2018 Senate (& House)

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THAT attitude always pizzes me off. As if conservatives are heartless and want people to starve etc. The media loves to paint us like that.

All Conservatives I know want a government safety net to help those who need help. Look who shows up in times of emergency.Groups of Christian organizations like the Baptist men's and Franklin Graham's who are there immediately and stay as long as needed.
The difference is it is personal money and effort.
I want out government to offer help for anyone who really need it. I do NOT want government creating generations of dependent people who could work but don't because they can live a life on our dime.

Tell your friend if he really wants to help he should volunteer and give more of HIS money to the Treasury.
 
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ShAArk92 said:
that's true, but the axiom still stands and makes the goal of messaging conservatism to those who feel more than they think ... problematic.
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But that's most people. I'm not sure what airline you work for, but there's a reason why United, American, and Delta spend money on advertising and catchy-*** slogans like "Something Special in the Air," "Fly the Friendly Skies," or "Doing What We do Best." To a "thinker," that's all meaningless garbage, and it does nothing to distinguish one airline from the other. A true thinker would buy airline tickets based on scheduling, convenience, and price, which would render those ads worthless. But those slogans and ads aren't worthless because huge numbers of customers actually choose airlines because those douchy ads and slogans make them feel good.

Same with one of my favorite products - beer. Do most people buy beer based on their brains? No, they buy them based on how some big tittied-woman playing volleyball on a beach somewhere in a commercial made their junk feel. That's why more dudes drink Bud Light than Chimay.

Politics is no different. You gotta touch people's hearts before they'll listen to you, and that's not unique to this generation. JFK did it. Ronald Reagan did it. He sold conservatism to a generation of Americans even though previous conservatives (like Goldwater) failed to do it. The difference is that Reagan made them feel good about themselves and their country, and once he did, their minds were open to his ideology. Like it or not, that stuff matters a lot. We need to wake up and stop pretending that it doesn't.
 
Joe Fan said:
As I recall at that time, Trinity had the highest priced tuition per hour in the entire state? But lots of cute tennis-players
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We made it work somehow. Being 50% Cuban garnered me a grant of sorts. I worked the entire time I was there. And yes, the tennis team looked good! Tanned all year around.

My recollection was there were only two scholarship sports at the time: Tennis and Trap & Skeet (National Champions in 1975, 1976, 1977 and 1980; I had a friend on the team and he'd reload his shotgun shells in his dorm room. Not a lot of rules back then because his shotgun was also in there). Very preppy. Intramural sports though were huge and I participated in flag football (Full contact! But you were supposed to only hit people head on in the torso; nothing above or below the waist but it happened anyway. Very competitive and intense), basketball, softball, swimming and ultimate frisbee. Even coed football was very competitive meaning everybody tried hard! The rules were men couldn't run the ball across the line of scrimmage and you could only have a man to man pass once every four downs (or after a first down). So you saved that play for when you needed it. A man could throw to a woman or vice versa anytime.

I'd never seen elite tennis in person before and when I arrived I decided to check out practice. It was amazing. The men's team had a top four of Erick Iskersky, Tony Giammalva, Larry Gottfried and Ben McKown. They may not be household names but they were interchangeable at one thru four. The matches were raucus and fun. Stanford came on a dual match (men and women) which they won. But Larry Gottried defeated John McEnroe (his only year in college) and believe me, the atmosphere helped. McEnroe famously lost his cool and Gottfried later came up to the top of the dorm (overlooking the courts) to thank us. He said it was the greatest day of his life. We were drunk of course and said, "No problem man!" Ha...

https://spmt3314.omeka.net/exhibits/show/the-beginning-of-a-dynasty--th/larry-gottfried
 
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Judging the motivations of their opponents is what makes them feel righteous and virtuous. That's why they argue that conservatives are motivated by racism, sexism, bigotry, controlling women's bodies, etc. If you can frame your opponent not only as incorrect but as morally depraved, it becomes much easier to rally people to your cause, shame those who don't embrace your view, dismiss flaws in your position, and justify bad behavior by your side
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What is driving partisanship is the fact that the left keeps painting the right as evil. They say everything on the right is racist and therefore evil. If someone is evil, you CANNOT compromise or work with them.

I have a friend in Dallas who voted for Ted Cruz. He is politically moderate/independent, in his 20s, college educated, etc. He is socially liberal and fiscally conservative. He is dating someone of another (and very different) ethnic group and religion from him. I know he did not vote for Trump, does not like Trump, and disagrees with Cruz on social issues. He texted me Wednesday he is pissed at everyone on the left and most of his friends for saying Ted Cruz won because of racism. He apparently keeps hearing “only racists vote for Ted Cruz.”

He said he keeps explaining to people that while he strongly disagrees with Ted Cruz on social issues, he does not agree that Cruz is evil or racist. He also keeps explaining he voted for Cruz because he thinks Beto’s socialist policies would be terrible for the economy and the taxpayer. He strongly agrees that over-regulation and high taxes are bad policies and will not support anyone that advocates for such things. He is distraught that so many on the left cannot comprehend this position and seem to think all republican votes are just racist, when votes like my friend’s, have nothing whatsover to do with racism. While my friend is generally for moderate republicans or moderate democrats and he will not vote for Trump, he is getting so turned off by the left, it sounds like he may not vote for any democrats for a long while. Hell, give it two years and he may yet move to the Trump camp.

Big picture, these attitudes are disturbing for the future of our country. We cannot function if one or both sides thinks the other is the anti-christ incarnate. Just because someone disagrees with you on economic or social issues, or values economic or social issues more, does not make them evil.

I cannot say I have seen anyone in our government on the right or left that is Hitler or Stalin. Yet I see both sides (though mainly the left) framing the opposition as such. This is absolutely toxic for our country.

CNN ran headlines everyday up to the election calling Trump and the GOP racist. I have to agree that any news organization that tells lies like this is trying to stir general dissent and disorder and is the enemy of the people. When Trump calls news organizations uninterested in the truth “the enemy of the people”, he is not wrong.
 
I’ll also note, the left kept saying “Cruz is a racist and Beto was for everyone.”

My friend noted “If Beto is for socialism, he is not for me nor the majority of this state.”
 
Ht
How can your friend be socially liberal yet not like Beta's:fiestanana: progressive policies?

BTW I think most semi intelligent people are what is called "socially liberal".I take that to mean one wants to take care of those who need it.
 
The lawyer mentioned here is Mark Elias
Of Perkins Coie
He is the one of the bagmen for the DNC and for Hillary
Same guy who engaged Fusion GPS using money passed through his firm by the DNC and the Hillary Clinton campaign.


 
It's the double standard again.
To gain votes, don't tell somebody their baby is ugly. You can't call people Nazis, racists, and all the "isms" that float around from the left when your hands are dirty.
I wish we had a true journalist who would ask any Democrat, how they can call Republicans these names, when they support, or at least don't distance themselves from men like Louis Farrakhan, "Hitler was a great man" who was on stage with Bill Clinton just a few weeks ago. I don't know many who are more anti-Semite than Farrakhan, yet, the left calls Trump a Nazi. During the great hot pink women's march, some of the leaders were also anti-Jew, including Linda Sarsour, and Tamika Mallory. If I'm not mistaken, Mallory called Farrakhan the G.O.A.T.

The left demands Trump and the right call out the perceived Nazi, anti-everything, they remain strangely silent about these people. The left calls Trump crude, yet they applaud people like DeNiro who say things like "Eff Trump" to thunderous applause at awards shows. No one on the right will call out the double standard.

I think some of the issues with younger voters is peer pressure. My niece is a very conservative lawyer, and she takes all kinds of crap from the lawyers at her firm. Luckily, she is courageous, and can argue to the point where they are left with the old, "whataboutism" or, "you just have hate in your heart". I think some of it is as simple, it's cool to go against the establishment. I honestly don't think most of these people understand socialism.
My whole family, including my 4 nieces, my 5 nieces and nephews once removed are all conservative. I think I will ask my most open minded niece what she hears and what she thinks is going on, because I am clueless. I did spend some time on hold recently with a 20 year old, and while waiting, I asked her some questions, (no judgement) about how she felt about socialism. Her answer was, "We need to be like Switzerland" and that was all she had. I didn't want to make her feel stupid, so I had to tread lightly. When I asked about what she liked about Switzerland, she said everyone has free medical, free college, and no issues, as in they all get along.

I do think we need to listen to the younger people, and the married educated women (who are probably worried about their almost grown children) I read that many of this age group don't have jobs, live at home, can't afford to buy a home, etc. In order to reach them, I think we need to listen, and try to come up with solutions. A 24 year old doesn't care how well the stock market is doing, or what is happening with the economy if it doesn't help them. They are bogged down with student loans, and living in their parents home. maybe their interpretive dance degree has them working as a barista. They probably can't afford the ACA, or any insurance. They don't understand the Paris accord, so they think Republicans don't care about the environment.

How does the Republican party hear their concerns, and figure out a solution? I feel like Repubs are focusing on things that don't resonate with young people, or parents worried about their young adult children. I think listening and asking the right questions is a start to bringing this age group back into the Republican fold. Focus on things that matter to them, as well as the base. I think there is a way that can be balanced.

Sorry, I know I am bouncing around, subject wish, but I am high on cold medication. Wheeee
 
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Hollandtx said:
How does the Republican party hear their concerns, and figure out a solution? I feel like Repubs are focusing on things that don't resonate with young people, or parents worried about their young adult children. I think listening and asking the right questions is a start to bringing this age group back into the Republican fold. Focus on things that matter to them, as well as the base. I think there is a way that can be balanced.
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And I'm not sure why they cede the tuition issue to Democrats. They pitch free tuition, and the GOP basically shrugs and says, "suck it up." They need to do better than that. They need to talk about how university spending has exploded in the last several years and ways to restructure the student loan program to discourage colleges from boosting tuition like there's no tomorrow. There's a case to be made for fixing the problem without bailouts and free money.
 
And I'm not sure why they cede the tuition issue to Democrats. They pitch free tuition, and the GOP basically shrugs and says, "suck it up." They need to do better than that. They need to talk about how university spending has exploded in the last several years and ways to restructure the student loan program to discourage colleges from boosting tuition like there's no tomorrow. There's a case to be made for fixing the problem without bailouts and free money
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THIS! This is THE ISSUE either party could jump on and guarantee power for decades, but both parties like the income coming in off the terrible student loan system.

Massive waste in education is the biggest issue no one talks about. If anyone ever gave me a 100 hundred million dollars and told me I could spend it on any political issue, I would dedicate all of it to a nationwide educational campaign about how poorly educational funds are managed. I hope if people are made aware they would actually care.

The GOP is supposed to be the party of limited government and fiscal responsiblity. Yet so many republicans, politicians and voters alike, do say “suck it up” when it comes to the student loan crisis and bloated, wasteful administrative offices in education, instead of advocating for ending or reforming the federal student loan program and for better management in their public schools and universities so that tuition can return to reasonable levels.

If you are a republican for limited government and fiscal responsibility, you should be all over educational funding mismanagement, not telling students to “suck it up” and continue to perpetuate such waste with the existing student loan programs.
 
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Mr. Deez said:
And I'm not sure why they cede the tuition issue to Democrats. They pitch free tuition, and the GOP basically shrugs and says, "suck it up." They need to do better than that. They need to talk about how university spending has exploded in the last several years and ways to restructure the student loan program to discourage colleges from boosting tuition like there's no tomorrow. There's a case to be made for fixing the problem without bailouts and free money.
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They can't attack those who are indoctrinating their students.
 
Broward Style

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4th_floor said:
I voted for Paxton. Dems are good at throwing ****. But it usually doesn't stick.
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Friend of mine is an attorney who has been dealing with Paxton for a long time. He's about as hard-line conservative as they come, and he believes Paxton is a scumbag who belongs in jail.

Mr. Deez said:
I'm not even sure they're that deep. I think most of them are simply voting on social issues and think the economic issues will take care of themselves.
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I had a lady at work tell me almost that exact thing. (She was a boomer-age woman.) "If we get the social issues, the economics will work themselves out."
 
ProdigalHorn said:
Friend of mine is an attorney who has been dealing with Paxton for a long time. He's about as hard-line conservative as they come, and he believes Paxton is a scumbag who belongs in jail.
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There are a few reasons why the Paxton ethics issues don't hurt him. First, few understand the charges or what he allegedly did wrong. It's complicated and even when explained, doesn't seem like big deal or something that suggests evil intent.

Second, people tend to give the benefit of the doubt to politicians they like (and presume the guilt of politicians they dislike), and Paxton has been a staunch conservative (even by Texas standards) and an activist AG. Conservatives like Paxton, so they presume his innocence.

Third, some of the people who pushed for charges to be brought are politically hostile to Paxton and to conservatives, so conservatives are suspicious.

ProdigalHorn said:
I had a lady at work tell me almost that exact thing. (She was a boomer-age woman.) "If we get the social issues, the economics will work themselves out."
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It's remarkable how things have changed. When I first got politically engaged in the early '90s, the big slogan was, "it's the economy, Stupid." The point of the slogan was to get people to focus on the economy and to discount social issues and Bill Clinton's sleazy character. Democrats now do the opposite. Screw with religious conservatives first. Who cares about the economy?
 
Joe Fan said:
The lawyer mentioned here is Mark Elias. Of Perkins Coi. He is the one of the bagmen for the DNC and for Hillary. Same guy who engaged Fusion GPS using money passed through his firm by the DNC and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
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More discussion of Mark Elias here

 
Joe Fan said:
Broward Style
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If anyone needs a refresher on this Florida County, Broward is the place of --

--Rep. Alcee Hastings (impeached as judge for taking bribes)

--Rep. Wasserman Schultz (fired from DNC for rigging primary)

--Sheriff 'Coward of Broward' (lied about running away from school shooting)

--Brenda Snipes (illegally destroyed ballots)​
 
ProdigalHorn said:
Friend of mine is an attorney who has been dealing with Paxton for a long time. He's about as hard-line conservative as they come, and he believes Paxton is a scumbag who belongs in jail........
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In jail? I think a trial and conviction should come first. But I'm a bit of a libertarian. So I'm kind of out there.
 
Mr. Deez said:
There are a few reasons why the Paxton ethics issues don't hurt him. First, few understand the charges or what he allegedly did wrong. It's complicated and even when explained, doesn't seem like big deal or something that suggests evil intent.

Second, people tend to give the benefit of the doubt to politicians they like (and presume the guilt of politicians they dislike), and Paxton has been a staunch conservative (even by Texas standards) and an activist AG. Conservatives like Paxton, so they presume his innocence.

Third, some of the people who pushed for charges to be brought are politically hostile to Paxton and to conservatives, so conservatives are suspicious.



It's remarkable how things have changed. When I first got politically engaged in the early '90s, the big slogan was, "it's the economy, Stupid." The point of the slogan was to get people to focus on the economy and to discount social issues and Bill Clinton's sleazy character. Democrats now do the opposite. Screw with religious conservatives first. Who cares about the economy?
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It’s the equivalent of letting the HR dept run a company.
 
In Florida the votes are officially in except for those still arriving by mail, which likely benefits GOP. Depending how close the vote is, there are two levels of recounts. There is some theory that a machine in a dem country was working improperly that would provide more dem votes if recounted manually, however if true would not be enough by itself to overturn the result. Dems are grasping at straws. By the way, Broward County found like 800 more votes for the Dems with their cheating.
 
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