I think there were more Republicans objecting to Bush and the Patriot Act than Democrats denouncing the ACA as unconstitutional. While both parties silence their own critics.
Well, we do know that we are being monitored by the NSA which aligns with previous lessons learned from other communist nations. Why the painting may not be complete, it sure is starting to show the concept
-Geaux
If I read that correctly, then you are telling me that George W. Bush, Jr. was also a Communist, amirite? For the NSA and it's spying activities began during HIS administration.
Most on the partisan right have no problem with Republican presidents spying on Americans.
Clearly conservatives are either obvious to their hypocrisy or comfortable with it.
Yes and no.
1. First there were lots of Republicans who did publicly denounce the Patriot Act under Bush
as too far reaching for govt and unconstitutional on its face. If the party silenced this objection, then for you to join in the same act of excluding them to make your political argument is equally wrong; you cannot just blame the GOP for it while doing the same.
2. Secondly many would still trust the Republican leadership to limit executive power rather than Democrat leadership that has shown no respect for Constitutional checks to begin with. From my experience, I have more success getting conservatives to respect "prochoice" based on Constitutional arguments, than getting prochoice liberals to respect prochoice arguments against the ACA. This depends if people have a commitment to uphold Constitutional values themselves; if so, they more readily correct themselves, even if they make the same mistake as nonconstitutionalists, they are easier to hold to the laws.
3. Note: Democrats have the same problem. When John Cusack spoke out against govt spying and abuses, he basically yelled where are all the Democrats? And just got silence.
Both parties do this, but in general the Republicans and Libertarians are more committed to checking govt and their own candidates by the Constitution. While Democrats and liberals just use political power of voting and elections to put people in office to represent policy.
Even with "prochoice" and "pro gay" marriage, these arguments are not based on enforcing the Constitution for all people but just for pushing these agenda, even if it means excluding and discriminating against opposing views; so that is not Constitutional inclusion.
it is one thing to push for equal free choice, but they go too far and push for their choice instead of others, so these are not equally protected by law.
The Republicans and conservatives will similar push for "progun" and "prolife" agenda, but when called to check policies using the Constitution, they tend to respect that, since that is the same authority they are using to defend their side of these conflicts.
Where both parties fail to hold their own leaders accountable, that is where they become equally necessary to check each other. Ironically both see the other party as worse. Which tells me they are at least equal hypocrites, biased about self-reporting their own faults.
