Obama - Best US President for years

[Audley Strange]

IMHO, it also has something to do with the specifics of the democratic process in any given environment. The USA seems to be locked into a bi-partisan model, even though there is obviously a much wider (and more complex) spread of political positions in evidence, even within the two main parties.

Yeah seems to me like its a case, in the U.S. of voting for Christian Capitalist A or for Christian Capitalist B. Here it's more a case of, Vote for public school inbreeds, the bumbling little Eichmanns of Middle Management and Daily Mail reading Corn Goddess worshippers as with the U.S. the actual politics don't seem much different the only main difference being that the left feels some guilt about shitting down the throats of the public, the right thinks they should be grateful.

[Coito ergo sum]

Are there, or have there ever been, moderate Republicans? And if so, why did they let this happen to their party?

Yes, certainly, and there still are. George H.W. Bush was a moderate Republican, which is why he supported such things as the Americans With Disabilities Act (which had been introduced into Congress by Republican Bob Dole) and agreed to the Democrat tax hikes of 1990 or 91 which the Democrats promptly hanged him for. And, of course there were the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and 1991. There, of course, is the traditional moderate Republican who is more liberal on economic policy, like Nelson Rockefeller -- known as the "Rockefeller Republicans."

John McCain and Lindsey Graham tend to be moderate on a variety of issues. John McCain criticized the Bush Administration's advocacy of tax cuts, as did Olympia Snow. Chris Christie and George Pataki are two examples of moderate Republicans currently. Christie Todd Whitman is another, although I don't think she serves in office right now.

Historically, you had guys like Wendell Wilkie, Thomas Dewey and that crowd of liberal Republicans who supported the New Deal in principle, but opposed the corruption and fraud that went with it.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Whereas their own corruption and fraud was okay?

(Willkie was born and raised in the KKK capital of Indiana, a town about seven miles from where I went to high school.)

[Audley Strange]

At this point, voting is akin to prayer. "Dear Future President, grant me lots of benefits and strike down my enemies with a draconian Economic policy!!!"

[macdoc]

Yes - EIsenhower was a moderate and his daughter, a long time Repub quit in disgust last election and voted Obama

Eisenhowers speech is a must see and he was very prescient about exactly what the repuglies are up to now - many moderate Repugs have quit but with the likes of Pelosi on the other end of the spectrum Merican governance is a joke.
Obama ain't perfect but he's done a decent job under traitorous opposition. - some even from his own party.

[Audley Strange]

Has it been anything but a joke since Nixon or was JFK the start of the routine?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Has it been anything but a joke since Nixon or was JFK the start of the routine?

I think Eisenhower was an anomaly, picked for his mojo and found to be unwilling to accommodate the political machine. They learned from that mistake and haven't repeated it.

[Coito ergo sum]

Whereas their own corruption and fraud was okay?

(Willkie was born and raised in the KKK capital of Indiana, a town about seven miles from where I went to high school.)

"Freedom is an indivisible word.
If we want to enjoy it, and fight for it,
we must be prepared to extend it to everyone,
whether they are rich or poor,
whether they agree with us or not,
no matter what their race or the color of their skin." - Wendell Wilkie

Remember - when Wilkie was in the Republican Party, the Democrat Party was the party of racism and Jim Crow.

After being beaten by Roosevelt in 1940, Roosevelt brought him on board as an ambassador-at-large, and Wilkie traveled around the World essentially campaigning against imperialism and colonialism, and he met with world leaders on what was called, I think, his "One World" tour. And, he wrote a book called "One World" which was very popular at the time. He died a bit early, but he was a good guy, ahead of his time.

Unlike Robert Byrd of the Democrat Party, for example, Wilkie never subscribed to the principles of the KKK.




willkie was the dude, which is probably why he never could get himself elected. He was ahead of his time a bit.

[Audley Strange]

Has it been anything but a joke since Nixon or was JFK the start of the routine?

I think Eisenhower was an anomaly, picked for his mojo and found to be unwilling to accommodate the political machine. They learned from that mistake and haven't repeated it.

Sodo you think "they" are an invisible Ruling Class or opportunistic ladder climbers?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Willkie never publicly subscribed to the KKK, but he went to the same church as the Grand Dragon of Indiana. Elwood's a small town, C.E.S.

[Coito ergo sum]

Willkie never publicly subscribed to the KKK, but he went to the same church as the Grand Dragon of Indiana. Elwood's a small town, C.E.S.

In the 1930s and 40s there were more KKK in Indiana than practically anywhere else in the country, and there were many millions of members. Your father and grandfather probably attended church with KKK members.

Willkie rejected that line of thinking, though. Robert Byrd was an active member of the KKK, and he held office as a Democrat until a few years ago.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Willkie never publicly subscribed to the KKK, but he went to the same church as the Grand Dragon of Indiana. Elwood's a small town, C.E.S.

In the 1930s and 40s there were more KKK in Indiana than practically anywhere else in the country, and there were many millions of members. Your father and grandfather probably attended church with KKK members.

They didn't live in Indiana in the '30s or '40s.

Willkie rejected that line of thinking, though. Robert Byrd was an active member of the KKK, and he held office as a Democrat until a few years ago.

The nice thing about living in Indiana is you get to visit places like Elwood, and if you were, say, a grad student researching a potential book on Willkie you could get all kinds of people from that town to share photos, documents, etc., with you.

[JimC]

Seems a nice chap. Heart in the right place...well left of centre that is (for a Merican that is..)

Still a captive of a government/military complex with an arrogant belief in US primacy in world affairs...

[Tero]

[Svartalf]

I still found Bill C more entertaining.

Nice necro by the way.