DebateScoop.org: Might Republicans have more "fun"?

Might Republicans have more "fun"?

By Ross Smith 01/30/2007 08:18:18 PM EST

A tidbit at the bottom of a Hotline on Call post asked, "We wonder: will global warming be more of an issue for Republicans than for Democrats?"

Well, yea. Duh almost.

The primary debates should be quite a contrast: there are divisive issues aplenty on the GOP side, while the Dems will differ over degree but not direction.

Climate change (McCain's name is on the bill), campaign finance reform (ditto), immigration reform (seeing a pattern?). The war (Brownback opposes escalation, McCain's name is on the plan thanks to John Edwards's rhetoric).

Gays and abortion, Rudy? Stem cells?

Is there really any big issue the GOP field is not divided over?

Meanwhile, the Democratic candidates' differences seem to be matters of degree and policy nuance. Kucinich and Gravel may have some "extreme" positions that their opponents don't share. But that's what gadflies are there for: to prick the concsious of the voters and other candidates while making their opponents seem moderate (even though the top tier Democrats are all plenty liberal).

Plunk a comment down . . .

Tags: debates, debate, 2008 Presidential Primaries

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Might Republicans have more "fun"? | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)

Immigration Reform (none / 1)

is the most divisive of the issues facing the Republicans in the upcoming cycle. Three reasons:

It speaks directly to the party's corporate base. Republicans, despite their "average Joe" airs in the case of Bush are the party of big business and these corporations know enough to realize that cheap foreign labor helps make America run.
Its economically irrational. It is beginning to parallel protectionism, another issue where public sentiment runs into a wall of empirical rationality. Keeping out people who are willing to do jobs for a certain wage is akin to keeping out products because they would be sold at a competitive price. As long as the Republicans style themselves as the party of growth, this is a nuclear contradiction.
Many Republicans are human beings, and have a moral center. The immigrant bashing Minuteman wing of the part is not too far from the gay bashing wing of the party. Both these elements are noxious to moderate elements of the party that are the same elements that are most likely to vacillate from their default party affiliations. Such elements are not present in say, debates about global warming.

by Paul Johnson on 02/02/2007 12:22:32 AM EST

: Wedge will be inserted this year (none / 0)

It is likely that the immigration wedge will be driven through the GOP by Bush and the Democratic congress later this year.
The House has plenty of votes, the Senate had a filibuster-proof number last summer. Bush will not veto. In fact, he has asked for legislation that half of the GOP calls "amnesty".
Be the debater you want to see.
by Ross Smith on 02/08/2007 10:14:28 PM EST

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