How partisan are you?

[James]

How partisan are you? And how aware are you of your partisanship?

When I am talking to some people I want to pull my hair our or pull their hair out with how partisan they are.

Here is a simlple test of whether you are being partisan or not:

If the other party candidiate did it, what would you think?

For example:

I don't care if a Democratic President or Republican President signed the patriot act, in my view its a bad law.

[sugar and spice]

I think this is an interesting question.

I can hardly read the news & politics forum anymore because of how ridiculously partisan it is. There's no point in debate because it's just one pro-Bush fan posting something bad about Kerry, some Kerry fan posting something else negative about Bush, and they go from there. There's no discussion . . .

I've found that the more I educate myself, I simultaneously become less partisan and MORE liberal. That may sound strange at first, but . . . I feel that I become less partisan because I realize how both parties engage in the same tactics and that whining about how "Bush lied during the debate/Kerry lied during the debate" is really not all that effective or meaningful. Like you said, as soon as you're defending your party for doing one thing and insulting the opposite party for doing the same thing -- well, you've reached a new level of ridiculous. Even if your political opinions are valid, your pettiness outweighs the validity.

[AnchorAlum]

I won't even attempt to deny that I am very partisan in my politics. But I don't wear it on my sleeve.
I do business with folks who are voting for the other side, and I can work with these people and it doesn't matter.

Compartmentalizing? Yeah. I guess.

[RACooper]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
I've found that the more I educate myself, I simultaneously become less partisan and MORE liberal. That may sound strange at first, but . . . I feel that I become less partisan because I realize how both parties engage in the same tactics and that whining about how "Bush lied during the debate/Kerry lied during the debate" is really not all that effective or meaningful. Like you said, as soon as you're defending your party for doing one thing and insulting the opposite party for doing the same thing -- well, you've reached a new level of ridiculous. Even if your political opinions are valid, your pettiness outweighs the validity.

I have to agree that the older and more educated I get the more "liberal" I get.... but only in terms of that I become more willing to debate and discuss politics or views with people of differing opinions or beliefs. Discourse is a vital fundamental function of a healthy political system (and belief system), because otherwise there is an unfortunate tendency to descend into political extremism or fanaticism.

Now as for me, I’m technically a Conservative here in Canada; as in I’m a card-carrying member of the old PC (Progressive Conservative) party, and even ran for a municipal position under the party name… course I lost being in a municipal stronghold of Liberals, but at least I got more votes than the Commies, Marxists, and Green party candidates combined (current mayor, and many prominent members of the Liberal party come from this riding). All the above aside I believe that non-partisanship is vital to an equitable functioning of politics and society – so I don’t always (well actually rarely) vote along party lines…. I’m more than willing to vote for a candidate that I believe to be the best for the office… or more likely the candidate that I hate the least.

[Taualumna]

Originally posted by RACooper


(current mayor, and many prominent members of the Liberal party come from this riding).

If you ask a lot of people, they would probably say that Miller is more NDP than Liberal.......

Rob, did you run in the 2003 municipals?

[RACooper]

Originally posted by Taualumna
Rob, did you run in the 2003 municipals?

Nope... '94, and for the Seperate (Catholic) School Trustee... against one of the Nunziatas

[phigamucsb]

very!!!

[AGDee]

I'm fairly partisan and I think I'm getting more liberal with age and experience, but I did vote for McCain in the primary in 2000 and would have seriously considered voting for him for President because he's pretty moderate. I am tolerant of other people's opinions and understand that your point of view and belief systems are largely a product of your own life experiences. After working in health care for 16 years, most of it on psychiatric units, with kids, you see a lot of things wrong with society that you want to see improved. As your parents become old enough to be severely affected by "senior issues" such as Medicare/prescription coverage and Social Security, your views on that change. As your kids are affected by cuts to the schools, your views on that change. If you own a small business or work for a Fortune 500 company, your issues and views are going to be different, because you're living in a different world than someone who works in health care.

If partisan means that you have strong opinions and ideas about how things should be run, then I'm very partisan.

If partisan means that you think everybody who disagrees with you is an idiot and deserves to be insulted, then I am not partisan at all, but am very turned off by people who are like that (and have stopped responding to their posts here).

Dee

[Sistermadly]

Very partisan, and unashamedly so. I wouldn't go so far as to intimidate conservatives, or not hire them, or not keep them as friends, but the GOP platform (as it stands) is the antithesis of everything I believe in. Even though I'm getting more fiscally conservative as I get older, I'm hard pressed to think of a GOP candidate that I'd seriously back. The last one was Jack Kemp, and he ran a long time ago.

[cashmoney]

Originally posted by James
How partisan are you? And how aware are you of your partisanship?


Here is a simlple test of whether you are being partisan or not:

If the other party candidiate did it, what would you think?

For example:

I don't care if a Democratic President or Republican President signed the patriot act, in my view its a bad law.

I don't think thats a really good question to see whether or not how partisan you are. I think many many people on both sides think the patriot act was about as messed up as NAFTA was. I consider myself extremely partisan, you couldn't pay me to vote for a Clinton or Kerry or Daschle or Gephardt or Dean....I might give Joe Liebermann a thought but he's about it. Actually, I like Ole' Joe. That said, however moderate I may be in my political beliefs I still would not vote for a democrat. And the reason why I'm like that is because the underlining issue and fundemental belief of a democrat is that they have someone that can solve your problems for you. They believe, they being the politicians, that they have a plan for everyone and that they have all the answers. You'll never hear a democrat say " I don't know" and if you do, their party will reject them and pull them out of the spotlight. Why? Because thats how democrats get elected....they make people believe that they can help them and that they have the answers to your problems, and when you start buying in to the bullshit that somebody other than yourself has all the answers to your problems and that THEY rather than YOU know whats best for yourself....therein lies the problem. And thats the bottom line.


Said.

[Love_Spell_6]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
I think this is an interesting question.

I can hardly read the news & politics forum anymore because of how ridiculously partisan it is. There's no point in debate because it's just one pro-Bush fan posting something bad about Kerry, some Kerry fan posting something else negative about Bush, and they go from there. There's no discussion . . .

CO SIGN with this regarding OTHER forums on GC...but at least in the News and Politics forum, you do see both sides of issues.

BUt to answer the question..I don't believe I'm partisan i.e. I'm a hardcore Republican...my values are more important to me than anything. I voted for Gore in 2000 and was a liberal..but then I grew up. If a Democratic candidate ever embodied my morals and values (which I highly doubt) I'd be on board with them. Partisan folks to me are those that can't ever admit when they're candidate is wrong on issues...and that's what drives me crazy when talking politics.

[cashmoney]

Originally posted by Love_Spell_6
I voted for Gore in 2000 and was a liberal..but then I grew up.

This sentence leaped out at me. What exactly do you mean when you say "but then I grew up", and what exactly changed you? I'm only asking because you're insinuating that while you were young and dumb, so to say, you felt more connected to the democratic party but now you're older and more set in your ways so now you lean towards the conservative side. That in itself would imply that as people age they have a tendency to resent change as they get older and "grow up." I'm guessing that what you ment is that while you were younger social issues are what drove you to relating to the democratic party but as you got older economic issues are what ultimately changed you. Am I right?

[Pike1483]

Originally posted by cashmoney
This sentence leaped out at me. What exactly do you mean when you say "but then I grew up", and what exactly changed you? I'm only asking because you're insinuating that while you were young and dumb, so to say, you felt more connected to the democratic party but now you're older and more set in your ways so now you lean towards the conservative side. That in itself would imply that as people age they have a tendency to resent change as they get older and "grow up." I'm guessing that what you ment is that while you were younger social issues are what drove you to relating to the democratic party but as you got older economic issues are what ultimately changed you. Am I right?

Well, I don't want to put words into anyone's mouth, but I think we can assume by the phrase "but then I grew up" probably means got a job and started paying taxes.

I am very partisan, but I konw a mistake when I see one. If i dont agree with something the president has done, regardless of the party, then I don't agree with it, plain and simple.

[cashmoney]

Originally posted by Pike1483
Well, I don't want to put words into anyone's mouth, but I think we can assume by the phrase "but then I grew up" probably means got a job and started paying taxes.

My point exactly. And thats what I have a problem with, that in itself gives an impression that republicans aren't really concerned with social issues as we are with economis issues....and thats not entirely true.