Can I like Buddy Roemer?

[JackintheGreen]

I just saw him on Lawrence and golly he was making sense. Can I respect him for talking sense or do I have to hate him because he's an (R)? What are the skeletons in his closet?

[rurallib]

1. Do what ever you wish. I listened to a bit and thought he sounds good

but if I have learned one very hard lesson on most repubs and way too many Dems is that what they say means nothing.
So with Roemer I'd believe it when I see it, but I do not want to see it based on his party's record while governing.

[loyalsister]

2. I think he's awesome

I'm sure I disagree with almost everything except for what he is currently selling. He has honest ethics when it comes to politics.
He speaks the truth about special interests. And, he walks the the talk. I just wish we could hear more from him in debates.
I wouldn't want him to get elected, but his voice is tremendously valuable right now.

[shireen]

3. can't believe people are unrec'ing this OP

I like Roemer too. Don't agree with much of his politics, but he's otherwise a sincere person, a rarity in politics.

[iris27]

4. He used to be a Dem; switched (I'm guessing) in hopes of getting re-elected as governor back in '91.

He has only ever successfully held office as a Democrat. So far I have only heard him talk about money in politics, and I agree with him there. However, here's the "Issues" page of his website: http://www.buddyroemer.com/issues/

Some of the highlights:
- wants to repeal the healthcare law
- makes noise about "fairer, flatter, more broad-based" taxes (all RW buzzwords for regressive taxation)
- "domestic production" is the first answer on his list for "energy independence"

No need to hate him, and clearly he's the least insane of the Republicans' current crop. But many of his positions are the standard terrible RW talking points.

[KamaAina]

5. Of course he's for "domestic production". He's from Louisiana.

Where most pols, of both parties, are wholly owned subsidiaries of Big Oil.

[RB TexLa]

8. People who don't work to keep their constituents jobs going don't get reelected.

Are all the politicians from Michigan "wholly owned subsidiaries of Big Auto"?

People usually defend the industries that employ the people who elect them.

[KamaAina]

9. Indeed they are.

Which is why we can never get CAFE fuel mileage standards done, because both Levin and Stabenow oppose it.

Note that repukes always vote the party line, no matter how bad it may be for their state.

[RB TexLa]

6. I'll never understand Buddy Roemer. He grew up in the Edwin Edwards governor's mansion

he knows how to get things done. His dad was Edwin's chief of staff. But Buddy wanted to be all high and mighty and not play politics with jobs and state contracts. So the people who could actually get things done were shut out for four years. He was so high on ethics that he didn't understand that Louisiana can't afford Good government.

When you know how to get things done and you refuse you are showing that you don't care.

[cloudbase]

7. Old Nutty Buddy. n/t