Main Points on the Political Continuum

[Bob]

The Democrats are equally guilty. For example, everytime a Republican utters the words reform social security the Dems start their mailouts and drumbeating. The result is no one is willing to touch one of the major pieces in our fiscal nightmare. 50 years from now I would imagine our grandchildren will view our failure to fix social security as the worst failure of our time.

if only that were true. i remember romney brining up the very issue at a debate[reagan library]. the reaction from fellow repubs was total silence. entitlement trimming or tax hikes to bolster the programs will not be addressed until we have no choice.

 

[Bob]

Caution noted. My intent was not to knock Ivy League schools only, it was to point out that you could attend a "second rate" or as Bob so succinctly and elitistly put it, "public university" and still be well known and succeed in life. (Back to the original thread content)

[ame=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elite]Elite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia[/ame] Educational elite
Main article: Academic elitism
Students of the ?cole Polytechnique an elite institution that has provided generals, scientists, engineers, civil servants, industrialists and politicians in the service of the French state.

Elites are educated to govern. While common public education is often designed to educate the general population to produce knowledgeable and skilled citizens, the elite approach to education is often presented at a more intellectual and demanding level, and is geared to produce leaders of a sort. It can be idealized as an education geared to producing an individual capable of thinking at an intellectual level more advanced than the general population, consisting of diverse philosophical ideals and theories in order to enable the elite to logically evaluate situations.

.....arguing against placing an academically elite individual in a position of power is the refuge of an uneducated person....gosh darn it

 

[idlewind]

I am not disagreeing that each party has made a contribution to the situation.

The main difference I am seeing is that in the case of Social Security that you bring up, most of the members of the Democratic Party sincerely agree with the position the Party leaders take.

In the case of Family Values or Roe v Wade, it is primarily used as a wedge issue; while many people who are members of the Republican Party believe in strong family values and have strong, valid, sincere beliefs about choice and abortion...most of the political operatives and the leadership of the Party do not-- but, they have chosen to use it because it works for them...there is a hypocritical element to the campaigns. There is a "win at all costs" theme running through their campaigns...it is about power and control and whatever it takes to get there.
The Democrats are also about power and control, but have not been as hypocritical in their grasp for power according to the research I have done. Some of the members of the Party would say to the detriment of the Party and its members--especially about Health Care.

(Obviously, I am biased because I am a Democrat, but I like to think I can also be objective about the processes most of the time)

I am not saying that this kind of thing does not happen in both major parties. just look at John Edwards--but, that is an individual case--not a whole party position. In the last 20 years I have found it curious that so many poor, white southerners have voted with the Republican Party for policies and positions that actually have harmed them! so, I began to look for an explanation for it.

It is interesting to me to delve into the campaign strategies and decisions and see what really has occurred.

I just wish more people were better informed about how things work and why. So many get turned off by politics and feel they want no part of the entire process, but there is no way to avoid politics in our society, and if we leave it to the political operatives and the party leaders, then we all suffer IMO.

I had a conversation with Florida's former Senator Bob Graham recently. He has established the Graham Center for Civic Education at the University of Florida with the goal of educating students from grade school to college and people everywhere about citizenship. After 38 years as a public servant he knows a thing or two about how government works and should work and each citizens' role in that process. He is attempting to bring Civics Education back to the classroom.

I recommend his latest book to anyone who wants to learn more, or wants the students to know more about what responsibilities we as American citizens have for our government and some ways that we can affect outcomes of political movements.

America - The Owners Manual by Bob Graham with Chris Hand.

(Note to Andy--My former boss is a Harvard man, so beware )

You will notice I said the D's were EQUALLY at fault. I do not think we will see any real progress on the issues that haunt us until the majority see that BOTH parties have failed. Many Republicans are already there and the Tea Party movement is a result of conservatives who no longer trust the R's to represent them. I think Obama may do to the Democrats the same thing Bush did to the Republicans. I know breaking away from tradition will be messy but we can make no progress with both parties the way they are currently structured.

 

[30ashopper]

I am not saying that this kind of thing does not happen in both major parties. just look at John Edwards--but, that is an individual case--not a whole party position. In the last 20 years I have found it curious that so many poor, white southerners have voted with the Republican Party for policies and positions that actually have harmed them! so, I began to look for an explanation for it.

I don't think the republican party represents policies that "harm" poor white southerners. Where on earth did you get that idea? Are you talking about things like entitlements, earned income tax credits and the like?

 

[idlewind]

I don't think the republican party represents policies that "harm" poor white southerners. Where on earth did you get that idea? Are you talking about things like entitlements, earned income tax credits and the like?

Thanks for catching that, you hear it so much from Democrats that you forget to challenge it.

The big disappointment is that for the last 10 years BOTH parties have done harm to the poor of all races and localities. It really started with NAFTA and has grown progressively worse.

The bigger disappointment is that BOTH parties are proposing even more damaging policies for the future.