Feb 13 2008
Are We Seeing ‘Reagan Democrats’ Becoming ‘McCain Democrats’?
Are we seeing Reagan Democrats becoming McCain Democrats?:
Gallup: McCain wins more Democrats than Obama wins Republicans?
And if this is happening, and McCain gets conservative Dems and Independents is this a bad thing? Maybe to the ‘conservatives in exile’, but for the country I would think it would be enormously good news.
Our military is much smaller now than it was during the cold war. We would need to double our Navy and then double it again to get it back to where it was during Reagan’s time. Our Army is less than half as large as it was then too. Most of our bombers have been mothballed or decommissioned.
All of this expansion would have to be done as the government is gowing broke paying social security benefits. Russia’s got us this time.
Don’t build the Russian’s into something they’re not – Putin is doing a good job of presenting a strong image, but Russia’s military today is little more than Mexico with nukes.
US Defense Budget for 2007 was approximately $440 billion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States
Russia’s defense budget, in equivalent dollars, for the same period was $31 billion, only 7% of US spending.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/russia/mo-budget.htm
These bombers that Putin is playing with are relics from the 50’s that he’s pulled out of mothballs and gotten flying with canibalized spare parts. The once great Russian fleet has just about completely rusted into uselessness – the submarines are almost all past salvaging. And the current spending isn’t for new equipment – it’s to try and rebuild forces from when they were allowed to wither to almost nothing in the late 90’s.
In short – Russia is the proverbial paper tiger. Putin talks a big game, but in reality, as I said – Russia’s military today is Mexico with nukes.
WWS:
Russia is not a direct threat to us; it is a threat to its neighbors and our allies. It does have a lot of influence with oil. If you compare Russia military budget with it’s periphery, Russia sounds like a monster (Ukraine military budget is $550 million). Plus in that article it states: “2005 Russian defense spending rose 22 percent, 27 percent in 2006 and analysts estimate that in 2007 it could increase by an additional 30 percent”. You’re right we shouldn’t exaggerate Russia; but we shouldn’t underestimate them either.
Russia has also shown it’s willing to leverage its nukes when shown to be an advantage (e.g. with Iran). I don’t think Bush wants that missile shield in Poland just to stop Iran as they claim… they have cause for concern.
75,
“Conservative democrat”? Is there such a thing?”
I ususally classify conservative democrats as those I have known who have voted Democrat all of their lives, their grandparents, aunts and uncles, and parents all did. But when you talk politics with them they know nothing of the ideologies of each party they just are Dems because that’s all they’ve ever been. Their actual beliefs are quite conservative; limited government, lower taxes, strong military, pro-life, etc. They just don’t know the differences. But they either don’t vote or they vote Dem.
I also knew some who voted Republican for the first time for Bush in 2004. They’re learning – just very slowly…
McCain needs to dump this advisor ASAP (he has been hit by that Obama beam of light):
“McCain Adviser Won’t Fight Obama
February 13, 2008 6:48 PM
ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports: A top adviser to John McCain said Wednesday that he will step down from the Arizona senator’s presidential campaign if the presumed GOP nominee faces Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in the general election.
“I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama,” said McCain adviser Mark McKinnon in an interview with NPR’s “All Things Considered.” “I think it would be uncomfortable for me, and I think it would be bad for the McCain campaign.”
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/02/mccain-adviser.html
Cp,
I think Russia’s demographics are worse than ours for aging population, and China’s isn’t good either (elderly to young ratio).
That McCain “advisor” is a hollywood-type media guy; Johhny Mac better not take his “advice”, such as it is.
Kathie:
I think McCain is the best the Republicans have right now. As for him being a so so candidate, well aren’t they all?
I don’t have the link handy but Pew did a huge study not long ago on all the major candidates, and McCain was the only Republican who had the support of more than 70% of the Republicans and more than 50% of the American public at large. Romney’s national support was only 29%.
I think the whole so so business has a lot to do with public fatigue about politics. In fact I think Obama’s number one asset is that he is someone no one has heard of.
“I think Russia’s demographics are worse than ours for aging population”
No, they aren’t. Russia has a lower life expectancy, their old people die off younger so there are fewer of them. And the government has been sponsoring a baby boom of sorts with sex camps and such.
Whippet1,
I believe there are Democrats who are pro-life, pro military, and even pro 2nd amendment but limited government and lower taxes is a stretch. We have middle and independent Republicans who don’t even believe in these last 2. But I understand your definition of “conservative Democrat”. I think when definitions continually move in one direction, the other static ends of the spectrum become labeled radical. My definitions are more static than yours I guess but for sake of argument, I accept your definition of a conservative democrat. Ironically, I think this very subject is part of the problem with the McCain arguments lately in this very forum. If middle-roaders and indies continue to move the republican party further left, almost any conservative will be considered a radical. Hence the sudden changes of opinion of Rush, Levin, and others.
I ususally classify conservative democrats as those I have known who have voted Democrat all of their lives, their grandparents, aunts and uncles, and parents all did. But when you talk politics with them they know nothing of the ideologies of each party they just are Dems because that’s all they’ve ever been. Their actual beliefs are quite conservative; limited government, lower taxes, strong military, pro-life, etc. They just don’t know the differences. But they either don’t vote or they vote Dem.
That’s a good description. I know many exactly as you described. My in-laws and many good friends fit that description. They are clueless that they are voting against what they believe. They share their dislike of Bush with the MSM, but that is because they still believe the MSM. Yep. The Mexicans have their very own MSM and it feeds them the same pap. Bush was the first tiny crack in that wall.
Owl,
And it’s so frustrating when you know the true convictions of these people but they vote in such a clueless fashion all the while complaining about the end results…
Very frustrating and they do not even want to discuss it because they “do not want to argue”. LOL I swear I have heard that. Some of the most conservative people I have ever known that vote religiously.