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themp
Supporter
Username: Themp
Post Number: 3077
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 10, 2006 - 2:59 pm: | 
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http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/07/10/do.littlecongress.ap/index.html |
MichaelaM
Citizen
Username: Mayquene
Post Number: 197
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 12:08 am: |
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They can't agree to extend the Voting Rights Act either. You know, that 30-plus-year-old law that said that you can't disenfranchise minorities. It seems we haven't come as long a way as we thought.
But the problem with issues like flag-burning or "under God" is that they are often done to shore up Republicans' conservative base. Conservatives don't necessarily expect to pass those initiatives; they intend to bring their loyalists to the polls come November with a "we tried!" plea.
What it comes down to isn't gaining the support of the American people; it comes down to getting the people who support you to bother to vote. It's not the candiate who is most popular who wins, it's the candidate whose supporters care enough to cast a ballot.
Which comes down to a fundamental problem for liberals: DEMOCRATS DON'T VOTE. In polls, a matchup between a generic Republican and generic Democrat running for the House of Representatives, registered voters generally favor the Democrat by a few points. But the Repubicans have held the House for 12 years, because come the first Tuesday in November, it's their kindred who make it to the polls.
But back to the legislation at hand, Congress has to do something with its time and addressing tough issues like the war, earmarks, lobbying regulations, etc., are tough election-year topics for either party. They probably just want to fill up time -- and CNN with news that won't tarnish them quite so much. |
Southerner
Citizen
Username: Southerner
Post Number: 1254
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 10:37 am: |
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Spot on Michael. |
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