Comments on: Chuck Hagel: What The Left, The Right, and the Mythical Center Still Doesn’t Get http://www.unodemocrats.com/blog/2007/03/02/chuck-hagel-what-the-left-the-right-and-the-mythical-center-still-doesnt-get/ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:04:33 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: David http://www.unodemocrats.com/blog/2007/03/02/chuck-hagel-what-the-left-the-right-and-the-mythical-center-still-doesnt-get/comment-page-1/#comment-39219 David Tue, 06 Mar 2007 15:57:47 +0000 http://www.unodemocrats.com/blog/2007/03/02/chuck-hagel-what-the-left-the-right-and-the-mythical-center-still-doesnt-get/#comment-39219 The truth about Hagel is he is the Republican who supports the president's policies the most. He supports 95% of Bush's agenda. That's more than McCain, More than Brownback, More than Jeff Session for that matter. HE IS NOT A MODERATE. He speaks out on one issue - Iraq - and never votes to back up his mouth. That makes his a duplicitous conservative. The worst of the worst. The truth about Hagel is he is the Republican who supports the president’s policies the most. He supports 95% of Bush’s agenda. That’s more than McCain, More than Brownback, More than Jeff Session for that matter. HE IS NOT A MODERATE. He speaks out on one issue – Iraq – and never votes to back up his mouth. That makes his a duplicitous conservative. The worst of the worst.

]]> By: dave http://www.unodemocrats.com/blog/2007/03/02/chuck-hagel-what-the-left-the-right-and-the-mythical-center-still-doesnt-get/comment-page-1/#comment-38705 dave Sun, 04 Mar 2007 01:04:04 +0000 http://www.unodemocrats.com/blog/2007/03/02/chuck-hagel-what-the-left-the-right-and-the-mythical-center-still-doesnt-get/#comment-38705 Oh, no doubt there is a center of political opinion. But it's not going to manifest itself in a single candidate - and certainly not in two candidates from different parties. But I think a compelling argument can be made that the Democratic Party is far more representative of America. It is more ideologically diverse, more culturally diverse, more inclusive. The extremist tilt of the Republican Party as of late has made this even more clear. I, too, am incredibly frustrated with the Democratic Party's lack of action, but given a slim majority and varying opinions on what <i>can</i> be done, the unified Republicans can pretty much block any substantive action on the war. My argument isn't that the center doesn't exist. It's simply that mainstream opinion is somewhere in the Democratic Party. Oh, no doubt there is a center of political opinion. But it’s not going to manifest itself in a single candidate – and certainly not in two candidates from different parties. But I think a compelling argument can be made that the Democratic Party is far more representative of America. It is more ideologically diverse, more culturally diverse, more inclusive. The extremist tilt of the Republican Party as of late has made this even more clear. I, too, am incredibly frustrated with the Democratic Party’s lack of action, but given a slim majority and varying opinions on what can be done, the unified Republicans can pretty much block any substantive action on the war.

My argument isn’t that the center doesn’t exist. It’s simply that mainstream opinion is somewhere in the Democratic Party.

]]> By: Abbey http://www.unodemocrats.com/blog/2007/03/02/chuck-hagel-what-the-left-the-right-and-the-mythical-center-still-doesnt-get/comment-page-1/#comment-38700 Abbey Sun, 04 Mar 2007 00:35:36 +0000 http://www.unodemocrats.com/blog/2007/03/02/chuck-hagel-what-the-left-the-right-and-the-mythical-center-still-doesnt-get/#comment-38700 "There are clear differences between the Democratic and Republican Parties, and they can’t be resolved by creating an artificial center." Clear differences between the political parties? Sometimes I have a hard time seeing that. The republicans have become a party of extremes, often of extreme exclusion. If they don't follow the party line, they cannot have any sort of influence in the new republican party. But is it worse in the eyes of the generally non politically-involved public to exclude a lot of people and have a machine that seems to pump out a clear message, or to have a party that attempts to appease so many that it has no real unity, message, or guts to do what is right? Cut the idealist crap. I'm not saying that I think having a mixed ticket is a good idea. But there is a real center out there, and they are not being served by either power. The way I see it, the Democrats have tried, but have not stopped arguing amongst themselves about relatively minor issues long enough to have any kind of effectiveness. Everyday I find myself increasingly frustrated with the democratic party and their political impotence when it counts. “There are clear differences between the Democratic and Republican Parties, and they can’t be resolved by creating an artificial center.”

Clear differences between the political parties? Sometimes I have a hard time seeing that. The republicans have become a party of extremes, often of extreme exclusion. If they don’t follow the party line, they cannot have any sort of influence in the new republican party.

But is it worse in the eyes of the generally non politically-involved public to exclude a lot of people and have a machine that seems to pump out a clear message, or to have a party that attempts to appease so many that it has no real unity, message, or guts to do what is right?

Cut the idealist crap.

I’m not saying that I think having a mixed ticket is a good idea. But there is a real center out there, and they are not being served by either power. The way I see it, the Democrats have tried, but have not stopped arguing amongst themselves about relatively minor issues long enough to have any kind of effectiveness. Everyday I find myself increasingly frustrated with the democratic party and their political impotence when it counts.

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