The Briefing Room
General Category => Politics/Government => Topic started by: mystery-ak on September 19, 2014, 03:57:50 pm
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http://washingtonexaminer.com/gop-heads-into-midterms-without-detailed-conservative-manifesto/article/2553651 (http://washingtonexaminer.com/gop-heads-into-midterms-without-detailed-conservative-manifesto/article/2553651)
GOP heads into midterms without detailed conservative manifesto
BY JOSEPH LAWLER | SEPTEMBER 19, 2014 | 5:02 AM
Republicans are hoping for another midterm election victory, but are going into November without the ambitious, detailed agenda that some on the Right would like to see.
Unlike when the Tea Party-boosted GOP retook the House of Representatives in 2012, or in the 1994 Gingrich Revolution, Republicans are not offering a Pledge to America or Contract with America, even though they are generally expected to expand their edge in the House and gain a narrow majority in the Senate.
House Speaker John Boehner released a five-point economic plan Thursday that outlined general areas of reform, including cutting spending and reforming taxes. The agenda, however, did not include the detailed legislative proposals that were included in the Pledge to America four years ago.
“It looks more like a campaign issue page than a legislative agenda,” said Jacqueline Bodnar, a representative for the small-government group Freedomworks.
Former Speaker Newt Gingrich warned Wednesday that “the fact that we do not have positive themes and positive issues is going to cost us seats this fall because moderates and independents aren’t going to turn out. It’s an enormous mistake,” according to National Review.
Gingrich praised Boehner’s five points as “very, very good,” but warned that Republican candidates had to embrace a proactive agenda. “You just have to sound like you’re more than anti-Obama and you’re more than some pathetically narrow, negative politician whose primary role in life is to raise money for your consultant to buy attack ads,” he said.
Dan Holler, a spokesman for the conservative action group Heritage Action, told the Washington Examiner that “the Republican Party needs to inspire Americans and give them a reason to be excited.” Holler added that “the speaker missed a huge opportunity to take on the cronyism and corporate welfare inherent in Freddie and Fannie, for example, even though a bill to end the institutions has passed out of committee," a reference to the bailed-out government-sponsored mortgage enterprises Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
By not committing to specific legislative plans, Republicans are less likely to pass legislation under a Democratic president, argued the libertarian Cato Institute’s director of tax policy studies Chris Edwards.
Edwards cited the 1996 welfare reform, signed into law by President Clinton after being passed by a GOP Congress, and the 1986 tax code overhaul as legislative achievements that were only enacted because they were demanded on the campaign trail.
“If [Boehner] really wants to change Washington, then yes, he absolutely he should come out with a detailed plan. If he just wants to win elections, then no,” Edwards said.
For his part, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has listed several smaller items the GOP would pursue if it wins in November, including changing the definition of full-time work included in Obamacare and repealing the medical device tax, as well as approving the Keystone XL pipeline.
But a larger program such as the Pledge to America is missing. In part, that might be because some of the grassroots pressure from the Tea Party is also missing, as President Obama enters the last two years of his second term.
In 2010, Bodnar noted, Tea Party activists conducted a large online vote to establish a Contract from America to complement the official GOP document and advance their own agenda.
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The plan is simple... Hey, vote for me, I'm NOT A DEMOCRAT. :thud:
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The sole purpose of the Republican Party is to serve as an ineffective alternative to the Democrat Party.
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"Unlike when the Tea Party-boosted GOP retook the House of Representatives in 2012, or in the 1994 Gingrich Revolution, Republicans are not ...."
Another article critical of the GOP, by an author and editor that can't get simple recent history correct !!!
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The sole purpose of the Republican Party is to serve as an ineffective alternative to the Democrat Party.
Hey, you beat me to it. Your quote was the first thing that came to mind.
The GOP has no direction and actually, no meaningful purpose.
They just funded our enemies in Syria. What a great party, working hand in hand with dims.
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Hey, you beat me to it. Your quote was the first thing that came to mind.
The GOP has no direction and actually, no meaningful purpose.
They just funded our enemies in Syria. What a great party, working hand in hand with dims.
It just becomes more and more obvious. They aren't 'stupid', this is being done deliberately...
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The plan is simple... Hey, vote for me, I'm NOT A DEMOCRAT. :thud:
This year that might not be a bad strategy. :pondering:
But back to reality. If Boehner and Portman can get together and merge their plans, it would make a good basis for any of the Republican campaigns. Portman's is a little more energetic if not a tad unlikely with such goals as replacing Obamacare. But Both have some positive goals that voters can link on to. As for the tea party groups, I think as a caucus they can come up with more detailed goals, pledges, etc. if they want. The main thing is to have some positive goals that will address the issues the Dems will go after...including immigration reform.
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This year that might not be a bad strategy. :pondering:
But back to reality. If Boehner and Portman can get together and merge their plans, it would make a good basis for any of the Republican campaigns. Portman's is a little more energetic if not a tad unlikely with such goals as replacing Obamacare. But Both have some positive goals that voters can link on to. As for the tea party groups, I think as a caucus they can come up with more detailed goals, pledges, etc. if they want. The main thing is to have some positive goals that will address the issues the Dems will go after...including immigration reform.
It's a terrible strategy. The circumstances for Republicans are dire, and not getting better. The public has been dumbed down, and groomed to accept socialism, even communism. The prevailing culture has demonized Republicans to the extent that when you say Republican, most people roll their eyes like they stepped in a turd. Couple that with past Republican failures, and you have a party that looks ready to become permanent back benchers.
A plan, a vision, a direction. Give the people a reason to vote for you. Immigration reform? If you must, the laws on the books are sufficient, but if you must "reform", CLOSE THE BORDER while you're at it. I remember the immigration head fake in the Reagan years.
Obamacare is the law, it's not going away, and most people in my neck of the woods, while concerned, seem to want it. Instead of saying kill it, say reform it. If immigration reform is good, how can obamacare reform be bad?
Alas, the Republicans seem to be adhering to GourmetDan's characterization of them.
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It's a terrible strategy.
I was being facetious, if you're referring to saying "I'm not a Democrat"
The circumstances for Republicans are dire, and not getting better. The public has been dumbed down, and groomed to accept socialism, even communism. The prevailing culture has demonized Republicans to the extent that when you say Republican, most people roll their eyes like they stepped in a turd. Couple that with past Republican failures, and you have a party that looks ready to become permanent back benchers.
A plan, a vision, a direction. Give the people a reason to vote for you. Immigration reform? If you must, the laws on the books are sufficient, but if you must "reform", CLOSE THE BORDER while you're at it. I remember the immigration head fake in the Reagan years.
Obamacare is the law, it's not going away, and most people in my neck of the woods, while concerned, seem to want it. Instead of saying kill it, say reform it. If immigration reform is good, how can obamacare reform be bad?
The point is to take what Boehner from the House and your boy Portman from the Senate who has put out plans and work them together; most of it is positive. Let the candidates use it as they need given their constituencies. Those will be the visions. But leave the details and pledges for others. As you say, give the people a reason to vote for you. Balancing the budget, tax reform, immigration reform, regulatory reform are some of those issues.
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Back in the days of Newt, he had a Contract with America. Why not some thing as simple as that?
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Back in the days of Newt, he had a Contract with America. Why not some thing as simple as that?
Simple... because they aren't trying to win...
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I disagree with the need for a detailed manifesto right now. A few bullet points are more than enough.
It's state races, not national ones. Concentrate on the interests of the state you are going to represent, and the concerns of the people you are going to work for.
One thing MP and local candidates do here is town hall style meetings - but they don't give speeches. They take questions and concerns at random, literally by pulling numbers from a hat.
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Simple... because they aren't trying to win...
What do you think they should do?
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I disagree with the need for a detailed manifesto right now. A few bullet points are more than enough.
It's state races, not national ones. Concentrate on the interests of the state you are going to represent, and the concerns of the people you are going to work for.
One thing MP and local candidates do here is town hall style meetings - but they don't give speeches. They take questions and concerns at random, literally by pulling numbers from a hat.
That's reasonable. But how about some bullet points that they'll stick to?
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I don't need a conservative manifesto. Just being opposed to the rats is good enough for me. Others, who are not Republicans and have not been Republicans for many years, will disagree. I will give their opinion as much value as their shrilled shriek of "NOT ONE MORE DIME RNC!"
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evadR2 wrote above:
[[ The GOP has no direction and actually, no meaningful purpose...]]
Old song lyrics (by Don Reno):
"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything..."
I'd like to go on record (and you can call me on it the Wednesday after Election Day if you wish) with this:
The Republicans aren't going to do as well as they think they are, this time around.
If that happens, watch them head for an even greater fall in 2016.
The country is changing.
The votes just aren't there for them, the way they once were.
And they won't do anything to go after the votes that could make a difference for them (the "white votes").
Too bad...
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evadR2 wrote above:
[[ The GOP has no direction and actually, no meaningful purpose...]]
Old song lyrics (by Don Reno):
"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything..."
I'd like to go on record (and you can call me on it the Wednesday after Election Day if you wish) with this:
The Republicans aren't going to do as well as they think they are, this time around.
If that happens, watch them head for an even greater fall in 2016.
The country is changing.
The votes just aren't there for them, the way they once were.
And they won't do anything to go after the votes that could make a difference for them (the "white votes").
Too bad...
The "white votes" are a shrinking demographic, and there are some white voters who are too stupid to vote GOP. As it is, the GOP owns the white vote.
http://www.rove.com/articles/480
More White Votes Alone Won't Save the GOP
Some observers, including Phyllis Schlafly, Pat Buchanan and the Center for Immigration Studies, argue that if Republicans want to win back the White House, they should focus on white voters (who comprised 72% of the electorate in 2012) rather than worrying about Latinos. After all, new Census Bureau estimates are that 100,042,000 whites voted in 2008 but only 98,041,000 did in 2012. Wouldn't it be better to get those two million whites back into the polling booth?
This argument is incomplete. If as many white voters turned out in 2012 as in 2008—and if Mitt Romney received the 59% of them that he got last fall—then his vote total would have increased by 1,180,590. But President Obama's vote total would have increased by 780,390, and Mr. Romney still would have lost the election by 4.6 million votes.
To have prevailed over Mr. Obama in the electoral count, Mr. Romney would have had to carry 62.54% of white voters. That's a tall order, given that Ronald Reagan received 63% of the white vote in his 1984 victory, according to the Congressional Quarterly's analysis of major exit polls. It's unreasonable to expect Republicans to routinely pull numbers that last occurred in a 49-state sweep.
Moreover, a Reagan-like percentage of white voters would yield a much narrower win today. That's because the nonwhite share of the vote had doubled to 28% in 2012 from 13% in 1984, according to national exit polls.
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I'd like to go on record (and you can call me on it the Wednesday after Election Day if you wish) with this:
The Republicans aren't going to do as well as they think they are, this time around.
There are several indictors of that outcome, so no one should be surprised. So far in this little cyber refuge for old political enthusiasts, support for a GOP win is tepid at best. There are far more who on November 5 want to say "Ha! I told you so", than "Thank God...Harry Reid is toast".
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There are several indictors of that outcome, so no one should be surprised. So far in this little cyber refuge for old political enthusiasts, support for a GOP win is tepid at best. There are far more who on November 5 want to say "Ha! I told you so", than "Thank God...Harry Reid is toast".
Here's one who wants to say "THANK GOD! I have my country back!"
I'm under no illusions about ever getting to actually say that in what remains of my lifetime.
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There are several indictors of that outcome, so no one should be surprised. So far in this little cyber refuge for old political enthusiasts, support for a GOP win is tepid at best. There are far more who on November 5 want to say "Ha! I told you so", than "Thank God...Harry Reid is toast".
I think you misunderstand those of us who have been trying to warn others here when we read posts of people that think the GOP is going to win the Senate handily this fall. We're just trying to inject some reality into that optimism. We WANT the GOP to win, but we see warning signs.
First, we don't see the Republicans fighting very hard, clarifying the differences between them and the Democrats. We see a lot of "going along to get along" and just trying to stay out of sight until after the election. We saw them pushing amnesty as the only way to victory until the poll numbers showed conclusively that Americans don't want it!
But, my biggest concern - and I'll say it over and over - is the CHEATING that is going to occur! If we don't get an overwhelming amount of votes to overcome the cheating, it will be 2012 all over again. That said, you would think the GOP would be pulling out all the stops to get everyone to the polls to vote for them. But they've been as exciting as stale toast! Yawn.
We won't be happy about it, in fact, we'll cry right along with you - because we will see yet another wasted opportunity to stop Obama & Co. The track record of the Republicans hasn't been good lately - and it's not the fault of the voters! At some point, the GOP has GOT to step up and admit that they've dropped the ball, they've alienated large numbers of voters (and I'm not talking about women and hispanics here) and that they have failed to get their message across.
Stop blaming the voters, stop accusing patriotic Americans of wanting Democrat victory. Wake up and smell the incompetence, the corruption, and the absolute lack of being in touch with average working Americans.
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Here's one who wants to say "THANK GOD! I have my country back!"
I'm under no illusions about ever getting to actually say that in what remains of my lifetime.
I'm with you, Bigun.
While a little perverse, with a little luck I don't expect to witness firsthand, the breakup, or God forbid, the outright destruction of the United States of America. What a mortal shame we've wrought, sir.
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First, we don't see the Republicans fighting very hard, clarifying the differences between them and the Democrats.
There are so very few differences that this can be rather difficult.
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Stop blaming the voters, stop accusing patriotic Americans of wanting Democrat victory. Wake up and smell the incompetence, the corruption, and the absolute lack of being in touch with average working Americans.
:thumbsup:
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There are so very few differences that this can be rather difficult.
And therein lies the tale. It's becoming hard to watch it play out.
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I think you misunderstand those of us who have been trying to warn others here when we read posts of people that think the GOP is going to win the Senate handily this fall. We're just trying to inject some reality into that optimism. We WANT the GOP to win, but we see warning signs.
Since I started by saying there are several indicators of a less than favorable outcome, I don't think I misunderstood anyone.
First, we don't see the Republicans fighting very hard, clarifying the differences between them and the Democrats. We see a lot of "going along to get along" and just trying to stay out of sight until after the election. We saw them pushing amnesty as the only way to victory until the poll numbers showed conclusively that Americans don't want it!
I earlier pointed out that Boehner in the House and Portman in the Senate have put out a list of issues the Republicans will go after if they succeed. Some of it is a little over the top like Portman's goal of repealing Obamacare. But there is something there for every candidate depending on their district. As for comprehensive immigration reform, it's on the table and at some point going to happen. For a short time following the insane actions of the White House in bringing in and distributing all those kids, the polls went against reform. But for years the polls have strongly favored a comprehensive solution, including letting those here remain and strengthening the borders. Even today, the polls are swinging back to that position.
But, my biggest concern - and I'll say it over and over - is the CHEATING that is going to occur! If we don't get an overwhelming amount of votes to overcome the cheating, it will be 2012 all over again. That said, you would think the GOP would be pulling out all the stops to get everyone to the polls to vote for them. But they've been as exciting as stale toast! Yawn.
We won't be happy about it, in fact, we'll cry right along with you - because we will see yet another wasted opportunity to stop Obama & Co. The track record of the Republicans hasn't been good lately - and it's not the fault of the voters! At some point, the GOP has GOT to step up and admit that they've dropped the ball, they've alienated large numbers of voters (and I'm not talking about women and hispanics here) and that they have failed to get their message across.
Stop blaming the voters, stop accusing patriotic Americans of wanting Democrat victory. Wake up and smell the incompetence, the corruption, and the absolute lack of being in touch with average working Americans.
I don't completely blame the voters, but many of them have been listening to the alleged conservatives who continue screaming about no difference between the parties, thus no reason to vote. So I'll ask you what I asked Dan earlier, what do you think they should do?
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What has obviously been missing for quite awhile is the art of persuading voters. Of convincing them, converting them to conservatism. The art of selling.
Like it or not, some of the components of currently defined "conservatism" are not all popular.
On the social issues side, I believe that prohibiting abortions for rape is very unpopular.
On the economic issues side, I believe blocking minimum wage increases is unpopular.
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I don't completely blame the voters, but many of them have been listening to the alleged conservatives who continue screaming about no difference between the parties, thus no reason to vote. So I'll ask you what I asked Dan earlier, what do you think they should do?
We the people have the power to take it all back if we could just unshackle ourselves from the belief that voting outside of the two party system is a waste of time. We need to shake away all of the nonsense and start fresh. We need real people in office that understand the concerns of the people that voted for them and are actually intent on addressing those concerns. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a right wing party that actually actively worked to dismantle the ridiculous amount of power the government wields? Wouldn't in be nice if spending and debt actually started to go down for once? Democrats and Republicans have been in control for way too long; it's time for something new. I don't know what Dan and others believe, but I certainly do not believe that people should stop voting.
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We the people have the power to take it all back if we could just unshackle ourselves from the belief that voting outside of the two party system is a waste of time. We need to shake away all of the nonsense and start fresh. We need real people in office that understand the concerns of the people that voted for them and are actually intent on addressing those concerns. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a right wing party that actually actively worked to dismantle the ridiculous amount of power the government wields? Wouldn't in be nice if spending and debt actually started to go down for once? Democrats and Republicans have been in control for way too long; it's time for something new. I don't know what Dan and others believe, but I certainly do not believe that people should stop voting.
Where I see the problem too, Dex, is that it's been demonstrated over and over again that people tend to think their own personal POVs are the norm and the most common.
Cheating aside, it manifested itself perfectly in the 2012 election.
I STILL have the unopened bottle of champagne in my refrigerator I bought to celebrate Obama's defeat. :shrug:
Third parties in these dangerously perilous times is suicidal. We need to take over the GOP like the Communists did the Democrat Party.
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Where I see the problem too, Dex, is that it's been demonstrated over and over again that people tend to think their own personal POVs are the norm and the most common.
Cheating aside, it manifested itself perfectly in the 2012 election.
I STILL have the unopened bottle of champagne in my refrigerator I bought to celebrate Obama's defeat. :shrug:
Third parties in these dangerously perilous times is suicidal. We need to take over the GOP like the Communists did the Democrat Party.
There are so many people that have no faith in the two party system. If there was a viable third party I believe that millions of people would come out of the woodwork. If the two party system is compromised, which I believe it is, then they've already won. We need to fight to take it back before it's too late.
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I don't completely blame the voters, but many of them have been listening to the alleged conservatives who continue screaming about no difference between the parties, thus no reason to vote. So I'll ask you what I asked Dan earlier, what do you think they should do?
They could start by screaming from the rooftops! Be mad! Believe me - the voters are mad! Show that they get it and they won't stop at anything to fix it! Show some damn passion for God's sake! Quit hiding! Put your manifestos OUT THERE where people can see them! Stop muzzelling tea party voices - there's still a LOT of us out here & we want to be represented too!
Get mad as hell and stop taking it anymore!!!!!!!!!!
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We the people have the power to take it all back if we could just unshackle ourselves from the belief that voting outside of the two party system is a waste of time. We need to shake away all of the nonsense and start fresh. We need real people in office that understand the concerns of the people that voted for them and are actually intent on addressing those concerns. Wouldn't it be nice if there was a right wing party that actually actively worked to dismantle the ridiculous amount of power the government wields? Wouldn't in be nice if spending and debt actually started to go down for once? Democrats and Republicans have been in control for way too long; it's time for something new. I don't know what Dan and others believe, but I certainly do not believe that people should stop voting.
Dex, there are several political parties on the right, including the Libertarian, Constitution, American Independent Party, as well as several more, some single issue oriented. Take you pick, but none of them seem to have made a dent in American politics. The Tea Party movement elected a number of candidates in 2010, but then seemed to die out. And BTW, the left feels the same way. But I doubt there is much you or I would agree on to join them in a search for a viable third party.
But those who haven't even looked at the lists Boehner and Portman have put out have little to complain about. Tell us what the new "contract with America" would look like that would suddenly bring out tens of millions of Americans to form a third party.
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They could start by screaming from the rooftops! Be mad! Believe me - the voters are mad! Show that they get it and they won't stop at anything to fix it! Show some damn passion for God's sake! Quit hiding! Put your manifestos OUT THERE where people can see them! Stop muzzelling tea party voices - there's still a LOT of us out here & we want to be represented too!
Get mad as hell and stop taking it anymore!!!!!!!!!!
I don't see where the tea parties were muzzled during the primaries when mainstream Republicans won most of the nominations. But I agree with you. Put your lists and goals...or manifestos out there. But the best time to do this is during the primary season.
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They could start by screaming from the rooftops! Be mad! Believe me - the voters are mad! Show that they get it and they won't stop at anything to fix it! Show some damn passion for God's sake! Quit hiding! Put your manifestos OUT THERE where people can see them! Stop muzzelling tea party voices - there's still a LOT of us out here & we want to be represented too!
Get mad as hell and stop taking it anymore!!!!!!!!!!
Wise, good, wild, or grave. Rage on.
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The track record of the Republicans hasn't been good lately - and it's not the fault of the voters! Stop blaming the voters, stop accusing patriotic Americans of wanting Democrat victory.
Bullcrap.
The problem is just that. Most of the voters oppose Republicanism and conservatism to the core now. Entitlements are a need. Government workers are revered and a public service, and don't ever dare call them overpaid. Homosexuality is a God-given right (ha!) and no one is allowed to criticize it. The idea of leaving people alone and expressing responsible behavior is, quite frankly, anathema to the modern culture.
This is a different country. Those of us who see the error of these people's ways, and fear the national destruction that HAS BEEN HAPPENING and will happen further, are now the opposition.
It is their fault. It is their ignorance. “Patriotic” Americans are a dying breed—literally, judging by demographics lately.
Which is precisely why I agree with the idea of not having a major platform or manifesto for the Democratic Party Machine to attack. The Tea Party's greatest gains of 2010 were fueled solely by the idea that the Republicans were the opposition, and that's all they needed. The fact is, if the Republicans retake the Senate, the ignorant masses are not going to like what they do, so it has to be a stealth operation.
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Bullcrap.
The problem is just that. Most of the voters oppose Republicanism and conservatism to the core now. Entitlements are a need. Government workers are revered and a public service, and don't ever dare call them overpaid. Homosexuality is a God-given right (ha!) and no one is allowed to criticize it. The idea of leaving people alone and expressing responsible behavior is, quite frankly, anathema to the modern culture.
This is a different country. Those of us who see the error of these people's ways, and fear the national destruction that HAS BEEN HAPPENING and will happen further, are now the opposition.
It is their fault. It is their ignorance. “Patriotic” Americans are a dying breed—literally, judging by demographics lately.
Which is precisely why I agree with the idea of not having a major platform or manifesto for the Democratic Party Machine to attack. The Tea Party's greatest gains of 2010 were fueled solely by the idea that the Republicans were the opposition, and that's all they needed. The fact is, if the Republicans retake the Senate, the ignorant masses are not going to like what they do, so it has to be a stealth operation.
I largely agree. But an opposition's duty is to oppose, and to do that, you need to stand for something.
The GOP suffers for its current appearance of standing for either nothing at all, or for its refusal to defend itself against its Democrat/Media caricature.
I would suggest that Republicans coalesce around the proposition that America has lost its way, and needs to return to its foundational principles: liberty, individual responsibility, and virtuous behavior. They ought to promote the importance of voluntary associations, not government as the primary means of solving social problems, and champion the rebuilding of families, and the vitality of neighborhoods, communities, membership organizations, religious groups and charities.
They also ought to ask Democrats to reject the voices of hatred, anger, intolerance, bigotry, and irresponsibility that now dominate their own leadership. Recognize that honorable people may differ on many things, and on ideas, and that such diversity of thought is not only acceptable, but welcome.
Challenge Democrats and independents to question their assumptions, to check their premises, and to think outside of the boxes that the media has created for them.
Be positive. Be forward-looking. Be cheerful. Be calm. But be honest and ask others to ask the same of themselves. Reject the politics of hatred and division. Stop the mindlessly stupid negative and phony advertising - leave that to the other side. Instead, have our candidates speak directly and calmly to the voters and viewers - right into the camera - and tell them that if America is to survive, America must first return to its fundamental principles, and invite all people of good will to join in the fight.
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Bullcrap.
The problem is just that. Most of the voters oppose Republicanism and conservatism to the core now. Entitlements are a need. Government workers are revered and a public service, and don't ever dare call them overpaid. Homosexuality is a God-given right (ha!) and no one is allowed to criticize it. The idea of leaving people alone and expressing responsible behavior is, quite frankly, anathema to the modern culture.
This is a different country. Those of us who see the error of these people's ways, and fear the national destruction that HAS BEEN HAPPENING and will happen further, are now the opposition.
It is their fault. It is their ignorance. “Patriotic” Americans are a dying breed—literally, judging by demographics lately.
Which is precisely why I agree with the idea of not having a major platform or manifesto for the Democratic Party Machine to attack. The Tea Party's greatest gains of 2010 were fueled solely by the idea that the Republicans were the opposition, and that's all they needed. The fact is, if the Republicans retake the Senate, the ignorant masses are not going to like what they do, so it has to be a stealth operation.
Wrong, wrong, wrong! The aversion to homosexuality and it's acceptance in the common culture is showing up in the droves of people converting to a culture of supposed righteousness. People want values, not necessarily religious ones. Family, honor, community.
I don't know how many times Reagan was photographed outside a church but it wasn't many. That's what people forget. It's old as Rome and older.
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This is a different country. Those of us who see the error of these people's ways, and fear the national destruction that HAS BEEN HAPPENING and will happen further, are now the opposition.
IMHO--this is reality in a nutshell.
Fundamental change has come to America.