Has the Republican Party become too Radical ??

[kentuck]

There are good radicals and bad radicals. Radical is from the same Latin root word as radish. In other words, getting to the root of the problem. But these Republicans have no plans to get to the "root" of the problem. They are the problem. They want to make things worse, not better.

We have watched the Republican Party evolve or transform over the years into a Party that wants no government at all if they have to pay for it. They want their taxes to be zero or as close to zero as possible. They want no social safety net, not even food stamps for the poor. They want to dismantle Social Security and Medicare. They don't want to spend money on disasters and they prefer to do away with FEMA. The only reason they support a strong military is to protect their own possessions and interests. Otherwise, they would be saying that we all need to join a militia to protect our homes and communities.

They are Radicals, in the worst way. My heart pains for our country that we have so many of these folks now in power and they are trying to take over everything and put a tax-scamming multi-millionaire in the White House. I want to say, Forgive them Lord for they know not what they do.... But they know what they do...

[The Wielding Truth]

1. Yessss!

[orpupilofnature57]

2. Jefferson was a Radical, these " Folks " are misanthropes .

[TDale313]

3. I tend to feel

That they're more Reactionary than Radical. They are certainly too extreme, and the far Right has managed to drag the whole spectrum further right than I would have thought possible, especially when the Democratic party keeps chasing the elusive "center" like a cat with a laser pen.

[justiceischeap]

4. The party of the angry, white man is flailing

for a way to stay relevant, IMO. So they've decided to appeal to the most extreme of their base, thinking this may resonate with other Americans. When Ann Coulter tells her own party they need to be more inclusive or lose their relevancy, you know you have a problem. They can't fathom why their message of big business, anti-person isn't resonating.

[charlyvi]

5. Does a Shark Shit in the Ocean? n/t

[NRaleighLiberal]

6. if radical now means bat-shit-crazy.

[Separation]

7. Absofuckenlutely

Hopefully this doesn't get me tombstoned, but I was republican about 15 years ago. The tipping point for me was the infiltration of religious extreme to the party. Obviously there are more reasons, apathy to the less fortunate, the war hawks, etc. but I couldn't take it anymore. Hence my screen-name "separation" of church & state.

I am in no way anti-religious, I believe in a higher power, but I also think that man is flawed and can use anything for power and religion is one of them.

The religious right in this country scare me sometimes. I feel that it could only take one person to get the religious of this country worked into a lather and do some serious damage.

[hifiguy]

12. I used to work with a guy who came from a long line

of country-club Rockefeller Republicans. He's a very successful attorney and a tolerant, decent guy. He became a Democrat about fifteen years ago after going to a caucus and getting a close-up look at the religious loons that had taken over the Republican party. He told me this a number of years ago, and concluded by saying, with a slight shudder, that "I do not want my kids to grow up and live in the crazy world those people want. They're nuts!"

And welcome to DU!

[demwing]

8. Does the Pope shit in the Vatican?

Really, does he? For all I know he has a Port-a-Poper.

[Arctic Dave]

9. You confuse the word radical with deranged.

If you are asking if they too deranged, then yes, I agree.

Radical is not how I would describe them.

[davidn3600]

10. I dont know

Americans have been fighting over this question since the founding of the country. It's even a big reason we fought a civil war over it. How much and what role should the federal government have?

Our founders even struggled with this. Almost as soon as the nation was founded, the country split into two big political divisions. The Federalsists and Jefferson's Democratic-Republican party.

"The Men who oppose a strong & energetic government are, in my opinion, narrow minded politicians."
-George Washington

But Washington did believe there needs to be limits and believed it should be contained or it can get out of control...
"Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

So no I won't say Conservatives have become more radical. It's just a modern spin on a very old and unsettled debate. And evidence of that debate is in our constitution. Our constitution was one massive compromise. That's why the Constitution is called the "Great Compromise." The dividing lines that occurred before, during, and after the writing of that document ran deep. They ran deep enough that it would run all the way into the Civil War, and then all the way to today.

Americans still struggle with this.

[kentuck]

11. I would agree that "Extremist" may be a better description.

Although "radical" does have a different meaning today than many years ago.

[bluestate10]

13. Yes. That party is dying. There is no Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt or Eisenhower in it today. nt