Is the Republican Party dead?

[Bert Notorius]

Actually he gave on of the best speeches at the 04 convention (which I know is only 4 years ago) and people who actually followed politics knew to watch out for him. I dont think anyone thought it would happen this fast, it was supposed to be Hillary's turn (sorry KRC) but they saw him as a bright star in the party.

Still no one for the Republicans. Im sure someone will rise up but I dont think anyone knows who that is yet. And again, there is a total lack of leadership in the party. Maybe Haley Barbour but he is probably past his prime.

That's why I went back 5. You missed the point.

 

[StormCat]

There's always Palin and Huckabee. I doubt either could be elected President, but I could see them heading a ticket.

I said earlier that the Republicans' bad luck is that they had an obvious person to run this year, but he just as obviously couldn't run: Jeb Bush.

LOL, man yet again I agree with you. He isnt like his brother. In 1998 many thought he would be next. I doubt, he will ever be able to run now though, simply because of his last name.

Palin might have a chance but she also might be like a rookie qb in the nfl. Sometimes they get throw to the wolves too early and as a result, never reach what they might have.

If Huckabee is their best shot the Republican party is dead. He is a good enough dude but not enough to rescue the party. I think.....otherwise he would have won the nomination this time around.

 

[StormCat]

That's why I went back 5. You missed the point.

No i didnt miss the point. You were speaking of BHO, im speaking general leadership in the Democratic party. They stayed the course with their message and as a result, many people came back around to the democratic party. Those that were left after 02 brought the party back, Obama just became the figure head of the party. There is no republican message and there is no leadership within the party.

 

[Bert Notorius]

No i didnt miss the point. You were speaking of BHO, im speaking general leadership in the Democratic party. They stayed the course with their message and as a result, many people came back around to the democratic party. Those that were left after 02 brought the party back, Obama just became the figure head of the party. There is no republican message and there is no leadership within the party.

And OB's message is he is not Bush. In 4 years it will be "I am not OB" and on and on.

 

[coastal-boy]

whatever party loses I expect a split to happen. I think a three party system would really benefit the country.

 

[StormCat]

And OB's message is he is not Bush. In 4 years it will be "I am not OB" and on and on.

Im sure it will, but by who? There is NO leadership in the party, none. Otherwise it wouldnt have gotten to the place where it is.

 

[Bert Notorius]

whatever party loses I expect a split to happen. I think a three party system would really benefit the country.

The wild party.

 

[StormCat]

whatever party loses I expect a split to happen. I think a three party system would really benefit the country.

Is the States Rights party an option?

 

[Bert Notorius]

Im sure it will, but by who? There is NO leadership in the party, none. Otherwise it wouldnt have gotten to the place where it is.

And where exactly is that? 4 points back in the worst economy ever, the most unpopular president ever.

 

[BlackShanglan]

If it is dead, it's terrible news for the Democrats. They still seem intent on running an election platform of "We're not the evil Republicans!" - since it's done so beautifully for them in the last two elections. I'm not sure they'd know what to run on if the Republicans simply vanished. Possibly a "We're not those evil people who aren't here any more!" platform.

 

[a1eyeblind1]

Im sure it will, but by who? There is NO leadership in the party, none. Otherwise it wouldnt have gotten to the place where it is.

Karl Rove just dropped off the radar, I would watch for whoever Yoda is teaching.

Maybe McPalin are just throw aways, Let them loose, Beat up O'Biden for the next four years.
This Economic mess is going to be a disaster, and may just have to run its course like a flu. but the Republicans can mentor someone in the mean time , beat up the democrats and try to make a comeback in four more years...

 

[coastal-boy]

This Economic mess is going to be a disaster, and may just have to run its course like a flu. but the Republicans can mentor someone in the mean time , beat up the democrats and try to make a comeback in four more years...

It is for this reason you may have to wait 8 yrs...there is no money to do anything...all they can do is fix the present problem

 

[RobDownSouth]

The modern Republican party has consisted of three separate factions: the Big Business/Small Government faction (about 20% of all Americans), the Theocracy faction (20%) and the Fascist/Authoritarian faction (10%). There is some overlap between factions.

The Big Business and Authoritarians have artfully played the Theocrats over the years, manipulating them into doing their bidding. They essentially promise the Theocrats a stacked court system to legislate the morality that the Theocrats cannot seem to voluntarily coerce the general public into accepting.

The Big Business folks had it easy during the Reagan years as the Theocrats readily accepted the Gipper as "one of them". Of course, he wasn't, but he gave great lip service. The Theocrats were suspicous of Bush I and Dole, and rightfully so...and the Repubs lost.

The Decider was a harmonic convergence and a high water mark for the three factions: each of them could claim him as one of their own.

This unravelled in 2008: the authoritarians wanted Romney and his jackboots, the Theocrats wanted Huckabee and the Big Business folks wanted McCain. The authoritarians grudgingly accepted McCain after he gave them several months of Bushspeak on the campaign trail, but the Theocrats didn't get on board until Mullah Dobson selected Mrs. Mean Mouth as McCain's running mate....which in hindsight appears to be too little, too late.

So the Repubs are fractured. The Theocrats, having tasted absolute power, refuse to believe they are anything other than Kingmakers and have shown to have unrealistic expectations about power sharing with other Repub factions. The current economic climate has poisoned people against McCain, and the Big Business folks have recognized that they have a losing hand this election cycle.

They'll most likely cede the election to Obama, and count on the Fascist faction to lead the charge to undo the election (a la Clinton/Whitewater sort of smears) to dog Obama throughout his first term.

 

[Powertone]

Name someone who you think will not only bring the party back to its roots but do so in the same fashion the BHO has done for the Democratic party.

can't name a soul...if I could,media would see to it that he/she gets burned to a crisp...there'll never be another strong Rep that'll see the light of day thanks to "our friends" in media doing their job...reporting fairly and factually...hardy har har-har har

 

[Shugahhhh]

Rob--very nice analysis.

I would love to leave a more substantive response, but I'm on my way out the door. Had to give you props before leaving.

 

[Powertone]

(a la Clinton/Whitewater sort of smears)

smears to democrats is reporting on and investgating truthful actions by their politician du jour.
how many people are sitting in jail today thanks to Whitewater?
Clinton's successor,Jim Guy Tucker...? Still in the joint or has he been paroled?
Jim McDougal died in prison while his wife,Susan, had contempt of court charges dropped in her lap for not spilling the beans on Clinton and did time for her "loyalty" to him.

Yeah...smear...Jeremiah Wright/Bill Ayres...nothing but smears...no truths to be found there...lies! damnable lies I tell you!

 

[revelator]

This is a serious question. Is the Republican party about to enter a phase like it did between 1930-1950, maybe never to recover?

The Republican Party will recover. It will eventually jettison the crazies and the worst of the corrupt cronies, and make efforts to appeal to rational voters again. And at some point when the Democrats overreach, they'll make significant gains.

Give it 4-6 years.

 

[richard_daily]

The rats have been fleeing the sinking ship for the last 6 years...

They're all "independents" now... Or libertarians...

But of course, they'd still vote for bush if he was up for election again, which he sort of is.

 

[RightField]

The modern Republican party has consisted of three separate factions: the Big Business/Small Government faction (about 20% of all Americans), the Theocracy faction (20%) and the Fascist/Authoritarian faction (10%). There is some overlap between factions.

The Big Business and Authoritarians have artfully played the Theocrats over the years, manipulating them into doing their bidding. They essentially promise the Theocrats a stacked court system to legislate the morality that the Theocrats cannot seem to voluntarily coerce the general public into accepting.

The Big Business folks had it easy during the Reagan years as the Theocrats readily accepted the Gipper as "one of them". Of course, he wasn't, but he gave great lip service. The Theocrats were suspicous of Bush I and Dole, and rightfully so...and the Repubs lost.

The Decider was a harmonic convergence and a high water mark for the three factions: each of them could claim him as one of their own.

This unravelled in 2008: the authoritarians wanted Romney and his jackboots, the Theocrats wanted Huckabee and the Big Business folks wanted McCain. The authoritarians grudgingly accepted McCain after he gave them several months of Bushspeak on the campaign trail, but the Theocrats didn't get on board until Mullah Dobson selected Mrs. Mean Mouth as McCain's running mate....which in hindsight appears to be too little, too late.

So the Repubs are fractured. The Theocrats, having tasted absolute power, refuse to believe they are anything other than Kingmakers and have shown to have unrealistic expectations about power sharing with other Repub factions. The current economic climate has poisoned people against McCain, and the Big Business folks have recognized that they have a losing hand this election cycle.

They'll most likely cede the election to Obama, and count on the Fascist faction to lead the charge to undo the election (a la Clinton/Whitewater sort of smears) to dog Obama throughout his first term.

No, the republicans are those who work for a living actually producing. The Democrats are the people like the trial lawyers who want to rule from on high and control "the little people" and they rally the poor and a few others with promises of give-aways. The republicans want fewer taxes and more in the hands of those who produce and lead and improve the standards of living of the entire country. The democrats want more taxes to take the wind out of the sails of those who produce and give it to people who's votes they can buy in the spirit of "fair and equitable". They see the world as finite and want to get more "of their fair share" rather than encouraging production, innovation and growth. There's sidelines too, the Republicans believe in family and the future and believe in the "good" of America...the Democrats have to say how bad things are so they can justify taking more away and making government bigger so they can engage in more vote-buying and corruption.

It's the ant and the grasshopper story all over again:

The ant works hard, in the withering heat, all summer long.
He builds his house and stores supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks that the ant is a fool.
He laughs, dances and plays the summer away, preparing nothing for the coming winter.

Winter comes, the ant is safe and warm.
The shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and fed, while others are cold and starving!

CBS, NBC, ABC & CNN show up to provide pictures of shivering grasshoppers, next to a video of an ant
in his comfortable home, with a table filled with food.

America is stunned by the sharp contrast! How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor
grasshopper is allowed to suffer this way?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah, with the grasshopper.
Everyone cries when they sing "It's Not Easy Being Green".

Jesse Jackson stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house, where the news stations film the group
singing "We Shall Overcome".
Jesse then has the group pray for the grasshopper's sake, and reminds the group to contribute to his group, so that he can "continue the fight" for grasshoppers, everywhere!

Ted Kennedy & John Kerry exclaim, in an interview with Tom Brokaw, that the ant has gotten rich, off
the back of the poor grasshopper!
Both call for an immediate tax hike, to make the ant pay "his fair share"!

Finally, the EEOC drafts the "Economic Equity For Grasshoppers Act", retroactive to the beginning of the
summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire the proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to
pay his retroactive taxes, his house is confiscated by the government.

Hillary Clinton gets her old law firm to represent the grasshopper, in a defamation suit against the ant.
The case is tried in federal court, with a jury comprised of unemployed welfare recipients.

Surprise! The ant loses the case!

The story ends, as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food, while the government house he lives in (which happens to be the ant's old house) crumbles around him,
due to lack of maintenance!

The ant has disappeared in the snow.
The grasshopper is found, dead, in a drug-related incident.
The house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders, who terrorize this once-peaceful neighborhood.

 

[hogjack]

They're all "independents" now... Or libertarians...

But of course, they'd still vote for bush if he was up for election again, which he sort of is.

Lit's Circle Jerk would vote for George W. Bush again because they share the same values he demonstrates including but not limited to:

Disdain for Bill of Rights
Advocating Torture
War without Sacrifice
Debt Over Surplus

 

[hogjack]

No, the republicans are those who work for a living actually producing. .

Obviously you aren't familiar with George W. Bush's background.

 

[Powertone]

Obviously you aren't familiar with George W. Bush's background.

nor are you of obama's...oh wait..he owned the white sox right? Bush had the Rengers...not that that counts for anything...tee hee hee

 

[hogjack]

The Decider was a harmonic convergence and a high water mark for the three factions: each of them could claim him as one of their own.

The Theocrats still want George W. Bush on their big Noah's Ark (version 2). No matter that the Bush Administration buried America in massive debt, stuck with two long-term on-going military occupations, attacked the Bill of Rights, advocated torturing human beings, and watched the country wallow in trade deficits....the Theocrats love the wealthy, clueless son of Republican family.

Actually, the torture probably won the Theocrats over. It's very Old Testament.

 

[hogjack]

nor are you of obama's...oh wait..he owned the white sox right? Bush had the Rengers...not that that counts for anything...tee hee hee

I am familiar with Obama's background. You can find a lot of information if you look it up.

George W. Bush was an incompetent businessman, sucky soldier, and alcoholic dunderer who relied on his successful (brave) daddy to get him everything. His daddy stuck a team of thinkers around his boy to keep him upright.

I'm voting for Bob Barr.

 

[Lavared]

When mainstream churches liberalized, they lost congregation members to evangelical conservative chuches. I think we'll see the same thing with political conservatives. Either the Republican party will start to actually toe the line on conservatism or continue to lose people to either the Libertatians or independents like Ron Paul.

In many people's eyes, a step backwards can be a step forward.