Bill Clinton: "The problem with ideology is...you know all the answers"

Former President Clinton bemoaned ideologues who describe opponents as "running for office on his or her way to hell" and urged Democrats not to shy from fighting back.

"Most of us long for politics where we have genuine arguments, vigorous disagreements but we don't claim to have the whole truth and we don't demonize our opponents and we work for what's best for the American people," he said.

"The ideological, right-wing element of the Republican Party has been building strength, partly in reaction to things that happened 40 years ago - Barry Goldwater's defeat, the excess of the '60s, Ronald Reagan's election" he said. "But this is the first time on a consistent basis, the most conservative, the most ideological wing of the Republican Party has had both the executive and legislative branches with a very distinct governing philosophy and very distinct political philosophy."

"They favor unilateralism whenever possible and cooperation when it is inevitable," Clinton said without specifically mentioning members of the Bush administration.

"The problem with ideology is, if you've got an ideology, you've already got your mind made up. You know all the answers and that makes evidence irrelevant and arguments a waste of time. You tend to govern by assertion and attacks."


http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061018/D8KR8DM80.html

whenever someone disagrees with them during a time of war is INSANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, has anyone heard from Andrew Card's cousin?

.

And some of us can at least figure that out. We may not know whether single payer or subsidized health insurance is the best way to provide health care to all - but we sure know dying due to lack of money is wrong. That's what you could never figure out Bill, and still can't. There aren't any right answers in the Republican Party. The people you need to be bipartisaning with are away over on the left.

Thanks for saying that so I did not have to. I was going to say something like it.

This is the most evil bunch that ever led our nation, and I am feeling VERY partisan right now.

Next he will say to respect Rupert Murdoch. Or something like that.

No matter what any Dem said to oppose Bush, as soon as they would get traction, Clinton would be on Larry King saying how he supports Bush's policies, and that Democrats need to give him a chance and work with him.

That's values. That's an entirely different thing.

Sometimes one has to speak out. He needs to not be so nice to the other side right now.

You think we are fools and idiots and "liberals." Everything you write shows that your "centrist" point of view sees the rest of us as unimportant.

so others can laugh and chuckle about me.

:rofl:

What is there to see?

Christ, sometimes I feel like the only hard-core progressive here who doesn't lynch those who are not ideologically "pure."

and hold me up to ridicule at their blogs.

Any questions?

If someone is insulting you, you should alert the mods!

They don't control the other blogs.

You are funny, ww.

:rofl:

"constantly insult me...and hold me up to ridicule at their blogs."

So these centrists don't insult you here? And what blog are you referring to. I want to see.

but you get too many hits that way.

Let them guess.

Ok. I am fair game.

You are doing well.

Now ain't that a hoot? I get made fun of here by some for being a "librul"...and I really ain't.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/62

They called us fringe activists for a long time. I was almost centrist myself until I saw this bunch in action.

No more lectures right now please.

Like the centrists do. I can make a perfect triangle and just hop all over.

I have no idea why you take such pleasure in baiting me...so I just laugh now.

:rofl:

Now, if you'll just learn what triangulation means... (no, you don't, because if you did you wouldn't have misused it just now)

I use it to confuse so you would not really guess that I am a closet moderate/centrist.

LOL! It's "unique" but it can be used "many ways." Now THAT is a quote!

...the crop of candidates we've got at the moment seem to have little time for ideological purges.

Ask any right-winger what they think of what Clinton says here. I doubt they'll find it nice or complementary. In fact, it's the opposite. Unfortunately, the responses here do not surprise me.

The so called moderate Republicans have been empowering the ideologues for a very long time. They complain, then they vote religiously for Bush.

Does Clinton propose to move the center even more to the right?

It worries me.

Where does Clinton suggest this at all, anywhere? All he's doing is criticizing the far-right. How does that infer a proposal to move center further to the right?

..refuse to empower the ideological left.

When government has to prioritize issues and manage money as efficiently as possible it requires a mix of conservative thoght and liberal thought to be successful, ie not cause great dislocations of society. Thats jim4wes's theory anyways, I probably stole it from somewhere.

The subtext should be clear to anybody who remembers 1994, when the Republicans came to power and self-immolated in an orgy of idological bullshit.