Compromise actually works

[gravity]

I am shocked to find that many on this board find that is impossible to compromise with the republicans so I will offer some insight into how it can be done.

I will use the universal health care debate to make my point

The pros: Well it will take me too long to list all the arguments for universal coverage, so I will assume you all know them.

Cons: The main arguments against it in a nutshell are taxes and long lines for treatment

Now we have a choice to make about approaching the issue:

A. Call the opposition idiots who don't know what they are talking about
B. Work with the opposition to find a way to enjoy the benefits universal coverage, while taking into the account of long line and taxes.

If you choose option A, you end up with a huge partisan battle which will accomplish nothing.

In option B, you get both parties working together to create an universal health care bill. The result is a compromised bill which would probably be better than the original since its weaknesses were addressed. In this case, the concerns were minimal so nothing was really compromised anyway.

To sum up the choices, A is going to war while B is using diplomacy (a foreign concept to our current government)

Reaching out is just about recognizing the concerns of your opposition while not demonizing them even when they are wrong or you disagree. Once they see that their views are taken into account, they are much more willing to work with you on the issues. Instead of arguing about the differences, you work for the common good and actually accomplish something positive.

If you ask most Americans, they want the same thing for their country. They all want good jobs, a strong economy, health care, good schools, freedom and security. Its really these partisan battles that are dividing are nation. The republican leaders remained in control so long because they are masters of using those tactics for their own political advantage. Playing those games is just letting the republicans get what they want, and will prevent the democrats for making real progress in this country.

I support Obama because he recognizes this fundamental problem with the Democratic party. Instead of playing the RW games, we need to call out the republicans against their divisive political tactics, and show the many disaffected republican voters that our interest are in the interest of the American people.

[caseycoon]

1. K&R I agree! n/t

[NC_Nurse]

2. K&R. It's the only way to get things done.

There is a difference between compromise and caving in. All the Dems do now is cave in.

[rug]

3. What compromise will he make on Iraq?

[gravity]

5. Many republicans think that Iraq was a mistake

We don't need to convince them of that anymore.

The compromise will be the best way for America to withdraw its troops in Iraq while still having stability in the region. There isn't an easy solution to the problem so our leaders need to work together to do what's best for our country, Iraq, and the world. This isn't something that should be played for political gain.

[End Of The Road]

4. What compromise will he make on torture?

[gravity]

6. None

You can make a million loaded questions about compromise if you want. I'm talking about a way to frame our policies respecting the concerns of the opposition, rather than caving into them.

The Geneva Convention covers torture, so there isn't really any compromise there. There was probably some compromise going on in the Geneva Convention in writing the laws about torture, but I think the pros outweighed the cons greatly.