I think I have finally figured out what Republicans and "Conservatives" need most

[Cary]

No, it's not a lobotomy. Let's try to be gracious and nice, which leads me to my theory.

What Republicans and "Conservatives" need most is some humility, and so far I see little evidence that any is forthcoming. I came to this conclusion in another thread where I noted the Rovian idea of "permanent Republican majority" and opined that Barack Obama needs to remember how badly this worked out for Republicans when considering whether to reach out across the aisle.

Also, on another board a "Conservative" friend of mine started laying into me about how corrupt and incompetent the Obama administration is, and how proud I should be, or some other nonsense to that affect.

There's just nowhere for my "Conservative" friend to go, except to grow old in bitter obscurity and irrelevance, because he has no humility.

This is an important lesson for us too, I think. After all, you never really do end up crushing your opposition. My "Conservative" friend may never adapt, but his ideology and his party surely will, sooner or later.

[tom_paine]

1. God, that's a positive interpretation of things!

Here's hoping you are generally correct about such things.

:toast:

[Cary]

6. Thank you.

I don't know how correct I am, or even how positive I am. I'm really just trying to do the best I can.

My "Conservative" friend amazes me.

[raccoon]

2. I think everyone in this country, especially Republicans, should spend one week in a Third World

country and see the dire poverty there.

Hopefully, some of them would learn that there but for fortune, go they.

[Cary]

8. That would be kick in the pants, to be sure. n/t

[NOW tense]

3. There will always be Conservatives

because everyone is selfish some more than others. As long as people are told of stories of people taking advantage of a system there will be Republicans. People love the story of someone making it on there own. What those stories don't tell you is where they stole the bootstraps from.

[Cary]

5. There are those.

But there are others, like my friend, who are true believers in their slogans and currently refuse to yield to reason. And there are others who just fell in. And there are others, I'm sure, of other stripes.

We need a huge Obama success, and we need this success on every level.

[NOW tense]

9. I understand what you are saying

I am saying that there will always be conservatives in this world to keep things in balance. I just think that they need the smallest amount of power to keep things in order.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. I truly believe what they lack is 'empathy'. They can't relate to anything or anyone

that is different from themselves. They cannot put themselves in the situation of others to understand how others might feel.

[Cary]

7. I can see that too.

There is certainly no lack of ignorance in this world.