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[Wayward Device]

Go, go, go Santorum. Please win the nomination, thereby discrediting the batshit fundy part of your party for the next decade.


Argh. Why, why, why does somebody like I, an upstanding member of the Christian Far Left, have to be lumped in with him? *mutter mutter*

May I request a new thread to discuss the views of the Christian Far Left? As a middle-of-the-road Liberal Radical, I would be interested in such a discussion.

[Montague]

Not sure about this, but Christianity doesn't even really lend itself well as a political system. Nowhere in the Bible does it advocate a theocracy. It says to move to the hinterlands of nations and empires and render unto Caeser and all that. It's more like Quakers, Mennonites, Amish and monasteries. Withdrawal from nations and kings and governments, not seizing control over them.

So it really baffles me how Republicans can even really represent a coherant philosophy. Freedom and Theocracy? Capitalism and Interventionism? That isn't Christianity, it's not even logical, ffs.

Anyways, I imagine Christian Far-Left would work out to be something like Kibbutzim. Obviously, hippies and heathens need not apply.

[Aqizzar]

Not sure about this, but Christianity doesn't even really lend itself well as a political system. Nowhere in the Bible does it advocate a theocracy. It says to move to the hinterlands of nations and empires and render unto Caeser and all that. It's more like Quakers, Mennonites, Amish and monasteries. Withdrawal from nations and kings and governments, not seizing control over them.

That depends on what you specifically call "Christianity" really.  The teachings of Jesus don't exactly advocate nationalism or seizing political control (although he didn't exactly advocate non-intervention either, all that "And I will come with a sword" business).  The Old Testament though, for all Judeo-Christian-Islamic societies, does have quite a few politically motivated passages and notes on laws.  Deuteronomy especially is full of weirdly explicit rules on how an Abrahamic society is supposed to govern itself, along with the goofy grab bag from Leviticus and Exodus.  Essentially none of which, it should be noted, are reflected in the standing laws of any ostensibly "Christian" nation.

So it really baffles me how Republicans can even really represent a coherant philosophy. Freedom and Theocracy? Capitalism and Interventionism? That isn't Christianity, it's not even logical, ffs.

It's not Christian per se, no.  It's hard to say that it explicitly violates it, more than any political power that claims to be guided by Christianity ever has.  Logical is a different matter.  It all makes perfect sense if you believe that a storybook interpretation of American history gives it a manifest right to impose whatever we're calling American Values this week on all people of the world.  It's all about definitions.


Anyway, I'll throw a note into the OP about the Rick Santorum rolling up three meaningless elections.  What's next, Maine?  Pfft.  I can't remember if their votes count either.  Then the Northern Marianas Islands, because territories (did you remember that America has territories?) don't count for the Electoral College but they do count for party nominations.  And then finally Arizona and Michigan a whopping 20 days from now.  And I think they're still part of the schedule of states penalized by the party for having their primaries before March.

[mainiac]

Except Wyoming, Idaho, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alaska, and various other rural red states, where the countryside outweighs the relatively small urban population.

40% of Alaskans live in Anchorage town limits and 51% live in the Anchorage Metro area.
The 4 largest metro areas in Alabama (Birmingham-Hoover, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery) are more then half the state population all living in cities of at least 300k people.
The 5 metro areas of Mississippi are 45% of the state population but that percentage was lowered by hurricanes and should keep increasing
More then 2/3rds of Tennessee lives in 3 metro areas, all of which are more then a million people in population.

Very few states have small urban populations compared to their rural populations at this point.  People have been leaving the cities, but they have been going to the suburbs not the country.

Not sure about this, but Christianity doesn't even really lend itself well as a political system.

It really doesn't matter what a religion says about politics and violence and whatnot.  Buddhists aren't even supposed to kill in self defense but even Buddhists have engaged in holy wars at times.

[RedKing]

Except Wyoming, Idaho, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alaska, and various other rural red states, where the countryside outweighs the relatively small urban population.

40% of Alaskans live in Anchorage town limits and 51% live in the Anchorage Metro area.
The 4 largest metro areas in Alabama (Birmingham-Hoover, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery) are more then half the state population all living in cities of at least 300k people.
The 5 metro areas of Mississippi are 45% of the state population but that percentage was lowered by hurricanes and should keep increasing
More then 2/3rds of Tennessee lives in 3 metro areas, all of which are more then a million people in population.

Very few states have small urban populations compared to their rural populations at this point.  People have been leaving the cities, but they have been going to the suburbs not the country.

Fair enough, I'll have to re-examine the statistics on that at some point.

Not sure about this, but Christianity doesn't even really lend itself well as a political system.

It really doesn't matter what a religion says about politics and violence and whatnot.  Buddhists aren't even supposed to kill in self defense but even Buddhists have engaged in holy wars at times.

Which Buddhists? There's as many flavors of Buddhism as there are of Christianity. And there are certain canonical texts which seem to imply that defensive war is acceptable. There is also a notion that intent is more important than action. In many Theravada traditions, if the killing is done without intent to kill, it is not karmically negative.

Okay, major derail there.

An interesting op-ed in the Weekly Standard points out that the "inevitable nominee" Romney has now lost 5 of 8 races. Meanwhile, Santorum--who was regarded as third-tier at best when the race started--leads all candidates with 4 wins. That Iowa reversal is looking like a bigger thing now.

Looking forward, the Santorum camp appears to be going all out for Michigan (probably thinking that Arizona is a lost cause, while Romney is more vulnerable in the Motor State) and hoping to get another win before Super Tuesday to keep his momentum high, while Gingrich is doubling down in Ohio hoping to pull out a Super Tuesday win.

[FearfulJesuit]

Go Santorum!

I really mean it. He has a good shot of discrediting the wingnuts for a decade if he goes to the general election.

[Glowcat]

Go Santorum!

I really mean it. He has a good shot of discrediting the wingnuts for a decade if he goes to the general election.

What if he wins and ushers in a new age of Arch-conservative darkness?

[Criptfeind]

I don't find the idea of him winning worrisome for some reason. Because I do not think it will happen.

If he does win though, we are... Well. Fucked. We are well and truly fucked, and perhaps the whole world is fucked if they don't smarten up and reject him.

[jester]

I don't find the idea of him winning worrisome for some reason. Because I do not think it will happen.

If he does win though, we are... Well. Fucked. We are well and truly fucked, and perhaps the whole world is fucked if they don't smarten up and reject him.

More fucked than 8 years of bush jr?   I mean, lets be honest, that was some serious legs behind the ears giant horsecock have neighbors call the police style deal

[Nadaka]

Well... That was a colorful metaphor...

[jester]

Now add bush's vacant grin into the mix, for bonus points, cheney and rummy too.

[Descan]

This metaphor confuses and infuriates me!

Wait, no. Just confuses.

What the hell are you talking about?

[jester]

Twas a grand 'totally fucked' metaphor, lack of punctuation meant to show the wholeness of the thing, with some side implications that a previous leader (and sidekicks) of the peoples of the USA may have been doing the screwing.  Carry on with your electioneering gentlemen.

[Criptfeind]

More fucked than 8 years of bush jr?

Honestly? From what I have heard about him? Yes.

[RedKing]

Go Santorum!

I really mean it. He has a good shot of discrediting the wingnuts for a decade if he goes to the general election.

What if he wins and ushers in a new age of Arch-conservative darkness?

Go go Liberal Crime Squad!

Yeah, if Santorum won, I'd be on the next boat to...anywhere. Considering the Holy Death Squads of the Lord's Inquisition would not take kindly to my kind.