If there are any remotely rational, empathetic Republicans left...

[All Along The Watchtower]

...please, for the love of all that is good and holy, stand up to the people who have taken over your party.

A Democrat can't convince these people. There's no hope for that...

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

I stand with Cruz, Paul and their allies. They are the rational ones in the party. When will the rational Democrats stand up to the 60's radicals who have taken over your party.

[Ban my account ffs!]

I stand with Cruz, Paul and their allies. They are the rational ones in the party. When will the rational Democrats stand up to the 60's radicals who have taken over your party.

In 1992 with the nomination of future president Bill Clinton.

[All Along The Watchtower]

In what universe was the Democratic Party taken over by "60s radicals"?

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

This one.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

This one.

If the Dems are 60s radicals what the HELL does that make the bats*** insane GOPers then?

[Indy Texas]

This one.

If the Dems are 60s radicals what the HELL does that make the bats*** insane GOPers then?

Probably something like Jay Gould, the late 19th century industrialist who once boasted during a routine union-busting exercise, "I can pay half of the working class to kill the other half."

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

You know, some days its hard to be a republican.

Obama passed Obama care, he did a bunch of stuff, he got reelected, okay, then what? I mean, the guy was reelected. Get over it. DOn;t shut down this government because of something The People voted to KEEP in office. Christ almighty. ing tea party is ruining the party I once held so near and dear to my heart and forcing me to switch sides and become a Democrat.

What will this solve? We aren;t getting RID of Obama care. If we wanted to do that, we would have elected Romney, but we didn't, so here it is. Hang it around our necks and OWN it like a hooker owns her reputation.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

In what universe was the Democratic Party taken over by "60s radicals"?

Not the one where a Goldwater supporter is a near lock to win the next Presidential nomination.

[MyRescueKittehRocks]

In what universe was the Democratic Party taken over by "60s radicals"?

Not the one where a Goldwater supporter is a near lock to win the next Presidential nomination.

She betrayed Goldwater for the Dems.

You know, some days its hard to be a republican.

Obama passed Obama care, he did a bunch of stuff, he got reelected, okay, then what? I mean, the guy was reelected. Get over it. DOn;t shut down this government because of something The People voted to KEEP in office. Christ almighty. ing tea party is ruining the party I once held so near and dear to my heart and forcing me to switch sides and become a Democrat.

What will this solve? We aren;t getting RID of Obama care. If we wanted to do that, we would have elected Romney, but we didn't, so here it is. Hang it around our necks and OWN it like a hooker owns her reputation.

The People don't want it by massive numbers. The Tea Party is not ruining the GOP. Reid and the Dems shut down the government because they don't want to compromise.

[Indy Texas]

In what universe was the Democratic Party taken over by "60s radicals"?

Not the one where a Goldwater supporter is a near lock to win the next Presidential nomination.

She betrayed Goldwater for the Dems.

You know, some days its hard to be a republican.

Obama passed Obama care, he did a bunch of stuff, he got reelected, okay, then what? I mean, the guy was reelected. Get over it. DOn;t shut down this government because of something The People voted to KEEP in office. Christ almighty. ing tea party is ruining the party I once held so near and dear to my heart and forcing me to switch sides and become a Democrat.

What will this solve? We aren;t getting RID of Obama care. If we wanted to do that, we would have elected Romney, but we didn't, so here it is. Hang it around our necks and OWN it like a hooker owns her reputation.

The People don't want it by massive numbers. The Tea Party is not ruining the GOP. Reid and the Dems shut down the government because they don't want to compromise.

It was Burke who said a elected officials owe their constituents not just their industry but their judgment, and that that judgment was not to be sacrificed to public opinion.

If "The People" didn't want Obamacare, why did they reelect its namesake? Why did more Americans vote for a Democratic House candidate than for a Republican one? If "The People" don't want Obamacare, I'm sure they will vote in a Republican president and a Republican majority in the Senate in 2016 and then Obamacare can be killed in one fell swoop. And if that is the case and Democrats threaten to shut down the government to stop that, I would say they were being just as crazy.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

In what universe was the Democratic Party taken over by "60s radicals"?

Not the one where a Goldwater supporter is a near lock to win the next Presidential nomination.

She betrayed Goldwater for the Dems.

Yeah, she became a hardcore liberal who was union busting on the Walmart Board of Directors, and was married to a President who loved deregulating, and she didn't regret her vote for the Iraq war.

[DC Al Fine]

Well this thread is edifying.

[Ban my account ffs!]

Well this thread is edifying.

Well, speaking as a liberal disgusted with the GOP, this is kind of to be expected.  People are angry and pretty polarized at the moment.

Personally, those Republicans that have made the gesture of changing their avatar in protest to the shenanigans that have taken place recently with the shutdown definitely is appreciated, for what that's worth. 

[bullmoose88]

Ahem. Hi, how are you.

[ElectionsGuy]

This is seriously what were discussing?

Well of course there's rational republicans out there, juts like there are rational democrats. But, I don't know how you guys view the words "rational or empathetic" so maybe not in lefty views.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

In what universe was the Democratic Party taken over by "60s radicals"?

Not the one where a Goldwater supporter is a near lock to win the next Presidential nomination.

She betrayed Goldwater for the Dems.

You know, some days its hard to be a republican.

Obama passed Obama care, he did a bunch of stuff, he got reelected, okay, then what? I mean, the guy was reelected. Get over it. DOn;t shut down this government because of something The People voted to KEEP in office. Christ almighty. ing tea party is ruining the party I once held so near and dear to my heart and forcing me to switch sides and become a Democrat.

What will this solve? We aren;t getting RID of Obama care. If we wanted to do that, we would have elected Romney, but we didn't, so here it is. Hang it around our necks and OWN it like a hooker owns her reputation.

The People don't want it by massive numbers. The Tea Party is not ruining the GOP. Reid and the Dems shut down the government because they don't want to compromise.

It was Burke who said a elected officials owe their constituents not just their industry but their judgment, and that that judgment was not to be sacrificed to public opinion.

If "The People" didn't want Obamacare, why did they reelect its namesake? Why did more Americans vote for a Democratic House candidate than for a Republican one? If "The People" don't want Obamacare, I'm sure they will vote in a Republican president and a Republican majority in the Senate in 2016 and then Obamacare can be killed in one fell swoop. And if that is the case and Democrats threaten to shut down the government to stop that, I would say they were being just as crazy.

People vote on more than just a single issue, especially in Presidential elections.
How do you explain 2010?

[Sopranos Republican]

Ahem. Hi, how are you.

[opebo]

...Hang it around our necks and OWN it like a hooker owns her reputation.

Funnily enough I just watched a movie last night about a greek boy who takes up with a prostitute and almost marries her, but his prudish father and the misogynistic community ends up wrecking things:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Go_Naked_in_the_World

[Badger]

Ahem. Hi, how are you.

[TJ in Oregon]

...please, for the love of all that is good and holy, stand up to the people who have taken over your party.

A Democrat can't convince these people. There's no hope for that...

I've been trying to convince the Tea Party types for years that these types of stunts won't work and that we'd be better off by actually trying to pragmatically solve problems instead of creating them. Sometimes those conversations are fruitful if only for a day. (Of course the forum Democrats likely consider me neither a rational nor empathetic Republican but whatever...).

But the problem I face is that there is no constituency for pragmatic conservatism in the Republican Party these days. It's fragmented into people who are either in the Cruz crowd or folks who want two liberal parties instead of one. The "moderate" crowd more or less wants to sell out every position, particularly on social issues, adding yet more reason for the Tea Party types not to trust them. There's hardly anyone in government right now I can point to as an example of who we should be supporting. For good measure, we can throw in the Paulites as a third group, though I can't imagine how they help to conversation any.

There is something of a cultural fissure at play here I am on the wrong side of that also come into play here. There is something in American Evangelical culture that likes showy, big-splash sorts of play that Cruz can really appeal to. The problem is that what must be sold is far less glamorous, that we're in for taking some lumps for years to come before anything can get better, but that doesn't mean we can just blindly throw a fit and refuse to act for the good of our country and government. America deserves a better conservative movement than the one its getting.

[bullmoose88]

Ahem. Hi, how are you.

Since when? I thought your avatar change was ironic...?

[Rooney]

Ahem. Hi, how are you.

I am quite sure now that the Republican Party will change as this group of powerful, influential men are uniting in shaming it. The shutdown is as good as over.

[Sbane]

Ahem. Hi, how are you.

Why are you a Republican?

[hopper]

You know, some days its hard to be a republican.

Obama passed Obama care, he did a bunch of stuff, he got reelected, okay, then what? I mean, the guy was reelected. Get over it. DOn;t shut down this government because of something The People voted to KEEP in office. Christ almighty. ing tea party is ruining the party I once held so near and dear to my heart and forcing me to switch sides and become a Democrat.

What will this solve? We aren;t getting RID of Obama care. If we wanted to do that, we would have elected Romney, but we didn't, so here it is. Hang it around our necks and OWN it like a hooker owns her reputation.

Well no people want ObamaCare reworked and to make changes to the bill wether it is eliminating some things or putting some new things in. They don't want ObamaCare totally repealed unless you are a Tea Party person for the most part. People are working less hours because of ObamaCare. I mean a 29 hour work week is not enough for people. They are changes that have to be made to the bill.