[thechat] US Elections

[Erik Mattheis]

At 10:57 PM +0000 11/7/02, Martin Burns wrote:
>  > Republicans are traditionally conservative.
>
>>  Democrats are traditionally liberal.
>
>However, the difference as expressed in national government is near
>invisible.

It seems the only way one could think there's no difference is to
actively LOOK for no difference. Some votes in congress go strictly
by party lines, many more are passed or defeated by intensively
lobbying a dozen or so Senators or Representatives who aren't voting
with their party.

Here's a google search that might be educational:

<http://www.google.com/search?q=vote+along+party+lines>

>  Witness the recent campaign - I saw plenty of Democrats
>praising Bush... what sort of behaviour is that in an election campaign?

What kind of elected official would oppose something just because the
"other" party acted on it first? Democrats and Republicans aren't
completely polarized on every issue, but it's fallacious to conclude
from that that they are indistinguishable on every issue.

>It's not as if there's nothing to criticise...

There's a LOT to criticize ... but our system is not broken beyond
repair ... yet ...  there is always still the filibuster ... heh heh.
--

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- Erik Mattheis

(612) 377 2272
http://goZz.com/

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