GOP’s reform report arrives at a debate already well under way
The Republican National Committee has released its “autopsy” on the 2012 election and outline of how to win future federal elections, and it appears to pull no punches. But I have a bone to pick with the way it is being reported, for instance by the Associated Press story linked by my AJC colleague Jim Galloway:
In calling for the GOP to develop “a more welcoming conservatism,” the report rebukes those who remain in denial about the seriousness of the problem and those who are unwilling to broaden the party’s appeal.
A just-concluded gathering of conservatives in Washington cheered speaker after speaker who urged the GOP to stick to its guns and, instead, largely blamed the 2012 defeat on Romney or the way he ran his campaign.
I don’t know whether the AP reporter was at CPAC, the “just-concluded gathering” to which the story referred, and which I attended. But that second paragraph, in my view, completely misrepresents the take-away from the conference.
To say the attendees “cheered speaker after speaker who urged the GOP to stick to its guns” is about a gross a generalization as I can think of. What does it mean? That the attendees want the GOP to ignore the kind of reforms mentioned in the report? That none of the speakers, or at least none of the ones who were “cheered,” urged any changes?
Nonsense. Utter and complete nonsense.
The winner of the CPAC straw poll for possible 2016 presidential candidates was Sen. Rand Paul, who said the GOP had grown “stale and moss-covered,” voiced support for “liberty in both the economic and personal sphere” and specifically referred to the distaste the “Facebook generation” has for jail sentences for nonviolent drug offenders. Is that sticking to one’s guns?
Or how about the loud cheers for Sen. Marco Rubio, who finished second to Paul in the straw poll and has been one of the most prominent Republicans working on the kind of “comprehensive immigration reform” the authors of the RNC report suggested? Or the fact that the members of the most prominent panel on immigration at CPAC scarcely considered the possibility of not reforming immigration in a way that includes offering legal status for most of the illegal immigrants already present in the U.S.? Is that sticking to one’s guns?
It wasn’t the lack of minority outreach — which nearly every possible presidential contender mentioned, with former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush perhaps hitting the point hardest — to which CPAC speakers and attendees were clinging. Indeed, the person who gained the most stature in the conservative movement from his CPAC appearance was probably Benjamin Carson, a black neurosurgeon from Maryland (you may have heard his recent speech at the National Prayer Breakfast) who spoke eloquently and forcefully, drawing extended ovations when he hinted at wanting to run for office soon.
It wasn’t an obsession with debts and deficits, which Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal knocked in his speech. Nor was it coziness with Big Business, which most of the aspiring candidates said the GOP must jettison.
I don’t mean to pick on the AP reporter, but such generalizations only feed the idea that conservative activists are hostile to the kinds of reforms the RNC report urges. In fact, one of my earlier blog posts from CPAC described the debate about consultants’ role in torpedoing GOP electoral chances as the one with “the most passionate disagreements” because there was hardly any disagreement about the need to make the other changes mentioned above.
Perhaps the speakers got preview copies of the report and took their cues from it. Certainly, their words last week were only that — words, still to be confirmed by actions. (The same holds true, let’s note, for the RNC report.) Obviously, the GOP since 1992 has experienced the same record of string of presidential-election difficulties the Democrats faced from 1968 through 1988, and it has to change the way it approaches the electorate in some key ways.
But the good news, if you want to see Republicans elected, is that some of the party’s brightest emerging stars are already staking out ground that moves in the direction of change. This necessary process has already begun.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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414 comments Add your comment
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
March 19th, 2013
11:54 am
“Bottom line, leaving Saddam in power would not have been a no cost option.”
Rafe, even JDW isn’t arguing a “no cost option”, but a lesser cost option.
And surprisingly, he’s largely right in this case.
sailfish
March 19th, 2013
11:57 am
dusty
Oh yes, history does know and not many are defending the iraqi misadventure. Going to war and cutting taxes, only one US president has that distinction, the credit card bill is due, don’t blame obama.
middle of the road
March 19th, 2013
11:58 am
“How about some solutions to our greatest problem instead of running down Republicans who do not want to bankrupt our country? ”
I am ready to see both Republicns AND Democrats sit down and COMPROMISE and get us to a balanced budget! I am not happy with some of the things I have seen recently from Obama and the Democratic party. BOTH sides need to give and take and I see NONE of that from either side!
Why don’t we start with Social Security – it has a dedicated revenue stream and is not THAT out of whack. My PERSONAL opinion is that SS taxes were increased significantly several years ago, so we need some minor changes on the expenditures side to balance the SS budget and keep it solvent for thelong haul. NOTICE I DID NOT SAY CHANGE IT FUNDAMENTALLY.
Then let’s move on to Medicare – which is in TERRIBLE shape. Why? Medicare ALSO has a dedicated revenue stream (no, I don’t buy Dem’s contention that Medicare should be partially funded from general revenue). But incomes have grown at the most by an average of 2% a year over the last 15 years while medical expenses have gone up by probably 15% a year. do you see the problem? I don’t believe in cutting this safety net for the elderly, so we need a Medicare TAX INCREASE. (I see Republicans scattering and holding their hands over their ears). That will be a tax increase on EVERYONE (Democrats are running around screaming at the thought of the poor paying their fair share for benefits they will recieve). Medicare Part D should NEVER have been phased in immediately – the past earners did not pay for it. It should have been phased in in 20- 30 years.
Now we can move to the general budget. Start listing the programs you HAVE to have. If the R’s won’t give up any defense, then we have to pay for it. Medicaid has got to be reined in somehow without killing people. Start with limiting hospital visits to life-threatening illnesses. Bring back county health clinics.
When you have a list of how much you are going to spend, take a look at revenues. Are there enough to cover the spending (and start to pay down the debt)? If not, you have to RAISE TAXES. Again, my personal opinion is that everyone should have skin in the game, so I think there should be a 5% minimum income tax – no one pays less than that NO MATTER HOW LITTLE YOU MAKE. The Earned Income Tax Credit is the biggest joke I’ve ever heard of – a version of welfare that doesn’t sound like welfare. Do away with it. But also do away with this special tax break for investment income. Income is income. Does a dollar earned through capital gains spend less than a dollar earned by physical labor? Don’t subsidize people’s decisions about investing. If it is a good investment , they won’t need a capital gains break. You can index for inflation, that makes more sense.
There, good ideas that will be ignored by both parties while they pursue their own agenda and let the United States of America go to h*ll.
getalife
March 19th, 2013
11:59 am
10 years later, 57 Iraqis blown up today.
All bushies should be handed over to the Iraqis for justice.
Dusty
March 19th, 2013
11:59 am
Yes, indeed, Tiberius
As you said”There are things I ‘want’ but very few are supposed to be supplied by government under the Constitutional Republic we live in.”
I luv that independent spirit!
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
March 19th, 2013
12:00 pm
“the credit card bill is due, don’t blame obama.”
Sorry, but he’s had 4 years with which to end those wars faster, and he didn’t change one thing from Bush’s plans. He also added a couple of trillion he didn’t have to spend as well.
The current President Incompetent has his own share of blame.
breckenridge
March 19th, 2013
12:00 pm
“If you are going to spread gloom and doom at least get the math right. $20 trillion at 10% is $2 trillion or 69% of projected 2013 receipts.”
I wasn’t talking about projected 2013 tax collections, I was trailing 2012, which were $2.4 trillion. And if you projections in one hand a big fat pile of …..
Nor was I trying to say we will get into a situation in which 95% of tax receipts go to service the debt. I was simply make a point. The 10% rate wouldn’t be accurate anyway because bonds have different maturities and pay a variety of rates. But we will eventually get into a situation where 3% yielding bonds are replaced with something much higher.
Anyway the point is our debt spending, which has been out of control since 2001 and escalated tremendously in the past 4 years, has to be brought under control. If not we are going to be in a world of hurt.
The White House OMB is projecting tax receipts of $3.9 trillion in 2017, which would be 60% higher than last year. Yeah, and monkeys might fly out of my…….but they are also projecting a $612 billion deficit for 2017. Check it out, it’s very ugly.
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=200
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:01 pm
rand paul will lead on immigration reform.
rand is the new leader of the gop.
That will not end well.
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:05 pm
Our President ended the Iraq war crime as promised.
Our President is lowering our deficit as promised.
Our President is doing a great job.
You cons can’t even fix your own party.
sailfish
March 19th, 2013
12:06 pm
tiberius
Fine, there’s enough blame to go around, but bush set us on this course and he should be held to account for it.
As far as the incompetent moniker, your applying it to the wrong president; afer all it was obama who finished the job and got bin laden in a very competent manner. Not like the previous guy who gave up.
JDW
March 19th, 2013
12:07 pm
@Rafe…”think you grossly underestimate the cost of containment. ”
Not according to the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments and Faux News…both report the cost of maintaining an Iraq no fly zone at about $1 billion a year. F16’s are about $50 million each and I don’t recall losing one over either Iraq or Libya.
“Bottom line, leaving Saddam in power would not have been a no cost option.”
No it would not have…it would have just cut our costs by say 90% to 99%.
Dusty
March 19th, 2013
12:07 pm
Getalife likes the idea of living under a dictator.
Bush did not think anyone would like that.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
March 19th, 2013
12:07 pm
Syria is dropping chemicals on it’s own people, iran is launching new destroyers, north korea is nuked up, russia laughs in our face, yeah, obozo’s doing a great job.
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:09 pm
We can end the gop party with accountability for Iraq.
Give them justice.
Give them all bushies and cons.
Dusty
March 19th, 2013
12:09 pm
OUR president has us 16.5 TRILLION $$$ in debt and RISING! Halleluia!
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:10 pm
Give Dusty to the Iraqis.
Politico
March 19th, 2013
12:13 pm
“Bush did not think anyone would like that.”
So why didn’t he invade Egypt, Saudi Arabia (Monarchy, but one of the worst regimes in the world in terms of civil rights), need I go on?
breckenridge
March 19th, 2013
12:14 pm
“OUR president has us 16.5 TRILLION $$$ in debt and RISING! Halleluia!”
That’s misleading. When Boy George Bush took office the national debt was $4.8 trillion. When he left office it was $9.5 trillion. So the entire amount does not belong to Obama. So during his tenure $7 billion has been added to the debt in 4+ years, and it took Boy George 8 years to add $4.7 trillion.
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:14 pm
Our President leaves for Israel today so politics ends at waters edge.
Stop attacking him cons.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
March 19th, 2013
12:14 pm
” If not, you have to RAISE TAXES.”
No, you can always CUT SPENDING.
Dusty
March 19th, 2013
12:15 pm
getalife
Please get out of the bushies and take your meds
Acting sensibly works better.
Politico
March 19th, 2013
12:15 pm
“Syria is dropping chemicals on it’s own people, iran is launching new destroyers, north korea is nuked up, russia laughs in our face, yeah, obozo’s doing a great job.”
They were all peaceful and contained before Jan 09, huh?
bwhahahahahahaaa
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:15 pm
We have cut spending and our deficit is dropping fast.
Facts.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
March 19th, 2013
12:16 pm
“Our President leaves for Israel today so politics ends at waters edge.
Stop attacking him cons.”
Uh, getalife?
That courtesy applies to Federal elected officials.
In this country, the First Amendment still applies to the rest of us.
Deal with it.
Politico
March 19th, 2013
12:16 pm
getalife
Let them carry on. It is amusing to say the least
Finn McCool (the system isn't broken; it's fixed)
March 19th, 2013
12:17 pm
Syria is dropping chemicals on it’s own people, iran is launching new destroyers, north korea is nuked up, russia laughs in our face, yeah, obozo’s doing a great job
ie, I’m so scared, I’m about to soil my drawers.
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:18 pm
At the end of the world according to dick cheney he said he would do it again.
bush rolled his eyes when dick wanted to occupy Syria.
There must be accountability to war crimes and corporate media lost all credibility on wars.
breckenridge
March 19th, 2013
12:19 pm
“Perhaps Senator Portman’s love for his son has deceived him in not being able to differentiate between loving his son and helping his son to do the right thing, versus changing his entire worldview and his view of the natural institution of legitimate marriage in order to accommodate his son’s abhorrent lifestyle.” Matt Barber (R), Liberty Counsel, 3-18-2013.
Meanwhile late yesterday ABC released results of a just competed poll. Among eligible voters age 18 to 29 the poll found 81% support gay marriage.
Hmm. I’m sensing a bit of disconnect here.
Politico
March 19th, 2013
12:19 pm
“russia laughs in our face”
“I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy. We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country.” then President Bush speaking about Putin
yeah they were laughing to say the least
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
March 19th, 2013
12:21 pm
“As far as the incompetent moniker, your applying it to the wrong president; afer all it was obama who finished the job and got bin laden in a very competent manner. Not like the previous guy who gave up.”
Once again, sailfish, it was Navy Seals who finished the job.
And please show us where Bush issued any orders “giving up” on finding Bin Laden. Hate to burst your bubble, but very few fugitives from justice escape their final fate. Time just caught up with Bin Laden under President Incompetent’s watch. he get credit for issuing the orders (albeit late), but he did nothing 99% of Americans would have done in the same position.
Finn McCool (the system isn't broken; it's fixed)
March 19th, 2013
12:22 pm
All I can say is “Mission Accomplished”
Hallelujah
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:23 pm
It was the President that changed focus on aq to get obl.
Dusty
March 19th, 2013
12:24 pm
Boy breckenrifdge,
Bush had one of America’s greatest attacks to contend with. He took care of it. The country was not demoralized. Now we have a financial fiasco increased by Obama.
Keep blaming Bush for Obama’s lack of guidance but it won’t work. Obama has had FOUR YEARS and has made our finances in the worst state ever. You don’t seem to notice but the rest of the world does as our credit ratings drop and our debt increases with leaps and bounds.
Obama gets the blame. He is the captain of our “ship” at this time and he’s responsible no matter how you twist it. .
Finn McCool (the system isn't broken; it's fixed)
March 19th, 2013
12:24 pm
I’m so glad we rebuilt Iraq into a safe, genteel, paradise. I think the Cons should go and vacation there with their families this summer. Beats Disney World!
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:25 pm
You cons will spend eternity with saddam.
Tell him I said hello.
Finn McCool (the system isn't broken; it's fixed)
March 19th, 2013
12:26 pm
Bush had one of America’s greatest attacks to contend with.
ie, W got caught napping. Thousands of civilian Americans died.
Finn McCool (the system isn't broken; it's fixed)
March 19th, 2013
12:27 pm
He is the captain of our “ship” at this time
Thank god it’s not Moneybags bullyboy Mittens.
Dusty
March 19th, 2013
12:29 pm
Oh yes, the Navy Seals were trained overnight by Obama who had sketched up a plan with pencil and paper to rid us of OSAMA.
Marvelous! I wish the president could sketch up a budget that could pass and cut expenses. That would be down right marvelous too.
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:29 pm
The captain of our ship set the course straight after w crashed us into the iceberg.
Smooth sailing thanks to President Obama.
Politico
March 19th, 2013
12:31 pm
“I’m so glad we rebuilt Iraq into a safe, genteel, paradise.”
Well Iran now has a new friend, but outside of US troops there indefinitely I believe that was going to occur under any President after Saddam was toppled.
The Shiite connection between the two is very strong. Something that seems to have not been given much thought, overlooked or outright ignored before deciding to go in.
Either way, Iran has a new friend which even allows Iran to go over land and airspace to supply Syria.
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:31 pm
“Marvelous! I wish the president could sketch up a budget that could pass and cut expenses”
He did.
4 trillion in cuts.
Why won’t your party take the deal dusty?
Dusty
March 19th, 2013
12:33 pm
Finn still spreading the big”ones”..
If Bush was asleep on 9/11 so was Clinton since Bush had been in office NINE MONTHS.
But Clinton was busy and we know why. Studyng the meaning of “is” I believe it was.
Politico
March 19th, 2013
12:34 pm
“Oh yes, the Navy Seals were trained overnight by Obama who had sketched up a plan with pencil and paper to rid us of OSAMA”
This from the same blogger who weeks ago said Bush built up the military to before we invaded Irag and Afghanistan then yesterday attempted to defend Rumsfeld by saying he went with military he had.
So when it was good to say Bush built it up……… she said it
When it fit the narrative that it wasn’t built up because she wanted to defend Rumsfeld…………. she said it
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
March 19th, 2013
12:35 pm
“4 trillion in cuts.
Why won’t your party take the deal dusty?”
Oh, maybe due to the additional trillions in new taxes?
Ya think?
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:35 pm
9.11 happened on bush’s watch so he gets the credit.
Getting obl happened on President Obama’s watch so he gets credit.
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:36 pm
“Oh, maybe due to the additional trillions in new taxes?
Ya think?”
Your party already passed the tax increase on the wealthy.
Try again con.
Dusty
March 19th, 2013
12:37 pm
GETALIFE,
W
sailfish
March 19th, 2013
12:37 pm
tiberius
It was a well reported fact that in 2006, bush told the cia to put the hunt for bin laden on hiatus…as far as giving the order to get bin laden in a sovereign country, a very gutsy call and if it had failed, you waould have been calling for his head on a stake, not the navy seals!
Dusty
Give it up please, your hero took a surplus and spent us into a black hole….on top of that cut taxes = less revenue, duh, then…when he left we were losing a million jobs a month for the nest 8 months = less revenue…there’s your deficit.
getalife
March 19th, 2013
12:37 pm
Dusty,
President Obama.
Politico
March 19th, 2013
12:38 pm
“If Bush was asleep on 9/11 so was Clinton since Bush had been in office NINE MONTHS.”
Clinton was in office two months when the 1st attempt took place to take down the towers………
Was Sr asleep?
Personally I think their were failures all over that went over several administrations (Carter through today), but using your logic you must think Sr was in a coma.