What is a Liberal?

[The Dad Fisherman]

I'm just curious as to what the definition is, Seriously...seems if you don't agree 100% with a "Conservative" you get marked one.

Just curious if I need to Start wearing a Scarlett "L" on my clothes.

Personally i've always considered myself middle of the road but I guess I've been wrong all these years.

[spence]

If you have to ask the question, it's pretty clear what the answer is.

-spence
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[RIJIMMY]

DF - serioulsy, I think I incorrectly label you a liberal. The real tradgedy of George Bush is that he has alienated middle of the road people and, in my opinion lowered there expectations of governement and lowered there sense of good judgement. The "middle" has moved far left. The average democrat, in my obervation, has become a whacko.
Here is the most brilliant take on this and explains the Obama phenomon, please take a minute to read this. It is written by a staunch conservative. I agree with this article 100% and I bet you do to. My response though is not to turn 180 degrees to Obama, but to think the middle of the road is the best option. Before this campaign, McCain was ALWAYS seen as a moderate and someone who agreed freqeuntly with the Dems.

Bush for the Obama Dilemma

Friday, October 10, 2008 10:16 AM

By: John LeBoutillier Article Font Size






Yesterday at a McCain-Palin rally in Waukesha, Wis., someone asked McCain, “Many of us in this crowd are furious . . . we’re wondering how did we get here . . . how can a man like Barack Obama be on the verge of being elected president?” Here is the answer to that question: If the Bush administration had been competent and honest, Obama and his problems with ACORN, the Rev. Wright, and Bill Ayers would never have been given a chance politically.





In 1999 and 2000, the Bush political operation seized control of the Republican Party and bought off the conservative movement. They put up George W. Bush as the new "savior" — the “son of Reagan” they called him. They orchestrated that spectacle with every local politician from all over the country traipsing down to Austin to “beg” Gov. Bush to run for president, and he was elected as the new conservative hero.


But his presidency has been anything but conservative. In fact, it has been the most incompetent, dishonest, and un-conservative administration ever.


Just look at these few items which, if done by a Democrat, would have brought calls from us on the right not only to impeach him, but to imprison him for life:



He ignored the “Bin Laden Determined to Attack US with Hijacked Jets” CIA memo.


He pledged to get Osama bin Laden “dead or alive” — a pledge still unfulfilled seven years later.



He lied, distorted, and cherry picked U.S. intelligence to scare the hell out of a nervous American people after 9/11 to justify a pre-emptive invasion of a country that had not attacked us. And then lied to create a link between Saddam and bin Laden so as to justify this invasion, when the real reason was a takeover of American foreign policy by neo-cons and payback by G.W. Bush because Sadaam had “tried to kill my dad” as he told member of Congress when he lobbied their vote for the resolution authorizing force.



He mismanaged every aspect of the war in Iraq.



He drained the U.S. Treasury of $650 billion on that war.



He lied to the Republican Congress about the true cost of a new entitlement, the prescription drug benefit under Medicare, hiding an additional $400 billion in order to secure passage.



He ran up huge annual deficits.



He exerted not one drop of fiscal control over runaway federal spending — under a supposedly conservative Republican Congress!



He federalized education and passed No Child Left Behind with Teddy Kennedy, a total flop of a program. We do not believe the federal government should be running high school education!



He showed true ineptitude in dealing with Hurricane Katrina.



He stated at every turn how we might bomb or attack or invade any country who dared to disagree with us.



He destroyed the good opinion of America around the globe.



He expanded the scope and power of the federal government at every turn and tried to turn the executive into a power unto himself.



New we face one massive bailout after another — over a trillion dollars — with talk of nationalizing banks and other industries, thus causing the headline today in the Wall Street Journal today asking: “Are We Having Socialism Now?”





So, to my fellow conservative in Waukesha — and everywhere — you wonder why are we here, with a lefty like Barack Obama on the verge of becoming president? The answer is that you helped the nation to choose, quite reluctantly, the opposite-of-Bush candidate: Barack Obama.


The voters can’t stand the thought of another four years like the past eight, so they will roll the dice, despite Ayers and Rev. Wright and ACORN, and try something different.

[RIROCKHOUND]

From Websters:
Liberal:
1 a: of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts <liberal education> barchaic : of or befitting a man of free birth

2 a: marked by generosity : openhanded <a liberal giver>
b: given or provided in a generous and openhanded way <a liberal meal>
c: ample , full

3obsolete : lacking moral restraint : licentious

4: not literal or strict : loose <a liberal translation>

5: broad-minded ; especially : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms

6 a: of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism

b: capitalized : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism ; especially : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives



liberalism


1: the quality or state of being liberal

2a. often capitalized : a movement in modern Protestantism emphasizing intellectual liberty and the spiritual and ethical content of Christianity
b: a theory in economics emphasizing individual freedom from restraint and usually based on free competition, the self-regulating market, and the gold standard
c: a political philosophy based on belief in progress, the essential goodness of the human race, and the autonomy of the individual and standing for the protection of political and civil liberties dcapitalized : the principles and policies of a Liberal party

[ProfessorM]

sounds good to me. Reading that made me want to puke. I probably won't even vote this year, as it is my right, because I think they are all fuc(*^*&%ed. I don't trust any of them.

[The Dad Fisherman]

Sad, but yeah...thats about it.

like I've said before i still don't know who i'm going to vote for.

part of it is the politicians fault too, Both Sides. Obama, no Brainer Democrat= Not Bush....McCain= Not Bush...but Republican = Bush....so When they both Bring up the fact they aren't Bush they fuel this rationale.

Plus you have the Known vs. the Unknown in the VP candidates...yeah Biden can be a little screwy but people have seen this for years and know this. Palin has also shown she is a little screwy...but people haven't seen this before.

Evil Known is better than Evil Unknown (I still think this is why we were stupid enough to vote Bush in for a 2nd term)

[Joe]

Liberalism has its roots in Transcendental Philosophy and the abolitionist movement of the 19th Century and the founding of the Republican Party - believe it or not, the "Party of Lincoln" was the liberal party at the time.

[boot man]

A conservative is a former liberal who has been the victim of random violence.

A liberal is a former conservative who has been unfairly convicted of the assault.

[Nebe]

Liberal to me is someone who thinks the country's gubmint should spend tons of money on welfare programs.

George Bush in my eyes is a liberal- I think this because of the amount of spending that he has done in his terms.

Conservatism on the other hand is about balancing budgets and reigning in out of control spending. Clinton for example left office with a surplus.

Stick that in your pipe and smoke it...

[spence]

Bush is a huge liberal.

I think people confuse liberal with progressive.
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[Nebe]

See.. Spence and I agree. What more proof is needed.

[slapshot]

CT recently made it legal for liberals to marry.

[Bronko]

[zacs]

You agree with this 100%??!?!?
wow. i'm saving this for future use....

Originally Posted by RIJIMMY

.... I agree with this article 100% and I bet you do to. My response though is not to turn 180 degrees to Obama, but to think the middle of the road is the best option. Before this campaign, McCain was ALWAYS seen as a moderate and someone who agreed freqeuntly with the Dems.

Bush for the Obama Dilemma

Friday, October 10, 2008 10:16 AM

By: John LeBoutillier Article Font Size

Yesterday at a McCain-Palin rally in Waukesha, Wis., someone asked McCain, “Many of us in this crowd are furious . . . we’re wondering how did we get here . . . how can a man like Barack Obama be on the verge of being elected president?” Here is the answer to that question: If the Bush administration had been competent and honest, Obama and his problems with ACORN, the Rev. Wright, and Bill Ayers would never have been given a chance politically.

In 1999 and 2000, the Bush political operation seized control of the Republican Party and bought off the conservative movement. They put up George W. Bush as the new "savior" — the “son of Reagan” they called him. They orchestrated that spectacle with every local politician from all over the country traipsing down to Austin to “beg” Gov. Bush to run for president, and he was elected as the new conservative hero.

But his presidency has been anything but conservative. In fact, it has been the most incompetent, dishonest, and un-conservative administration ever.

Just look at these few items which, if done by a Democrat, would have brought calls from us on the right not only to impeach him, but to imprison him for life:

He ignored the “Bin Laden Determined to Attack US with Hijacked Jets” CIA memo.

He pledged to get Osama bin Laden “dead or alive” — a pledge still unfulfilled seven years later.

He lied, distorted, and cherry picked U.S. intelligence to scare the hell out of a nervous American people after 9/11 to justify a pre-emptive invasion of a country that had not attacked us. And then lied to create a link between Saddam and bin Laden so as to justify this invasion, when the real reason was a takeover of American foreign policy by neo-cons and payback by G.W. Bush because Sadaam had “tried to kill my dad” as he told member of Congress when he lobbied their vote for the resolution authorizing force.

He mismanaged every aspect of the war in Iraq.

He drained the U.S. Treasury of $650 billion on that war.

He lied to the Republican Congress about the true cost of a new entitlement, the prescription drug benefit under Medicare, hiding an additional $400 billion in order to secure passage.

He ran up huge annual deficits.

He exerted not one drop of fiscal control over runaway federal spending — under a supposedly conservative Republican Congress!

He federalized education and passed No Child Left Behind with Teddy Kennedy, a total flop of a program. We do not believe the federal government should be running high school education!

He showed true ineptitude in dealing with Hurricane Katrina.

He stated at every turn how we might bomb or attack or invade any country who dared to disagree with us.

He destroyed the good opinion of America around the globe.

He expanded the scope and power of the federal government at every turn and tried to turn the executive into a power unto himself.

New we face one massive bailout after another — over a trillion dollars — with talk of nationalizing banks and other industries, thus causing the headline today in the Wall Street Journal today asking: “Are We Having Socialism Now?”

So, to my fellow conservative in Waukesha — and everywhere — you wonder why are we here, with a lefty like Barack Obama on the verge of becoming president? The answer is that you helped the nation to choose, quite reluctantly, the opposite-of-Bush candidate: Barack Obama.

The voters can’t stand the thought of another four years like the past eight, so they will roll the dice, despite Ayers and Rev. Wright and ACORN, and try something different.