Heck, I know we're not supposed to discuss either one among friends. But, that rule was long ago suspended on this forum.
What occurs to me is how much religion affects politics. What reminded me about it was reading this comment by California in another thread:
It reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a local politician I support running for county comission in Okeechobee County. He told me that he had been a life-long Democrat, but he changed to Republican because "I am a Christian, and the Republicans are against abortion and gay marriages." I asked him what the other reasons were. He stated emphatically that those reasons were enough; he didn't care what else they stood for.
In the last national election, most politcal analysts from both parties agreed that Bush won reelection because of the issue of "moral values" or "ethical values". When interviewed, most of the people who stated that was their reason for voting for Bush defined family values as "no gay marriages".
Recently, I watched a little segment on a news channel that covered politicians visting the Iowa State Fair. The reporter interviewed a young couple attending the fair and asked them what they wanted to see in a politician: "We'll vote for anyone who will cut taxes and stop gay marriages" the young man said, and his wife agreed, "Tax cuts and no gay marriages."
It seems that the Republicans, as led by Karl Rove, are on to something. Tax Cuts (even if they throw the country into bankruptcy), no legal abortions (even if young girls are killed by back alley coat hanger abortions), no gay marriages (even though it has no effect on anyone else''s marriage) and no flag desecration. Those are the issues that resonate with the majority of Americans, especially those in the red states.
My question: Are Americans really that stupid?
What occurs to me is how much religion affects politics. What reminded me about it was reading this comment by California in another thread:
(I added the emphasis)I have one Muslim friend. He arrived here to study engineering and then the political climate changed at home so he couldn't return. (He's not from Iran, but his situation is similar to the Iranian students stranded here when the Shah fell.) He has since become a citizen and is wholeheartedly American, at least within the constraints of his religion. We enjoyed debating the 2000 election. His view was that he had a moral duty to vote Republican "after what Clinton did to that poor girl". He didn't need any other reason.
It reminded me of a conversation I had recently with a local politician I support running for county comission in Okeechobee County. He told me that he had been a life-long Democrat, but he changed to Republican because "I am a Christian, and the Republicans are against abortion and gay marriages." I asked him what the other reasons were. He stated emphatically that those reasons were enough; he didn't care what else they stood for.
In the last national election, most politcal analysts from both parties agreed that Bush won reelection because of the issue of "moral values" or "ethical values". When interviewed, most of the people who stated that was their reason for voting for Bush defined family values as "no gay marriages".
Recently, I watched a little segment on a news channel that covered politicians visting the Iowa State Fair. The reporter interviewed a young couple attending the fair and asked them what they wanted to see in a politician: "We'll vote for anyone who will cut taxes and stop gay marriages" the young man said, and his wife agreed, "Tax cuts and no gay marriages."
It seems that the Republicans, as led by Karl Rove, are on to something. Tax Cuts (even if they throw the country into bankruptcy), no legal abortions (even if young girls are killed by back alley coat hanger abortions), no gay marriages (even though it has no effect on anyone else''s marriage) and no flag desecration. Those are the issues that resonate with the majority of Americans, especially those in the red states.
My question: Are Americans really that stupid?