patrick.net

Returning to the original topic, the GOP has lost the ability or willingness to think through policies and consequences, instead competing to be the most devout reciter of their new Doctrine of Theocratic Plutocracy:

"Some liberal writers have opined that the socioeconomic gulf separating the business wing of the GOP and the religious right make it an unstable coalition that could crack. I am not so sure. There is no basic disagreement on which direction the two factions want to take the country, merely how far it should go. The plutocrats would drag us back to the Gilded Age; the theocrats to the Salem witch trials. If anything, the two groups are increasingly beginning to resemble each other. Many televangelists have espoused what has come to be known as the prosperity gospel — the health-and-wealth/name-it-and-claim-it gospel of economic entitlement. If you are wealthy, it is a sign of God’s favor. If not, too bad! This rationale may explain why some poor voters will defend the prerogatives of billionaires."

http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/gop-insider-how-religion-destroyed-my-party

What I find interesting though is they nominated the only other person in the country who actually signed Obamneycare. The lobbyists, crony capitalists, lemon socialists, and campaign financiers profit either way, but everyone else loses worse with Romney. The commercial media (brought to you by the recipients of corporate welfare) famously ignored Ron Paul, even though he outpolled the President nationally, and the GOP actually booed Rep. Paul during debates. In addition to losing any semblance of sanity, the GOP have lost even the civility to conduct a debate without booing the least crazy voice in the room.

Curious2,

Believe it or not, I agree with most of what's in that article.

Both parties are Keynesians since Nixon in 1971. Money has no backing so deficit spending is inevitable and overleveraged collateral is the source of trillions in "wealth" creation among the central banks. It matters not which side you are discussing. They both have issues so important "they can't afford NOT to deficit spend" - whether it be social programs for the underprivileged, or wars in the Middle East. Supposedly, we can't afford NOT to. We're broke, but because we can print new debt at any time, we do. Essentially, to them, it's IMPOSSIBLE to truly be broke. Where once the banks leveraged real collateral at 20 to 1 at the most, we now leverage EVERYTHING from coffee beans to real estate at 50 to 1, 100 to 1, 150 to 1! Picking on one side without picking on the other is to prove how blind you are. There is an 800 pound gorilla in the room and everyone is complaining about the monkeys in a slapping fight on the couch.

Post 1968 I don't think the democrats had much for any real ideas. Granted much of what democrats say today was pretty much what republicans had for ideas long ago.

Obamacare came from Romney care which came from Hillarycare which came from some bush 41 republicans

cap and trade was a republican idea.

The democrats really don't have a base because they pretty much killed much of it off. Unions for example have been abandoned by the left. Clinton voted in NAFTA and we've put on environmental restrictions and want to mandate bennies that were normally fought for by the unions. Why join a union if you can sit around and get the same stuff for free?

So the political divide is about what again? Abortion? It's going to still be legal. Guns? Same thing. Same sex marriage is going to be legal eventually in every state as it is pointless to fight against it. at the same point the religious right needs to basically end.

gun control is a dead issue as is the environment. It is employment that is the big issue. When unemployment is 8+% then nothing else matters.

It is hard for the left to fight for higher wages and bennies when there are less jobs. You have to allow the government to do things to attract businesses. If you don't give them a reason to be there then they will leave. I've seen this on a local and state level so naturally it happens on a national level.

kentm says

The Democrats' Duty: Bring the GOP Back from Crazy

The Republicans' Duty: Bring Democrats Back from Evil.

Today's neocons are indistinct from whack-a-mole "simply living" hyper vegan luddite freaks. They're both just extremists trapped in an endless loop trying to out-extreme their own compadres.

Automan Empire says

They lost their beards.

mdovell says

The democrats really don't have a base because they pretty much killed much of it off. Unions for example have been abandoned by the left. Clinton voted in NAFTA

Bingo. The Democrat base used to be working class "blue collar" Catholics.

Now it's the Castro District.

Google: 2016 Movie for a location near you. It explains Obamas anti-American roots and training. Quite an eye opener.