A friend of mine posed a question on his Facebook Status. It's a little long but it's a fairly simple question. The responses are fascinating example of the current derangement among conservatives. The instant petty attacks and name calling, the hyperbole, the misinformation. I'm mainly posting this for posterity.
Names have been removed, BTW.
Questioner:
Let me ask my conservative and/or Republican friends a question or two: If there were a Republican President (say Jeb Bush), and the Senate approved a clean budget bill or continuing resolution (CR), would it be acceptable to you if a Democratic Speaker of the House refused to allow a vote on that bill/CR (thereby shutting down the government) unless Republicans agreed to a Democratic demand on some important liberal issue, say, that all ammunition sales be banned or severely limited across the country under the Commerce Clause or all abortions be fully funded by the federal government under the Spending Clause or taxes be raised on the wealthiest and businesses to close the budget shortfall under the Taxation Clause and 16th Amendment, or that spending on the military and military pensions be cut to balance the budget, or all of the above? Would this be an acceptable negotiating tactic? Would threatening a default on our credit be acceptable for the same purpose? Is this a precedent we want to set? If President Jeb Bush refused to negotiate under such threats, would you blame him or would you blame the Democratic Speaker of the House for the shutdown or default? Any of my friends across the isle have answers, thoughts? I'm just wondering what you all think about this precedent. I'm not here to argue the merits of Obamacare or deficit spending, just here to listen to your views on this tactic and its precedent as a means for a minority party to get something it wants even after the issue had already been decided by a democratic process.
Names have been removed, BTW.
Questioner:
Let me ask my conservative and/or Republican friends a question or two: If there were a Republican President (say Jeb Bush), and the Senate approved a clean budget bill or continuing resolution (CR), would it be acceptable to you if a Democratic Speaker of the House refused to allow a vote on that bill/CR (thereby shutting down the government) unless Republicans agreed to a Democratic demand on some important liberal issue, say, that all ammunition sales be banned or severely limited across the country under the Commerce Clause or all abortions be fully funded by the federal government under the Spending Clause or taxes be raised on the wealthiest and businesses to close the budget shortfall under the Taxation Clause and 16th Amendment, or that spending on the military and military pensions be cut to balance the budget, or all of the above? Would this be an acceptable negotiating tactic? Would threatening a default on our credit be acceptable for the same purpose? Is this a precedent we want to set? If President Jeb Bush refused to negotiate under such threats, would you blame him or would you blame the Democratic Speaker of the House for the shutdown or default? Any of my friends across the isle have answers, thoughts? I'm just wondering what you all think about this precedent. I'm not here to argue the merits of Obamacare or deficit spending, just here to listen to your views on this tactic and its precedent as a means for a minority party to get something it wants even after the issue had already been decided by a democratic process.
Conservative #1:
Your question is illogical. It's riddled with assumptions, and once again, it is fallible. This isn't any ole bill, it's a massive tax increase and intrusion on our privacy. Have you read it? Before I answer, let me say this: [Questioner], this isn't the first time in our lifetime that there has been a shutdown. You know this. But, usually the President comes to the negotiating table and negotiates face to face . King Obama and his court of crazies led by Crazy Lady #1 Nancy Pelosi and Harry "Boot Licker" Reid refuse. So the hostage takers are the divisive King and his band of left wing liberal lunatics, not the Conservatives. The Republicans have made several concessions and have made more and more almost everyday. More than I would like. The Dems have not done anything but act like tyrants and continue to push a huge bureaucratic nightmare of a tax bill disguised as a compassionate health care reform bill that was passed in the middle of the night with little debate during the Christmas holiday without even being read and understood; Thereby, forcing Americans to buy something the now massive federal government is selling, or else be penalized by the dysfunctional IRS that is administrating this destructive healthcare system and risk prison. If you are poor, an illegal alien, have no health insurance or whatever your case is, under current laws you can walk into any emergency room and be treated and walk away without even giving them your name, much less a SS number. Under the Obamanightmarecare act, you will pay. Not only that, but the Obamacare system is so intrusive that every aspect of your life will be intruded upon, looked at by some government administrator looking to justify their job, (That's the American Way). I don't want to not mention the affect it is already having on corporations and employment- forcing corporations to cut full time workers to part time workers. Hey, you voted for this asshole, so live with it. Now, there are some people that don't mind. They don't mind Obamacare. Selfishly it makes them "feel good" to advocate it, thus filling some dark hole they have somewhere. They don't mind because they can afford it. They don't have kids to put through college, they don't have to get up and work everyday, they don't have employees to feed, they can can afford to advocate for nutty things like Obamacare, because it does not really affect them. Once again, selfishly, thinking only of how it makes them feel good to endorse Obamacare. Short answer to your question: It depends. Is the president a legal citizen with an American birth certificate and social security number of his own and not from a dead guy from North Carolina? Does the President hate America? Has he produced his transcripts from the Ivy League College he went to? Is he a socialist raised by a socialist mother and a communist father from Kenya? Does he have such a deep hatred for Colonialism that pushes him to destroy our country? Is he willing to go to great lengths to shut down the WWII Memorial, yet open the Mall up up to illegal alien advocates for a rally? If the bill is as crazy and massive as the Affordable Health Care Act, then No.
Conservative #2:
Lets be honest here, the government is not shut down, only 17% is on a slim down! You mention would the right feel the same if circumstances were the same, the fact as [Conservative #1] mentioned is a fallacy, but the answer in my opinion is your cannot compare what is going on. Obamacare is a MANDATE! Run by the IRS which we all know the government cannot run anything efficiently. The republicans have presented 4-5 budgets to the senate, and they refuse to negotiate AT ALL!!!! How can one insist on a plan that they don't want themselves? Obama has made several changes and exemptions to this law, yet now chooses not to negotiate? Take away the mandate? I don't want the government involved in my health. As we have seen, costs are going through the roof!!
[Questioner]- to answer your question if the republicans wanted to jam a bill through that they themselves did not want, I would feel the same!
How do you fight for something you don't want? I would say if the republicans fought for something they didn't wasn't, I would have the same view.
When will Obama negotiate for a plan he doesn't want?
I won't even talk about the $7T in debt he has added???? And I don't think you can debate it either!
Other details are in Conservative #1s post!
Conservative #1:
Does the hypothetical bill mandate that all Americans are required to buy something that the government is selling or face penalties and possible criminal charges? And does that same bill exempt the President, congress and special interest groups and certain corporations? I'd say that if it does then it's worth fighting against. Dems are going to get trashed in 14. But King Obama will prolly impose Marshall Law before the election, thereby cancelling the election. And technically the government is not shutdown. However, the Kings henchmen will take your camera away and force you to go back to your hotel if caught on the side of the road taking pictures inside our National Parks. And King Obama has shut down the Panda Cam at the National Zoo. And veterans can't visit the war memorials in Washington, but illegal alien rights advocates are permitted to rally at the National Mall with King Obama's blessing and Nancy "Crazy Lady #1" Pelosi, the hypocrite that politically supports unions and forces corporations into union agreements while she exempts herself from hiring union workers at her posh resort in Napa, will show up at said rally and thank King Obama for opening up the National Mall to allow said rally.
Conservative #3:
The Government is not shut down...thanx for this understanding. We just have a lot of childish mandates by our dictators in power. I am really embarrassed by the Dems. To think I am from California that has bred these dangerous ideas too closely sounding like socialism. My health care is no business but mine. The government "shut down" as you call it will be opened tonight if king Obama would come to the table. What a stupid game of chicken being played!
---------------
"Marshall" Law? Dictators in power?
They sound like what a liberal doing an imitation of crazy conservatives would come up with!
Some people take this image seriously...