I posted this in another post down below but don't think you saw it...
Marquis, I really have to call this into question:
MarquisDoll:
Begrudgingly supporting McCain though he was at best my 4th choice in the primaries. I am comforted by the endorsement of the log cabin republicans
Why would you hold in such high regard a group that obviously does not have its best interests at heart? A group that regularly has its contributions returned to them? A group that, time and time again, supports candidates who would actively deny them civil rights?
I can see how the LCR made sense back in the "true Republican" days of smaller govt't, lower taxes, etc. But in the last 20 years, with the Republican party posturing as the moral majority and bending over for the religious right, I honestly can't understand why they continue like they do. Their own party hates them! Why would a group like this inspire comfort to anyone?
I'm not trying to start anything, really. Just trying to understand where you're coming from.
Re: Marquis!
I'm not Marquis, but I don't think your synopsis that the GOP hates the LCR is entirely correct. ?Social conservatives might, but by and large the LCRs are a fiscally conservative group. ?That tends to inspire the fiscal conservatives in the party.
ETA: Why must economic and defense issues play second fiddle to social ones??
not Marquis either, but it's not wrong to try to change a party from within. Look how long it took civil rights leaders to gain a foothold in the Dem party. You have to start somewhere. And in the meantime you don't have to agree with everything in a party's platform in order to vote for its candidates.
This is not a faction of the Democratic party. These are just two nutcases who happen to be Ds.
Not anymore. Did either of them speak at the convention?
What current riot are you referring to?
Current? ?I do not believe there are any riots currently going on.?
Jesse Jackson has spoken at every Dem convention since 1984. The only reason he didn't this year is b/c he was caught saying he'd cut Obama's nutz off. But his son spoke at this year's. And the dad is still as outspoken as ever on the trail for the Dems.
Sharpton also spoke at the 04 convention. I've not heard of any coup de grace since that time so they're definitely well entrenched in the Dem establishment.
Eh...Sharpton was only invited to speak because that year they invited all the Dem primary contenders to speak, and he was one of them.
I really have no thoughts either way on pretty much anything here, I just wanted to clarify that I don't really think Sharpton is the big DNC bigwig that people think. Just because there was no public airing of the grievances between Sharpton and the DNC doesn't mean that they like him or think that he is a voice of reason.
Ditto lyss and caden. McCain and Obama are strikingly similar on the issue of gay rights - neither favors a marriage amendment, but neither favors gay marriage either.
The LCRs have declined to endorse the Republican candidate in the past (Bush), so they will stand up when the candidate is directly infringing upon their rights more so than the other guy. It's just not the case in this election.
Interesting. Palin told James Dobson that McCain supports a federal marriage amendment, so I'm wondering if they either don't take her seriously or just endorsed before she said that.
Bingo!
Thank you lyss. And those people that support the issue passionately I'm sure are working to change that in the Dem party as well.
I will say again...
I can?guarantee?that people who Sharpon spurred on while yelling, "burn down the Jew store" in 1995 are still in the Democratic Party. ?Just because it happened in 1995 and not yesterday does not mean that there are not currently anti-Semites within the party.?
Is that why they're still out there stumping away, drawing crowds everywhere they go? Is that why Obama glady accepted Jackson's endorsement last year? When Jackson made the comment about Obama's nutz he was on a talk show . I wonder why anyone would care to televise him if he's so out of touch. And Jackson's son is the co-chair of Obama's campaign so let's not pretend Jackson Sr doesn't matter anymore. Please don't try to tell me the Dems are content to give Jackson's orgs money and receive contributions from his PACs but not content to listen to anything he says. That's just not believable.
Sure there may be anti semites in the party. But some does not a "faction" make. I'm sure there are some racists in the GOP but that doesn't support the contention that there is a "faction" of racists in the GOP.
None of this means he is controlling faction of the democratic party. There have been many articles written about how Jackson's way of doing politics is not the way the party wants to go right now.
I would disagree---if it is a group of people, then it is a faction. A faction, though, does not define the party, but needs to be confronted (ie: Rs confronting/challenging the racists within their party, Ds confronting anti-semites within their party, etc.).
Sharpton just threatened "trouble" and protests in Denver if Obama wasn't nominated.
I assumed it was a given that I think she's talking out her ass on most everything. McCain and his campaign haven't confirmed that to my knowledge. The LCR's endorsement press release is dated September 2nd, which was just after her nomination, and before she talked to Dobson right?
They endorsed before she said that, but she's also wrong on that point. McCain has voted opposed the marriage amendment every time it has come up.
Pescalita is also spot on about how they've refused to endorse before so their endorsement means something.
I hold the Log Cabin Republicans in high esteem because their views match my own more than any other polticial group I know of. Even though I sometimes classify myself as Libertarian leaning, I feel my views are more in line with the LCR than Libertarians.
Furthermore, I find the whole idea insulting that simply because they are a group of homosexuals who care about gay rights that that must be their #1 priority. They care about fiscal policy and liberty and thus align with the republican party for those and other reasons. They simply wish for the party's position on gay rights to change.
Do you have the same feelings toward Democrats for Life??
Anyway, thanks Caden and Katie for clarifying in my absence. I was at the NYPL trying to track down a 12 year-old article on Madame Gres (harder than it sounds...).
I greatly disagree that anti-semites are a faction w/in the democratic party.
And this proves what exactly?
He's a well known Dem and has Dem followers. If you don't want to call that a faction then fine. Call it whatever you want. But let's not pretend he has no influence. That's the point Katie was making and it's certainly valid.
Then I would say our disagreement is our use of 'faction', not that there are anti-semites within the party (which you acknowledged).