I know that the mainstream media has been trying like hell to frame everything the far right GOP does as a false equivalency with the Democratic Party but even they won't be able to successfully spin away Senator Robert Bennett's defeat yesterday. In the last few decades nobody can point to a Democrat who was as reliably liberal as Bennett was reliably conservative in voting records who was ousted as an incumbent before even having the opportunity to run against an opponent in a primary. And what exactly was Bennett's great offense? One vote. The vote for the bank bailout that while hugely unpopular probably did in fact keep our banking and financial industry from totally crashing.
Unfortunately in this case rather than trying to draw a false equivalence, the MSM will just ignore it and act as if it never happened. Its sad that unless they can try to paint a story as something both sides do the media would rather just look away than actually have to report the facts. It is what it is...
Showing posts with label purity tests. Show all posts
Showing posts with label purity tests. Show all posts
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Just Stay The Hell Out Of The Way
By now hopefully most of you have heard that some members of the RNC and the Republican wingnut base want to conduct purity tests on candidates and current members of Congress so they can decide to deny funding to the campaigns of Republicans who do not pass said test. I think this is the greatest idea since sliced bread honestly and just about the only thing that will make this backfire on to Democrats is if we get in the way of what is sure to be a cannibalistic blood bath in the Republican Party next year.
What we need to do right now while they are having intraparty fights is concentrate on getting legislation passed. Oh sure we can do like we did back in grade school and when one GOP candidate challenge's another's conservative cred we can pump it up and make a big deal out of it in an effort to get the other guy to escalate the beef even further. But to me that should be the extent of it. These imbeciles are going to kill their electoral chances all on their own, they don't need any help at all.
Don't worry about generic ballots and polls right now, the mid term elections are still a year away. What Democratic strategists should be doing is tracking just how many contradictions all of the Republicans and I mean ALL of the Republicans are making in order to move to the right and win their primaries. As I said before the wingnut base doesn't give a shit about consistency. All they care about is conformity. So calling out their contradictions now don't really harm them at all, and it allows them to kind of catch themselves and not make too big a fool of themselves. Hell you already see Crist starting to flip flop BACK to his original position of supporting the stimulus. Thats not really what we want to have happen. We want him to stay on the wrong side of history and then bust his ass when the general comes around.
If we just keep documenting all the flip flopping it is going to be startling to general election voters in the middle how many hoops Republican candidates are willing to jump through in order to appease their base. Especially on issues having to do with global warming, something most people who aren't Republicans accept as reality. We want whomever to come out alive from a Republican primary to look like a wingnut right wing boogey man to the average person. And I can promise you that if we just stay out of the way and let them have at it, thats exactly what will happen.
Not only does this mean we won't lose as many seats as folks think we will right now, it also means we will pick up some seats that people aren't counting on. Arlen Specter had it right earlier this year when he switched parties (although I know a lot of people still aren't happy about that). He said that these wingnut groups putting wingnut candidates up to challenge Republicans who are already pretty far to the right by most folks standards don't really give a shit about winning and losing elections. For them its about taking the Republican Party as far to the right as they can go even if that means nobody trusts them to ever run the country.
So please folks, for the love of all that is good and cuddly, lets just sit on the sidelines for most of these fights. A little goading is ok once in awhile but lets not make ourselves a target that they can end up unifying behind. And lets not do such a great job of pointing out their hypocrisy NOW that they end up changing course and pulling back from the cliff.
Hell if they wanna jump, lets let em jump!
What we need to do right now while they are having intraparty fights is concentrate on getting legislation passed. Oh sure we can do like we did back in grade school and when one GOP candidate challenge's another's conservative cred we can pump it up and make a big deal out of it in an effort to get the other guy to escalate the beef even further. But to me that should be the extent of it. These imbeciles are going to kill their electoral chances all on their own, they don't need any help at all.
Don't worry about generic ballots and polls right now, the mid term elections are still a year away. What Democratic strategists should be doing is tracking just how many contradictions all of the Republicans and I mean ALL of the Republicans are making in order to move to the right and win their primaries. As I said before the wingnut base doesn't give a shit about consistency. All they care about is conformity. So calling out their contradictions now don't really harm them at all, and it allows them to kind of catch themselves and not make too big a fool of themselves. Hell you already see Crist starting to flip flop BACK to his original position of supporting the stimulus. Thats not really what we want to have happen. We want him to stay on the wrong side of history and then bust his ass when the general comes around.
If we just keep documenting all the flip flopping it is going to be startling to general election voters in the middle how many hoops Republican candidates are willing to jump through in order to appease their base. Especially on issues having to do with global warming, something most people who aren't Republicans accept as reality. We want whomever to come out alive from a Republican primary to look like a wingnut right wing boogey man to the average person. And I can promise you that if we just stay out of the way and let them have at it, thats exactly what will happen.
Not only does this mean we won't lose as many seats as folks think we will right now, it also means we will pick up some seats that people aren't counting on. Arlen Specter had it right earlier this year when he switched parties (although I know a lot of people still aren't happy about that). He said that these wingnut groups putting wingnut candidates up to challenge Republicans who are already pretty far to the right by most folks standards don't really give a shit about winning and losing elections. For them its about taking the Republican Party as far to the right as they can go even if that means nobody trusts them to ever run the country.
So please folks, for the love of all that is good and cuddly, lets just sit on the sidelines for most of these fights. A little goading is ok once in awhile but lets not make ourselves a target that they can end up unifying behind. And lets not do such a great job of pointing out their hypocrisy NOW that they end up changing course and pulling back from the cliff.
Hell if they wanna jump, lets let em jump!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Two Words For You, "The Abyss"
I haven't posted much on the NY23 race mostly because I was too busy sitting over here laughing my ass off about it. This is the case study on why I predicted earlier this year that the GOP isn't headed into the wilderness, but into the abyss. This pretty much goes back to John McCain picking Sarah Palin as his VP candidate. She came to embody what a substantial part of the Republican Party thinks they should be, at least from all her rhetoric.
Proud to be stupid, inflexible, dogmatic, irrational, underqualified, and hyperbolic.
That is the "base" of the GOP now. And for them its all fine and good to lose elections as long as they ran as "conservative" a race as possible and polarized people. They don't give a shit about polls, or science, or the will of the people. All they care about is their own ideology and everybody else are the crazy ones for not subscribing to it.
Now you have what should have been an innocuous special election for a House seat in northern New York which by all accounts should have been an easy win for any Republican candidate. But you see Sarah Palin's GOP will not take yes for an answer. For them it isn't about whether or not the GOP can build their numbers back up. No, for them its about the strictest litmus test possible for the Republican candidate. When the woman who was nominated by the local GOP, Dede Scozzafava, didn't fit in that box because she held some moderate positions, the "base" of the party, you know the Tea Baggers who swear they don't care about the GOP, decided to put up their own idealogue, Doug Hoffman, who of course has no idea of what the hell the job entails.
Hoffman is quite simply a Sarah Palin clone. Proud to be ignorant of the needs of that district. Oh so proud to be an idealogue. And built up by people who don't really give a shit about NY23 but instead their own political futures. But hey why let that keep him from ruining the Republicans chances of winning a seat that has been in their possession for literally over 100 years.
I will just let the paper of record from that district, the Watertown Daily, which initially endorsed Scozzafava, take it away now.
Now here is the rub. Should Bill Owens win on Tuesday the right wing base of the GOP will actually count this as a victory. Leave aside the fact that Scozzafava would have agreed with the GOP in Congress on probably something like 98% of issues. Better yet she probably would have voted with them 99% of the time. And we all know that ain't happening with Owens.
No for them as long as they don't have a "RINO" in office that is all that matters.
Now we Democrats have our own problems with DINOs. But the difference is we don't mind folks having a different opinion or point of view, as long as they don't obstruct their own party. The base of the GOP now wants nothing less than blind allegiance to what they claim are conservative views. Doesn't matter that their "god" Ronald Reagan had some of the worst economic ideas in our country's history. Doesn't matter that the "culture wars" of years past are now passing their party up with the younger generation. Doesn't matter that the demographics of the country are changing in such a way that their lack of minority outreach will only increase in importance going forward.
They. Don't. Care.
So if my fellow Democrats are smart we will largely just stay out of the way and let them eat their own. This one fire that doesn't need any more gasoline added. Just let the flame wars go and then sweep away the ashes when its time to count votes.
It is what it is.
Proud to be stupid, inflexible, dogmatic, irrational, underqualified, and hyperbolic.
That is the "base" of the GOP now. And for them its all fine and good to lose elections as long as they ran as "conservative" a race as possible and polarized people. They don't give a shit about polls, or science, or the will of the people. All they care about is their own ideology and everybody else are the crazy ones for not subscribing to it.
Now you have what should have been an innocuous special election for a House seat in northern New York which by all accounts should have been an easy win for any Republican candidate. But you see Sarah Palin's GOP will not take yes for an answer. For them it isn't about whether or not the GOP can build their numbers back up. No, for them its about the strictest litmus test possible for the Republican candidate. When the woman who was nominated by the local GOP, Dede Scozzafava, didn't fit in that box because she held some moderate positions, the "base" of the party, you know the Tea Baggers who swear they don't care about the GOP, decided to put up their own idealogue, Doug Hoffman, who of course has no idea of what the hell the job entails.
Hoffman is quite simply a Sarah Palin clone. Proud to be ignorant of the needs of that district. Oh so proud to be an idealogue. And built up by people who don't really give a shit about NY23 but instead their own political futures. But hey why let that keep him from ruining the Republicans chances of winning a seat that has been in their possession for literally over 100 years.
I will just let the paper of record from that district, the Watertown Daily, which initially endorsed Scozzafava, take it away now.
The Watertown Daily Times initially endorsed Ms. Scozzafava as the best-qualified candidate in the race. We still think she is. However, in suspending her campaign she released her supporters' commitment to her. That left voters to choose between Mr. Owens and Mr. Hoffman.
Of the two, Bill Owens is by far the superior and only choice.
The Democratic candidate has demonstrated a willingness to listen to people about ways in which he could help the district as their representative in Washington. Mr. Owens has remained focused on the economy and job creation throughout his campaign. At the same time, he has shown an understanding of the military, a keen desire to help dairy farmers, an ability to work with labor unions and an eagerness to learn more about the vast, 11-county district that he hopes to represent.
Mr. Owens seems to approach politics and challenges with an open mind, a generous spirit and a can-do attitude. He has conducted a dignified campaign in comparison to Doug Hoffman.
Mr. Hoffman is running as an ideologue. If he carries out his pledges on earmarks, taxation, labor law reform and other inflexible positions, Northern New York will suffer. This rural district depends on the federal government for an investment in Fort Drum and its soldiers, environmental protection of our international waterway and the Adirondack Park, and the livelihood of all our dairy farmers across the district, among other support. Our representative cannot be locked into rigid promises and policies that would jeopardize these critical sectors of our economy.
For a member of Congress, there may be a time to promote reform in Washington, but there is also a time to work within a system that best serves the people you represent.
It is frightening that Mr. Hoffman is so beholden to right-wing ideologues who dismiss Northern New Yorkers as parochial when people here simply want to know how Mr. Hoffman will protect their interests in Washington.
The race has changed, but voters still face an important choice. Northern New York must send to Congress a representative who serves their interests first and foremost.
The Times endorses Bill Owens for Congress.
Now here is the rub. Should Bill Owens win on Tuesday the right wing base of the GOP will actually count this as a victory. Leave aside the fact that Scozzafava would have agreed with the GOP in Congress on probably something like 98% of issues. Better yet she probably would have voted with them 99% of the time. And we all know that ain't happening with Owens.
No for them as long as they don't have a "RINO" in office that is all that matters.
Now we Democrats have our own problems with DINOs. But the difference is we don't mind folks having a different opinion or point of view, as long as they don't obstruct their own party. The base of the GOP now wants nothing less than blind allegiance to what they claim are conservative views. Doesn't matter that their "god" Ronald Reagan had some of the worst economic ideas in our country's history. Doesn't matter that the "culture wars" of years past are now passing their party up with the younger generation. Doesn't matter that the demographics of the country are changing in such a way that their lack of minority outreach will only increase in importance going forward.
They. Don't. Care.
So if my fellow Democrats are smart we will largely just stay out of the way and let them eat their own. This one fire that doesn't need any more gasoline added. Just let the flame wars go and then sweep away the ashes when its time to count votes.
It is what it is.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
D'oh
Greg Sargent makes a very astute observation about Michael Steele's bad timing.
The problem for Steele of course is that he is hamstrung by his own party. Right now the inmates are running the asylum so any true attempt at outreach will be seen as weakness and met with scorn and derision. The GOP has convinced itself that it is the voice of the American people. And no matter how many times the American people shout from the hills in elections and polls that they don't agree with the GOP, Republicans still aren't trying to hear it. Recently the talking point I have heard is that the American people just haven't caught up to the GOP way of thinking yet, but supposedly this will all change soon. Yeah, good luck with that. I don't hold Michael Steele in high regard at all but right now he is in a no win situation. You can't have the party pushing to purify itself and expect to bring people into the fold. So while Steele is going to get fired eventually and some of it will be his fault, the truth is the problems the GOP is having are fundamental and not likely to change anytime soon no matter who is leading them.
This is some unfortunate timing: RNC chair Michael Steele will launch a new effort today to proclaim that the GOP is making a comeback — less than 24 hours after newly released polling revealed in fresh detail that the Republican Party is in extraordinarily dire straits.
Steele will make a big speech today to RNC officials which focuses the party on “winning the future.” He has an accompanying Op ed in The Politico that proclaims that the “Republican Party has turned a corner.”
But unfortunately for Steele, this bold assertion comes right at the moment when the political classes are digesting new Gallup polling that finds the number of people self-identifying as Republicans has plunged among almost all demographic subgroups.
Other optimistic noises coming from Steele today are similarly challenged by polling data. Steele’s Op ed claims that the GOP represents the “concerns of a majority of Americans.” But a recent New York Times poll found that only 20% trust Congressional Republicans to make the right decisions about the economy, and only 27% trust them to make good decisions about keeping us safe.
The problem for Steele of course is that he is hamstrung by his own party. Right now the inmates are running the asylum so any true attempt at outreach will be seen as weakness and met with scorn and derision. The GOP has convinced itself that it is the voice of the American people. And no matter how many times the American people shout from the hills in elections and polls that they don't agree with the GOP, Republicans still aren't trying to hear it. Recently the talking point I have heard is that the American people just haven't caught up to the GOP way of thinking yet, but supposedly this will all change soon. Yeah, good luck with that. I don't hold Michael Steele in high regard at all but right now he is in a no win situation. You can't have the party pushing to purify itself and expect to bring people into the fold. So while Steele is going to get fired eventually and some of it will be his fault, the truth is the problems the GOP is having are fundamental and not likely to change anytime soon no matter who is leading them.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
A Major Coup
President Obama just took a potential 2012 rival off of the chess board.
Now make no mistake, there are major benefits for Jon Huntsman in this move also. I believe he can see the writing on the wall when it comes to his own party. Right now they are going through a purity purge and the truth is in 2012 its likely they won't have any room for moderates. So his running for the Presidency in 2012 would have probably failed in the primary. However a lot of people believe that at some point his party will get tired of losing and wake up to the realization that if they no longer elect moderates then they will no longer be sustainable as a national party. You combine that with the experience he will gain as being ambassador to the country we are most reliant on right now in terms of financial dealings and you have the makings of a strong candidate in 2016. But there is no way for the GOP to spin this as anything other than an indictment of the state of their party. And at the same time it gives President Obama even more bipartisan cred and burnishes his reputation of being a person who isn't afraid to work with his rivals. WIN!
Utah Gov. Jon M. Huntsman Jr. (R) will be introduced today as President Obama's choice as ambassador to China, a source familiar with the decision said last night.
Huntsman, 48, was mentioned this spring as a potential Republican contender for the White House in 2012, and Obama's former campaign manager recently suggested that he is a rising force in the GOP.
Several Salt Lake City media outlets reported last night that Huntsman had accepted the offer to head the U.S. mission in Beijing, and that Lt. Gov. Gary R. Herbert would replace him as governor. The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Huntsman was in Washington last night, but that calls to his spokeswoman and various staffers were not returned.
Huntsman was elected in November to a second term as Utah's governor, drawing 70 percent of the vote. He served in the George W. Bush administration as deputy U.S. trade representative from 2001 to 2004 and, for President George H.W. Bush, was ambassador to Singapore. He is an expert on China, and he speaks Mandarin Chinese fluently.
Now make no mistake, there are major benefits for Jon Huntsman in this move also. I believe he can see the writing on the wall when it comes to his own party. Right now they are going through a purity purge and the truth is in 2012 its likely they won't have any room for moderates. So his running for the Presidency in 2012 would have probably failed in the primary. However a lot of people believe that at some point his party will get tired of losing and wake up to the realization that if they no longer elect moderates then they will no longer be sustainable as a national party. You combine that with the experience he will gain as being ambassador to the country we are most reliant on right now in terms of financial dealings and you have the makings of a strong candidate in 2016. But there is no way for the GOP to spin this as anything other than an indictment of the state of their party. And at the same time it gives President Obama even more bipartisan cred and burnishes his reputation of being a person who isn't afraid to work with his rivals. WIN!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Oops Up Side Ya Head
Remember this recent statement from wingnut Republican Senator Jim DeMint?
Well today the NRSC apparently took a shot at DeMint in their statement defending their endorsement of Florida Governor Charlie Crist in the Senate race next year.
OUCH. Obviously them using the number 30 was not just a coincidence. At this rate Democrats won't have any work to do next year, the GOP will have done all the attacking for them.
“I would rather have 30 Republicans in the Senate who really believe in principles of limited government, free markets, free people, than to have 60 that don’t have a set of beliefs.”
Well today the NRSC apparently took a shot at DeMint in their statement defending their endorsement of Florida Governor Charlie Crist in the Senate race next year.
“The Republican Party is a big tent party that welcomes different points of view. Obviously there is a small group of folks who would prefer to see 30 ‘pure’ Republican Senators with a litmus test for candidates. They’re certainly welcome to that viewpoint. We’re focused on rebuilding the party, winning elections and ultimately regaining the Majority so that bills like card check never see the light of day.”
OUCH. Obviously them using the number 30 was not just a coincidence. At this rate Democrats won't have any work to do next year, the GOP will have done all the attacking for them.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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