I am a conservative - Long (Double secret vanity)

Rice08

[LIConFem]

"1.5 million or so abortions each year over the past 32 years? Nope, no holocaust there. (/sarc)

Wow, we've gained more than half a million since post #23!!

Such are statistics...

[rice08]

Unfortunatly I think this is an idiolized view of the past, politics hasn't been free of money since I would guess the civil war, long before the advent of the modern big media.

It's a big country and there are more people than ever to reach and like it or not money is speech, the NRA isn't going to get it's message out with 5 people going out door to door.

[VadeRetro]

Democrats have lost their way from the days of Truman

... the days of McGovern in particular being a quantum leap astray from which they have never returned.

[sageb1]

"I am probably more opposed to the war on drugs than you are. Still, not something that gets me too riled up."

Over 90% (closer to 95%, I think) of all the heroin that enters the U.S. comes from Afghanistan. Where do you think the money goes?

[MineralMan]

"Over 90% (closer to 95%, I think) of all the heroin that enters the U.S. comes from Afghanistan. Where do you think the money goes?"

A more pertinent question is: Is not the US in Afghanistan with troops? Why are there still opium poppy fields growing there?

[River_Wrangler]

An interesting and thought provoking post. I think most of the people I know are composites rather than monolithic in their thought process and convictions. I know you will have lots of flame from the former so I will just slide a little of the path and question a common stated belief:

John McCain is a hero to this country but for McCain-Finegold alone deserves great scorn (not to mention his other RINO tendencies)

Why is someone a "HERO"because they lost a valuable aircraft and spent time in a NVA prison. I feel sorry for him and think he should have some sort of compensation for his pain and loss but what did he do to capture the title Hero. That term should be reserved for someone who went beyond the call of duty to consciously perform an act that placed him in personal danger for the benefit of others. Serving your country deserves great praise but in itself does not rise to the level of heroic action. Being captured is an act by others as is being shot down. Pulling a child from a burning building (or entering a burning Twin Tower) is a personal act that requires a true Hero. Going along for the ride does not.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

A quick check (CDC)shows that 1.5 or more was a pretty consistant number through the 1980's and 1990's, with slightly under a million per year in the 1970's and in the years since 1997.

But as Stalin (who knew something about holocausts) supposedly said, "The death of one man is a tragedy; the deaths of thousands, a statistic."

[meandog]

Unfortunatly I think this is an idiolized view of the past, politics hasn't been free of money since I would guess the civil war, long before the advent of the modern big media.

...in fact, it was President Grant who coined the phrase "lobbyist" for the office-seekers who gathered in Washington's Willard Hotel lobby to try to meet him. But they didn't have 100 television channels, internet, talk raido, or national newspapers to buy advertising space in; do some research on campaign costs in relation to money value--you find a fairly even line chart from 1877 to 1960; then whopping spikes in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.

[Durus]

I agree with some of your points and disagree with others.

Always lukewarm on “free trade” because you can call something free trade and it can be something else entirely (see “De-Regulation”)
This is a great point and one of the things that most bothers me about leftists. They change the meaning of words by fiat and then use the changed meaning to argue against. Very few of our trade agreements are actuals "fair trade".

Education is a silver bullet for many of society’s problems ; that includes generous vouchers for all takers from any background (From home schooling to the church of frank) I don’t care
Seeing in how you believe in the Constitution how about we get government out of all schools.

Freedom of religion is not freedom FROM religion and our great history of religious tolerance proves it
No idea what you mean.

The UN and the EU have become corrupt and should be marginalized as institutions
We can't marginalize the EU but we can destroy the UN simply by removing ourselves.

Impeachment of Billary was a vindictive and political act but he was and is a dirtbag.
Sorry I think you fell for the liberal mantra here. It was the legal and moral thing to do.

John McCain is a hero to this country but for McCain-Finegold alone deserves great scorn (not to mention his other RINO tendencies)
Hero huh...maybe he once was but every heroic action he has taken has been besmirched by his glory seeking lack of principled drive to power. Not to mention he could actually be a "Manchurian candidate".

Invest in every kind of alternative fuel possible (that includes government investment as well)
How do you rationalize the spending of tax dollars on research seeing how you are a believer in the constitution.

The war on terror is the most important issue of our time
Restoration of constitutional limits is more important then the war or terror or we will fall without a whimper.

Free peoples and free markets work better than any other form of human civilization, government must exist to protect the rights of the individual first and foremost against the sometimes evil nature of individuals
Well put!

I think corporations should be good US citizens not members of some undefined and unequal global community (see free trade)
Corporations can't be citizens as they are simply a taxable entity. Corporations wouldn't be fleeing our country if we had taxation and regulation in control.

Wal-Mart is not evil except for their enabling of the PRC
Wall-Mart supports the PRC which in turn uses slave labor in the form of political prisons to churn out cheap goods. There are few things more evil.

[papertyger]

I view pro choice as this: the act of abortion is a horrible and painful act that I don't wish any person or any family to have to deal with. However ... all those caveats won't prevent me from throwing another under the bus if doing so is to my advantage.

[Durus]

Campaign finance reform is actually an easy issue to solve. The only people that should be able to contribute to a candidate is a individual that can vote for the candidate. If they can vote for the candidate then they can give as much money as they like. See how simple it is?

It doesn't limit anyones "political speech" and gets union, corporate, and special interest all out of politics.

[papertyger]

currently, the electorate is voting for the candidate who can raise the most money through special interests or who is independently wealthy.

Besides being untrue, this is a non-issue. "Why" people vote as they do is no one else's business so long as that vote is not coerced.

[IndyInVa]

I agree with you. I'd tend to roll both of your points into my #1. But they are definitely worth explicit mention.

[papertyger]

I think I was clear in saying we can agree to disagree on the matter of abortion and gay marriage and discuss if it is possible to make this a non DOA issue for candidates and judges

What's "clear" is you want to negotiate price when you've already been told "firm."

Conservatives have learned we don't have to sell to the first buyer.

[papertyger]

All the other things you desire from a political party can be easily obtained through a complete disregard of morals.

These are the people liberals show pictures of when they want to badmouth us.

[papertyger]

... is it always going to be enough just to get the pro-life/"values" voters out and that's that?

No, just get in line and wait your turn. But be aware we've been waiting for our turn for thirty years.

[#1CTYankee]

"When you look out your window, do you see this revolving?"

Ha!

[papertyger]

Wouldn't you rather see a fairer fight where the best (not the best-financed) candidate won?

Has it never occurred to you the best financed candidate win because they're more popular and draw more support?

You might as well claim wind is caused by leaves wiggling on the trees.

[meandog]

Campaign finance reform is actually an easy issue to solve. The only people that should be able to contribute to a candidate is a individual that can vote for the candidate. If they can vote for the candidate then they can give as much money as they like. See how simple it is?

I have no problem with individual contributions...but I do have a problem with "how much". Just as 2nd Amendment allows the ownership of firearms, it does not cover ownership of WMDs; just as 1st Amendment allows free speech, it doesn't allow the false alarm yell of 'fire' in a crowded theater, or the assembly of persons blocking the free movement of others, etc. I believe that contribution should be capped to a reasonable amount ($2,500)