Comments on: Help Set MoveOn's Agenda

By: jpe

jpe — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

MoveOn.org is generally percieved as the fringe left of the political spectrum.

Important word: "perceived." I'm not aware of any issues on which they're substantively fringe. They were against the Iraq War, but that was pretty dodgy all the way around. The sheer number of people against it (it was at least 30%, right?) means they're not fringe as a matter of statistics.

Bracketing the Iraq War, I can't think of anything on which they're fringe. Their rhetoric was intense, of course, but so is Weekly Standard's, and I wouldn't consider them fringe. Just partisan.

By: jpe

jpe — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

They were against the Iraq War, but that was pretty dodgy all the way around.

Let me clarify that: by dodgy, I just meant debatable. It just wasn't an obviuos slamdunk the way other wars may have been. Sorry for the confusion.

By: John

John — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Beyond that, it's worth noting the hypocracy of the Republicans here. They spend a lot of time going after "judicial activists" and are simultaneously trying to remove one of the central checks we have to be sure that only sound jurors get put on the bench.

By: sibert

sibert — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Here's to a slow, stupid, inefficient government. It's always gonna be fairly stupid and inefficient, but as John and Jerry say, and I completely agree on this point, may it stay ever slow.

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I agree completely with John, expect for the outcome. I hope the Republicans pull the nuclear option trigger, I'm game for a big fight, which I think they will lose.

As far as agenda, (and along the line of what Jerry wrote) I have always hoped to see the left and right agree to work together reduce unplanned pregnancies, and there for reduce abortions. Its something everyone can agree should be reduced, its just a question of how to go about it. This may at least be an opportunity to try and start some dialogue.

I find it absurd that even though everyone would like to see the number of unplanned pregnancies reduced, people would rather fight over how to do it than try to work together on it.

If I didn't know better I'd think abortions must be a lot of fun the way I hear BOTH sides talk about it.

By: howard

howard — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I don't suspect moderation is much of the aim for Move On, but still I like the notion that real people (not just those in line with hard left thinking or those who want to make a joke of the opinion gathering process) get involved in offering Move On their opinions, on the off chance that Move On really wants to know what ordinary Americans are thinking.

If, on the other hand, they only want feedback from ultra-left leaning clones of George Soros, they'll ignore contrary feedback — but still, no harm in trying, right?

By: Sean

Sean — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I forget the exact number but democrats are claiming to have approved over 90% of Bushs judicial nominees. Its only about 10 or so judges in question right now, and just today Bill Frist turned down a democrat compromise offer to give some of the judges in question an up or down vote in exchange for the republicans not pursuing the nuclear option.

Honestly Im glad Frist turned down the compromise, you know me I like to gamble big, I desperately want to see another break put on the republican efforts to expand power and I think the republicans have a lot more to lose than the democrats.

Also in terms of the republicans trying to expand their power dont forget the previous Attorney General John Ashcrofts interpretation of the Patriot Act (passed by Congress after 911) and other policies which seriously eroded many civil liberties and rights to privacy. I was willing to put up with it at the time because I thought terrorism was the greater threat, but now I see it as part of a pattern of expanding power.

In short I put a lot of a lot of trust into many republicans after 911: Bush, Ashcroft, and even to a lesser extent John McCain, and now I feel like that trust has been abused.

By: Jerry

Jerry — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I'd recommend advocating for better healthcare for pregnant women and children and promotion of adoption. Perhaps also better protection of the disabled.

If you just say "fight abortion" or "fight for disabled people so they can eat and drink", the good liberals at MoveOn.org will probably just claim that the right-wingers are trying to hijack their referendum and throw your suggestions down the memory hole. There is a lot that we can collaborate on, the trick is to focus on that and not the baggage that blinds us from that fact.

By: Funky Dung

Funky Dung — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I'm not a fan of alarmist rhetoric, so if you wish to persuade me, you'll have to be a bit more elaborate and a bit less hyper.

By: Funky Dung

Funky Dung — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I'm not entirely convinced that the Democrats are really holding up the words as badly as they're made out to be. IIRC, they've approved hundreds of Bush's appointments and are only stalling on about 10.