Quote:
Originally Posted by Rohirrim
The difference is you need a leader who can fight. I know it's annoying that I keep going back to TR, but he had that kind of leadership. He went out and pled the case to the American people, over and over again, until they realized he was right. Not only that. He was one of the smartest people to ever occupy the WH. So, why was he a progressive?
This is why I gave up on the Dems. They have lost the ability to fight. They have moderated their positions so much over time in order to hold office that they ended up standing for nothing. Like Lincoln said, "Give the American people the facts and the country will be safe." TR was never afraid to do that. The modern politician triangulates himself right out of his beliefs.
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I'm more cynical about it than you. Most people don't think their positions through clearly; they don't work out their philosophies to their logical conclusions. People want to have their cake and eat it, too. They want programs like Social Security, Medicare, etc, but if you try to raise their taxes so you can afford to pay for those programs, they howl that you're a pinko commie. In fact, they want you to lower them further AND still keep their beloved programs in tact. The right loves to trot out polls showing that people want smaller government, but the reality is that what people mean by that is "keep my taxes low, and get rid of things I don't like or use." That's why when the GOP candidates are asked about what they would cut, they mention stuff like Planned Parenthood and PBS, which are a pittance relative to the budget. It's the "Keep your government hands off my Medicare" mentality. It doesn't have anything to do with leadership. That's just where the zeitgeist sits right now, and you aren't going to make it shift in one fell swoop.