What do you think that the other side does well?
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  What do you think that the other side does well?
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Author Topic: What do you think that the other side does well?  (Read 2183 times)
TNF
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« on: March 19, 2015, 10:08:37 AM »

Exactly as it says. Liberals, what do you think that conservatives do well that you could learn from? Conservatives, what do you think that liberals do well that you could learn from? Commies and libertarians, what do you think each other do well and what do you think conservatives and liberals do well that you could learn from?
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They put it to a vote and they just kept lying
20RP12
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« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2015, 10:13:15 AM »

Libertarians are typically pretty intelligent people, they just don't have the right idea imo. I'd much rather have an educated debate with a Libertarian that leaves me thinking "that person made some decent points" than agree with a Communist/Socialist who just recycles talking points.

inb4 "that's exactly what you do, droid"
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ingemann
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« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2015, 10:42:12 AM »

Their populism.
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VPH
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« Reply #3 on: March 19, 2015, 11:47:15 AM »

They sure do know how to excite and rally their base, hence why they dominated the midterms. Much better than we are often able to do.
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Snowstalker Mk. II
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« Reply #4 on: March 19, 2015, 11:47:51 AM »

I mean they control the means of production, which is a pretty big trump card
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Atlas Has Shrugged
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« Reply #5 on: March 19, 2015, 11:50:09 AM »

I enjoy the commitment of our true leftists.
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H. Ross Peron
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« Reply #6 on: March 19, 2015, 11:52:57 AM »

Avoiding simplistic economic reductionism-ie attributing all problems associated with crime or Islamist terrorism. Ideas do matter as well as material conditions.

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Antonio the Sixth
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« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2015, 12:22:02 PM »

In terms of political strategy, the Democrats have everything to learn from 1980-2006 Republicans (today less so, because their radicalism is starting to come back to bite them).
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TDAS04
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« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2015, 12:37:41 PM »

The right is better than the left at using simple, direct language in getting their point across.  Using phrases like "death panels" during the health care debate may seem stupid, but it worked in scaring a lot of people about Obamacare.  The left, on the other hand, did not do a good job at simplifying the argument in favor of the health care law. 
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Sumner 1868
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« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2015, 12:47:12 PM »

Neoconservatives are good at striking needless fear.
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NerdyBohemian
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« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2015, 01:39:37 PM »

Getting people to vote in mid-terms and being able to create the terms used in debate which gives them the upper hand, IE "pro-life" instead of anti-choice or "right to work" instead of poverty wage.
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Mr. Smith
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« Reply #11 on: March 19, 2015, 02:07:33 PM »

Getting people to vote in mid-terms and being able to create the terms used in debate which gives them the upper hand, IE "pro-life" instead of anti-choice or "right to work" instead of poverty wage.

This, but also less likely to call you an idiot for dissent...it's at a trade for being considered morally wrong, but still.

Libertarians tend to be best at the case by case analysis of problems.

Dawkins-esque Atheists tend to be best at focusing on the present, with what's right in front of you.
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IceSpear
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« Reply #12 on: March 19, 2015, 02:17:56 PM »

Getting people to vote against their own interests. Making their voters committed and reliable. Ability to obfuscate how far right they've moved and continue to pose merely as a "center-right party" (though that's more to the media's credit by refusing to call out the extremism and their love of false equivalencies.)
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Maxwell
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« Reply #13 on: March 19, 2015, 02:25:43 PM »

I think commies have had a lot more success in terms of getting their ideas in place.

As for liberals, I think they've been given the racial politics deck and have managed to flip it on the conservatives  rather successfully, at least in Presidential elections.
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Rockefeller GOP
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« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2015, 02:37:00 PM »

True leftists are, by and large, extremely passionate and well-researched.  I think they're wrong, and I have a totally different view on the economic world than they do, but I'd never call them stupid or challenge that they don't understand my point of view.

Democrats, at least post-2004, do a much better job at portraying the GOP as *undesirable attribute*, effectively ruining its image.  To unions and the poor, the GOP is described as a greedy third arm of Wall Street that hates poor, hard working Americans.  To minorities, the GOP is portrayed as an all-White party of pitchfork-wielding xenophobes who are more or less the descendants of the Dixiecrats.  To urban professionals and Millennials, they portray the GOP as a backward, rural and racist party full of dumb hicks who have unenlightened views.  They have several groups who are loyal enough to them, for one reason or another, that they can not only get away with this, but trade it in for huge electoral success (even with changing demographics, if the GOP weren't viewed as a party full of religious fundies from the South, it would have picked up enough Northern suburbs voters to win in 2012).
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ingemann
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« Reply #15 on: March 19, 2015, 02:50:36 PM »

True leftists are, by and large, extremely passionate and well-researched.  I think they're wrong, and I have a totally different view on the economic world than they do, but I'd never call them stupid or challenge that they don't understand my point of view.

Democrats, at least post-2004, do a much better job at portraying the GOP as *undesirable attribute*, effectively ruining its image.  To unions and the poor, the GOP is described as a greedy third arm of Wall Street that hates poor, hard working Americans.  To minorities, the GOP is portrayed as an all-White party of pitchfork-wielding xenophobes who are more or less the descendants of the Dixiecrats.  To urban professionals and Millennials, they portray the GOP as a backward, rural and racist party full of dumb hicks who have unenlightened views.  They have several groups who are loyal enough to them, for one reason or another, that they can not only get away with this, but trade it in for huge electoral success (even with changing demographics, if the GOP weren't viewed as a party full of religious fundies from the South, it would have picked up enough Northern suburbs voters to win in 2012).

I hate to not give the Democrats the credit for this, but honestly I think decades of Republican politicians and wedge issues have given GOP that reputation. Yes the Democrats have played on it, but they have not created the image.
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Warren 4 Secretary of Everything
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« Reply #16 on: March 19, 2015, 04:14:53 PM »

Lying to get what the want.
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Miles
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« Reply #17 on: March 19, 2015, 11:56:33 PM »

Passing voting restrictions. (though not something I want my side to replicate)
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KingSweden
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« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2015, 08:47:06 AM »

What Democrats do well:

- building a big, welcoming political tent
- Painting the Republican Party as a party full of rich, selfish white people (even though this is stupid and simplistic)
- frame every debate as black-and-white issue so that if you don't agree with them you're evil
- not dividing the country; good long-term economic investments and fiscal policy
- talking down to poor people about how the Democrats know what's best for them (this is very true for Atlas' young, sheltered white posters with rich parents)
- taking big political hits for long-term gain in legislation and policy
- capitalizing on identity politics without creating resentment
- sense of being "my brothers keeper" politically
- focusing on long-term goals and the progress of society
- knowing when to compromise


What Republicans do well:

- maintaining base discipline on turnout
- defining the narrative first (as others have posted)
- generating perpetual outrage
- admirable history up to the 1980s,
- general economic policy
- reinventing itself
- capitalizing on the collective short-term memory of the electorate
- individual politicans maintaintheir backbones even when faced with adversity
- being effective in governance (moreso on the state-level)
- revving America's economic engine (though the reliance on re-inflating bubbles has become a drag)
- individualism and trusting individuals to make the best decisions for them
- focusing on what people care about most: maintaining their standard of living

Pretty much this, on every point.
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TNF
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« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2015, 08:52:12 AM »

I mean they control the means of production, which is a pretty big trump card

Indeed.

As for the Republican Party, I'd say they're a model of political organization to be emulated by the left. I wish we had a left-wing version of Ronald Reagan or George W. Bush somewhere.

The Democrats are brilliant in being able to convince the majority of workers in this country that they're on their side in spite of being bankrolled by Goldman Sachs and Google.

Libertarians have written a lot of really good stuff. Reason is one of my go-to magazines, even though I disagree with it on anything not directly related to civil libertarianism.

The far-right has likewise a few utterly brilliant polemicists. Radix is one of the better far-right journals, and even though everything they write is hateful bile, its incredibly well-written and I'm jealous at how articulate they are and the degree to which the far-right has been able to assemble itself as a viable alternative to the political mainstream in spite of it being in the political wilderness for close to 80 years. The far-right also handles sectarianism better than does the far-left, and seems to march under a single banner even when they do have significant disagreements. Communists could learn a lot from them.
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CrabCake
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« Reply #20 on: March 20, 2015, 11:43:05 AM »

Tories are great at ...

No I can't do this, I'm sorry
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Blue3
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« Reply #21 on: March 20, 2015, 02:17:14 PM »

GOP: messaging & persistence
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politicus
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« Reply #22 on: March 20, 2015, 02:34:31 PM »

Tories are great at ...

No I can't do this, I'm sorry

Foxhunting and getting the public to pay for their moats?
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Mr. Illini
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« Reply #23 on: March 20, 2015, 11:52:15 PM »

Neoconservatives are good at striking needless fear.
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stegosaurus
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« Reply #24 on: March 21, 2015, 08:27:26 AM »

The Tea Party:
- great at getting voters to emotionally invest in issues that they have no understanding of, usually accomplishing this without thoroughly explaining the problem or developing practical solutions. Ex: "the budget deficit needs to be reduced immediately because...uhhhh....well....I can't run a deficit when I do my bills in the kitchen!"
- insanely organized, even if not organically

The Far-Left:
-generally well read and intelligent, i would love it if the average right wing voter was as well informed as some of the radicals.
-i admire their passion, I have yet to meet a single of them who wasn't willing to take their cause to the streets if need be

Democratic Party:
-democrats don't routinely say idiotic things that lose elections and turnoff general election voters. Overall, they pick better candidates (in terms of picking someone you would want to represent your ideas to the public).
-Howard Dean wrote the book on how to run a national committee during his tenure at the DNC, Reince Priebus (and DWS for that matter) should have taken notes.
-identity politics. This shouldn't need explained, no one plays "cards" like the modern Democratic Party.

Libertarians:
-libertarians have a clearly defined worldview that they are unwilling to compromise for any reason; their commitment to principles is admirable to a degree.

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