transfer from Rumors Board - Stevie and Lindsey for Kerry

[jwd]

I love my new home, but it's crazy how different the politics here are. I guess I took for granted what it's like to be in a place where people have the same values that I do.

I've spent summers in the south and, in general, it isn't very welcoming to liberals (no offense, Jason!). If you talk about a Democrat in a positive tone, they look at you as if you're speaking Taiwanese.

Sonia, why in the world did you move to Virginia? Unless you live right outside Washington, that place is like a different planet.

Well I remember that in the not too distant past the South was solidly Democratic and embraced the party. The last two presidents from the Democratic Party were from the South. I wonder what happened? My guess would be is that the party has become too liberal, much in the same way that some might view the Republican Party becoming too "right wing". Maybe it's time to start a party that caters to the moderates of the country. Or is there one already that I don't know about? Libertarian maybe?


Joe

[ERigby818]

Originally posted by CarneVaca
Sonia, why in the world did you move to Virginia? Unless you live right outside Washington, that place is like a different planet.

Hehe...Well, the short answer is I got a great job here and it's by far the best job I've had since graduating from college (3 years ago).

But other than the fact that it is a different planet politcally, the quality of life here is awesome. In Southwestern CT you have to spend loads of money to have the things you can have here for a lot less. I can afford to live almost luxuriously for the same price I was paying for a dump in CT in a crummy suburban neighborhood. I live in a little city now where there's plenty to do (shows, museums, etc) and I can actually afford it. Before I used to go to NYC on the weekends and spend $8 on a beer, and $20 for a stupid cover charge to get into a fun place to dance with my friends. I grew up in NYC and Boston so I'm not one of those people who grows up in a small town thinking "I've gotta get out of here!" I don't plan to be here for more than a couple of years so I'll just enjoy it!

Truly the only thing that I find disturbing here is the right-wing mentality which is often mixed with this weird religious stuff which I don't really understand. I'm NOT talking about your average church-going American Christians. I'm talking about this extremist stuff that seems a little scary, because it comes across as angry. I don't know. I don't get it.

JWD, your last point is interesting. While my personal views are probably way more to the left and liberal than most people in this country (which wasn't so obvious to me till recently), I like to see our federal government be more moderate and more in the middle...that way everyone is more fairly represented. During the Clinton years, most people were pretty happy with how the government was operating and it was doing good business (i.e. balancing the budget, funding higher education programs, helping people get off welfare, providing miltiary deployments where needed, engaging in constructive diplomacy with other nations and creating more legislation to proetct the environment). Corporations didn't have much to complain about because they were rolling in dough from the economic boom. But they paid more in taxes than they do now. Obviously the economy helped a lot and we had no idea how much we needed to better protect ourselves against terrorism. But the federal government in those years was not liberal at all, IMO. I think it was pretty much down the middle, and while not everyone got what they wanted, more people did than do now. Right now it's SO far to the right that a huge part of our country is not being fairly represented or getting what they want. I don't know if Bush stole the election, but if he did, that might have something to do with it! In so many congressional races in the last 4 years the results are so close, and the Repubs have the advantage that their party has more money. Either that or the Democrat candidates aren't getting the message out to enough people. I don't know. But in this election year we have got to change the face of the American government to listen to more Americans from all sides of every political debate and come up with more solutions to problems that more people can live with. This right wing stuff just doesn't work for everyone.

-Sonia

[strandinthewind]

The New York Times today (1/31/04) has a fantastic article regarding the U.S. Intelligence on the Iraqui WMD.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/01/in...agewanted=1&hp

[Rob67]

Originally posted by jwd
BINGO! Rob, have I told you how great it is to have you here posting on the Ledge?!


Joe

Just keeping it real, Joe!

Rob

[darklinensuit]

Originally posted by jwd
Well I remember that in the not too distant past the South was solidly Democratic and embraced the party. The last two presidents from the Democratic Party were from the South. I wonder what happened? My guess would be is that the party has become too liberal, much in the same way that some might view the Republican Party becoming too "right wing".

Joe

A couple of years ago I saw some PBS documentary that claimed that Ronald Reagan was able to break the Democratic allegiance there by beating the Bible more than his predecessors did. He was able to garner the support of the Bible Belters and those who loved talk of a less intrusive and smaller federal government.

- Jake

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by strandinthewind

I maintain that until the last drop of oil is extracted, that will never happen.

Shouldn't be long now...

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by Rob67
Unless you consider the fact that extremist, Muslim-backed terrorism hasn't been in existence for the entire century.

Rob

Really?

[strandinthewind]

Originally posted by gldstwmn
Shouldn't be long now...

There is so much oil there I think it will not be in our lifetimes. Sad - but true.

[Rob67]

Originally posted by gldstwmn
Really?

Yup...at least on a global scale...

Rob

[gldstwmn]

Originally posted by Rob67
Yup...at least on a global scale...

Rob

No. How long has guerilla warfare been around?

[CarneVaca]

Originally posted by gldstwmn
No. How long has guerilla warfare been around?

The origins.... hmmm. Probably a while back. But the colonials sure put it to good use during the War of Independence. The Brits weren't happy about it at all. Although, you gotta question the intelligence of any army that opts to clothe itself with red uniforms.

Eh, what do I know?

[strandinthewind]

Originally posted by CarneVaca
The origins.... hmmm. Probably a while back. But the colonials sure put it to good use during the War of Independence. The Brits weren't happy about it at all. Although, you gotta question the intelligence of any army that opts to clothe itself with red uniforms.

Eh, what do I know?

I know - the Brits were like "these rebels are not playing by the rules of war!!!" To us today, it seems so foreign

[gldstwmn]

327 b.c.- (encountered by)Alexander The Great, in what is now known as Afghanistan.

[CarneVaca]

Darn Greeks!

[gldstwmn]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/...rez/index.html