise of the kinds of Republicans who push for things like the government shutdown and who refuse to cooperate or compromise in any way. Behavior that is rewarded tends to be repeated; since they’ve gotten so much out of the Democrats that way, why stop now? > [@VirgilCaine1865](#): > > I would contend that it is important to have both parties because the D side is typically more in tune with the needs of the people and the R side is more in tune with the needs of the checkbook. No, that’s just a propaganda line from the Republicans. Democrats are consistently better for the economy. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/77 "2013-10-23T01:22:42Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > America continues its slide to the Right, ending with the present system fully collapsing into a Christian-Corporate fascist state. Sorry not happening. Anyhow I’d like to see the Republicans become a normal liberal conservative party or a Christian Democratic Party like in Germany while the Democrats fully embrace the welfare state and incorporate elements of social democracy, Basically two common-sense, real big-tent parties largely run by technocrats and neither of whom tries to take the country over the edge or undo the New Deal. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/78 "2013-10-23T01:26:18Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Are we talking about legislative or presidential elections here? Because in a presidential election, IRV seems like it has to help 3rd parties. Applies in any single member electorate. IRV may deliver third party candidates a win in some circumstances, it may deny them the win in others. In the Australian Federal parliament, having used preferential voting since 1919, no third party has become established in nearly a century. The current HoR has 90 Coalition, 55 Labor and 5 single members (Green’s Adam Brandt and 4 non-aligned; Bob Katter, Clive Palmer, Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan). 21% of 1st preference votes went to non-LIB/LAB candidates and after preferences they earned 3.3% representation. That is a much higher representation than has typically been the case. There is more diversity in the US House of Reps if viewed at a factional level. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958/79 "2013-10-23T01:27:19Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No; that’s creating a false equivalence between the parties. The present-day Right is far more intransigent; if anything, the Democrats aren’t partisan _enough._ The Democrats have a history of caving in, not of being unwilling to cooperate. And in my opinion that has heavily contributed to the problem; by caving in so much to the Republicans, they have inadvertently helped the rise of the kinds of Republicans who push for things like the government shutdown and who refuse to cooperate or compromise in any way. Behavior that is rewarded tends to be repeated; since they’ve gotten so much out of the Democrats that way, why stop now? > > No, that’s just a propaganda line from the Republicans. Democrats are consistently better for the economy. I’m going to file that under ‘pointless bashing’ and issue a warning and shut this thing down. Nothing further of use it liable to happen here. Congrats to Little Nemo for - apparently - changing his mind and to Karrius for taking it where it belongs. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/republican-haters-do-you-want-a-one-party-state-or-what/671958.md?page=3)