what the real republicans are saying

So I live in a republican area and go to business school where capitalism reigns supreme. I know a lot of republicans. Hard core republicans.

A conversation with one this morning that echos so many conversations I have had this week.

repub "I just can't stand Kerry. He stands for so many things I despise."
me "so you are voting for Bush?"

repub "If I was a one issue voter maybe. Bush will still be popular because the religious right are one issue voters - they think oh ban gay marriage ok ill vote for him then - they don't care about the rest. But bush is incompetent. there I said it. he is - he just doesn't get it on so many things, but I hate Kerry - who is there for me to vote for? i mean who?"

me "nader?"

repub "hah. i've never voted democratic in my life for anything. but i can't vote for Bush. I just don't think that Kerry is that much better"

I launch into a kerry perception problem and have patience he will peak later speech and then solidified the anti bush sentiment with a when does his negligence become criminal? bit.

Republicans are our friends. real republicans anyway not the fascist religious nutters in control now. America is about dialogue and debate within a framework of agreed on social freedoms and capitist values.

the real republicans have more in common with us than with bush

I have conversations with several of them along the same lines as you described, except here in Mississippi they don't say, "never voted for a Democrat," because they have. Anyway, the "real Republicans" are intimidated or discouraged, afraid to speak out, because they know they'll get shouted down and ridiculed by the fascist-religious lunatics who have highjacked their party.

My brother.... a fiscal conservative, supported the ouster of saddam.... is voting for kerry. Just because he said at least kerry can speak in full sentences (I'm sure it goes deeper he's just not willing to admit he might have been wrong politically to the little sister)

I also live in a hard core republican area. There are many kinds of republicans here. The moderates, conservatives, and the religious right. I know them, work with them, and talk to them. Usually not about specific politics, since that turns into a school of sharks circling the lone dissenter. It's not that they don't know where I stand, lol. They do. I usually don't join in political conversations. When I do, it tends to be a one line response, to shut up an ignorant rant.

Most of the repubs I know are decent people. Misguided, but decent. I know some of them aren't voting for Bush this year. They've said so. With disappointment, dismay, with confusion. Others are sitting on the fence. I don't discuss the election directly with them; just the problems I know will swing them our way. With an occasional comment about 4 more years of the problem in question.

Then there's the bombastic fool who happily told me that he's not really a republican, and didn't like GWB. He's too "conservative" for GWB. He considers himself a conservative libertarian. He said he wouldn't vote for Bush unless it looked like the democrat might have a chance to win. In that case, Bush has his vote no matter what, to keep the "Hitlery" loving democrats out of power. :eyes:

He's no longer speaking to me. Goes out of his way to leave the room or move to the far end when I walk in. Avoids looking me in the eye. And his long political rants wither away on the wind when I walk in.
:evilgrin:

"real republicans" is that they are wildly supportive of "free trade" and corporate America, also they as a whole are virulently anti union and very much pro "right to work". It is these values which have led imho to the fascist government we as Americans are now confronted with.
As a matter of fact if you scratch the surface of a real republican you will find an incubating neo-fascist. The real beef they have with dubba is that he has exposed the republican agenda for what it is.
An agenda where in the individual is a slave to the corporate rulers.
Do not be fooled with their mealy mouthed protests against Kerry.

I also think there are few "real republicans." It is those that think they are "real republicans," but don't meet all the criteria that we need to embrace.

"if you scratch the surface of a real republican you will find an incubating neo-fascist."

I don't think I've ever seen it put a better way! Thanks for that!

BTW, Welcome to DU. :-)

"if you scratch the surface of a real republican you will find an incubating neo-fascist."

Well stated. Other than the wealthy who are Repug out of greedy self-interest and the religious nuts who are Repug out of stupidity, the rest are pretty much fascists in waiting or in fact.

Do I think the the Republican Party has a fascist agenda? Yes. Do I think all traditional Republicans are on side with this agenda especially as they are now seeing it played out? No.

Its counter-productive to dis all Republicans when the election is so tight. The administration is doing a great job showing where their irrational rightwing ideaology is taking America.

If they want the corner on irrationality let them have it.

In my previous posting I inadvertently pasted my favorite Mussolini quotation in the subject line. I had considered using the quote in my message. For anyone who's interested the full quote is

"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of State and corporation."

I have made a great effort to replace the word "republican" with the word "neoconservative." This helps me a lot when discussing politics with non neoconservative republicans. A lot of good republicans have broadened their umbrellas and are not happy with the current administration, and somehow, I need to embrace them and not offend them. I tend to be "left of the Democratic Party," but I must remain focused on my goal to help defeat this administration.

I call them pseudo-conservatives.

There's nothing "conservative" about these people (the neocon's) - government has gotten bigger, our civil liberties are constantly being eroded, they see the bible as a political road-map, etc, etc.

I've got one of these at work who I directed to www.cato.org & his eyes just kind of glossed over - he just couldn't comprehend what the true "conservative" philosophy is.

Sir or Madame(which ever is apt)
These people did not go to the courthouse before the last election and change from GOP to NeoC. The BFEE is a direct result of the "good Republicans" buying into the intensely fascist Republican agenda, a world dominated by corporate leaders and prison guards.
The repub. theory of government must be destroyed completely in this country IMHO. I personally cannot find even one plank they have to agree with.
Their theory of taxation is like a bank robber who stands outside of a bank and robs people who come to the door.

Their theories of economics are conservative(if one considers serfdom, the good ole days.)
Their ideas of a sound defense is to isolate the weak and spend billion upon billion to attack any who disagree.

All in all a throughly evil mindset for which each and every card carrying repub is responsible for. As a matter of fact the only good repubs I can think of are the ones who are going in to their respective elections boards and changing their party affiliation to Dem.

I understand needing to be put on a voting list but why declare party affliation rather than registering as an independent?

By Bush, the Republicans, the press and the pundits. It's to his detriment because I don't know anyone (outside of DU and an occasional CSPAN caller) that speaks highly or fondly of him. He's portrayed as aloof, boring (which I do buy), indecisive, a flip-flopper, did I mention boring....

Anyway, how does he shake these images? I am so uninspired by him that I cannot get through one of his speeches without a strong desire to go clean my grout. Something has to change or Kerry will lose this election based upon people's impression of him and not what he can actually do to change this country around.

I have yet to become a Kerry supporter, but posts like yours sure will speed the process. hete's conason:


The worst campaign indeed, except for all the others.Kerry’s Campaign Contradicts Critics

by Joe Conason
http://www.observer.com/pages/author_look.asp?Author=Joe%20Conason
Among the political press corps—a well-heeled herd as susceptible to fashion as any high-school clique—the reigning trend is to declare John Kerry’s candidacy moribund. From cranky left to triumphal right, commentators compete to insult the Massachusetts Senator. The consensus ranges from "He’s struggling" to "He stinks," and legions of mostly unnamed but very important Democrats are said to be "freaked out," "grumbling," "fearful" and swooning en masse from "buyer’s remorse."

Where did you see in my post that I was buying anything? If the man bores me then he bores me-- there's not much that can be done about that unless he changes his speaking style.

And if my post drove you to Kerry than I'll keep posting because I desperately want the reign of King George to end and we'll need all the votes we can get.

I'll vote for someone who served in the US Armed Forces before someone who shirked their promise. I will be bored by someone who is fluent in our language before I am impressed with someone who slaughters it in almost every sentence. I will also be bored before I am further disenfranchised. I will listen to the media about how Kerry has flip-flopped and read intelligent documentation of Bush's flip flops. Kerry flip flops to my advantage and Bush to his own advantage. Gee, be grateful for clean grout!

Over Bush*. I guess electing Kerry could serve a dual purpose, turn our country around and have clean grout.:7

"Kerry flip flops to my advantage and Bush to his own advantage. "


Priceless.

As Iraq worsens and Shrub Cartel starts issuing more terror warnings people will appreciate Kerry's calm deliberate manner. Shrub's "bring it on" idiocy and the shrill hysterics of rightwing radio will grate on fraying nerves. Calm and boring will be valuable assets.

That's what many of my republican friends are doing. They can't stand Bush* and know he is completely incompetent. They can't stand Kerry. Nader is not on their radar screeen. They are staying home, at least that's what most of them say.

"I just can't vote for Kerry."
"How about just staying home?"
"I might do that."

I'm sick of hearing people say that. Especially Republicans. It just shows they've still got their heads in the sand.

They aren't incompetent. They've been very successful at ramming the Republican agenda forward. Their agenda is to weaken domestic labor and to take an aggressive militaristic posture on the world stage. All to serve big corporate interests.

The Bush administration has been amazingly successful at this. To say they're incompetent is give the Republican party a pass.

because he flip flops

so tell me what flip flop

doesnt support military

that ad bush put out was cheneys 91 purposal when he was sec of def with bush 1. kerry has voted for military 16 out of 19 bills

what else dont you like about kerry


i say, know kerry. know the truths and know the untruths that bush is putting out. and when people say they dont like kerry challenge them. and then refute them. kerry is not all evil,. there are a lot of things that is a plus with the man.

the media doesnt put kerry on television. the media has yet to say a positive thing about kerry, ever. literally ever. i ask republicans who dont like kerry and watch news, have you ever heard a positive about kerry from news. ever. they cannot come up with one. yet in middle of bush mess i can come up with a lot of compliments and positive the media fuels with bush.

challenge this. we create

"hah. i've never voted democratic in my life for anything."

they may temporarily be the enemy of our enemy, but they put the bushgang, bushgang I, Reagan, and Nixon in power. They are the PROBLEM in this country, using their alleged "principles" to rationalize their greed. They are the weak link in the body politic in America that the neocons exploited to institute fascism.

they are no friends of mine.

I agree.We do need to have more discussion between parties. Instead of this constant sniping. TH

Welcome to DU!! :toast: