Are Republicans really that bad ?

@tekmojo said:

@Animasta: I'm pro-capitalism all the way. I think Obama is socialist at heart, wanting to spread the wealth to all people, companies, and organizations. It's my observation, sure some people may like bailouts and fair sharing. But it's not what I believe this country should become.

ahhh, a proponent of fuck you got mine. then I won't bother arguing any further, except to say that socialism worked pretty well for the nordic countries so

I don't take a particularly positive view of the Republican party in general, but most of their presidential candidates this year are, quite frankly, terrible people. The whole debate is royally fucked. It's this bizarre little bubble where it's more outrageous to cheat on your spouse than it is to sexually assault someone, having a history of offering healthcare to the people most at risk in your constituency is a dark shadow hanging over your political record, and suggesting that someone who doesn't have health insurance should just be left to die results in several seconds of applause. "Separation of church and state" is ignored in favour of privileging a certain flavour of Christianity. Homophobia is almost a mandatory quality. It's just a mess.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not exactly impressed by the Democratic party. Obama apparently thinks that it's "common sense" to ignore the FDA's research and judgment in favour of going with gut instinct, and that's terrible on all sorts of levels. But saying they're just as bad as each other is kinda false equivalence. Well, unless you're working off of a system of values that's completely alien to me. Which, sure, that's actually perfectly likely. I mean, if I should learn anything from all this, it's that lots people believe things I just don't begin to understand. So yeah! They're just as bad as each other! Unless you think they aren't! Whatever! This is a weird question.

@CptPanda29 said:

Religion is a way bigger deal in the USA politics than the UK for example. So Republicans are more hardcore in that sense, and it tends to overshadow any other policy they have. You know, 'cause they have imaginary friends still...

To make it average US voter clear, Republicans are bible thumping businessmen, and Democrats are socialists.

And this is sort off silly, religion is as a private thing as washing your underwear it is, and it has been like that since what, the late 17th/18th century ?

@tekmojo said:

@Animasta: I'm pro-capitalism all the way. I think Obama is socialist at heart, wanting to spread the wealth to all people, companies, and organizations. It's my observation, sure some people may like bailouts and fair sharing. But it's not what I believe this country should become.

I don't think you know or understand what socialism is, and the only thing bailouts are doing is making certain corporations grow out of proportion and then people go on and complain about the free market and big corporation when it's not the market that made the corporations big and gave them too much power.

@Mageman: Well yes it is very silly. Who's the religious types with nuclear weapons now?

SOCIAL COMMENTARY!

Having two sides just seems like a bad idea. It makes it into an us versus them argument. It becomes too easy to generalise parties. That said there are enough crazy people painting their respective parties a certain way that it's hard to overlook; especially when it's not just one person ranting, but rather people or corporations being taken seriously.

I consider myself left-wing if anything (not American); largely because of the xenophobia, racism and prejudice that fuels some right-wing supporters, if not those who're being supported. The religion angle does nothing for me either.

So I guess the answer is no; not every Republican is crazy. Even the most hated members of the right-wing have their reasons to do the things they do. And usually I suspect those reasons are entirely sane and come from the same basic instincts as drive us all. I don't believe in the concepts of good or evil; I just feel that more often in the right-wing, decisions are made from a lack of compassion, xenophobia or hate.

But yeah; on the internet there is a lot of hate and contempt for Republicans, some for good reason.

no they are not bad most of them are normal people

@Zaxex said:

Having two sides just seems like a bad idea. It makes it into an us versus them argument. It becomes too easy to generalise parties. That said there are enough crazy people painting their respective parties a certain way that it's hard to overlook; especially when it's not just one person ranting, but rather people or corporations being taken seriously.

I consider myself left-wing if anything (not American); largely because of the xenophobia, racism and prejudice that fuels some right-wing supporters, if not those who're being supported. The religion angle does nothing for me either.

So I guess the answer is no; not every Republican is crazy. Even the most hated members of the right-wing have their reasons to do the things they do. And usually I suspect those reasons are entirely sane and come from the same basic instincts as drive us all. I don't believe in the concepts of good or evil; I just feel that more often in the right-wing, decisions are made from a lack of compassion, xenophobia or hate.

But yeah; on the internet there is a lot of hate and contempt for Republicans, some for good reason.

I don't think serious politicians or voters care much about that stuff, politics are usually about economics, and what means to use to achieve the higher standard of living for people and more economics growth. The free market certain ''right wing'' people try to protect and expand actually brings people closer together to be honest.

The left/right thing are usually friendships made on one sides of the fences (I am in general against the divide anyway). For example recently some person here ran as left wing only because he was vehemently against person x from the other side of the fence.

Newt Gingrich is bad. Karl Rove is bad. Rick Perry, Michelle Bachman, Sarah Palin, Herman Cain? Well they're just idiots, not necessarily evil. It's not the Republican ideal that is the problem; it's the people who use it's banner, to try and tell us what to do and what to think that are the problem. Chris Christie is a republican, and from what I can tell a pretty decent human being. Ron Paul ain't so bad either.

All politicians are assholes.

Don't believe media hype. Republicans are what they've always been, fiscally conservative, focused on business, religious leaning.

Are the knights of the old republic really that bad?

It's not limited to Republicans. Any group of people, especially groups of Politicians, are going to have terrible people in them.

@DriveupLife said:

Don't believe media hype. Republicans are what they've always been, fiscally conservative, focused on business, religious leaning.

Yet that religious earning and tendency toward being conservative in a variety of areas makes them bad. I know plenty of Republicans that are simply good people, but they also come across as stingy. The worst ones are those that push their religion, but being pushy can be seen in any group of people, political or not.

As for business focus, how often do we hear Republican politicians talking about small business while doing nothing for them (and focusing really on big business)? It seems more disingenuous when you look at Republican politicians than Democrats (or any other party, IMO; save for the Tea Party) when all they talk about is small business and more civil liberties while they have done far too much to do the exact opposite in practice.

But hey, they aren't members of PeTA. At least, not all of them.

Not all Republicans are crazy but they are mostly stupid. The only book most of them have read is the bible....so yeah. The extreme republicans are crazy assholes who care for nobody except themselves and their pockets. (seriously most don't even like their families ask Herman Cain or Gingrich) But there political philosophies are batshit crazy and very contradictory. Pro-Life and Pro-Death Penalty....I mean come on. They hate taxes but are about to let the middle class tax cut expire. they hate knowledge. They're everything I can't stand

FYI I'm an Independent. (some liberals are crazy too....some...like 2 or 3 total)

@ManMadeGod: You didn't read what I wrote.

@ABK_92 said:

@AlexW00d said:

From the perspective of someone from non-USA all we ever see of Republican politicians are fuckwits like Sarah Palin, George Bush(es), and that one Gary Whitta hates; and of course, that is probably due to people making big deals about how fucking idiotic they are (and the Bushes being president), but you never really hear about insane, nutjob Democrats, so yeah.

Obama says hi.

From what I have seen, Obama has been a much much better president that George Bush. He definitely doesn't get any bad press over here, and thee's no bias to either party here.

Is AIDS really that bad?

They're not nearly as black and white as it seems. However, most of the frontrunners for this election's Republican presidential nomination are some form of insane, which is unfortunate as I would probably vote for a sane Republican this election.

Im half Mexican and half Native American.

Im below middle class.

Im not Atheist, but im not Christian either.

Im not an asshole.

Im Republican.

@Rudyftw said:

Im half Mexican and half Native American.

Im below middle class.

Im not Atheist, but im not Christian either.

Im not an asshole.

Im Republican.

GET OUT!!!!

@JasonR86 said:

@Rudyftw said:

Im half Mexican and half Native American.

Im below middle class.

Im not Atheist, but im not Christian either.

Im not an asshole.

Im Republican.

GET OUT!!!!

I'm like Frankenstein BITCHES!

I think splitting the country into red and blue really misses the fact that a significant number of Americans don't really fall strictly under either banner. For instance, I consider myself fairly conservative when it comes to fiscal issues and national defense, but I'm probably considered more moderate on certain social issues. Does that make me Republican? Well it would obviously depend on the candidates available at the voting booth. As GOP candidates saying dumb things on TV, well that's what politicians do. Remember that politicians care more about appeasing their supporters (whether this be the constituency or financial backers) than necessarily sticking to what they believe in. If Republicans in capital hill had actually been fiscally conservative, we wouldn't have the kind of national debt we do now. So the problem is not that Republican ideology is flawed but rather politicians are deeply flawed and often fail to live up to their own ideals/principles.

Some are, some aren't.

I was a republican until this tea party shit. Those specific republicans are fucking insane.

About as bad as democrats

@JasonR86 said:

@Mageman said:

I have little knowledge about American politics so please forgive my ignorance but I do know a thing or two or at least I think I do.

Anyway on many internet boards among them being GB and other gaming communities, people are generally Democrat leaning (not always though) and will sometimes make remarks about how Republicans are ''religious nutjobs'' among other things. But surely things are not that black and white, and especially in this time politics about serious issues like how to create jobs and a stable economy, I can't remember the last time ''social/religious issues'' were discussed in my country, as they really are not important in this day and age.

On some semi social site (pathetic I know) I also found the profiles of a couple of juicy hipster girls, you know the usual late teen/early adult people, listening to weird music and talking about drugs, anyway they both said that they were Republicans which kinda distorted the image of the usual Republican voters sites like this give a person. Despite not following American politics closely as I stated earlier I am sure even in ''Jesus land'', at the centre of discussion are economic issues, is it really that much of a stretch to think that there are gay atheist Republicans etc as well who just happen to seek the means of getting a stable economy and jobs via strict neoliberalism or something similar.

Most people on the internet are fucking crazy and say shit to get people upset. Not every Republican is crazy, they all don't watch Fox News, they all don't belong to the NRA, not all of them are religious, and so on. Most people who think that all Republicans are one way and all Democrats are the other are usually just sheep that go along with whatever the biggest group tells them. They lack the insight to think for themselves and have to rely on other people's opinions on the world to determine what they feel is 'right' and 'wrong' politically. They are a sad group of people and that group is likely much larger then I would like to imagine.

this^^^^^ usually the people who are the loudest are nut jobs themselves thats why the majority is called the silent

majority

@oatz: back that up with facts please

Screw you libtards and your occupy movement.

Of course not. I consider myself Republican, but I do not fit the general description people will give. I'm a proud Christian, but I'm also not a "religious nut."

Anybody who thinks that every Republican fits a certain description like the one generally given is ignorant, and needs to open their eyes. There are plenty of good Republicans out there. Same goes for any political party.

Its a shame so many Americans to this day still believe there are only two options when voting for president. It doesn't have to be black or white, red or blue. Ralph Nader for President 2012!

In all seriousness though Ralph Nader would make the world a better place.

I am sure even in ''Jesus land'', at the centre of discussion are economic issues

There are two main reasons that Republicans get the evil image; Religion and Economics.

First, politics should never equal religion. Religion should have no bearing on any political, federal, or governmental issues, But, unfortunately, in the US we still use the Imperial units of measurment and have a very Christian society. Like Fajita_Jim said, all a candidate has to do is hate the rest world and love Jesus and he will find a great deal of misguided American support.

Being a bible thumper doesn't make anyone a good candidate. However, a good candidate could also be a bible thumper, but not likely. We are supposed be a secular nation, the founding fathers intended it to be so. We have Freedom of Religion, that includes no religion. I'm an atheist and a liberal/libertarian. I know those two aren't exactly compatible, but if I can't be a libertarian, I'll be a liberal.

Second, trickle down economics don't work anymore. Tax cuts for big business' end up lining the pockets of the Executives. Not all companies are guilty of that, but I am forever biased against lobbying. If lobbying didn't exist, the world would be better for it. At least lobbying in the sense that big companies can buy politicians.

We are supposed to be a Capitalist nation, but corporations get more charity than the poor.

But the Republicans are not solely to blame. We've had some Democratic blunders in my lifetime. We are not the world police. We are not the world's charity box.

I'll be voting for Ron Paul, if he gets the nomination. I believe he's a stand up guy and the only person qualified to be a presidential nominee. Knowledge of the constitution and the courage and discipline to live by it are rare things in our government.

We haven't had a strong third party in a long time. I'd love to see a third party, or fourth party, emerge in my lifetime. The US has a constant tug-of-war cycle between the left and right. It'd be nice to see a forward pass.

@AlexW00d said:

From the perspective of someone from non-USA all we ever see of Republican politicians are fuckwits like Sarah Palin, George Bush(es), and that one Gary Whitta hates; and of course, that is probably due to people making big deals about how fucking idiotic they are (and the Bushes being president), but you never really hear about insane, nutjobs Democrats, so yeah.

Then check out the utterances of, well, anybody in the CBC. Or Nancy Pelosi. Or what Chris Dodd and Barney Frank unleashed on the US. Batshit crazy abounds in the DNC.

The thing is the internet is considered the 'rest of the world'. America is generally more conservative than other Western countries, the Democrats are actually the equivalent of conservative parties in other countries, while the Republicans are even further right wing. So the view is somewhat distorted.

And democrats tend to be dumb, anti-American, hateful, greedy corrupted liars.

But basically it comes to those that need a hand up and not a hand out. And it's hard to win an election when you have people that do nothing but vote for a living.

I'm sure watching Boardwalk Empire will answer all of your questions... maybe not, still entertaining though

All of our politicians are idiots. Republicans just happen to get caught doing stupid things more often.

majority young people= democrats, internets= majority young people, internets= majority democrats

Speaking in broad generalizations, Republicans are a lot more focused on older ways of thinking, so you will find them bringing religion into arguments and being generally very xenophobic/mildly racist.
 
Keeping in mind that most users of videogame websites such as this are of the younger generation, we tend to be a lot more Liberal in our thinking, and while we may not agree or associate with Democrats, we generally have a strong dislike of Republicans. Especially considering they're always trying to get videogames banned and outlawed and impose crazy rules and regulations.
 
I wouldn't say that Republicans are much worse than Democrats or any major political party really, but as someone who is much more frequently against their political pursuits and ideals, I do find myself liking them a lot less than other parties.
 
Full disclosure: I'm a Liberal-moderate, fiscally conservative.

The two party system seems fucked up.

From what little I've seen I would vote for Ron Paul. I'm probably super evil.

I'm a registered Republican. I don't really know why, though. I can't say I really identify with the party. I'm sick of parties, actually. The party establishments have way to much control over individual representatives, forcing them to conform to the platform. If a candidate is too far from the platform, they lose party support (that means money). Without party support, they don't have a career. This is what causes so much destructive polarization in the U.S. 
Yeah, that's really oversimplified.

I mean i'm not into politics much, I was kind of interested in what Ron Paul has to say.
 
But then there are dudes like this guy..

Democrats are exactly as bad as Republicans. The difference is you've only been listening to one of them.

I'd like to think I'm not that bad, but you would be surprised how demoralizing it is being a Conservative who spends a lot of time on the Internet. Giant Bomb tends to be tame in comparison to most of the Internet, but even still users constantly toss terms like "Fox News" around as though it's derogatory.

We're not all religious nutjobs who hate gays, just like not all Democrats are lazy good-for-nothings waiting for a handout from the government.

The Republican party is filled with a ton of politicians, good people who are simply trying to be good public servants for their communities. However, since the late 90s it's been driven and some say hijacked by a neo conservative group whose views on America's role in the world can be compared to the imperialistic aspirations of world war II Germany. It's a very scary time to be an American and will be do long as the current leadership of the GOP stays in power.

@leebmx: I'd be curious to see actual quotes from tea party members that back up what you are saying, not just out of context sound bytes from John Stewart, or the mainstream media. Granted, there are kooks on both sides of the aisle, and while i'm sure that there is some tea party members, who can fill the stereotype you mentioned. I'm sure that there is a bunch of well spoken and educated folks in the group as well. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that there is a bunch of occupy this and that members who can make the rest of that group look pretty bad also.

Point is, you can't rely on what others say about any particular group. The only way to figure it out is to actually listen to what they are saying, not what other people tell you they are saying. I'm pretty sure if you did that, you might have a different opinion of a lot of political "groups"

Most politicians are the same in the U.S.. The big difference is that the Republicans are much more structured with their leadership. The Democrats are all over the place. Republicans circle the wagon, so to speak, when they are challenged. Democrats circle the next biggest thing. Both sides have wackos in their respective party from the top all the way down.  In essence, they're the same, but different.

I seriously want people to name these... good republicans. and don't say Ron Paul because while he is probably the smartest GOP candidate, he's also supremely crazy.

@Animasta: Take the time to really learn all of the folks on both sides of the aisle, if you don't, then you are doing yourself a disservice, don't expect other people to tell you who the good this or that is. Listen to what they themselves are saying and figure it out for yourself. There are good and bad ones in both parties, if you can't believe that, I can't help you, neither can anyone else

I go through similar issues with my dad, He votes one way same party, every election, which is ok, but he refuses to even listen seriously to what the members of the other party are saying. To me, making a decision like that, voting for the next pres without learning who each candidate is for oneself is a huge mistake, and there is no way a person can make an educated decision like that.