The GOP needs to be destroyed in order to save it.

[BrainGlutton]

@adaher

Thinking conservatives know that Trump isn’t one of us.

Fortunately for him, he only needs a majority to win the nomination!

[adaher]

@Fear_Itself

But they will still support him if he is the Republican nominee.

No. Not gonna happen.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@adaher

Thinking conservatives know that Trump isn’t one of us.

So… what, like 14 conservatives? A dozen and a half, maybe? Prolly a pity that the GOP has been wed to the non-thinking for so many years, eh?

[adaher]

I’ve complained about it before. Why do you think I’m here instead of somewhere with more conservatives? Liberals are just more interesting to talk to. They use facts and arguments and stuff.

[BrainGlutton]

@adaher

I’ve complained about it before. Why do you think I’m here instead of somewhere with more conservatives? Liberals are just more interesting to talk to. They use facts and arguments and stuff.

But you’re still a conservative – so, you think those who don’t use facts and stuff are more often right (at least in political matters) than those who do, because of – better moral values, or what?

[adaher]

Even among the well reasoned, emotions and wishful thinking can get in the way. We also tend to make excuses when reality doesn’t conform to what we expected given our awesome plans. And then the idiots just piss you off by getting it right without knowing why they got it right.

[Fear_Itself]

@adaher

I’ve complained about it before. Why do you think I’m here instead of somewhere with more conservatives? Liberals are just more interesting to talk to. They use facts and arguments and stuff.

You are smart. We are right. Sooner or later, you are ours.

[LSLGuy]

@adaher

There’s room for a centrist party, but I think the Reform Party hit on the main issue: truth. Truth shouldn’t just be for the fringe candidates who don’t give a damn and don’t expect to win. Telling the truth should be an aspect of moderation, whereas lying and bait and switch tactics should be defined as extremism. IMO, ideology aside, a viable third party should adopt these precepts:

1. Reject the politics of spin. The only valuable thing Donald Trump has done for us is to show that you can break all the rules of politics if people sense that you’re the real deal. Actually, we’ve seen a similar dynamic with Joe Biden. If you have a reputation for being straight with people, your gaffes tend to be less damaging. Press conferences should no longer be games of cat and mouse between reporters and administration spokesmen. When they ask a question, it should be answered. Administration members should also not have to be “on message”. Open disagreement should be aired publicly without retaliation.

2. Competence and accountability matter. “The buck stops here”. When things go wrong, the people involved should take responsibility. No more “I read about it in the papers” by Presidents ,or giving the Medal of Freedom to the guy who said there were WMD in Iraq and it was a slam dunk. When your administration screws up, own it, and if the screwups are numerous enough or gross enough, fire people. And acknowledge your own bad judgment in appointing idiots.

3. Careful management of taxpayer money. We’ve gotten away from paying for what we spend. The Republicans went off on the supply side train and the Democrats apparently now think stimulus should be semi-permanent. If you prioritize tax cuts, then spending has to be cut first. If you prioritze spending increases, then the money must be raised first. That should be a hard and fast principle in normal times(recession and war can be exceptions).

4. Inclusiveness. No scapegoating of any group, whether poor or privileged, for the problems of America. That doesn’t mean you can’t pass adverse legislation(banks do indeed need to be reined in, welfare should not be a lifelong thing), but we shouldn’t use rhetoric that whips up hate and division. Most people aren’t evil, they just respond to bad incentives.

That was beautiful. You’ve really summed up where the nation needs to go.

As others have said, it’s damn difficult to get from here to there when we have 300 million people used to the current way of doing things.

My brother was a poli-sci type. One of his sayings was “What America needs is better Americans.” Too many people don’t think, act selfishly or short-sightedly, or are consumed by fantasy.

At the end of the day we (collectively) get the politics we (collectively) deserve. Dollars don’t buy votes unless voters are willing to be sold for dollars.

[adaher]

That’s why I’m not sure more voter participation is the answer. If people don’t want to be bothered to learn what they need to know to cast an informed vote, don’t badger them. Let them stay home.

This election is likely to have very high turnout, and I don’t think advocates of more voter participation are going to like the results.

[BrainGlutton]

@LSLGuy

At the end of the day we (collectively) get the politics we (collectively) deserve.

There’s got to be some way we can do better than that!

[BrainGlutton]

@adaher

This election is likely to have very high turnout, and I don’t think advocates of more voter participation are going to like the results.

Since most of those are Democrats, and since high turnout generally favors Democrats, I don’t see why they wouldn’t.

[adaher]

It doesn’t always favor Democrats. Poor whites aren’t the most reliable voters normally, but if they come out in much larger than usual numbers, things are going to go downhill pretty fast.

Democrats tend to support more voter participation because they THINK It benefits them, but that can be a wrong assumption, as it was in 2004 when all the churches emptied to vote against gay marriage and for George Bush.

[Ann_Hedonia]

@Locrian

Keep the Bloombergs, Buffets and Romney’s who maintain conservative values, but are mainly financially conservative and give breaks to the corporations.

Huh? Warren Buffet is a lifelong liberal Democrat, a huge Obama supporter and has endorsed Hillary in this election cycle. ( Unless “Buffet” is an affectionate nickname for Chris Christie, then nevermind )

And while Bloomberg might nominally be a fiscal conservative, I don’t think I’d classify him as conservative in any other way … He’s certainly not a social conservative and he’s not a small government guy.

Romney, I’ll give you.

[BrainGlutton]

@Ann_Hedonia

Romney, I’ll give you.

Please!

[kaylasdad99]

@adaher

There’s room for a centrist party, <SNIP>

We HAVE a centrist party (in a manner of speaking). It’s the Democratic Party, such as it is. The problem is, even the Democrats are too far to the right.

What the country needs is to get rid of the Republican Party, so a LEFTIST party has room to grow.

ETA: Because as long as we have two parties sucking up all the oxygen, we DON’T have room for a viable third party.

[adaher]

The Democratic primary is looking pretty far left to me. And as I’ve pointed out, the Blue Dogs have been driven to extinction and now progressives are turning their fire on guys like Chuck Schumer.

If that part of the party is “centrist” then 80% of the country is conservative.

[GloryDays]

Democrats don’t look centrist. They embrace Black Lives Matter and the anti-military type groups.

[Try2B_Comprehensive]

@BrainGlutton

There’s got to be some way we can do better than that!

Philosopher kings.

[penultima_thule]

@kaylasdad99

What the country needs is to get rid of the Republican Party, so a LEFTIST party has room to grow.

No, just no. Were that to occur the political vacuum patently would be filled by a party on the right. Or are you suggesting the DEMs should abandon their demographic and move more to the right?

If wishes were fishes you’d take a party on the centre right up against a party on the centre left … and get them to compete for the centre by having that majority bloc politically engaged to the extent of actually voting.

Because as long as we have two parties sucking up all the oxygen, we DON’T have room for a viable third party.

You are saying that as though it’s a bad thing.

[penultima_thule]

@adaher

The Democratic primary is looking pretty far left to me

You really need to get out more and meet some genuine fire-breathing leftists.
That’s ones further to the left than the GOP is to the right.