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So on another board, a poster asked where exactly did the Republicans and GWB f*** up...



First - about me - social libertarian, fiscal conservative (traditional conservative, not Reganomics or neo-con conservative). Voting record - all over the spectrum...



Okay - enough backgroun - here's my thoughts on where the Republicans f***ed up:



So since this is a post on "what have the Republicans done wrong" - I'll limit it to the things they've done wrong at this point instead of focusing on some of the more general positives.



1) First and foremost, the administration only listens to itself and discounts dissenting views. This sort of "I can't be wrong" arrogance is at the root of just about every major mistake made by the executive in the last 6 years.



2) Invasion of Iraq - Afghanistan was the right move - we should have been in there 6 years before we were in there. Iraq was the wrong move - a lot of people were screaming at the time - and a few of those people were screaming it for the right reasons (as opposed to the "give peace a chance" reasons). Saddam had no WMD - but the administration had myopia and lost sight of the real threat (Bin Laden) to focus on a target they thought would be a quick smack and grab.



3) Over-reliance on expatriate and exile opinions in setting foreign policy. The administration talked to every Iraqi they could - OUTSIDE of Iraq in setting their pre and post invasion policy. This is absolutely no substitute for on ground, in country intelligence. We had none - and we continue to have none in the Middle East. Until we get better intelligence, we’re going to continue to be a bull in a china shop in terms of foreign policy.



4) No real plan for rebuilding of Iraq. The predicted dancing in the street and speedy transition to a stable democracy didn’t happen. Looting and escalating sectarian violence did.



5) Too much obvious pandering to the base rather than tackling issues – the sad case of Terri Schiavo, the flag burning amendment (why are we wasting time debating an issue that occurs three or four times a year in this country?), etc.



6) Too many scandals – values voters and Evangelicals are two huge swing blocks for the Republicans. Groups like these (rightly) expect that the politicians they support will share their values. Unfortunately the Republicans now look like “dirty politics as usual”.



7) Disconnect between two major support groups. Right now the Republicans represent a political marriage between the Evangelical / conservative values voter and the traditional support base for the Republican party – industry and business. The political desires of these two groups are not always compatible. The Democrats have many similar problems – for example many Union industrial workers aren’t necessarily going to be pro-gay rights and anti-gun. After the 2004 election, the administration went after the big business agenda first (Social Security) and ignored the Evangelical agenda, and was faced with near immediate failure.



So these are the issues facing the Republicans – some are in their control to fix (scandals, better planning, better accountability), but some aren’t in their control simply because we have a two-party system. Any party that wants to be successful on the national scale is ultimately going to have to be a coalition of several interest groups that may have some common ground, but are going to be on opposite sides of a few specific issues. If it’s any consolation, the Democrats are in equally bad shape. They lack leadership and vision, and are trying to peanut butter a platform over an even more dissimilar interest groups. The only advantage they have is the ability to play the blame game at this point.

A post came up in the General Forum that simply asked - "Do you believe in love at first sight." It's a seemingly simple question, but it has a complex answer from where I sit. Here are my thoughts:



Love has degrees – if you’re looking for that eternal, life-long love – it’s possible that the first STAGE of that love occurs at first sight – but the life-long version IMHO does not.. Realize that eternal, life-long love takes a lot of WORK and EFFORT and MATURITY. Eternal, life-long love is not something that just happens. The initial infatuation can happen, but it’s what you do with that attraction – it’s how you build on it that makes the difference in the long run.



That being said – I don’t know if I would categorize my relationship with my wife as “love at first sight”, but she certainly got my attention when she entered the room. She had a presence and energy that I simply couldn’t ignore. That interest became infatuation, the infatuation became love, the love combined with like and respect and ultimately became something greater. That greater love taught me a lot about myself and built within me the desire to be a better person – which in turn took our relationship still further and deeper.



BTW, we met in 1992, and were married in 1994 – and I can truly say I love her more now than I have ever loved her before.