U.S. Presidential race - Republican Discussion

[Linkedblade]

Anyone else watching PaulFest?

[Grizzly Willy]

Why would we?

[Merkava]

Once the older generations who are die hard in support of this tradition are gone (and these people are already a minority), it will go from useless to non-existant. In some cases that'll happen even sooner. Norway for example is on its way to make it happen anytime now.

As for gay marriage happening in the US in a large scale: I wouldn't be so sure of that as long as the GOP stays the way it is atm.

Thanks for the reply. I think (and hope) your assessment of the way state churches in Europe will become obsolete is the same way gay marriage will become legal throughout the US. Every time it appears on the ballot it gets more and more support.

[Catta]

Thanks for the reply. I think (and hope) your assessment of the way state churches in Europe will become obsolete is the same way gay marriage will become legal throughout the US. Every time it appears on the ballot it gets more and more support.

As i said - there are church taxes - something you do not pay when you arent member of the church. The church, however, has the responsibility for some things in my country which are then transferred to the government again if you arent part of the church and then you are taxed for that instead albeit a smaller amount.

[Spectral]

As i said - there are church taxes - something you do not pay when you arent member of the church. The church, however, has the responsibility for some things in my country which are then transferred to the government again if you arent part of the church and then you are taxed for that instead albeit a smaller amount.

Yeah, that's got to go. There's simply no valid basis for such intimate ties between a government and a religious institution in a modern, presumptively secular, nation.

[Catta]

Yeah, that's got to go. There's simply no valid basis for such intimate ties between a government and a religious institution in a modern, presumptively secular, nation.

Well - its intimately linked to our monarchy. Something that many considers tradition and a defining mark of our country - in our constitution they get their right to rule from the the god of the state religion - without said tie between state and church the monarchy loses its status.

[Spectral]

Well - its intimately linked to our monarchy. Something that many considers tradition and a defining mark of our country - in our constitution they get their right to rule from the the god of the state religion - without said tie between state and church the monarchy loses its status.

As an American, I'm completely unable to relate to the idea of monarchy (particularly theocratic monarchy) being something other than repulsive. I realize it's largely symbolic, but I'm not clear on how an ostensibly democratic country sees monarchy as anything other than a blight on its past.

edit - This isn't supposed to sound like "rah, rah America". I'm intending to communicate my inability to relate.

[zorkuus]

As an American, I'm completely unable to relate to the idea of monarchy (particularly theocratic monarchy) being something other than repulsive. I realize it's largely symbolic, but I'm not clear on how an ostensibly democratic country sees monarchy as anything other than a blight on its past.

edit - This isn't supposed to sound like "rah, rah America". I'm intending to communicate my inability to relate.

It doesn't make much sense to me either but then again I'm from Finland, which is the odd one out in this state religion equation because it doesn't involve a monarchy.

[Catta]

As an American, I'm completely unable to relate to the idea of monarchy (particularly theocratic monarchy) being something other than repulsive. I realize it's largely symbolic, but I'm not clear on how an ostensibly democratic country sees monarchy as anything other than a blight on its past.

edit - This isn't supposed to sound like "rah, rah America". I'm intending to communicate my inability to relate.

We have the world's oldest monarchy (and also the two oldest amusement parks) so its a point of pride for the nation i suppose... Its not like they have any say whatsoever, the British monarchy has much more power and even they do not have much.
Also it apparently makes money for us in the form of tourism and also lending their considerable amount of land to the government for a fraction of the worth of it to sustain the monarchy itself

[Kokolums]

Sure if you want to base on those two elections that aren't similar to this one at all, okay. I'm sure I can go back in history and find a half dozen or more that also match that pattern for both sides lol. It is irrelevant information because:
-Bush/Gore was a race with no incumbent
-Bush/Kerry was a race where the Republican was the incumbent

Those are way bigger factors than "a Democrat was ahead, then fell behind, therefore Obama will lose."

We can also look at the 2008 election. Obama led McCain most of the summer. McCain took a lead in the autumn. It then vaporized as the economy tanked and Palin became unelectable.

We could go back and forth on how these elections are similar or different. But the point I'd rather make is that this pattern has held now for the last FOUR consecutive elections.

1. Democrat has the lead in the summer.
2. Race tightens as we move to the autumn.

[Slammin Shaman]

We can also look at the 2008 election. Obama led McCain most of the summer. McCain took a lead in the autumn. It then vaporized as the economy tanked and Palin became unelectable.

We could go back and forth on how these elections are similar or different. But the point I'd rather make is that this pattern has held now for the last FOUR consecutive elections.

1. Democrat has the lead in the summer.
2. Race tightens as we move to the autumn.

I imagine Obama will take a larger lead once debates start rolling and more of the economic plans for Romney/Ryan come out. Last I looked they didn't release any math for the tax plans, Medicare/Medicaid, or defense budget.

[Shadowmelded]

As an American, I'm completely unable to relate to the idea of monarchy (particularly theocratic monarchy) being something other than repulsive. I realize it's largely symbolic, but I'm not clear on how an ostensibly democratic country sees monarchy as anything other than a blight on its past.

edit - This isn't supposed to sound like "rah, rah America". I'm intending to communicate my inability to relate.

They hold so little power that it's inconsequential. We use it as an excuse to appear patriotic and of course, everyone loves a crazy family to liven up the newspapers and whose births/deaths/marriages generally mean a national holiday. As far as the British Royal Family, they generate faaaaaaar more income for the Government than they recieve (the money they recieve they usually end up paying straight back, thrice over) Also I remember being taught when I lived in Holland that they often exert some pressure when visiting foreign nations that aren't exactly on best terms with their Government, however I never actually saw any examples of that so I'm not too invested in that defense lol.

[Deadvolcanoes]

Whats the RNC doing to keep Ron Paul's name out of nomination???



Why have rules if you are not going to follow them.

[conscript]

Whats the RNC doing to keep Ron Paul's name out of nomination???

Just goes to show how big of a joke Mitt Romney is as a candidate. They need to completely contort every rule they can possibly find to make it look like there is wide support for the guy.

[bergmann620]

Just goes to show how big of a joke Mitt Romney is as a candidate. They need to completely contort every rule they can possibly find to make it look like there is wide support for the guy.

There is wide support for him when you look at the previous standards. The democratic nomination 4 years ago had a much narrower margin.

This is simply the older Republican power base trying to prolong their influence in the face of the mainstream Republican voter shifting more toward the libertarian side of the spectrum.

[Riidii]

Did anyone else see Chris Matthews lose his shit with the GOP chairman?

He got on a soapbox and accused the Republicans of race-baiting in the campaign.

Ya, never heard that one before.

[Deadvolcanoes]

Did anyone else see Chris Matthews lose his shit with the GOP chairman?

He got on a soapbox and accused the Republicans of race-baiting in the campaign.

Ya, never heard that one before.

While I disagree with how Matthews said it, I agree with what he actually said.

Race baiting? Meh, not really. It's more like Muslim-Nationality baiting. And Romney embraced it with his comments.

[Daelak]

Did anyone else see Chris Matthews lose his shit with the GOP chairman?

He got on a soapbox and accused the Republicans of race-baiting in the campaign.

Ya, never heard that one before.

Yea what an unfounded claim against you know the party that wanted segregation and no civil rights for blacks and minorities. What is so hard to understand why blacks, women, and minorities will not vote for the republican party? They are actively trying to restrict the rights of these voting blocs consistently in states, and given their past history, these blocs do not trust them.

[psdew1813]

He got on a soapbox and accused the Republicans of race-baiting in the campaign.

Ya, never heard that one before.

and it wont be the last time. until the GOP stops embracing the racists and bigots within it's tent people are going to think that way. don't like it? then stop supporting them. or at least stop giving them a platform to stand on.

[Merkava]

Yea what an unfounded claim against you know the party that wanted segregation and no civil rights for blacks and minorities. .

The Republican Party is the one that wanted those things? You should check your facts.