Lets help the Democrats

[Crockett]

These pages have been full of ideas, some written with great sypathy and good intentions, on what the Republican Party can do to be more relevant on the political scene.

I'm sympathetic with many Democatic goals, though I'm a little too conservative to really feel at home in the party.

I'd like a party that is grounded is fiscal reality, though I don't see increased taxation, especially on the classes that have been prospering llately, as a horrible idea. I'd like a party that empowers workiing people and incentivizes those on the dole to do some kind of work ... any kind of work. I'd like a party that encourages folks who are shacked up to get married, for people to use their reproductive freedom with restrint, sees abortion for birth control as an unattractive last resort though stops short of implementing state control over a woman's womb.

 

[HornHuskerDad]

Nice post, Crockett - some well-tempered thoughts.

Everyone knows I'm a staunch Conservative, but I see some good thought in your points, which seem to be more center than liberal. I'll join you on one thought - we're going to have a safety net (reality is what it is), but it definitely should include a requirement for meaningful work. There should be no incentive to remain on the dole indefinitely.

And I'll also join you on abortion - it should be a last resort. And if we're going to say that (reality setting in again) a woman has the right to control her body, then I'll counter by saying that she has absolutely no right to reach into my pocket to pay for her abortion.

HHD

 

[Dionysus]

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[Crockett]

From a state standpoint, having children grow up in homes where parents are married and committed to one another is a good thing -- less poverty, better performance in schools, fewer discipline/drug/prison issues for the offspring.

 

[CedarParkFan]

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[Mr. Deez]

As much as I abhor the fact that the GOP is bought-and-paid-for by large corporate interests and puts their well-being above the rule of law, Democrats blatantly deny reality and take indefensible positions on too many important issues for me to seriously consider voting for their candidates for national office.

They have no concept of fiscal reality at all. They talk about tax increases mainly to make the GOP look bad and act as a diversion from discussing entitlement spending. Entitlements should have been dealt with 20 years ago. The fact that Democrats still fight any kind of meaningful entitlement reform is outrageous.

They interfere with any sort of public education reform or accountability. Their dedication to the system (mainly because it's unionized) is a far bigger priority than the well-being of children.

I don't like the hypocrisy on sexual liberation. If you think the government should stay out of your bedroom (meaning it shouldn't interfere with your ability to get birth control, get an abortion, or have gay sex orgies), that's a defensible position. However, it's not defensible to demand that the government pay for the consequences when things go wrong, as they inevitably do when people do stupid things in the bedroom.

I don't necessarily have to have a party that encourages shack-up couples to marry. However, I would like to have one that doesn't penalize those who choose to marry. Being married to my wife is worth the tax penalty, but I shouldn't have had to make that election.

The GOP certainly isn't a bunch of angels on these issues. They've made the entitlement problem worse and piss money away like crazy. They also fight serious education reform, because sometimes it costs money. (We can't clean up our system in Texas, where Democrats haven't called any of the shots in over ten years. However, there are at least a few small factions within the GOP that aren't a total disaster.

 

[zork]

The Democrats should demand that any cutbacks due to the sequestor should not affect the day to day hourly workers that actually do the business of the day in the government.

So no cutting of any hours from the hourly workers while they figure out the spending cuts that everyone knows will be required.

Unfortunately the opposite will be the case in the name of showing the people that the .005% cut from the whole federal budget is unworkable. Expect long lines at the airport as the hourly workers get the brunt.(and other instances) It is and will be a BS show that actually will impact business when it doesn't have to be that way.

 

[Dionysus]

My question about “shacking up” vs marriage is just an observation that marriage does not ensure commitment any more than a commitment requires marriage. But we are so steeped in the tradition that the two sometimes appear synonymous.

I recall my parents telling me that they were splitting up when I was about 15 or so. I knew that there was not much happiness in their relationship, and I remember just feeling good for them both. I would much prefer them being happily divorced than miserably married, and their commitments to their kids never changed in the least. That’s just anecdotal but I think not so uncommon.

 

[Michtex]

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[Mr. Deez]

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[Hu_Fan]

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