Steve Benson for February 12, 2010

It would be funny if the R’s could actually stomp him out like that, juxtaposed with him saying “I don’t quit”…alas, the R’s are nowhere near as powerful as these comics make them…it’s more like the American people who are letting him know what they think…Guess the implications of Scott Brown taking Teddy Kennedy’s “seat” (!) haven’t really sunk in.

“Guess the implications of Scott Brown taking Teddy Kennedy’s “seat” (!) haven’t really sunk in.”

Polls of Massachusetts show that they actually want him to work with Obama on Health Care. Many Massachusetts people have that government mandated health care so many claim is “terrible.” Brown also threw the “Tea Party” under the bus the first chance he got. There’s an awful lot of misinformation going around. He and the Dems are the victims of not getting their message out and controlling it and letting Republicans spam the airwaves with lies and fear-mongering. For instance, this notion that Obama has “shut the Republicans out for the past year” as mentioned when Republicans whined about Obama’s conference being a “trap…?” The Health care bills contain all of the Republican ideas that they demanded —– and then claimed they were against. People should get out and read information, and not let it get spoonfed to them by a single network.

Effort and gall. You don’t give up and you don’t quit!

HOW - To repeat my point that you never answer, in fact I ask this question of all the Far Right and Conservative posters:

The following are the facts: The GOP was in power for 8 years, during that time we were attacked by terrorist, we started two wars (one with a nation that suppressed terrorist and had nothing to do with 9/11), government became larger and much more involved in our daily lives, the nation debt went through the ceiling, we borrowed billions and billions from China, the economy collapsed, millions of Americans lost their jobs, their homes, and their health care.

If this had happened when a Democrat was President and there was a Democrat Congress you would be screaming that they all be thrown out of office and that the Democratic Party be disbanded and banned.

Yet with the GOP you not only don’t want us to bring this up or blame them, you want us to let them back into power!

I can only ask WHY?

Right. Thank you.

Ken–WHY?

One of the reasons, and certainly not the only reason, is that “We The People” want to treat politics like a team sport. People want to feel like they are rooting for the winning team. And just like you will see people becoming rabid and manic about their team–the Red Sox, the Blue Devils, the ‘Boys, the Lake Show (Oh yeah… that’s LA. No one gets rabid about sports in LA)–they want their political team to win at all costs, even if they cheat (look at all of the people who have justified their winning team’s use of steroids or the Pats filming their opponents play calling) by lying to the public (both sides do it).

And the media does not help. What is the difference between Around the Horn and Glen Beck or Keith Oberman? They need tension to get ratings–even if they have to force the issue and fabricate it. Listening to moderates give thoughtful, relatively unbiased analysis of current situations is not sexy. But it is informative (and helps me develop empathy for people who do not think like me–something that a lot of people who post here should learn to do).

“We the People” need to realize that “We” are on the same team and if we do not, we have the capacity to destroy ourselves because we would rather clench our fists than reach out our hands to those we disagree with.

actual meeting was reversed with professor bho lecturing

Unfortunately, most Republicans cannot stand anyone else having a hand in making decisions, believe a few spokesmen for the party without question and follow those few though it leads us down a path we’ve been before, bigger debt, a shrinking middle class, growing poverty and a poorer healthcare system. Give me a single payer system without CEOs and large companies taking the bulk of my insurance dollars.

@Justice22 - “Socialist.” How dare you try to force your successful Massachusetts and Hawaiian systems on the rest of us!

Ken Warren, while I would contend with some of your statements, in general, the question is valid. And the answer is quite simple…George Bush did not govern or lead like a fiscal conservative. He has always been a moderate (like his Dad) who catered to the conservatives when it was time to campaign, but threw them under the bus when he had established his power. The examples are numerous, but for instance, one can look at the difference between Reagan (desired to shut down the Dept. of Education) versus No-Child-Left-Behind, a bipartisan mandate in conjunction with Teddy Kennedy. When those of you on the Left complain about the ills of the Republicans, many of us conservatives will agree to a certain extent. That does not, however, point the way to the Left as a better alternative. The Left is a more accelerated rate of national suicide than the Republicans. Comprende?

“When those of you on the Left complain about the ills of the Republicans, many of us conservatives will agree to a certain extent. That does not, however, point the way to the Left as a better alternative.”

HabaneroBuck supports my point…

“The Left is a more accelerated rate of national suicide than the Republicans. Comprende?”

and then takes it one step further to prove it.

@CourageCD, The biggest steps toward suicide are: the National Debt and unemployment. Look at who had power when we’ve gotten our highest unemployment and gained the greatest amount of debt. Reagan and GW Bush. Sadly both had Democrats voting for their policies.

@Jade, Sorry.

@Habenero, There was a lot of difference between George W and his father. He tried to emulate Reagan whereas his father disputed Reagan’s principles and really was fiscally conservative. Look at what GW did to the hundreds of $Billions surplus he inherited.

Ken, your questions will not be answered because:

They are rhetorical, deserving no recognition;

You lack the capacity to comprehend simple facts, as your mind is chocked with anti-Republican vitriol.

@ petergrt, you are mistaken. The purpose of the rhetorical question (otherwise known as a Socratic question) IS to engage the other person in dialogue for the purpose of coming to THE Truth. Thus, according to Plato, your concession becomes an admission of Ken’s truth.

Rhetoric lives.

unemployment was 4% when the DEMs became the majority in ‘06……but they don’t own the problem they share it….they all must go

@ Magnaut, Better check your figures again. 4% hasn’t been seen for some time. As they are now discovering, the system for reporting unemployment figures is flawed and has been for several years.

The Republicans had a voice for 6 years, ran up our national debt by over 4 trillion dollars, sent our jobs out of the country, got us into two wars, only one of which was justified, burst the housing bubble, started the new depression and di nothing for the average family. They have had a big voice in the Senate. All it says is, “NO!”.

“A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply”.

“The Socratic Method (or Method of Elenchus or Socratic Debate), named after the Classical Greek philosopher Socrates, is a form of inquiry and debate between individuals with opposing viewpoints based on asking and answering questions to stimulate rational thinking and to illuminate ideas.[1] It is a dialectical method, often involving an oppositional discussion in which the defense of one point of view is pitted against the defense of another; one participant may lead another to contradict him or herself in some way, strengthening the inquirer’s own point.”

DrC – no, I don’t think petergrt did say that. He quoted it, but without a reference.