Will you run for higher office?

[angus]

I don't claim one-hundred percent consistency, but I'm willing to admit that you thought of this separation first, in your W's legacy thread.  But as I said there, I don't think it is that simple.  The moralists (feed the hungry, house the homeless, protect the minority from the 'tyranny' of the majority) will find a home in the Democrat party for some time to come.  The traditionalists (concerned with property rights, low taxes, and suspect of changing mores) will find a home in the GOP for some time to come.  And the two major parties will have to fight over the individualists.  That's not some fundamental change, but rather a continuation of what's already on the table.  Some posters vaguely recognize this phenomenon, apparently, when they suggest CO and AZ as potential targets for Kerry, but what they fail to recognize is that, in order to swing individualist voters there, he would have to take positions which, if repeated in the Philadelphia enquirer (for example), would alienate valuable suburban voters Back East.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

I don't claim one-hundred percent consistency, but I'm willing to admit that you thought of this separation first, in your W's legacy thread.  

I wasn't responding to you.  I was responding to someone outside the GOP trying to form a wedge between you and me.

[Nym90]

I do wonder how long it will be before the split between the "religious right" wing of the party and the libertarian wing gets to be too big to reconcile, though. The libertarians, after all, are on the "wrong" side of the culture war in the eyes of the traditionalists, and thus are often, it seems, viewed as no better than liberal Democrats for those Republicans who see social issues as of paramount importance.

[Gustaf]

I think that the GOP will be heading for trouble. I know a lot more about Republicans now then I did before I joined the board. It's hard for me to understand that peopel like you, Don, Andrew, etc can share a party with people like Jmfcst, Brambilla, StatesRights and so on. I mean, there are fundamental differences there.

The fundamental difference is that I choose to be 100% consistent.  I do so by admitting that I don't know more than God.  You, on the other hand, have admitted you have "sense enough" to take positions contrary to the one whom you yourself claim is God.

So, I ask you, who is the extremist:  the one who humbles himself, or the one claiming to know more than God?  

I don't see your point, I'm afraid. I'm not claiming that anyone is more extremist than anyone else, only that an atheist libertarian who's pro-gay rights is a long way from a conservative christian.

And claiming that I'm trying to drive a wedge between you and anyone else, is, I must say, border-line ridiculous. I don't think you Republicans are that easily manipulated, or perhaps I should rather say that my arrogance does not extend that far.

[angus]

Nym, you're making many tacit assumptions.  I'm sure you know that, but I'd like to point out, again, is the fundamental identifying characteristic of the GOP:  overt nationalism (call it wrapping oneself up in the flag or whatever else you like.)  It is and always has been thus.  My point is that "rich guy" or "religious nut" or "gun-toting fool" or "greedy amoral pig" or "entrepreneur" or "orthodox jew" or "evangelical christian" or "sportsman" or "nascar dad" doesn't describe the GOP.  We are all those things.  Some of us are none of those things.  But what we all have in common is unshakable faith in the intrinsic beneficence and wisdom of the Constitution of the United States.

And, for the record, I AM NOT WAGING A CULTURE WAR AGAINST YOU OR JOHN KERRY OR JMFCST OR ANYONE ELSE.  And I know of no one actually waging a culture war against me.

[Platypus]

rough outline of plan:

2004
Yr. 11 at school
Work on re-election campaign of local Member Michael Danby

2005
Yr. 12 (final year)

2006
First year of Arts/Law degree, at ANU in Canberra. Major in International Law.
Work as staffer at Danby's Canberra office.

2007
Second year, stay as staffer

2008
Third year, staffer

2009
Fourth year, staffer

2010
Fifth and final year, staffer

2011
EITHER
1. Get job running Danby's local office
2. Join a law firm-keep involved in the ALP
3. Join the department of Foreign Affairs and trad, This leads to becoming a diplomat and hopefully getting the post of ambassador to the UK, US or UN

1. Obviously leads to be preselected to run for the seat once Danby retires, number two is to make a good career and then fight for preselection. Both end with being PM

Thats the plan, anyway

[iowarep]

I will run for Mayor of Davenport, and then, perhaps, Governor of Iowa. I don't know if Iowa will accept my conservative policies.

[Platypus]

PB-when i pretended to be Iowan, I pretended to be from Daenport

I researched it quite deeply, and it sounds like a great place

One thing i always had trouble with-whats the fourth quad city? Davenport, Moline, Rock Island, and Bettendorf, i thought, but i'm not sure...