Can Republicans Regain The Progressive Image They Once Had ?

[Tim18]

This is a very simple question, can the republican party regain the progressive image we once had as a party. I as a gay republican I believe that we can do it, but I want to hear what you other forum users think.

[Armandork]

Ehh... I identify as a democrat

I've never liked the mindset of republicanism, but at the same time it's still a popular party... That being said do I think it can regain itself after loosing 2 elections in a row and having to suffer the face of bush?
Yeah, I mean of course. At the same time... There are VERY few republican politicians I see that aren't irritating to me, but perhaps that just comes with being the opposing party.
The day I see a republican that doesn't allow their religion to overview their policy in politics is the day I smile at the party.

[Woollyhats]

I'm from Canada, but I've been in an online debate group that's primarily U.S. American for YEARS. I'm sorry to say, but 99% of the crazies are Republican .

I think it's POSSIBLE, but right now, the socially progressive party is the Democratic one. Economically, the Republican party is trying to say that they're more superior, but that's neither here nor there...

As long as you have people like Michele Bachman -gag- and Limbaugh as your spokespeople, you probably won't be the 'progressive party'.

But NOTE that people probably once said this very same thing about the Democratic party when they were racist, and now there's a black democratic president. So who knows? Everything changes .

[Pix]

If the Republican Party kicked the Christian Right to the curb I believe they could.

They'd suffer in the short term, but I believe they'd gain far more support than they'd lose within a few years. It's the Christian Right that's responsible for most people seeing them as the batshit crazy party, and I know Republicans who want them gone (and also those who left because the Republican Party is the bitch of the Christian Right). See also the BEST COMMENTS here:

http://now.msn.com/tony-perkins-dont-don...y-marriage

This is going to be more true as the boomers vote less and less (due to medical & mortal reasons) while younger gens vote more & more. Btw, one thing I loved was when Miley Cyrus said God loved gays and she supported equality so one of the big antigay groups called for a boycott of Hannah Montana (who was as huge a deal to tween girls then as the Beatles had once been to teens) and they had to call it off because even many of their own kids saw their fundie parents as being jerks with too many defying their parents, a habit they didn't want their children to get and thus called it off instead of escalating it (Hannah 1, Jesus 0 :p ).

Note, they don't have to burn Bibles, plenty of Democrats (including Obama & Clinton) are Christian, and so is Miley Cyrus, it's the Christian Right with the Creationists and the like that's weighing them down. Heck, Ron Paul is very Christian but even he understands that the USA was never intended to be a theocracy.

[Lalo]

Short answer- yes. But the real question is "Will they"?

They continue to not only move toward, but allow themselves to be led by bat-shit, crazy-ass people who are hyper, self-indulgent, sensationalists. About 20 years ago the Republican party sold its soul to the devil. Ironically, the devil came dressed as the religious right. Along the way, they also abandoned their ideals of fiscal conservatism in favor of corporate nepotism. Both of these groups hold general ideas which would have been anathema to the original Republican Party. As long as the (so-called) Republican Party embraces these groups, there can't be a return to the philosophies of their past.

Having said that, the Democratic Party is also having an identity crisis of its own, one which is much less advertised, probably because it is not as tangible. Their problem is that they have also embraced corporate nepotism, which is diametrically opposed to liberal ideology.

This effectively creates a two party oligarchy in America, one which is becoming more and more difficult to overcome with each passing day. While the talking heads on the right consistently chant how Obama is a communist, the most liberal president, etc, he is actually nothing of the sort. He has continued the previous administration's policies of seizing power from the American people (Patriot Act), reinterpreting the legal authority of the government (Guantanamo, extradition), and corporate welfare and entitlement to the point where specific legislation has been signed into law protecting corporate rights over the safety of the American people (Monsanto Protection Act).

So, basically, until the American people stop fighting about the non-issues and start realizing that their government has been hijacked, neither party has any impetus to seriously change. If anything, the current system keeps both parties wealthy and powerful. Why would either party want to change that?

[Woollyhats]

Short answer- yes. But the real question is "Will they"?

They continue to not only move toward, but allow themselves to be led by bat-shit, crazy-ass people who are hyper, self-indulgent, sensationalists. About 20 years ago the Republican party sold its soul to the devil. Ironically, the devil came dressed as the religious right. Along the way, they also abandoned their ideals of fiscal conservatism in favor of corporate nepotism. Both of these groups hold general ideas which would have been anathema to the original Republican Party. As long as the (so-called) Republican Party embraces these groups, there can't be a return to the philosophies of their past.

Having said that, the Democratic Party is also having an identity crisis of its own, one which is much less advertised, probably because it is not as tangible. Their problem is that they have also embraced corporate nepotism, which is diametrically opposed to liberal ideology.

This effectively creates a two party oligarchy in America, one which is becoming more and more difficult to overcome with each passing day. While the talking heads on the right consistently chant how Obama is a communist, the most liberal president, etc, he is actually nothing of the sort. He has continued the previous administration's policies of seizing power from the American people (Patriot Act), reinterpreting the legal authority of the government (Guantanamo, extradition), and corporate welfare and entitlement to the point where specific legislation has been signed into law protecting corporate rights over the safety of the American people (Monsanto Protection Act).

So, basically, until the American people stop fighting about the non-issues and start realizing that their government has been hijacked, neither party has any impetus to seriously change. If anything, the current system keeps both parties wealthy and powerful. Why would either party want to change that?

Precisely that.

[Mirage]

Funny enough, the Republicans I get along with best are the ones who aren't Christian.

True we don't see eye to eye on a lot of political issues, but we can disagree like adults and carry on as friends because religion isn't blinding them with hatred.

I say yes, they can get back to a progressive state, but they need to give the religious fundie psychos the boot. Those nutjobs are the ones giving you guys a bad name.

[Kiid]

Well it all comes down to a thing called the federal bank. They run the USA not the government... Lol money what a scam u.u

[Genersis]

Yes, but if they did, the Democratic party would become the conservative party; there will always be a party pining for the tradition and religion based voters.

Right now though, the Republican party just needs to become a little more moderate and they could very well become a viable political force for a while; either that or the Democrats have to do something really unpopular.

[Brendan]

The Republican Party is moving farther and farther right. Maybe in a hundred years they might change into a party that could be deemed "progressive," but I doubt it happens in our lifetime.