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Vote for Us, the Adults in the Room
For many Americans, President Trump’s actions; the things his administration has accomplished, are worthy of reelection. But it’s his tone, his Twitter feed, his words, that leave much to be desired. It isn’t presidential and it makes one long for a more dignified period in American politics.
The Democratic Party can’t run easily against President Trump’s record, the economy is too good, his peace through strength foreign policy is proving remarkably effective. And so, if they want to convince Americans to hop ship, in my estimation, they have to prove to voters that they can be the adults in the room and bring decorum back to politics.
Which is what made this move from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi so dumbfounding last night during the State of the Union:
.@SpeakerPelosi tears up of State of the Union speech.#SOTU #SOTU2020 pic.twitter.com/sIpi4G7KsL
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 5, 2020
What is accomplished by this? Theoretically, it’s red meat for the progressive Trump-hating base, though I’ve seen few progressives really thrilled by her actions. So we’re just left with the fact that the level of pettiness between Trump and his opponents is even:
There’s just this amazing cognitive dissonance where Trump can be as outrageous as he wants, but when Pelosi rips up a speech, half of the pundits and commentators on my TL who bask in Trump’s antics scream about decorum. Oh, NOW you don’t like spectacle? Are you not entertained?
— Brooke Rogers 🌻 (@bkerogers) February 5, 2020
And that’s fine, but all things being equal on childishness, why would voters choose a Democratic nominee over a President with a successful first term?
Published in General
At one point around 2006 Ace threw in the towel on defending Bush. He said, if he [Bush] isn’t going to lift a finger to defend himself I’m finished sticking my neck out. Karl Rove later said that was a mistake, but come on guys you can’t always be a punching bag. That should have been obvious.
I think that sentiment wasn’t uncommon.
I know few. And an adult who is not polite is quickly off my screen. And I know many very liberal people. Three of my children are quite liberal, and all very polite, hard working and accomplished.
Amen!
On top of that, I do not believe that there could be such a person who could at once disarm the opposition, retaliate, and confound them while being a paragon of manners. This is magical thinking on our side. This is Kristolism, a condition named after a guy who perpetually seeks nuanced perfection in his candidates, and then complains about it.
It’s more like, you can have one or the other, not both.
One of Alinsky’s precepts is make the other side live up to it’s own claims. Well, with the conservative claims that, we are the better, more decent people position (as a constant common denominator of the NT and Sometimes Trump crowd) has been mercilessly exploited by these underhanded amoral snakes. They’ve tested this tactic out to great electoral victories. They’ve dined out on this one for decades. The Republican is found to have one slip-up, anywhere in his past, and he’s an unbelievable hypocrite, while Democrats shtup interns in the Oval Office.
Then there are the insults we don’t respond to because we are better than that.
Let’s get this straight, Mr&Mrs. Emily Post; in politics, if you don’t respond in kind to an outrageous charge, the people ( you know the ones outside the gates who weren’t invited to the party, and the help inside) will think it just might be true given the non-reaction.
So they might support socialism, abortion up to birth, cancel culture, the trans lunacy, surrender as a foreign policy, etc , but at least they are polite while working to destroy what we hold dear.
Your position is a dignified surrender, and I want no part in it. If that makes me impolite, so be it.
Leaving a thoroughly defeated enemy a face saving way to do what you want is good. Treating an active enemy like a colleague except for purely tactical reasons, not so much. Mistaking the active enemy for a colleague with different views, really bad.
No, they are working for a better life for themselves and their family, and to help others. The last thing I would want is to require my children to think as I do. We raised them to be smart and independent. No surrender at all.
‘Gator, What is best in life?
To crush the Demoncrats, see their acolytes driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their media.
Stop attacking Bethany! You can disagree without being disagreeable.
This has been a problem for most Republicans. They have no courage when it comes to defending someone who’s flawed, even though every human being alive has flaws. So what if they don’t like Trump’s character or the way he conducts business? So what if they don’t like his tweets? To me, these squishy Republicans and pundits are showing character flaws signifiantly worse than anything Trump has to offer, by not defending one of their own against a full-scale assault from the left, an assault based on lies.
This is what happens when you put demonstrating your own “virtue” ahead of fairness . . .
Who is attacking Bethany?
I have very god friends and family members who are democrats, even democratic socialists. And very good friends and family members who are strong Trump supporters. And very good friends and family members who are very conservative Trump opponents.
When did so called republicans become so hateful?
Forty years of constantly being called racist/sexist/homophobic/illiterate/slope-foreheaded rednecks will do that to someone.
Beat your dog endlessly, and eventually he’ll bite back. And you will have earned it.
I have the courage of my convictions. Even if I am in a 5% minority I will still hold on to my convictions. If you believe in what you are, and know what you are not, then the names are rather humorous.
Who said I am a Republican?
Classical Liberal. Says so in my bio.
I just vote Republican.
BTW, when did parodies of movie quotes become hateful?
Do you ascribe to “cancel culture” and the ethics therein?
Yeah, humorous to you (and me), but if you allow bystanders and coyotes to watch you get attacked and you don’t respond other than a laugh and a shrug, they will do one or more of the following: think you must be guilty because you didn’t defend yourself, think you are a weakling, see you as an easy target to use to rally their followers around to victimize again and again for entertainment and to advance their agenda. It’s a jungle out there. You seem to think we are playing a game of church.
Who is Bethany?
I work in a very challenging high tech environment, where positions on technical issues must be taken and supported by solid reasoning. Responding with calm and reason to poorly reasoned challenges does not make one appear weak.
There is a very liberal political discussion web site it contribute too on occasion, depending on the issues. The language to the very few conservatives is vulgar and even threatening. I always respond with calm reasoning. I know I am not going to change anyone’s ideas, just want to demonstrate how good discussions can be held. And I find it challenging and somewhat entertaining.
And even here, the pro-Trump responses can become very similar to the progressive rants.
But without giving approbation to gulags.