Jon Gansen said:
For all that you have said, if you change tea party to occupy wall street crowd and Glenn Beck to Al Gore and global warming it completely reverses to the left.
You're absolutely correct. You get no argument from me.
Trust in the middle. The fringe right and left will burn you every time. They're reactionary and as a result, largely not well thought out..but that's part and parcel of being on the fringe. You have wild ideas based either on idealism or some historic precedent that doesn't apply in the same way anymore and that, in the end, few people truly share. They live and die by them (figuratively). I see the tea party and the occupy people struggling with the same fundamentals. People just don't trust their motives or long-term plans.
The UN needs to exist. As Brian said, it's pretty ineffective the way it functions now. It needs to get better at what it tries to do -- which, in my opinion is to defend human rights and protect people who's countries have completely failed them and are now either killing them, or allowing ethnic cleansing (same thing).
After the sting wears off, watch how Chris Christie handles himself for the next four years. He's doing it right -- gaining trust and convincing people that although government isn't the answer to all their problems, they have a responsibility to help in times of trouble when there is no other help around. That's the compassionate conservatism people want. He's got it wired The social liberal/fiscal conservative. Stay out of people's bedrooms, neighborhoods, and hospital rooms unless they ask you to be there. And when they do ask you to be there, be there with a smile. That's what he's doing as a Republican and THAT will be remembered. That's the winning ticket in 2016 and beyond whoever taps into it.