Does President Obama play too much Golf?

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by logman

Have you looked at other parts of the world? We've had a version of medicare for 40 years in Aust. NO-One thinks it's communism......it is the most popularly supported government policy ever. The conservatives in the US seem to have done a mother of a job on the citizens in making them believe that a government insurance policy will somehow turn the US into 1940's Russia. Looking from afar it seems weird. Somehow someones"freedom" is at threat because the govt. has an insurance scheme. HUH? Somehow someones strange idea of freedom means that some poor bastard can't get good healthcare or goes bankrupt in the process. Freedom must mean a different thing in the US.

Well, this morning, freedom hopefully means the death of the Good Old Boy 1994-2012 GOP.

May it Rest in Pieces - and bury (figuratively) Carl Rove with it.

May the GOP return to its principles of inclusion, compassion, and fiscal responsibility.

Work with the other guy, don't defame him. Do not give in to your baser instincts. Rise above them.

[dak4n6]

The GOP really has to redefine their agenda or they will become increasingly irrelevant. As an independent, I used to agree with much of the GOP platform, but not anymore. Way too extreme right for my tastes.

[x129]

More likely they double down and go more extreme. That has been the strategy for the past 30 years. Maybe they switch up but there is a ton of momentum behind being a right winger that a move to the center is hard. And it would be easy to say with a better candidate victory could have been had. It took the democrats both  Dukakis and Mondale for them to shift from the left to being a bunch of moderates.

Originally Posted by dak4n6

The GOP really has to redefine their agenda or they will become increasingly irrelevant. As an independent, I used to agree with much of the GOP platform, but not anymore. Way too extreme right for my tastes.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by logman

Have you looked at other parts of the world? We've had a version of medicare for 40 years in Aust. NO-One thinks it's communism......it is the most popularly supported government policy ever. The conservatives in the US seem to have done a mother of a job on the citizens in making them believe that a government insurance policy will somehow turn the US into 1940's Russia. Looking from afar it seems weird. Somehow someones"freedom" is at threat because the govt. has an insurance scheme. HUH? Somehow someones strange idea of freedom means that some poor bastard can't get good healthcare or goes bankrupt in the process. Freedom must mean a different thing in the US.

Here, here.

Now, Mr. President, the tee is yours.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Well, this morning, freedom hopefully means the death of the Good Old Boy 1994-2012 GOP.

May it Rest in Pieces - and bury (figuratively) Carl Rove with it.

May the GOP return to its principles of inclusion, compassion, and fiscal responsibility.

Work with the other guy, don't defame him. Do not give in to your baser instincts. Rise above them.

And true conservatives understand the real meaning of conservation, not the whacko right wing "drill, baby,.drill" mantra. Energy saving lightbulbs and building more energy efficient cars have become an issue of "freedom" to these clowns. But conservation was always a basic conservative idea that went away with the likes of Reagan and Bush II. Be more energy efficient, preserve our assets, preserve our planet. I can hear Teddy Roosevelt now. But, science be damned.

“Much has been consumed, much has been wasted, almost nothing has flourished.”

- Wendell Berry

[boogielicious]

Dukakis was a lot more moderate than he was labeled.  If you were from Mass, you would understand what I mean.

Funny comparison between GHW Bush and Dukakis.

High School - (HW) Phillips Academy, Andover, MA.  (Duke) - Milton Academy, Milton, MA.  Both expensive Prep Schools.

College - (HW) - Yale, (Duke) - Harvard.

They could not have been more a like with their upbringing.

I really had no problem with either and thought HW did a good job as President.  I was surprised when he lost.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Dukakis was a lot more moderate than he was labeled.  If you were from Mass, you would understand what I mean.

Funny comparison between GHW Bush and Dukakis.

High School - (HW) Phillips Academy, Andover, MA.  (Duke) - Milton Academy, Milton, MA.  Both expensive Prep Schools.

College - (HW) - Yale, (Duke) - Harvard.

They could not have been more a like with their upbringing.

I really had no problem with either and thought HW did a good job as President.  I was surprised when he lost.

He would have won without Perot in the mix.

Frankly, I think we need more viable third party candidates.

[boogielicious]

Perot was a "one of a kind" character.  He made many good points.  Dana Carvey had him nailed with his impression.

[zipazoid]

Mitch McConnell will announce that it will be the Republican Party's top priority to deny Obama a third term.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

May the GOP return to its principles of inclusion, compassion, and fiscal responsibility.

How about simply getting back to smaller government and ditching their super-religious take on everything?

[x129]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iacas

How about simply getting back to smaller government and ditching their super-religious take on everything?

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by iacas

How about simply getting back to smaller government and ditching their super-religious take on everything?

They talk about smaller government, but when in power, it doesn't seem to get smaller. The GOP of the 60's and 70's was not super-religious. As to the era of smaller government, I think it is beyond us - the New Deal was passed in the '30's, and LBJ's Great Society in the '60's. That baton is passed. I think all we can do is ask for a more efficient government and tax and entitlement reform. As to the Social Conservative issues, I think it's a Southern thing...

I think big government is too far entrenched - so do we make the duties of the States less, and have the Feds do what is more efficient? In other words, assign the task to the entity that can best administer the program, based on the nature of the task.

[zipazoid]

Smaller government my butt. How would they monitor every pregnancy to be sure women carried to term if they were able to outlaw abortion?

Yes I know - the SCOTUS determines that. Which then begs why the Repubs made such noise about it in the first place.

But there would have to be one helluva government apparatus in place to police all pregnancies, no?

How about building that 2,000-mile fence at the Mexico border...and then staff it? Can't do that with smaller government.

How about rounding up all the illegals in the country now & sending them back? How is smaller government gonna make that happen? They ain't gonan 'self deport', Mitt.

And finally, Mitt wanted to spend $2 trillion more on the military. Thats $2t MORE government spending!

When Repubs say smaller government, they mean eliminate the programs they don't like and replace them with spending how they want it spent.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Smaller government my butt. How would they monitor every pregnancy to be sure women carried to term if they were able to outlaw abortion?

Yes I know - the SCOTUS determines that. Which then begs why the Repubs made such noise about it in the first place.

But there would have to be one helluva government apparatus in place to police all pregnancies, no?

How about building that 2,000-mile fence at the Mexico border...and then staff it? Can't do that with smaller government.

How about rounding up all the illegals in the country now & sending them back? How is smaller government gonna make that happen? They ain't gonan 'self deport', Mitt.

And finally, Mitt wanted to spend $2 trillion more on the military. Thats $2t MORE government spending!

When Repubs say smaller government, they mean eliminate the programs they don't like and replace them with spending how they want it spent.

Unfortunately, true.

The GOP likes to regulate social issues.

Well, I've got to think this election greets a new era of demographics,  and what we have in the Republican Party is this quote by David Brooks of the NY Times: “I sometimes wonder if the Republican Party has become the receding roar of white America as it pines for a way of life that will never return.”

When Reagan was elected, the electorate was 90% white. Today, it is 72% White.

Hispanics and Asians, a growing demographic, believe in community, not the rugged individualism of the Reagan era. Big government is here to stay - no pining allowed.

[boogielicious]

Don't forget GW Bush added a new department, Homeland Security and Reagan vastly increased the size of his administration and the Defense Dept. with programs like Star Wars.  I am not saying these were not needed, but they did increase the size of the Federal Government, which is counter to the small government objective.

More efficient Government with less waste should be both parties objectives.  Obama made a move last year that went unnoticed when he made the Departments end freebees like mugs and jackets for projects and get rid of cell phones and computers/lap tops, cars, office space, etc that were not being used.  It saved something like $8MM.  Imaging all the other waste that is out there.

[iacas]

You know, for as many times as I've read "that's not what I said, learn to read" type comments, not a one of you seems to have actually read what I wrote.

I did not say modern Republicans are about smaller government, nor did I say they have been in recent history. I said they should GET BACK to smaller government, which was one of their guidelines a long time ago. You guys read something into a statement where it didn't exist.

The party system flat out sucks, as does the electoral college system.

Edited for clarity. The amount I care about politics has been exceeded by this post.

[Phil McGleno]

Oh brother. Hispanics and Asians and minorities ;blacks are a growing demographic too- believe in getting something for nothing, and for voting for a black guy because he's black. They vote for the guy that doesn't make them get jobs,and still sends them welfare checks never mind the fact that Obama's run up such a big deficit -more in his first three years than Bush did in 8- so the people who go to wrk every day wont have any social security. Im old and I cant even plan on having social security. But they "believe in community" give me a ****ing break. They believe in being lazy together if thats what you mean. Get off your asses and get jobs.[quote name="Mr. Desmond" url="/t/54663/does-president-obama-play-too-much-golf/702#post_783380"] Hispanics and Asians, a growing demographic, believe in community, not the rugged individualism of the Reagan era. Big government is here to stay - no pining allowed. [/quote]

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by iacas

You know, for as many times as I've read "that's not what I said, learn to read" type comments, not a one of you seems to have actually read what I wrote.

I did not say modern Republicans are about smaller government, nor did I say they have been in recent history. I said they should GET BACK to smaller government, which was one of their guidelines a long time ago. You guys read something into a statement where it didn't exist.

The party system flat out sucks, as does the electoral college system.

Edited for clarity. The amount I care about politics has been exceeded by this post.

Honestly, Erik, I don't know what you mean by "get back to smaller government." Everyone has their own definition of smaller government.

Let's get back to golf. Believe it or not, once the election is over, my political activity consists of sending emails to thewhitehouse.gov every couple of months or so to ask Obama to cooperate to some extent with the GOP and show leadership - that's about the extent of my politics other than reading.