Do you ignore Republicans on what they haved to say

[Neoma]

just because of there party?

[TwentyFive]

1. I want to know what the enemy is up do. But do I believe them? Never.

[Neoma]

4. same

:thumbsup:

[Seabiscuit]

15. I lost interest in "knowing what the enemy is up to" on Nov. 3.

I haven't listened to or read anything about the Repukes since then. They never had anything to say worth listening to in the first place. Once Kerry conceded, I was so disgusted with the whole mess I decided to give it all a long break for my own peace of mind. One can only put up with such bile for so long without it having a negative effect on you. I also quit watching TV "news" on Nov. 3. Just recalling the sound of Tweety's voice, for instance, makes me want to throw something at the idiot box.

[frictionlessO]

23. yep me to, no MSM (TV) for over a month now... I just read LBN and vet

stuff from there. BTW is it fete or vet?? Anyone know?

[Hello_Kitty]

2. I have to ignore them lest I'm tempted to physically assault them.

Besides, if I want to hear their spew I can turn on Rovian mouthpieces like Rush, Sean, or Bill and get it straight from the source.

[yurbud]

3. until I can name that talking point

as soon as I recognize something I've heard before, I'll finish their sentence for them and ask what else they've got.

I always like to hear new arguments even if I disagree with them. Unfortunately, the far right has been so successful with a handful of shopworn ideas that they don't have to come up with anything new, or what's new is fucking scary, like Rush Limbaugh calling the Red Cross anti-American for pointing out the use of torture at Gitmo.

[StrongbadTehAwesome]

7. ditto

I never just brush people off on the basis of political affiliation, but after about 2 minutes, they all tend to start giving me the EXACT SAME ARGUMENTS.

In contrast, they always tell me, "Wow, you don't seem like (their warped perception of) a liberal." I'm personally probably further left than even Nader, but I usually think we should approach our problems in a way that most people can get behind. It's always great when I get a freeper to agree that both sides should stop arguing over the legality of abortion and just find ways to make it as unnecessary as possible (by improving public opinion of adoption/improving the system itself, by securing better aid for poor families, etc). Or when they admit that government shouldn't be in the marriage business at all and should have civil unions for everybody, letting churches accept or refuse to marry people as they choose.

:D

[yurbud]

20. ditto--process not starting point makes difference

I have an older very conservative friend who listens to the most rabid right wingers and like Ann Coulter, but when we talk about specific issues, and how to get from A to B, we can often agree.

It is not the market based, small government assumptions that pollute the debate, but the anti-democratic, you're with me or a traitor attitude of the right that is causing the problem. They have rejected debate and analysis for dogmatism.

Worse, a fair amount of it is outright lies, which makes you sound like a conspiracy nut when you try to correct them (probably because they can instinctively sense the difference between variations of interpretation and just plain lies).

That's a lot harder to break through, but I'm always thinking about how to do it.

My dad has a picture of Bush in his den and gave him money. I don't know if I really got through to him,but I told him if he voted for Bush, education would get less money and I'd have a harder time getting a full time college teaching job, would be less likely to get medical benefits, and my patchwork of part time gigs might start to come apart. I made it personal. YOU are doing this to ME. Conversely, you can tell people how the policy directly affects THEM, like telling college students about the recent cuts in Pell Grants.

[jdots]

5. I listem to them as much as they listen to me

it is more than thier politics that i dissagree with,it is thier lack of soul and imagination.

[Forkboy]

10. presactly!

:)

[MatrixEscape]

6. I think it is important

and essential to "monitor" them. One must remain aware of the actions, intents, behaviors, and policies, of one's opposition.

Since the Republican Radicals tend to act and frame their contest in more of a war-like way than what I would expect in a political, bi-partisan arena, I find Sun Tzu's adept remarks to be useful these days. That is, the philosophical application of the tactics politically, not in the traditional, violent battle-sense:

From Chapter Six of the Art of War:

Though the enemy is many, he can be prevented from doing battle.

Therefore, know the enemy's plans and calculate their strengths and weaknesses.

Provoke him, to know his patterns of movement.

Determine his position, to know the ground of death and of life.

Probe him, to know where he is strong and where he is weak.

http://www.sonshi.com/suntintro.html

[magellan]

8. I'll listen to real Republicans

But Neocons and Bush Loyalists are on my ignore list.

[donheld]

9. I cannot say i listent to them

but thanks to friends and the good people here at DU their BS gets through to me. I'm not really trying to avoid them but i refuse to go out of my way to find them.

[Seabiscuit]

17. I've learned just to avoid them. Much easier.

In my case, none of my friends are Repukes. So that part's easy.

My wife's parents, both Dems, just moved to coastal San Diego to be with us and our young son. Her aunt, uncle and cousins, all Repukes, live way out in Escondido (redneck country). We have more than enough reasons to avoid them now like the plague. Actually, two of them, although they ignorantly vote Republican out of their family tradition, don't talk politics, so we get along with them just fine.

[Wapsie B]

11. I simply have not heard

an original thought coming from a repug. It's all rehashed rhetoric and things parroted off talk radio or Faux News.

[Neoma]

12. i have,but it was about why he admired hitler..(insert curse)

[Wapsie B]

13. oh my god.

n/t

[Neoma]

14. My reaction exactly

[da_chimperor]

16. I listen to normal (moderate) republicans, I ignore freepers n/t

[Skarbrowe]

18. I stay the hell away from reptiles.

I'm finding it difficult to use the word r-e-p...it aways comes out repuke, reptiles, something deragotory. I was never, ever that way before. Ok, I'll try. republican. There.

I'v stopped all contact with every reptile I know. Fortunately for me, that's not very hard. I will once every few weeks say hi to a relative online. No more than hi, how have you been, byeee. I've been rude as hell to my partner's parents because one of them voted for head reptile. I am so ashamed, I thought both of them voted for head reptile, but only the very high degree mason father voted for him. Mother, a life long re--..eh, finally came to her senses and saw head reptile for what he is. A reptile. But, it's hard to see one without the other so I missed the third family get-together since the stolen election just today.

I know that I'm still in shock and depressed as hell and that hopefully someday when a different kind of r-e-publican comes back into existence, I might be able to actually look one in the eye.

Sometimes I scare myself.

[Neoma]

19. lol,wanting to say

'You know which party' ?
(like you know who is in harry potter)

[progmom]

21. Naw - I actually have friends who are Republicans.

We occasionally have a short political dialogue. We never agree, but we're respectful of each other's positions.

[regularguy]

22. For decades I've tried to understand and listen to them.

I'm fucking done. It's become less of a political party and more of a god damn disease. I do, however, know quite a few people who are "conservative" whose opinions I value. Republican values suck, and values are important to me! ;)