Why the future looks so bleak for the GOP
As I mentioned yesterday, as of mid-December some 53 percent of Americans perceived the Republican Party as too extremist, a record-high number that had jumped 17 percentage points in the two years since the GOP took control of the House in the 2010 mid-terms.
Given what has happened in the three weeks since that CNN poll was released — the GOP House rejected John Boehner’s fiscal-cliff plan as too moderate, and it refused to even vote on an emergency aid package for New York and New Jersey — that number has only risen.
In fact, the party is caught in a long-term downward spiral that will prove difficult if not impossible to escape.
Look at the top issues likely to dominate the 113th Congress: immigration reform, gun control, and the debt ceiling. On each of those high-profile issues, the Republican Party finds itself trapped defending a strongly held but distinctly minority point of view.
In November exit polls, for example, 65 percent of American voters said that illegal immigrants ought to be offered an avenue to legal status. To put it mildly, that is not a position that Republicans can easily reconcile with their base. And in a recent Gallup poll, 58 percent of Americans said they backed stronger gun-control laws; just 6 percent wanted less stringent gun laws, which is the default position of many in the GOP.
The debt-ceiling optics are even worse. The GOP plan is to confront President Obama with two brutal choices: Make serious cuts in Medicare and other entitlements, or Republicans will force the country to default on its debt. Maybe it’s just me, but if you’re trying to shuck a reputation as extremist, that’s not exactly the course I would recommend. As I’ve noted before, even Republican voters oppose Medicare cuts by an overwhelming margin. Yet somehow Republican politicians have convinced themselves that this is a battle that they must fight and can win.
And of course, the group that will continue to define the Republican brand in all these fights will be the House GOP caucus, a group that is considerably more conservative and yes, extremist, than the country at large. It’s not hard to understand why.
Take Georgia’s Republican House members as an example. All eight of them voted against the fiscal-cliff solution that President Obama signed into law yesterday. And all eight are likely to toe the hard-right line on immigration, gun control and the debt ceiling. And the truth is that based on their own narrow self-interest, they’d be fools to do otherwise.
Thanks to gerrymandering, a political evil in which both parties indulge, three of the eight are in such strong GOP districts that no Democrat even bothered to run against them last November. The five who did draw Democratic opposition won re-election by an average margin of 40 percentage points. So none of the eight has anything to gain personally by becoming more moderate.
That brings us to the ultimate question: How can the Republican Party shed its reputation as extremist on the national stage when most of those who create that reputation — the members of the House GOP caucus — have every incentive as individuals to continue on their present course?
I confess I’m stumped by that one.
– Jay Bookman
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823 comments Add your comment
Thulsa Doom
January 3rd, 2013
3:03 pm
“Take a look at the photos from the Republican National Convention in Tampa last summer. You will see about the same percentage of non-white faces that you would at a Klan gathering.”
Yeah, kind of like the stands at a Nebraska football game…
HAHAHAHAHA.
Or at an NBA game in Portland…
Doggone/GA
January 3rd, 2013
3:04 pm
“He got what he deserved and it couldn’t of happened to a nicer guy…………..”
Or, as I prefer to say: He got what he deserved and it WOULDN’T of happened to a nicer guy…………..
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:04 pm
Doom:
Yepper I r o n y !
DannyX
January 3rd, 2013
3:04 pm
“Does the “New Republican Bible” differ from the KJV in actual wording or in the interpretation and selective versus some will apply to others but avoid for themselves?”
TBS, I think they did a whole new re-write. They took out things like divorce and remarriage laws, and public prayer.
They edited also… “Poor people, go, sell your Obamaphone and give the proceeds to the rich and the job creators, and you will have treasure in heaven, we promise, it will trickle up into heaven.”
That Black Guy
January 3rd, 2013
3:05 pm
Paul
January 3rd, 2013
12:15 pm
Is it just how I’m reading these comment or is it really true that conservatives on the blog will divert to anything – Vietnam, abortion, gun control, – to avoid discussing the topic Jay laid out?
Seems to me Jay hit the nail on the head and some people can’t discuss it because their ears are ringing.
__________________________
Paul, go to Kyle’s page and witness the same thing from the left. The topic is tax avoidance by those on the left who clamor for higher taxes on the “rich”, paying your “fair share”, ect.
Gun control, Bush’s spending, abortion, muslims are all they want to talk about. NOT the topic: Tax avoidance on the left.
2013 same as 2012.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:07 pm
williebkind — “Nope, they have not!”
Yes, they most certainly have, your ignorance of them notwithstanding.
Peadawg
January 3rd, 2013
3:07 pm
“Republicans are not worried about what you do in a bedroom.”
Prove it. Stop discriminating against 2 consenting adults who want to get married. Quit being a glorified peeping-tom. It’s creepy.
AU Liberal in ATL
January 3rd, 2013
3:07 pm
There’s nothing new here. This is exactly what the republicans have been doing for 25 years. Why it’s taken that long for their crap to fill up the septic tank I’m not sure, but it’s finally full and they’re about to slip below the surface. Maybe F. Sinkwich will come to the rescue with his scooper.
Towncrier
January 3rd, 2013
3:08 pm
“Willie & CC: You just made my point. CC said that the GOP does not focus on social issues, then applauds Willie for standing up for “our core beliefs.” Which one is it? Are social issues a core belief (focus), or not?”
Part of the GOP is comprised of so-called “social conservatives” who DO focus on social issues. I vote Republican most of the time, but consider myself simply a conservative. I can’t honestly say I would vote Republican most of the time if it weren’t simply on social issues. I don’t think anyone has a “corner” on economics or how robust our military ought to be.
“Why do you feel it is necessary for the government to tell you what you can or can’t do? ”
It already does, in many ways. Surely you know that. It is all about line drawing. You just want to draw the line in a different place then me. That’s fine. Just admit it.
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:08 pm
Did some progressive liberal just throw in the race card? How many minorities that profess conservatism did the liberals NOT attack……crickets……chirp……wind blowing…..
Thulsa Doom
January 3rd, 2013
3:09 pm
“The GOP is run by insane people for insane objectives.”
Allow me to pull out my liberal gobbledeegook translation book.
Translation- Only insane people expect a limited govt and only insane people expect the govt to live within its means.
josef
January 3rd, 2013
3:09 pm
All’s I can say is I wish my bedroom was half as exciting as some folks seem to think it is.
Towncrier
January 3rd, 2013
3:09 pm
“I
R
O
N
Y”
What happened to “boom”, TD?
rightwingextreme
January 3rd, 2013
3:10 pm
Stevie Ray
January 3rd, 2013
1:22 pm
Towncrier
January 3rd, 2013
12:28 pm
Bible, heaven and hell…are you kidding me? The religious arrogance not founded in fact spewed by folks like you is sickening. Why is it that your metaphysical garbage is superior to any other? Christianity has done the world geometrically more bad than good. The bad is quite easily and credibly evidenced while the good is….well mystical…charities are good but the good pales in compare with a history of retarding mankind. Nothing is more selfish than missionaries who have killed more overtime by disease than improving life via some gospel…
Sorry, I respect anyones right to religious views but to insert them as a legitimate political variable is where i get all worked up…
man, you’ve got some serious re-reading of history that needs to be done. if you think christianity has done more harm than good, i suggest you head over to the continent of africa where muslims are killing all non-believers/non-converts in a number of countries just because they aren’t muslim.
JamVet
January 3rd, 2013
3:10 pm
Nebraska’s 4.82% black population is probably four times the percentage at the Republican NATIONAL convention, betty.
Which is damn funny to me…
GT
January 3rd, 2013
3:11 pm
I loved that movie Lincoln. The south leaves the nation, damn lucky to get back in and then makes part of their negotiations in rejoining the union, which has thoroughly defeated them that the southern slave owning states can vote on rescinding the 13th amendment. What is it in our nature that we think we are so moral and righteous that we should get special treatment, grace others are not entitled to, till this day? In those days we held humans in bondage and thought ourselves superior, today we operate the same minority superiority as if we, who are least to lead, if IQ is a measure, if morality is a measure, want to tell the nation how it is done. The prodigal son that expects three home comings a day, pay for Katrina not Sandy, pork barrel air force bases, prisons and Federal buildings. You could write this stuff no one would believe it.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:11 pm
williebkind — “Doom: Yepper I r o n y !”
I love how narrow and shallow forged an alliance here.
moonbat betty
January 3rd, 2013
3:11 pm
“Translation- Only insane people expect a limited govt and only insane people expect the govt to live within its means.”
.
Lee Harvey, you are a madman. When you stole that cow, and your friend tried to make it with the cow. I want to party with you, cowboy. ~Stripes
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
January 3rd, 2013
3:12 pm
Does the future look bleak for THE SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS! ?
getalife
January 3rd, 2013
3:12 pm
josef,
Thinking back, he was the only black kid at that school .
After that first year, everybody accepted him after we beat them up.
For a problem child, I did pretty good.
Your post triggered a lot of memories.
Thanks.
That Black Guy
January 3rd, 2013
3:13 pm
Jm
January 3rd, 2013
12:22 pm
John Lewis didn’t even vote on the fiscal cliff
______________________________
His wife just died you f’n dog fluffer.
You are part of the reason I’m no longer a conservative. I feel dirty thinking that we may have shared the same views.
FDA
Peter
January 3rd, 2013
3:13 pm
And Roe V Wade is pro-death. There’s no arguing that Oblama is for baby killing. Here’s proof…
Yup and republican’s are for killing innocent victims….. the Iraq War is your proof.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:13 pm
Towncrier — “Some people here suppose I am merely attacking the act of abortion rather than the advocacy of it. The two are inseparable, in my mind.”
Well, thanks for clarifying that and admitting it.
You *had* claimed that you were attacking only advocacy, not the act itself. Now you’re admitting that you’re attacking both, so that’s something, I suppose.
robert goulet
January 3rd, 2013
3:13 pm
Towncrier: “You just want to draw the line in a different place then me. That’s fine. Just admit it.”
Indeed I do. The government is way over the line right now in just about every facet of our lives. Most notably in our paychecks so we can help fund a NASCAR track or help out the fisheries.
Paul
January 3rd, 2013
3:13 pm
Towncrier
“I would not say I “support” it so much as I would “permit” it (in the way God “permitted” divorce in the OT) – if that makes any sense to you.”
Yes, it does. What I was referring to was recommending legislative action – making it not against the law.
[[“But it does rather argue against the view ‘all abortion is wrong and should not be permitted, ever” that we see posted here, doesn’t it?”
I have never argued that here or elsewhere,]]
Which is why I referred to the argument and others. What does come across here, from many people, is not only is abortion wrong in all cases, but it should be against the law. Those who are willing to engage in a bit of thoughtful discussion and careful examination of what they’ve written will sometimes allow as to how maybe what they wrote isn’t what they intended. Many, though, when faced with the possibility of closely examining what they’ve written, flee from any further discussion.
” Some people here suppose I am merely attacking the act of abortion rather than the advocacy of it. The two are inseparable, in my mind. In order to honestly advocate for something, I think you have to believe it is true or proper or right. So, in criticizing the act of abortion, I am hoping to get self-proclaimed religious (and particularly self-proclaimed Christian people) to reconsider whether or not it is right”
Well, I’ll offer that when one speaks in absolutes one gets wrapped around the axle. One can very easily take the view that abortion is regrettable but should be permitted in some circumstances. So in some cases, such as saving the life of the mother, abortion may be the ‘right’ thing to do. But I will say that decision ought to be made by the mother, not by anyone else.
DannyX
January 3rd, 2013
3:15 pm
“Yup and republican’s are for killing innocent victims….. the Iraq War is your proof.”
From the New Republican Bible…”Blessed is the shock and awe.”
Towncrier
January 3rd, 2013
3:16 pm
“man, you’ve got some serious re-reading of history that needs to be done. if you think christianity has done more harm than good, i suggest you head over to the continent of africa where muslims are killing all non-believers/non-converts in a number of countries just because they aren’t muslim.”
Murder and mayhem are NOT the province of any ideology, but human nature itself. I believe anyone who thinks otherwise 1) does not really know history and 2) hasn’t thought the matter through.
HDB
January 3rd, 2013
3:16 pm
Christian Conservative
January 3rd, 2013
2:31 pm
robert goulet:
When has the GOP focused on social issues? They don’t… But the media does…”
Really?? Can I start with Governor Ultrasound in Virginia (Bob McDonnell)….go forth with all of the anti-abortion planks in every GOP-run state……..
It’s not a media-driven campaign…………
Keep Up the Good Fight!
January 3rd, 2013
3:17 pm
JHM, those alliances are funny aren’t they?
And they whine about repetitive posts while being repetitive themselves. 
And then some sure do whine about another poster being in the sewer while they are looking UP at that poster from where they stand. 
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:19 pm
“But I will say that decision for abortion ought to be made by the mother, not by anyone else.”
Nor a couseling clinic who gets millions from tax payers to convince the mother to get an abortion.
Thulsa Doom
January 3rd, 2013
3:19 pm
“Paul, go to Kyle’s page and witness the same thing from the left. The topic is tax avoidance by those on the left who clamor for higher taxes on the “rich”, paying your “fair share”, ect.”
Worse than that Finn McCool just admitted next door not once but twice to me that liberals like him make shyte up. He fully admitted it at 2:49 and 3:00 pm. Doesn’t seem to bother him. They’re getting savaged over there. No wonder they’re talking about everything but the topic of the blog.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
January 3rd, 2013
3:20 pm
Re-reading of history?
Only from reputable MAJOR historians.
getalife
January 3rd, 2013
3:20 pm
Don’t change a thing cons.
Stay the course.
Thulsa Doom
January 3rd, 2013
3:20 pm
The blog sure got kreepy in a hurry.
DannyX
January 3rd, 2013
3:20 pm
“Nor a couseling clinic who gets millions from tax payers to convince the mother to get an abortion.”
That reminds of days when conservatives warned people of the evil gay recruiters.
Christian Conservative
January 3rd, 2013
3:21 pm
Towncrier:
When the issue arises we will stand by our core beliefs. When homo marriage comes up for a vote we will fight it because its repulsive and wrong….
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:23 pm
“Really?? Can I start with Governor Ultrasound in Virginia (Bob McDonnell)….go forth with all of the anti-abortion planks in every GOP-run state……..”
Is that all you got! I am disappointed.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
January 3rd, 2013
3:23 pm
When homo marriage comes up for a vote we will fight it because its repulsive and wrong….
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
– Thomas “Billy Shakespeare” Jefferson
Thulsa Doom
January 3rd, 2013
3:23 pm
“I love how narrow and shallow forged an alliance here”
Speaking of kreepy alliances.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:24 pm
Doom — “Worse than that Finn McCool just admitted next door not once but twice to me that liberals like him make shyte up. He fully admitted it at 2:49 and 3:00 pm.”
Knowing your history, I doubt he said anything of the kind.
And even if he had, he doesn’t speak for all liberals any more than you speak for all conservatives.
DannyX
January 3rd, 2013
3:24 pm
“When homo marriage comes up for a vote we will fight it because its repulsive and wrong….”
Not enough for Jesus to have a say on the subject. Now he did seem to think divorce was “repulsive and wrong.”
Btw Christian Conservative, what are your sins? What do you do that is repulsive and wrong? You too Towncrier.
Peter
January 3rd, 2013
3:25 pm
Thulsa Doom and Christian Conservative ……….thank you for commenting on the Katrina Victims getting sick via the trailers they were given as temporary housing.
The so called Christian is not very Christian in attitude apparently, and Thulsa is typical non caring Republican about other less fortunate American’s.
Pure Republican remarks by both.
I guess you guys never really follow the news, or what happened to these American’s did you ?
I can post the article if you would like. Or you can look it up on the internet.
The bottom line was the trailer manufactures did know these trailers could cause harmful effects to American’s.but chose to do Zero….. and Bush went along with them, like his famous fly over Katrina.not having the leadership to meet with any of the areas effected or victims.
Republican leadership at it’s best……. Kind of like Ron Reagan selling cocaine during the contra scandal…..
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:25 pm
“The blog sure got kreepy in a hurry.”
LOL, yes it did…..methink the liberals are getting exasperated.
S P Doty
January 3rd, 2013
3:26 pm
Georgia (and several other “Red States”) is not a democracy. It is a de facto party dictatorship.
oops
January 3rd, 2013
3:26 pm
“The blog sure got kreepy in a hurry.”
Kreeps are kreepy Mr. Doom. No doubt about it.
Christian Conservative
January 3rd, 2013
3:28 pm
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes:
When homo marriage comes up for a vote we will fight it because its repulsive and wrong….
“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”
– Thomas “Billy Shakespeare” Jefferson
“Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”
Jesus
Thulsa Doom
January 3rd, 2013
3:29 pm
“Knowing your history,”
Back atcha punkin.
“I doubt he said anything of the kind.”
And as usual you would be very wrong.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
January 3rd, 2013
3:29 pm
Its as creepy as supporting those who support those who protect child molesters.
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:29 pm
Peter
January 3rd, 2013
3:25 pm
Peter Peter pumkin eater
Had a wife but couldnt keeper…..blah….blah…blah…
If you were hungry and I gave you bread thinking with a sound mind that it was fresh bread and it made you sick should I pay for your medical bills?
JamVet
January 3rd, 2013
3:30 pm
Don’t change a thing cons.
Stay the course.
Word.
DannyX
January 3rd, 2013
3:30 pm
“The blog sure got kreepy in a hurry.”
The only way this blog could get any creepier is if Rick Santorum, Michelle Bachmann, Herman Cain, Mitt Romney, and Newt Gingrich joined in and started blogging about Christian values.
Towncrier
January 3rd, 2013
3:30 pm
“One can very easily take the view that abortion is regrettable but should be permitted in some circumstances. So in some cases, such as saving the life of the mother, abortion may be the ‘right’ thing to do.”
Agreed. But that is NOT where we are at presently. And I suppose my fear is that it leads to a devaluation of life itself so that, perhaps and not entirely inconceivably, we could one day legalize euthanasia, actual infanticide and the like. For those who unthinkingly scoff at such a notion, I would only remind them that 60 years ago hardly anyone seriously entertained the legality of abortion upon demand and gay marriage. And no one in the late 1980s (when I was in graduate school with a guy from Sierra Leone) that a brutal and murderous civil war would erupt in a place thought to be a pillar of advancement in Africa. No one in the France in the late 18th century envisioned the “Reign of Terror” that would ensue once the revolution began. Things can change quickly in a nation; history proves that time and again.
“But I will say that decision ought to be made by the mother, not by anyone else.”
In limited case as we have discussed, I agree.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
January 3rd, 2013
3:31 pm
Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do
Attributed to Jesus years and years later and translated into English. As for real accuracy, not even your hairdresser knows for sure. But it makes for a nice story (depending on which one you chose).
DannyX
January 3rd, 2013
3:31 pm
“Judge not lest you be judged.”
Jesus
Christian Conservative, what are your sins?
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
January 3rd, 2013
3:33 pm
“Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”
Jesus
“The guilty dog barks first/loudest.”
–Thomas Jefferson
Regnad Kcin
January 3rd, 2013
3:34 pm
“Alright I gotta ask..in your opinion what constitutes a “moral society”?”
As the conservative Jesus said, “let he who is holiest cast the first stone. The meek are leeches.”
Christian Conservative
January 3rd, 2013
3:34 pm
Peter:
Thanks for your comments Peter. You sound like a typical democrat. Wanting to give away more tax payer money for nothing… I have no problem helping the poor by clothing them and feeding them. But giving away tax dollars are ridiculous….
Thulsa Doom
January 3rd, 2013
3:35 pm
“I guess you guys never really follow the news, or what happened to these American’s did you?”
Peter,
Sure I did. I read the stories of people still living in fema trailers several years after Katrina. I believe in helping people weather short term periods of hardship. But several years? That’s when it crosses over from helping someone to creating a dependent.
“Republican leadership at it’s best……. Kind of like Ron Reagan selling cocaine during the contra scandal…..”
What can I say? You got me there. I admit to buying an eight ball from Ronnie from behind the bushes in the Rose garden.
Nunna Yobinnes
January 3rd, 2013
3:35 pm
Peadawg – are you saying that peeping toms have no rights? Maybe they get their jollies that way. Don’t be a hater.
Jay's Brain
January 3rd, 2013
3:35 pm
jay i want to know, how does it feel to not only be a regressive demorat water boy but also love knowing how you regressives sleep at night knowing that your party wont do a damn thing to decrease the 80+ billion we Americans are spending on interests payments? And o don’t bring up W barry jr, the buck stops here today(at your boy barry’s desk) Please tell your boss his talking points are weak but his debt load is strong. Thanks for bankrupting America.
Ken
January 3rd, 2013
3:36 pm
Spend spend spend — Grow government. Forget the economy. More takers, less makers. Won’t work.
Paul
January 3rd, 2013
3:36 pm
“When homo marriage comes up for a vote we will fight it because its repulsive and wrong….”
When ya’ lose one battle, it’s time to fight against a new cause that’s repulsive and wrong.
http://tinyurl.com/6axzwm
Christian Conservative
January 3rd, 2013
3:36 pm
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes:
“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”
Albert Einstein
Nunna Yobinnes
January 3rd, 2013
3:37 pm
Danny X – Since you are obsessed with asking the same question over and over, why don’t you go first, and lead by example?
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:37 pm
Doom — “Back atcha punkin.”
You made the claim, not me. And given your history of false and misleading/fabricated claims, I doubt what you said actually happened.
“And as usual you would be very wrong.”
‘As usual’ would mean that I’m right, as usual.
curious
January 3rd, 2013
3:38 pm
“Why the future looks so bleak for the GOP”
If the conservative posters here are any indication, the reason is pretty obvious.
Towncrier
January 3rd, 2013
3:38 pm
“When the issue arises we will stand by our core beliefs. When homo marriage comes up for a vote we will fight it because its repulsive and wrong.”
Not to the non-religious. I have yet to see an objective grounds for their morality effectively argued. Be that as it may, they are free (in the liberty God gives them) to belief and act as they will. But certainly for those who profess to belief in the Biblical God, homosexuality is clearly a sin and gay marriage should be opposed on that ground alone.
There is, AFAIK, no basis in the animal world for sustained, life long homosexual union. Animals, not unsurprisingly, engage in homosexual behavior. But then I have also observed that dogs like to “hump” people’s legs. So I hope no one is holding animals up as an exemplar or standard for our behavior.
DannyX
January 3rd, 2013
3:39 pm
“As the conservative Jesus said, “let he who is holiest cast the first stone. The meek are leeches.””
Watch as Conservative Christian and Towncrier run as fast as they can away from that. It will only make Conservative Christian double down on teh gays. Towncrier will say, “but, but, abortion.”
Thulsa Doom
January 3rd, 2013
3:39 pm
Aint nothing kreepier than making up lies by saying someone supports protecting child molesters. Only a kreep would do that.
Christian Conservative
January 3rd, 2013
3:39 pm
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes:
“Liberals are put on earth to remind us that not everything has a purpose.”
Oscar Wilde
Paul
January 3rd, 2013
3:40 pm
Towncrier
“But that is NOT where we are at presently. And I suppose my fear is that it leads to a devaluation of life itself so that, perhaps and not entirely inconceivably, we could one day legalize euthanasia, actual infanticide and the like.”
Sounds like the slippery slope argument taken to an extreme. I think if there’d been an effort to devalue life to such an extent, we’d have seen it in the 40 years since Roe v Wade.
rightwingextreme
January 3rd, 2013
3:41 pm
Towncrier
January 3rd, 2013
3:16 pm
“man, you’ve got some serious re-reading of history that needs to be done. if you think christianity has done more harm than good, i suggest you head over to the continent of africa where muslims are killing all non-believers/non-converts in a number of countries just because they aren’t muslim.”
Murder and mayhem are NOT the province of any ideology, but human nature itself. I believe anyone who thinks otherwise 1) does not really know history and 2) hasn’t thought the matter through.
I never claimed they were….you were advocating that Christianity had done more harm than good. I’m pointing out that you are wrong.
Have Christians done bad things in the past? Yes. It would be an ideal planet if Christians lived up to the ideas in the Bible. But unfortunately we don’t.
Why? Because we are all sinners. There is none good….not one.
The beauty of Christianity is that it is the only religion that offers the complete forgiveness of sins for having faith in Christ and Christ alone.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
January 3rd, 2013
3:42 pm
“The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits.”
Albert Einstein
“Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”
– Thomas “Vernon Wormer” Jefferson
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:42 pm
““As the conservative Jesus said, “let he who is holiest cast the first stone”
He was simply telling the liberals they were not perfect.
DannyX
January 3rd, 2013
3:42 pm
“But certainly for those who profess to belief in the Biblical God, homosexuality is clearly a sin and gay marriage should be opposed on that ground alone.”
Blah, blah, blah… Gays should fear your Biblical God when the conservative churches and their members start fearing divorce.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:42 pm
Towncrier — “There is, AFAIK, no basis in the animal world for sustained, life long homosexual union.”
One species in which exclusive homosexual orientation occurs, however, is that of domesticated sheep (Ovis aries). “About 10% of rams (males) refuse to mate with ewes (females) but do readily mate with other rams.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexual_behavior_in_animals
Bonobos are also a species of note in this regard.
bookman parrot
January 3rd, 2013
3:43 pm
to USinUK – not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout) at 11:11am
you totally misread the amendment; the militia is for security of free state (i.e. protection against foreign states), and the right to bear arms is a totally separate entity from the militia clause; read it a few times and look at the comma;
also you like to speak of “we” but that “we” is really to you just who and what you support and the hell with everyone who doesn’t think like you
Paul
January 3rd, 2013
3:43 pm
Towncrier
“But certainly for those who profess to belief in the Biblical God, homosexuality is clearly a sin and gay marriage should be opposed on that ground alone.”
I just suppose some of us are left scratching our heads over the way some Christians pick and choose which orthodox Jewish beliefs to follow – even those that orthodox Jews don’t follow any more.
Seems to me for conservative Christians, it’s anything dealing with sex.
Christian Conservative
January 3rd, 2013
3:43 pm
Danny X:
Here is one of the best quotes from our Lord Jesus Christ about marriage… It is obvious that he supported traditional marriage by this statement….
and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
Thulsa Doom
January 3rd, 2013
3:44 pm
“Animals, not unsurprisingly, engage in homosexual behavior. But then I have also observed that dogs like to “hump” people’s legs.”
Not really. You can always show pics of lions or dogs or whatever dry humpin each other. That’s just instinct and no clear indication of homosexuality in nature.
A couple of years ago Cynthia Tucker tried to make the case for homosexuality in nature by mentioning giraffe “necking”. What a freaking idiot that woman is. Giraffe “necking” is a test of strength and dominance whereby male giraffes thrash each other with their necks in order to determine strength and hierarchy. How that shoddy excuse of a journalist thought it was an indication of homosexuality in nature is nothing short of mind boggling. Thank God that idiot is gone.
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:45 pm
“It isn’t so much that liberals are ignorant. It’s just that they know so many things that aren’t so.”
Ronald Regan
Towncrier
January 3rd, 2013
3:45 pm
“Not enough for Jesus to have a say on the subject. Now he did seem to think divorce was “repulsive and wrong. Btw Christian Conservative, what are your sins? What do you do that is repulsive and wrong? You too Towncrier.”
DX, you have made no declaration of being a Christian and seem fairly ignorant of the scriptures (despite using certain verses to attack – rather than convict- people). So I see no reason to engage with you on anything subject along these lines. It is pointless.
rightwingextreme
January 3rd, 2013
3:45 pm
bookman parrot
January 3rd, 2013
3:43 pm
to USinUK – not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout) at 11:11am
you totally misread the amendment; the militia is for security of free state (i.e. protection against foreign states), and the right to bear arms is a totally separate entity from the militia clause; read it a few times and look at the comma;
also you like to speak of “we” but that “we” is really to you just who and what you support and the hell with everyone who doesn’t think like you
That free state idea would also include protection against a domestic government as well. If not, there might not be any freedom.
Paul
January 3rd, 2013
3:45 pm
Joe Hussein Mama
I read your 3:42 and had a vision of you channeling Sheldon on Big Bang Theory.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:46 pm
C. Conservative — “our Lord Jesus Christ”
That’d be *your* lord.
josef
January 3rd, 2013
3:46 pm
PAUL
Something you will probably appreciate. I’ve been following the applications for marriage licenses by same sex couples in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The circuit clerk had to deny the applications “by state law.” Both she and the couples making the application were complimentary one of the other for their manners and decorum. I was reminded of what Ross Barnett said at the doors of Ole Miss “and I do so politely,” chose by Robert Canzoneri for the title of his book on the subject.
Erwin's cat
January 3rd, 2013
3:46 pm
85% of dems believe under GOD should be removed from our money…..
ummm……I think you mean “In God We Trust”
Adam
January 3rd, 2013
3:46 pm
I’m on other blogs laughing at how upset conservatives are that Boehner is re-elected Speaker.
I’ll laugh even harder next week when the talking points have told them to sit down and shut up, AND THEY DO IT.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:47 pm
Paul — “I just suppose some of us are left scratching our heads over the way some Christians pick and choose which orthodox Jewish beliefs to follow – even those that orthodox Jews don’t follow any more.”
An excellent point. The Leviticus argument comes to mind.
JamVet
January 3rd, 2013
3:47 pm
Let’s quit the pretense.
Because they are so interested and involved in politics and government policy and set up all of these shadow organizations, tax these freeloading churches!
Tax the hell out of them and make them put their fat money where their fat mouths are…
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:48 pm
Paul — “I read your 3:42 and had a vision of you channeling Sheldon on Big Bang Theory.”
Frankly, I wasn’t aware of any species that are exclusively gay for life, but it was pretty easy to look up.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
January 3rd, 2013
3:48 pm
“Liberals are put on earth to remind us that not everything has a purpose.”
Oscar Wilde
“Your momma don’t dance and your daddy don’t Rock and Roll”
– Thomas “Kenny Loggins” Jefferson
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:49 pm
“An excellent point. The Leviticus argument comes to mind.”
An ignorant point. There is no argument.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
January 3rd, 2013
3:49 pm
Children may inherit homosexuality from their parents, according to a study published Tuesday by scientists at the University of Tennessee.
The research uses mathematical modeling to show sexual orientation may not be linked to genetics exactly, but to the chemicals attached to DNA that turn genetic markers on and off. … It centers around epi-marks, an additional layer of information attached to our DNA that directs exactly how our genes are expressed. These epi-markers are typically created anew with each generation, but new scientific evidence shows they can be passed down from parents to the fetus and influenced by things like diet and stress.
When those epi-marks, which may have created advantageous traits for parents, are passed to the opposite-sex offspring — that is, from fathers to daughters or mothers to sons — it can lead to a sensitivity in testosterone….
The study, which was published online Tuesday in The Quarterly Review of Biology, has generated excitement and interest from other scientists who want to test the theory with experiments, Gavrilets said.
“There’s a lot of excitement in the field, and everyone has been asking about this fresh view on this very old problem,” he said. “We may still be wrong, but this is how science works. We formulate a certain hypothesis and people prove if it’s right or wrong.”
Even if his theory is proved true, Gavrilets said epigenetics may be only part of the equation when it comes to a person’s sexual preference. Environmental and cultural factors may still contribute to a person’s lifestyle, he added.
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:49 pm
JamVet — “Because they are so interested and involved in politics and government policy and set up all of these shadow organizations, tax these freeloading churches!”
Dude, I’m an atheist and even I’m not in favor of that.
Paul
January 3rd, 2013
3:50 pm
josef
I do appreciate that – thank you.
Williebkind
January 3rd, 2013
3:51 pm
“Because they are so interested and involved in politics and government policy and set up all of these shadow organizations, tax these freeloading churches!”
I wonder if you did could you keep your democratic plantation in tact.
Christian Conservative
January 3rd, 2013
3:51 pm
Paul:
I just suppose some of us are left scratching our heads over the way some Christians pick and choose which orthodox Jewish beliefs to follow – even those that orthodox Jews don’t follow any more.
Seems to me for conservative Christians, it’s anything dealing with sex.
I realize logic leaves the room when libs try and understand issues but think of homosexuality this way without using Christian beliefs. Its repulsive, nasty, un-natural, un-healthy, and dangerous behavior. If you asked a child what does the perfect family look like even they would pick a pic of a mother and father…. Its sad that libs can’t even think with no more than an elementary IQ…
Joe Hussein Mama
January 3rd, 2013
3:52 pm
Williebkind — “An ignorant point. There is no argument.”
Of course there is. If christians are going to use *bits* of Leviticus to bolster some of their positions and arguments, then it’s a perfectly logical response to point out all the *violations* of Leviticus that are generally tolerated (if not outright regularly practiced) among the same population.
josef
January 3rd, 2013
3:52 pm
JHM
Bad snipe. One may well use the first person plural pronoun and not be including everyone.