When did Moderate Become an Epithet?

Since when did...

• "conservatives" make every conversation about George Zimmerman about race-baiting?
  
• "conservatives" attack the Girl Scouts - the freaking Girl Scouts at every turn?
  
• "conservatives" make "thug" the new euphemism for "n-word"?
  
• "conservatives" make "Chicago" a political reference for everything that is perceived wrong with "n-words"?
  
• "conservatives" fabricate stories about "thugs" and their "knockout games" targeting whites?
  
• "conservatives" fabricate stories about a "war on Christmas", in order to shove their own religious views down everyone's throats?

"Conservative" AM radio has ginned up stories like the above to wage a constant PR battle against common sense moderates, using fear tactics to keep them voting Republican. Republican moderates have largely been driven from the party. It has left it a party of the extreme "Christian" right.

In my opinion and observation, religious conservatives are fighting the last gasps of preserving a way of life since the Christian Crusades. They forgot that Jesus wanted freedom and heaven on earth for everyone, not just Jews or his followers.

Let's take a woman for example. She has about 49% decision making powers over her body, a man has 100%. Why would they want to give that up?

Why would they want to change a banking and money making system that is opened to greed without regulation, that came out of the Crusades? Why would they want to change the trickle down economic system since it produces legalized slavery, therefore fits their moral code?

Why would they want their children to learn the earth is older than 6000 years old, or learn anything? Knowledge is self-empowerment.

What I would like to understand is this. Why would modern, high tech companies want to hire people who don't believe in observed, tested and proven science?

Blackmarketeer
Since when did...

• "conservatives" make every conversation about George Zimmerman about race-baiting?
  
• "conservatives" attack the Girl Scouts - the freaking Girl Scouts at every turn?
  
• "conservatives" make "thug" the new euphemism for "n-word"?
  
• "conservatives" make "Chicago" a political reference for everything that is perceived wrong with "n-words"?
  
• "conservatives" fabricate stories about "thugs" and their "knockout games" targeting whites?
  
• "conservatives" fabricate stories about a "war on Christmas", in order to shove their own religious views down everyone's throats?

"Conservative" AM radio has ginned up stories like the above to wage a constant PR battle against common sense moderates, using fear tactics to keep them voting Republican. Republican moderates have largely been driven from the party. It has left it a party of the extreme "Christian" right.

You may have hit the nail on the head. I do think most moderates have been driven from the party. It is hard to have a softer view on many issues in that part without being labeled as something undesirable. This subject is of great interest to me because I can't get behind the hard liners on either side however currently I view one side more destructive than the other when given power. The saying caught between a rock and a hard place comes to mind when trying to describe the dilemma.

I had really hoped to see the Republican party return to some common sense principles after the last defeat but almost immediately after they decided to double down theology of the same things that made them unelectable. Does the saying an old dog can't learn new tricks apply here as well?

Krazysh0t

olaru12
We still have the best damn government money can buy. It's the American way!

I don't know if you were being serious or sarcastic but truer words have never been said.

I was being serious as a heart attack with that tired old cliche.

I like this one as well....

Liberty doesn't work as well in practice as it does in speeches. Will Rogers

Grimpachi
Have the Right always been this way, am I only noticing it as of late because I haven't watched cable for over a year (in other words I am not numb to it) or are things as I think they are where the goal posts for the extremes have been moved?

If you remember the insanity of the 90s with Republicans impeaching Bill Clinton over sexual impropriety and the myriad of conspiracy theories one after another about the man you'd know that conservatives have always been this way.

They have gotten more extreme, but they were always extreme to some degree. Its just these days they've stopped pretending to be nice. All the prejudices against minorities and the lower classes have come out in the open as ugly as they can be.

Why? The answer lies in conservative fears of their demographic winter and becoming a permanent minority unable to wield influence and power. The ugly is coming out because they intend to go out in a scorched-earth fashion. If they can't rule us they're going to leave us as miserable as they possibly can while spewing vitriol in all directions.

It'll die down in about 10 or 20 years. You may want to get earplugs for the duration though.

Blackmarketeer
Since when did...

• "conservatives" make every conversation about George Zimmerman about race-baiting?
  
• "conservatives" attack the Girl Scouts - the freaking Girl Scouts at every turn?
  
• "conservatives" make "thug" the new euphemism for "n-word"?
  
• "conservatives" make "Chicago" a political reference for everything that is perceived wrong with "n-words"?
  
• "conservatives" fabricate stories about "thugs" and their "knockout games" targeting whites?
  
• "conservatives" fabricate stories about a "war on Christmas", in order to shove their own religious views down everyone's throats?

"Conservative" AM radio has ginned up stories like the above to wage a constant PR battle against common sense moderates, using fear tactics to keep them voting Republican. Republican moderates have largely been driven from the party. It has left it a party of the extreme "Christian" right.

Total truth. Especially the last two sentences. Republican moderates get attacked and driven away by being called "RINOs" because they aren't interested in promoting an extreme, backwards agenda. And in doing so, they are driving their electable candidates over to the left, which, despite its extremes, tends to be more moderate friendly.

Who knows, Maybe a conservative party based on logic and sanity will be formed by the break, one that is actually relevant and adaptable, and then we will have a Right that is actually worth paying attention to.

a reply to: Phage

Extremes are dumb. All of them

I agree with you, even if Snarl and others do not. I myself have some very conservative views on one hand which are moderated by some fairly progressive views on the other. The result is that I cannot in good conscience align myself with one particular party or groupthink. When any one position, whether extreme Conservative or Extreme Liberal is followed without any real critical thinking or inward reflection, that person becomes ineffective in bringing about true change and reform when that reform or change is critically needed.

Times change, people change, society changes... if we, as thinking individuals fail to seek to accommodate that change to the benefit of all, then, we will fail as a society as a whole. The question is not, " when did "Moderate" become an epithet but when did "Compromise" and "Win-Win", become epithets...

Just my own opinion, which thankfully, is still not a crime.

a reply to: InsideOutcast


I think it's fair to say that moderate is not a curse word to progressives..... Only in right wing world.

a reply to: ArtemisE

Well, the context of my remarks was the "extreme" positions that so many Conservatives and Progressives have adopted lately... I'm sure that when it comes to the average Progressive, you are very right. Unfortunately, it seems that each side's extreme camps become more polarized and the "middle ground" of political moderateness" becomes less and less effective or welcome. Thanks for your observation on the subject. I appreciate your input.

One thing the extreme right isn't, is young, the same can be said of religious right. The tea party and all other conservative groups are mostly made up of older baby boomers. There is no future for these groups as time moves forward there memberships are declining.

Look on the opposite side like Occupy wall street, tho crushed by the government, look at the videos of the different ows groups and most were young people, then look at tea party video and its mostly old people. Many on powered electric scooters bought and paid for by the government, they are protesting the government for giving away stuff, hmm.

Fox news is the number one cable news source and am radio is completely dominated with conservative
(Depend on it) media, again the demographics are mostly the old population.

I'm labeled a liberal and all the other labels the right like to use against people, because I have issues with one sided debates, I want to listen to what the other side has to say.

Abortion: Its between the woman her god if any, and her doctor. My religious beliefs are my own and I have no need to force people to believe or to live by my values and morals.

Higher Education and Education: Our future depends on our education of the masses I support critical thinking and encourage our education system to teach this. I can't support school boards adding things to the curriculum based on there religious or perceived moral high ground. Where not number one anymore and vastly improving our education system is the only way to be number one again.

Guns: I'm a pro gun nut, and think a more armed society is ultimately safer as long as there is proper gun safety training for all. This goes hand in hand with proper general education the smarter your society the less crime, imo.

Performance is everything: If you look at state rankings in education, poverty, arrest rates, crime, imprisonment rates, roads and bridges, basic infrastructure, happiness, and almost anything you can rate. Blue or more liberal states way out preform Red or conservative states. Its all there to see look things up and be amazed at the failure to govern or to lead is a big time problem for red states. No wonder there anti government when the ones they keep voting in fail just like the last time they voted them in......