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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 4:34 pm
  

ArloNetizen

Joined: Apr 04, 2007
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Republican Party Descends Rapidly Into Moral Insanity

By David Atkins | Sourced from Hullabaloo
July 6, 2012

The New York Times covers a Pew poll with some data about polarization:

Since 1980 Republicans have moved much, much farther to the right. Democrats have also moved to the right on economic issues, but have moved somewhat to the left on social issues. Meanwhile, Democrats are much more in line with the public on core issues, while Republicans play very well on the public's racism. Of course, there's a problem with Pew creates a caricature of the liberal argument, postulating that Democrats want to go into more debt to help "the poor." On the contrary. The People's Budget balances the budget, while austerity measures are doomed to make the economy worse, decreasing tax revenue and increasing the deficit. Progressive Democrats want to close the deficit by clawing back some of the wealth essentially stolen by the richest 1%, and using it to help both the poor and the middle class, thus reinvigorating the economy while reducing unemployment and closing the deficit.

That side, though, here's the shocking bit, straight from the Pew Poll's analysis itself:

Just 40% of Republicans agree that “It is the responsibility of the government to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves,” down 18 points since 2007. In three surveys during the George W. Bush administration, no fewer than half of Republicans said the government had a responsibility to care for those unable to care for themselves. In 1987, during the Ronald Reagan’s second term, 62% expressed this view.

In just five years, the percentage of Republicans who say the government should take care of people who can't take care of themselves has dwindled by 18 percentage points. That's no minor shift. That is a political party in the throes of a descent into moral madness.

The complete piece is at:

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/ar ... _insanity/


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 5:43 pm
  

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Who could disagree? Barack is good at compensating for it. If he's in 4 more years the pugs will have to relate further back to undo the changes.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 12:53 pm
  

ArloNetizen

Joined: Apr 04, 2007
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DrCharbonneau wrote:
Who could disagree? Barack is good at compensating for it. If he's in 4 more years the pugs will have to relate further back to undo the changes.


I think we're about to witness an internecine war in the Republican Party. The base is unhappy with Romney for being a pseudo-conservative, and others in the party see the whole campaign imploding right before their eyes with the Bain debacle. Some are already talking about 2016.


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PostPosted: Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:06 pm
  

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You know, of course, once you go black you can never go back... Bet the 2016 pug is afro or oriental American.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 8:19 am
  

Arlo Fanatic

Joined: Jul 17, 2010
Posts: 1375
annie wrote:
Republican Party Descends Rapidly Into Moral Insanity

By David Atkins | Sourced from Hullabaloo
July 6, 2012

The New York Times covers a Pew poll with some data about polarization:

Since 1980 Republicans have moved much, much farther to the right. Democrats have also moved to the right on economic issues, but have moved somewhat to the left on social issues. Meanwhile, Democrats are much more in line with the public on core issues, while Republicans play very well on the public's racism. Of course, there's a problem with Pew creates a caricature of the liberal argument, postulating that Democrats want to go into more debt to help "the poor." On the contrary. The People's Budget balances the budget, while austerity measures are doomed to make the economy worse, decreasing tax revenue and increasing the deficit. Progressive Democrats want to close the deficit by clawing back some of the wealth essentially stolen by the richest 1%, and using it to help both the poor and the middle class, thus reinvigorating the economy while reducing unemployment and closing the deficit.

That side, though, here's the shocking bit, straight from the Pew Poll's analysis itself:

Just 40% of Republicans agree that “It is the responsibility of the government to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves,” down 18 points since 2007. In three surveys during the George W. Bush administration, no fewer than half of Republicans said the government had a responsibility to care for those unable to care for themselves. In 1987, during the Ronald Reagan’s second term, 62% expressed this view.

In just five years, the percentage of Republicans who say the government should take care of people who can't take care of themselves has dwindled by 18 percentage points. That's no minor shift. That is a political party in the throes of a descent into moral madness.

The complete piece is at:

http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/ar ... _insanity/


I didn't see the poll but I bet the way it was presented and worded drove the outcome.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:53 pm
  

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DrCharbonneau wrote:
You know, of course, once you go black you can never go back... Bet the 2016 pug is afro or oriental American.


That's a weird thing to say.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 7:54 am
  

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Seems weird to think of it as weird. It's probably right on.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 8:35 am
  

Arlo Fanatic

Joined: Jul 17, 2010
Posts: 1375
annie wrote:
Republican Party Descends Rapidly Into Moral Insanity


Just 40% of Republicans agree that “It is the responsibility of the government to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves,” down 18 points since 2007.


I mean that line right there is easy to misconstrue and it can turn normal people into Tea Party loonies!


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:39 pm
  

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heraclitis wrote:
annie wrote:
Republican Party Descends Rapidly Into Moral Insanity


Just 40% of Republicans agree that “It is the responsibility of the government to take care of people who can’t take care of themselves,” down 18 points since 2007.


I mean that line right there is easy to misconstrue and it can turn normal people into Tea Party loonies!


Yeah, and wouldn't it be a wonderful world if the same process could work in reverse........!!!


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 19, 2012 6:46 pm
  

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Don't hold your breath.


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