Has ANYTHING good ever come from "Conservatives" or "Centrists"?

[Sebastian Doyle]

Seriously...... I can't think of anything.

Time to step up you teabag trolls, lurking Freeps. You DLC'ers too. Justify your "conservatism" or "centrism". Tell me one fucking good thing that has ever come from either, because I don't believe it exists.

Everything good that exists in this country comes from Liberalism.

Can anybody offer any evidence to the contrary?

[Greyhound]

1. Gotta run. K&R & bookmarked to check back later for any response. n/t

[Richardo]

2. The internet started as a Defense application in response to USSR space program

In fact, our space program was a cold-war response to the USSR. Many useful, life-saving applications have resulted from the technology developed.

Now, I would not apply the 'liberal' or 'conservative' label to either one of them. But they are good things that have sprung from the generally centrist government of the United States.

In fact, I'd submit the The Constitution itself is a product of centrist compromises and accommodations.

[SpiralHawk]

16. But every 'conservative' 'knows' that Al Gore (D) invented the Internet

So you can't start taking credit for it now...

[ChoppinBroccoli]

31. Kennedy Didn't Start The Space Program..........

...........but he was the one who can take credit for being the best. The United States' space program was nothing until Kennedy spurred it forward. So, while he didn't technically "invent" the space program, I think you can give Kennedy the credit for us having the space program we have today. So that one's out for conservatives. The space program belongs to Kennedy and OUR side of the ledger.

[Richardo]

34. I think the point of the OP was one of altruism...

...Kennedy may have been a Democrat, but the motivation for the space program was not altruistic liberalism like the Civil Rights, universal sufferage, Social Security or the 40-hour work week. It was motivated by Defense and cold-war geo-politics.

[stray cat]

3. Bill Clinton gave us a budget surplus

Abe Lincoln is the reason the US is a single entity and he freed the slaves. Moderates and republican votes were need to pass civil rights

[Sebastian Doyle]

10. Abe Lincoln was a Liberal Republican (yes they existed back then)

Civil rights came from Liberalism as well.

As for Clinton's budget surplus, I'll give you that point, but much of that was "projected" and all of it was evaporated by Chimpy within the first 6 months of his fraudulent occupation of the White House. I was looking for more permanent results.

[harkadog]

23. Lincoln was not a liberal anything

The Civil War started to reunite the states -- not to free slaves. If Lincoln could have reunited the states with slavery still existing he gladly would have.

"I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so." (1st Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861)

[JVS]

24. The republicans were the liberal party back then

[fascisthunter]

36. you had to go back that far to find something

I think the OP's point stands.

Also: Clinton's job was to give us a surplus, and we should expect the same from all our elected politicians. I think the bar has been lowered substantially after dip shit(Bush Jr.) was appointed.

[Greyhound]

47. A surplus budget at what price?

The demolition of the middle class, working class, the poor, women, minorities, college students, etc. all so that some rich thieves could become super rich. Oh, and let's not forget the "trade agreements" that forced the American taxpayer to underwrite the cost of their own destruction.

Fuck that and fuck him.

[Echo In Light]

4. Brings forth Business (Travesty) As Usual (Mission Accomplished!)

[no_hypocrisy]

5. In a yin-yang way, they've helped to define us by who we aren't and

what we won't accept.

[Kaleva]

6. We keep the extremists from taking us all over the edge.

[tkmorris]

8. The Earth isn't flat

[Kaleva]

9. The Grand Canyon isn't either

[bvar22]

29. Thank GODD....

...you "Centrists" were able to stop FDR and LBJ from "taking us over the edge".

[rucky]

44. My memory of Bush enablement isn't that short.

But I'm assuming you had progressives in mind when you made that statement.

[Greyhound]

48. Now that's just funny.

You are the assholes that made this disaster possible.

As usual, conservatives live in and react only to fear.

[supernova]

7. No, because doing something isn't in their job description

DLCers, and conservatives exist to preserve and promote the status quo. So, they like to see as little done as possible. It's change for the better they fear, non the status quo, even if the status quo is harmful and needs to evolve into something humane.

[NRaleighLiberal]

13. Wow! great minds and all - we used the same phrase at the same time!

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. By definition, it is not in their job description. They prevent progress, not enable it.

So I guess there is some value in having something to balance things out. But my own view, esp. what we see these days as conservative and centrists...

they politically triangulate to stay in power, try to never accomplish anything except to conserve their own wealth.

[FiveGoodMen]

12. They all die eventually

That's good.

[arcadian]

14. They maintain the status quo for corporations.

That's all they do.

[FarLeftFist]

15. No.

Unless you consider tax cuts for the extremely wealthy a good thing.

[Individualist]

17. Their defeat is the only thing I can think of.

[KansDem]

18. Well, if you talk to members of the oligarchy, MIC, the corporatists, and the like...

They might tell you "yes." But I doubt if you'll get this kind of response from the Average American (except Paliens).

[Zoeisright]

19. No.

Not ever.

[unblock]

20. sure. reagan ended communism with a single speech!

except for all the places outside the ussr who still have communism.
reagan decided, in his infinite wisdom, not to give a speech that would end communism in cuba or china.

and of course, shrub kept us safe for 8 whole years, except for that one time when he didn't.


:sarcasm:

[Sebastian Doyle]

22. ...and forgot what he said 5 minutes later!

Mr. Gorbachewey..... tear up this walnut..... uh no that wasn't it.....hey Nancy, what was it I just said??

[Romulox]

21. Their project to drive down wages and humble the American middle class has been a success. nt

[Kitsune]

25. There is only one thing I can think of, and it's something I've never understood about the left.

I have never understood why firearm ownership is such a bogeyman among liberals. We're supposed to the be anti-authoritarian side, aren't we? So why do we obsess over asinine "Assault Weapons" bans when it's clearly a losing argument in this country and inconsistent with our other stands on individual rights and freedoms?

This said, it's certainly never an excuse to vote for a conservative or a centrist. The modern incarnation of that ideology strikes me as a mental illness more than anything. Of course, most of the Democrats are conservatives, too...

[reggie the dog]

26. the Terminator and Terminator 2 were not that bad....

[Barack_America]

27. Their gross incompetence at running government provides opportunity for drastic change.

Should we ever acquire an opposing political party with the spine to take advantage of it.

[Quantess]

28. Absolutely NOTHING in the past few decades.

I can't remember...did Gerald Ford do anything noteworthy?

[bvar22]

30. Short answer = NO.

Long Answer is that they have done FAR WORSE than simply "Nothing".

The "Centrist Democrats" are responsible for helping the Republicans destroy the Working Class and helped run up the National Debt so high that Social Programs and Programs that help the Working Class have been "drowned in the bathtub" for at least another generation.




The DLC New Team
Republican Lites Only
Real "Democrats" Need NOT Apply (That includes YOU, Dr. Dean)

(Screen Capped from the DLC Website)

"I am a New Democrat!"--Barack Obama
http://www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?contentid=254931&kaid=85&subid=900184

[Joe the Liberal]

32. Conservatives and centrists are against anything and everything.......

so no nothing good has ever come from them, they only know how to show false concern and set up obstacles that hinder progress. They are there to preserve the status quo, that is their purpose in a nutshell. I can't think of one good thing they have done for this country, not one.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

33. I,ve got one!

They make great fodder for late night talk show jokes.

[mitchum]

35. Food for worms?

[Shell Beau]

37. Me! lol! My parents are republicans.

[BR_Parkway]

38. Much laughter from their stupid signs, mis-spellings and even their ignorance of basic

facts occasionally when it doesn't affect any serious outcome.

I mean, Christ on a Trailer Hitch during the Schiavo disaster?

Ted Haggard with a call boy?

But aside from the few moments that they make me laugh out loud, there are many, many more when they bring me to tears for what they do to our country

[Sebastian Doyle]

39. Kicking this up for the late shift

:kick:

[Telly Savalas]

40. The EPA

[Sebastian Doyle]

41. Yeah, that and Earth Day

The two times Nixon's Quaker roots were able to overcome his Bush Crime Family political programming.

[rucky]

42. They really didn't stop anything radical coming from the Right in the Bush Years

They have stopped several things coming from the Left, under the Dem majority.

[kenny blankenship]

43. Computer says No

[Johonny]

45. Centrists pass most laws

For centrists: Frankly their the part of political parties that can be bargained with. Thus historically they were the people primarily involved in policy negotiations. People that declared absolute loyalty to one side or another of an issue tend to be bad negotiators and often find themselves left out of political talks unless they directly start them. Older Republican politicians have argued that what's wrong with the current party is the complete lack of centrists. There's simply no one with which to negotiate policy with. Hence the Democrats end up simply negotiating with themselves while one whole section of the represented populous sits on the side lines. For Democrats the problem with centrists is that recently they have been better at negotiating their way through party politics to party leadership positions. Truly liberal ideas are thus not getting to floor to start negotiating with. Traditionally I believe centrist have been needed to pass legislation, which is slightly different than maintaining status quo as people seem to think in the thread.

As for conservatives. It's all your point of view. There are conservatives that will tell you all the great things W, Bush I, Reagan, Nixon did. If you are a liberal you're going to think things like invading Iraq were really stupid ideas. Historically most conservative ideas are not good ideas or do not end with good results. Oddly enough is the fact when one might be a good idea it's ignored by conservatives. Like paying down the deficit during good economic times. Lumping Centrists with conservatives isn't helpful, because they aren't the same thing.

People can of course be liberal, centrist or conservative depending on the issue at hand, although in modern politics this has been seen as being a liability to ones Party.

[timtom]

46. Not to put too fine a point on it, and to cut a long story sideways and down the middle,

no.