Democratic Presidential Candidates All Left-Wing Ideologues
A lot of people naturally assume the Democratic Party has the biggest, most ideologically diverse tent. However, an analysis of the parties’ 1st tier presidential candidates implies otherwise. The Democratic candidates lean so far left they’re practically horizontal. Hillary Clinton’s main governmental “accomplishment” is a failed attempt to socialize our medical system. Barack Obama thinks 5 year olds need sex education. And John Edwards wants to expand the nanny state because he thinks we all live in broken down trailers with a car on cinder blocks in the front yard.
On the other hand, the Republican presidential field is dominated by squishy moderates trying to convince the party faithful they’re conservatives. Rudy Giuliani is a social liberal who supported making New York a “sanctuary city”. Mitt Romney is trying to explain his abortion flip-flop and ran as a centrist in MA. John McCain takes great pleasure in annoying the party’s base on issues like immigration and campaign finance reform.
I’d wager that a socially conservative Democrat could not achieve the front runner status that a socially liberal Giuliani has in the Republican race. Could a Democrat ever be pro-life? Democrats talk about diversity, but they’re all died in the wool liberals.
Archived in: 2008 Election, Abortion, Barack Obama, Campaign Finance, Conservatives, Democrats, Diversity, Education, Hillary Clinton, Immigration, John Edwards, John McCain, Liberals, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Rudy GiulianiAugust 20, 2007 at 12:28 pm | Trackback
3 comments
OP, realistically, if Mitt had been antagonistically in-your-face about swinging a conservative lasso do you think he’d have been more successful or less successful in attempting to corral that Beacon Hill legislative herd? Anyone who has lived in the Commonwealth for at least twenty years knows full well the games they play.
I am not attempting to provide excuses for non-tested approaches as much as recognizing the reality of Massachusetts’ single party control. To the extent that grassroots support hadn’t been successfully fertilized in a half century it’s not as if he could have counted on vociferous squeaky-wheel support from Wales or New Braintree or Oakham, let alone a city like Worcester if he were to say “I plan to reduce the size and scope of all State Offices by 50% within six months.” I’d be one huge joke. To everyone else in Non-Massachusetts Land, please accept the old saying ….
….”You just had to be there…..”.
I want to believe that the rest of the nation will understand the albatross he wore!
Helen: I understand your point. A strong conservative isn’t going to get elected in MA. However, even though Emerson saw “consistency” as “the hobgoblin of little minds”, I still think examining someone’s record is an important measure of what they might do if elected. Therefore, I believe weighing his past actions is important even if you’re tempted to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Regarding the Romney legacy, it’s a bit cloudy. Beacon Hill Democrats always had a veto proof majority during his tenure, which made it difficult for him to institute significant reform. Disappointingly, he also supported the healthcare reform initiative. And after failing to get a significant number of Republicans elected in 2004, Romney hit the campaign trail for president. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he spent more time out-of-state than he did in-state for the final 2 years of his term.
Now, even with all of those issues, he’s still the best declared candidate so far. We’ll see what Thompson brings to the race if he ever declares his candidacy.
Politicians do need to bend to get some things completed. One cannot bend on core issues though, those are what define you. I have a problem with Romney’s change on his abortion and gun issues. Quickly joining the NRA and BSing about hunting causes me to wonder just how strong his “core conservative” beliefs are. He flopped on the abortion issue; I don’t know how you do that. One is dealing with an ingrained position, are you not? His health care plan, WOW, what a hosing for the public sector.
For the rest of his political positions, I never lived in MA. I’m not cognizant of all the inner hocus-pocus that passes for legislating there.
What I read and hear causes me dismay, witness Weld as Governor. He went to NY, another bastion of liberal idiocy where he wished to run for governor.