Democrats and Left Leaning Posters: If National GOP was more like the Atlas GOP

[RI]

1.) Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy---- no elective wars overseas (Iraq 2.0, Central America '80s, Vietnam/ Cambodia '68+).

2.) Support for US and Global Labor and Environmental Rights

3.) Opposition to unfair trade policies that promote a "race to the bottom", but still recognize a role that international trade has in terms of a "rising tide lifts...."

4.) Opposition to the Social Conservative Movement's attempts to roll-back the gains that the LGBTQ and Women's Movements have made over the past 50 Years.

5.) Support for a Progressive taxation policy, as opposed to a Regressive taxation policy, with the added revenue directly supporting programs that have been gutted over the past 40 years at Federal  and State levels.... (There are a ton of such programs).

6.) 100% rejection of racism and xenophobia as an attempt to cynically exploit resentments against minority populations within the United States because of race, religion, ethnicity, and country of origin.

7.) Support for some type of Universal Health Care system that expands financial access leveraging existing Federal programs that both lower costs, and provide a high level of service.

These are just a few items on my wish list....

You're requesting a Democrat. You'll never find an actual Republican (someone like Badger doesn't count) who will give you all seven of those things. The more moderate Republicans typically are either a bit more libertarian (meaning 2,3,5, and 7 are out) or they're a bit more fiscally leftist (in which case one or both of 4 and 6 are out).

[TDAS04]

It would be preferable to what the National GOP actually is, but I’d still be unlikely to vote Republican.  I can, however, think of a small number of individual blue avatars I could vote for (like Badger).

[Former President tack50]

Depends on who the Atlas GOPer was.

Someone like Badger? Yeah of course

Someone like Yankee? Sure, depending on the opponent.

Someone like Extreme Conservative? Hell no (he is a decent poster but his positions are horrible imo)

[Green Line]

If they denounce Trump and support Hillary retroactively, absolutely.

[Skunk]

95% of Atlas Rs can be put in one of three categories, all of which are terrible:

1. Trump wannabes
2. Religious fundamentalists
3. Robotic hacks

So no, I wouldn't be more likely to vote for them compared to Trump's GOP. Less likely even if they're like #2.

[morgankingsley]

95% of Atlas Rs can be put in one of three categories, all of which are terrible:

1. Trump wannabes
2. Religious fundamentalists
3. Robotic hacks

So no, I wouldn't be more likely to vote for them compared to Trump's GOP. Less likely even if they're like #2.

What counts as number 3

[muon2]

Say the National GOP was more like blue avatars on here , would you be more likely to vote for them or not

Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee might well be a contender, although naturally if he were running to represent me in the Federal Government or Oregon State Government, naturally a much more extensive "vetting" of his policy positions over the years might be required.

Muon2 would certainly be up there in my book, but similar caveat required.

There is absolutely no question that a large majority of 'Pub avatars on Atlas tend to represent much more thoughtful and progressive Republican positions on a wide variety of policy positions, (although many take the Reagan 12th commandment way to seriously when calling out fellow travelers including some unneeded passes on Trump's behavior and policy initiatives over the years).

That being said as more of "Left Leaner" than a "Dem" there are a few items that would need to be essential to consider an Atlas 'Pub / 'Indy to represent me in elected office:

1.) Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy---- no elective wars overseas (Iraq 2.0, Central America '80s, Vietnam/ Cambodia '68+).

2.) Support for US and Global Labor and Environmental Rights

3.) Opposition to unfair trade policies that promote a "race to the bottom", but still recognize a role that international trade has in terms of a "rising tide lifts...."

4.) Opposition to the Social Conservative Movement's attempts to roll-back the gains that the LGBTQ and Women's Movements have made over the past 50 Years.

5.) Support for a Progressive taxation policy, as opposed to a Regressive taxation policy, with the added revenue directly supporting programs that have been gutted over the past 40 years at Federal  and State levels.... (There are a ton of such programs).

6.) 100% rejection of racism and xenophobia as an attempt to cynically exploit resentments against minority populations within the United States because of race, religion, ethnicity, and country of origin.

7.) Support for some type of Universal Health Care system that expands financial access leveraging existing Federal programs that both lower costs, and provide a high level of service.

These are just a few items on my wish list....

Now, I have an advantage living in Oregon in that most Democrats running will likely be more competitive on these issues than hardly any Republican likely to be elected (Although there were a few back in the late '80s / early '90s that generally fit the #1-#7 above).

Since my name was used in debate I'd like to respond.

First, RI is largely correct. A generally left-leaning voter should not expect better than 50% alignment with someone who is associated with the Pubs. I found that to be as true in the 1980s as it is today. The difference today is that it is getting harder to find someone that even approaches 50% agreement given the polarized environment of the primary (I'm a fan of top-two jungle ballots for that reason). I found that a lot of voters these days claim they want a politician that reaches across the aisle, but don't back that with support for the same in the primary.

Without going into all the points above, I'm curious about #7. Coming from OR, I suspect you might know of Wyden's Healthy Americans Act from 2007. It is a true universal plan that had bipartisan support at the end on Ws term. But it is modeled on a multipayer system like Germany as opposed to single payer. I have posted a number of times in favor, but after Obamacare was passed, I've heard no Dems in support.

[morgankingsley]

Yes, more likely, though depends on the candidates. If it was someone from the Squad or Bernard against Republicans like Old School Republican, morgankinglsley or Fuzzy, I'd vote for them.

Glad to know at least I appeal to one democrat, sort of

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's tough to imagine a plausible scenario where I'd vote for a Republican.

Theoretically it could happen in a race like for DA where the Democrat was like a conservadem or die hard drug warrior against a sincere reformist Republican. However that's increasingly unlikely now as the Democrats en masse have moved away from "tough on crime" policies
 Libertas actually had a great post series where he covered the Staten Island DA race supporting the Republican and making a pretty good case that the Republican was the more progressive choice (voting for her on a third party line), but I can't see those dynamics being replicated where I live.

Theoretically it could happen if you had an actual moderation Republican (and I don't mean "party line on most things but pro-choice and supporting some gun control measures" Ron Kirk/Susan Collins style "moderate") against one of the worst examples of the "activist left" (I'm thinking along the lines of Saira Rao or one of those #StandWithMaduro types here) but that too is a pretty contrived scenario and much like imagining a pro-choice Republican vs. a pro-life Democrat, it's theoretically possible and easy to imagine but just so difficult to actually see occurring.

If you also had a legitimately moderate Republican vs. one of those utopian leftist types who like to run for municipal office and push totally unworkable policies or ones that sound good on paper but are proven to be bad in practice such as rent control, I might also consider it, or even such a Republican vs. a Bill De Blasio or Rahm Emanuel type Democrat, but no serious contender would ever run for municipal office in Minneapolis as a Republican. A race between those two types is plausible though and would be an utter nightmare, thankfully my last City Council election pitted my very progressive and very sane incumbent against someone who managed to combine both the worst elements of the "activist left" AND NIMBY style municipal conservative policies along with even some Alex Jones-style fearmongering about "globalists", it's like an experiment to create the most unappealing candidate possible...easy vote.

[muon2]

95% of Atlas Rs can be put in one of three categories, all of which are terrible:

1. Trump wannabes
2. Religious fundamentalists
3. Robotic hacks

So no, I wouldn't be more likely to vote for them compared to Trump's GOP. Less likely even if they're like #2.

I don't think I fit any of those. Does that put me in the other 5%?

[Skunk]

95% of Atlas Rs can be put in one of three categories, all of which are terrible:

1. Trump wannabes
2. Religious fundamentalists
3. Robotic hacks

So no, I wouldn't be more likely to vote for them compared to Trump's GOP. Less likely even if they're like #2.

I don't think I fit any of those. Does that put me in the other 5%?

Yeah you're cool in my book. Then again I don't really know what your views are, I just know you like travelling a lot.

[muon2]

95% of Atlas Rs can be put in one of three categories, all of which are terrible:

1. Trump wannabes
2. Religious fundamentalists
3. Robotic hacks

So no, I wouldn't be more likely to vote for them compared to Trump's GOP. Less likely even if they're like #2.

I don't think I fit any of those. Does that put me in the other 5%?

Yeah you're cool in my book. Then again I don't really know what your views are, I just know you like travelling a lot.

Thanks. You now know my view on universal health care, too. I spent 6 years as the cochair of the Green Caucus in IL. On voter access I was the architect of Automatic Voter Registration in IL. In 2011 I worked with both MALDEF and the Ohio Black Legislative Caucus on fair redistricting. Illiniwek can tell you about Dems supporting me despite my party.

[Wazza [INACTIVE]]

Didn't vote for obvious reasons, but this is a forum where Jay Gonzales wins in polls over Charlie Baker so its rather obvious that it would make no difference to most people here.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

1.) Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy---- no elective wars overseas (Iraq 2.0, Central America '80s, Vietnam/ Cambodia '68+).

2.) Support for US and Global Labor and Environmental Rights

3.) Opposition to unfair trade policies that promote a "race to the bottom", but still recognize a role that international trade has in terms of a "rising tide lifts...."

4.) Opposition to the Social Conservative Movement's attempts to roll-back the gains that the LGBTQ and Women's Movements have made over the past 50 Years.

5.) Support for a Progressive taxation policy, as opposed to a Regressive taxation policy, with the added revenue directly supporting programs that have been gutted over the past 40 years at Federal  and State levels.... (There are a ton of such programs).

6.) 100% rejection of racism and xenophobia as an attempt to cynically exploit resentments against minority populations within the United States because of race, religion, ethnicity, and country of origin.

7.) Support for some type of Universal Health Care system that expands financial access leveraging existing Federal programs that both lower costs, and provide a high level of service.

These are just a few items on my wish list....

You're requesting a Democrat. You'll never find an actual Republican (someone like Badger doesn't count) who will give you all seven of those things. The more moderate Republicans typically are either a bit more libertarian (meaning 2,3,5, and 7 are out) or they're a bit more fiscally leftist (in which case one or both of 4 and 6 are out).

I'm sure there are regular Republicans like that even though the Jacob Javits wing is long gone from Republican politicians.

[Wazza [INACTIVE]]

1.) Non-Interventionist Foreign Policy---- no elective wars overseas (Iraq 2.0, Central America '80s, Vietnam/ Cambodia '68+).

2.) Support for US and Global Labor and Environmental Rights

3.) Opposition to unfair trade policies that promote a "race to the bottom", but still recognize a role that international trade has in terms of a "rising tide lifts...."

4.) Opposition to the Social Conservative Movement's attempts to roll-back the gains that the LGBTQ and Women's Movements have made over the past 50 Years.

5.) Support for a Progressive taxation policy, as opposed to a Regressive taxation policy, with the added revenue directly supporting programs that have been gutted over the past 40 years at Federal  and State levels.... (There are a ton of such programs).

6.) 100% rejection of racism and xenophobia as an attempt to cynically exploit resentments against minority populations within the United States because of race, religion, ethnicity, and country of origin.

7.) Support for some type of Universal Health Care system that expands financial access leveraging existing Federal programs that both lower costs, and provide a high level of service.

These are just a few items on my wish list....

You're requesting a Democrat. You'll never find an actual Republican (someone like Badger doesn't count) who will give you all seven of those things. The more moderate Republicans typically are either a bit more libertarian (meaning 2,3,5, and 7 are out) or they're a bit more fiscally leftist (in which case one or both of 4 and 6 are out).

I'm sure there are regular Republicans like that even though the Jacob Javits wing is long gone from Republican politicians.

Jacob Javits did not represent a wing of the GOP, he was in his own league. He voted against the Taft Hartley Act which was supported by the Eastern Establishmentarians (Henry Cabot Lodge Jr, Irving Ives, Thomas Dewey, Clifford Case, etc.) and he was nominated by the New York Liberal Party multiple times, whilst Rockefeller was never nominated. Javits was only a Republican because he was born and raised in Democratic, Tammany Hall dominated NYC, where the local GOP was often coopted by liberals and even full on socialists (like Vito Marcantonio) as a means of opposing Tammany control (Generally by non-Irish groups like Italians, Jews and WASPs). Which is why when you had Fiorello La Guardia and John Lindsay running for mayor terms like "Independent government" and "Opposition to vicious political machines" were central to their campaigns. This environment in NYC was unique and not representative of the GOP's Eastern Establishment, who's "liberalness" is overstated.

[Sestak]

Only if they are socialists by association.

[NOVA Green]

95% of Atlas Rs can be put in one of three categories, all of which are terrible:

1. Trump wannabes
2. Religious fundamentalists
3. Robotic hacks

So no, I wouldn't be more likely to vote for them compared to Trump's GOP. Less likely even if they're like #2.

I don't think I fit any of those. Does that put me in the other 5%?

Yeah you're cool in my book. Then again I don't really know what your views are, I just know you like travelling a lot.

Thanks. You now know my view on universal health care, too. I spent 6 years as the cochair of the Green Caucus in IL. On voter access I was the architect of Automatic Voter Registration in IL. In 2011 I worked with both MALDEF and the Ohio Black Legislative Caucus on fair redistricting. Illiniwek can tell you about Dems supporting me despite my party.

As I previously stated Muon2 is an individual who if he were to run for elected office in whatever state I might be living, would well consider voting for because of principled policy positions, and an individual who carefully and thoughtfully examines the issues at hand, and although I might disagree with on some issues, can and will represent the interests of his constituents and generally in a Progressive direction.

When I was a child in Oregon we had a legendary Republican Senator Mark Hatfield:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Hatfield

As a Man only a few Years Younger than my Maternal Grandfather, he fought against the Fascists in the Asian Theater, was one of the first Americans to witness the devastation caused by the American nuclear bomb dropped in Hiroshima.

He was an Evangelical Baptist and it influenced his views from the Death Penalty, to Abortion, to Unjust Foreign Wars, although he did not wear his faith on his sleeve for political opportunities....

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christian-faith-mark-hatfield_b_921230

In 1953 he introduced a bill in the Oregon State Legislature to ban discrimination based upon race in Public Accommodations, in a State with a deep racist history of "red-lining" (As was the case with many other Northern States).

Now although Mark Hatfield has his flaws, perhaps when it came to being too cozy with the Timber Industry at a time where 40% of Oregon's economy was directly tied to Timber related employment, he was a Progressive Republican.

We need more Republicans such as Mark Hatfield, but with a "Modern" perspective that carefully address the issues in our land, and unfortunately few current Atlas Republican posters can come close to meeting the call.....

[Vittorio]

... As any realist student of history will tell you, this is the road to REVOLUTION and this why is either fight back or Bernie or Warren are coming to burn your sh**t to the ground.

I'll take "incapable of conceptualizing capitalism as a totally" for $200, Alex.

[morgankingsley]

I wonder how this thread would do if it were the rolls were reversed

[Goldwater]

I wonder how this thread would do if it were the rolls were reversed

I mean, you could make the thread and see what happens,

[Fuzzy Bear]

95% of Atlas Rs can be put in one of three categories, all of which are terrible:

1. Trump wannabes
2. Religious fundamentalists
3. Robotic hacks

So no, I wouldn't be more likely to vote for them compared to Trump's GOP. Less likely even if they're like #2.

I don't think I fit any of those. Does that put me in the other 5%?

Yeah you're cool in my book. Then again I don't really know what your views are, I just know you like travelling a lot.

Thanks. You now know my view on universal health care, too. I spent 6 years as the cochair of the Green Caucus in IL. On voter access I was the architect of Automatic Voter Registration in IL. In 2011 I worked with both MALDEF and the Ohio Black Legislative Caucus on fair redistricting. Illiniwek can tell you about Dems supporting me despite my party.

As I previously stated Muon2 is an individual who if he were to run for elected office in whatever state I might be living, would well consider voting for because of principled policy positions, and an individual who carefully and thoughtfully examines the issues at hand, and although I might disagree with on some issues, can and will represent the interests of his constituents and generally in a Progressive direction.

When I was a child in Oregon we had a legendary Republican Senator Mark Hatfield:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Hatfield

As a Man only a few Years Younger than my Maternal Grandfather, he fought against the Fascists in the Asian Theater, was one of the first Americans to witness the devastation caused by the American nuclear bomb dropped in Hiroshima.

He was an Evangelical Baptist and it influenced his views from the Death Penalty, to Abortion, to Unjust Foreign Wars, although he did not wear his faith on his sleeve for political opportunities....

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christian-faith-mark-hatfield_b_921230

In 1953 he introduced a bill in the Oregon State Legislature to ban discrimination based upon race in Public Accommodations, in a State with a deep racist history of "red-lining" (As was the case with many other Northern States).

Now although Mark Hatfield has his flaws, perhaps when it came to being too cozy with the Timber Industry at a time where 40% of Oregon's economy was directly tied to Timber related employment, he was a Progressive Republican.

We need more Republicans such as Mark Hatfield, but with a "Modern" perspective that carefully address the issues in our land, and unfortunately few current Atlas Republican posters can come close to meeting the call.....

Mark Hatfield was a truly great Senator.  The problem with Hatfield was that, in life, he was anti-abortion, so that would relegate him to Pond Scum status.

At my deepest core, I probably identify as a pro-life Democrat who became a moderate Republican.  Mark Hatfield, Jacob Javits, and Clifford Case were those kind of Republicans.  Unfortunately, they don't exist today.  Even a moderate Republican like George Voinovich would be persona non grata in today's GOP.

Today's parties reflect a statement that I believe it was from Clifford Case.  Case once said that moderate progressives would need to work together to find moderate progressive solutions to the problems that America faced.  Case also warned that if the solutions to America's problems were not solved by America's progressives, then the solutions would be provided by the extremes of the political spectrum, and that would not be a good thing. 

I don't think it's hard for people to see Case's prediction coming to pass.  What worries me is that too many people think that the extremes coming up with solutions is a good thing.  The desire for extreme solutions by today's partisans is one reason we have the extreme parties we now have. 

[OSR stands with Israel]

95% of Atlas Rs can be put in one of three categories, all of which are terrible:

1. Trump wannabes
2. Religious fundamentalists
3. Robotic hacks

So no, I wouldn't be more likely to vote for them compared to Trump's GOP. Less likely even if they're like #2.

I don't think I fit any of those. Does that put me in the other 5%?

Yeah you're cool in my book. Then again I don't really know what your views are, I just know you like travelling a lot.

Thanks. You now know my view on universal health care, too. I spent 6 years as the cochair of the Green Caucus in IL. On voter access I was the architect of Automatic Voter Registration in IL. In 2011 I worked with both MALDEF and the Ohio Black Legislative Caucus on fair redistricting. Illiniwek can tell you about Dems supporting me despite my party.

As I previously stated Muon2 is an individual who if he were to run for elected office in whatever state I might be living, would well consider voting for because of principled policy positions, and an individual who carefully and thoughtfully examines the issues at hand, and although I might disagree with on some issues, can and will represent the interests of his constituents and generally in a Progressive direction.

When I was a child in Oregon we had a legendary Republican Senator Mark Hatfield:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Hatfield

As a Man only a few Years Younger than my Maternal Grandfather, he fought against the Fascists in the Asian Theater, was one of the first Americans to witness the devastation caused by the American nuclear bomb dropped in Hiroshima.

He was an Evangelical Baptist and it influenced his views from the Death Penalty, to Abortion, to Unjust Foreign Wars, although he did not wear his faith on his sleeve for political opportunities....

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christian-faith-mark-hatfield_b_921230

In 1953 he introduced a bill in the Oregon State Legislature to ban discrimination based upon race in Public Accommodations, in a State with a deep racist history of "red-lining" (As was the case with many other Northern States).

Now although Mark Hatfield has his flaws, perhaps when it came to being too cozy with the Timber Industry at a time where 40% of Oregon's economy was directly tied to Timber related employment, he was a Progressive Republican.

We need more Republicans such as Mark Hatfield, but with a "Modern" perspective that carefully address the issues in our land, and unfortunately few current Atlas Republican posters can come close to meeting the call.....

Mark Hatfield was a truly great Senator.  The problem with Hatfield was that, in life, he was anti-abortion, so that would relegate him to Pond Scum status.

At my deepest core, I probably identify as a pro-life Democrat who became a moderate Republican.  Mark Hatfield, Jacob Javits, and Clifford Case were those kind of Republicans.  Unfortunately, they don't exist today.  Even a moderate Republican like George Voinovich would be persona non grata in today's GOP.

Today's parties reflect a statement that I believe it was from Clifford Case.  Case once said that moderate progressives would need to work together to find moderate progressive solutions to the problems that America faced.  Case also warned that if the solutions to America's problems were not solved by America's progressives, then the solutions would be provided by the extremes of the political spectrum, and that would not be a good thing. 

I don't think it's hard for people to see Case's prediction coming to pass.  What worries me is that too many people think that the extremes coming up with solutions is a good thing.  The desire for extreme solutions by today's partisans is one reason we have the extreme parties we now have. 

I think a Bob Packwood without his scandals would be better .  He worked with both parties to pass the 1986 tax reform bill which got massive amount of bipartisan support . Sadly he was a terrible person but if we could get someone like him without all his personal flaws , that person would easily  be one of the best senators.

[bagelman]

One thing that stands out is that we don't have many of the worst sort of bible thumpers on here. Yes I'd be more willing to vote for Atlas R's than crazy evangelicals or YECs.

[#TheShadowyAbyss]

No lol