NHGOP Strategy: Guns, God, and Gays

Couldn't agree more (4.00 / 4)

Figure out how many people you know who have lost jobs in the last 15 months. I can think of several. It crosses class lines, age groups, education, profession.

People want to work, and they need to work. If I were running for federla office, it would be the one thing I talked about every day. You want to lower the deficit? Put people to work. You want to strengthen the family? Put people to work. You want people to have health coverage? Put them to work.


"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."  Franklin D. Roosevelt    

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by: Kathy Sullivan 2 @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 20:32:01 PM CST

but (4.00 / 3)

if we lose our homes we can sleep under our guns. If we lose our jobs, we can hold up banks and liquor stores. If we lose our  health insurance, and we get sick - we can shoot ourselves.  

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by: susanthe @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 20:41:01 PM CST

The Silent Majority (4.00 / 1)

It is a grave mistake to paint all, even most, Republicans as looney teabaggers and far right wingers.

Of course, the NHGOP is limp and will not produce a viable leader for the Republicans that have been abandoned by their party.

Ignore them at your peril.

Not sure if I'm directing this comment to Dean or Chairman Sununu.

www.KusterforCongress.com  

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by: Jack Mitchell @ Wed Dec 23, 2009 at 21:42:23 PM CST

The silent majority have been convinced that telling (0.00 / 0)

other people how to live is an adequate substitute for enjoying one's own life--that if others can be made miserable, one's own misery is less onerous.

The deprivators have turned self-sacrifice into a virtue, thereby washing their hands of the misery they inflict.

The silent majority voting against their own best interests is the ultimate dirty trick.

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by: hannah @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 06:07:52 AM CST

[ Parent ]

Agreed (4.00 / 1)

The Democrats and some Libertarians do quite well on gay rights, though we should do better (ending DADT, for instance.) But true success for gays and lesbians can only be achieved in the long run when their rights are seen as basic civil rights supported by everyone and not as a partisan wedge issue by either side. When a gay Republican can openly run for office with support of the GOP, we'll know equal rights have a chance of being permanently secured, not until. We must sincerely hope gay & lesbian rights are to be embraced at least as fully as racial equality has been by both parties (yeah, I know....but at least both parties give lip service to racial equality--it's a start.)

On guns & God, recall that before we can push for sane fiscal and other policies, the Democrats need to get elected. Learning a bit more about why so many people see guns as a civil rights issue (there are many non-NRA lefty gun owners in NH btw) would be a good start for the Democrats, who, despite having many members who support gun rights are widely viewed as anti-civil rights by people who have deeply held beliefs on the Bill of Rights. The same goes for God. Most of the social issues Democrats push dovetail well with all major world religions, not just secular ethical systems, yet Democrats are seen in many quarters as hostile to people of faith. This is silly, but we know it's the typical view--and one this article reinforces. You don't have to profess beliefs you don't hold, but people of faith do need to feel respected before they flock to your banner.

What to do? Fight Republicans on their own turf--if you want to take guns off the table as a divisive issue then learn about them and bring facts to your discussion when you want to talk about policies to promote public safety. Heck, maybe even do something POSITIVE for gun owners to show credibility and good faith. Maybe listen (there's an idea, huh?)

If you want to bring religious people to the table, then don't dismiss evangelical passion as inconsistent with compassionate action. On guns and religion, a little smirk goes a long way...to turn people off of your larger agenda, no matter how much you tell them its for their own good.

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by: Sage Thrasher @ Sat Dec 26, 2009 at 18:10:57 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Fascinating crosstab: (0.00 / 0)

On this same jobs/deficit question:

Men
Jobs Stimulus   45%
Deficit    50%

Women
Jobs Stimulus   59%
Deficit    35%

It is hard to conclude otherwise than that women and men, while they overlap somewhat, nevertheless think differently about oikonomika.

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by: Dean Barker @ Thu Dec 24, 2009 at 06:23:20 AM CST