Is it too early to schedule a post-mortem?

Gary Kamiya has some thoughts. (http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2008/10/28/gop_shipwreck/index1.html)

The GOP stands at a crossroads. Republicans can pretend that nothing has really changed, that this is still a "center-right" nation, and that only an ill-timed economic meltdown cost them the White House. This means leaving their party in the hands of the "movement conservatives" who have dominated the GOP for decades: the demagogues of reaction and resentment, the Christian rightists, the "values" voters, the anti-tax, anti-government zealots, the nativists, anti-rationalists and anti-secularists. The culmination of this approach would be to nominate Sarah Palin as their presidential candidate in 2016. Or they can move to the center, accept that progressive taxation is not just necessary to run a country but that it is a legitimate part of the social contract, accept that markets need some regulation, and try to reach out to all Americans, not just their base.

If Republicans choose the first option, the GOP will be taking the first steps toward becoming a marginal party, one that will eventually end up an object of curiosity in the historical display case along with such extinct specimens as the Know-Nothing Party. If they choose the second, they will not only save their party, they could help heal the grievous wounds their divisive politics have inflicted on the country.

If conservatives' track record over the last 40 years is any guide, they will choose the first. And I won't be putting any flowers on their grave.

Nice read.

thx

I think it depends on how Obama would do during his first term. If he gets nothing substantial done then the GOP doesn't have to alter anything (America will buy the same lines they did with Bush). If Obama does a good job, then the GOP has to change it's stance to beat him I think.

very premature. I still have faith in american citizens failure. So McCain still has a shot.

A couple of months ago, we had a thread where we discussed W's legacy.

How does "destroyed the Republican Party" sound?

Because the Repubs lose an election, its the end of the Repubs? Please.

Was it the end of the Dem party when they lost an election.

Obama will fail like Jimmy Carter and the GOP will get both sides of Pennsylvania Ave back in 2012...

I'll only be 24 then. Government really doesn't have any affect on my life for the time being, so in a sick, twisted sort of way, I will look forward to watching Barack Obama fail.

Obama will fail like Jimmy Carter and the GOP will get both sides of Pennsylvania Ave back in 2012...

I'll only be 24 then. Government really doesn't have any affect on my life for the time being, so in a sick, twisted sort of way, I will look forward to watching Barack Obama fail.

And you'll still be retarded, and you'll still be a virgin.

And you'll still be retarded

I lol'd.

As a refresher course, here's what a sea change looks like:
JTMpQqDP-nk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTMpQqDP-nk

I think a lot of what BO has going for him is a new face. Look at Carter in 76, I guess Reagan in 80, but certainly Clinton in 92 and Bush in 2000.

Voters like change. BO is change.

Now its up to BO. He can be a Clinton, Reagan and do a good job and get 2 terms or he can be a Carter and fuck things up.

I hope he does a great job for the country. So much of what happens isn't, or won't be, his doing and won't be things he can correct cuz peeps over state the power of the Prez. But good luck to him and our country.

I'd like to see several Republicans break off and start a third party. I'm certain they can bring several disenchanted Dems with them, as well.

If this happens, look for John McCain and Liebermann to start it all. The GOP royally fucked JM in this campaign in more ways than one, and my guess is he'll fuck 'em right back.

If Colin Powell doesn't grab a spot in BO's cabinet, I'd like to see him join them.

Call it the Centerist Party. It would totally work. The Dems and the Reps go to the left and right respectively in their nomination campaigns, then turn to the center for the general election. But, if there's a third party ALREADY occupying the center, then they'll have to make due with something the general public doesn't want to hear -- the truth as to their liberal or conservative intentions.

Many Americans consider themselves moderates, and own philosophies that are both liberal-minded AND conservative-minded (except for Wilfredo). The Centerist Party would instantly have credibility.

I don't like the idea of a "centrist" party. The name allows them to have any agenda they want and call it middle-of-the-road, even if it isn't. I like the parliamentary style, where the party is named after the interests they represent. Labor, Green, Christian Democrat, etc.

DONE

Obama will fail like Jimmy Carter and the GOP will get both sides of Pennsylvania Ave back in 2012...

I'll only be 24 then. Government really doesn't have any affect on my life for the time being, so in a sick, twisted sort of way, I will look forward to watching Barack Obama fail.
VS.


I hope he does a great job for the country. So much of what happens isn't, or won't be, his doing and won't be things he can correct cuz peeps over state the power of the Prez. But good luck to him and our country.

Wil's a great American.

its funnier that he questioned Obama's background as an american, and he isn't even loyal to the patriotism belief. Just along for the ride and bitter when it doesnt go where he wants like a spoiled toddler.

I think we've already seen what kind of person Wil is. This is pretty much just another example in a long line of "Shitty Wil Quotes."

its funnier that he questioned Obama's background as an american, and he isn't even loyal to the patriotism belief. Just along for the ride and bitter when it doesnt go where he wants like a spoiled toddler.

I've never seen a liberal who's openly proud of America, and your no exception Codename.

I've never seen a liberal who's openly proud of America, and your no exception Codename.


<------


I would never root for the president to fail for my amusement. I'm pretty sure most Liberals were hoping Bush wasn't a total fuck up. Oh well.

I've never seen a liberal drink the patriotic koolaid of "my country right or wrong."
Fixed.

I've never seen a liberal who's openly proud of America, and your no exception Codename.

What community college do you attend?

www.university.com

I've never seen a liberal who's openly proud of America, and your no exception Codename.
Wow. Just...wow.

Pat yourself on the back: you have just taken the level of discourse at WTF down a notch. This is some stone cold dicketry right here.

I've never seen a liberal who's openly proud of America, and your no exception Codename.
Thats the best you got? You can't make your hypocrisy right by saying i'm not patriotic. That does nothing to change the fact that everything i said about you is true. You are not as patriotic as you hold Obama to being. Deal with that first then get back to me kid. Dude sometimes I wonder if the Fredo in your name isnt a coincidence, because you are as arrogant in your ignorance as he was in the movie.

How many religious conservatives love America the Abortionist?

I've never seen a liberal who's openly proud of America, and your no exception Codename.
Pride is the deadliest of the seven deadly sins, or didn't they teach you that in your theology classes?

The paper mill probably forgot to add that to his essay.

Can we close this thread? It sucks.

One Nobel Prize winner's opinion...


The Republican Rump

By PAUL KRUGMAN
The New York Times
Published: November 3, 2008

Maybe the polls are wrong, and John McCain is about to pull off the biggest election upset in American history. But right now the Democrats seem poised both to win the White House and to greatly expand their majorities in both houses of Congress.

Most of the post-election discussion will presumably be about what the Democrats should and will do with their mandate. But let me ask a different question that will also be important for the nation’s future: What will defeat do to the Republicans?

You might think, perhaps hope, that Republicans will engage in some soul-searching, that they’ll ask themselves whether and how they lost touch with the national mainstream. But my prediction is that this won’t happen any time soon.

Instead, the Republican rump, the party that’s left after the election, will be the party that attends Sarah Palin’s rallies, where crowds chant “Vote McCain, not Hussein!” It will be the party of Saxby Chambliss, the senator from Georgia, who, observing large-scale early voting by African-Americans, warns his supporters that “the other folks are voting.” It will be the party that harbors menacing fantasies about Barack Obama’s Marxist — or was that Islamic? — roots.

Why will the G.O.P. become more, not less, extreme? For one thing, projections suggest that this election will drive many of the remaining Republican moderates out of Congress, while leaving the hard right in place.

For example, Larry Sabato, the election forecaster, predicts that seven Senate seats currently held by Republicans will go Democratic on Tuesday. According to the liberal-conservative rankings of the political scientists Keith Poole and Howard Rosenthal, five of the soon-to-be-gone senators are more moderate than the median Republican senator — so the rump, the G.O.P. caucus that remains, will have shifted further to the right. The same thing seems set to happen in the House.

Also, the Republican base already seems to be gearing up to regard defeat not as a verdict on conservative policies, but as the result of an evil conspiracy. A recent Democracy Corps poll found that Republicans, by a margin of more than two to one, believe that Mr. McCain is losing “because the mainstream media is biased” rather than “because Americans are tired of George Bush.”

And Mr. McCain has laid the groundwork for feverish claims that the election was stolen, declaring that the community activist group Acorn — which, as Factcheck.org points out, has never “been found guilty of, or even charged with” causing fraudulent votes to be cast — “is now on the verge of maybe perpetrating one of the greatest frauds in voter history in this country, maybe destroying the fabric of democracy.” Needless to say, the potential voters Acorn tries to register are disproportionately “other folks,” as Mr. Chambliss might put it.

Anyway, the Republican base, egged on by the McCain-Palin campaign, thinks that elections should reflect the views of “real Americans” — and most of the people reading this column probably don’t qualify.

Thus, in the face of polls suggesting that Mr. Obama will win Virginia, a top McCain aide declared that the “real Virginia” — the southern part of the state, excluding the Washington, D.C., suburbs — favors Mr. McCain. A majority of Americans now live in big metropolitan areas, but while visiting a small town in North Carolina, Ms. Palin described it as “what I call the real America,” one of the “pro-America” parts of the nation. The real America, it seems, is small-town, mainly southern and, above all, white.

I’m not saying that the G.O.P. is about to become irrelevant. Republicans will still be in a position to block some Democratic initiatives, especially if the Democrats fail to achieve a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate.

And that blocking ability will ensure that the G.O.P. continues to receive plenty of corporate dollars: this year the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has poured money into the campaigns of Senate Republicans like Minnesota’s Norm Coleman, precisely in the hope of denying Democrats a majority large enough to pass pro-labor legislation.

But the G.O.P.’s long transformation into the party of the unreasonable right, a haven for racists and reactionaries, seems likely to accelerate as a result of the impending defeat.

This will pose a dilemma for moderate conservatives. Many of them spent the Bush years in denial, closing their eyes to the administration’s dishonesty and contempt for the rule of law. Some of them have tried to maintain that denial through this year’s election season, even as the McCain-Palin campaign’s tactics have grown ever uglier. But one of these days they’re going to have to realize that the G.O.P. has become the party of intolerance.

PKIAFH

PKIAFNPWH

fixed

lol

I'm too excited over the Iverson trade. 'Splain please.

I hate to say it, but with regard to anti abortionists (mostly the ones who would ban it in ANY case), those who still stick by Geroge Bush, the religious right, and some other people who embarrassed me when I was a child (like John Visconti who pulled my pants down while I was doing pull-ups in gym), I kind of do favor genocide.

I was watching some guy show last night how if JM rec'd the same amount of Evangelicals that Bush rec'd, he'd have been very close to winning this election.

BO got out the vote pretty well, but you can't overcome a drop from 60ish % and more, down to 30%ish, iirc. The numbers varied in states, obviously, but I it was interesting nonetheless.

I'm not trying to rain on y'alls parade but simply pointing out the the Republican party will be just fine.

BO is an inspiring candidate and Prez elect, JM is not inspiring to the conservative base, evangelicals, etc.

I was watching some guy show last night how if JM rec'd the same amount of Evangelicals that Bush rec'd, he'd have been very close to winning this election.

BO got out the vote pretty well, but you can't overcome a drop from 60ish % and more, down to 30%ish, iirc. The numbers varied in states, obviously, but I it was interesting nonetheless.

I'm not trying to rain on y'alls parade but simply pointing out the the Republican party will be just fine.

BO is an inspiring candidate and Prez elect, JM is not inspiring to the conservative base, evangelicals, etc.

It's not quite a zero-sum game but a candidate who was in the evangelical wheelhouse would necessarily lose some of the moderate and independent support that McCain gained.

Yeah, I'm not sure that would have helped him win Ohio, which was almost a must win. He would have fared better with more evangelical vote for sure.

It's not quite a zero-sum game but a candidate who was in the evangelical wheelhouse would necessarily lose some of the moderate and independent support that McCain gained.


It wouldn't have mattered. The Bush-effect was too big of an obstacle to overcome. There was skepticism from all indpendents and it showed on Election Day, as over 60% of them voted for Obama. In 2012 it will certainly balance itself back out if not favor Republicans again, but for 2008, it was just too big of a hurdle.

'Magic Negro' flap might help Saltsman

Andy Barr
Politico.com
Tue Dec 30, 4:31 am ET

The controversy surrounding a comedy CD distributed by Republican National Committee chair candidate Chip Saltsman has not torpedoed his bid and might have inadvertently helped it.

Four days after news broke that the former Tennessee GOP chairman had sent a CD that included a song titled “Barack the Magic Negro” to the RNC members he is courting, some of those officials are rallying around the embattled Saltsman, with a few questioning whether the national media and his opponents are piling on.

“When I heard about the story I had to figure out what was going on for myself,” said Mark Ellis, the chairman of the Maine Republican Party. “When I found out what this was about I had to ask, ‘boy, what’s the big deal here?’ because there wasn’t any.”

Alabama Republican committeeman Paul Reynolds said the fact the Saltsman sent him a CD with the song on it “didn’t bother me one bit.”

“Chip probably could have thought it through a bit more, but he was doing everyone a favor by giving us a gift,” he said. “This is just people looking for something to make an issue of.”

“I don’t think he intended it as any kind of racial slur. I think he intended it as a humor gift,” Oklahoma GOP committeewoman Carolyn McClarty added. “I think it was innocently done by Chip.”

The song came with 40 others on an album from conservative satirist Paul Shanklin, a personal friend of Saltsman. The song is a parody of a 2007 Los Angeles Times column of the same title and is written to the tune of “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

“Barack the Magic Negro lives in D.C.” the opening of the song goes. “The L.A. Times, they called him that ‘cause he’s not authentic like me. Yeah, the guy from the L.A. paper said he makes guilty whites feel good. They’ll vote for him, and not for me ‘cause he’s not from the hood.”

The song, written shortly after the publication of the Times column, was first played on the Rush Limbaugh radio show. On Monday, Limbaugh prominently re-posted the song on the top left corner of his website above the headline, “Drive-by media misreporting of ‘Barack the Magic Negro’ song.”

The flap has generated unflattering attention at a time when the GOP is trying to rebuild its brand and reach out to new voters after an election in which GOP presidential nominee John McCain ran poorly among minority constituencies.

The day after the story was first reported by The Hill, RNC Chairman Mike Duncan issued a statement expressing disgust over the song.

“The 2008 election was a wake-up call for Republicans to reach out and bring more people into our party,” said Duncan, who is seeking reelection to his post. “I am shocked and appalled that anyone would think this is appropriate as it clearly does not move us in the right direction.”

Duncan was joined by Michigan GOP Chair Saul Anuzis, another RNC chair aspirant who chided Saltsman for sending out the CD.

North Dakota Republican Party Chairman Gary Emineth said he was “disappointed” when he heard about the story and questioned Saltsman’s viability as a candidate going forward.

“There are a lot of things about Chip that would have made a good a RNC chairman, but this has definitely hurt him,” he said in an interview with Politico. “With less than a month to go Chip needs to be talking about where he wants to lead the party and he is not going to get that opportunity.”

Not everyone is so sure, with some RNC members contending that Anuzis and Duncan may have actually hurt their candidacies with their responses.

“Those are two guys who just eliminated themselves from this race for jumping all over Chip on this,” one committee member told Politico. “Mike Duncan is a nice guy, but he screwed up big time by pandering to the national press on this.”

While South Carolina GOP Chair Katon Dawson and former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele have decided to stay away from the controversy, offering no comment, former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who would be the party’s first black chairman, has drawn notice for his vigorous defense of Saltsman.

“Unfortunately, there is hypersensitivity in the press regarding matters of race. This is in large measure due to President-Elect Obama being the first African-American elected president,” Blackwell said in a statement. “I don't think any of the concerns that have been expressed in the media about any of the other candidates for RNC chairman should disqualify them. When looked at in the proper context, these concerns are minimal. All of my competitors for this leadership post are fine people.”

As a result of his position, a source close to the race said that at least 12 uncommitted committee members have contacted Blackwell to thank him for his support for Saltsman and have expressed anger toward Duncan and Anuzis “for throwing a good Republican under the bus.”

Indeed, in a fluid race in which six candidates are vying for the votes of 168 members, both Blackwell and Saltsman stand to benefit from a backlash to the flap.

Most observers expect Duncan to lead after the first ballot, but few expect he or any other candidate will be able to secure election on a first ballot. For either Saltsman or Blackwell to win election they will likely need the votes of the other’s supporters to break in their direction, along with any other committee members who are not enamored of Duncan’s leadership.

In calls to committee members in recent days, both Saltsman and Blackwell have been reminding Republicans of how both Duncan and Anuzis reacted to the story.

“I wasn’t angered by what Mike had said, it was just revealing to me how each one responded,” said Ellis of Maine, who as an uncommitted member received calls from all six candidates Monday. “Their responses were kind of a surprise to me because I saw it as something that was not an issue, something that was manufactured from outside the committee.”

This is going to be an amusing four-to-eight years. After decades of a posture that was at best benign neglect, the GOP will actually have to acknowledge that black people exist. Hilarity and magic-negro-hijinks will ensue.

In the end though, it could be a win-win for everyone if they aim to broaden their base beyond the old, white, evangelical core.

^ That is by far the dumbest fucking post you've ever had here.

^ That is by far the dumbest fucking post you've ever had here.

Translated from Tahoe's bizarro-speak: cogent.

No. That is a dumb fucking post.

No. That is a dumb fucking post.

Coming from you, that doesn't exactly sting.

Coming from you, that doesn't exactly sting.

Thats my line. Your posts go from Dumb to weak.

Thats my line. Your posts go from Dumb to weak.

^^swat-worthy.

Good day, sir.

http://www.gop.com/images/newemailheader.jpg (http://www.gop.com/)
Dear Glenn,

For the last eight years, President Bush has led our country with firm determination and a steady hand in the face of numerous challenges and crises. He restored honor and integrity to the White House and protected America from another terrorist attack.

As President and Mrs. Bush prepare to leave Washington in a few weeks to return to Texas, I know I speak for Republicans and grassroots leaders across America when I say we are all grateful for their tremendous service to our country. To show our appreciation for our Commander-in-Chief, the RNC is asking every Republican to sign an electronic card that will be presented to President Bush before he leaves office. It is the least each of us can do to show our gratitude to the leader of our country and our Party.

And if you can, Glenn, I hope you will also consider giving a gift to keep our Party strong and moving forward. Your secure online contribution (http://net.gop.com/ThankYou/?g=00F9F952-A791-49A0-9AD0-660016D96434) of $1,000, $500, $100, $50 or $25 will go a long way toward helping the RNC provide the support our Republican leaders need to fight the Democrats' liberal agenda and prepare for the vital 2009-2010 elections.

I hope you will add your name to the RNC's Thank You card to President Bush and Laura Bush today. And thank you for your continued support of our Party and our cause.

Best Wishes,
http://www.gop.com/images/mdsig1.jpg

Robert M. "Mike" Duncan
Chairman, Republican National Committee

P.S. Glenn, in order for your name to be included on the RNC's Thank you e-card to President and Mrs. Bush, you must reply to this e-mail by January 15th. Please click here (http://net.gop.com/ThankYou/?g=00F9F952-A791-49A0-9AD0-660016D96434) to sign the President's Thank You card and to make a secure online gift to help strengthen our Party for the battles ahead. Thank you.

http://www.gop.com/images/Email/010809_thankyou.jpg (http://net.gop.com/ThankYou/?g=00F9F952-A791-49A0-9AD0-660016D96434)

Isn't Duncan on his last 'hurrah'?

I thought Michael Steele or Newt Gingrich were going to head the RNC pretty soon...

Signing the card is free.

Who here is signing the card?

http://images2.dailykos.com/images/user/191280/gopeconomics.png

Is that Print Screen from 2001?

Is that Print Screen from 2001?

Right now:http://www.nrcc.org/issues/default.asp?ID=47

I did MY part...

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/410/picture3st3.png

Michael Steele to the rescue. New RNC head.

I like Michael Steele.

Good choice by the RNC.

It was time for Duncan to go.

I was hoping Saul Anuzis would get the nod.

http://draftstormy.com/

http://www.dailykingfish.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1109

Stormy can have Mary Landrieu's seat...

Steele asked for the resignations of all peeps in the RNC. Not uncommon from what I've heard, but cool nonetheless.

It's gonna be fun seeing how all those Republicans who voted against "the largest middle class tax cut in the nation's history" fare in 2010.

It's gonna be fun seeing how all those Republicans who voted against "the largest middle class tax cut in the nation's history" fare in 2010.

It's going to be tough in the Senate since a few Republicans are retiring...

Sam Brownback (kansas)
George Voinovich (ohio)
Mel Martinez (florida)
Kit Bond (missouri)

those 4 are for sure leaving, and it's possibley Kay Bailey Hutchinson (texas) may retire to run for Governor.

HOWEVER...

Republicans are going to be more motivated to vote since there is no Presidential election, you can be certain you won't even have near the voter turnout numbers that there were in 2008, especially on the Democratic side...

The Senate's out of the question, that will stay in favor of the Democrats pats 2010 (although I doubt they reach 60 at any point), it will be the House which is 'attainable' for Republicans in the midterms...

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-bushhardware_22met.ART0.Central.Edition1.4c1575d.h tml

Making light of an advertisement that offered him a job as a store greeter, former President George W. Bush stopped by a Dallas hardware store Saturday morning and jokingly inquired about the position.

Tea Party Friday in Lansing. Bring your flag and teabags!

^Subject line from an actual email that I just got from Jack Hoogendyk's office.

Insert your own joke.

Apparently, Republicans will watch porn when this is all over:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn16680-porn-in-the-usa-conservatives-are-biggest-consumers.html?DCMP=OTC-rss&nsref=online-news


Eight of the top 10 pornography consuming states gave their electoral votes to John McCain in last year's presidential election – Florida and Hawaii were the exceptions.

JxVsE-weTNE

^Ledezma is jealous.

That chicks name is "Ainsley"? Is that who the lawyer chick was based on from West Wing?

Somebody needs to kill that fucking kid NOW. Holy shit, if he is the future of the republicans, look for plenty of gay scandals to rock the elephants for years to come.

JxVsE-weTNE
Fox new tactics? Kids!!!!!!

See people we're not old fucks out of the loop or pussy ass teens sucking regans cock w/o living in his era. We're young and visceral champions of society. We are the future.

-Paid for by: Oil lobbyists and Saudi Arabia

http://www.dccc.org/page/-/images/mainsite/republican_apology_machine.jpg
http://www.imsorryrush.com

I think that the White House is doing Rush a favor. I would bet he's had his highet ratings ever this past week.

One thing George W. Bush did well was he didn't give in to the criticism from idiots like Olbermann or Matthews. He knew he was "above them" status wise, and if he had acknowledged them in any way it was going to be a no-win situation.

Rush has the power of being the most listened to radio personality in the entire country. He can't be out-done and for 3 hours he dictates the most partisan, anti-Obama rhetoric imaginable. And all Robert Gibbs is doing by saying his name is boosting his ratings.

It's a no-win situation. People hated Rush well before he said he wanted Obama's policy to fail. It's not like he's looking for popularity.

Puzzling decision by the White House. Clinton tried the same thing and got nowhere.

I don't think the Republicans are doing themselves a favor by kneeling down before Rush. That's not going to get them the middle ground that they need to win elections. Obama may be handing Rush gold, but it's a golden anchor and so-called party leaders like Steele and Cantor are being dragged down by being subservient bitches. This isn't comparable to the Clinton years, where Newt was in charge, many were his lieutenants, and there sure as shit wasn't a power vacuum in the Republican machine.

Rush got mentioned in Gibbs presser? I haven't been following much lately.

LOL @ Gibbs.

http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/nws/p/rasmussent_logo_92.jpg


68% of Republicans see their party as leaderless, survey shows (http://www.yahoo.com/s/1040818)

I think that's accurate. Normally after losing a prez election, that party is in a bit of disarray.

It's a "problem" that's easily fixable.

What's a leader?

There are plenty of Republicans in positions of power right now that are model conservatives.

Haley Barbour, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, John Thune, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Tim Pawlenty, Mark Sanford, Bobby Jindal, Mike Pence, Charlie Crist, Rick Perry, Jim DeMint, J.C. Watts, Cathy McMorris Rodgers...etc.

Even within the state of Michigan there are some solid Republican officials such as Mike Bishop, Mike Cox, Thad McCotter and Candice Miller.

"Leader" is nothing more than a title.

Especially the last eight years...




<-- +1 assist

http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-03-09-ARIS-faith-survey_N.htm

When did all the Priest Pedo stuff surface? It doesn't look like that is what that graph shows, but still wondering if it had an effect.

No disrespect intended, but maybe that graph shows why the Pope says 'no' to contraception.

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/03/how_steele_can_get_his_groove_back.php

Mar 12 2009, 3:26 pm by Marc Ambinder (http://politics.theatlantic.com/author/marc_ambinder/)
How Steele Can Get His Groove Back

If, in their fit of determination this January, Republican Party members elected Michael Steele to be the taut new face on a corpulent vessel of a political party, to be the brand-changer that would remake the party's image - well, Steele has turned out not to be that guy. Voluble, unselfconscious, ambitious, and too eager to please, Steele can't seem to open up his mouth without getting in trouble. He's become clownish. And that judgment could endure until the end of his tenure.

But it probably won't. While Steele's stock is lower than Citigroup's right now, his legacy will be most likely determined by whether he can help Republicans begin to win elections again.

Republicans close to Steele worry about an enormous perception gap between what's happening inside the building and what's happening in public.

In public, says a Steele ally, "[w]hat everybody thought was Steele's appeal was that he was going to be a great spokesman, a good face for the party, comfortable with the media. Well, that's true...but comfortable with it, didn't mean he was going to be good at it."

In private, for the past month, Steele, a bevy of consultants and ten RNC members have been scrutinizing every aspect of the party's operations - structure, function, budget, staffing, liaison, fundraising; the end result of this fairly unprecedented review will be a fairly radically transformed Republican National Committee. That Steele fired all the legacy staff has been criticized, but that was the point: the party is hemorrhaging cash without getting any results; Forget about the balance between institutional knowledge and a fresh approach; Steele has basically gutted the Republican Party. Starting from scratch, he put together teams and tasked them to give him new ideas; those teams will formally report to Steele next week.

Among the ideas circulating: the creation of a well-staffed Blue-to-Red state task force, an RNC in-house best practices shop to help state parties, a new transparent system of accountability for state parties and a young voter organizing department.

If Steele comes up with ways to help Republicans win elections, he'll be seen as a success. To be sure, he's made some management mistakes. He did not appoint a chief of staff until...well, hours ago, relying instead on outside consultants. He hasn't been especially sensitive to the internal politics of RNC fundraising, either; to his credit, however, he seems to learn quickly: for the first time in a long-time, the RNC is actually conducting a competitive bidding process for finance contracts.

So what can Steele do in the near-term?

His advisers say he's going to shut up for a while. (They note that the GQ interview took place two weeks ago.) Steele is very confident, and he treats on-the-record interviews as if he were speaking off the record... or as if he were speaking as a Fox News commentator. The truth is that the only relevant people listening to Steele's GQ-type interviews are pro-life activists who want to find something to object to. I am told that Steele understands this now.

He's also going to focus on the party itself; watch for a series of announcements about team members over the next few days.

And he's going to focus on fundraising. He's yet to name a finance director; perhaps more pressing is a finance chairman - the person who can get other major donors to Steele's side.

Some of the GOP will sound like Democrats to ensure re-election:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0309/20083.html


Sen. Charles Grassley is so angry over AIG bonuses that he says the executives should resign or kill themselves.

In a comment aired this afternoon on WMT, an Iowa radio station, Grassley (R-Iowa) said: “The first thing that would make me feel a little bit better towards them if they’d follow the Japanese model and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say I’m sorry, and then either do one of two things — resign, or go commit suicide.”

Holy fuck!

I thought that was going to be from The Onion or something, but that is real?

Some don't change a bit:

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/03/17/mccain-twitter-ingraham/


Last week, ThinkProgress reported that hate radio host Laura Ingraham responded to Meghan McCain’s criticism of right-wingers like Ann Coulter by calling her “plus-sized.” Meghan shot back, telling Ingraham, “stop talking about my body.” Yesterday, Meghan ripped Ingraham on The View, saying, “Kiss my fat ass!”

Today, in his “Twitterview” with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) shied away from condemning Ingraham’s gratuitous attacks on his daughter. Stephanopoulos asked McCain, “What do you think of Meghan’s feud with Coulter and Ingraham?” McCain first said, “I’m proud of my daughter and she has a right to her opinions.” When asked if he agrees with his daughter, McCain did not say, simply stating, “like any family we agree on some things and disagree on others”

“Kiss my fat ass!”


I agree.

lkeZ2P4SiY8

I'm reppin' Jesus Christ and Conservative views....

Here's John Ensign reppin' JC and conservative views, in a letter to the wife of a buddy/employee of his who he's sleeping with:
http://media.lasvegassun.com/media/img/photos/2009/07/08/ensign_letter_t652.jpg
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jul/08/spouse-ensign-affair-says-senator-should-resign/

And even with all of that, Ensign is still the more popular senator in Nevada...


Harry Reid could be 2010's Tom Daschle---ousted!

http://cdn-www.cracked.com/articleimages/dan/realityporn/pizza3.jpg

Congratulations.

Just moments ago, Judge Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as the newest Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Our highest court and the nation it serves will benefit for years to come from Judge Sotomayor's brilliance, wide-ranging legal experience, fair-mindedness, and commonsense understanding of how the law touches our daily lives. President Obama picked the right person for the job, and you stood up for her from the very beginning.

You helped make today an historic one for the court and for our country.

Thank you,

Vice President Joe Biden

oh no you dident (http://www.nypost.com/seven/08172009/news/nationalnews/former_house_leader_delay_to_appear_on_a_185051.ht m)

What will happen to the GOP? Thanks to Mr T the Repubs will prolly be stronger than ever. Thanks dip shit.

What will happen to the GOP? Thanks to Mr T the Repubs will prolly be stronger than ever. Thanks dip shit.
Led by whom, exactly?

Jeb Bush :)

Led by whom, exactly?

Too early to tell.

No worries, the GOP seems to have a bright future, at least according to one (R) Congresswoman, who outlined several of the party's "Great White Hopes" for us, that is.

Grand Old Party, indeed.

Unreal.

Are you sure that wasn't Sen Byrd (D) former KKK member? Or did he die?

And if he did die, you would know Glan.

aaaaaaja;lkdja;lkdksjadkdalllahldkjaslkdkajflkajfj a;lkjd

I'm amazed that the Dems managed to lose the Jersey governorship. Virginia is one thing, with their strange gubernatorial setup and poor choice of candidate, but losing Jersey takes talent. I'm as amazed that the Reps managed to lose that congressional race in a New York district that hasn't voted Democratic in over 100 years.

NY 23 was a joke. Hopefully the Dems won't count on that chaos to save them.

Christie winning in NJ is amazing. Not a good sign for the Dems.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/11/09/thinkfast-november-9-2009/

And finally: It turns out that the Twitter feed of Levi Johnston is a fake. After actor William Shatner performed a dramatic reading of some of his tweets on Conan O’Brien’s show, the Tonight Show host has apologized for the error, saying, “I’d like to apologize personally to Levi Johnston and his lawyer and publicist for misrepresenting him in any way. Levi is clearly a great American. We wish him the best of luck as he trains for his upcoming naked photo shoot.”

Man, now its in my Google history that I googled this guy to find out who he was.

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/a/m/americandad/2010/03/an-open-letter-to-conservative.php?ref=recdc

^ what a bunch of horseshit. LOL!

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/talk/blogs/a/m/americandad/2010/03/an-open-letter-to-conservative.php?ref=recdc


Drain the swamp of the conspiracy nuts, the bold-faced liars undeterred by demonstrable facts, the overt hypocrisy and the hatred.

The environmentalist in me objects to the destruction of Tahoe's natural habitat.

The environmentalist in me objects to the destruction of Tahoe's natural habitat.

Why do you fags always have to include me in your posts? You must be obsessed.

I comment on the article on fags comment about me. I comment on odumbas health care takeover and fags comment about me.

I'm flattered y'all are so obsessed.

25,000 posts and crying about too much attention.

^ Post count envy

You are what you post... LOL.

Well Mxy that post With the link was horseshit. :)

Heh... sometimes, a link is just a link.

Connecting the dots...


fags

You are what you post

GOP = a lot of whining without much contribution... sounding more like fat cats desperatly trying to protect their kickbacks.
What about the what the folks really want?

Lol

Haven't read this thread lately (since the mark forums new stuff doesn't work I have been cherry picking threads), so forgive me if this has been posted lately...

I heard on the radio this morning (and a progressive station mind you) that the GOP will probably pick up 15-20 seats this year. Is that what you guys that follow it closer than me think?

The party in power basically always loses seats, it would be surprising if they didn't pick up a few. Especially in some of those predominantly republican districts where you had a newly elected democrat who did the right thing and voted for health care reform.

Of course at the rate the threats are rolling in, some of them might not live to see the election.

figure 25-35.

The party in power basically always loses seats, it would be surprising if they didn't pick up a few. Especially in some of those predominantly republican districts where you had a newly elected democrat who did the right thing and voted for health care reform.

Of course at the rate the threats are rolling in, some of them might not live to see the election.


lol

http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pollster/party-identification

Meow.

Fuck yes, go Independent. Fuck a two party system anymore.

The GOP wins. Shutdown city, baybeeeeee!!!!!!

I haven't been following this shit AT ALL. I haven't watched politics since the day after fuckhead got reelected(sp?).

But regarding Gov't shutdown? Fuck'n A. Shut half the Gov't down and we wouldn't even notice. Its just a bunch of lazy fucks collecting paychecks from hard working private sector taxpayers.

Good job whomever shut this shit down.

WASHINGTON—As the shutdown of the federal government enters its second week, with legislators on both sides of the aisle having so far failed to bring a resolution to the negotiating table, sources confirmed Tuesday that Washington’s congressional aides have opted to withhold sex from their employers until a budget compromise is reached. “We were all hoping it would never come to this, but unless lawmakers agree to put aside their differences and get the government moving again, then any and all clandestine sexual intercourse with us is simply off the table,” said Allison Pereira, 26, personal aide to Rep. Tom Massie (R-KY) and just one of hundreds of Capitol Hill staffers who reportedly have resolved to deny the nation’s elected officials sexual favors of any kind until they hammer out an evenhanded federal budget agreement that resolves the Obamacare stalemate and ends the shutdown. “With hundreds of thousands of government employees out of work and the congressional process held hostage to partisan gridlock, we have no chance but to leverage our most powerful bargaining chip. So until they figure out a budget deal, sex is off. And that includes oral sex and hand jobs, by the way.” In the absence of gratification from their subordinates, sources confirmed that the sex boycott has forced all 535 U.S. senators and House representatives to avail themselves of D.C.’s various escort services and brothels, at an estimated cost to the American taxpayer of $6.2 million.

Looking at the transformation of the conservatives in Europe may be a guide to what happens to conservatives in the U.S.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/05/opinion/the-closing-of-the-rights-mind.html

GOP Lifer:

http://blog.chron.com/goplifer/2014/11/the-missing-story-of-the-2014-election/#28114101=0

^ What'd the article say? Boil that bitch down to a couple of sentences mxy.

Few things are as dangerous to a long term strategy as a short-term victory. Republicans this week scored the kind of win that sets one up for spectacular, catastrophic failure and no one is talking about it.

What emerges from the numbers is the continuation of a trend that has been in place for almost two decades. Once again, Republicans are disappearing from the competitive landscape at the national level across the most heavily populated sections of the country while intensifying their hold on a declining electoral bloc of aging, white, rural voters. The 2014 election not only continued that doomed pattern, it doubled down on it. As a result, it became apparent from the numbers last week that no Republican candidate has a credible shot at the White House in 2016, and the chance of the GOP holding the Senate for longer than two years is precisely zero.

Note that the analysis is from a lifelong Republican. I don't agree with it all, but it's a worthwhile read... the insights into the energy biz are interesting.

So I guess this is what happened. /thread

http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/55918b77ecad04a3465a0a63/nbc-fires-donald-trump-after-he-calls-mexicans-rapists-and-drug-runners.jpg

Ha!

Fun thread to look back through. Jesus Christ was Ledezma terrible. Lol @ Michael Steele.

I can't go back and read some of these threads. I'm embarrassed at some of the shit I said too. lol

You start the thread as far less excited and outraged than you've become. I've thought of starting a "What's the next political thing Tahoe will be enraged/energized about" thread. You've gone from just opposing the Dems and supporting the GOP, to loving FoxNews and the GOP and hating the Dems and Obama particularly, to loving the TeaParty and FoxNews, to hating the GOPe and FoxNews. It's a long journey that I'm looking forward to continuing to watch. In many ways you are a good barometer of the core of that unhappy constituency of older white guys that have been greatly shifting their allegiance the last decade or so.

lol...nice.


I'm a fiscal conservative and that's the core of almost everything I've said on here. Foxnews used to be conservative. Now they are GOPe except for a couple of peeps. GOP used to be conservative, or I thought so, but no matter who gets elected, GOP or Dumbicrats, our national debt goes up. Barry took it from a lil over 10t to probably 20t in his presidency. So nice.


So I didn't leave fox, fox left us. I didn't leave the GOP, they've left us.


So there it is. Don't care much about social conservatism but fiscal conservative through and through.

And when I say embarrassed, I'm talking about some of the personal shit I've said to other posters. Not my positions.

Just imploding

And that's what we need, but The Donald is there to pick up the pieces and beat the crook in November. I hope. That's if she's not in jail.

Do you really think a majority of the electorate is going to vote for him in the general? Honestly?

After 8 more months of him being roasted in the media? I think we could see record turnout from people making sure he's stopped.

Cruz seems MUCH more electable to me. So I say Go Trump Go. He might hand us the Senate, too, the more the Anti-Trump vote gets energized.

I honestly have NO idea this year. It'll be fun though. I just hope the GOPe gets dismantled. Problem is the lil bitches will just blame Trump.


My twitter has a bunch of tweets of peeps pulling their support of Cruz, because he blamed Trump for the dustup last night. But that's MY twitter so that needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Seems like the whole narrative has been changed from Republican vs. Democrat to Pro-Trump vs. Anti-Trump. I believe that doesn't end well for him.

It would obviously help if the GOPe stopped fighting him and got behind him. I expect that to happen a little more, if he gets the nomination, but there will still be ppl who won't vote for him. But there were a lot that stayed home with Romney too.


Not sure what, or how much, to read into the voter turnout this season. More excitement on the Republican side. I think Bernie's supporters are excited, but think there is a little Clinton fatigue. But that's coming from a conservative and a Hillary hater, so there's that.


Early votes in Florida are showing voters who voted this year, but haven't for previous 2 elections. I think Trump is ahead in early voting.


But the excitement with the Pubs this year could be as much of anti-Trump as pro-Trump. Hard year to read.

Rubio is ahead in FLA in early voting.

Oh that's right. Didn't they attribute it to the Puerto Rican vote?


Damn, Trump was ahead in early voting somewhere because they were saying that Trumps numbers had dropped and if they all voted on election day, he would have less votes. But must've been Pacifico's working. My bad.

Trump still up in polls though in fla. the areas that are reporting early results are Rubio's strongest

Seems like the whole narrative has been changed from Republican vs. Democrat to Pro-Trump vs. Anti-Trump. I believe that doesn't end well for him.


You mean like this? Made by Trump supporter. It has Repubs on demeaning Trump at the end. This isn't just a hit piece on The Bern. Might be hard to get through.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GepGO6HqL3o&feature=youtu.be

That seems pretty desperate to me. Trying to tie Bernie and BLM together as one rings a bit hollow when they stole the mic from him and tried to humiliate him at his own rally and he's pulling 10% of the black vote to HRC's 90% in some states. Almost the entirety of the black political leadership has come out for HRC and against Bernie. Killer Mike being one exception.

Yes there are radicals in the BLM movement, just as there is the KKK on the opposite extreme. You don't need me or anyone else here to pull the Trump video reel that got him into this position, where even his own party is piling on him as the cause for violence. A presidential candidate offering to pay people's legal fees if they get arrested for beating on anyone who protests, not condemning a supporter that says "next time we might have to kill" a protester is unequivocally a bad look.

You reap what you sow. Trump's in the middle of the circular firing squad, and his supporters on the right can't even blame it all on the radical left and "the animals" anymore. But this video shows they'll still try.

I see your points, but BLM was there last night and so were Bernie supporters. I'll have to watch to see if he tried to tie them together.


One of the tweets in my TL said that Moveon or someone associated with Moveon took credit for some of the disturbances last night, fwiw. I didn't click the link though to see if true.


I doubt Cruz and Rubio really think last night was all Trumps fault, but politicians will do whatever it takes to win an election. I think that's more what that's about, but could be wrong.


Obama had this groundswell of support that came out of no where, imo. Hillary had won a couple of primaries when along came Obama, iirc, and trounced her. It was unstoppable. Trumps support isn't like that, but its a strange thing that happens when someone gets behind someone that previously were somewhat unknown. Ouch! I just compared Barrack to Trump. lol


Also, about Rubio leading in early voting in FL. Trump is asking for an investigation. lol.

And yes I do know that some of the Chicago protesters had Bernie signs.

Just a second late on that lol

I heard that move on was trying to do a petition to get the rally cancelled but they were told it was too late because the venue and security was all booked and paid for.

I haven't went to their site to read what their official word is/was on it.


Overall, its like the truth doesn't matter on these things anymore anyway. Its all about who can spin it to their advantage.

The truth is hard to know when you don't actually look into anything.


I see your points, but BLM was there last night and so were Bernie supporters. I'll have to watch to see if he tried to tie them together.

Not reading/watching your own links is certainly an example of that.


Obama had this groundswell of support that came out of no where, imo. Hillary had won a couple of primaries when along came Obama, iirc, and trounced her. It was unstoppable. Trumps support isn't like that, but its a strange thing that happens when someone gets behind someone that previously were somewhat unknown. Ouch! I just compared Barrack to Trump. lol

Yeah, you don't remember correctly. Obama won Iowa (Hillary came in 3rd), 3 out of the first 5 primaries and > 50% of the super Tuesday states. You might recall Bill Clinton asking why people were calling for Hillary to end her campaign early saying that no one would be asking a man to do that (which was bullshit). It's easy to compare anyone to anyone when you randomly stick nonsense and false facts together.

The truth is hard to know when you don't actually look into anything.



Not reading/watching your own links is certainly an example of that.



Yeah, you don't remember correctly. Obama won Iowa (Hillary came in 3rd), 3 out of the first 5 primaries and > 50% of the super Tuesday states. You might recall Bill Clinton asking why people were calling for Hillary to end her campaign early saying that no one would be asking a man to do that (which was bullshit). It's easy to compare anyone to anyone when you randomly stick nonsense and false facts together.


oh, ok.

These Black Lives Matters people have to get lost. They've jumped the shark. Not even sure what they are protesting about anymore, just a bunch of jokes.

Fuck it, I'm out: Why I finally left the GOP to become a Democrat. https://t.co/1IRqhOqUTz

Josh Barro (@jbarro) October 16, 2016

GOP will probably split in to 2 different factions giving dems control of the country for a while. The country will end up like Detroit, Baltimore, etc and we'll be drowing in more debt. Open borders, no military, etc and we will slide down to becoming a 3rd world nation. C ya later middle class!

The country will end up like Detroit, Baltimore, etc

All the white people will leave?

Also, the middle class is being killed by the corporate fleecing of any and all economic gains in the country. How is crew 2 doing?

Dems still blaming business. SMH


You should talk to your candidate Hillary Clinton. She supports them. Read what wiki has leaked about her speeches. oh nvm.

Find a new team yet since every group you join in your "I'm dying and I'm mad about it!" rage falls apart in historic fashion?

Perhaps the Neo-Wigs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Whig_Party)

I've been consistently against Gov't handouts or pretty consistently against them. Liberal policies, gov't handouts will kill the country. That's not some crazy idea, but Hillary and liberals like to make it out to be one. Its a good thing Hillary has all the people getting gov't checks voting for her or she wouldn't be winning.

When "big guv'mint" give a purpose-ful check to someone, for healthcare or education or whatever, the other end jacks up the rates to account for that.

I've been consistently against Gov't handouts or pretty consistently against them. Liberal policies, gov't handouts will kill the country. That's not some crazy idea, but Hillary and liberals like to make it out to be one. Its a good thing Hillary has all the people getting gov't checks voting for her or she wouldn't be winning.

What is your opinion of our defense spending.
Or corporate welfare.

I don't have all the answers but sure know giving away money isn't the answer. But...


Since we have the highest corporate tax rates in the world, I think I'm saying that correctly, WE SHOULD give corporations some of their money back. Or just chase them out of the country with high rates and have Libs bitch about them. We need to reduce corporate tax rates first and then reduce deductions. Our govt is so fucking stupid. Tax high, then give back, etc.


If there is a place where I don't mind erroring on the spending side, its defense. But we need to get rid of friggin liberal thinking in the military. Friggin Obama says global warmig our biggest threat. Didn't John Ferry say Air Conditioners are a threat too. LMMFAO. You can't make that shit up. And some generals fall in line. I think most just want to keep their career going so they agree with that dipshit. But I KNOW money can be saved in the military.

I don't have all the answers but sure know giving away money isn't the answer. But...


Since we have the highest corporate tax rates in the world, I think I'm saying that correctly, WE SHOULD give corporations some of their money back. Or just chase them out of the country with high rates and have Libs bitch about them. We need to reduce corporate tax rates first and then reduce deductions. Our govt is so fucking stupid. Tax high, then give back, etc.


If there is a place where I don't mind erroring on the spending side, its defense. But we need to get rid of friggin liberal thinking in the military. Friggin Obama says global warmig our biggest threat. Didn't John Ferry say Air Conditioners are a threat too. LMMFAO. You can't make that shit up. And some generals fall in line. I think most just want to keep their career going so they agree with that dipshit. But I KNOW money can be saved in the military.

I'm not even sure if you are being serious or not. I was making a half hearted jab at an assumed hypocrisy but you took that telegraph punch and turned it into kicking yourself in the testicles and vomiting out of your nose. God I love you.

House Stafford sends its regards.

God help us

I don't have all the answers but sure know giving away money isn't the answer. But...

... Our govt is so fucking stupid. Tax high, then give back, etc.

... But I KNOW money can be saved in the military.

Tahoe's fundamentally correct in his conclusions. Our tax system rewards gaming the tax credit system to a greater degree than most anyone, and is less transparent than most countries. A fair bit of our corporate tax code dates back to the good old days when assets weren't easily movable internationally. And yes, we have a lot of stuff lumped in as defense spending that is crap, often having little or nothing to do with our military. Too many have latched onto defense spending as a way to bypass now-traditional congressional do-nothingness. Some good stuff is buried in that, and some bad.

Y'all can rant about Tahoe's old-man-yells-at-cloud rantings. I could join in. Global warming isn't a threat? Really? Here's what our military has to say about it:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/sep/14/military-experts-climate-change-significant-security-risk

But, I'm not inclined to do that when he ends his paragraphs with reasonable criticism.

A couple of months ago, we had a thread where we discussed W's legacy.

How does "destroyed the Republican Party" sound?

It looks like Odumba destroyed the Dems much more than the Bush destroyed the GOP.

That's why Obama's still quite popular... Bernie too. Fuck, people are even talking positively about Obamacare when they see it threatened.

Clinton destroyed the Dems, pure and simple.

Fast forward a few uneventful years later, Bernie won the inauguration, and we have this:

L0PzmRfxvz0