Comments on: Someday, I want to vote “for” instead of “against” http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/ I used to be in the middle, but they keep moving the line! Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:55:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Black Shards, In Your Eyes, Blinding » Our Upcoming Election http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-55376 Fri, 02 Feb 2007 03:18:06 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-55376 [...] Polimom writes about something that’s always gnawed at me.  The polarized 2-party system we have in this country doesn’t allow enough candidates whose views are actually in alignment with their constituents rather than the party bosses to make it through the process. [...] […] Polimom writes about something that’s always gnawed at me.  The polarized 2-party system we have in this country doesn’t allow enough candidates whose views are actually in alignment with their constituents rather than the party bosses to make it through the process. […]

]]> by: etee's Blog http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-44935 Tue, 07 Nov 2006 15:30:51 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-44935 <strong>Election Day coverage from etee2k.net...</strong> The polls opened at 7:00 AM. At 7:03 AM, CBS, NBC, ABC, and CNN all projected the Democrats to win 95% of the contested House seats, and declared Nancy Pelosi the next Speaker. We are now being taken to the House banquet room, where Rep. Pelosi and h... Election Day coverage from etee2k.net…

The polls opened at 7:00 AM.
At 7:03 AM, CBS, NBC, ABC, and CNN all projected the Democrats to win 95% of the contested House seats, and declared Nancy Pelosi the next Speaker. We are now being taken to the House banquet room, where Rep. Pelosi and h…

]]> by: Polimom Says » Shane Sklar: my other “yes” vote http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-43704 Mon, 30 Oct 2006 15:21:20 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-43704 [...] Coming in right behind a great dialogue we had here last week, the Houston Chronicle has an article (originally in the NY Times) up this morning about the Democrats, and some of the candidates they’re running: In their push to win back control of the House, Democrats have turned to conservative and moderate candidates who fit the profiles of their districts more closely than the profile of the national party. [...] […] Coming in right behind a great dialogue we had here last week, the Houston Chronicle has an article (originally in the NY Times) up this morning about the Democrats, and some of the candidates they’re running: In their push to win back control of the House, Democrats have turned to conservative and moderate candidates who fit the profiles of their districts more closely than the profile of the national party. […]

]]> by: Gene in Dallas http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42606 Thu, 26 Oct 2006 13:59:48 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42606 Robert A. I like a lot of what you said, although voting for "gridlock" is a little bit sad to me. I guess that is what we are going to have to hope for, that and a return to a "bipartisan, put the country first" attitude. I just find it funny that some on the right refer to Democrats as Commies or socialists, when I think both forms of government are extremely discredited. I am certainly a capitalist, but I believe in capitalism in which the Government serves as a referee, not a bought and paid for tool of big business as it seems to have been in the last 20 years. This government is to me MORE screwed up than anything LBJ and co did in the '60s, and the sad thing is that Bush didn't learn ANYTHING from the Vietnam experience. Maybe I am the smartest person on the planet, but I thought the invasion of Iraq was a terrible mistake when I first heard about it, and I thought at the time that the "intelligence" used to justify the invasion was wafer-thin. I'm not at all surprised at what has happened there. I strongly identify myself as a Democrat and "Liberal" now, because I am so sick of the AM Radio attacks on "Liberals" and the shenanigans of the Republican party since '94, but I also voted for Reagan in 1980, and identified myself as a Republican in the '80s and early 90s, before they became the flat-earth society they now are... And I truly believe that Geo. W Bush is not smart enough or disciplined enough to be the president. I think his presidency will go down in history as one of the worst ever. God save us from this mess! Robert A.
I like a lot of what you said, although voting for “gridlock” is a little bit sad to me. I guess that is what we are going to have to hope for, that and a return to a “bipartisan, put the country first” attitude. I just find it funny that some on the right refer to Democrats as Commies or socialists, when I think both forms of government are extremely discredited. I am certainly a capitalist, but I believe in capitalism in which the Government serves as a referee, not a bought and paid for tool of big business as it seems to have been in the last 20 years. This government is to me MORE screwed up than anything LBJ and co did in the ’60s, and the sad thing is that Bush didn’t learn ANYTHING from the Vietnam experience. Maybe I am the smartest person on the planet, but I thought the invasion of Iraq was a terrible mistake when I first heard about it, and I thought at the time that the “intelligence” used to justify the invasion was wafer-thin. I’m not at all surprised at what has happened there. I strongly identify myself as a Democrat and “Liberal” now, because I am so sick of the AM Radio attacks on “Liberals” and the shenanigans of the Republican party since ‘94, but I also voted for Reagan in 1980, and identified myself as a Republican in the ’80s and early 90s, before they became the flat-earth society they now are…
And I truly believe that Geo. W Bush is not smart enough or disciplined enough to be the president. I think his presidency will go down in history as one of the worst ever. God save us from this mess!

]]> by: Robert A. http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42156 Wed, 25 Oct 2006 01:59:49 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42156 As I read the comments, I noticed a few comments about whether Democrats were or weren't more liberal than republicans were or weren't conservative which, to me, is part of the problem. Both parties have to attempt to be too much to too many people. (I will get to the current state of affairs in a moment.) Our current political system is the equivalent of having a league with two baseball teams, two football teams, or worse having only two stores you could buy groceries at, etc. There really isn't enought competition. But since the parties control all the funding, the ability to get their stories int he news, etc. The situation is unlikely to change. Given that, the best governments we have tended to have are split governments. Reagan and Bush 1 with Democratic congresses and Clinton with a Republican congress. It tends to take the rough edges off of each party and you end up with decent, fairly centrist governments with both parties fighting to prove that they are the most centrist. Contrast this with the two worst periods of American government in my lifespan. The Johnson administration in the 60's and the current one. In both cases, not did one party hold all the reins of power (spelling was never my best subject). But they had lost their fear of the other party. Johnson had not only a democratic congress but one with such a large majority that he did not have to fear oposition. As a result, we got a lot of bad legislation. Today the majority is not so great but the republicans hold such an advantage in fundraising and can win elections just by crying "liberal" that they have seen motivating the base as more important than attracting the center. As disgusting as this might sound to loyal democrats and republicans and definitely moderates and independents, if you want good government, look at the President and vote for the other party. At least, that has a chance of keeping them from drifting too far to either side. This comment falls under the title of "Survival Guide for the Moderate" recognizing that as a moderate neither part y is likely to represent your views. As I read the comments, I noticed a few comments about whether Democrats were or weren’t more liberal than republicans were or weren’t conservative which, to me, is part of the problem. Both parties have to attempt to be too much to too many people. (I will get to the current state of affairs in a moment.)

Our current political system is the equivalent of having a league with two baseball teams, two football teams, or worse having only two stores you could buy groceries at, etc. There really isn’t enought competition. But since the parties control all the funding, the ability to get their stories int he news, etc. The situation is unlikely to change.

Given that, the best governments we have tended to have are split governments. Reagan and Bush 1 with Democratic congresses and Clinton with a Republican congress. It tends to take the rough edges off of each party and you end up with decent, fairly centrist governments with both parties fighting to prove that they are the most centrist.

Contrast this with the two worst periods of American government in my lifespan. The Johnson administration in the 60’s and the current one. In both cases, not did one party hold all the reins of power (spelling was never my best subject). But they had lost their fear of the other party. Johnson had not only a democratic congress but one with such a large majority that he did not have to fear oposition. As a result, we got a lot of bad legislation. Today the majority is not so great but the republicans hold such an advantage in fundraising and can win elections just by crying “liberal” that they have seen motivating the base as more important than attracting the center.

As disgusting as this might sound to loyal democrats and republicans and definitely moderates and independents, if you want good government, look at the President and vote for the other party. At least, that has a chance of keeping them from drifting too far to either side.

This comment falls under the title of “Survival Guide for the Moderate” recognizing that as a moderate neither part y is likely to represent your views.

]]> by: The Master http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42151 Wed, 25 Oct 2006 01:08:44 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42151 Polimom, It's too true that most elections turn into "who do I dislike the least?", and relentless pandering to the base (by both parties) has helped assure candidates with little appeal to moderates. However, don't give up hope! Moderates are reasserting themselves . . . just not within the two parties. See this <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/10/24/america/web.1024campaign.php" rel="nofollow">article</a> for an example. If the parties don't want to suffer the same fate as the dinosaurs, at least one of them will have to reach out to the middle, and away from its base. First one to offer a welcoming home to the middle will likely govern for some time. Polimom,

It’s too true that most elections turn into “who do I dislike the least?”, and relentless pandering to the base (by both parties) has helped assure candidates with little appeal to moderates. However, don’t give up hope! Moderates are reasserting themselves . . . just not within the two parties. See this article for an example.

If the parties don’t want to suffer the same fate as the dinosaurs, at least one of them will have to reach out to the middle, and away from its base.

First one to offer a welcoming home to the middle will likely govern for some time.

]]> by: Jack http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42140 Tue, 24 Oct 2006 23:50:31 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42140 Democrats are no more "left" than the republicans are "right". Campaign rhetoric used by either party tends not to be true and serves no more purpose than sound bites for the small bit of news that most Americans watch each week. Generalizing people based on their party label is not making an informed decision. If this is all you care about, then you don't care to pay much attention to what is going on in the world. When you restrict yourself to party labels, you miss the moderates that people so desperately crave today. It may turn out that you don't like anything a party candidate has to say after all, but at least you listened to the candidate. Democrats are no more “left” than the republicans are “right”. Campaign rhetoric used by either party tends not to be true and serves no more purpose than sound bites for the small bit of news that most Americans watch each week.

Generalizing people based on their party label is not making an informed decision. If this is all you care about, then you don’t care to pay much attention to what is going on in the world. When you restrict yourself to party labels, you miss the moderates that people so desperately crave today. It may turn out that you don’t like anything a party candidate has to say after all, but at least you listened to the candidate.

]]> by: Jess http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42136 Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:54:57 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42136 I find it funny that people think the Democrats are "too liberal" or even just saying that they're not moderate. Granted, I would classify myself as very liberal, but I have been having conversations with friends and parents (democrat and republican), and we all seem to agree that the democratic candidates running (at least in my state of GA) are just republicans in disguise. I have never seen such conservative democrats in my life, and frankly, as far as I'm concerned, I'd like them to be more liberal. But being moderate is the only way they are going to win any elections, and I think they're taking the moderate stance to an extreme level. I find it funny that people think the Democrats are “too liberal” or even just saying that they’re not moderate. Granted, I would classify myself as very liberal, but I have been having conversations with friends and parents (democrat and republican), and we all seem to agree that the democratic candidates running (at least in my state of GA) are just republicans in disguise. I have never seen such conservative democrats in my life, and frankly, as far as I’m concerned, I’d like them to be more liberal. But being moderate is the only way they are going to win any elections, and I think they’re taking the moderate stance to an extreme level.

]]> by: Gene in Dallas http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42132 Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:09:53 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42132 Jack, You make some good points, but I still don't see what makes the Democrats as far left as the Republicans are far right. Just because the Republicans say someone is a "Liberal" doesn't make them one. I don't think "conservative" applies to Republicans anymore. My dad used to use the term "Reactionary" to apply to anyone on the far right, like Hitler or something, and I am beginning to think that this term is correct for most Republicans. My father is still a Republican, but I can see that he is a very, very disgusted. No matter what someone says, if the Republicans don't like them, they slander them by applying the term "Liberal" and saying they favor "Big Government" or are "Tax and Spend". I'm not gay nor do I especially care for gay interests, but I don't think a Constitutional amendment banning Gay Marriage is anywhere near the top of our Govt agenda these days. Nancy Pelosi is strident and a feminist, but give me her anyday over this moron in the White House who calls anyone who disagrees with him a "cut and run" coward. And I haven't even begun to talk about Tom Delay, the Terri Schiavo affair, the environment, what this war will cost my young son, etc. etc. etc....I'll shut up now and listen, but thank you for the opportunity to vent in this forum! Jack,
You make some good points, but I still don’t see what makes the Democrats as far left as the Republicans are far right. Just because the Republicans say someone is a “Liberal” doesn’t make them one. I don’t think “conservative” applies to Republicans anymore. My dad used to use the term “Reactionary” to apply to anyone on the far right, like Hitler or something, and I am beginning to think that this term is correct for most Republicans. My father is still a Republican, but I can see that he is a very, very disgusted. No matter what someone says, if the Republicans don’t like them, they slander them by applying the term “Liberal” and saying they favor “Big Government” or are “Tax and Spend”. I’m not gay nor do I especially care for gay interests, but I don’t think a Constitutional amendment banning Gay Marriage is anywhere near the top of our Govt agenda these days. Nancy Pelosi is strident and a feminist, but give me her anyday over this moron in the White House who calls anyone who disagrees with him a “cut and run” coward. And I haven’t even begun to talk about Tom Delay, the Terri Schiavo affair, the environment, what this war will cost my young son, etc. etc. etc….I’ll shut up now and listen, but thank you for the opportunity to vent in this forum!

]]> by: Jack http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42125 Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:43:19 +0000 http://www.polimom.com/2006/10/24/someday-i-want-to-vote-for-instead-of-against/#comment-42125 Moderate parties in America come when one of our Big Two lose enough times and reform themselves to the wants of moderate people. Only then does it occur to that party that paying too much attention to extreme voters does not keep you in office. But that party has to show that they have changed, otherwise voters have the impression that you just have two parties of the extremes. I do feel that the republicans have lost sight of their moderate voters, but I do not yet feel that the democrats have had any interest in reclaiming moderates either. If the democrats take the House this year, it will be the anti-vote, not because more people really value the democrats, and sadly they will not take it as a time to reform. If keeping the democrats out of a majority for one more race gives them a clue about appealing to moderates, then I am all for it. If giving them the House would bring republicans back to wanting the moderates then I am for that too. But I am not going to vote for the opposite party of my true concerns in hopes that they way other people vote makes my decision a strategic success. Moderate parties in America come when one of our Big Two lose enough times and reform themselves to the wants of moderate people. Only then does it occur to that party that paying too much attention to extreme voters does not keep you in office. But that party has to show that they have changed, otherwise voters have the impression that you just have two parties of the extremes.

I do feel that the republicans have lost sight of their moderate voters, but I do not yet feel that the democrats have had any interest in reclaiming moderates either. If the democrats take the House this year, it will be the anti-vote, not because more people really value the democrats, and sadly they will not take it as a time to reform.

If keeping the democrats out of a majority for one more race gives them a clue about appealing to moderates, then I am all for it. If giving them the House would bring republicans back to wanting the moderates then I am for that too. But I am not going to vote for the opposite party of my true concerns in hopes that they way other people vote makes my decision a strategic success.

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