The Power Of The Grassroots

Very Interesting.

I laughed at Ron Paul right along with the rest of them, but question for everyone?  The candidates wining GOP nominations, are they sounding closer to Paul or closer to Romney?  What is amazing about this documentary is how fake and plastic so many of our 2008 GOP candidates were . . . how shallow and vapid they were.  No wonder we got clobbered.  I have to say that the GOP could be moving away from the neocon faction towards the old classical conservative right now but who knows.

Comments

[Tomas Pantero]

Chris,
Do us all a favor and define what you describe as a "neocon" faction on one side and a "classic conservative" side one the other.

After you define your terms, then maybe a meaningful discussion can take place.

[Chris]

I consider much of the Bush crowd to be neocons - a willingness to use American power overseas through interventions to implement democracy and western values. Its not something I'm altogether against - I've read Naton Sharansky. But Paul and his non-interventionist, Robert Taft-style foreign policy is not something that should be laughed at or ignored. I think too much we've allowed ourselves to believe that our actions overseas for the last five decades have nothing to do with why they hate us. I'm not saying we are wrong, but we can't just sloganeer saying they hate us because we are free and leave it at that.

That's basically what I'm saying.

There are something parts of our foreign policy that is untouchable in my opinion - like out support for Israel. That should be something that never changes.

[Another Chris]

Actually, Chris, Paul's foreign policy is one of the main things makes him a joke. It's naive to the point of being dangerous. To us and to the world.

[Chris]

Yeah I'm not totally on board to be honest but he brings up issues like blowback that aren't given enough consideration.

[PWConservative]

I'm not crazy over his foreign policy (with the exception of eliminating foreign aid), but he's dead on when it comes to domestic policy. The Fed should be eliminated, though not for the exact reasons that his supporters have communicated to me.

[The Northern Virginia Conservative]

Robert Taft should be the model for every conservative. Mike Huckabee should be the example to run away from.

[local gop]

we got clobbered in 2008 for 1 reason...GWB. the dems could have run mickey mouse and he would have won. 2008 had nothing to do with john mccain being moderate.

[Uncle Ben]

2008 had everything to do with McCain being a weak candidate, running a terrible campaign, and being a moderate.

But, Mickey Mouse did run and he did win.

[Dan Dravot]

Actually, a Metrosexual Mouse ran and won. But, he got his tail caught in a trap while trying to steal the cheese. The only way to escape is by throwing all the other mice under the bus. Eventually, the other mice will throw Metro-Mouse under bus. A real life fractured fairy tale.

[Chris]

kyle, you can't be the naieve. Bush didn't help but McCain a deeply flawed candidate and his campaign was chaotic. He was the first Republican to lose Virginia since Barry Goldwater - and he lost North Carolina and Indiana as well - Bush had a part in it but McCain has to own his own performance as well. Every Republican who started running in 2007 knew how unpopular Republicans were and they have two years to figure it out.

[local gop]

well i didnt say mccain ran a stellar campaign, it was not run well. we could have nominated the most conservative of the most conservative, and he/she could have run the most perfect campaign ever, obama would still have won. elections are like the economy, very cyclical.

dont forget the simple fact that obama did so well by driving out black voters, it might not be the PC thing to say, but its true. look at the precinct numbers in black areas of the commonwealth and you will see record margins. that's how he managed to squeak out a win in VA and NC.

as for indiana, obama had a huge cross over appeal to independents, mccain did not.

yes, mccain was a bad candidate, but bush was the overarching reason. notice the obama (frankly one of the most perfect campaigns in recent memory) campaign's chief strategy was to tie mccain and bush together. obama ran against bush, mccain was just the stool pigeon.

[Lesslie P]

Chris,
You did accurately describe local. She's certainly naive. An immature narcissist as well.

[local gop]

leslie,
obviously you dont know anything about me because if you did you would know that i am not a 'she'. that is unless you are passively trying to insult me, which would not be the first time frankly.

if you disagree with me, then please prove me wrong. but character assassination is useless.

[Lesslie P]

OK, I guess he's a naive guy.

[Jackson P]

Lesslie,
Don't worry, I thought local gop was a girl for the longest time. When I was in college, lots of girls wrote like that. Maybe its a metro thing.

[Another Chris]

Wait? There was a McCain campaign? Damn! I must have missed that day.

[local gop]

i guess character assassination is the MO for most of those who leave comments. still no substance, leslie.

[Kevin R Schilling]

I see a few references to how "we" got clobered in 2008. I dont know about you, but I am not part of the "we", I have not considered myself a republican for a long time. I am a conservative. The republicans are no more conservative than the democrats these days. The real reason why "we" (republicans) got clobered in 2008 is too many ignorant voters. I dont mean that as an insult, it is the fact. Too many voters dont know who or what they are voting for and are too lazy to do some research.
Too many voters are also looking for the government hand outs. And the more people who are voting like this the more trouble this country is in. This is one reason why I feel if you are on government assistance (welfare) your voting privileges should be suspended. Let's face it, what incentive do they have to get off of welfare?

[The Only Abnormal One Here]

The reason the United States is hated is that we are the world's hegemon. We are powerful and prosperous. It is envy and a convenient scapegoat for all forms of blame because the world imagines that we are powerful enough to solve all ills and only CHOOSE not to.

The George W Bush's of the world are tempted to believe we're hated because we're such great people or because of our values. That's ridiculous. It might be true in the case of some of the loony toons in Al Qaeda, but for most people in the world, that is most certainly not the source of their hatred for America.

The Ron Pauls or the liberals are tempted to believe that we are hated for our actions in the world. This is only ancilarry to the real reason for the world's dislike.

We are not hated for exercising our power nearly as much as we are hated for having it in the first place.

Across the world, people are looking for someone to blame for the troubles of their lives. Whether the United States ACTS and they can blame the outcomes on our ACTION or the United States FAILS to act and they can blame our indifference for their troubles, we will ALWAYS receive the blame so long as our power is perceived to be so great that we could do better.

We could do as Ron Paul suggests and sit on our hands and allow the world to burn... and they would simply hate us even more for our callous indifference.

[local gop]

Kevin,
Welfare, or TANF, has a 5 year cap and 80% of recipients are off within 2 years. next talking point.

[Washington Bob]

Just what is that creepazoid blabbering about? Was local was the stuff that splattered my windshield? Next talking point.

[Kevin R Schilling]

local gop
It's not the people who are off with in 2 years I am talking about. That is what it is supposed to be for. As far as a five year cap, I know people who have been on government assistance for 15 years. We have generations who grow up on welfare. 5 year cap? Sure. Give me some other made up number on the "next talking point"

[local gop]

heres a link. any more questions on TANF see here: http://www.nlsa.us/legal_information/benefits/pb4_tanf.htm

oh and it explains the 5 year limit. there may be a few that find loop holes and ways around the 5 year limit, and there may be a few that abuse the system. but that will happen no matter what the system is or how fool proof it is designed to be.

but asserting that everyone on welfare is a lazy baby making machine that just doesnt want to work is nothing but ignorance.

[P. Carnehan]

the real problem with government is fruitcakes like local. he quotes crap like TANF and thinks it means something. how about a limit on fecalheads like local. jeez, what a freakazoid. where do toads like that come from?

[local gop]

here in lies the problem with the right wing fringe, all personal, no substance. if you have a problem with what i say, then offer something useful and contribute to the discussion. IMHO people like 'p. carnehan' and 'lesslie p' are no different or better than those liberals that call everyone that opposes the president a racist. same crap different label.

TANF has a 5 year cap, simple as that. sorry that you cant seem to accept that, but its true. i offer proof, you offer personal insults.