Liberal Democrats - Whats everyones problem with them?

Pada · Post by **Pada** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:00 pm

They seem perfect to me.

Anti; War, Nani State.

Pro; Equality, Cannabis, Free Higher Education.

Ok they aren't the strongest organisation, but if they won an election people would jump on the bandwagon

thomas · Post by **thomas** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:08 pm

They tend to get dragged in when the two big partys fuck up, pretty ironic when most people decribe them as "a wasted vote".

Any party to the centre left/left suits me, horrible to see a big increase in right wing partys around europe.

hurlingdervish · Post by **hurlingdervish** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:08 pm

one mentality ill never understand:

people who think its ok to spend trillions of dollars to kill people they've never met.

but wont let the president spend a fraction of that to help people. (unless its the whole gm thing in which case i say let em die)

i say deport republicans to texas and put up the borders around it they love so much. it really is an archaic belief system that they uphold

xarcane · Post by **xarcane** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:11 pm

I don't understand that either. I wanted to make the exact same topic a couple days ago but thought fuck it. People always seem to dismiss them out of hand for some reason, but never explain it.

kins83 · Post by **kins83** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:15 pm

XArcane wrote:I don't understand that either. I wanted to make the exact same topic a couple days ago but thought fuck it. People always seem to dismiss them out of hand for some reason, but never explain it.

I think that's the problem....

I always considered them to be dreamers and to be a wasted vote, and that may have been the case in the past. However, nowadays, their policies (like the ones the OP mentioned) do make a lot of sense.

I think it's probably a bit like when Skoda was first bought by VW and started releasing good cars. No one bought them cos they were Skodas and it took a while for them to be considered as the good cars they were. I think a similar problem exists, for the Lib Dems.

Although I may be chatting absolute breeze.

hurlingdervish · Post by **hurlingdervish** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:22 pm

ive never met a republican that wasnt a rascist or homophobe, or simply said "i dont care about politics"

well if you dont care about politics, then why are you ignorant enough to place yourself in a party without ANY knowledge.

we could, you know, forgot about the topic.. but then you have guys like the dude who killed the abortion clinic doctor in church, because he thought it was right. hes getting fan mail by the way, and im sure you could get average everyday people to admit they thought he was doing gods work if you knew how to talk to them

this party rift is only going to get worse in america anyway

did · Post by **did** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 5:37 pm

the only decent local MP around me is a lib dem and he's a seriously good guy. really looks after people instead of just pestering them for their vote. lib dem sound good to me atm

kay · Post by **kay** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:02 pm

I've never managed to work out why people didn't vote for them either, apart maybe from the fact that it's pretty much blue sky thinking and probably would never win.

Oh and probably higher taxes too. But at least they'd (probably) be more likely to spend it on stuff that actually benefits people.

unlikely · Post by **unlikely** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 6:24 pm

i think some americans are on crossed lines in this thread, refers to uk party the Liberal Democrats as opposed to democrats who are liberal, was well confused for a bit

missedthebus · Post by **missedthebus** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:59 pm

the electoral system:
for a start doesnt in any way help them as they are the third party, at least in GE anyway. Proportional Representation or AV+ would solve the situation in the sense that actual votes would be translated truly across the board and so removing the majoritarian system that is in place at the moment. But then critics argue that this could lead to 'hung' parliaments etc etc.

Many people dont vote lib dem because of their policy - eg 50% tax on £100k+ earners.

Many dont vote lib dem because of the social disposition, class, political belief, whatever.

jsilver · Post by **jsilver** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:22 pm

atleast you don't have mormon stnuc harassing you on 2,000 dollar mountain bikes wanting to talk about god and asking you whats wrong and if they can be of assistance

Pistonsbeneath · Post by **Pistonsbeneath** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:26 pm

they often seem good then say something so ridiculously lefty-wishy washy that i can't bring myself to give them my vote

their views on single mothers for example.....way too far the other way...as in the opposite of thatcher in the 80s

xarcane · Post by **xarcane** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:47 pm

Piston wrote:they often seem good then say something so ridiculously lefty-wishy washy that i can't bring myself to give them my vote

their views on single mothers for example.....way too far the other way...as in the opposite of thatcher in the 80s

This is the kind of vaguery I'm on about. What's their single mums view and whats so bad about it?

Pistonsbeneath · Post by **Pistonsbeneath** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:08 pm

XArcane wrote:
Piston wrote:they often seem good then say something so ridiculously lefty-wishy washy that i can't bring myself to give them my vote

their views on single mothers for example.....way too far the other way...as in the opposite of thatcher in the 80s
This is the kind of vaguery I'm on about. What's their single mums view and whats so bad about it?

im just refering to things one of them said during an election campaign..i doubt its the overall party policy

end of the day saying how youre going to give more to single mothers seems madness to me when the system is ridiculous right now to the point where i have single mother friends that dont work as theyd have less money

Whistla · Post by **Whistla** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 1:07 pm

missedthebus wrote:the electoral system:
for a start doesnt in any way help them as they are the third party, at least in GE anyway. Proportional Representation or AV+ would solve the situation in the sense that actual votes would be translated truly across the board and so removing the majoritarian system that is in place at the moment. But then critics argue that this could lead to 'hung' parliaments etc etc.

Many people dont vote lib dem because of their policy - eg 50% tax on £100k+ earners.

Many dont vote lib dem because of the social disposition, class, political belief, whatever.

this is basically the answer.
and the main stumbling blocks are the 50% tax on high earners and the "hung parliament" thing.
to me the hung parliament would be a great thing! as everything would need debate and discussion, rather than party politics ruling the day everyday.
i dont earn over 100k (i wish!) but i can see that if you did, it would seriously put you off.
and yeh there weed policy is by far and away the best of all the parties

magma · Post by **magma** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 1:16 pm

missedthebus wrote:Many people dont vote lib dem because of their policy - eg 50% tax on £100k+ earners.

Darling at least made some headway with that at the last budget, it might not be as pie in the sky as we'd think. The majority of the middle classes supported him too, so perhaps a lowering to 100k isn't too pie in the sky.

When polled before the last General Election, it turned out that if the people who don't vote for the Liberal Democrats because they see it as a "wasted vote" actually voted for them, they would've been elected.

Silly state of affairs. Bring on some kind of new system because this one can't be right....

Whistla · Post by **Whistla** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 1:20 pm

i think (or rather hope) that if the uk had a groundswell movement of people wanting (AND VOTING, thats most important) for change, much like america just did. then the lib dems would have to be the only option for everyone.
it would deffo be change that none of us has ever witnessed b4.
im old enuff to remember how thatcher brought the country to its knees and almost started a civil war. the tories cannot be allowed to get back in!

dubluke · Post by **dubluke** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 1:28 pm

DID wrote:the only decent local MP around me is a lib dem and he's a seriously good guy. really looks after people instead of just pestering them for their vote.

same here!! my local MP is simon hughes and he's a don, turned a former BNP stronghold into a fairly nice area, takes a genuine and personal interest in local politics and the community, actually talks to the voters to find out what they want, regularly rather than when forced to during an MP's surgery, nice touches as well such as attending the funeral of a little old lady who lived across my street, as she played a big part of the local community, lives a very modest life as well, lives in a council flat just off the old kent road, none of this claiming loads of money for a lavish home bollocks!!! lib dems are alright in my book, did some work experience for them as well so spent a good two weeks at the house of commons working with them and i think they do a banging job, most honest of the larger parties IMO

T_macabre · Post by **T_macabre** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 2:57 pm

Lib Dem FTW at the mo!

pidge · Post by **pidge** » Wed Jun 10, 2009 3:47 pm

Bristol has been Lib Dem for past couple of elections. S'all good out West.

Liberal Democrats - Whats everyones problem with them?

Liberal Democrats - Whats everyones problem with them?

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