General Discussion

Tom Rinaldo

(23,187 posts)

52. Robert Gates, sort of

Wed Dec 4, 2013, 09:25 AM

Dec 2013

He's a Republican, and George W. Bush picked him to run the Defense Department to replace Rumsfeld. Obama kept him in his cabinet when he was elected in 2008. Gates is a real patriot in that he clearly puts service to his nation over partisan politics. He also restored a measure of sanity to our foreign policy after the neo-cons had run away with it with schemes of conquest. Gates was a brake on Cheney wanting to go to war with Iran for example.

There have been plenty of decent, even good Republicans who have held elected office. Honorable people even when I often disagreed with them. The hard part is coming up with any who are still alive and holding important positions in government. I always used to name Pete McCloskey as my favorite living Republicans. He was a Republican Congressman from California who ran against Richard Nixon for the 1972 Republican Presidential nomination on an anti-war platform. I still respect the hell out of that guy, but he switched to being a Democrat in 2007.

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Are there any Republicans that you like? [View all] Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 OP

Lincoln Glassunion Dec 2013 #1

Another vote for Lincoln Chafee Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #2

The ones who lose in November Blanket Statements Dec 2013 #3

Huntsman seemed like a reasonable person. Laurian Dec 2013 #4

Only dead ones.* CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2013 #5

I'm with you. Only dead ones. pangaia Dec 2013 #8

Exactly! CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2013 #9

Yup......... Historic NY Dec 2013 #18

Personally, I was thinking BlueToTheBone Dec 2013 #11

Dearest Peg... You don't have any living Family members or Friends whose affiliation you'd cherokeeprogressive Dec 2013 #35

I wrote that because it was the first thing to pop into my head... CaliforniaPeggy Dec 2013 #36

Understood. n/t cherokeeprogressive Dec 2013 #37

Lincoln Chafee DisgustipatedinCA Dec 2013 #6

Lincoln Chafee isn't a Republican Proud Public Servant Dec 2013 #7

I should have mentioned that in the OP Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #49

I liked Olympia Snowe. LumosMaxima Dec 2013 #10

I had a neighbor named Susan who was a Republican town councilperson. She was nice. TeamPooka Dec 2013 #12

Dwight D. Eisenhower (nt) Nye Bevan Dec 2013 #13

Ike said that appointing Earl Warren, to the Supreme Court, was the worst mistake he ever made. demosincebirth Dec 2013 #32

Funny you should mention Huntsman, yea, I really liked him quinnox Dec 2013 #14

I am also reading Double Down tabbycat31 Dec 2013 #15

Do you like the book? Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #48

So far I do tabbycat31 Dec 2013 #71

Deceased ones hobbit709 Dec 2013 #16

Yes, but not because they are dead HereSince1628 Dec 2013 #20

Sure hootinholler Dec 2013 #17

My brother Agnosticsherbet Dec 2013 #19

Robert G. Ingersoll RC Dec 2013 #21

no Skittles Dec 2013 #22

Gerald Ford northoftheborder Dec 2013 #23

I'll have to keep an eye out for the documentaries Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #47

Nope ismnotwasm Dec 2013 #24

My wife. Aristus Dec 2013 #25

My husband too. Still a registered Republican but hasn't voted that way for years mountain grammy Dec 2013 #61

I can't think of one national Republican at this time Blue_In_AK Dec 2013 #26

There were those comedians... discntnt_irny_srcsm Dec 2013 #27

I was gonna say... Whiskeytide Dec 2013 #70

He's funny discntnt_irny_srcsm Dec 2013 #74

Ron Unz, Republican former candidate for Governor of CA Dems to Win Dec 2013 #28

He's right Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #46

Dan Evans n/t lumberjack_jeff Dec 2013 #29

Bob Ney former Ohio Congressman involved in the doc03 Dec 2013 #30

I only like the ones that watch porn. BainsBane Dec 2013 #31

A realtor friend I see every couple of months Iwillnevergiveup Dec 2013 #33

I like Charlie Christ BlueJazz Dec 2013 #34

I never knew Jesus had a brother named Charlie. Ikonoklast Dec 2013 #54

Well, let's see... There's Everett Dirksen, Art_from_Ark Dec 2013 #38

Olympia Snowe Lucinda Dec 2013 #39

I got a few: AverageJoe90 Dec 2013 #40

Robert Gates, sort of Tom Rinaldo Dec 2013 #52

William Milliken MrScorpio Dec 2013 #41

I hate them all! Republicans are crooks and only care B Calm Dec 2013 #42

Jim Jeffords. Savannahmann Dec 2013 #43

Good choice Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #45

Not any Republicans elected to office. nt CorrectOfCenter Dec 2013 #44

Lincoln, Frederick Douglass Puzzledtraveller Dec 2013 #50

I liked Ben Westlund when he was alive. LWolf Dec 2013 #51

No politicians that are alive now, only a few of my relatives and Raine Dec 2013 #53

A few, but they're long retired or dead; Connie Morella, Mac Mathias, Gilbert Gude Burma Jones Dec 2013 #55

No rock Dec 2013 #56

No. Puglover Dec 2013 #57

I kinda liked Bette Ford back in the day. charmay Dec 2013 #58

No, the House Rethuglicans have become a joke. Major Hogwash Dec 2013 #59

The ones who never vote as a block to bring the country down... Iggo Dec 2013 #60

My husband's family, but they're family.. mountain grammy Dec 2013 #62

not alive today rurallib Dec 2013 #63

Chafee is a Democrat. PeteSelman Dec 2013 #64

I should have mentioned that in the OP Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #65

I love my Grandma and she is a Republican Bjorn Against Dec 2013 #66

Colin Powell northoftheborder Dec 2013 #67

A few personal friends/relatives treestar Dec 2013 #68

My husband. Seeking Serenity Dec 2013 #69

Not any more. (nt) Paladin Dec 2013 #72

None in office. Orsino Dec 2013 #73