tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9387707.post2321320966077848888..comments2024-01-05T13:36:55.379-06:00Comments on Two-Edged Sword: The Myth of InclusivityLeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10422257306176024118noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9387707.post-85525212738483122972009-03-19T13:22:00.000-05:002009-03-19T13:22:00.000-05:00Lee,I hear you, and I think there is some merit in...Lee,<BR/><BR/>I hear you, and I think there is some merit in your position. However, I do not see how a national election can be won without coalitions. This is why I am not a member of the Constitution Party. I like their platform, but I am not convinced that an explicitly Christian party is viable. It is idealistic, but not practical. In my philosophy, I am a Libertarian, although the LP's official stance on abortion and gay marriage, especially the former, cause me to refrain from becoming a member. Remember, the "government is the problem" mantra was libertarian at its heart. With the exception of abortion, most of the issues in the 80s were economic. Times have changed.<BR/><BR/>But, let's face it, the RNC is neither conservative nor libertarian. Since I do not see this changing anytime in the future, I think both factions will remain disenfranchised for years to come, as we have been for decades. This was quite evident with the complete disrespect that Ron Paul received during the primary. Everyone thought his ideas were completely insane, although they were simply classical, American conservativism.<BR/><BR/>Peace to you,<BR/><BR/>Andy+Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12233583924725509691noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9387707.post-71668202234687545912009-03-17T17:04:00.000-05:002009-03-17T17:04:00.000-05:00Andy,I disagree about the RNC. I think the coalit...Andy,<BR/><BR/>I disagree about the RNC. I think the coalition built by Reagan is overhyped and given too much credit. Reagan taught people that government was the problem. The big deal made about Reagan Democrats is just an attempt to make Democrats responsible for electing Reagan. I mean he won 49 states, it was not the Reagan Democrats that put him over the top. <BR/>All of the stuff he did to include others in the Republican Party ended up back firing on him.Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10422257306176024118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9387707.post-50496928030004697102009-03-08T18:35:00.000-05:002009-03-08T18:35:00.000-05:00Lee,I agree regarding the church. There is a diff...Lee,<BR/><BR/>I agree regarding the church. There is a difference with the RNC in that they have to build coalitions in order to win elections. I think the flaw in the current philosophy is not that building coalitions is good but the way in which they are built. The RNC cannot play the liberal, patronizing racist/sexist and lump groups together according to skin color, gender, or even handicaps and stature:). There is already a party which does that. The RNC must do what Reagan did--build coalitions on the basis of political ideals. Most have given up on the idea that social conservatives, libertarians, and fiscal conservatives together can garner a majority vote. I am not sure this is true. The problem is, I think, the fact that these groups have no confidence in the RNC. The more pandering the party does, the less confidence it will earn. It also does not help that most libertarians and FCs are given Huckabee and some others as the faces of social conservativism. The philosophy that will unite these factions is and always has been "Life, Liberty, and the Free Pursuit of Happiness."<BR/><BR/>Having said that, I think we can bend an ear to certain economic classes that we have hitherto ignored. The poor, inner city resident has a point when he complains that his streets are not policed like the streets of the suburb. If a gang operated a meth ring on my street, they would be arrested within a couple of days. Not so in the inner city. He has a point when he says that poor men are more likely to be convicted when tried than middle class or rich men. Our public defense system is, obviously, lacking. The prison system we currently have is an absolute abomination, bringing terror and havoc to the streets of our cities. Even with healthcare, which is not always available to the poor among us, there are solutions we can certainly offer short of nationalization. I am not saying we should pander. I am just saying that we have been turning a deaf ear to many such complaints. Of course, some of the solutions we have offered, such as school vouchers to give poor parents educational choices, are not very popular. This simply means we need to make our case and not be intimidated by all of the ranting and raving from the left and from the media.<BR/><BR/>Peace to you,<BR/><BR/>AndyUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12233583924725509691noreply@blogger.com