Comments on: Former Governor Branstad Defeats Culver 53% to 37% in Head-to-Head Matchup

By: red247

red247 — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 01:38:27 +0000

“We need to be a big tent party that welcomes both social conservatives AND fiscal conservatives.”

You just contradicted your statement in the very next sentence, saying you wouldn’t vote for pro-choice candidates. Either you want a big tent, or you don’t. A big tent must include some social moderates.

By: ChiefsFan

ChiefsFan — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:08:21 +0000

A true Christian political leader can no more divorce his Christian worldview from his politics than cut off his right hand. Each is part of him. One does not need to be Christian, though, to see the evils of abortion or to be opposed to gay marriage.
Go ahead and isolate or try to kick out the social conservatives. What you will be left with is a very small third party. I think they call it the “Libertarians”. We need to be a big tent party that welcomes both social conservatives AND fiscal conservatives. I happen to be both, but when the GOP nominates pro-choice candidates, I vote for the Constitution party or some such. My conscience will not let me do anything less.

By: Branstad: My focus is here (at DMU) | Des Moines Register Staff Blogs

Branstad: My focus is here (at DMU) | Des Moines Register Staff Blogs — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 20:01:21 +0000

[...] was in the news last week, when TheIowaRepublican.com released a poll showing the Republican with a 16-point lead in a hypothetical matchup against [...]

By: Moderation in Everything

Moderation in Everything — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:34:31 +0000

Stacia–yes, we want less government in our lives. I suggest we start with the bedroom. MLK and Lincoln appealed to a broad spectrum of their respective electorates. Note however Lincoln never went to church but was very schooled in the Bible. Neither would have put up with the nonsense coming from the extreme right these days.

By: Stacia

Stacia — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:24:38 +0000

MIE, the problem with you is that you think Right Wingers want a theocracy. That is further from the truth. They want less government in their lives, not more. If Martin Luther King or William Wilberforce or Abe Lincoln were alive today, you would call them theocrats and give them the same labels. Martin Luther King saw it as his God-given moral quest to end racial discrimination. William Wilburforce sought biblical guidence and helped end the slave trade. Abe Lincoln sited God’s word in speeches about ending slavery in America. They all used God’s word as a direction to their quest. These 3 accomplishments helped America and it’s people, not destroyed them.

By: Moderation in Everything

Moderation in Everything — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:12:37 +0000

Of course we regulate social issues. But don’t think for a second that ordered societies are necessarily Christian. That’s the problem. We can agree that the Ten Commandments make a good starting point for an ordered society. Beyond that for the most part I get concerned about religious groups imposing their beliefs on others. I don’t like religious wars. I don’t like theocracies.

By: ConservativeThinker

ConservativeThinker — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:59:08 +0000

I will say this, as a country and a government, we make ’social laws’ all the time. If it weren’t that way we’d have gambling across the state, along with prostitution, along with a policy in place to kill anyone who is a drain on the country such as all the old and infirmed and the mentally and severly phyisically disabled and anyone on welfare.

By: Moderation in Everything

Moderation in Everything — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 19:22:03 +0000

Timmy–back at you. My computer is off now. Cheers!

By: Timmy

Timmy — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:10:30 +0000

Mod, I couldn’t agree more! To the rest of you, it’s a beautiful day outside. Turn off the damn computer, go out & enjoy the weekend!!!

By: Moderation in Everything

Moderation in Everything — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 14:06:11 +0000

Christians you say. The socons on these posts think they have a monopoly on Chrisitianity. Most of my colleagues and friends are Christians. My democratic friends are Christian. All of them hold Christian beliefs sincerely. My point is that the socons, especially like Christian Talibanista Lydia believe their kind of Christianity is superior as a matter of politics. That kind of political posturing turns people off because it is offensive. I don’t begrudge Lydia her views as a person of faith. I do however resent her for using politics as an evangelical tool. RD–you and I can debate from sunup to sundown about why candidates win or lose elections. Maybe Robert Kennedy’s observation is important to consider. It all comes down to the candidate as a person. Since I am from NE Iowa I can attest to my personal repugnance to Nussle who espoused views akin to mine but at the same time left a wife and disabled daughter for a blond ingenue. That kind of hypocricy turned me off as it did with lots of my fellow parishoners. Another thing to consider is whether the vast middle feels aggrieved. In the late 70’s the vast middle, including the Catholic vote felt threatened by the excesses of democratic rule. As a result they flocked to RR in droves. Repubs lost the middle as a result of the faux conservatism (read big government) of Bush. Finally, another thing to remember is that time is on our side. I sense that the electorate is getting fed up with Obama’s promises and the legacy that he will leave our childern and grandchildren because of out of control spending. Politics is cyclical. Our time will arrive. Let’s be sure that we are well-positioned with conservative candidates who will embrace the vast middle instead of wingnut zealots who will alienate them.