For Republicans, some daunting numbers
You can lead an elephant to water but ...
Some numbers:
– Thirty-three U.S. Senate seats were up for grabs in the 2012 election. Democrats won 25 of those 33 seats.
– Mitt Romney is going to the White House today to have lunch, not to check out his new crib. And the main reason he will have to dine and dash is because American women rejected both his candidacy and his party, voting for Barack Obama by a margin of 55-44 percent. The gender differential in most down-ticket races was even larger.
– The Republican-run U.S. House has 19 major committees. Next year, it appears that all 19 will be chaired by white males.
– The current Republican House caucus includes 24 women. Next year, that number will drop to 19.
– In the last three presidential election cycles, Americans under 30 voted Democratic by an average of 60 percent. And lest Republicans try to comfort themselves with the argument that it’s nothing new, that young voters always vote Democratic, it simply is not true. In the previous eight election cycles, an average of just 46.5 percent of young people had voted for the Democrat.
What does it mean? Generally speaking, younger voters who cast repeated ballots for a particular party tend to form a lasting affiliation with that party.
– On Wednesday, House Speaker John Boehner reiterated his caucus’s strong opposition to raising taxes on the wealthy. Also on Wednesday, a new Washington Post poll was released reporting that just 37 percent of Americans agree with the position that Boehner and others have made the central focus of their party’s economic identity.
As longtime conservative Bruce Bartlett puts it in his much-cited piece for The American Conservative:
“At least a few conservatives now recognize that Republicans suffer for epistemic closure. They were genuinely shocked at Romney’s loss because they ignored every poll not produced by a right-wing pollster such as Rasmussen or approved by right-wing pundits such as the perpetually wrong Dick Morris. Living in the Fox News cocoon, most Republicans had no clue that they were losing or that their ideas were both stupid and politically unpopular.
I am disinclined to think that Republicans are yet ready for a serious questioning of their philosophy or strategy. They comfort themselves with the fact that they held the House (due to gerrymandering) and think that just improving their get-out-the-vote system and throwing a few bones to the Latino community will fix their problem. There appears to be no recognition that their defects are far, far deeper and will require serious introspection and rethinking of how Republicans can win going forward. The alternative is permanent loss of the White House and probably the Senate as well, which means they can only temporarily block Democratic initiatives and never advance their own.”
Political power ebbs and flows. It always has and always will. But it doesn’t just ebb and flow on its own. It fluctuates because losing parties take stock of why they’re losing and adapt to changing realities. If a political party not only refuses to adapt but makes a refusal to recognize changing realities a central part of its identity, ebb and flow can be delayed for a long, long time.
– Jay Bookman
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949 comments Add your comment
Doggone/GA
November 29th, 2012
10:27 pm
“After Obama takes you over the fiscal cliff he will be impeached.”
Just out of curiosity…what’s you percentage on predictions that came true and those that didn’t?
Mick
November 29th, 2012
10:28 pm
morality
The fiscal curb is a man made political illusion, don’t be fooled…
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 29th, 2012
10:30 pm
I don’t know where scout digs up this stuff but it makes absolutely no sense for either side to go after 401k’s, that’s not the problem.
Still, it’s the first I’ve heard of that, where’s rumor control these days???
It was on drudgey yesterday.
Rightwing troll
November 29th, 2012
10:37 pm
Here’s an idea for you wing nuts and tea tards… Raise the rates on the “job producers” but give them a tax break equaling the raise should they actually produce some jobs.
Where are the jobs Boner?
Rightwing troll
November 29th, 2012
10:38 pm
It comes from the same place his list of 5 impeachable offenses come from… He pulls it out of his old arse…
Dharma Bum
November 29th, 2012
10:50 pm
Meh, at this point Americans deserve whatever they get. Tax those making over 250,000$ at 50% and you still won’t solve the deficit issue. Eventually, spending will have to be cut and unfortunately things are going to have to get a whole lot worse before people realize this.
Doggone/GA
November 29th, 2012
10:51 pm
“Tax those making over 250,000$ at 50% and you still won’t solve the deficit issue”
Pointless statement. Got ANYthink worthwhile to say?
Dharma Bum
November 29th, 2012
10:56 pm
How is it pointless? Raising taxes on those making over 250,000$ in any amount will not raise the revenues necessary to offset our overinflated defense and welfare budgets.
Doggone/GA
November 29th, 2012
11:00 pm
“How is it pointless?”
You’re arguing against something that has not been proposed or even suggested.
Doggone/GA
November 29th, 2012
11:01 pm
Time to hit that sack…night all.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 29th, 2012
11:21 pm
Deficits?
Which brings us to the economic level. The deficits that Bush ran up in the years in which the country was teetering on the verge of a serious recession had the beneficial effect of righting the economy. In that sense, deficits not only didn’t matter, but were a force for economic good.
Translation: IOKIYAR
JKL2
November 29th, 2012
11:24 pm
taxpayer- Obama was running for a Georgia office! Wow. The things that go on in a con’s mind are just… weird
Just pointing out that you did nothing to get obama elected. Your Electoral votes went to Romney.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 29th, 2012
11:30 pm
Your Electoral votes went to Romney.
But that doesn’t change the election results.
Crazy
November 29th, 2012
11:31 pm
And Romney lost. so what is your point?
Since you are talking EC votes. Romney really lost big
Now cry and make excuses then call names.
Patty
November 29th, 2012
11:31 pm
Wow, no wonder our country is in the mess it is–this group is the most ADD bunch I’ve seen since I taught 2nd grade.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 29th, 2012
11:46 pm
…this group is the most ADD bunch I’ve seen since I taught 2nd grade.
Ahhhh, I now see the origin of your rather puerile observation at 9:02.
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
November 29th, 2012
11:47 pm
When someday in the future the government mandates by law that 401k’s be merged into social security under their control just remember there will be no “exemption” for liberals.
Be careful what you ask for.
Offshore account here I come, residency to follow
November 30th, 2012
12:16 am
Dems,
Costco has great prices on large sizes of KY. Your taxes are going up higher than your fearless leader promised!
0311/8541/5811/1811/1801
November 30th, 2012
12:30 am
Offshore:
LOL! Yep, they’ll get no exemptions !!
Patty
November 30th, 2012
12:31 am
‘Ahhhh, I now see the origin of your rather puerile observation at 9:02.’
I forgot–if someone doesn’t agree with you Libs or offers a difference of opinion, you resort to put downs. But good for you–at least, you’re getting some use out of that dictionary Mommy and Daddy bought you.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 30th, 2012
12:35 am
I forgot–if someone doesn’t agree with you Libs or offers a difference of opinion, you resort to put downs.
And your comment about 2nd graders with ADD?
Glass house, meet stone.
Patty
November 30th, 2012
12:47 am
Ahh, but I didn’t hone in on anyone in that comment–just making an observation. You just jumped to a conclusion.
getalife
November 30th, 2012
12:49 am
Congrats Falcons.
Patty,
Our cons do act like like children and you would know this fact if you read this blog.
They lost twice and they are having a hard time dealing with it.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 30th, 2012
12:57 am
Ahh, but I didn’t hone in on anyone in that comment–just making an observation. You just jumped to a conclusion.
That plank in your eye is just getting in the way of you seeing things clearly
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 30th, 2012
1:00 am
Congrats Falcons.
Thanks.
That egging the Saints team bus thingie — our bad.
I hope the perpetrators are caught and dealt with in a harsh and swift manner.
getalife
November 30th, 2012
1:05 am
Kam,
No problem.
Good luck in the playoffs.
marko
November 30th, 2012
5:46 am
Just glancing at the photos, of the gang of nineteen, I noticed that several had forgotten their flags. RINO’s? One had his hair parted on the wrong side. Gay perhaps? With the exception of the Eddie Munster look alike, dead center, I couldn’t identify any of those dudes. It’s said that people vote for people they wouldn’t mind sharing a couple of beers with. If so, I get the sense that these guys are in serious trouble. Americans are a tolerant bunch. we’ll overlook little things like Skin pigmentation, gender even sexual orientation. However we draw the line at boring. There are things that even a tolerant people won’t tolerate.
stands for decibels
November 30th, 2012
5:54 am
When someday in the future the government mandates by law that 401k’s be merged into social security
After all the shenanigans that rightwingers (both Rep and Dem) have pulled over the past several decades trying to steal from SS, this^^ latest whinge from the Insane Drudge Posse has to be the most audacious.
stands for decibels
November 30th, 2012
5:59 am
“After Obama takes you over the fiscal cliff he will be impeached.”
Just out of curiosity…what’s you percentage on predictions that came true and those that didn’t?
Actually, I’ve been saying for years now that as long as the House remains in GOP hands and Obama’s re-elected, I assume they WILL impeach Obama, given that this party has already dumbed down the definition of a “high crime and/or misdemeanor” to “lying about an affair.” So why not go there again?
/drive-by
Corbin Sharpe. Baby Boomer leech...and earned it!
November 30th, 2012
6:13 am
Oh, if it were a perfect world…
http://cheezburger.com/6773093376
middle of the road
November 30th, 2012
6:22 am
When you get reasonable Republicans running, the party calls them RINOs and expels them. Wonder why us independents in the middle don’t vote Republican very often?
TaxPayer
November 30th, 2012
6:27 am
Perhaps Scout would have preferred to have Lehman Brothers handling his retirement funds.
Drudge
November 30th, 2012
6:31 am
Reading a lot of comments here – you all do realize what a 1 party system of government is, right? Your enthusiasm terrifies me.
Fred ™
November 30th, 2012
6:39 am
Another day, another blog full of whining by the sore losers and them posting the same tired crap that MAKES them losers.
They will never learn.
TaxPayer
November 30th, 2012
6:40 am
you all do realize what a 1 party system of government is, right?
We know what Georgia has worked toward and I, for one, am hardly enthusiastic about it but I’ll survive. I know how to deal with Republicans. Just smile and tell them what they want to hear…
Rightwing Troll
November 30th, 2012
6:40 am
I went to bed last night… did I miss any Watergates?…
At my last count I had 9 Watergate moments that wingnuts and the lying liars at Faux News had harrumphed about…
Speaking of impeachment, Scout has a list of 5 impeachable offenses that he won’t share with us, though it’s been a few years since he told that particular lie… I’m sure the list is much longer now.
josef
November 30th, 2012
6:54 am
Okay, morning crew, y’all gotta get Our Boy to over 1000…sweeps week…
CORBIN
Is it just me, or does that Rove @ 9:13 look just like Jeff Dunham’s WALTER?
****************
Anyhoo…happy Friday, play nice and be happy…Baby Jesus’ birthday’s coming up…and so is Dec. 21, so I’ll go ahead and get my best wishes in early just in case…early happy birthday, Cuzzin’ JC…
Corbin Sharpe. Baby Boomer leech...and earned it!
November 30th, 2012
7:08 am
Josef,
Good morning,
Yes! I see it!
Are you off today, or just off work?
barking frog
November 30th, 2012
7:10 am
ebb and flow could be political porn stars…
stands for decibels
November 30th, 2012
7:31 am
Speaking of impeachment, Scout has a list of 5 impeachable offenses that he won’t share with us
Still waiting for that, along with the “unholy churches and even entire unholy denominations’ that he’s claimed “our country is full of.”
stands for decibels
November 30th, 2012
7:33 am
Baby Jesus’ birthday’s coming up…
I prefer to think of Him as “Jesus our brother, kind and good.”
Corbin Sharpe. Baby Boomer leech...and earned it!
November 30th, 2012
7:38 am
Stands,
I prefer to think of Jesus as a good Jewish Prophet, who had his trademark stolen…
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 30th, 2012
7:40 am
“Baby Jesus’ birthday’s coming up…
I prefer to think of Him as “Jesus our brother, kind and good.””
I prefer to think of it as the mid-winter solstice …
stands for decibels
November 30th, 2012
7:40 am
Duly noted, Corbin.
Also too Gooper Charter-Skool Bullspit SHEETZ.
stands for decibels
November 30th, 2012
7:41 am
and yeah, UnU, the solstice is the Reason for the Season.
(emphasis on Reason.)
headin’ upstairs.
TaxPayer
November 30th, 2012
7:42 am
I prefer to think of Jesus as a good Jewish Prophet, who had his trademark stolen…
…and abused by some that call themselves “Christians”.
Brosephus™
November 30th, 2012
7:43 am
Scout’s good for amusement and laughs, but I wouldn’t expect anything resembling truth in regards to his political rantings here.
Patty
November 30th, 2012
7:59 am
Another one of those quandaries for Libs–demanding that a conservative forgo their faith in dealings of a political nature while flinging the cord of their faith at them. That’s truly talking out of both sides of your mouth.
jays Brain
November 30th, 2012
6:15 pm
Yeah jay, and as the great Mayor of Detroit has pointed out, We have totally become an entitlement society. Now who the heck promotes that jay? Why your demorats that you carry the propaganda message for that is who. DUH
if only you were as smart as Mayor Bing