How did "Conservative" become synonymous with "Sociopath?"?

They learned that they can get away with it because a large percentage of voters are gullible and apathetic. Bush basically admitted it when he said that you can fool some of the people all of the time and those are the ones to focus on. He tried to cover by pretending it was a joke, but that really is the modern Republican philosophy.

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Wow, Jacob, you've been spending too much time listening to Rush Limbaugh. The Republicans are the ones who keep trying to amend the Constitution to outlaw gay marriage, flag burning, and abortion. The Democrats haven't suggested anything of the kind. You "conservatives" (and I use the term very loosely when speaking of neocons) don't realize just how insidious these amendments are. Allowing the Constitution to be altered to legalize discrimination against minorities and outlaw the freedom to disagree with the government would destroy the entire foundation of our freedom. If any one of these amendments were passed, the United States would go from "the land of the free" to the land of tyranny overnight.

I agree that the word "sociopath" was well chosen. What else can you call someone who profits from wartime contracts as shamelessly as Cheney did? The government was founded to serve the needs of the people, but these leaders want to exploit the people to serve their own selfish needs. Anyone should be able to see that that isn't good for our country or our citizens.

You have your facts a bit mixed up. Richard Nixon was no Conservative. It was Nixon who created the EPA, put wage and price controls in place and pretty much was in agreement with most Liberals. The Democrats just did not like him personally.

The only philosophy that supports an originalist approach to the Constitution is Conservative. That is exactly what Conservative means. It is Liberals that view the Constitution as a "living document" or something that can be bent or interpreted in any means necessary to permit whatever they want to permit.

No Conservative proclaims or even thinks he has a right to violate the Constitution. You have been sold a bill of goods by the Liberal who actually do subvert the Constitution. All this nonsense about the Patriot Act violating our right to privacy is a phony. All that it did was provide the Federal Agents the ability to monitor foreign phone calls looking for key words. Other than that, it only granted rights already deemed constituional such as wire tapping an individual rather than a specific phone.

The police and FBI were already granted that ability years prior to deal with organized crime. The Patriot Act only expanded that power so intelligence agencies could use them, too.

You really have to ask why any one would be so dead set against thwarting terrorist attack that they would make up lies about the tools used to do just that. As early as the Civil War, it was recoginzed and accepted by the Courts that in extraordinary circumstances the powers of Security Forces can expand extraordinarily. It is widly accepted and provided for that the Constitution is not a suicide pact. If its provisions could result in attack upon the nation then those provisions may be overriden to protect the Union.

How do you think Lincoln was able to arrest and jail Congressmen who were trying to subvert our efforts? On 9/11 the President could have declared a state of emergency and declared martial law. He did not because he did not deem that to be necessary. However, some provisions of the Constitution need to be suspended in specific cases in order to keep America Secure.

I am not surprised if you never heard any of this. National Security is not the Democrats' strong suit.

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There are still some conservatives who are good, decent people. Some of them arent even a bunch of racists. Some of them arent rude and angry all the time. Just hard to find any on here.

I can't believe the reaction that the question is generating from Conservatives.

I know exactly what you mean. When I first came to the States, even before I knew the difference between Republicans and Democrats, I called myself a Republican thinking that I wanted to be associated with the party of Lincoln. When I understood that Conservatism was synonyous with the Republican Party, I called myself a Conservative. I liked what it stood for... the party of people who want to stand up on their own. I supported Reagan and even Bush Sr.

Now I see what the Conservative movement represent. It represents a small portion of power holders. It represent Bush & Cheney and the people that fought underhandedly to get them the power. It is against Progress by supporting people like Scalia and Thomas...

Do you use the word "sociopath" because it sounds serious and insulting? Did you give any consideration to its definition before choosing it. Of course not, as it doesn't fit the premise of your faux question. It's like the erudite little college boy who accused Bill Buckley of being a fascist. Bill's one sentence response showed the pubescent pinko that the fascist was in the eye of the beholder.

As for your concerns for the Constitution, it isn't concervatives seeing "emanations from its penumbra" or attributing its guarantees to a collective.

So did your illustrious B.A. come with a liberal dose of bolshevism, or are you old enough to remember when postsecondary education wasn't run by 60's hippy retreads and was able to stick to its subjects? BTW, care to relate your narrow definition of "sociopath" with the likes of BJ Clinton, Algore, JFK(erry), et al? Be sure to phrase it in the form of a question, as if you really were curious about a truthful answer.

You really took time to think up this question and I'm gonna give you an honest answer... They freed the slaves and then they let blacks vote and the republicans lost their minds trying to "conserve" absolutely nothing. Best answer!

Ha

Apparently, the country you "grew up in" [sic] wasn't well enough "conserved", and a bit too much "progressed". So logically, we must blame conservatives for their defeats, and progressives for their success.

It amazes me that we Conservatives say the same of liberals. Do you think we are biased? Nah.. Liberals are the ones without a clue. Listen to Chaun Hannady and your thinking will change not because of him but because of the facts.

You're getting edification of the fox from the chickens. What happened to the perception of reality you grew up in?

First of all, dubya made the phrase "compassionate conservative" a joke. Really. Try saying it with dubya in the same sentence and you won't have a dry eye in the house.

Secondly, the sex scandals in the Republican party in the last 4 years - omg! They lost whatever moral high ground they can claim after the pedophile in Florida and the tapa-tapa-tapa in MSP bathroom.

Thirdly, take the larger political influence peddling, a la Abramoff. How many Republicans indited? Sentenced?

4th, take all the failed and idiotic initiatives, funded or not, of the current administration, not even counting the war. War on drugs, war on children (S-chip), war on education (no child left behind) etc. - there you go.

5th, "it's the economy, stupid". tax cuts for the rich HAD to work, see? HAD TO. Well, here we are.

6th deregulation. Be it air dispatchers, banking, etc. - all started with Reagan., presumably an otherwise great President.

7th (Not gonna mention the war)

8th. Unholy wedlock of the GOP with the Religious Right. Gone is the non-interference with people's lives doctrine. They are in my bed watching me, making sure I only have sex according to their rules. They are watching my wife, making sure she doesn't think she actually has control of her body. Etc.

9th. With the great Communist Menace Threat gone after 1991, the GOP never adjusted. They keep seeking enemies to replace the one they lost, but, alas, nobody really measures up. The Commies are gone, the strong anti-commie sentiment is harder and harder to drum up every day. I mean, who other than FL takes Castro seriously? Being conservative makes it hard for the GOP to reallign with the current problems to make themselves relevant.

More? I got more if you want more.

President-Elect Obama, get used to the sounds of that!