Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

I'll always be a Republican

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I’ll always be a Republican, much in the same way that I’ll always be a dumb ‘ole Iowa farmboy. It’s the way I grew up; it’s where I came from. No matter how far I’ve moved on from that time- and I’d say it’s probably the same for anyone- your roots leave their mark on you.

The Motley Moose was founded as a moderate, inclusive, progressive place to discuss politics and the path of our country. With a unique voices from other places like MyDD, DailyKos, LittleGreenFootballs, etc, something that can’t be found anywhere else on the internet. But even so, the general audience on this site skews heavily to the left.

So what brings me here? Why do I hang around?

There’s a number of answers to that question.

One of the most important, I think, though, is simply this- I can talk with the folks around here constructively. Even if we don’t agree. On one of my first forays onto DailyKos, I made a dismissive comment on unions (having grown up with a family who was very anti-union, and taking place in union-restricting activities while working as a manager for The Home Depot), and was absolutely flamed into oblivion. A similar comment here evoked a conversation that changes, pretty profoundly, a lot of my views on unions. Things I’ve never considered before. Though it wasn’t as bad as RedState or any of the other sites I joined such as that and commenting on similar topics for the other end of the spectrum- I was simply permabanned instantly there. But nonetheless.

Just my story. And that’s why I hang around, and why I’ve posted and lurked here since the site’s birth. There’s still nowhere like the Moose on the internet.


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6 comments

  1. canadian gal

    For me, I am  one of those left-leaning types. However when we first began discussing the ideals of the moose, while they included US local politics, it was more about progressivism. (Some of us have different local parties ya know : ) Or rather the TRUE progress of politics through ideas. To me it’s less about ‘party’ and more about dogma.

    Or as Christopher Hitchens says, “I have always found it quaint and rather touching that there is a movement [Libertarians] in the US that thinks Americans are not yet selfish enough.”

    This place, it’s special.

  2. Chris Blask

    It is quite a thing to say

    There’s still nowhere like the Moose on the internet.

    but I fear it may be correct.

    Do we really have to be so mean to each other? Are we really so bad with words?

    I think not. Conversation is the root of civilization and we would not be here at all if we were not descended from billions of people who on average managed not to call each other jackasses unnecessarily. The blogosphere and on a broader stage modern media in total create platforms where often our worst characteristics flare out of control. We see this on both the aforementioned political blogs, and we see it play out on TV.

    When people actually talk with each other – even when they energetically disagree – they usually find something to respect across the table. When they turn over the tables, hide behind them, and throw stones – they don’t.

    We have discussed Internet Anonymity here quite often. ‘Media Anonymity’ – or something akin – plays out in a certain way with our electronic press that also gives cover and distance while providing an immediacy that breaks the skin of civility.

    There is more than using nicknames or not on blogs to this issue (FWIW, in my opinion nick’s are OK as long as people don’t start feeling immune to responsibility). Something has crept into the public discourse on television and bled down into the Intertoobs that makes people feel they can stand off far enough to lob semantic grenades they never ever would in person. This is the reason for the extreme partisan divide, not racism on the right or Evil Plans for world domination on the left.

    I do not know what it will take to learn the civility in electronic media. But it is nice to see that it can be done once, because then it must be possible to do it elsewhere.

  3. Lightbulb

    Hi there! Nice to meet you.

    I remember that it was Reagan who brought the American working poor the Earned Income Tax Credit. A terrific move.

    It was Bush who elevated Sotomayor to the Second Circuit, bringing her to public view.

    John Warner always has/had something interesting to say, as did Lugar. There’s always room for dialogue.

    Looking forward to your awesome posts.

  4. Kysen

    I hope you and your sweet wee (probably not so wee anymore!) gal are doing well.

    We may not see eye to eye on a myriad of issues…however, we have ALWAYS been able to discuss them civilly. And that, after all, is what the Moose is all about.

    Happy New Year to you and yours.

    /grin

  5. bubbanomics

    the vitriol we lefties (I confess) spew at the right can be cathartic in private but is rarely productive.  I’m as guilty as anyone with my HAHAHA posts over at the dailykos.  And I can’t say I won’t poke fun at certain GOP types when they do things I view as humorous.

    Having grown up in TN and lived over half my life in red states, though, I know there are plenty of people of good will on the right.  I’d love to find some ways for people to work together… there are a lot of problems that need solving.

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