http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/201...oo-extreme

I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking this; 53 percent of the nation agrees with me. The president's approval rating is higher than his Republican counterparts and more people think the Republicans need to be willing to compromise on the fiscal cliff deal than think the Dems need to compromise.

The big question for the Republican party is, are they going to listen to these stats and use them to become a more mainstream political party or are they going to stay in their echo chamber and get even more extreme?

(December 20, 2012 at 7:35 pm)TaraJo Wrote: The big question for the Republican party is, are they going to listen to these stats and use them to become a more mainstream political party or are they going to stay in their echo chamber and get even more extreme?

I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count.

they will have to become more moderate and make consecions, even if it means for them to sacrifice a high ranking member of their party.

If you drive over the fiscal cliff you will ruin the world economy.

(December 20, 2012 at 7:40 pm)The_Germans_are_coming Wrote: they will have to become more moderate and make consecions, even if it means for them to sacrifice a high ranking member of their party.

If you drive over the fiscal cliff you will ruin the world economy.

The republican party is a party solely for rich white men who either inherited their money or made their money in dodgy ways that did not enrich the society. They would rather the world go down in flames than said rich white man be prevented from contributing even less to the welfare of the society. That is their sole principle and only cause.

Everything else, abortion, defence, christian fundamentalistm, immigration, etc, etc, are just crass ploys to draft idiots of America to unwittingly serve their real cause.

(December 20, 2012 at 7:38 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote:

(December 20, 2012 at 7:35 pm)TaraJo Wrote: The big question for the Republican party is, are they going to listen to these stats and use them to become a more mainstream political party or are they going to stay in their echo chamber and get even more extreme?

I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count.

That being the case, if they refuse to become more moderate they're going to become too extreme for mainstream America, they're going to be replaced with 'something.' Guess the question then becomes 'what will they be replaced with?'

Personally, I'm hoping the party falls into more of a libertarian mindset. The best known Republican style Libertarian is Ron Paul; as much as there is that I disagree with Ron Paul about, at least I can respect him.

(December 20, 2012 at 7:58 pm)TaraJo Wrote: as much as there is that I disagree with Ron Paul about, at least I can respect him.

I can't. Other republican still have the redeeming quality of being sincerely unscrupulous. Ron Paul lacks even that.

(December 20, 2012 at 7:38 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote:

(December 20, 2012 at 7:35 pm)TaraJo Wrote: The big question for the Republican party is, are they going to listen to these stats and use them to become a more mainstream political party or are they going to stay in their echo chamber and get even more extreme?

I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count.

Prediction - in 2016 the race will be between a semi-moderate republican who is fully owned by the corporate interests and pays lip-service to the lessons of 2012 without actually changing any of the insane policies behind them, and a right-wing psycho like Rick Santorum who is also fully owned by corporate interests and who will be as big a dickhead as any of the 9 lumps of shit who opposed Romney.

My money is on the dickhead.

(December 20, 2012 at 7:58 pm)TaraJo Wrote: That being the case, if they refuse to become more moderate they're going to become too extreme for mainstream America, they're going to be replaced with 'something.'

I'm not convinced that "mainstream America" means much of anything. What "mainstream" looks like is going to be fundamentally different if you're in Seattle vs. Topeka. However, I get what you mean - as far as what's going to replace it, I have no idea, but I do suspect it will get worse before it gets better.

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(December 20, 2012 at 8:02 pm)Minimalist Wrote: My money is on the dickhead.

Yeah, but which one?

(December 20, 2012 at 7:57 pm)Chuck Wrote: The republican party is a party solely for rich white men who either inherited their money or made their money in dodgy ways that did not enrich the society. They would rather the world go down in flames than said rich white man be prevented from contributing even less to the welfare of the society. That is their sole principle and only cause.

Everything else, abortion, defence, christian fundamentalistm, immigration, etc, etc, are just crass ploys to draft idiots of America to unwittingly serve their real cause.

So would it be correct to say that this mob of people which insures that they are elected now dominate the political positions of the party?

Have the insane taken over the asylum?

Because if you drive over the fiscal cliff and the economy goes to shit again, I am pritty sure that some wealthy people will be far less wealthy than they have been before.

(December 20, 2012 at 8:09 pm)The_Germans_are_coming Wrote: Have the insane taken over the asylum?

Yes.