[Kevin Curry]

This just in: the Marquis de Sade, long believed dead, emerged from the basement of Anton LaVey's home in San Franciso yesterday and filed for governor on the Republican ticket. When asked by a reporter whether the Marquis' more notorious and peculiar pecadilloes might make it difficult for some Republicans to vote for him, one angry FReeper replied, "Who cares? He knows how to pinch a penney and will whip the state budget into shape--you just watch! Fundamental morality has no place in modern politics unless your name is Bill Clinton. Pro-gay? Pro-abortion? Anti-gun rights? No problem."

[Howlin]

Try not to be so intense.

[Wolfstar]

I don't agree with you, Kevin. Morality has a crucial place in modern politics. But it is also highly moral to acknowledge that we are all sinners, and to not point fingers at the other guy, but to work together to achieve good things. Aren't we told that God helps those who help themselves?

In order to affect political change, one needs a seat at the table of political power. Politics is about building winning coalitions and achieving what is possible at a given point in time. If those who were opposed to abortion, or illegal immigration, or gun control (or any of the core issues that matter to Conservatives) were able to form a coalition of activists who turned out huge demonstrations all across the country week after week, the political class would sit up, take notice, and start writing legislation accordingly. If we were able to form large, effective, cohesive voting blocs, we could achieve much greater success in elections. But you never see that kind of dedicated activism in huge numbers on issues of importance to the Right. In fact, the opposite is true — we are more likely on the Right to splinter into narrow factions than is the case with the Left. We have no one to blame for that but ourselves.

[Sabertooth]

This just in: the Marquis de Sade, long believed dead, emerged from the basement of Anton LaVey's home in San Franciso yesterday and filed for governor on the Republican ticket. When asked by a reporter whether the Marquis' more notorious and peculiar pecadilloes might make it difficult for some Republicans to vote for him, one angry FReeper replied, "Who cares? He knows how to pinch a penney and will whip the state budget into shape--you just watch! Fundamental morality has no place in modern politics unless your name is Bill Clinton. Pro-gay? Pro-abortion? Anti-gun rights? No problem."

You left out "Anything, as long as it helps President Bush in 2004!"

[AAABEST]

Actually, now that I think about it, we agree on quite a bit. No "gay" rights, the second amendment. I believe you came out against certain parts of the Patriot Act (to the astonishment of many).

I could probably go on.