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Two parties, one mentality
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Thursday, July 29, 2004 | George F. Will

Posted on 07/29/2004 10:16:29 AM PDT by Willie Green

When John Kerry speaks tonight, he may promise, again, to cut corporate taxes and increase the size of the military by 40,000 persons. Both ideas are sensible -- and tactical. They are supposed to blunt Republican charges that he stands on one side of a vast ideological chasm separating the parties. Democrats make similar, and similarly silly, charges about this election as the hinge on which American and world history will turn.

What is strange about politics today is not just that it is so passionate -- particularly on the part of Democrats unhinged by their loathing of George W. Bush -- but that the passions seem displaced. They are not merely disproportionate to the parties' policy differences, they seem almost unrelated to those differences.

(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; Philosophy; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: dnconvention; georgefwill; kerry; republicrats
Without a Ross Perot or PJB in the running,
there'll be no substantive debate on issues confronting our nation.
1 posted on 07/29/2004 10:16:29 AM PDT by Willie Green
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To: Willie Green
Without a Ross Perot or PJB in the running,

Yea, that's the ticket. We need another Ross Perot. -Another populist no nothing.

2 posted on 07/29/2004 10:21:18 AM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: Willie Green
What is strange about politics today is not just that it is so passionate -- particularly on the part of Democrats unhinged by their loathing of George W. Bush -- but that the passions seem displaced. They are not merely disproportionate to the parties' policy differences, they seem almost unrelated to those differences.

T.V. control........ever see the 'Jerry Springer'.....show/noise?

/sarcasm

(In place of Munich is JS activism?)

3 posted on 07/29/2004 10:24:04 AM PDT by maestro
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To: Graybeard58
-Another populist no nothing.

"no" nothing???

That'd be Dubya, wouldn't it?
He hasn't bothered to use his veto even once.
Simply rubber stamps approval of anything Congress sends him.

4 posted on 07/29/2004 10:26:28 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: Willie Green
Democrat: "I support a 5.2% increase in education spending."

Republican: "I support a 5.1% increase in education spending."

Democrat: "You're a Nazi!"
5 posted on 07/29/2004 10:30:16 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Willie Green

I made a grammitical error. Is that the issue?


6 posted on 07/29/2004 10:30:38 AM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: Willie Green
Democrat president: "I propose sending American troops to Kosovo, without seeking U.N. approval, to fight a country that poses no security threat to the U.S.A."

Democrat voter: "Bravo! Our first humanitarian war!"

Republican president: "I propose sending American troops into Iraq to displace a brutal dictator who has twice attacked neighboring countries, who has not accounted for stocks of WMD's, who has flouted numerous U.N. resolutions, who has abused the oil-for-food program, has slaughtered thousands of his own citizens, and repeatedly threatened the U.S. and its allies. I will seek U.N. approval, but the ultimate decision will be ours."

Democratic voter: "Nazi! Liar!"
7 posted on 07/29/2004 10:39:29 AM PDT by Steve_Seattle
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To: Willie Green
Without a Ross Perot or PJB in the running, there'll be no substantive debate on issues confronting our nation.

Walt Brown and Mary Alice Herbert are running on the Socialist Party ticket. Perhaps you can discuss the benefits of a light rail system with them.

8 posted on 07/29/2004 10:42:49 AM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: Willie Green
"Without a Ross Perot or PJB in the running, there'll be no substantive debate on issues confronting our nation. "

Righto. There was about zilch difference between Clinton and Dole then Bush and Gore on foreign policy and job exporting. Foreign policy was off the table during the 2000 debates. Bush and Gore talked about spending the government surplus for as far as their eye could see.

Foreign policy discussion could have prevented 9/11. As Gov Kean pointed out only one question was asked about terrorism. It is timely again to prevent WW III/IV.

America has to discuss why our military is the world's Robo Cop, duped into war with faulty intelligence.

9 posted on 07/29/2004 11:15:26 AM PDT by ex-snook ("BUT ABOVE ALL THINGS, TRUTH BEARETH AWAY THE VICTORY")
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To: Graybeard58
I made a grammitical error. Is that the issue?

No, I was able to salvage it and get you back on topic.

10 posted on 07/29/2004 11:25:11 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: Willie Green
No, I was able to salvage it and get you back on topic.

Like you would know a topic other than "Bash Bush"

11 posted on 07/29/2004 11:29:01 AM PDT by Graybeard58
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To: Willie Green
Business 2.0 has a nice article by Mort Myerson about the Perot companies-EDS and later Perot- and how he was called in by Perot to clean up the second one. MM said, "We did it all wrong and we treated our employees badly."

It took Mort a year to clean out the Ross Perot culture And turn around a failing company. Ross is a mean person who was happy when employees said about a person who made a mistake- "Shot the *&^%$* and drag their body around the parking lot as an example to our employees." Yes Ross is a great example.

12 posted on 07/29/2004 11:46:26 AM PDT by q_an_a
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To: Graybeard58
Like you would know a topic other than "Bash Bush"

Unlike your commentary, my original criticism was directed at BOTH Rebuplicrat candidates.

13 posted on 07/29/2004 11:50:51 AM PDT by Willie Green (Go Pat Go!!!)
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To: Willie Green

This is a very perceptive article by George Will. I would have to disagree with half of his premise, though. While it is certainly true that liberals (actually leftists) control the Democrats and have purged all genuinely centrist and conservative elements (like the "Scoop" Jackson wing of 25 years ago), the Republicans have plenty of liberals in their ranks. The main reason the 'revolution of 1994' - was destroyed has to do with the quislings who side with the Dems all the time. The liberals have been in control the Republican party since the inglorious one-term reign of the ultimate empty suit, George Herbert Walker Bush.

Both parties now serve the agenda of a powerful ruling elite. Any real differences between the two are merely reflective of differences between factions of the elite (Kerry / Soros-Hollywood vs. Bush / Halliburton). The leadership of both parties are profoundly globalist and work to undermine the constitution and US sovereignty. The only saving grace for the Republicans are the fact that there is still a conservative element in the party. Disorganized and marginalized as it is, the conservative wing still shows some real strength from time to time, as it did in 1994. A Reaganesque leader with a real vision is what is needed.


14 posted on 07/29/2004 12:00:52 PM PDT by Bogolyubski
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To: Bogolyubski

Three little words: Supreme Court appointments.


15 posted on 07/29/2004 12:47:19 PM PDT by rightazrain ("John, go to your room!" Tear-A-sa screeched.)
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To: Bogolyubski
"Both parties now serve the agenda of a powerful ruling elite."

Right you are, sir. I think the Republican party at the local level is still fairly conservative, only largely ignorant of some very critical facts. Problem is; we rarely get conservative canditates and issues past the county level.

The constant reinforcement of "only two parties exist" mentality has virtually assured us that any third party candidate will not receive popular support.

So we find ourselves working within the Republican Party at the local level, trying our damnedest to promote conservative ideals and candidates to people who are getting their "news and information" from the managed media.

While your idea of "A Reaganesque leader with a real vision is what is needed." might work to energize conservative citizens, it doesn't solve the problem long-term. What we really need to do, is succeed in educating our fellow citizens of the facts. An arduous task, to be sure, but a very important one.

16 posted on 07/30/2004 7:01:06 AM PDT by Designer (Sysiphus Sr. to Junior; "It was uphill, all the way, both ways!")
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