Say no to litmus tests.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

A lot of people appear to be unwilling to support any candidate who doesn't agree with them on a particular issue. I think this is foolish.

You think gay rights matter? Sure. But they don't matter more than the environment, the economy, the occupation of Iraq, social security, and health care put togther.

You think the environment is important? Sure. But it doesn't matter more than the economy, the occupation of Iraq, social security, health care and gay rights put together.

You think the economy is important? Sure. But it doesn't matter more than the occupation of Iraq, social security, health care, gay rights and the environment put together.

And so on.

And that's not even listing immigration, abortion, and so on and so forth.

There are some *positions* which might rule a candidate out - someone who wanted to make having red hair a capital offence should not be elected, no matter what their positions on other issue - but a position would have to be really quite extreme to do so, and no senior Democrat holds any such position, I think.

Look at *all* the issues. Don't apply a single-issue litmus test, even if that means supporting someone whose position on one issue you detest.

[Deep13]

1. pretty much except for this one thing:

If some R is nominated who is absolutely horrible but somehow has demonstrated a real commitment to fight global warming and is running against a D who is has no such committment, them I'm voting to save the Earth. Without that no social or economic or political issue matters.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

2. Uhm, how can you say "pretty much"...

When you go on to say that you do, in fact, have a litmus test that you very much intend to use? How can you claim to agree and then completely and totally disagree?

[Deep13]

4. No earth, no survival. No survival, no point worrying about politics.

There are legitimate issues, then there is survival of humanity. It is as basic as eating. Without that, nothing else matters.

[sandnsea]

9. What Republican would that be??

I gotta' hear this.

:rofl:

[Deep13]

11. I didn't say I had anyone in mind.

I was speaking hypothetically. I fail to see what is so amusing about the end of the world.

[sandnsea]

13. The worst Democrat

would be better than a nonexistent Republican, don't you think? Entertaining the idea that there are Republicans who will tackle any of these issues is how we keep ending up in these conservative nightmares. They simply don't exist. So why even pretend?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Amen - K&R

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. I always vote "issues".

And, I do have "litmus tests".

“In matters of conscience, the law of majority has no place.” Gandhi

[rock]

6. But what if I want to know whether

a liquid is an acid of a base? Hmmm. How about then?

[Donald Ian Rankin]

7. Cabbage juice.

NT.

[rock]

10. You got me

It's a fair cop. LOL!

[Deep13]

14. Alkalinephobe!

[Nutmegger]

8. God I hate this horrid two party system

We usually get left with a choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee as the viable candidates. :puke:

[nam78_two]

15. Very true-thats why I like the idea of IRV.nt

[La_Fourmi_Rouge]

12. I will NOT EVER support a candidate who uses litmus tests.!!!