Why do most of us go easy on nice Republicans?

[Used and Abused]

Its as if most of us become too nice and/or accomodating when talking with nice Republicans. I just heard Franken's interview and he totally cowered away from asking Kay the tough questions simply because Kay was being respectful and nice...

[ewagner]

1. I think it's our nature

as liberals we tend to respect differing opinions......

[daveskilt]

2. well nice smart republicans can become nice democrats

and often do, but browbeating and attacking is never a good conversion approach. Actually its just not a good approach generally - just a fun one for talking to irredeemable repubs.

[Used and Abused]

4. That may be the case, but how much treachery should we

excuse in the hopes of converting cons?

[blackcat77]

3. Because our strength lies in our differences

A complete uniformity of opinion is not a good thing. I have no problem with conservatives who can discuss issues reasonably and rationally. It's the maniacs and demagogues that I can't tolerate.

Dick Lugar is a "nice Republican," and he's spoken out much more against Bush's foibles than our other senator, Evan Bayh, and he's a Democrat!

[sangh0]

5. I have problems with ANY Repuke

because they all support a party that is destroying democracy and our nation.

Stupidity is NOT a valid justification, IMO.

[librechik]

6. Because we are the grownups, and we are too nice to our kids.

ask any conservative(as they're dancing on our heads and shaking their rattles.)

[ThoughtCriminal]

7. Same reason we don't shoot pandas

and other rare creatures.

[NewJeffCT]

8. Franken did get Kay to admit

That the Bush Admin cherry-picked intel on WMD.

[izzie]

9. All republicans are not the "Killing Christian" type.

Some want lower taxes, lest govt help and not to spend money and let people live their own lives. The ones in power now are way over the edge from the GOP that used to be,It is almost like a new party of wacko.

[xultar]

10. OK When Randy got all Loud and Yelled @ Nader like we all wanted

to do @ some point everyone here was angry cuz she yelled @ him.

Franken wouldn't get ugly in the way that you want cuz it isn't in his character. Even when he disses O'Liely he does it in a calm funny manner.

[w13rd0]

11. My son asked me this the other day...

...since he's heard from Republican relatives such things as "We need to purge the nation of liberals" and "Democrats are terrorists". I told him that it was because although I may think someone's point of view is wrong, I don't advocate silencing or killing them for not agreeing with me. Does that make me, personally, "weaker". Yes, probably. But it also means that live or die, win or lose, I don't have to become what I abhor. Just look at the Talibornagain, who, if there is a hell, will surely occupy the lowest level of it, for an example of becoming that which they hate.

[IronLionZion]

12. because soon they may have to switch parties

There's a growing rift between the good republicans and the neo-cons. The neo-cons are trying to kick out moderates like Specter, Chafee, Snow, etc. It's interesting to watch sometimes. There's some brutal insults being flung around in the PA Republican primaries. insults like "Ted Kennedy" liberal, too fond of taxes and spending, too close to activist judges and trial lawyers, too supportive of abortion rights and the United Nations aimed at a four-term Republican!

[markus]

15. That's an important point! Are they going to hang themselves

without a whole lot of assistance from us?

The Neo-Cons and Xian Taliban are feeling their oats. Should we let them "Goldwater" themselves?

I'm reading an interesting called "The Emerging Democratic Majority". One important point I take away from that book is that the vast majority of just left or just right of center voters are fairly libertarian, and aren't going to get that excited about Gay Marriage, for example.

When the wingnuts start frothing about the mouth and talking about weddings with goats, I think they lose the argument.

Similarly, most voters near the center care about the environment enough to accept some cost tradeoffs. They care enough about good education and affordable health care to accept some government intervention in the market.

They feel unfairly squeezed at work to produce more for less purchasing power year after year, and probably feel corporations have become greedy and corrupt. They will applaud seeing a few of these guys sents away, and again accept some government instrusion into the employer-employee relationship.

They basically don't buy the core GOP belief system in anyway. They voted for a Compassionate Conservative because they thought he could keep his pants zipped.

What they didn't realize was that through his ineptitude, he would get our collective equipment caught in the zipper.

They will be inclined to want to support the "wartime President". But it's becoming increasingly clear that the this war time president is no FDR. He is starting to look more and more like Lyndon Johnson, who peered into the crystal ball and saw a building backlash against an unpopular war and against overreaching on social issues.

And he bailed.

I don't expect Bush* to bail. I do, however, the American people to boot him out of the White House.

We may just have to help the process along.
\

[Warpy]

13. Most of us try to treat people the way we'd like to be treated

...and when people treat us with respect, it just makes it a bit easier.

However, as for going easy on "nice" Repuglicans, forget it. I will tell them with all the respect that they are affording me that their ideas are ruinous to the country, and I tell them why. Some of them listen. Some of them turn into neocons on the spot and start dittoing out of context.

There's not much you can do with a dittoing neocon but walk away. I will treat anyone who treats me decently with the same respect, though.

[w4rma]

14. To lead by setting an example for others, except on that point of tough

questioning. Weak questioning, imho, is setting a poor example.