Republicans wonder: Can we govern?

[mystery-ak]

Republicans wonder: Can we govern?
By Alexander Bolton and Scott Wong - 08/02/17 06:00 AM EDT

Republicans are questioning their ability to govern following seven months of constant turmoil capped by the dramatic failure in the Senate to advance ObamaCare repeal.

GOP lawmakers already face serious divisions over the two biggest items left on the agenda: raising the debt ceiling and reforming the tax code.

The problems underscore how moving on from healthcare won’t necessarily solve the GOP’s problems.

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http://thehill.com/homenews/house/344884-republicans-wonder-can-we-govern

[INVAR]

Obviously the answer is NO.   Republicans don't do shit but talk about being an opposition party to Statism while handing Socialism on a silver platter to the Democrats.

They are the Stupid Party for a reason.

Most of them are ideological Democrats with 'R's after their names.

Which explains why they can only 'govern' as second string obstructionists when Democrats are in charge or do nothings that spend like drunken sailors when they are at the helm.

[240B]

Republicans don't want to 'govern'. They are much more comfortable hiding under the skirt of Democrats and pretending to 'oppose' them.


They are scared of their own shadow, and they are deathly afraid of being 'liked' by the Democrats. They crave approval of the Democrats, while they disparage and insult their own base.


It's a strange situation. It is sort of like marrying a wife, who is secretly in love with the guy you are competing against. She kind of wants you to win, but she really supports him.

[Free Vulcan]

It's a mixed bag.

Many of the GOP controlled states are doing fine.

Trump is 50/50 right now, he's done some good exec orders and signed some minor legislation to roll back regs and spending, but he's not organized enough to take on Congress.

Congress mostly sucks right now, especially the Senate. The House at least can seem to pass bills, even if I don't like them.

They got all three branches, and it's their opportunity to waste till they lose one or more to the Dems. If they do, it's probably their last good chance.

[dfwgator]

"Republicans are the ones who say that 'Government doesn't work.'   Then they get elected and prove it." - P.J. O'Rourke

[Bigun]

I don't think it's a matter of CAN we govern but more one of WILL we govern!

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but enacting a transformational agenda with a mere two vote margin in the Senate is virtually impossible.

[aligncare]

The gang that couldn't shoot straight.

Mark Twain said “There is no distinctly native American criminal class except Congress.”

Nuff said.

[Free Vulcan]

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but enacting a transformational agenda with a mere two vote margin in the Senate is virtually impossible.

I tend to agree. When you got the gang we have in there now, it is going to be near impossible without someone playing hardball.

[Bigun]

I tend to agree. When you got the gang we have in there now, it is going to be near impossible without someone playing hardball.

That someone needs to be the POTUS!

[txradioguy]

Republicans wonder: Can we govern?

If you have to ask that question...

[Free Vulcan]

That someone needs to be the POTUS!

This is where I fault Trump. Him and his people need to be squeezing any way they can.

[Bigun]

This is where I fault Trump. Him and his people need to be squeezing any way they can.

  I've been on that like white on rice today!

[INVAR]

I tend to agree. When you got the gang we have in there now, it is going to be near impossible without someone playing hardball.

And, given the changes they have made to the rules to lock out the Grassroots - it is impossible to dislodge that gang and those who are groomed for the oligarchy.

[240B]

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but enacting a transformational agenda with a mere two vote margin in the Senate is virtually impossible.

Nope. It is no impossible in general. It is only impossible with Republicans. There are no turncoat Democrats. Democrats are all Democrats. Not so with Republicans.


We have discovered that 20% of politicians who run as Republicans, are really Democrat agents in the Republican Party. So, the only way to overcome the Democrats in Congress is to have more votes than the Democrats who call themselves Democrats combined with the Democrats who call themselves Republican.


In real-terms, Republicans have no majority at all, except on paper.

[skeeter]

This is where I fault Trump. Him and his people need to be squeezing any way they can.

All he has is the bully pulpit. He has GOT to maintain credibility with the public. If he's lost it he needs to get it back.

Then he needs to forget about being a 'team player' and just talk about Washington as if its one big self-interested hash, which it clearly is, and focus on those issues which in the public's mind  transcend party lines.

[Texas Yellow Rose]

We have discovered that 20% of politicians who run as Republicans, are really Democrat agents in the Republican Party. So, the only way to overcome the Democrats in Congress is to have more votes than the Democrats who call themselves Democrats combined with the Democrats who call themselves Republican.

In real-terms, Republicans have no majority at all, except on paper.

So .... there you have it!  We can't govern with Democrat agents in the Republican Party.  PERIOD.  It's the uneducated voters.  ...  the Sheeple  , if you will, as it always has been.

[Free Vulcan]

All he has is the bully pulpit. He has GOT to maintain credibility with the public. If he's lost it he needs to get it back.

Then he needs to forget about being a 'team player' and just talk about Washington as if its one big self-interested hash, which it clearly is, and focus on those issues which in the public's mind  transcend party lines.

He has that, but he has tools like ending the Congressional subsidy for Obamacare. I'm sure there are other ways to squeeze monetarily.

[240B]

Saying that 20% of Republicans are actually Democrats is tricky because the actual number of Republicans who vote Democrat is a fluid number depending on the number needed for the Dems to win the vote.

We have to start by acknowledging that the Democrats will always win in Congress. They always do. So, you take the number of Democrats and add to that whatever number of Republicans are needed. If the Dems need only a few votes, then only a few Republicans will support them. If the Democrats need a dozen votes, then miraculously a dozen Republicans will vote Democrat.

Most Republicans still want to pretend they are Republicans. So they only vote Democrat when they have to, in order for the Democrats to win. If the Dems can win without their vote, they will vote Republican to keep up appearances for the next election.

But ultimately, the Democrats will always win in Congress.

I don't know how many Republicans it would take to overcome this automatic bias. Certainly a one or two majority is not nearly enough. Maybe if there was only 10 Democrat Senators, maybe the Republicans would win? But I'm not even sure that would be enough. As much as the establishment GOPe hates Trump, even 10 Dem Senators with Republican help, may still be enough to win.

One thing we have learned for sure with the election of Trump, is that Congress is bullshit. Political Parties are all bullshit. It is all a pre-negotiated, carefully planned show for the idiots (you and me) who can be fooled with smoke and mirrors and kabuki theater. The Republicans have no intention of doing anything. They are just killing time until the next election when they can put the Democrats back in charge to take the pressure off themselves.

[INVAR]

In real-terms, Republicans have no majority at all, except on paper.

I have actually accepted the fact that Conservatives and Conservative thinking in America is a shrinking minority belief and opinion.

Fifty-plus years of Liberal/Socialist indoctrination from schools and our entertainment have brainwashed the native population into abject ignorance of their heritage and history.

The leaders of the Republican party have mandated the acceptance of Statism and Collectivism.

When you have "Conservatives" preaching the need to abandon principles for pragmatism, argue for ObamaCare and government regulation - the cause for limited government and personal liberty is over as a movement.  Not only because the corrupted leadership abhors the people exercising liberty, but because their constituency abhors it also.

This people do not want liberty. They think they do, they pay lip service to the word.  But they do not want liberty.  They want freedom. 

They want the freedom to do whatever they feel like without responsibility and at someone else's expense.  They want a monarch or a dictator to give them sustenance from other people's stuff and impose payback and punishment on those groups they loathe and envy.  The bulk of what passed for Republicans are throwing up their hands and giving up standing against the tide and figure they can profit from going with the flow of Socialism.

A Constitutional free society cannot exist in such an atmosphere.

[dfwgator]

I have actually accepted the fact that Conservatives and Conservative thinking in America is a shrinking minority belief and opinion.
 

The problem is, even when Conservatives win, it's only temporary.   Once an Entitlement is in place, it NEVER goes away.

[Bigun]

The problem is, even when Conservatives win, it's only temporary.   Once an Entitlement is in place, it NEVER goes away.

Perhaps because no one has ever actually tried to take one away!

[Maj. Bill Martin]

So .... there you have it!  We can't govern with Democrat agents in the Republican Party.  PERIOD.  It's the uneducated voters.  ...  the Sheeple  , if you will, as it always has been.

Yes, we can govern with Democratic agents in the GOP.  We just have to have enough that aren't to give us a working majority.

Reagan did all that he did despite never having control of the House.  The difference was that back then, there were enough moderate/conservative Democrats willing to side with him to create a working majority.   The number of Democrats willing to work for conservative issues now is tiny.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Perhaps because no one has ever actually tried to take one away!

Actually, that's exactly what the AHCA did.  It converted the ObamaCare subsidy entitlements to a block grant that would be reduced over time.  That was the best thing about that entire bill, but it simply couldn't get the votes in the Senate.

Couldn't have gotten the votes even in here, for that matter.

[Emjay]

It's a mixed bag.

Many of the GOP controlled states are doing fine.

Trump is 50/50 right now, he's done some good exec orders and signed some minor legislation to roll back regs and spending, but he's not organized enough to take on Congress.

Congress mostly sucks right now, especially the Senate. The House at least can seem to pass bills, even if I don't like them.

They got all three branches, and it's their opportunity to waste till they lose one or more to the Dems. If they do, it's probably their last good chance.

Good post.  When you compare Republican run and governed states to what's happening in liberal run states, you see an excellent case for Republican leadership.  On the whole, those states are much better off.

As for Congress, it's a mystery because the people have somehow managed to elect Senators and Representatives that cannot be trusted to be conservative.