America Is a Center-Left Country No Matter How Much the Corporate Media Say Otherwise

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Meaning most Americans are not stuck in the Cold War.

Yep. The Right tried to make this election about ideology and they continue to work that narrative - the American People are Center Right. It's pure bullsh!t, but I suppose that's their best argument after 8 years of failed policies. Too bad the American People didn't buy that line this time around.

My friend, in your first line you prove how "out of touch" you are.

"The Right" was never involved to any great degree in this election.

Do you really think John McCain represented "The RIght"?

I think you are mistakenly reading waaay to much into Obama getting elected.

Yes it means something but not nearly as much as you are hoping.

As for left or right leaning,,, my guess is Center, certainly not center-left... not yet any way.

I'm not delusional about what Obama's victory means other than it dispels the myth that Right Wingers keep thumping their chests about saying that America is Center Right....it's a myth.

What the election says for sure is that on the key issues (health care, the economy, war in Iraq, the environment), the Democratic Ticket was more in step with the American voters. Now I'm not comfortable with labeling one policy necessarily more Right or Left, but for all the fear mongering over Obama's being the 'most liberal Senator' ....the American voters have answered that question. Let's move on now to a more real argument than this ideological fallacy.

I think in maintaining the center right myth, the Republicans are creating a argument that they don't have to change their ideology, instead they need a more charismatic leader and better campaign to take advantage of the internet.

But that's really just a self defeating delusion. If the ideology is no longer attractive, even the best salesman wont be able to sell it. At least not without some serious deception.

I think you hit the nail on the head. As the GOP is regrouping and trying to figure out what to do next, that seems to be the sentiment that I've been reading ....that McCain was just the wrong candidate.

[alienlovechild 75]

Despite blowing a record amount and media bias for Obama (still going after Palin AFTER the election), Obama got a whopping 52% of the popular vote and a marginal increase in the national voter turnout all this with the what is touted as the greatest economic shock (with Dems heavily involved as well) since the Great Depression and 2 wars both over 5 years old and counting. Not much of a mandate for Obama let alone some big shift in ideology.

You need a trend to prove the notion of a leftward tilt and the 2006 victory for the Dems left them with a lower approval rating than for Bush. Voters have no idea where Obamas's crackpot ideas on tax cuts on those 40% who paid no taxes, a vast national healthcare plan to take over 17% of the economy, pulling out of Iraq regardless of conditions and a new plan to to sop the middle class with college tuition (leads to higher tuition hikes in response anyway). The main point is the voters will give you a better assessment of Obama after he has actually accomplished something for the first time in his life of national significance. The guy should wear the Riddler's costume complete with question marks while he's in the White House.

As for the hokey polls:

A poll commissioned by Time Magazine in July, found that a "notable trend is the emerging popularity of environmental regulation as an economic imperative. Stricter pollution limits and tax credits for alternative energy development were supported by 84 percent of all respondents, the highest of any proposal.

Until they see their energy bills and Obama's destruction of the U.S. coal industry.

Increasing the minimum wage, expanding public works projects were nearly as popular, with 83 percent and 82 percent approval respectively."

Until they lose their jobs because employers can't meet payroll- seen the unemployment figures lately?

It must have hurt the Wall Street Journal's editorial staff to report that 62 percent of Americans said "The government should tax the wealthy more."

How many of those dolts know progressive taxation has been around a long time?

The public has had it with the current race-to-the-bottom trade and globalization model, and they voted against those who support it and for those who say they will replace it."

Bye-bye the U.S. export industry and hello to trade wars a la Great Depression.

A poll by Hart Research (PDF) found that voters in 7 crucial battleground states favored the Employee Free Choice Act -- pro-union legislation detested by the corporate right -- by nearly a 3 to 1 margin.

Bye-bye to secret ballots and the union rep has a few words for you.

According to an ABC News/ Washington Post poll conducted in June, Americans, by more than a 2 to one margin, thought "providing health care coverage for all Americans, even if it means raising taxes" was more important than "holding down taxes." According to a May poll by Quinnipiac University, 61 percent of Americans thought it "the government's responsibility to make sure that everyone in the United States has adequate health care," while 35 percent disagreed.

Wait til they get the bill.

Edited November 11, 2008 by alienlovechild

[HAL 9000 96]

I think all the shrieking over socialism says otherwise to be honest.

The people I've met here generally seem to be center-right on most issues (except perhaps for healthcare), though there is an obvious difference in attitude between older and younger generations.

It is the same hoopla over how much tolerance certain neo-cons will have of positions different than theirs. Its the old anything 'left' of them is too far left.

I'm good with center!

HAL 9000 agrees. You can have the best of both sides. Its called balance.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think all the shrieking over socialism says otherwise to be honest.

The people I've met here generally seem to be center-right on most issues (except perhaps for healthcare), though there is an obvious difference in attitude between older and younger generations.

It is the same hoopla over how much tolerance certain neo-cons will have of positions different than theirs. Its the old anything 'left' of them is too far left.

I'm good with center!

HAL 9000 agrees. You can have the best of both sides. Its called balance.

Well the moderate republicans I know (my parents-in-law and a few friends) are in favour of healthcare reform - even if it means government gets involved in it (presumably because they've had more than a few health scares); but at the same time they still buy into the old mythology about the "evils" of socialism as though this is what the Democratic party represents.

All this talk of center-left and center-right is all well and good - but I do find it interesting how otherwise reasonable people call out extremes where there aren't any.

[HAL 9000 96]

Yep. Plus people really need to internalize that this latest round of government bailouts is the most expensive form of socialism ever practiced in this country. People really need to get over their indoctrinated fear of living in a modernized society.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Yep. Plus people really need to internalize that this latest round of government bailouts is the most expensive form of socialism ever practiced in this country. People really need to get over their indoctrinated fear of living in a modernized society.

Agreed - it is ironic that people are shrieking that Obama is somehow going to turn the USA into the USSR while this bailout has been enacted in full public view.

"Change" is scary, it seems.

[mawilson 2,133]

I think you hit the nail on the head. As the GOP is regrouping and trying to figure out what to do next, that seems to be the sentiment that I've been reading ....that McCain was just the wrong candidate.

A recent poll says 64 percent of Republicans want Sarah Palin to run in 2012.

Are they out of their friggin mind? That woman epitomizes everything that is wrong with

the GOP today and the reason the party is in the shitter.

[IAMX 3,055]

This thread is utter fail.

[Niels Bohr 72]

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think you hit the nail on the head. As the GOP is regrouping and trying to figure out what to do next, that seems to be the sentiment that I've been reading ....that McCain was just the wrong candidate.

A recent poll says 64 percent of Republicans want Sarah Palin to run in 2012.

Are they out of their friggin mind? That woman epitomizes everything that is wrong with

the GOP today and the reason the party is in the shitter.

Well they did respond the most favourably to her - from their perspective she was probably the only *genuine* conservative on the ticket.

Still after everything that happened with the TV interviews, the allegations by campaign staffers about her lack of knowledge (and apparently terrible temper) you'd think she'd be dead on her feet for a 2012 run. At the very least - she'll have a lot of work to do to *prove* herself... An uphill battle indeed...

[Danno 1,228]

Meaning most Americans are not stuck in the Cold War.

Yep. The Right tried to make this election about ideology and they continue to work that narrative - the American People are Center Right. It's pure bullsh!t, but I suppose that's their best argument after 8 years of failed policies. Too bad the American People didn't buy that line this time around.

My friend, in your first line you prove how "out of touch" you are.

"The Right" was never involved to any great degree in this election.

Do you really think John McCain represented "The RIght"?

I think you are mistakenly reading waaay to much into Obama getting elected.

Yes it means something but not nearly as much as you are hoping.

As for left or right leaning,,, my guess is Center, certainly not center-left... not yet any way.

When first ran for the nomination, his politics were much more centrist and did not really emphasis with some of the social conservative positions. But over the campaign, his positions move much more to the right in order to placate the most conservative part of the party.

I can't think of any issues that McCain moved Right on during the campaign.

What were some of those issues?

[Dan J 277]

Meaning most Americans are not stuck in the Cold War.

Yep. The Right tried to make this election about ideology and they continue to work that narrative - the American People are Center Right. It's pure bullsh!t, but I suppose that's their best argument after 8 years of failed policies. Too bad the American People didn't buy that line this time around.

My friend, in your first line you prove how "out of touch" you are.

"The Right" was never involved to any great degree in this election.

Do you really think John McCain represented "The RIght"?

I think you are mistakenly reading waaay to much into Obama getting elected.

Yes it means something but not nearly as much as you are hoping.

As for left or right leaning,,, my guess is Center, certainly not center-left... not yet any way.

When first ran for the nomination, his politics were much more centrist and did not really emphasis with some of the social conservative positions. But over the campaign, his positions move much more to the right in order to placate the most conservative part of the party.

I can't think of any issues that McCain moved Right on during the campaign.

What were some of those issues?

Before the campaign, he was against bush tax cuts, attacked the Bush Administration on torture, was rather neutral on social issues (Abortion, gay marriage etc.), and more on the liberal side of environmental issues. This is why the Christian Conservatives in the party really didn't like him.

In order to appease the more conservative members of the party, he moved toward the right on most of those issues over the course of the election. In doing so, he made himself less appealing to those in the center or left.

[Peikko 1,575]

I think you hit the nail on the head. As the GOP is regrouping and trying to figure out what to do next, that seems to be the sentiment that I've been reading ....that McCain was just the wrong candidate.

A recent poll says 64 percent of Republicans want Sarah Palin to run in 2012.

Are they out of their friggin mind? That woman epitomizes everything that is wrong with

the GOP today and the reason the party is in the shitter.

Well they did respond the most favourably to her - from their perspective she was probably the only *genuine* conservative on the ticket.

Still after everything that happened with the TV interviews, the allegations by campaign staffers about her lack of knowledge (and apparently terrible temper) you'd think she'd be dead on her feet for a 2012 run. At the very least - she'll have a lot of work to do to *prove* herself... An uphill battle indeed...

As predicted, the fight is on as to which direction the GOP will go next. The intellectual right or the low right. A great show on NPR about this called The 'Flexible Agression' of the McCain Campaign.

[mawilson 2,133]

As predicted, the fight is on as to which direction the GOP will go next. The intellectual right or the low right. A great show on NPR about this called The 'Flexible Agression' of the McCain Campaign.

I hope they choose the intellectual right. I'd vote for someone like Ron Paul in a heartbeat.

Palin should run with the Plumber in 2012.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I think you hit the nail on the head. As the GOP is regrouping and trying to figure out what to do next, that seems to be the sentiment that I've been reading ....that McCain was just the wrong candidate.

A recent poll says 64 percent of Republicans want Sarah Palin to run in 2012.

Are they out of their friggin mind? That woman epitomizes everything that is wrong with

the GOP today and the reason the party is in the shitter.

She's a pariah for the GOP...another Pat Buchanan. He gained wide support among the same demographics who felt disenchanted or ignored by the Party. But like Buchanan, Palin has said and will continue to say things that will alienate others within the GOP. She doesn't have the charm and easy going nature that GW Bush had shown when he was first running for president.

Edited November 11, 2008 by Mister Fancypants