Obama '08?

recognize and delimit yourself from the outright crazies - and since you mention the tea parties, I think that's where those failed too.

Quote:

The pot should be wary of accusing the kettle I think.

are you implying that the kettle is white? If not, does the colour of the pot denote anything about the colour of the kettle?

At least they were spending their own money. And not claiming virtue, concern, compassion, or nobility by taking and spending somebody else's.

The Tea Parties were a peaceful protest of a government that has become far too large, too intrusive, too expensive, and too contrary to the principles upon which this country was founded.

nimh, Excellent post; I agree whole-heartedly.

Not once have I made any inference as to your lifestyle or presumed to judge you for your opinion or what you think should be the rightful duty and responsibility of government. Nor were they doing that.

Foxfyre wrote:

The Tea Parties were a peaceful protest of a government that has become far too large, too intrusive, too expensive, and too contrary to the principles upon which this country was founded.

It would have been more believable as to purpose if they'd been happening regularly over the past twenty years. Hard to believe that Americans just noticed in the past couple of months that their government had exploded in size and spending.

All things being equal, would you really be rallying behind a Republican that was proposing the debt Obama is?

Foxfyre wrote:

The Tea Parties were a peaceful protest of a government that has become far too large, too intrusive, too expensive, and too contrary to the principles upon which this country was founded.

It would have been more believable as to purpose if they'd been happening regularly over the past twenty years. Hard to believe that Americans just noticed in the past couple of months that their government had exploded in size and spending.

All things being equal, would you really be rallying behind a Republican that was proposing the debt Obama is?

DontTreadOnMe wrote:

Foxfyre wrote:

Not once have I made any inference as to your lifestyle or presumed to judge you for your opinion or what you think should be the rightful duty and responsibility of government. Nor were they doing that.

oh? this was.... what?

[quote="Foxfyre"]
At least they were spending their own money. And not claiming virtue, concern, compassion, or nobility by taking and spending somebody else's.

sounds like making a judgement to me. [/color]

Quote:

[quote="Foxfyre"]Do you honestly see their point of view as so terrible? Or are you unable to accept it for what it is and, like so many liberals, must trash and humiliate and discredit any who express such a point of view?

[/color]

yes, i do see their pov as a detrimental to keeping america financed well enough to stay strong and grow, without borrowing trillions of dollars from our frakkin' enemies. please explain to me how doing just that has done anything good for america?

sure you and others can sell it, but i'm not buying it.

ehBeth wrote:

Foxfyre wrote:

The Tea Parties were a peaceful protest of a government that has become far too large, too intrusive, too expensive, and too contrary to the principles upon which this country was founded.

It would have been more believable as to purpose if they'd been happening regularly over the past twenty years. Hard to believe that Americans just noticed in the past couple of months that their government had exploded in size and spending.

Americans have been far too trusting of their government which is something the Founders warned us about but that, among other things, sort of got shoved into the background and out of sight for a long time. We're also a pretty agreeable, peaceful, and optimistic lot and as long as we don't see problems right under our noses, most of us can pretty well ignore them. But its just like having a roach in the house. One is a problem. A few more are yucky but we can squirt them with bug spray and pretend they're all gone. But one night you turn on the light in a room and they're scattering everywhere, and you know you can't ignore it any longer. It's time to call the exterminators.

Bad government creeps up on us in much the same way. Okay a little lie here and there and what harm is really done? A politician here or there is caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but most aren't so it isn't a huge problem. Okay we lost one little right, but there are so many left. We can live with it. Yes the government wasted a bunch of millions or billions of dollars but I still have a decent standard of living. I'll let it pass.

But one day we wake up and the gorilla has grown to 800 pounds so we finally notice it in the living room. It's time to call the exterminator. And that's what the Tea Parties (i.e. Modern American Conservatism) was all about. And I hope we have the guts to keep fanning that fire.

Foxfyre wrote:

ehBeth wrote:

Foxfyre wrote:

The Tea Parties were a peaceful protest of a government that has become far too large, too intrusive, too expensive, and too contrary to the principles upon which this country was founded.

It would have been more believable as to purpose if they'd been happening regularly over the past twenty years. Hard to believe that Americans just noticed in the past couple of months that their government had exploded in size and spending.

Americans have been far too trusting of their government which is something the Founders warned us about but that, among other things, sort of got shoved into the background and out of sight for a long time. We're also a pretty agreeable, peaceful, and optimistic lot and as long as we don't see problems right under our noses, most of us can pretty well ignore them. But its just like having a roach in the house. One is a problem. A few more are yucky but we can squirt them with bug spray and pretend they're all gone. But one night you turn on the light in a room and they're scattering everywhere, and you know you can't ignore it any longer. It's time to call the exterminators.

Bad government creeps up on us in much the same way. Okay a little lie here and there and what harm is really done? A politician here or there is caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but most aren't so it isn't a huge problem. Okay we lost one little right, but there are so many left. We can live with it. Yes the government wasted a bunch of millions or billions of dollars but I still have a decent standard of living. I'll let it pass.

But one day we wake up and the gorilla has grown to 800 pounds so we finally notice it in the living room. It's time to call the exterminator. And that's what the Tea Parties (i.e. Modern American Conservatism) was all about. And I hope we have the guts to keep fanning that fire.

And it just so happened to come about as soon as a Democrat was elected prez. What a funny coincidence. Wouldn't you agree?

I think honesty on your part would include admitting how much partisanship is involved in these protests, Fox. It doesn't necessarily contradict the message you are championing, but you shouldn't ignore it; it makes your argument look pretty weak to do so.

Cycloptichorn

...Do you honestly think the Tea Partiers are suggesting that the necessary functions of government should not be financed?

It just happened to be a Democrat who just put a 3.6 trillion dollar budget in front of us and who proposes trillion dollar deficits into the foreseeable future. It could have been Jesus or Ghandi or McCain or Reagan or anybody in the world who proposed that and I think the protests would have been there just the same.

And I think honesty on your part could include admission that if it was anybody but your newly elected Democrat president proposing that, you would be screaming bloody murder for heads to roll. I still remember all the criticism of President Bush for erasing Bill Clinton's 'surplus'. Or have you forgotten how many times you pointed that out?