Ron Paul's final speech in Congress

[billt]

There is no way I could listen to that guy for 48 minutes. I've heard too much from him already. The Republican Party is full of losers. He's one of the biggest.

[Rastus]

Congress isn't  a government service one aspires to. It is a DESTINATION feeding trough of wealth, privilege, and arrogance that is worth anything to reach.

A great observation.

That's only because Republicans and libertarians are a bunch of deluded assholes.
They have the stupid idea that politics is about "morals", "Principals" and other irrelevant crap.
It's about POWER.
And until the Conservatives learn that they will continue to be losers.

I disagree with part concerning morals & principals, but I think maybe we're saying the same thing, that politics in a free and responsible nation really is about morals, principals, etc.  However, preaching morals and principals will not get someone elected and we can all agree/disagree about why that is largely true today.  But I do believe in a nation that we would love and in fact parts of which some of us do remember from our youth, morals and principals were an important part.

[tombogan03884]

A great observation.

I disagree with part concerning morals & principals, but I think maybe we're saying the same thing, that politics in a free and responsible nation really is about morals, principals, etc.  However, preaching morals and principals will not get someone elected and we can all agree/disagree about why that is largely true today.  But I do believe in a nation that we would love and in fact parts of which some of us do remember from our youth, morals and principals were an important part.

The basic mechanics of exercising power as laid out by Saul Alinsky will work regardless of spiritual belief, or lack there of.
"God" has no more place place in governing a nation than he does in repairing a car.
Principals also have no place in a purely mechanistic exercise of power beyond framing the objective .
Is your aim the benefit of the nation, or the enrichment of you and your cronies.
Until the "Right" wakes up to the fact that "politics" is no different than any other form of engineering, answering to specific rules and formula they will not even deserve to win.
The asinine belief in an "educated, thinking electorate" is as stupid as a civil engineer  believing that bridges and buildings stay up because they want to.

[billt]

I have to go along with Tom here. He's right down to the bone. The Republicans have to let abortion and religion, among other things, out of their platform. They are going to have to learn from their mistakes of pushing pro life, like the Democrats did about pushing gun control. It's all risk and no reward. Neither has a place in a political platform unless you want to lose elections directly because of it. They need to stop trying to set a moral tone and let people decide for themselves.

Once you try to take choice off the table, it is going to work against you politically. Regardless if it's the choice of owning a gun, or the choice of getting an abortion. The Republicans need to realize that. It took the Democrats up until they had it shoved down their throats after the 1994 elections, and lost both Houses due to reaction by people after the passing of the Assault Weapons Ban by just 2 votes, before they relaxed their unwinnable position on gun control.

 The Republicans have now lost 2 major Presidential elections to the biggest idiot ever elected in Presidential history. The dems did it by demonizing the Republicans, and creating a fictitious "War On Women", and make wealth evil and the people who possess it "out of touch" with "normal people". All the Republicans did was feed them all the ammo they needed. Once you convince women that someone is picking on them, regardless if it's imagined or not, you're done for. Romney didn't help with his "47%" remark either. The electorate has shifted in favor of government dependence, rather than self reliance. You will never be able to convince someone to work for something they think they're entitled to. Again, regardless if it's bull$h!t or not. They believe it, and that's all that matters. The Republicans have a lot of work to do. If it wasn't for the self reliant rural counties in this country, they would have lost the House as well.

[tombogan03884]

Neither party should have a "social policy".
That is not their job and none of their business.
The party that comes out and says "We don't give a crap what you do, our job is making sure the country is employment friendly and defended." will be the party that will start winning elections.

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