In a perfect world, with Bush’s polls in the toilet and the country realizing he, the religious right and the fascistic neocons took them for a ride, any normal, sane opposition would be working like crazy to capitalize on all of this. Instead, we live in this world where we’ve got these guys.
The Three Stooges – Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Howard Dean
According to the latest CBS News poll, George W. Bush’s approval rating hit a personal worst of 34 percent in February, making him the most unpopular president since Nixon during Watergate. Thanks to the Abramoff scandal, confidence in the Republican-run Congress is only two points higher. Such numbers naturally provoke Democratic fantasies about doing in 2006 what Republicans did in 1994, taking both houses in a historic sweep. Conditions seem ripe in many ways. But Democrats do not have a charismatic schemer like Newt Gingrich to lead the way. Instead, they have Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Howard Dean.
Since assuming their positions, the three of them have shown themselves to be somewhere between useless and disastrous as party leaders. Individually, they lack substance and policy smarts (Pelosi); coherence and force (Reid); and steadiness and mainstream appeal (Dean). Collectively, they convey an image of liberal elitism, disarray, and crabbiness.
Comment for Mike Voice:
No the majority of abortions are not Democratic, just a slight percentage are; that compounded by time, and with population factors built in – over time like the last 30 years – it eventually affects the outcome/balance of the population.
Chris Vaughn
http://chrisvaughn.org
Third party anyone? Seeing as our choices are bad on one hand and worse on the other, I cant see what harm can come from a bit of non-fanboy thinking.
I think both parties are in serious trouble. Actually, the majority of US citizens are.
It’s so ironic that the HINGE platform of death (literally and figuratively) for the Democratic Party will be the consequences of abortion to their future voters.
Chris Vaughn
60% of adults do not support the Supreme Court overturning Roe. http://www.pollingreport.com/abortion.htm
So contrary to being an issue for the neo-cons, I see it as hurting them. People were so upset that the neo-con Republicans made such a big deal out of the Terri Schaivo case that it will be easy to brand them as the radicals they are. To continue to keep Republicans and their religious fanatic handlers in power is only to invite more intervention into our personal lives.
The challenge for the Democrats will be to demonstrate the combination of the DMCA, Patriot Act, NSA spying on Americans, the need to show picture ID to vote, the allowing of large data companies to sell information about you, and Homeland Insecurity’s “don’t fly list” has intruded into American’s personal lives.
You don’t own your life anymore. Some data company under contract to the Department of Defense owns it. You don’t control your life, The Moral Majority controls it. You don’t control what you eat. Monsanto has food.
It is the American People who are at risk with ineffective leadership.
But like Winston Churchill said (paraphrase), “In a Democracy, people get what they deserve.”
Chris Vaughn
http://chrisvaughn.org
Chris,
How about GOVERNMENT STATISTICS
The Center for Disease Control
Results: A total of 854,122 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC for 2002 from 49 reporting areas, representing a 0.1% increase from the 853,485 legal induced abortions reported by the same 49 reporting areas for 2001. The abortion ratio, … remained relatively constant during 1997—2002.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5407a1.htm
The Alan Guttmacher Institute is a biased Pro-Choice mouth piece. So if you are going to dismiss other’s statistics as biased, better check the validity of your own.
It seems that since I quoted facts (the studies on the Democratic voter base being affected by their belief in abortion)
Ok, where are the facts. Can you quote some unbiased source. However, if you go back to your first comment you said:
It’s so ironic that the HINGE platform of death (literally and figuratively) for the Democratic Party will be the consequences of abortion to their future voters. They can’t vote if they aren’t born.
What studies? It sounds like you are a Rush Limbaugh wannabe.
Having done talk radio years back, I’m still bewildered by someone who calls you names, attacks, and then spews out foolish nonsense without factual basis.
Evidently you must be a liberal leftist, since you act like… ooopps, someone is calling people names. …Pelosi, Reid, & Dean? They don’t like people with hard facts either. Care to back that up?
If Democrats want to win, now is the time for a Presidential candidate to come forward advocating socialized health care. This is the most common issue among people. Iraq or other foreign affairs won’t matter. Americans pocket books will be what matters.
The majority of people have felt the pain of a medical problem. Half of personal bankruptcies are because of medical bills. Drug prices are out of control. The US spend twice as much of GDP then any other country for health care and receives less in return.
Let the Republicans commit themselves to opposing it. Then counter with the arguments of who pays for all those Republican fund raisers. Who spends the most lobbying on Capitol Hill. Let the Republicans be seen as favoring big business over the people.
Newt Gingrich had his “Contract With America”. The Democrats need a Contract with Americans”.
What has really hurt us is the way that the 2 major parties have worked to ensure that a two party system endures. They co opted the debates, and they have worked to set up legal barriers that make it close to impossible for third parties to run effectively.
Both the D’s and the R’s treat the Bill of Rights as a buffet. They only take what they like. They are both parties of big government and coercion.
Mr. Fusion,
I never dismissed anyone else’s reported stats… he didn’t give anyone, just an unbiased, unbased claim.
Let’s take your opinions apart layer, by sliver…
CDC stats back to 73 would approximate out to about 1 MIL/year of abortions in the US. The stats you gave, (and I also used) put the number around 850,000 per year. That being said, that’s only 1.5 mil in ten years down, and still not comparable to how many have died in Iraq. The stats I pulled were from the Alan Guttmacher Institute and they are probably a pro-choice leaning think-tank; but then again, most people only quote studies from people who support their position, and flame those institutions as “pro-choice” when they don’t support someone’s position. I actually posted in my origional stat (“In the US according to the CDC, there are on average 1 to 1.5 million abortions every year”) which is an average of CDC stats.
My main point of correlation on the studies of the “Roe Effect to Democratic Voters”, comes from a Wall Street Journal http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110005277 and is from June 2004. While it isn’t scientific, I do believe that the basis of hypothesis is correct. That belief is debatable, but mine none the less. Why someone would want to distinguish their party’s future voter base is beyond me, but I’m not trying to live someone else’s life for them. Only mine.
Fusion, Fusion, Fusion. Why name call me a Rush Limbaugh wannabe. Did you ever hear my show, or know of my politics? Even so, Rush at the time was the name he is now… or the name he thinks he is either. The only reason I threw out the “liberal-leftist” name was fun, and just desserts for the post I was replying to. As is the case for most, people often flame up, when they feel their sect/group is being attacked.
BTW, socialize health care is and always has been a utopian dream that never materializes. There are better answers that need to be searched out…. like the Canadians do when it comes to medical surgeries.
One more thing to Chuck! Great post man! The two-tiered party system in the US really chokes out other voices of input. A Libertarian friend years back became a Republican (AFTER YEARS!). I asked him why… “As a candidate, I can’t raise money to run as a third party candidate.” That’s sad!
Great debate guys! No name calling! Except for Dvorak!
Chris Vaughn
http://chrisvaughn.org
It’s late and I can’t sleep so one more thing…
You want to stimulate the voters of America!
$1.00/gallon of gas!!!!
That would tilt the wheels of favor! Please don’t preach to me about the mechanical marvels of the gas-hybrid….oooohhhhhh 37 miles to a gallon… ALMOST 40. I got that with a 73 Toyota I had in College. It didn’t have air, a great stereo, GPS, air bags, etc…. but when your 20 who needs that crap!
Chris Vaughn
http://chrisvaughn.org
Chris,
Ouch – I’m hurt. I’m going to cry now.
You are correct i didn’t check my figures. Indeed the number of abortions in 10 years exceeds the number of deaths in Iraq.
How about we just compare the number of abortions from 2003 to 2006 to the number of deaths in Iraq? Still a culture of “life”?
Sounds
While I think your numbers might be a little out of wack you did raise a great point. To refine it however, an abortion is an induced miscarriage. Easily done and not illegal. Iraq civilians are collateral damage. Easily overlooked but not illegal.
I actually posted in my origional stat (”In the US according to the CDC, there are on average 1 to 1.5 million abortions every year”) which is an average of CDC stats.
Where did you cite the CDC saying 1.5 million? You claim the CDC stated that. However, if you check out the actual CDC figures, they are substantially less. How about 850,000 reported abortions / yr.
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5407a1.htm
but since most people will never actually check stats they induced to making false claims. (Actually 54.5% of quoted statistics are false…. and that one is too
OK, I get it now. If YOU don’t agree, then the statistics are bogus, but it is fine for you to pop any off the top of your head without backing them up.
“Roe Effect to Democratic Voters”, comes from a Wall Street Journal http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110005277
An opinion piece in a neo-con slanted rag. But you did admit it was slanted. Your error is using opinion to back up a factual claim. It won’t work. Even if you believe it deep down in your heart.
Why name call me a Rush Limbaugh wannabe.
Here is why.
I actually have very little compassion for people like you, who condescend upon other people because of their beliefs. Evidently you must be a liberal leftist, since you act like Pelosi, Reid, & Dean? They don’t like people with hard facts either. Did you ever hear my show, or know of my politics?
Your statements either give you away or you are in drag, which I doubt.