hahahahahahahahahaha!

“It may be argued that the United States has no nationwide conservative or liberal parties but instead only two fluctuating, all-inclusive coalitions. Both the Democrat and Republican coalitions have included interest groups labelled conservative—for example, segregationists among southern Democrats, such Republican offshoots as the local New York Conservative Party, and religious fundamentalists of both parties. On a journalistic level the word conservative has been used loosely for a segment of the Republican party associated with Sen. Barry Goldwater and Pres. Ronald Reagan.”

If I had to define liberalism, I’d say that it is pragmatic in its views but it is based in a hostility to concentrations of power that threaten the freedom of the individual and prevent him from realizing his potentialities and a willingness to re-examine and reconstruct social institutions in the light of new needs.

Aside from the last part of the above, I believe that ‘conservatives’ could accept the first part. It is the methods that differ, not necessarily the goals.

As to what a “moderate” is… a member of either party (or in fact any group) who eschews emotionalism and firebrand radicalism for contemplation, discussion, and compromise.

V.L.R.B!!

Any port in a storm, I guess.

Back on the topic, how about open primary system? Or is the GOP too chicken to allow freedom of choice?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my post and respond.

You make me feel that my posts are not in vain!

Hank

Well, I’m sure that by today’s standards Eisenhower would appear to be a ‘moderate’. He was a great American from a different time. It would be hard to classify him in today’s terms as a liberal or conservative. However, although he is considered by some to have been ‘middle-of-the-road’ he was definitely a liberal politician!

Let’s look at some of his major accomplishments as president:

Supreme Court appointments – He had the opportunity to appoint five justices to the Supreme Court. As a result of his appointments the Court pretty much took a turn so far to the left that it will take several more GWB’s to get it right. Earl Warren’s court is responsible for one of the biggest shifts to the left in the history of the court and America!

Foreign Policy – Well, where to start? Atoms for peace? Liberal! His solution for the Korean War? Liberal! His solution was a truce that is costing us 25 to 30 billion dollars a year to this day. Over fifty years since he left office! LIBERAL! His foreign policies were the foundation of the thirty-year cold war!

Domestic Policy – Well, here is where he may have done one of the greatest things in his whole presidency! He founded the Interstate Defense Highway system. The federal government took over the highway system! Now don’t get me wrong, I think the Interstate highway system is a great accomplishment! But, federal gasoline taxes? We have to have federal approval for an exit ramp to make shopping at Town West more convenient! Taking highway decisions from the states and giving them to the federal government? Liberal!

I could go on, I don’t want to belabor the point, but Eisenhower was politically a liberal. I think he was a great general and great American. But he came along at a time when this country was embroiled in a war in Southeast Asia at a time this country was fed up with war. His solutions were liberal.

I say all of this with the understanding that he also came along at a time when conservative and liberal weren’t dirty words.Hank

It’s too bad he’s not still alive. I’d love to see him chew up and spit out this snot-puke of a president.

I deg to biffer with that statement, Hank. Eisenhower was a two-term Republican who opposed the use of the atomic bomb on Japan, warned of the “military-industrial complex” (woah, baby, was THAT on target!), and didn’t pander to (Joe) McCarthism.

I would vote for Eisenhower in a minute over Kerry.

Well, if you redefine liberal as ‘anyone that self-described conservatives don’t like,’ then I guess McCain is a liberal. But it strains credulity to see someone who defines himself as ‘pro-life’ and who supports the teaching of intelligent design as a ‘liberal.’

As for your indirect slam against the NYT, presumably for their ‘liberal’ bias, please. Their holding on to the wiretapping story in order not to harm Bush’s re-election bid discredits THAT particular right-wing talking point, methinks. I thnk they rightly categorize McCain as a moderate REPUBLICAN.

Nice reminder there, mrcontroversy

Of course McCain is a liberal! As a liberal running for president he tries to position himself ‘in-the-center’ politically, but he is a liberal.

His do nothing anti-torture bill (the terrorists protection act); his incredibly unconstituional campaign finace reform bill with Senator Fiengold (the incumbant protection act); and other peices of left-wing legislation that he supports put him firmly on the liberal side.

And finally, the greatest piece of evidence of all that McCain is a liberal is that the NYT refers to him as a moderate republican!

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Hank

‘McCain is a liberal’? Am I the only one who thinks that discussion of America’s political spectrum has gotten, well, a little unhinged since the Texas oil fascists set up shop in the White House?

Mark my words though – I suspect you will have a very difficult time at that stage as so many people vote straight party tickets. For example, if you were the Dem candidate in heavily Rep 94th District I would probably vote for you – but you would still lose 2-1 in a partisan vote.

So, what exactly is a moderate? Well, the liberal political definition used in the mainstream press is a republican that votes with the democrats and panders to the media for face time. John McCain is a prime example.

Now any democrat that isn’t a conservative is a ‘moderate’ you see, there is no liberal democrats in the medias opinion.

Let’s review a list of the great moderates in history, shall we? …….oops, there are none!

The problem with being in the middle politicaly, is that your postion is dependent on the position of the extremes of each side of the debate. I’d rather enter the arena and participate on my own terms.

I’m sorry Phillip, despite the left leaning editorial page of the NYT McCain is a liberal. As a liberal he has no chance of ever getting the nomination of the Republican Party, let alone ever being president.

Hank

Call me idealistic, but I still believe in the old-fashioned notion of changing people’s minds.