"What is the lure that makes a one's "party loyalty" so much more important than one's own ideals?"

Idealism gets you elected but selling out gets you power/positon/money. Naivete gets you....... um, not sure what the lure is there.

Where was it ever written in stone that all Americans are either Red or Blue.. Democrat or Republican.. How likely is it that we've narrowed down all social, economic, and political issues into two platforms, one of which represents YOU perfectly? Two??

I spend all my time here trying to talk to the purples ... trying to reason with the radicals on either side is senseless.

I must say, however, that the "pro-Bush" crowd here on PP (I will NOT call them conservatives, they are not) seems to be particularly rigid and unbending. Maybe its my bias (I think President Bush is the worst leader in my lifetime), but look around: Guys still arguing that there are WMDs in Iraq, that Katrina was all the fault of the locals, that Bush can be counted on to control spending. Almost like a parody of some kind. But they are actually serious.

If you can find out what makes them tick, you are smarter than me :)

Winners don't need to bend.

And yes, most conservatives truly believe the local New Orleans officials caused the weather system that became Katrina.....

Was posting to the thread above (if you really can read). Your juvenile rantings speak for themselves and don't require response.

Oh yea, forgot to add: In addition to blaming the Katrina response entirely on the locals, the "pro-Bushers" call you names when you ask them to explain themselves :D

Sonny, I think you'll find I do anything but sidestep.

To your original question, people have been asking the same thing forever. It's nothing new - just the way the system is set up.

Edit, maybe read the freakin posts next time.

Well I guess I am smarter than you. I distinctly did not call anyone a name (right there). I simply described the content of his posts.

1. Are you drunk?
2. Where did you see anything in my post that resembles an excuse?
3. I'm certainly not a product of your environment (thank God). What's your point?

What a silly question.

I love the GOP because they are more conservative than democrats.

Feel better?

- Skip

You know, drunkeness is no excuse for stupidity.

Since you're serving, do you work the window or the counter? I'd like some fries, please....

What's so funny?

I love purple ... I'm a raging moderate.

I love honesty and competence, so I am disgusted with our current leadership.

Some people think that makes me liberal.

What leadership were you happy with?

socially conservative (creationism is equivalent to evolution, no gay marriage, etc), but apparently fiscally more liberal than the democrats. As if that was even possible.

I'd rather have it the other way around...

I’m not saying that I have been happy with any administration 100%. But I'm UNHAPPY with the current administration probably 95%, or 110% if you consider the damage it has done and will do to America. Other than the leadership exhibited immediately after 9/11 (which made me proud, and glad that Bush was our President), I can’t think of a single achievement of this administration.

In my lifetime, I liked Ike's pragmatism and rock-solid leadership. I am grateful for Kennedy's and Johnson's Civil Rights advances, and Kennedy's inspirational leadership in taking us to the moon. I admired Nixon's China policy, which took guts and vision. I liked Reagan's dogged insistence the democracy would prevail over communism. I liked Bush I’s ability to build a coalition for Iraq I, and his wisdom in understanding that we did not have the means or international support to "nation-build" in Iraq. I liked Clinton's fiscal leadership, taking us out of deficit spending and into surpluses, and the welfare reform that was enacted on his watch.

I could give you examples from each of the above administrations where they fell short, sometimes far short. I can’t give you a single example of this President’s vision or wisdom or leadership. Other than and aforementioned 9/11 aftermath. Which lasted all of a month or two.

Procon, apparently you are not going to get answers beyond party affiliations, or at best broad and sweeping labels like conservative and liberal. That's a shame, this could have been an interesting exercise.

But its indicative of the deep divisions in our country right now. We can't even talk to one another, never mind try to find some middle ground.