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GOP on the Comeback Trail
A victory in Congress, a victory in a Louisiana Congressional race — it's amazing how quickly a party's fortunes can turn around.
The Republicans are on a winning streak. They captured Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat, pulled off an upset in Louisiana by defeating William (Frozen Cash) Jefferson, and are enjoying the sight of the Democrats caught in the “culture of corruption” – with embattled House Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich as featured players. Then they stopped (at least in the short run) the Democrats’ car bailout bill in its tracks, exposing the UAW as intransigent by refusing to immediately modify wages in order to save the Big Three, which employs its members.
All in all not bad for a political party which only a few weeks ago was supposed to be dead and irrelevant. What happened?
Pundits and prognosticators forget that politics isn’t played in the abstract. Columnists can debate the future of conservatism all they like but back in the real world actual bills (e.g., the car bailout) and real politicians (e.g., Blago) test how skilled and effective each side is in getting its narrative before the public.
In the car bailout Sen. Bob Corker did a masterful job in hearings exposing the huge gap between the UAW and wages being paid to non-union auto workers elsewhere in the U.S. while pressing his colleagues to force meaningful reform of the Big Three. He didn’t say simply “no bailout.” Instead, he explained that taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize losing propositions that will continue to lose money without real restructuring. He offered his alternative, which would demand that the Big Three match its competitors’ wage structure. When the Democrats’ bailout went down to defeat, the New York Times explained: “The collapse came after bipartisan talks on the auto rescue broke down over GOP demands that the United Auto Workers union agree to steep wage cuts by 2009 to bring their pay into line with Japanese carmakers.” Round #1 to the Republicans. (President Bush seems intent on handing back the hard-earned victory, but Republicans nevertheless should be pleased by their effort, which is the first step toward proving they aren’t Bush Republicans.)
In the Blago affair, once again, the Democrats fumbled the ball. First, the president-elect gave parsed responses, denying flatly that he hadn’t spoken to Blago about his Senate seat. Then, as the media vultures swarmed, he offered to collect information on his transition team’s contacts. But not even liberal columnists were satisfied. As the Washington Post’s Eugene Robinson put it:
In handling questions about the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich — for allegedly trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s former Senate seat to the highest bidder — Obama has gone strictly by the book. His statements have been cautious and precise, careful not to get ahead of the facts or make declarations that might later have to be retracted.
For most politicians, that would be good enough. For Obama, who inspired the nation with a promise of “change we can believe in,” it’s not.
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Jennifer Rubin is PJM's Washington, DC, editor. She also blogs at Commentary’s Contentions.
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92 Comments
1. Mary:The only reason Chambliss didn’t get 50% in the general election is because he ticked off conservatives with some of his voting. Over 100k voted for the Libertarian. In the run off Chambliss won because there was no other option and despite what some in the media would have you think there was no huge call for ‘change’. Not in Ga. anyway, Martin got 300k less votes in the run off than he did in the general so all of those new votes cared about was electing Obama. And my bet is more than half of that was based on skin color alone.
Dec 14, 2008 - 3:57 am 2. formwiz:A couple of years ago, the Demos were all chortling about, “Merry Fitzmas!”. Well, they finally got it.
Forget payback, schaudenfreude really is a bear.
Dec 14, 2008 - 4:07 am 3. Perry:Mary,
You are spot on. Overall in the nation, 90+% of blacks voted for Obama. How many of those people knew much, if anything, about Obama’s policy positions? How many knew anything about Obama’s legislative resume (not much to know about)?
They voted black, period.
And if that isn’t racial prejudice A/K/A racism, what is?
Regarding the Blago scandal, my guess is that it has many long tentacles, one of which is wrapped around the neck of the incoming Chief of Staff, another graduate of the Chicago school of political success.
Dec 14, 2008 - 4:44 am 4. seven:It sure looks like Obama is in on The chicago Way. He set up base camp where he is most comfy. He can schmooze the MSM but not the FBI. He will not report his findings. He is on tape with the wire taps and knows he can’t twist his way out of them.
Dec 14, 2008 - 5:32 am 5. Gary Ogletree:We also know inflation hits chicago and he may have paid less for his senate seat.
There are several benchmarks the Republican party needs to meet before I will register as a member or send another dime: Elect a dynamic person like Michael Steele for Chair. Get serious about making Country First more than a great slogan (need a lot of work here). Get a clue why Sarah Palin appeals to so many people who have contempt for both parties. Oppose any candidate that has the smell of corruption about them. That would be a good start. Conservatives have an opportunity to earn long term supporters by practicing principles and making integrity the first value. Let’s not blow it.
Dec 14, 2008 - 7:51 am 6. Saint Patton:I couldn’t agree more with Gary O., this is a prime opportunity for the GOP to cull their ranks of the ethically-challenged as a counterpoint to the DFL’s Rangel, Dodd and Fwanks. Force Pelosi to live up to her heretofore ignored claim of “the most ethical congress ever.”
And yes, Palin would be a good start to rebuild what was lost with the McCain nomination, a non-beltway personality that appeals to the tens of millions of average Americans who don’t attend Manhattan cocktail parties or vacation in the Hamptons.
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:26 am 7. robert verdi:2010 is the test
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:28 am 8. Golfer:GOP on the Comeback Trail! HA HA HA! What a desperate joke. Did you see loser John McCain on ABC’s “This Week” today. What a weak, sleazy sell-out to the GOP. The GOP will never again win Michigan and Ohio in the electoral college since they have blocked the phony Auto bail out bill. The GOP is just as corrupt and evil as the Dems. They are lining their pockets from lobbyists, and the moronic voters of the U.S. continue to re-elect the same corrupt shake down thugs to congress.
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:35 am 9. The Historian:IS LIBERAL CALIFORNIA THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG?
The country might be able to preview it’s future in the current mess on the left coast:
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/12/california-liberals-utopia.html
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:41 am 10. Rotwang:It’s kind of sad when “not losing everything in sight” constitutes a “winning streak.” But I guess you have to take what you can get.
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:48 am 11. merle:To put it crudely, the dems “blew their wad” on Obama. Now, the first “black” will be in the White House, and blacks will not be so excited and motivated the next time the same situation comes around.
Dems will not be so easily elected in the future without Obama’s coattails to ride on. The proof is how Chambliss’ election turned out, and how Jefferson was ousted by a Republican in New Orleans.
Once you hit bottom, we all know there’s only way you can go.
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:54 am 12. Heidi:comments@whitehouse.gov Email the Whitehouse, NO TO THE BAILOUT….
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:57 am 13. Valerie:Gary O,
If they do that, they can sweep up a lot of people from the big middle.
Dec 14, 2008 - 10:11 am 14. Войска ПВО:seven writes:
“He can schmooze the MSM but not the FBI. He will not report his findings. He is on tape with the wire taps and knows he can’t twist his way out of them.”
Exactly! One wonders how much of this crap the FBI is withholding for the sake of national stability in perilous times. It is hoped that the entanglements are uncovered, warts and all. The idiot, unthinking American [Idol] Hopenchange public voted this vaporware crook in, and they should understand what their votes bought them. As someone posted above, “schaudenfreude” [sic] is going to be something to savor.
Dec 14, 2008 - 10:21 am 15. cedarford:Perry:
Mary,
You are spot on. Overall in the nation, 90+% of blacks voted for Obama. How many of those people knew much, if anything, about Obama’s policy positions? How many knew anything about Obama’s legislative resume (not much to know about)?
They voted black, period.
Incorrect. Blacks typically vote 90-94% for Democrats. Obama was a long time fixture in a majority black urban community. Rural whites may know nothing of his legislative record and community organizing results – but blacks in Chicago and through them and the media after Obama’s “Superstar” 2004 speech, and 2004 run against a mildly deranged black opponent – other blacks familiarized themselves with the “possible 1st Black President’s record of legislation” in a way whites did not until late in 2008.
They liked what they saw.
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Rubin may be over-optimistic in tooting her horn about elections recently favoring Republicans in the Deep South. No one questions the ability of Republicans to win in the demographically and geographically shrinking “Old Fundamentalist South”. Just the other 70% of the rest of the country.
The news gets worse when you consider that Arizona, Texas, Montana, Nevada are also trending Democratic and may go Democrat in 2012. On top of the now-solidifying losses of Colorado, Virginia, N Carolina to Democrat hands…And it doesn’t help that the Southern Evangelicals are back to Mormon and Catholic-bashing again.
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Ogletree – Get a clue why Sarah Palin appeals to so many people who have contempt for both parties.
Au contraire! You need to get a clue why the Fundie Goddess struck out so badly with Independents, youth, hispanics who have contempt for both parties and rejected Republicans in 2008 no small part because they made the underqualified, 30-year old ideology-spouting Palin their “star”. The charismatic newcomer and her memorized “attack dog” slogans only appealed to the Republican Base – which hated McCain.
Dec 14, 2008 - 10:36 am 16. David Thomson:The Republicans can also defeat “global warming” legislation. The odds are definitely in their favor. They merely need to remind voters that this nonsense will severely empty their wallets. A large number of people naively believe the costs are but a few pennies here and there. The actual reality will turn them against the Democrats and liberal Republicans. To be very blunt: the Democrats cannot win on this issue!
Dec 14, 2008 - 10:59 am 17. Citizen K:Cao’s win in Louisiana’s 2nd District was a fluke. Jefferson’s campaign was out of money from the Dem primary and runoff. There were no new funds that came in. There was no support financial or otherwise from DCC or DNC. Without street money for $20 expense checks paid out to those receiving van and car rides to the polls certain neighborhoods just did not show up at all. In fact these had less than a 10% turnout. In the meantime those with above a Orleans Parish Public School education (meaning smarter than a 3rd grader) voted overwelmingly for Cao.
The real win was in NW Louisiana with Fleming defeating Carmouche. Carmouche was a law and order good ole boy DA AND Obama’s campaign was calling for his supporters from throughout the state to go help him. Instead a political newcomer retained the seat in the 4th District for the GOP. This district shifted ever so slightly leftward with a number of Katrina transplants from New Orleans.
Dec 14, 2008 - 11:05 am 18. Darvin Dowdy:Way too early, Ms Rubin, for high fives. The GOP has a long way to go in getting its dysfunctional house in order. So far they’re clueless and heading in the wrong direction.
Dec 14, 2008 - 11:28 am 19. Word Pro B:Mary & Perry above – right on the mark.
Ogletree – M. Steele is a moderate and wants to move from right back to the center (or left thereof) away from strong conservatism ( http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16329.html ) He’s not the right person for the RNC Chair. Moderates like Steele, Bush and McCain are the reason 7 million GOP voters Stayed at Home on 11/4/08. And the reason we lost control of the House/Senate on 11/7/06. Darvin Dowdy
When are the Republicans going to smarten up and start calling Barrack Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and the rest of the Democrat Cabal Bush Democrats?
Dec 14, 2008 - 11:41 am 20. Claire Solt:Since they and Bush seem to be soul brothers and sisters when it comes to excessive spending and Bankrupting the Country compared to the vast majority of Republicans.
I agree with Shelby Steele when he says that gult ridden whites voted for Obama as redemption. That making history bit is a one trick pony. Whereas, the black vote is typically Democrat, the enthusiasm for a black candidate increased the number of black votes, if not the percentage.
It is my opinion that Dems have won by superior organization and strategy, Obsessing about ideology and message is a lazy man’s way of avoiding the hard work it takes to win.
Dec 14, 2008 - 11:44 am 21. Princess:I live in Northern Virginia and I can tell you that Michael Steele is a very good guy. I have seen how he has brought all Marylanders together.
Dec 14, 2008 - 11:48 am 22. David:I do hope he is the head of the RNC.
“Nixonian” is how the media would describe Obama’s handling of the Blago situation, if The One was a Republican.
Dec 14, 2008 - 11:51 am 23. Charlie (Colorado):The reports of the demise of the GOP were premature; the recovery is therefore overstated.
Dec 14, 2008 - 12:42 pm 24. The Bunk:Dumb people following second rate “columnist” Jennifer Rubin. This is such a sad state of affairs, and we wonder why our country is in such bad shape, it is due to the absurd stupidity of the population, excellent examples shown above.
Dec 14, 2008 - 12:56 pm 25. HEWLESS:CLAIRE, You are correct, organization, acorn, 700 million dollars of funky money, and enough dirty tricks to fill a book. McCain/Feingold was the icing. No move to the left, just a Chicago thug, and its thugettes..
Dec 14, 2008 - 12:57 pm 26. Mike:I think the author’s optimism is a bit premature. Obama gave up on Georgia during the general election and the Jefferson loss in Louisiana is far from shocking and both states are red. If there is no wrong doing by Obama’s team in the replacement of his IL senate seat that will quickly blow over.
The key to the GOP rising from the ashes is Obama. As his administration goes so will the opportunities of rebirth or lack thereof for the GOP. The nation has little appetite for the GOP’s usual character assassination, ideology driven moral posturing. The country is in need of serious leadership in very dire circumstances.
What works to Obama’s advantage is that is not hard to look competent in the wake of the Bush administrations cronyism and ineptness at home and abroad. But that is not going to be good enough. Obama is going to have to lead America through perilous times that will require leadership, tough decisions and skillful communication.
It appears he has assembled a team with the right mix of talent and experience to do it and unlike his predecessor he is a gifted communicator. The challenge will be execution. If Obama can make the right decisions and effectively execute policy, the GOP will remain on the outside looking in which based on the last eight years is exactly where they belong.
Dec 14, 2008 - 1:20 pm 27. bobby b:“The GOP will never again win Michigan and Ohio in the electoral college since they have blocked the phony Auto bail out bill.”
– - – -
If the automakers are forced to rethink and rebuild (which will be the only route that might allow them to survive), the economic activity generated by auto manufacturing is going to spread out quite a bit, and neither MI nor OH are going to continue to be dominated by UAW voices.
Those regions remain well-stocked with very qualified industrial employees, however, and once they lose the entitlement attitude that holds that any wages that are below the historical Big-Three-Plant levels are paltry, I’m guessing they become a large attractant for new industry.
Which means that, in eight years or so, both MI and OH will be voting consistent with what you’d expect to see from states with young (but growing) industrial sectors, low unemployment, and a renewed work ethic.
(You think entrenched UAW “I put these seven bolts into cars eighty-six times per day for $150k per year” line employees have been voting Democrat? C’mon . . )
Dec 14, 2008 - 1:31 pm 28. cowgirl:Hope and Change – Transparent Government. The One. The Messiah. “I am voting for Barack Obama because he will pay my mortgage and put gas in my tank”. The guy isn’t even in office yet and my question to all you moonbats who voted for Obama is “How is Obama working for you”. T
Dec 14, 2008 - 1:35 pm 29. Michael:This is a dumb column. Chambliss was a shoo-in once it got to a run-off. Jefferson was indicted–unlike Republicans in Alaska, Dems don’t vote for an indicted Congressman, Democratic turnout was half was it was in the general election. Illinois is Illinois, everyone knows half the state is corrupt–Republicans and Dems alike, no one is going to hold that in particular against Dems.
As for the auto bailout, never have I seen Americans so willing to see their fellow citizens’ lifestyle decrease. It is amazing that rather than work to see EVERYONE’s wages increase, Republicans and their shills are more interested in chopping down those who do well through their own labor. Of course, they never suggest chopping down the superrich–after all, who pays these columnists fat salaries?
Dec 14, 2008 - 1:38 pm 30. Fred:Unfortunatly I sense the comeback is about to get a setback in Mini-Soda where the jerk Franken and the Sec. State there are stealing Coleman’s legitimate win
Dec 14, 2008 - 1:46 pm 31. Andrew Ian Dodge:I think you will see a lot of buyers remorse fairly quickly. It will be interesting to see what happens in Obama’s home state after the whole scandal.
Dec 14, 2008 - 2:05 pm 32. Bill Harnist:Let us not get too excited about what this article implies. Remember, the Democrats have ALL the media on their side. The media will circle the wagons around any Democrat, corrupt or not. Let’s see where this brouhaha is in a few weeks . . . it may all be forgotten by by MSM as they go on to another topic. The MSM, not the people, determines what is important for them to report.
Dec 14, 2008 - 2:10 pm 33. Mike:Above Saint Patton wrote “Sarah Palin would be a good start”.
If the GOP is smart they will see Sarah Palin for what she is which is the dead canary in the coal mine. Sarah Palin represents the past not the future. Recall her rallies what did you see and hear? Crowds of largely white Americans, Sarah speaking in thinly veiled “white code” shouting things like “this is the real America where people love their country”. This type of approach is being steamed rolled by America’s changing demographics. If the GOP is stupid enough to follow the lead of the Saint Patton’s in their party they are marching into the coal mind and ignoring the dead canary.
The GOP must broaden its appeal to include more brown and black Americans. That will be a tough balancing act because what gets the base most excited is their hard line immigration stance and their traditional policies the many blacks view as not in their best interest.
Plus Sarah Palin does not appeal to many intellectual Americans of any color and for them it is a great mystery how any American could take her for a serious a presidential candidate. The GOP lost virtually every state with the highest levels of education. Best to keep Sarah on ice up in the Artic.
Dec 14, 2008 - 2:26 pm 34. Affirmative Inaction:Overall in the nation, 90+% of blacks voted for Obama. How many of those people knew much, if anything, about Obama’s policy positions? How many knew anything about Obama’s legislative resume (not much to know about)?
They voted black, period.
And if that isn’t racial prejudice A/K/A racism, what is?
Gee, I dunno what one would call it, given that there’s no precedent for that kind of voter behavior –I mean, you’d never see Polish-/Irish-/Italian-Americans voting for “one of their own” like that, to say nothing of Catholic or Jewish voters doing likewise. Perish the thought!
In other news, the infidels have been thrown back at the gates of Baghdad, and brave Saddam is heroically rallying the forces of Ba’athism to turn back the Anglo hordes…
Dec 14, 2008 - 2:40 pm 35. osalt:What most Religious Right Wing supporters do not understand about the Republican Party?
The element that sells our country out for GREED caters to the Christian Right Wing & supports them for their own greedy objectives. By supporting the morality groups many voters develop a false sense of security by thinking that the candidate from the GREEDY group is of high moral standards and ultimately vote for those candidates. Wake up America!
Dec 14, 2008 - 2:47 pm 36. kelly:cranfeild,
i am African. we voted for Obama because he was black period. whites voted for Obam in Iowa, and we voted for Hillary, when we saw our “boy” had it in him to win, we liked what we saw and heard.
but didnt the irish vote for Kennedy and the Momons for Rommey?
Dec 14, 2008 - 2:48 pm 37. Mwalimu Daudi:Obsessing about ideology and message is a lazy man’s way of avoiding the hard work it takes to win.
But what exactly does the GOP stand for? The problem is not “obsessing” about ideology but the complete and utter lack of any core beliefs that unite Republicans. What is the use of hard work if all that Republicans have to offer is Democrat-Lite?
John McCain was the ultimate Republican candidate for those who prize organization over ideology. Is the GOP united in opposition to higher taxes? McCain never seemed comfortable with the Bush tax cuts, which is why the Messiah was able to out-flank him on this issue. Holding the line on spending? McCain was one of the movers and shakers that got the 700 billion dollar “bailout” bill through Congress. Opposition to earmarks? McCain barely mentioned them in the campaign. The Iraq War? The Messiah has adopted the Bush strategy chapter and verse (although give His rank incompetence I predict that He will still blow it, and that by the end of Obama’s first term the Persian Gulf will be an Islamist lake).
Even the recent defeat of the pork bill in the Senate saw 10 Republicans vote for it. What ideology was behind their “Yes” vote? Opportunism driven by blind terror was their motivation.
The only “ideology” in the GOP today is the wacko belief that they can act exactly like Democrats – greedy, crooked, and stupid – and still stay in power. A little conservative ideology might not be a bad thing right about now.
Dec 14, 2008 - 2:57 pm 38. D Max:Wow, I think you are correct… The GOP has made quite a comeback. Lets do the count: 173 electoral votes, 42 senate seats, 178 house seats, 21 governerships. The GOP needs to get used to these sweeping numbers because Americans don’t buy their lies anymore. I chuckle everytime I hear a Republican on his/her soapbox preaching about fiscal discipline and small government. Funny.
Dec 14, 2008 - 3:06 pm 39. Debbieqd:Dear God! You’re a crazy person! You sound like you’re proud the country is having problems so Republicans can gain power? Fine. Stay with this childish, 5th grade thinking and this Democrat — and the 53,000,000 others like me will grow to 70,000,000 and stay in power for the next century!
Dec 14, 2008 - 3:24 pm 40. stopthepresses2:Nature has a subtle way of warning us of impending disasters, tsunamis, earthquakes, tornados, etc. Is nature trying to warn us today? See the evidence at, http://stopthepresses2.blogspot.com
Dec 14, 2008 - 4:06 pm 41. Keith:As a moderate independent who voted for Bush (the “compassionate conservative”)I can tell you that the Republican party will have to rethink it’s “big tent” before I would ever give it another glance. Bush’s corruption was fairly transparent after ‘04 and yet the entire party circled the wagons around him and abetted his malfeasance. You can’t play guard dog for eight years for policies and crimes that threaten the fabric of this country and expect to come out unscathed.
While you forward your backwoods “just like us” candidates to garner the pick up crowd you govern from board rooms and Wall St cigar clubs. It may take generations to rebuild what the neocon cabal, masquerading as conservatism, has done to our country with the support of the entire Republican party, right down to the last Bubba. America isn’t so short of memory that you can expect another chance to sit at the big people’s table for a long time. Enjoy your petty victories. They will be short lived and farther between in coming years.
Dec 14, 2008 - 4:26 pm 42. Jeff H:You ask, “What happened?” Well, can you say, “l-a-s-t G-A-S-P!” It was good to see Wm. Jefferson go, and I wish Anh “Joseph” Cao all the best in the new Congress. Although, I can still think of some members, in both parties, who should join Mr Jefferson. Saxby Chambliss being amongst them.
As for your article, the Rs are no more on the comeback trail than the American Indians were when they traveled the ‘Trail of Tears’. The Rs will be crying and wandering the wilderness for years. The demographics trends are ALL flowing in the wrong direction for them. Other than the Park Avenue types, their base is older, white, undereducated, and predominantly rural – all declinng demos. GBhas also lost them an entire generation of voters under 30. Politcally, they are fractionalized, regionalized, and marginalized. Don’t forget, that the decennial census is coming up and they don’t have the luxury of a couple of election cycles to recover as they did in ‘92 & ‘76. They have also so badly lost their way that the term ‘conservative’ has almost no meaning in any context which matters – i.e. ‘nation-buidling’ wars which have broken US ground forces and depleted its reserves; growing Govt more than at anytime in the last 50 years; lying to the voters that they can have the ‘free lunch’ of faux ‘tax cuts’ and borrow our way to prosperity (as opposed to the euqally untrue idea that we can tax and spend our way there): doubling, if not, once the economic crisis is passed, having quadrupled the national debt; having obvious inconsistencies to their objections ‘on principle’ (yeah right!) to the interference of Govt in mkts – Unconditinally bailout the banks, the insurers, oh and let’s not forget the airlines! Yet they are only willing to bailout the auto indusrty and install a National AUTOCRAT to oversee the auto industry, IF they can just break the UAW first. A President who will AT BEST compare favorably to the WORST of the Hoover (economy), Johnson (LYING and an unnecesary war), Nixon (criminality and a total disregard for ‘The Rule of Law’), and the Grant adminsitrations (rampant cronyism and utter incompetence). Moreover, the R Party has forgotten that its job is to elect Rs, NOT merely ‘conservatives.’ In fact, you show me the next Presidential candidate who first mentions abortion, and I’ll show you the loser of the next Presidential election! 70% of the country considers that to have been settled law for the last 35 years. Yet, you call THAT being on the comeback trail?!?! Maybe we will all be so fortunate as to have that BE their ‘comeback trail’, and what a l-o-n-g and winding one it will be! So, if that is your idea of making a comeback, then just like the banks, I say, “Please sir, may I have some more?” Pretty please, with some bailouts on it!
P.S. As for the Rs desire to see the UAW broken, well once the Fed and the Treasury get done with initiating SIRP (0 interest rate policy) and the MASSIVE amount of “quantitative easing” which is coming down the pike, EVERY working person in the country will learn the meaning of “debasing” the currency. So, breaking a single union, or not, isn’t going to matter that much in the long run. Oh, and, in my opinion, “Mike, #33″ has it right too.
Dec 14, 2008 - 4:29 pm 43. M. Simon:I could go no, but after a while kicking the dying Rs while they are on life-support loses its alure. It is sort-of like asking “debt banks walking” Citi Group and UBS to become solvent and lend again. Ain’t gonna happen. Both are toast. $45B in taxpayer funded cash and $306B in US Govt guarantees later, and Citi STILL has upwards of $1T in bad “assets” on and off its books and UBS is leveraged at 80 times Swiss GDP. The Swiss cannot save it even they wanted to do so. It would make them the next Iceland if they tried. But I digress.
I was reading today that Obama was not tight with the corrupt Blago regime. He was closer to the corrupt Daley machine.
Dec 14, 2008 - 4:30 pm 44. Paul Revere:Obie and Rambo are keeping their mouths shut and waiting for the Blogo Chicago winds to ebb because they know the American medicated public will soon forgot even their names.
I don’t pray, but now is the time for all good men to pray for the USA.
PS – They burned Palin’s curch. Where is Buba when you need him?
Dec 14, 2008 - 4:35 pm 45. Paul Revere:Your comment is awaiting moderation.
OOPS, too many martoonies,
CORRECTION:
Obie and Rambo are keeping their mouths shut and waiting for the Blogo Chicago winds to ebb because they know the American medicated public will soon forgEt even their names.
I don’t pray, but now is the time for all good men to pray for the USA.
PS – They burned Palin’s cHurch. Where is BubBa when you need him?
Dec 14, 2008 - 4:38 pm 46. A CAN:Childish 5th grade thinking? You fail to recall “Bush lied, kids died!” and how desperately democrats and the press wanted Bush to fail so that they could regain power.
Anyways, my alleigance to the republican party depens primarily on one issue. They must stop national socialist healthcare. If they can do that, then they have my vote in the future and will have the votes of many other people. If not, then those who believe that the republican party will be out of power for a long time will be right.
The people who dislike Governor Palin only do so because it is the cool thing to do. I’ve watched so many people turn against her from pressure by their liberal peers. The media has looped every faux or real mistake she has made and refused to do the same for Obama (57 states, Iran is a tiny threat, anyone?). To help the republican party in the present, we should present the argument that Obama had to get his senate seat from Blagojevich in the same manner that Blagojevich is selling the senate seat to others now.
Dec 14, 2008 - 4:49 pm 47. JohnnyRussia:The GOP is on the “comeback trail?” You are hopelessly delusional.
Dec 14, 2008 - 5:19 pm 48. Louis Wheeler:Nothing I’ve seen so far that is persuasive of a GOP recovery. The deluded on both sides will continue to fool themselves until things get tough. And they will.
The bailouts will not solve our financial problems and every Keynesian act which Bush and Obama do will merely add to price inflation a year from now. We are in for some very hard financial times ahead reminiscent of Jimmy Carter’s Stagflation.
Bush will take the blame for the meltdown, but the double digit price inflation ahead will all be Obama’s baby. It’s not yet clear how bad things will get, because Obama is not yet in office. If Obama does half of what he has promised, then look out.
The Republicans need to position themselves against Obama’s Keynesian and interventionist economics. The GOP needs retire the old guard and field some new clean candidates. It needs to talk up small government, cleaning up Washington and getting the government off the people’s back.
This is Sarah Palin’s agenda. She will be back, stronger than ever. She will give the Left a real reason to hate her. And fear her.
Dec 14, 2008 - 5:23 pm 49. Lorna Doone:Are you nuts? This article just shows how completely out of touch the Republican party is!! There is no comeback-you will be known as the Herbert Hoover party forever. I have never seen a more close minded group of backwards politicians and people. Sarah Palin? haha. That woman is a laugh. Anyone who seriously thinks she is capable of being the president of our country must be either very misinformed, naive or plain dumb.
The other thing is do “you guys” ever objectively look at how angry and ignorant you sound? It is amazing as an outsider.
And no, I am not a Democrat, just someone who is tired of seeing such partisanship. By being so critical and not offering positive suggestions, your actions are truly unAmerican.
Dec 14, 2008 - 5:34 pm 50. Wow:It’s like being in an echo chamber in here. You people seem to feed off eachother and just post sillier and sillier things. Do you realize how removed from reality you all are?
Jennifer Rubin is pretty much the definition of a political hack, but she fits in perfectly on this site.
All the people talking about how the Republicans lost because they were too moderate and how Palin is the next great thing are seriously, verifiably bonkers. Palin was a disaster for the ticket in november and even republicans won’t vote for her in a primary where she actually needs to win on her own, display an ability to use her brain, and stake out policy positions.
Dec 14, 2008 - 5:38 pm 51. bobby b:“You fail to recall “Bush lied, kids died!” and how desperately democrats and the press wanted Bush to fail so that they could regain power.”
– - – -
What’s worse is that they sold and sold and sold that theme, and then the greater mass of American voters – the ones who NEED ten political commercials per hour for the month before elections so they can learn something about the candidates and the issues (?!!) – gradually came to simply accept it as the truth, so that every time some simple-minded voter out there had some stirrings of a politically-related thought, he would just automatically mentally hiccup a little caesura into the beginning and fill it with “Bush Lied”, and then only then could he move on to the rest of the thought.
And Bush didn’t lie, not about any of those things that the lying Dems claimed he lied about. That’s the amazing part – this had to be one of the greatest marketing strategies ever devised.
So we lost to the people who convinced America that cigs taste good, that drinking tons of beer gets you gorgeous women, that good friends sit in their fashionable garden terraces discussing flavored coffees, and that everyone NEEDS to be skinny.
Venal liars, in short.
We need to figure out how we played into their hands. Because we did.
Dec 14, 2008 - 5:42 pm 52. putt:Dumb and Dumber.
The article was dumb, the comments even dumber.
Dec 14, 2008 - 6:18 pm 53. myth buster:Obama will drag us into Great Depression II, and then either Huckabee, Palin, or Jindal will, to you liberals eternal consternation, defeat Obama in a landslide and bring real change: put a serious dent in corruption, end the restrictions on nuclear power and drilling and mining our own natural resources, close that monster known as the IRS, and revive this economy. We could easily have Huckabee, Palin and Jindal, in that order, all get elected President for two terms each.
Dec 14, 2008 - 6:23 pm 54. Kenny W:The GOP on a rebound? If you really believe this, then you guys are really lost. Keep living in denial. GA has been trending strong GOP for a number of years now. The deep south is GOP bedrock. The Chambliss win is not news. Cao? Interesting candidate for sure. But with any other democrat in that district he would have gone down big time. Honestly now, how likely is it he will keep that seat for the GOP over the long term? Interestingly, Cao was actually a community activist. That means he is a RINO (GOP in name only). Blago? The GOP governor before him went to prison for corruption. a corrupt IL governor? Again, not news. Get over it.
Dec 14, 2008 - 6:45 pm 55. Kenny W:I hate to tell you this myth buster, but we have been teetering on the Great Depression 2, and Obama is still a number of days away from taking the oath of POTUS. I get it, so the GOP will win back POTUS by chanting recycled slogans, right? “Joe the Plumber!!” “Palling around with terrorists!!” “He’s really a non- citizen!!” “Secret whitie tapes!!” “Drill, Baby, Drill!!” “Fake birth certificates!!” “Yeah, everyone got’s health care, it’s called the emergency room.” “Tax cuts will fix it all! Honestly, it will this time.”
Chant the words “Liberal, Liberal, Liberal,” over and over again. Chant “socialist” and “terrorist” over and over again, then do it some more.
Yes, go Palin, (”What does the VP do anyway?” Palin?)
Dec 14, 2008 - 6:55 pm 56. bud:BOTH political parties are ALIVE and WELL. Every 8 years or so, a new political wind will blow across the nation. Nixon’s resignation in 1974 didn’t hurt Reagan in 1980. Many voters drift from one political party to another. Many voters simply oppose the party in power whichever party that may be. Both political parties are alive and well. Neither party will die out. That is how America works. You young brats may not realize that as you haven’t lived through enough elections. The presidency is a weak office. Senate leaders have as much or more power. Recessions come and go. The party out of power often has as much power based on the spoiler role.
Democrats weren’t dead in 94, 02 or 04. GOP wasn’t dead in 06 or 08. Setbacks occur in both parties. The older you get, the more you see that the 2 party system is alive and well.
Dec 14, 2008 - 7:07 pm 57. ProfPaul:How weird it is that the once-Democratic Solid South is now concretely Republican, joined only by some Western states. Pray tell how is the GOP gaining any strength among the young, blacks, Latinos, the Northeast, Upper Midwest, West Coast, and union voters? And the author calls THAT a comeback?
Dec 14, 2008 - 7:19 pm 58. Helen233556:To the generation that just voted in its first presidential election the face of the Republican party is George Bush. No less than Dick Cheney warned that the party was being “Herbert Hooverized,” and he should know since he played such a large role.
IF–that’s a big IF–Obama is even moderately successful, Republicans will be relegated to the role of a minority party peopled in the popular imagination by totally out of step obstructionist cranks. Good luck with that.
The contributors to this blog that buy the idea that the GOP is on a winning streak are scary in their denial of reality.
Dec 14, 2008 - 7:21 pm 59. Steve Slatten:This is the most unintentionally humorous piece I’ve read all week. The ONLY reason the GOP won in Georgia is because that state leans heavily Republican anyway. The fact that the Republican senator couldn’t win there decisively the first time is a testament to how badly the party is ailing. If the Republicans can’t win in Georgia and Louisiana, then their party is doomed.
Republicans’ capacity for self-delusion has always baffled me. To consider winning races in the Deep South “victories” is as ridiculous as Democrats claiming victory for winning a house seat in Berkeley.
Nice try, Jennifer, but your party is D.O.A. right now. The sooner you acknowledge that, the sooner you win back Independents like me.
Good luck with that.
Dec 14, 2008 - 7:23 pm 60. Bevo:Reading over the comments only further reassures me that the entire premise of this article is ridiculous. Republicans are in a lot of trouble. Chambliss was certain to win in a head-to-head race and removing an obviously corrupt congressman is hardly a sign of a quick resurrgence.
I’m a liberal and proud of it but what I’m about to say is purely some objective observation.
First of all demographics are moving in a direction that spells doom for the GOP. The GOP’s immigration position and the rhetoric coming from right-wing radio has perhaps driven an entire generation of Hispanic voters into the Democratic Party. Not to mention the fact that the GOP is made up of older voters who will in the future be dying. The youth vote overwhelmingly backed Obama. During that long Democratic primary process millions of new young voters registered Democrat and most will probably remain in the Democrats camp at least into the near future.
Secondly, the GOP is obviously a mess. The big tent has perhaps gotten too big and in-fighting has become a large problem. The GOP can’t decide which direction it wants to go, which is well illustrated by Sarah Palin. The problem is that you’re not going to get Republicans like George Will to support a candidate like Palin. Conversely, it appears as though it was difficult to get those people who loved Palin to be enthusiastic for moderates like McCain.
Thirdly, and I guess this is part of the demographic problem, the GOP takes firm stances on positions that are unpopular with the younger generation. Most notably on the issues of gay marriage and the environment. While this might not be something that will immediately doom the GOP a large majority of those under 30 are very concerned with environmental issues (not just global warming) and support gay marriage or at least civil unions… they certainly do not support a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. While a majority of the nation might be against gay marriage now, in twenty years the majority will be on the side of tolerance.
I could go on with a few more points but this is a comment not a thesis. If the GOP wishes to remain a viable national party it’s going to have to resolve these issues. It needs to attract young voters and brown voters and right now it’s repulsing both groups.
And for those who claim that Democrats are going to bankrupt this country, you need to realize that anybody born after 1975 sees Republicans as the party lacking fiscal responsibility. Reagan and the two Bushes are responsible for our huge national debt… it was Clinton who not only balanced the budget but ran a surplus. That old tax and spend line has not effect on us… we see Rupublicans as the party who cuts taxes and goes to war running up huge debts that we’re going to be responsible for.
But hey enjoy your two little victories. convince yourself that Palin is your savior, do whatever you’d like. i’m a liberal and you’re not getting my vote regardless. but if you would like to compete in the future, i suggest you head my advice. find a message that’s positive and reach out to young and minority voters. if you have to piss off people in the current base that’s what you’re going to have to do in order to compete nationally in the long term
Dec 14, 2008 - 7:56 pm 61. Oceanlake:Not learning anything from their “work” in the 1920’s, their slime-spewing since at least the 1940’s, and their ruinous economic philosophy from at least the 1980’s (with a brief period of sanity in the late 90’s), Republicans—filled with fear, gloating, hate, and servility toward the very rich—want to complete the transition to a theocratic oligarchy.
One I tried to be nice to, and to respect Republicans. No more, except for a few. Now when one utters the usual nonsense, I react and the thing slides back into its lair.
Think this is overreaction? Then answer this question, one of many: Suppose we could go back to the economic conditions of 2000. Would you want to?
Dec 14, 2008 - 8:59 pm 62. Independent Fred:Oh please..PLEASE hitch your wagons to Sara Palin. I’m a socially conservative / Economically Liberal Independent.
Here’s your blueprint for success.
1) Ditch Palin, Hanity, Limbaugh and the other loons.
2) If the GOP is serious about winning conservatives not republicans are the answer.
3)Fresh, sincere conservative faces IE: Steele & Jindal are the future of the GOP.
4)Come up with solutions vs denial regarding Energy Independence, Health care reform, Global Warming,and Tough diplomacy. opposition with no ideas isn’t gonna fly anymore.
5)Finally un-hitch the GOP wagon from big Oil, Wall street, bank exec, Pharmaceutical & insurance companies. That ship has sailed guys.
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:05 pm 63. Kathryn (Petition: We Demand True Conservative Leadership):(1) The message must be Conservatism (not “liberalism-lite).
(2) No more compromising to get things done. Conservatism works. Republicans must fight for it.
(3) Our leaders must learn how to TEACH Conservatism and become media savvy.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/we-demand-true-conservative-leadership.html
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:43 pm 64. Dolmance:The article’s tone reminds me of Hitler in the bunker during the last days, celebrating over the death of Roosevelt and sure things were starting to look up.
He was insane. So is the writer of this article. But if they think a couple of victories deep in Ku Klux Klan country is a winning streak, then so be it. The more up these people get, the more down they’re gonna be tomorrow.
Now that the Republicans are being exposed for the cult they have become, watching them implode has become one of life’s indispensable little pleasures.
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:47 pm 65. fred:When Americans see what the Obama administration and Congress have in store for us, they will rue the day they were asleep at the switch. We are about to have imposed on the nation a very brutal, hard cap and trade or carbon tax system that will sap the life out of any economic recovery. I’m not making this shit up. Your utility bills are about to go through the roof, and steep taxes on fuel are about to be a reality.
But, hey, you people wanted to have economic policy based on energy policy based on junk science. And you are going to get it so hard you are going to howl.
Want to know why the stock market has tanked since the election? Markets anticipate events, and investors don’t like what they see coming down the road.
The kiddies who voted for Oobonga are about to get the Jimmy Carter lesson we got when we were their age back in the Seventies.
Dec 14, 2008 - 9:57 pm 66. A CAN:First of all, I can see from many of the comments that some liberals believe that the only way for republicans to win again is to sacrifice their core values. They say: to win an election you must attract younger voters by believing in gay marriage and strict environmental legislation and abortion. A little bit of a history lesson – all those young liberals from the sixties grew up, and many of them became conservatives. Wisdom came with age. So will the young men and women of this age. They will understand that the false premise of equal outcome fails every time.
Also, now that a black man has become president, I would watch to see them trend towards the republican party. Obama, for all the bad he represents, also represents something good. Blacks will no longer feel as inferior or unequal as they did in times before and will begin to reach out to new opportunities provided by enhanced status. It is with these opportunites, that democrats will begin losing their support. Blacks will understand that their money is and has been stolen from them by taxes, they will understand that the democratic party doesn’t represent the religious values that they hold.
Secondly, it took a democrat 32 years before they could win an election with over 50% of popular support. If republicans want to look towards winning elections, they definitely don’t need to listen to democrats. This is proven by the election this year. The media would say such wonderful things about how McCain was the strongest candidate to face the democrat, that he was so strong, so moderate, a respectful republican. They beat that message into the ground until people believed it and here’s where we’re at.
Dec 14, 2008 - 10:05 pm 67. george:The majority of the country has long since moved on from the right-wing kooks – no one with a modicum of intelligence believes or supports anything you folks believe in.
Dec 14, 2008 - 10:17 pm 68. mshatto:The GOP isn’t dead, just off balance from the last elections and deservedly so. Political power swings back and forth between two groups of plutocrats who have been actively raiding our nation’s treasuries and are busy transferring our wealth to the professional crooks, Wall St, the unions, and other assorted “self” interest groups, that put the puppets in power. The GOP will gain a few seats in the 2010 elections and after that we’ll see a divided gov’t in 2012. What few leftists tendencies the “Anointed One” still has after the brutal realities of the position of POTUS and our dire economic situation set in and the scandalous behavior by the thugs that surround “O” disgusts the nation, will be checked and power will ebb back to the Right. This country is too divided, the problems too entrenched and our leadership too inept or corrupt for any one group to maintain a lengthy grip on power. The US entered a very restless period back in the early 90’s and it will be quite a while before we see one group have an extended hold on the reins of power.
Enjoy it now “Donkeys” and apostles of “O”, because, the stench of corruption is already very strong . Not even POTUS yet and a special prosecutor knocking on the door. Not good.
Dec 14, 2008 - 10:53 pm 69. Neferi the devil chaser:There are very numerous left wing hacks even here. The problems of all the world DID NOT begin eight years ago, your 52% WILL NOT become 70% under ANY circumstances, and these republicans are not the first to hope their opposition has trouble so that they can regain power. The white share of the population still sits well above the 80% mark and is NOT going to plummet below 50% in the next 20 years, contrary to the opinions of certain ethnic nationalists. There is, and was, also so NO trend toward belief in the promises of Socialism; open criticism of statist policies had begun to be heard even from – gasp- journalists- on such sources as CNBC. You would not have even remotely heard this ten years ago. The rest of the world is rapidly abandoning statist absolutism for more market based economics. If the US were to be alone in doing the opposite, it will permanently decline and recede. Magic Barry’s cabinet does NOT consist of talented geniuses, but is much like the Bush cabinet; some mediocre professionals along with feudalist inheritors and rich kid sycophants banking off of family connections. The trend toward the latter is a serious – and general – phenomenon. DO NOT imagine that education and intelligence are represented by leftist politics. It has always been the trend for this largely right of center population to reverse course, voting against the group that won last time. There’s no reason to believe it will depart from this history. The only question is will it be enough to undo the damage.
Dec 14, 2008 - 11:43 pm 70. bill force:And by the way, I will permanently boycott any products (i.e GM or Ford cars, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream) built by unions or organizations connected to the democratic party.
GOP coming back? Maybe.
But today, I thought I saw the U.S.A. at it lowest point. The coward wasn’t throwing his shoes at just my President, but our Presidency. It wasn’t funny. It was pathetic. Pathetic that CNN made fun of it. That Daily Kos thought it was a riot.
For me, that was unacceptable. The thrower got away with a slap on the wrists. If I was nearby, I’d have knocked his teeth down his throat.
Dec 15, 2008 - 12:31 am 71. Jessie:Thanks for writing this most informative article. I think the pressure should be put red-hot on politicians who take money from powerful interest groups like the SEIU, that promote such acts as the “Employee Free Choice Act”. Politicians allow false meanings to paint over foundational concepts such as individual liberty with their support of groups and unions like the SEIU. Free choice does not mean that you hand over your freedom to your union leader! For politicians to be bought off with campaign money from the SEIU is criminal, and is a main reason why our country is in such financial and moral confusion.
Jennifer Rubin is one of my favorite writers.
Dec 15, 2008 - 1:14 am 72. John Skookum:“Sarah speaking in thinly veiled ‘white code’ shouting things like ‘this is the real America where people love their country’.”
Well… it is indisputably the case that she was visiting areas where people express higher levels of patriotic feeling, serve in the military more, and care less about what European intellectuals think than the lotus-eating urbanites who voted for Obama. And her ticket was running against a man whose wife had made plain her feelings that America is “mean” and unworthy of pride. Whether it was politically wise to point this out is a different question.
Moreover, I don’t buy the “white code” allegations. Politicians of all stripes have been telling their base that they are the “real” America for two centuries. It’s manufactured racism, just like the allegation that speaking of “socialism” was code for “black”, or the allegation that raising the specter of lily-white Bill Ayers was bigoted because Ayers is a terrorist and most terrorists are Muslim. What a ridiculous, race-baiting stretch that was. I could as easily say that criticizing Gov. Palin this way is sexist, because she’s only performing the usual attack-dog role that many male VP candidates filled before her.
Dec 15, 2008 - 1:45 am 73. Johnny Smith:Please… The race in Georgia was lost on election night. Chambliss got 49.9% with all of the blacks turning out to elect Obama. No one expected Chambliss to lose Georgia, a bright red state on the redneck riviera.
Dec 15, 2008 - 4:02 am 74. David Jones:Louisiana wasn’t that much of a surprise either. The people simply saw two candidates and one of them was a criminal. They voted for the non-criminal.
As for the auto bailout, the vote was with the old senate. The new and improved senate will have seven or eight more Democrats and a Democrat in the bully pulpit. This Democratic government will have the power to dry up some of the southern strongholds on the vine. He who controls the purse strings…
As for Rangel and Blagojevich, the Democrats are already working to remedy these problem areas, some thing the gop has not been willing to do with Foley, Craig, Stevens, Vitter, etc… The people are going to witness which party takes action on ethics problems and which party only talks a good game.
Jennifer Rubin wrote: “The Republicans are on a winning streak. They captured Georgia’s U.S. Senate seat, pulled off an upset in Louisiana by defeating William (Frozen Cash) Jefferson….” So, the Republicans barely hang on to (rather than “capture”) an incumbent seat in a state that has very reliably voted Republican for 40 years, and take a House seat from a Democrat the FBI videotaped accepting a $100,000 bribe and who serves in a state that has been trending Republican for several years, and this is the GOP on the comeback trail? If trends like this continue they’ll be back in the majority by 2052.
Dec 15, 2008 - 4:32 am 75. quasar:Don’t forget Prop 8. The GOP can beat the Dims like a rented mule (save it SPCA) if they can keep running Adam & Eve vs. Adam & Steve on alot of future ballots.
Dec 15, 2008 - 5:00 am 76. quasar:A new threshold has been crossed with this election. OUT- traditional speech writers. IN-Neuro Linguistic Programmers. A community organizer has mule kicked millions of folks using obvious nlp stuff. Our next Messiah could be out there somewhere today selling Time-Sharing. Me thinks that the GOP needs to counter this hideously deceptive form of communication before rallying.
Dec 15, 2008 - 5:33 am 77. Robert Hurley:I love this deluion and encourage all of you to continue to believe it. It is great for the Democrats
Dec 15, 2008 - 6:31 am 78. Michael:Comments to this kind of article are always hilarious. No, the Republicans are not “finished”. No, the Democrats will not reign for ever and ever. No, the Democrats are not moraly superior to Repblicans, or vise versa.
There will be no real change until a third “Centrist party” comes out and takes everyone but the nutty fringes of both parties.
Dec 15, 2008 - 7:29 am 79. fear Obama:Thank God he cant be removed from office. (Democrat controlled)
Could you imagine that idiot Joe Biden as president?!?!
And if something happened to him -OH! SHIITE!!!
NANCY PELOSKI?
Dec 15, 2008 - 7:51 am 80. Sjspring:How do you direct a leaderless party., Corker showed leadership by presenting the reasons for opposition to a bailout as opposed to negotiating a government structered bankrupty using co-herent arguments. What did we get from Sen. John McCain. More of his bi-partisian, get along, maybe we should wait and see, don’t do any thing drastic BS. It’s not like having to drop everything durring a campaign to find a solution to a financial crisis. He’s back in the Senate where he belongs. And I’m sure he’s with the President who can’t quite grasp why he’s not called a conservative after 8 years and 2 vetos and he’ll be with the next President because he’ll be able to say with a straight face that i’ts a good compromise when no-one gets everything they wanted. There will be no kind words for McCain from “the base”. And he ain’t the leader of the Republican party. That will be determined in 2012 where I’m looking forward to taking back the Republican party and the Presidency.
Dec 15, 2008 - 9:33 am 81. Nashville Photography:I don’t want the GOP to come back. The have proven themselves weak and corrupt. I wish we could finally make headway with libertarian ideas.
Dec 15, 2008 - 3:05 pm 82. Neferi the devil chaser:Once again, delusion I do not have. The hubris of the Socialists is defeaning when they lose, defeaning when they win, defeaning when they don’t know which it is — which is always. Your insolence is good for me. I know now to write your country off.
Dec 15, 2008 - 5:30 pm 83. Isaac Grove:THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS THE PARTY OF LINCOLN, NOT REAGAN. GO TO BLOODY SCHOOL, ITS THERE FOR YOU TO LEARN. YOU STUPID DIXIECRATS WHO HATED LINCOLN(AND YOU WERE PROBABLY TAUGHT THIS BY YOUR PARENTS) ARE AGAINST GAY CIVIL RIGHTS, USE RELIGION AND TRADITION AS A COVER-UP. ITS COMPLETELY REVERSED. DEMOCRATS NEED TO GO BACK TO BEING THE ANTI-FREEDOM PARTY, and REPUBLICANS NEED TO BEOMCE THE PRO-FREEDOM, GAY, FISCAL PARTY THAT LINCOLN SET IT OUT TO BE!!!!!! I’M RUNNING FOR MAYOR OF MY CITY WHO IS CURRENTLY A CHICAGO-BORN DEMOCRAT!
Dec 15, 2008 - 5:38 pm 84. Larry:GOP you need economists!!!
Toyota has HALTED completion of an auto plant in Mississippi; the plant is 95% completed, but fear of a Big 3 bankruptcy had them stop. Big big problems would be the great difficulties for Toyota and others to obtains parts and other supplies as those type of businesses rely GREATLY on Detroit. Bankruptcy would cause major harm to the other auto companies.
Dec 15, 2008 - 6:24 pm 85. Neferi the devil chaser:GOP you need economists. Incorrect. Industries and businesses have been abandoned, eclipsed, outmoded in all ages in all places. It is the change that is inevitable in all the universe. Do you suggest that anybody, anywhere, whose failure will consequences for someone other than themselves be shielded from the world and anything that might go wrong? This would be nice but it isn’t possible. There is a great deal of disruption when changes occur, but there is nothing to do but bear it. These auto companies would be better off in bankruptcy where they could make the kinds of changes that might give the only shot they have at becoming true players once again. But of course, no. After this bailout, they will be back in a few years to say that unless they get another bailout they will go bankrupt. It is a failed strategy to permanently welfarize companies whose products have no market and too few buyers.
Dec 15, 2008 - 8:24 pm 86. Nelda in God's country:I was attracted by “pajamasmedia.com” through Michael Yonn’s great articles (for those who don’t know, Michael has been imbedded with our troops in Iraq and now Afghanistan longer than any journalist and BTW reports honestly). Feeling thankful for patriots like him and appreciating Jennifer Rubin’s optimism and positive outlook on politics, I read the first few comments with a smile on my face (felt nice), then the cynicism, negativity, name-calling comments that seem to be everywhere! On Newsvine, and other blogs—the mud and mire are thick, weighting people down in our country! After hearing a psychiatrist who reported on brain research on PBS the other night show on brain scans what constant negative thinking does to the brain (leading toward earlier memory loss and dementia), I believe it’s time for girl to only read the articles and leave the comments to patriots with stronger stomachs! Some of you who were courteous and thoughtful in your comments; you are greatly appreciated.
Dec 15, 2008 - 10:35 pm 87. oilsaintoils:…..& the best bit is ” How many of those people knew much, if anything, about Obama’s policy positions? How many knew anything about Obama’s legislative resume (not much to know about)?”
Phrased as a question maybe because he hasn’t the balls to say he really wants to say outright as a statement then follows up with:
“They voted black, period”
with out even remotely qualifying the statement oops I mean “question”
& the icing on the cake is:
“And if that isn’t racial prejudice A/K/A racism, what is?”
this after all of the above……
poor subducted , oppressed conservative ..oh my heart bleeds for you Perry
Dec 15, 2008 - 10:49 pm 88. Jim:Well…I’m a registered Republican in Maryland. My vote generally does not count anyway. I contributed to the McCain campaign, and wish I could get a refund. McCain was really a Democrat posing as a Republican…as are about 50% of the Republicans in the House and Senate.
If the Republicans will run on real Rebublican platforms, us taxpayers might just get excited again.
Dec 16, 2008 - 6:46 am 89. Fred:Rubin is wrong often – i’d read her stuff leading up to the election and judge from that. And while Americans may oppose the bailout, if GM goes under – and waves of Americans – from dealships to advertising – sink into unemployment – they will blame the party responsible. For a party that supposedly supports Joe Six Pack, Republicans might want to remember who wroks the lines at GM and Ford – it ain’t Left Coast liberals…
and they SURE won’t forget…
Dec 16, 2008 - 11:04 am 90. Wilson:Thanks guys for making it so easy for us in the future. Just keep harping on being more conservative, drive away the moderates, obstruct and obstruct any and all plans to save the economy, cozy up closer to the fundie Christians, throw in the overt racism and rejection of non-white Republicans and voila: the permanent minority party for the next 50 years.
Really guys, I sincerely mean it, thanks from the bottom of my rectum. It could not have happened to a more deserving group of people….you stay classy Republicans.
Dec 16, 2008 - 4:32 pm 91. Michael:Wilson, I bask in your hate.
Dec 17, 2008 - 2:44 pm 92. Jack:Republicans are not on any “comeback trail”, are you kidding me. You guys will grasp at anything to help yourselves feel better about the beating you just took. Forgetaboutit, the Republican brand is clueless. It’ll take a good 10 years to gain any appreciable ground. So get used to being on the outside looking in, while Obama shows you how to run a country.
Dec 18, 2008 - 10:13 pm