The Rightward Swing of the US

[takers401]

I disagree with the bolded. I am "older", and I am much more liberal than when I was younger (thanks to the school of real life). And I have a significant number of friends and associates who are the same.

I know there is a perception of the opposite, but I think it is a mistaken perception.

[Austin]

In my circles the perception of becoming more conservative as you get older is true. I think it depends on who we associate with.

[StacyW]

The old axiom is some variation of that we think with our hearts when we are young and our heads when we are old. I think we can utilize both at once. In my quest for balance of the heart and head, I've become a liberal. lol

[freejoytoo]

It just blows my mind when people call Obama a socialist. Obama is about as far away from that as you can get - not as far as the nuthead republicans, but far enough. I think he'd fit in more with the Conservative party here. I think if I lived in America I would vote for him simply to stop the nutjobs getting in but I still wouldn't be happy that my vote was basically going to a conservative. Still, I'd rather the country was run by regular one than a crazy one basically trying to enforce The Handmaid's Tale.

[emmiedahl]

Winston Churchill said this: “If you're not a liberal at twenty you have no heart, if you're not a conservative at forty you have no brain." Maybe that was true when he said it.

[darareaksmey]

I'm also disgusted by liberals/left leaners backing down and playing the compromise game. I am admittedly completely disappointed in Obama. He has no backbone and that only serves to make the right-wingers feel more vindicated. I will vote for him in November, but I only because I cannot vote for anyone going against him. In this case, the devil I know is absolutely better than the one I don't know.

[fakepigtails73]

This, eleventy. Obama has turned out to be as much a corporatist as any of the GOP. Sadly, there is noplace else to go. I will vote for Obama because the thought of Rick Santorum waving his hand and magically annulling all legal, binding gay marriages is enough to make me put my head down on the desk and weep.

[Arielkay]

Once again, I am so glad to have found this place. Can I stay here and hide from the craziness out there? Maybe we can form our own compound. ;)

[Austin]

In the (I fricking hope not!) event that Santorum becomes POTUS next Nov., would he be allowed to annull each and every same-sex marriages contracted in the US before he takes office? I could see him banning these unions "from now on" after a Pres. decree or some shyte, but surely he's constitutionnaly prohibited from "de-marrying" people by the stroke of the pen? Is he??

[Sola]

The Tory (conservative) Party here in the UK support gay marriage, abortion, universal healthcare and are against the death penalty. What distinguishes them from the Labour (socialist) party is that they are generally in favour of lower taxes, greater restrictions on immigration and a smaller welfare state.

[emmiedahl]

In the (I fricking hope not!) event that Santorum becomes POTUS next Nov., would he be allowed to annull each and every same-sex marriages contracted in the US before he takes office? I could see him banning these unions "from now on" after a Pres. decree or some shyte, but surely he's constitutionnaly prohibited from "de-marrying" people by the stroke of the pen? Is he??

[meda]

Same sex marriage is already illegal at the federal level

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_of_Marriage_Act

[Sprocket]

So.... it looks like Romney has sealed up the NH primary. Anyone want to place bets (cause I don't see him losing the nomination) as to which ultra-conservative Christian V.P he's going to have to name to offset his record+mormonism?

[Kitty]

So.... it looks like Romney has sealed up the NH primary. Anyone want to place bets (cause I don't see him losing the nomination) as to which ultra-conservative Christian V.P he's going to have to name to offset his record+mormonism?

[Rachel333]

I'm loving that Santorum is back in the rear, where he belongs (tee hee). Only Perry, Bachmann, and "Other" are behind.

[Esther]

I'm from Belgium, and I'd just like to chime in with other Europeans/Canadians on here: the American Democratic party is WAY more right-wing than even our Christian-Democrats, who are considered the most right-leaning, 'mainstream' party. Hell, I'm pretty sure they're more right-wing on some issues than even our fringey, crazy right-wingers. My country has had gay marriage and gay adoption for almost ten years, has had socialized healthcare forever, hasn't executed someone in peacetime since the 1800s, has compulsory sex ed in primary AND high schools and considers abortion a regular medical procedure. Campaigning against abortion, in favor of the death penalty, or against gay marriage would be political suicide - and earn you multiple eyerolls.

Also, I am truly appalled by the kinds of things politicians are allowed to say in campaign ads on television in the US. I guess we just don't have enough 'freedom of speech' here, but that shit would get you fined BIG TIME.

[Angri-la]

Santorum.

[Arielkay]

I hope he picks Santorum or Bachmann, for the guaranteed loss, and fabulous Daily Show/Colbert Report reaction to the ticket.

I am not thrilled with Obama, but I don't blame him entirely- I knew whomever was elected would have a hard time digging us out of the Bush II: The Boy King reign. It does not help that the Red Senate cockblocks many of his attempts at doing anything.

I understand fiscal conservatives to a point, but they are no longer just about that; now they want into our vaginas, bedrooms, and force their brand of Christianity down everyones' throats. If they get their way, and we are deemed a "Christian" country, who is going to designate which flavor? Can you imagine those debates? I do not understand why anyone poor would vote Republican.

In this day and age, with all the corporate contributions, it really is almost like Coke vs Pepsi for the White House.

At lunch today with a peer, we were discussing how much we loathed Reagan in the 80s, but now he looks positively liberal! I find it amazing that the current crop of Republicans are deifying him.

Maybe they like him because he was divorced, and it gives the disgusting Gingrich hope?

He legalized abortion in CA in 1967. pro-choice: check

He allowed immigrants who had established themselves in the US (I believe it was 300,000, too lazy to google): not tough on immigration.

He signed the Brady Bill, which made background checks mandatory for buying guns: Not an NRA gun lover.

He also faced a huge unemployment problem. His solution? Creating 200,000 government jobs: Not for small government!

Oh, yeah, and he raised the payroll taxes to pay for said jobs: TAXES? a REPUBLICAN ::pearl clutch::

I seem to recall he saved medicare and social security as well.

Yeah, totally conservative. And, he was married to Nancy "Just Say No" Reagan, who started the drug war, which has caused untold taxpayer money to incarcerate non-violent drug users. And, I do believe that crack was created and conveniently spread to the "poor housing developments" on his watch. Awesome!

My favorite joke back then was Q: "What do you get when you mix Reagan with a potato?" A: A dick tater.

Scary what a couple of decades does.

:clap:

[freejoytoo]

I agree 100%. Girls aren't getting pregnant young and keeping the baby for benefits...they're doing it because of the attitude of people around them.

[dawn9476]

Santorum could never ever win. You need the women vote to become president. Santorum stances on birth control would alienate way too many women for him to win a general election for President. He would alienate a lot of women who are pro-life and would never have an abortion but still take birth control pills for a wide variety of reasons.

[Gizmola]

'>http://communities.washingtontimes.com/neighborhood/politics-raising-children/2012/jan/11/rick-santorum-defender-fetus-and-planned-parenthoo/

Very interesting article.

[Angri-la]

I am home completely ill, and on my couch watching "All That Heaven Allows", starring Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson. Of course, in my fevered condition, I realize that Reagan and the very gay Rock Hudson both made out with the same woman. This brought me a twist of schadenfreude delight, and reminded me of this thread and my Reagan rant, because, yes, I spend too much time thinking about FJ and I don't intend to seek help.

This message brought to you by cold medicine and the letter G.

[Arielkay]

You crack me up, Agri-La! I wonder about them choosing Bachman, because she's a woman and they might think that would help them - if they are stupid enough to have forgotten about what Palin did to the last campaign. A lot of conservative men are too busy staring at the woman's body to actually listen to her words, no matter how crazy (esp if they are fundy men). Also, she's a teabagger, and those crazies represent a lot of votes. I am thankful to Palin - she did great things for the ratings of SNL, and helped put the final sinking stone in McCain's campaign, thus giving Obama the election. Let's hope Bachmann can do the same.

Except there is the real possibility Repubs could win, in which case, that scares the crap out of me. Then again, ANY of the candidates scare me. I think that's Obama's one main hope for re-election, although he might be better off not subjecting himself to another 4 years. I get people not liking him, but I don't get how many on the rabid Right act like he personally invaded their homes and shat on their carpet or something. The hate is just - mind boggling. I don't get it.

Sorry, massive riffles.

[Daenerys]

I agree 100%. Girls aren't getting pregnant young and keeping the baby for benefits...they're doing it because of the attitude of people around them.

But they are!

My cousin is going to be made homeless soon because her mother has to go into an almshouse. She is single and works on a shop floor. Her own family have actually suggested going out and getting pregnant as a means of getting a house. It's not great, we'd rather she didn't have to do it, but it's better than seeing her on the streets. As a single woman with a full-time job she is otherwise in low priority for housing and it's so high priced in this country she will otherwise be in a hostel of some sort.

The root problem here is actually house prices. Most of the people I know who admit to doing 'baby-for-benefits' are the eldest of a big brood and mum has simply run out of space in her house to keep them. At this point, they are only really qualified to do minimum-wage work, so they are never going to be able to afford to rent a flat of their own even in a terrible area. It's have a baby or go into a hostel. Ironically, many of these girls (in my experience), once they have a house and benefits keeping them, actually get some ambition and go on to train in a decent profession like nursing - university education is pretty affordable here.

[galaxygirl]

So.... it looks like Romney has sealed up the NH primary. Anyone want to place bets (cause I don't see him losing the nomination) as to which ultra-conservative Christian V.P he's going to have to name to offset his record+mormonism?

I heard some speculation about Huckabee on CNN