Moderate Republicans

[Simfan34]

I'm upset my name hasn't been mentioned yet. But I worry for the party, I die a little bit every time it moves away from a perfectly reasonable prior position and it contorts itself yet again, charging towards oblivion.

[Simfan34]

I think the party is no longer a party of substance, rather it is just a party of simplistic talking points that have stayed rather static over the years. Cut taxes, strong national defense, small government, family values. These things sound good, but it doesn't promote much substance in terms of policy to accomplish these goals when to win a primary/election, all you need to do is recite those over and over.

I'm also bothered by the strain of anti-intellectualism in the party. It seems that being "folksy" and having "common-sense conservatism" is more valued than having the smartest people possible. Science is looked at with suspicion (global warming and evolution, for example), which I think is a shame for its own sake and the fact it hurts our economic competitiveness by inhibiting innovation and stymying education. I want the smartest, most capable people running our country, like Jon Huntsman, not people like Perry or Palin.

Perhaps one of the worst things is the knee-jerk opposition to Obama's policies, even if it means reversing long held positions, like the individual mandate. Such mindless contortions back the party into a corner, a consequence of the short term thinking endemic in the party today. Yet another example of this are the ongoing attempts to disenfranchise, as opposed to trying to build support amongst, minority groups. This can only spell disaster in the long term.

I also think the party needs to be more tolerant on social issues. It needs to be realistic, humane, and competitiveness-mindedwhen it comes to immigration policy. I think it should take a more realist stance on foreign policy, and move away from needless foreign interventions whilst not being isolationist. And it needs to acknowledge that if we are going to rid the country of this deficit, cutting taxes will not be the only solution.

This is my opinion, at least.

And mine, as well.

[Simfan34]

You all get it. Many of us here are rather right wing, but it's the attitude I take the most issue with as opposed to any particular stance on policy.

[Simfan34]

That NC-SC poster, Duke, is a moderate republican. Dereich and ajc, both from Florida, are moderate  GOPers, too. Redcommander used to be moderate, not anymore. Tory, Clarence and Tmth would be considered moderate republicans in today's GOP, but they're not "moderate". They are sane conservatives.

I feel ignored.

[Simfan34]

There are no moderate Republicans. There all out to repress the people in favour of greedy big business and outdated religious beliefs.

TheReporter, is that you?

[Simfan34]

That NC-SC poster, Duke, is a moderate republican. Dereich and ajc, both from Florida, are moderate  GOPers, too. Redcommander used to be moderate, not anymore. Tory, Clarence and Tmth would be considered moderate republicans in today's GOP, but they're not "moderate". They are sane conservatives.

I feel ignored.

You are a reactionary by your own admission, aren't you?

But most of my positions on major issues would put me in the "moderate" camp of the GOP.

[Simfan34]

That NC-SC poster, Duke, is a moderate republican. Dereich and ajc, both from Florida, are moderate  GOPers, too. Redcommander used to be moderate, not anymore. Tory, Clarence and Tmth would be considered moderate republicans in today's GOP, but they're not "moderate". They are sane conservatives.

I feel ignored.

You are a reactionary by your own admission, aren't you?

But most of my positions on major issues would put me in the "moderate" camp of the GOP.

That says considerably more about the GOP than about you, to be quite honest.

The issues I am truly reactionary on are usually not major issues. Often I can also term myself a "big government conservative", supportive of a strong central government and state in general.

[Simfan34]

That NC-SC poster, Duke, is a moderate republican. Dereich and ajc, both from Florida, are moderate  GOPers, too. Redcommander used to be moderate, not anymore. Tory, Clarence and Tmth would be considered moderate republicans in today's GOP, but they're not "moderate". They are sane conservatives.

I feel ignored.

You are a reactionary by your own admission, aren't you?

But most of my positions on major issues would put me in the "moderate" camp of the GOP.

That says considerably more about the GOP than about you, to be quite honest.

Well no he is from NJ. You have to be a moderate republican in most places in NJ to get elected to office therefore most NJ  Republicans are moderate. Maybe up in Sussex County you can be conservative because it is out there in the boonies. There is nothing going on in Northwest Jersey.

Ehhh... Scott Garrett is held to be a solid conservative, if that's any benchmark.