Republicans in the Wilderness: Is the Party Over? »
Posted By rafaeldenillo 6 months, 3 weeks ago in Political NewsThese days, Republicans have the desperate aura of an endangered species. They lost Congress, then the White House; more recently, they lost a slam-dunk House election in a conservative New York district, then Senator Arlen Specter .
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cowboygrandpa6 months, 3 weeks ago
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FTA
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That's the problem. The party's ideas — about economic issues, social issues and just about everything else — are not popular ideas. They are extremely conservative ideas tarred by association with the extremely unpopular George W. Bush, who helped downsize the party to its extremely conservative base. A hard-right agenda of slashing taxes for the investor class, protecting marriage from gays, blocking universal health insurance and extolling the glories of waterboarding produces terrific ratings for Rush Limbaugh, but it's not a majority agenda. The party's new, Hooverish focus on austerity on the brink of another depression does not seem to fit the national mood, and it's shamelessly hypocritical, given the party's recent history of massive deficit spending on pork, war and prescription drugs in good times, not to mention its continuing support for deficit-exploding tax cuts in bad times.
As the party has shrunk to its base, it has catered even more to its base's biases, insisting that the New Deal made the Depression worse, carbon emissions are fine for the environment and tax cuts actually boost revenues — even though the vast majority of historians, scientists and economists disagree. The RNC is about to vote on a kindergartenish resolution to change the name of its opponent to the Democrat Socialist Party. This plays well with hard-core culture warriors and tea-party activists convinced that a dictator-President is plotting to seize their guns, choose their doctors and put ACORN in charge of the Census, but it ultimately produces even more shrinkage, which gives the base even more influence — and the death spiral continues. "We're excluding the young, minorities, environmentalists, pro-choice — the list goes on," says Olympia Snowe of Maine, one of two moderate Republicans left in the Senate after Specter's switch. "Ideological purity is not the ticket to the promised land."
The neocons have taken over and destroyed the party by making it less appealing and significant to those who joined the Democrat's out of frustration.
I would really like to see the Republicans return to a core of moderate/conservatism like in the days of Teddy Roosevlt.
Unfortunately with loons running the party now. We get Gush Limbaugh as a spokesman for the party of the lost.-
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tadair9196 months, 3 weeks ago
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i agree with you. except the new deal did make the great depression worse. pick any book on amazon about the great depression and all the authors talk about it. the only economists that say otherwise, are the same ones who spout establishment mantra like "chris columbus was a great american hero" and "washington cut down the cherry tree."
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aside from the fact that economists rarely, if ever, agree on anything. the new deal prolonged the great depression for many reasons. -
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GLee6 months, 3 weeks ago
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Thank goodness for someone like 0bama. He has turlly 'galvanized' the true conservatives. It can be said that Republicans lost thier way but we can't be concerned with old 'tagged' lines from the Dems. Socialist Democrats that are taking America further 'left' than anyone ever imagined..... A new, stronger conservative movement is taking place thanks to our president. Hats off!!
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prophyporcritesComment removed: Spammer, Hard Banned2 Replies
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libsRfunnyComment removed: Hard Banned8 Replies
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tadair9196 months, 3 weeks ago
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Gee, maybe if we didn't allow a couple of fiscally irresponsible, pro-torture, war-hawk, anti-constitutional, villainous globalist masquerade as Republicans then we wouldn't be in this mess.
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Maybe if we actually had the nerve to stick to limited government, fiscally conservative principles. You know, instead of being a good old rank-and filer, obeying the party-line mantra like subservient sheep then we wouldn't be in this mess.
The people are electing Democrats because all they have to do is pose as the antithesis of Bush and Cheney and their job is done.
No surprises here. -
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frctm56 months, 3 weeks ago
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Some times its good to be in the dog house and do penance for a while but only if it produces humility and a desire for change. Its ironic to me, but if there were one constituency that the Republican party should reach out to, it would be Hispanics. They are mostly social conservatives, believe in family values, and contrary to hysteria, a majority come here to work, are industrious, are not looking for hand outs, and are eager for a better quality of life. But the problem is they have brown skin and speak Spanish. Republican anti-immigrant fervor keeps them from tapping this potential gold mine of electoral support. If they don't make any effort to broaden their base, all they can hope for is Obama to fail. What is so inane about that strategy is that it would mean America is failing and naturally Americans, those who are sane anyway, don't want our nation to fail to score political points for an ideology. Ideology takes second place to other priorities like eating, shelter, a pay check and similar concerns when things are down. If Republicans can't get this fundamental point, they are doomed.
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tadair9196 months, 3 weeks ago
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the way to do that is to end the corporate globalism and end all the supposed "free trade" tyranny that makes it so Mexico cannot compete on the global market. It's corporate tyranny that drives people to want to to leave Mexico because the conditions are so unbearable. drugs are so successful there because it's the only real product that can compete on the global market. but they are living through the prohibition period of our 1930's. We quickly learned that prohibition of alcohol (a drug) does not work Meanwhile, they are practically at civil war over all the Al Capones of Mexico that have set up shop there.
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Neither party is suggesting a solution. Republicans want to build a wall. Hillary wants to fight the drug war at our border with guns. Many democrats want to make it a free for all open borders. It's just all insanity.
I don't understand how Hispanics can justify voting for either of the two major parties at this point.
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pokydoke6 months, 3 weeks ago
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"Still, a 2012 presidential candidate could catch lightning in a bottle, Reagan-style or Susan Boyle–style — although when you think about it, Republicans found a nationally admired war hero with proven bipartisan appeal in 2008, and he lost to an inexperienced black liberal with a funny name." The GOP has a long way to go before they are again respected.
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JustTrollKingComment removed: Hard Banned
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Jeboba6 months, 3 weeks ago
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McCain lost because he toed the party line, the mantra, the koolaid. The party backed him in a corner and told him to behave and get on board.
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If it had been the REAL John McCain, the results might have been different. The GOP continues to self destruct.
I see them coming in third behind lots of 3rd party candidates in 2012 with Obama being elected to a second term.
LIVE WITH IT!. Get on board to be part of the solution to this country's problems or keep drinking the GOP Koolaid. Your choice, but if you choose the latter, we will continue to hate you!
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antibrainwasher6 months, 3 weeks ago
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Spot on SG, that's one environmental policy even the murdering chickenhawk Cheney would agree to. they need a ranch in texas for the cousin humping militant psychopaths to perform circle (jerks and firing squads) rituals that are currently banned in the civilized world. Build a giant trailer park in west texas, the crap hole of the universe, build it and the repugs will come, and hopefully fill every double wide with their sister/wives and inbred chickenhawk children.
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Then, when they want succession, we can cut off their welfare checks.
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simonsez6 months, 3 weeks ago
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The pendulum swings ... results trump rhetoric ... what goes around ... doing it the left way never works out right ... the tide goes out and comes back ... don't count us out ...
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"Ideology takes second place to other priorities like eating, shelter, a pay check and similar concerns when things are down. If Republicans can't get this fundamental point, they are doomed."
When things are down, let people keep more of their money. Don't put road-blocks in their way by making their food and shelter more expensive than it has to be. Don't waste what money we have to work with. Tighten your own belts. Cut your own benefits. Quit acting like royalty and taking advantage of your situation. Treat us with respect ... we're not as stupid as you think.
Go to h@ll and don't pass go ...-
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wtagg6 months, 3 weeks ago
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"Tighten your own belts. Cut your own benefits. Quit acting like royalty and taking advantage of your situation. Treat us with respect ... we're not as stupid as you think."
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Unfortunately, your vigorous support of the previous admin seems to go completely against this comment. -
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JustTrollKingComment removed: Hard Banned6 Replies
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dxxy4u6 months, 3 weeks ago
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What is happening is that Generation X has found a party that they have a VOICE. Rather their voice is right or wrong, THEY HAVE a voice. The Republican Party reminds them of home, full of "this is wrong" and "that is wrong". The DEM Party says, "to each his own, and peace be unto you, who am I to judge"? That my friend is the reason the REP Party is OVER.
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