Will Americans ever get sick of the Founding Fathers?

[Darth Wong]

You know, it occurs to me that not a day goes by when some prominent person in American politics does not appeal to the inerrant wisdom of the Founding Fathers in order to:

1. Prove his position
2. Disprove the other guy's position
3. Show us how we should all live
4. Remind us of how much better we could be
5. Talk about the good old days

Isn't anyone else getting sick of this? Dennis Miller bitches about this too.

[Sea Skimmer]

I've been sick of it for about five years now, which interestingly corresponds to about the length of my serious interest in politics.

[BlkbrryTheGreat]

I doubt Americans are getting as sick of t he founding fathers as they are getting sick of politicans CONSTANTLY saying, often baselessly, that they would support their current position.

[Glocksman]

You know, it occurs to me that not a day goes by when some prominent person in American politics does not appeal to the inerrant wisdom of the Founding Fathers in order to:

1. Prove his position
2. Disprove the other guy's position
3. Show us how we should all live
4. Remind us of how much better we could be
5. Talk about the good old days

Isn't anyone else getting sick of this? Dennis Miller bitches about this too.

It's overdone and in a lot of instances is nothing more than an 'appeal to authority' fallacy, but there are good reasons to refer to the Founding Fathers in certain instances, such as debates over the meaning of a provision of the Constitution.

Certainly the written opinions of the authors of the Constitution and records of the ratfication debates has more weight when interpreting a constitutional provision than an opinion from Joe Blow, assistant dogcatcher for East Podunk, Maryland.

[Hamel]

You know, it occurs to me that not a day goes by when some prominent person in American politics does not appeal to the inerrant wisdom of the Founding Fathers in order to:

1. Prove his position
2. Disprove the other guy's position
3. Show us how we should all live
4. Remind us of how much better we could be
5. Talk about the good old days

Isn't anyone else getting sick of this? Dennis Miller bitches about this too.

Well, repeated appeals to original intent is a bad idea, because:

The founding fathers hardly ever agreed on a single thing, let alone whatever pet issue someone usually brings up.

and

The constitution and bill of rights were compromises amongst the founders, again with few of them agreeing wholeheartedly on any particular part.

[Hotfoot]

You know, it occurs to me that not a day goes by when some prominent person in American politics does not appeal to the inerrant wisdom of the Founding Fathers in order to:
Prove his position

Why try to formulate your own argument? Just use famous sayings by people who are more well respected than you to make it seem like they would agree with you. If George Washington would agree with you, shouldn't the average, All-American voter?

Disprove the other guy's position

Second verse, same as the first, put it to a mirror and sing it in reverse.

Show us how we should all live

Third verse, same as before, still stinks like shit but now there's more.

Remind us of how much better we could be

Well I dare say that in many respects we are a damn sight better than the founding fathers, but hey.

Talk about the good old days

Fucking Nostalgia. Good old days my ass...

Isn't anyone else getting sick of this? Dennis Miller bitches about this too.

The people who are getting sick of it enough to give a shit come voting time tend to be beyond one standard deviation of the "average" voter, and only in one direction. Needless to say, there's little need to pander to this minority group, as they do not control a significant number of votes in any one area.

[The Duchess of Zeon]

You know, it occurs to me that not a day goes by when some prominent person in American politics does not appeal to the inerrant wisdom of the Founding Fathers in order to:

1. Prove his position
2. Disprove the other guy's position
3. Show us how we should all live
4. Remind us of how much better we could be
5. Talk about the good old days

Isn't anyone else getting sick of this? Dennis Miller bitches about this too.

It will occur as long as the constitution is the Law of the land; and as long as law uses precedent in its rulings. Referring to how long law has been doing that... *crooked grin*

[Gandalf]

You know, it occurs to me that not a day goes by when some prominent person in American politics does not appeal to the inerrant wisdom of the Founding Fathers in order to:
Prove his position

Why try to formulate your own argument? Just use famous sayings by people who are more well respected than you to make it seem like they would agree with you. If George Washington would agree with you, shouldn't the average, All-American voter?

This reminds me a great deal of Eddie Murphy's speech when he becomes a senator in Distinguished Gentleman, all he does is quote phrases. The only ones I can remember are:

"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
"Ask no what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

[kojikun]

I love the founding fathers, I hate politicians today. I idolize those guys back then, they knew how to set up a proper free state.

[Knife]

You know, it occurs to me that not a day goes by when some prominent person in American politics does not appeal to the inerrant wisdom of the Founding Fathers in order to:

1. Prove his position
2. Disprove the other guy's position
3. Show us how we should all live
4. Remind us of how much better we could be
5. Talk about the good old days

Isn't anyone else getting sick of this? Dennis Miller bitches about this too.

Yup. Its right up there with 'save the children'. I think they get away with quoting the Founding Fathers because quoting them saves the children.

[Bertie Wooster]

referrring to the "Founding Fathers" to bolster ones position is an attempt at cheaply bought validation.

Also, the FF are not some monolithic entity but get alluded to as one. Hancock was a smuggling baron, and Hamilton and Jefferson had two totally opposing views as to the best form of government.

[Tribun]

If you want to see one of the most dangerous manifestations of the founding fathers myth, then look at this site:

http:// members.tripod.com/~jefferson100/main/frontpage.html
(eliminate the space to see the site)

This is a bunch of ultra-conservative WASPs who, of course, base all thier claims on the oh-so-unfailaible founding fathers. Needless to say, that thier views are really sick.

[Vympel]

Yup. Its right up there with 'save the children'. I think they get away with quoting the Founding Fathers because quoting them saves the children.

Don't you mean "for the children ... do it for the children ... what about the children?"

Fuck the children.

Bill Maher and/or George Carlin. Probably both.

[Knife]

Yup. Its right up there with 'save the children'. I think they get away with quoting the Founding Fathers because quoting them saves the children.

Don't you mean "for the children ... do it for the children ... what about the children?"

Fuck the children.

Bill Maher and/or George Carlin. Probably both.

Pedophille.

Yeah, its the same mind set, I think.

[Gandalf]

Yup. Its right up there with 'save the children'. I think they get away with quoting the Founding Fathers because quoting them saves the children.

Don't you mean "for the children ... do it for the children ... what about the children?"

Fuck the children.

Bill Maher and/or George Carlin. Probably both.

George Carlin has done it. I have the MP3.

"Something I'm getting tired of is all this bullshit we have to listen to about children. It's all you hear in this country, Feed the children, what about the children, save the children. You know what I say? Fuck the children."

My favorite quote from that show:

"They say 3/4 people now believe in angels, what are you fucking stupid!?"

[HemlockGrey]

Of course, the Founding Fathers are basically the closest thing we have to legend.

[HemlockGrey]

I just realized that post is ironic given how often their positions are distorted and mutiliated, they might as well be legends.

[Raptor 597]

Pat Robinson seems to think it was fine. You keep hearing homosexual and George Washington in the same sentence, and lose your losing your attention you'll think George had a thing for his troops. Haha

[The Yosemite Bear]

I hate the way people keep using something to justify their positions, and rarely even know what they were talking about.

[Asst. Asst. Lt. Cmdr. Smi]

"If George Washington was alive today, he'd want you to have sex with me."

That's perhaps the only think you can't appeal to the Founding Fathers for: A pick-up line.

[Uraniun235]

I'm going to try that someday for shits and giggles.