Some questions for Republicans

[MzDeviancy]

In the spirit of understanding, I have a few questions for the Republicans of the AH. No, they're not rhetorical, I'm-just-asking-so-I-can-tell-you-you're-stupid type questions. I genuinely would like to understand the Republican perspective.

So, here they are:

Why have I heard the refrain "Bill Clinton is the worst president in US history" so many times? It seemed like he did a lot of good things for the US economically.

If you believe in gay rights, how do you reconcile that with your party's attitude toward homosexuals?

How much of a problem do you believe illegal immigrants are and why?

The US has some of the lowest income taxes of OECD nations; thoughts? Has this benefited you, or would you be willing to pay higher taxes in return for certain programs?

Is it any version of universal healthcare you're opposed to, or something in particular with Obama's plan?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

There is no Republican perspective on anything. The GOP is as hot to squeeze taxes from citizens as the Democrats are. Many GOP leaders were once Democrats.

 

[PoppingTom]

So you're not a Rep ?

Or don't mind anything the GOP does ?

 

[Bobby_3111]

In the spirit of understanding, I have a few questions for the Republicans of the AH. No, they're not rhetorical, I'm-just-asking-so-I-can-tell-you-you're-stupid type questions. I genuinely would like to understand the Republican perspective.

So, here they are:

Why have I heard the refrain "Bill Clinton is the worst president in US history" so many times? It seemed like he did a lot of good things for the US economically.

If you believe in gay rights, how do you reconcile that with your party's attitude toward homosexuals?

How much of a problem do you believe illegal immigrants are and why?

The US has some of the lowest income taxes of OECD nations; thoughts? Has this benefited you, or would you be willing to pay higher taxes in return for certain programs?

Is it any version of universal healthcare you're opposed to, or something in particular with Obama's plan?

Sounds like a witch hunt to me /shrug

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

No, I'm not GOP; I'm Independent. I was a Democrat till Clinton was elected.

 

[bronzeage]

Sounds like a witch hunt to me /shrug

It's a fair list of questions. A list of provocative questions could be written for Democrats.

Any political party will have internal conflicts which may appear hypocritical to an outside observer.

There are some people who believe the government has no power to interfere in any action which is motivated by religious belief. They may want to educate their children at home or turn to prayer for treatment of leukemia. To them, it is the same thing. These same people demand that the government interfere in the life of someone who wants to have an abortion. They do not see a conflict.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Of course its a witch hunt. The Usual Suspects are bored.

 

[MzDeviancy]

Sounds like a witch hunt to me /shrug

Nope. Just wanted to hear some individual perspectives rather than the GOP platform or wingnut blog posts. I've seen some reasonable right-wingers post here from time to time - obviously I'm not talking about Amicus or JBJ - and I was hoping to hear what they had to say.

 

[PoppingTom]

No, I'm not GOP; I'm Independent. I was a Democrat till Clinton was elected.

What's so bad on Clinton ? I always thought he was the most GOP friendly Dem president....


...oh, let me guess: he was receiving a blowjob, instead of you.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

What's so bad on Clinton ? I always thought he was the most GOP friendly Dem president....


...oh, let me guess: he was receiving a blowjob, instead of you.

No, lemme guess; youre a bored Brown-shirt?

 

[PoppingTom]

No, lemme guess; youre a bored Brown-shirt?

No, I'm not bored, I just don't understand your decisions, like I don't understand the Republican hysteria about the "atomic blowjob". But there may be good and honorable reasons for that most embarrassing moment of America. But what?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

PT

'Republican' is a political brand; its not organized around principles, its organized to enrich its clients and elites.

 

[bronzeage]

No, I'm not bored, I just don't understand your decisions, like I don't understand the Republican hysteria about the "atomic blowjob". But there may be good and honorable reasons for that most embarrassing moment of America. But what?

That was hardly our most embarrassing moment. Probably doesn't make the top 10.

 

[Liar]

Why have I heard the refrain "Bill Clinton is the worst president in US history" so many times? It seemed like he did a lot of good things for the US economically.

Not sure I've heard that one. There are a bunch of right wing people lately nominating Obama for Worst Ever, with the explanation that he's "even worse than Carter".

Not sure what the criteria are though. So eh.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

In the spirit of understanding, I have a few questions for the Republicans of the AH. No, they're not rhetorical, I'm-just-asking-so-I-can-tell-you-you're-stupid type questions. I genuinely would like to understand the Republican perspective.

So, here they are:

Why have I heard the refrain "Bill Clinton is the worst president in US history" so many times? It seemed like he did a lot of good things for the US economically.

If you believe in gay rights, how do you reconcile that with your party's attitude toward homosexuals?

How much of a problem do you believe illegal immigrants are and why?

The US has some of the lowest income taxes of OECD nations; thoughts? Has this benefited you, or would you be willing to pay higher taxes in return for certain programs?

Is it any version of universal healthcare you're opposed to, or something in particular with Obama's plan?

Not everyone who claims to be a conservative is Republican. The Republican platform in the past two decades has eroded to the point it is really more centrist than right except for their stand on gay rights.

I myself am a Libertarian but not a strict Libertarian. There are planks in the GOP platform that I agree with and planks in the Libertarian platform that I disagree with. I do happen to disagree with more planks in the DEM platform than any other out there.

As far as Clinton goes I personally don't think he's the worst, but fairly close to it. His problem was he got caught with his fingers..er...cigar in the cookie jar and tried to lie his way out of it and got caught again. And again. And again.

 

[midwestyankee]

<snip>
As far as Clinton goes I personally don't think he's the worst, but fairly close to it. His problem was he got caught with his fingers..er...cigar in the cookie jar and tried to lie his way out of it and got caught again. And again. And again.

Seems to me that when people ask the question, "Who was the best/worst President," they're asking about how well the various men who have held the job have governed. The problem you cited had nothing to do with the quality of his governance.

 

[Stella_Omega]

So far, no actual reps or conservatives have answered, only jimmyb trying to throw gas on the fire as usual. But mizdeviancy did make it clear that she did not want to flame anybody. Nor do I.
Zeb, you answered one question, up to a point; but your answer raised more questions;

As far as Clinton goes I personally don't think he's the worst, but fairly close to it. His problem was he got caught with his fingers..er...cigar in the cookie jar and tried to lie his way out of it and got caught again. And again. And again.

Which cookie jar?
What was the second time he got caught?
What was the third time?
What was the fourth?

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

No one wants to play your dum game. Its a fool's errand cuz it wont change anything...and you wont get it.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Regardless of jimmyblowjob's kerosene, the OP is sincere.

 

[TE999]

Talk about lousy presidents, Harry Truman gutted the military after WWII, then got us tangled up in SEATO with the end result that our guys had to fight the NKPA armed with new Russian weaponry (courtesy of the ChiComs) with obsolete equipment. Korea almost became like Viet Nam except we didn't run but halfway that time.

 

[stephen55]

Being Canadian and not really understanding much about politics on either side of the border, all I can say is that Dubya was the most fun to watch....

 

[sr71plt]

That was hardly our most embarrassing moment. Probably doesn't make the top 10.

Although it's a pretty tame one in the face of what some thinking/research should come up with, the most amusing embarassing Democratic Party moment I can think of off hand was the TV coverage of a Democratic convention where Julian Bond was being nominated for president in the background while a TV interviewer was informing him in the foreground that he wasn't old enough to run for president. The look on his face and on the handlers around him was priceless--obviously none of them knew.

 

[midwestyankee]

Being Canadian and not really understanding much about politics on either side of the border, all I can say is that Dubya was the most fun to watch....

Gawker! Everybody loves a train wreck.

 

[midwestyankee]

Although it's a pretty tame one in the face of what some thinking/research should come up with, the most amusing embarassing Democratic Party moment I can think of off hand was the TV coverage of a Democratic convention where Julian Bond was being nominated for president in the background while a TV interviewer was informing him in the foreground that he wasn't old enough to run for president. The look on his face and on the handlers around him was priceless--obviously none of them knew.

I'd be willing to nominate almost any private conversation involving Lyndon Johnson. This is a typical example.

 

[Darkniciad]

Why have I heard the refrain "Bill Clinton is the worst president in US history" so many times? It seemed like he did a lot of good things for the US economically.

You can pretty much instantly change anyone's tune about that statement with two words. Jimmy Carter. They'll still complain about Clinton, but that worst president ever thing loses all steam when you present them with Jimmy. I personally give Carter props for brokering peace between Egypt and Israel, and only had a few beefs with Clinton. 'Course, I'm neither a Republican or even all that far right, especially on the social side. Then again, I may as well be Rush Limbaugh around here

If you believe in gay rights, how do you reconcile that with your party's attitude toward homosexuals?

The same way you reconcile your personal beliefs with any attempt to herd people into demographics. Once you put more than a couple of people in one place, at least one of them is going to believe in something outside your common ground that you either disagree with, or completely nauseates you. Anyone who has more than a couple of firing synapses can't agree completely with any "platform'.

How much of a problem do you believe illegal immigrants are and why?

It's a big problem. It's a drain on the economy. The half-assed enforcement puts who knows how many people trying to cross the border at risk of life and limb every day...

You know what, this one is way too broad in comparison to the rest of the list, so I'm just leaving that there.

The US has some of the lowest income taxes of OECD nations; thoughts? Has this benefited you, or would you be willing to pay higher taxes in return for certain programs?

How about salvaging the ones we have now first? That would make it feel a little less like throwing money down a rat hole. The population of this country makes most of the models and comparisons available pretty much irrelevant. We have states with populations the same size as first world countries. Most of the problems should be taken care of at a state level where it's potentially manageable.

Is it any version of universal healthcare you're opposed to, or something in particular with Obama's plan?

Several particulars of Obama's plan, and the overall inviability of it. In general, I think a nationwide program of this nature is simply beyond the scope of manageability.