Thread: The GOP in Meltdown

Originally Posted by Milkman

It's very possible that the Dems could have 60 Senators in 2010.

true, but it's also very possible that the dems could have 60 by the end of this year.

once franken gets seated they'll be at 59, and if that crazy loon bunning follows through on his threat to step down, the dem gov of ky will appoint his replacement.

will it be hours, days or weeks before steele steps down as (alleged) chair of the GOP?

^ chris cillizza disagrees:

So, is Steele's chairmanship over before it ever really started?
No. And here are five reasons why:
1. No More Drama: The Republican Party is reeling from a disastrous 2008 election and a race for party chair that publicly exposed the fissures between its warring factions. The last thing the party needs now is further chaos at the top, which is what would almost certainly ensue if Steele was ousted.

2. Symbolic Suicide: In the after-action report of the 2006 and 2008 elections, Republican operatives concluded that one of the party's biggest problems was that they were viewed as the party of old white men. Putting Steele atop their party infrastructure was a move greeted with a sigh of relief by the GOP's professional political class. Pushing Steele aside just over a month into his tenure would send the exact wrong message about who the Republican Party is and where it's going.

3. If Not Steele, Who?: The field for RNC chair was roundly panned as lacking any real star power. Among a group of largely unknown party chairs from around the country, Steele was the only candidate who could make the case that he could be a star thanks to his personal magnetism and charisma. While that bet hasn't paid off to date, there's not an obvious candidate who could step into the void if Steele was knocked out.

4. Procedural Problems: National party committees are ruled by a series of arcane rules and procedures for doing just about anything. (Ask anyone who attended the RNC chair election; it seemed to go on forever.) Removing a party chairman, not surprisingly, is not something that can be done quickly or easily.

5. Positive Movement: After a month occupied by a huge internal review led by a committee of 10 RNC members, the senior staff is starting to fall into place. Ken McKay, a former chief of staff to Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri, was named executive director on Thursday, and today Trevor Francis, a managing director in Burson-Marsteller's media practice, will be announced as communications director. Putting the senior staff in place should quiet some of the chatter that the committee is off the rails.

well, it will be interesting to see what he says/does next.

last week's quote about abortion being a choice was priceless.


White House Cheat Sheet: Five Reasons Why Steele Stays - The Fix

Unemployed rednecks will vote for Palin or amonkey after the Obama fiasco

Originally Posted by abcdrom

Unemployed rednecks will vote for Palin or amonkey after the Obama fiasco

They did in the last election and didn't seem to make much difference.

After several years of calling the shots in Washington, Republicans now find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being the minority party.

Georgetown University expert Stephen Wayne says the Republicans are in for a time of soul-searching and internal debate.

"It is going to be pretty ugly," he said. "It is going to be very disjointed and it won't be until we have the next presidential election cycle that a leader will emerge to articulate this policy. So, the Republicans are in the wilderness right now and it is no fun to be in the wilderness."

For the time being, the Republicans find themselves opposing a popular new president during a time of economic crisis.

Republican Ken Duberstein served as President Ronald Reagan's chief of staff in the late 1980's, but he broke with the party last year and endorsed Barack Obama for president.

"President Obama right now is usually popular with the American people," he said. "And like Ronald Reagan, they are rooting for him, they are rooting for him to succeed because then America succeeds."



Republicans have developed their own budget plan to counter the president, mindful that they were criticized for merely opposing the stimulus plan without offering a detailed alternative of their own.

Ken Duberstein says the party has some work to do to adjust to their new role as the loyal opposition.

"The Republican Party cannot just be the party of 'no'. They need to be seen as helping govern as well. I think it is incumbent on the Republican Party not to sacrifice its principles, but to meet the president halfway. That is what the American people are looking for," he said.

VOA News - Republicans Try to Adjust to Opposition Role

At least the GOP have developed an 'alternative' budget plan- although it lacks detail. Looks like they'll be in disarray for a while until a viable leader emerges. But will he be from the Limbaugh faction, or a more moderate, conservative Republican? For that matter, are there any moderates left in the GOP? You don't hear much from them.

Some interesting perspectives, this time from a conservative commentator:-

Recently we've seen endless articles about how lost and disorganized the national Republican Party is and how the future for Republicans looks bleak.

Well, that may or may not be the case.

What many who believe the Obama administration and the Democratically controlled House will fail don't recognize is that President Obama, despite encountering a rough ride as of late, remains popular with much of the nation.

If Obama loses steam, it will be under the scenario I recounted in my book "Paranoid Nation," one in which he has admittedly liberal policies turned into darn near socialist ones by a speaker of the House who represents one of the most liberal districts in America and has nothing to lose in pushing his policies farther to the left.


But four or even two years is a long time in politics. And Republicans, or even conservatives and Libertarians who have abandoned the GOP but most likely must hope for the revival of the party in the next few years, can't build their party up by simply knocking the other party down.

As I've noted before, the only times I've seen Republicans take control of government is when they had not only policies they could attack, but truly bold ideas they were proposing. Just uttering the phrase "tax cuts" won't win elections anytime soon.

First, they should return to the GOP's one-time position that term limits are a good thing for the U.S. House and Senate.
Second, move beyond the rhetoric and actually push to pass the elimination of the IRS, and for the implementation of the Fair Tax.
Third, make a list of federal agencies and departments that can either be consolidated or eliminated. George W. Bush campaigned on a promise to eliminate the Department of Education.
Finally, like John Kennedy's goal of landing men on the moon, create a 10-year goal of restoring America's manufacturing strength to that of the days of JFK. Provide a list of laws to be eliminated, incentives to be provided and a definitive means of measuring progress.


If you don't believe me, just look at the last election. Many laughed at the Obama campaign's promise of "real change." They aren't laughing now. He meant it.

There may be a call for "real change" in another direction down the road.


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Real change is right. Socialism on the way. And I have this vision that bambam wants to rule the whole world. I'm sure Rahm is working on it now.

Originally Posted by sabang

After several years of calling the shots in Washington, Republicans now find themselves in the uncomfortable position of being the minority party.

Um, how long have the Dems been in control of Congress? And their approval rating is?

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

And their approval rating is?

at a four year high.

Gallup: Congress approval rating at four-year high - On Politics - USATODAY.com

get better informed.

^^ Higher than it's been for four years actually, but still low.

The author was Chairman of Newt Gingriches political organisation- definitely one of yours.

the meltdown continues....in full public view:

Even before Barack Obama double-dared them to cough up their own budget, House Republican leaders were quietly drafting a set of conservative budget principles to convince voters – and their own rank-and-file – that they aren’t just The Party of No.

Minority Leader John Boehner, Minority Whip Eric Cantor, GOP Conference Chairman Mike Pence and Rep. Paul Ryan worked for weeks on a plan, staffers say, without any serious philosophical disagreements.

But over time, Cantor-Ryan and Boehner-Pence camps split over questions of tactics and timing.

Pence, with Boehner’s blessing, wanted to unveil an abbreviated “blueprint” Thursday to counter Obama’s criticism and arm members with new talking points heading into this weekend – even if it meant that their plan wouldn’t have much in the way of details.

Cantor and Ryan wanted to wait until Ryan’s staff produced a fully-fleshed-out alternative to Obama’s $3.6 trillion spending plan, with specific numbers on spending and tax cuts – even if it meant waiting a few more days to get it out.

Cantor and Ryan ultimately caved in, and what they got was the worst of both worlds: a thin, glossy “blueprint” that was ridiculed by Democrats and cable news anchors, and a nasty internecine scrap that culminated with one GOP aide telling POLITICO that Pence had thrown Ryan “under the bus” in an “egocentric rush” to grab the spotlight.

Privately, some Republicans are worried that the split over the budget blueprint portends the kind of internal squabbling that afflicted the party during the height of its power at the beginning of the Bush administration.

“It was an unmitigated disaster,” said one House GOP aide of the Thursday roll-out. “We’ve got to figure out why this happened — and fix things fast.”

“Obama’s getting in their heads,” said a senior House Democratic aide. “They are totally obsessed with not being called the Party of No – and it’s forcing them to make mistakes.”

House GOP split on budget - Glenn Thrush and Patrick O'Connor - POLITICO.com


good times.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

Originally Posted by sabang

I've got to believe that somewhere, away from the media spotlight and public bickering, there must be some serious brainstorming happening...

Ah, do you think the DNC is that bad?

Originally Posted by sabang

Maybe guys like this pretty boy may represent a new generation of Republican leadership, here he is, Jetties poster boy -

He is not yet tainted by Chicago slime (to my knowledge). Get 'em while they're young. He's gotta be smart -- wasn't sucked in by the libbies even when he he was young.

Smart as well as having standards and morals.

The Republican party is embattled on all fronts, and this fact is further exacerbated by the quite astounding state of denial emanating from the Republican Right. At least in this pundits opinion- they are causing huge damage to their cause.

Rush Limbaugh illustrated it best, with his comment (following the defection of Sen. Arlen Sanders) that John McCain and his daughter should follow him to the Democrats! Amazing. He was your Presidential nominee.

I suppose a staunch Democrat hopes that the Right will get it's way- leaving the GOP as appealing to a narrow, demographically declining support base- and tubthumping a discredited political philosophy in the eyes of the average voter. But I don't- I think a mature democracy begs for a credible opposition, and I find the situation in the US right now downright strange. I mean, where is a good old fashioned small 'c' conservative to go these days?

It's either the Democrats, or bitter factionalism camped in an uneasy alliance with the populist, mainly blue collar Republican Right. Or relegate yourself to political obscurity as an Independent I suppose. Strange days indeed.

^just a few years ago karl rove was talking about a 'permanent republican majority'.

how ironic that it was his style of divisive and toxic politics that played a major role in pushing the republicans into irrelevance for the foreseeable future.

and the changing census data doesn't bode well for the republicans either.

maybe the whigs will make a comeback and become the number two party in america.

^ as long as the GOP freaks don't jump board, it's all good for the GOP, they should keep up the good work

Originally Posted by sabang

The Republican party is embattled on all fronts, and this fact is further exacerbated by the quite astounding state of denial emanating from the Republican Right. At least in this pundits opinion- they are causing huge damage to their cause.

Rush Limbaugh illustrated it best, with his comment (following the defection of Sen. Arlen Sanders) that John McCain and his daughter should follow him to the Democrats! Amazing. He was your Presidential nominee.

I suppose a staunch Democrat hopes that the Right will get it's way- leaving the GOP as appealing to a narrow, demographically declining support base- and tubthumping a discredited political philosophy in the eyes of the average voter. But I don't- I think a mature democracy begs for a credible opposition, and I find the situation in the US right now downright strange. I mean, where is a good old fashioned small 'c' conservative to go these days?

It's either the Democrats, or bitter factionalism camped in an uneasy alliance with the populist, mainly blue collar Republican Right. Or relegate yourself to political obscurity as an Independent I suppose. Strange days indeed.

Or the dem party moving more to the right, which it is doing steadily IMO, ( just as corporatized as the right..) and a new TRUE liberal left coming in -the Greens..

The latest blow- Obamateam has picked a Republican Representative, John McHugh of New York, as Secretary of the Army. He accepted, with alacrity.

Mr. McHugh was a highly regarded and popular House Republican. He held one of the minority party’s plum committee posts, serving on a panel that has a reputation for bipartisanship, one where Republicans can have substantial effect on military policy.

Many more junior Republicans aspire to reach his level and his decision to resign was no doubt interpreted by colleagues as proof that he does not expect Republicans to be back in charge any time soon, since he would be passing up a powerful chairmanship.

Not only did the party lose a respected, seasoned veteran, it won another special election in New York, where Republicans had already lost a race they probably should have won earlier this year, coming up short in a bid to win back a House seat.

At the same time, the fact that Mr. McHugh’s departure would at least temporarily reduce New York’s once substantial Republican delegation in the House to a total of two members was a vivid reminder of the party’s steep decline in the Northeast.
“We would rather not lose John, and no one wants to lose another seat,” acknowledged Representative Peter King, one of those last two Republicans in New York.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/us...ll.html?ref=us

If the GOP loses this By-election, blimey. Only two Republicans left representing the whole north-east, and the Dems safely in control in both Houses of Congress- whilst succesfully playing the 'bipartisan' card.

Seems like moderate Republicans are very happy to jump ship these days. Thanks Rush, thanks Dick.

The original caption to the cartoon read, "I don't understand it. Yesterday there were 30 of us".

Polar bear = hawkish leftists, ie, William Kristol; penguin mask = neocon term; penguins = Republican Party. Trotskyites like Kristol came to the Republican Party calling themselves "neo-conservatives" and succeeded in destroying it from within. They still sit at the table and no one says anything.

Excellent article, that says it the way it is Imo- demographically, the GOP is stuffed unless it reforms. The Young, Latino's and Blacks are overwhelmingly Democrat- and they determine the balance of Power.

"the demographics of America are changing in a way that is deadly for the Republican Party as it exists today. A GOP ice age is on the way."


"Many will support an alternative strategy: stand pat, fight it out on fiscal issues on which the GOP has strong support and exploit liberal-Democrat excess. In the short term, that could work, but eventually the demographics will win out. Saving the GOP is not about diluting conservatism but about modernizing it to reflect the country it inhabits instead of an America that no longer exists."

For Republicans, the Ice Age Cometh - TIME

Written by a GOP political consultant.

^ I would agree in the broader sense, SB. GOP needs to update.