Why would Truman be a Republican today?

[The Duke]

Lets compare Harry Truman to Republican John Ford

Truman nationalized the steel mills-I the extreme circumstance Truman faced, I'd have done the same.

Truman desegregated the military-I'd have done the same, and remember, at the time more Republicans supported Civil Rights than Democrats.
 
National Socialized Health-I support national health care, read my posts in the national health care thread started by StatesRights.

Class Warfare-If you listen to my critics, they'd say I use class warfare to oppose a flat -tax.

He fired MacArthur-I'd have done the same.  He was crazy.

The Fair Deal-I'd have supported most of the Fair Deal programs.

Truman vetoed Taft/Hartley-I would have too, anything that prevents workers from freely organizing is a disruption in the free market (in this case, the labor market), and therefore should be studiously avoided where possible.

Am I a Democrat?  No.

[The Duke]

The point about desegregating the military is at the time that was considered socially liberal, the same way wanting to abolish slavery was in the 1860s. Social liberalism changes and grows with the times. Truman today would've certainly been pro-choice and pro-gay rights considering how socially progressive he was for the time, I don't know how he stood on those issues but they weren't issues at all at the time.

Give me a Republican today, not one from 30 years ago that has advocated socialist health care. You say Truman would be a Republican TODAY, not 30 years ago.

Populist Republicans? I can't think of any unless you're counting Lincoln Chaffee. McCain is not one either, he is simply a TRUE fiscal conservative who opposes both Bush's giveaways to the rich and insane spending, which is still a far more respectable stance than idiots like Bush who keep cutting taxes for the rich and then spend like a drunken sailor.

As for the MacArthur point, is Rumsfeld looking for a new job yet?

Grover Norquist says his goal is to (paraphrased) "shrink the government to the size where it can be drowned in a bathtub." Yes, most Republicans today would be against such basic programs. You think Newt or DeLay would support them?

And you think Lamar Alexander is a populist? ha.

2003   According to the National Journal - Conservative on Economic Policy's calculations, in 2003, Senator Alexander voted more conservative on economic policy issues than 77 percent of the Senator

2003   According to the National Journal - Liberal on Economic Policy's calculations, in 2003, Senator Alexander voted more liberal on economic policy issues than 18 percent of the Senators.

He's in the rightmost 20%. Truman on the other hand would be the left of pretty much everyone aside from a few Progressive Caucus members.

Desegregating the military may have been socially liberal at the time, but the Republicans at the time were more inclined to favor civil rights than Democrats, you haven't addressed that.

You want a Republican today who support universal health care?  Me.

Most southern Republicans are pro-big government, anti-free trade, populists.  Almost no Democrats are true populists since they are not socially conservative.  Lamar Alexander is a populist, so are Richard Burr and Lauch Faircloth.

Just because Bush never fires anyone doesn't mean most Republicans wouldn't, I'v been calling for Rumsfeld to resign since he got hired.  He is a crazy man.

[The Duke]

Ford may support socialist health care, but he's definately a huge fluke, like angus's support of gay marriage.

I don't support socialist health care, I support a universal health care system taht would turn the federal employee insurance plan into a national program with the government paying the majority of the premiums.  This is a very free market approach to providing universal health care, not a socialist one.  I just wanted to point out the difference.

[The Duke]

One thing which I have learnt from this forum is that many Republicans are surprising moderate. (John D. Ford, Htmldon, Angus, Supersoulty, Wildcard, Andrew and even Kemperor and Statesright on some issues) Though whole Republican Party is much more conservative both economically and socially than its European equivalents, it seems to be much more moderate than most people in Europe think.

Btw. I completely support idea which Ford and Statesrights suggested in the "National healthcare"-thread. Very much same idea what I support in Finnish Politics. Funny thing is that such plan would be revolutionary conservative in Finland. (or in most European countries) Is there any chance that Republican will move to the John D. Ford/Statesright's position on this issue?

I don't think so, unfortunately.  There is a heavy anti-government strain in the Party and that side is backed by significant corporate money.  If we can get more campaign finance reform, we can do it, but until the 527s are gone and the PACs, I don't think there will be a change in the Republican Party.

Not to let the Democrats off the hook on sleazy money.  We all know John Kerry took more PAC money than any other Senator and that his convention stunt is driven by money.