Are you willing to concede that "the other side" is generally well-intentioned?

[AreaCode707]

As messed up as you think they are, do you concede that, according to their own understanding, experience and morals, they are attempting to do what they consider the best thing is? Grammar nazis may feel free to persecute me for ending the sentence a preposition with.

Hey look ma, a question and poll with no partisan suggestion or spin whatsoever!

If you want to make it partisan, post your side and your yes/no answer. I have a prediction about partisan perspective on the results but I'll keep it to myself for the moment.

[edit] Ok, now that we have an overall sampling (45 optimists, 19 pessimists, roughly a 70/30 split), come back in and vote your affiliation. Let's see if my unspoken prediction comes true.

 

[spidey07]

For the most part I think they do what they think is best. Sad part is they actually believe the shit they are doing is good. You can apply this to whatver side of the isle you're talking about, it fits.

Some I'm sure it's just a power grab thing.

 

[sandorski]

Yes, but even Hitler and Stalin were Well-Intentioned.

 

[JSt0rm]

fuck no

 

[miketheidiot]

depends on the individual but in general yes. There are some fucking bastards out there though, on both sides.

 

[CallMeJoe]

If all Democrats and Republicans are doing what they think best for the nation, both parties are loaded with fools.

 

[Harvey]

After the Bushwhackols' eight year reign of terror and the support they from their intial stranglehold on Congress, HELL NO!

 

[shadow9d9]

Amendments to ban gay marriage in the constitution is not well-intentioned. Trying to prevent universal healthcare while pushing for wars to pay your buddies is not well intentioned. So no.

 

[marincounty]

No, David Stockman admitted in his book that the Reagan administration's goal was to create large deficits in order to starve social programs.

GWB was determined to attack Iraq regardless of facts on the ground.

I believe Republicans have their agenda and don't care about the country.

 

[themusgrat]

Originally posted by: CallMeJoe
If all Democrats and Republicans are doing what they think best for the nation, both parties are loaded with fools.

righto

 

[themusgrat]

Originally posted by: marincounty
I believe Republicans have their agenda and don't care about the country.

Hello sir, the above can be considered delusions of your stupid mind. In reality, most everyone thinks they're doing good things with their life. The words "most everyone" should be taken to include Republicans, in case there was ever any doubt. Unfortunately, it seems that many people in Washington share your views, which could be one reason why compromise seems to be such a hard thing to come to for both parties. That said, nothing posted here will make any difference, it's simply an opinion thread. So with that, have a nice day.

 

[Billyzeke]

No! The Marxist and the Moron, along with the Motley Congressional Crew are s(p)ending this country to hell in a handbag!

 

[daveymark]

the road to hell is paved with...

 

[Vic]

Of course. Even Hitler thought he was a swell guy. That's the problem.

 

[datalink7]

The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

edit: :| @ daveymark

 

[Lemon law]

In general I want to believe the thread assertion and readily concede the consensus that both parties have too many fools, but when in comes to the GOP, for the past three decades, the GOP has suffered from a terminal case of anal cranial inversion syndrome, and if anything, the past four years is certain evidence of brain dead GOP divorce from reality.

Maybe the election of 2010 will finally trim enough dead wood from the the GOP to allow it to regrow, even as a partisan democrat, I think this country needs a strong and rational GOP. Given the present GOP leadership, its a pale shadow of the party of Lincoiln and Teddy Roosevelt.

 

[Harvey]

Originally posted by: Billyzeke

No! The Marxist and the Moron, along with the Motley Congressional Crew are s(p)ending this country to hell in a handbag!

A couple of clues for ya:

1. You can complain about how the Obama administration and Congress are spending the money, but the money you're pissing and moaning about was already squandered by your mercifully EX-Traitor In Chief and his criminal cabal of traitors, murderers, torturers, war criminals and general incompetents. Their illegal war of LIES in Iraq left us on the hook for trillions. Their abandonment of any and all oversight of their wealthy Wall Street robber barons has cost us trillions more.

Along the way, they murdered 4,324 American troops in Iraq and shredded the rights guaranteed to every American citizen under our once honored, once valued, once respected U.S. Constitution, the very rights those troops were sworn to defend.

2. I doubt that you paid enough attention in school to be able to define a "Marxist" or a "Communist," or a "communist" or a "socialist." Go ahead. Suprise everyone and show us you can.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

It's simply a matter of priorities, we all have pretty much the same ideals, freedom, pursuit of happiness, blah, blah, blah. The problem is we prioritize them differenty based on our own life experiences.

And after nearly 10yrs of almost absolute parity in our two party system (remember too close to call in 2000 followed by 8yrs of a divided Congress/executive branch) fueled by constant media sensationalism have vaulted unabashed partisanship to a rabid frenzy. We are all guilty of it.

And we wonder why the chinese seems so happy and tranquil under authoritarian rule
They fear the government and live in harmony

 

[Moonbeam]

The incredible thing, in my opinion, is that when we see what total fools other people are that there does not seem to occur, the realization that we too are, statistically, almost certainly, similarly fools. That keen knife of critical analysis never seems to get turned inward.

 

[Cogman]

[/quote]Yep, in fact, I think if my priorities were the same, that I would see the same way as they do. For the most part, the difference is in what we believe is most important in life/a government.

 

[BarrySotero]

Jesus said "Forgive them Lord for they know not what they do". That sums up Marxocrats pretty well. I do make a distinction between the liberal egghead kid (like I used to be) who grows up under fierce indoctrination in school etc and the older political malefactors who drive the political groups. There is big difference between weed smoking, college girl into Buddhism and incense who protests war because she's into "peace" and a puss-bag like Murtha who attacks soldiers publicly at moment of political opportunity - and even he doesn't know what he's doing. Most people don't chose their politics as much as their politics find them and they often tend to reflect how they got on with parents. Libs tend to resent their Dads/men and that often transfers over to political authorities - especially if the are GOP since that's the masculine party to Dems femme nature.

 

[CallMeJoe]

Originally posted by: GuitarDaddy
...And after nearly 10yrs of almost absolute parity in our two party system (remember too close to call in 2000 followed by 8yrs of a divided Congress/executive branch) fueled by constant media sensationalism have vaulted unabashed partisanship to a rabid frenzy. We are all guilty of it...

I somehow missed the Democrats' control of the Congress from 2001 through 2006...

Originally posted by: Lemon law
...I think this country needs a strong and rational GOP. Given the present GOP leadership, its a pale shadow of the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt.

You need to remember that President Roosevelt was disdained by the Republicans of his day; he was relegated to the Vice Presidency to marginalize him, and to eliminate the threat of his populist Republicanism to the Corporate Interests that controlled the Party. If not for the assassin's bullet that removed President McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt would be a footnote to the Spanish-American War rather than the last great Republican president.

I fear that a Roosevelt Populist would be as much an outcast in today's GOP...

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Cogman
Yep, in fact, I think if my priorities were the same, that I would see the same way as they do. For the most part, the difference is in what we believe is most important in life/a government.

Not even remotely is that it. The difference is most cases is usually little more than social affiliation. Partisan politics is like religion, most of the time you're born into it, but sometimes you're converted. In either case, believers don't believe in what they believe because they actually believe, but because they crave acceptance from their social peers. Classic "us v. them" mentality. The "people" and the "others."
IOW, they're rubbing blue mud in their bellybuttons because everyone else around them is. And curse those that rub red mud! :|

 

[CallMeJoe]

Originally posted by: BarrySotero
Jesus said "Forgive them Lord for they know not what they do". That sums up Marxocrats pretty well. I do make a distinction between the liberal egghead kid (like I used to be) who grows up under fierce indoctrination in school etc and the older political malefactors who drive the political groups. There is big difference between weed smoking, college girl into Buddhism and incense who protests war because she's into "peace" and a puss-bag like Murtha who attacks soldiers publicly at moment of political opportunity - and even he doesn't know what he's doing. Most people don't chose their politics as much as their politics find them and they often tend to reflect how they got on with parents. Libs tend to resent their Dads/men and that often transfers over to political authorities - especially if the are GOP since that's the masculine party to Dems femme nature.

You have to be my favorite Parody Poster since Butterbuns disappeared.

 

[senseamp]

Republicans are well intentioned towards monied interests.