Comments on: Guest Voice: The Enthusiasm Gap http://themoderatevoice.com/17799/guest-voice-the-enthusiasm-gap/ An Internet hub for moderates, centrists, and independents, with domestic and international news, analysis, original reporting, and popular features from the left, center, and right Sun, 22 Nov 2009 16:01:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: DLS http://themoderatevoice.com/17799/guest-voice-the-enthusiasm-gap/comment-page-1/#comment-134504 DLS Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:45:38 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/democratic-party/17799/guest-voice-the-enthusiasm-gap/#comment-134504 I've had to field and defuse various emotional arguments from lefties on here (including dishonest accusations of emotionalism by me, ironically), and I have to note that hatred of Bush is 99% triumph of emotion (hatred) over reason, and the same thing, emotion, explains well over 50% (could be 70-80%+) of support for Obama. (Not only pro-Obama, but anti-Establishment. Many are sick of the status quo. Hopefully that doesn't lead to the delusion that what's needed is more, not less, activism and interventionism by Washington. The sane want less, not more.)<br><br>The lack of enthusiasm for the GOP this year is indeed understandable. The field was weak. Superdestroyer has it right. It continues to be Business As Usual in Washington. Neo-conservaties (older, broader definition) and 1994 so-called "revolutionaries" corrupted by power and money in DC find things just fine the way they are. They're happy too often to behave just like the Dems when it comes to money and power, as well as behave frequently as Dems Lite when it comes to politics.<br><br>I don't know about having no future, Superdestroyer -- bear in mind that while the numbers are against them, particularly in future decades, there will always be a normal, decent, intelligent, healthy opposition to Business As Usual in DC, which the GOP can catch by default, even if it fails to fulfill the right role. In particular, as our demographic problems and unsustainable universal entitlement programs result in an unprecedented demand for additional taxes or debt (and we may face a debt trap if we undertake the debt alternative), there will develop a great conflict between the beneficiaries (particularly the elderly, whose conservativism from aging will be overruled by devotion to the Democratic Party for their entitlements along with other beneficiaries) and the taxpayers, who will face what Americans have not faced before when it comes to taxation levels (and possible higher debt), with no prospect of seeing the same entitlements they will be paying (too much) for in the present. There will be a need to reach some kind of ugly "equilibrium" of howling between beneficiaries and taxpayers (tax increases and benefit reductions). The Democrats are the benefits, free-lunch, more-more-more party; the GOP should still have a rule as the Opposition and the defender of the taxpayers, those paying the bills (even if they do a poor job for us currently). I've had to field and defuse various emotional arguments from lefties on here (including dishonest accusations of emotionalism by me, ironically), and I have to note that hatred of Bush is 99% triumph of emotion (hatred) over reason, and the same thing, emotion, explains well over 50% (could be 70-80%+) of support for Obama. (Not only pro-Obama, but anti-Establishment. Many are sick of the status quo. Hopefully that doesn't lead to the delusion that what's needed is more, not less, activism and interventionism by Washington. The sane want less, not more.)

The lack of enthusiasm for the GOP this year is indeed understandable. The field was weak. Superdestroyer has it right. It continues to be Business As Usual in Washington. Neo-conservaties (older, broader definition) and 1994 so-called “revolutionaries” corrupted by power and money in DC find things just fine the way they are. They're happy too often to behave just like the Dems when it comes to money and power, as well as behave frequently as Dems Lite when it comes to politics.

I don't know about having no future, Superdestroyer — bear in mind that while the numbers are against them, particularly in future decades, there will always be a normal, decent, intelligent, healthy opposition to Business As Usual in DC, which the GOP can catch by default, even if it fails to fulfill the right role. In particular, as our demographic problems and unsustainable universal entitlement programs result in an unprecedented demand for additional taxes or debt (and we may face a debt trap if we undertake the debt alternative), there will develop a great conflict between the beneficiaries (particularly the elderly, whose conservativism from aging will be overruled by devotion to the Democratic Party for their entitlements along with other beneficiaries) and the taxpayers, who will face what Americans have not faced before when it comes to taxation levels (and possible higher debt), with no prospect of seeing the same entitlements they will be paying (too much) for in the present. There will be a need to reach some kind of ugly “equilibrium” of howling between beneficiaries and taxpayers (tax increases and benefit reductions). The Democrats are the benefits, free-lunch, more-more-more party; the GOP should still have a rule as the Opposition and the defender of the taxpayers, those paying the bills (even if they do a poor job for us currently).

]]> By: superdestroyer http://themoderatevoice.com/17799/guest-voice-the-enthusiasm-gap/comment-page-1/#comment-134496 superdestroyer Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:24:26 +0000 http://themoderatevoice.com/politics/democratic-party/17799/guest-voice-the-enthusiasm-gap/#comment-134496 The Republican's lack enthusiasm is very understandable. All of the primary candidates were several flawed. The Bush Administration and the Repulbicans in Congress have showed no leadership. And last but most important, Republican politicians cannot stop lying. They talk about smaller government and spending cutbacks but then run up huge deficits and increase the size of the government. They have figuratively spit in the face of ever part of the Republican party and blatantly lied to the voters. <br><br>The Republicans know that they are on the decline and that demographics will eventually make them totally irrelevant. How can anyone get excited about an organization that has no future? The Republican's lack enthusiasm is very understandable. All of the primary candidates were several flawed. The Bush Administration and the Repulbicans in Congress have showed no leadership. And last but most important, Republican politicians cannot stop lying. They talk about smaller government and spending cutbacks but then run up huge deficits and increase the size of the government. They have figuratively spit in the face of ever part of the Republican party and blatantly lied to the voters.

The Republicans know that they are on the decline and that demographics will eventually make them totally irrelevant. How can anyone get excited about an organization that has no future?

]]>