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The hushed voice of the moderate Republican
stamfordadvocate.com ^ | 9/24/14 | Carla Wallach

Posted on 09/25/2014 5:33:57 AM PDT by cotton1706

It is depressing being a member of a vanishing breed but that is what I am. Hopefully they're not dead but hibernating like polar bears especially now that midterm elections are coming up. I refer to moderate Republicans, remember them? They've dropped out, disappeared, like senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins, Christine Todd Whitman, Colin Powell, John McCain (in his earlier days and probably still secretly) and others who once brought their sane wisdom to the table. But where is the next generation? Now and then there seems to be a voice in the wilderness like Neel Kashkari in California trying to unseat Gov. Jerry Brown. Democrats aren't doing much better either. They had Bill Clinton who was smart enough to veer toward the center thereby bringing us prosperity. Barack Obama swung it back far left. Will Hillary swing it back to the center?

Let's face it. Moderation in anything is not sexy, least of all in politics. It's not glamorous unless you have a Bill Clinton outsized personality that hypnotizes the opposition. In 1942, the distinguished jurist, Learned Hand, said "This much I do know -- that a society so riven that the spirit of moderation is gone, no court can save, that a society where that spirit flourishes, no court need save." Politics in a democracy is messy because it's all about compromise and achieving it takes time and spirited discourse. This is healthy as long as there is good will and at the end of the day each side has given a little, taken a little and the public benefits. We have read how normal it used to be for Congressional leaders and others of opposite parties to get together for a drink after work.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: california; elections; india; jerrybrown; neelkashkari; timdonnelly
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To: cotton1706
Conservatives haven't changed their positions on the major issues - homosexuality, marriage, fiscal prudence, strong military, representative government, love of our country. We haven't moved right on anything.

Liberals, however, have moved steadily leftward in these positions, taking the so-called Moderates with them.

Moderates don't want Communism, but massive socialism is just fine. Moderates don't openly denigrate our country, but smile quietly when Liberals do. Moderates think half enough military will do. Moderates think some perversion is OK. Moderates think marriage is just a tax deduction. Moderates think more government is not necessarily a bad thing.

Moderates are just lite-Democrats, or what Democrats were 50 years ago.

21 posted on 09/25/2014 7:03:41 AM PDT by Mister Da (The mark of a wise man is not what he knows, but what he knows he doesn't know!)
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To: cotton1706
It is depressing being a member of a vanishing breed but that is what I am.

So she's proud to proclaim on a public forum that she's a moderate Republican?

"Hey, everyone, look at me! I have absolutely NO principles nor guiding tenets! I'm spineless as an octopus and my vote is determined by which way the wind blows! Aren't I wise? Yay for me!"

Pure shameless idiocy, but these people can't be shamed.

22 posted on 09/25/2014 7:47:48 AM PDT by Flycatcher (God speaks to us, through the supernal lightness of birds, in a special type of poetry.)
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To: cotton1706

Great moderates throughout history is a pageless book.


23 posted on 09/25/2014 7:52:51 AM PDT by VRWC For Truth (Roberts has perverted the Constitution)
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To: cotton1706

The moderate Republican office holder is as endangered a species as the moderate Democrat office holder.


24 posted on 09/25/2014 7:54:33 AM PDT by DoodleDawg
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To: cotton1706
A moderate appeals to the middle of the electroate; conservatives are to the far right these days, while the RNC candidates are more what we knew as middle-left these days. The moderates if viewed only within the republican party or conservative right is of itself something right of middle. It is therefore, someone right of middle within the republican/conservative side of the isle of whom you desire to spring forth. I would tell those who've dropped out (like myself) that we should at least vote for the right and without campaign contributions to the RNC membership.

The choices today are Obama/Hillary cloned leftists/communists and those left-of-middle republicans and a few conservatives. Vote for today only and you get the Democrats; vote for the future of a solvent country then go to the right. But if you are looking for those moderate republicans, they will never make it past the heavily financed RNC candidates...!

25 posted on 09/25/2014 12:04:08 PM PDT by Jumper
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To: DoodleDawg

Please. There’s plenty of RINOs. Too damn many. Democrats have largely purged their non-Stalinist members.


26 posted on 09/25/2014 12:54:34 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: cotton1706

McCain “dropped out” ? When did that happen ? That senile ringer is still infesting that Senate seat in Arizona.


27 posted on 09/25/2014 12:56:39 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (Resist We Much)
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To: Jumper
Vote for today only and you get the Democrats; vote for the future of a solvent country then go to the right.
true.
But if you are looking for those moderate republicans, they will never make it past the heavily financed RNC candidates...!
Moderation is a classical virtue. Period. The only question is, if you call something “moderate” is it actually moderate? Generally with the virtues, if you claim it for yourself you prove you don’t have it. IMHO.
As to where the money is in the Republican party, it predominantly goes to the Chamber of commerce, nominally centrist but actually unelectable roadkill candidate.

28 posted on 09/25/2014 3:27:58 PM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion ("Liberalism” is a conspiracy against the public by wire-service journalism.)
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To: cotton1706

What is a moderate? Someone who doesn’t go after the good stuff too much, doesn’t go after the bad stuff too much and is always in the middle....the middle of nowhere.


29 posted on 10/31/2014 8:48:56 PM PDT by cradle of freedom
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