The Republican Thread

[EvilMonkey]

If you're getting both the endorsement of the Working Families party and Newt Gingrich that makes you a moderate.

 

Or has suddenly Newt become a RINO these days?

Try again.

[kapkomet]

If you're getting both the endorsement of the Working Families party and Newt Gingrich that makes you a moderate.

 

Or has suddenly Newt become a RINO these days?

Newt got caught with his pants down. Figuratively this time instead of literally.

 

[Rex Kickass]

Newt Gingrich October 22, 2009

 

Through my experience as Speaker of the House and building a Republican majority in 1994, I have learned that if America wants a conservative majority in Washington, parts of that majority are going to disagree. I was elected Speaker because a number of moderates voted for me. They gave us control of the House for the first time in forty years, allowing us to balance the federal budget, cut taxes and reform welfare for America.

 

Ideological purity = permanent minority.

[kapkomet]

Newt Gingrich October 22, 2009

 

 

 

Ideological purity = permanent minority.

Sure, he had some moderates vote for him, but conservatism is what got him the speaker's position, not being a moderate. You are comparing a molehill with a mountain here.

[Rex Kickass]

Sure, he had some moderates vote for him, but conservatism is what got him the speaker's position, not being a moderate. You are comparing a molehill with a mountain here.

 

Having a majority got him the speaker's position, not being a conservative. And that meant having Republican representation in places like the Northeast. Maine, if I'm not mistaken, have the only two GOP Senate seats between Virginia and Canada.

 

There's no mountain or molehill for me. As a Democrat, I personally enjoy the idea of a Republican party whose soul belongs to such electoral saviors as Rick Santorum and Sarah Palin.

 

Newt Gingrich had it right. If I'm a member of the Republican minority, I get someone who can win - especially when she signed the no new tax pledge, has a perfect rating with the NRA, and says she'll vote against Obama's health care reform plan and vote against Pelosi for speaker. That's a pretty solid starting point. Squeezing these people out is what you do when you have a majority to protect, not when you have a gap to fill.

 

But in the quest for being "righter," the teabaggers forced their own party to spend more the NRCC and RNC's cash to protect a seat that they would have won in a walk without Hoffman, who doesn't even live in the district. At best the GOP maintains a seat they already controlled. At worst, they made the gap to close next year even wider by squeezing out the last few moderates in the party.

 

[EvilMonkey]

Having a majority got him the speaker's position, not being a conservative. And that meant having Republican representation in places like the Northeast. Maine, if I'm not mistaken, have the only two GOP Senate seats between Virginia and Canada.

 

There's no mountain or molehill for me. As a Democrat, I personally enjoy the idea of a Republican party whose soul belongs to such electoral saviors as Rick Santorum and Sarah Palin.

 

Newt Gingrich had it right. If I'm a member of the Republican minority, I get someone who can win - especially when she signed the no new tax pledge, has a perfect rating with the NRA, and says she'll vote against Obama's health care reform plan and vote against Pelosi for speaker. That's a pretty solid starting point. Squeezing these people out is what you do when you have a majority to protect, not when you have a gap to fill.

 

But in the quest for being "righter," the teabaggers forced their own party to spend more the NRCC and RNC's cash to protect a seat that they would have won in a walk without Hoffman, who doesn't even live in the district. At best the GOP maintains a seat they already controlled. At worst, they made the gap to close next year even wider by squeezing out the last few moderates in the party.

First off, how about growing up and quit using the teabaggers name, and call them what they are. You appear lazy and juvinile when you resort to those tactics. And second, that district had already elected a condservative republican, so i have no idea why newt decided he neded to put a liberal in republican clothes in that spot to begin with. So she signed no tax pledge, etc, Hoffman is all that and more. What is the dealbreaker with Hoffman that you think he sholdn't be there? A pro life position? Dede has no business being a republican, in any way shape or form.

[Rex Kickass]

First off, how about growing up and quit using the teabaggers name, and call them what they are. You appear lazy and juvinile when you resort to those tactics. And second, that district had already elected a condservative republican, so i have no idea why newt decided he neded to put a liberal in republican clothes in that spot to begin with. So she signed no tax pledge, etc, Hoffman is all that and more. What is the dealbreaker with Hoffman that you think he sholdn't be there? A pro life position? Dede has no business being a republican, in any way shape or form.

 

I'll grow up when they do.

 

 

You can keep expelling people like her out of the party for daring to disagree with you. That's fine. As a Democrat, I'm fine with it, because the more extreme your party gets, the less likely they'll ever see real power again.

[NorthSideSox72]

First off, how about growing up and quit using the teabaggers name, and call them what they are. You appear lazy and juvinile when you resort to those tactics. And second, that district had already elected a condservative republican, so i have no idea why newt decided he neded to put a liberal in republican clothes in that spot to begin with. So she signed no tax pledge, etc, Hoffman is all that and more. What is the dealbreaker with Hoffman that you think he sholdn't be there? A pro life position? Dede has no business being a republican, in any way shape or form.

Grow up? First, I've seen conservatives on here call them teabaggers. Second, I've seen all variety of deriding nicknames given out by wingers and moderates on both sides, to all sorts of groups, a lot worse than that.

 

And of all people to say "grow up" to... Rex is one of the most rational, mature, lucid posters in here, whether or not you agree with his views.

 

This candidate was textbook moderate, and taken a whole, appears slightly right of center. As Rex said, if you don't want those folks in the party, that's fine. Enjoy being a permanent minority as a result, though.

 

Do you tear apart the Blue Dogs in this same fashion?

 

And for that matter, I personally want to see MORE candidates in BOTH parties that aren't just sitting in the wings, shouting from the gallery. The extremes we are seeing the parties run towards, especially the GOP (but not ONLY), are really a detriment to getting anything useful done.

 

[kapkomet]

Grow up? First, I've seen conservatives on here call them teabaggers. Second, I've seen all variety of deriding nicknames given out by wingers and moderates on both sides, to all sorts of groups, a lot worse than that.

 

And of all people to say "grow up" to... Rex is one of the most rational, mature, lucid posters in here, whether or not you agree with his views.

 

This candidate was textbook moderate, and taken a whole, appears slightly right of center. As Rex said, if you don't want those folks in the party, that's fine. Enjoy being a permanent minority as a result, though.

 

Do you tear apart the Blue Dogs in this same fashion?

 

And for that matter, I personally want to see MORE candidates in BOTH parties that aren't just sitting in the wings, shouting from the gallery. The extremes we are seeing the parties run towards, especially the GOP (but not ONLY), are really a detriment to getting anything useful done.

Her support of healthcare (specifically ObamaCare), cap and trade, and tax policy does not make her "right of center".

[NorthSideSox72]

Her support of healthcare (specifically ObamaCare), cap and trade, and tax policy does not make her "right of center".

She said she'd vote AGAINST ObamaCare, and she signed the pledge for no tax increases. The only thing from your items here that is not right-of-center is cap and trade.

 

[Cknolls]

Grow up? First, I've seen conservatives on here call them teabaggers. Second, I've seen all variety of deriding nicknames given out by wingers and moderates on both sides, to all sorts of groups, a lot worse than that.

 

And of all people to say "grow up" to... Rex is one of the most rational, mature, lucid posters in here, whether or not you agree with his views.

 

This candidate was textbook moderate, and taken a whole, appears slightly right of center. As Rex said, if you don't want those folks in the party, that's fine. Enjoy being a permanent minority as a result, though.

 

Do you tear apart the Blue Dogs in this same fashion?

 

And for that matter, I personally want to see MORE candidates in BOTH parties that aren't just sitting in the wings, shouting from the gallery. The extremes we are seeing the parties run towards, especially the GOP (but not ONLY), are really a detriment to getting anything useful done.

 

 

LMAO. Yeah moderate, if you compare her to Messiah. GMAFB. The more you Dems and libs worry about us R's the more confident I am we will be just fine.

[Cknolls]

She said she'd vote AGAINST ObamaCare, and she signed the pledge for no tax increases. The only thing from your items here that is not right-of-center is cap and trade.

 

 

Very moderate on card check too, right?

[lostfan]

Since when is NSS a Dem?

[southsider2k5]

I wanted to punch Joe Biden for talking about room for moderates in the Democratic party after listening to Democrats wanting to banish Joe Liberman for being exactly like this woman in upstate NY.

[NorthSideSox72]

LMAO. Yeah moderate, if you compare her to Messiah. GMAFB. The more you Dems and libs worry about us R's the more confident I am we will be just fine.

I believe I illustrated that the Dems have nothing to be worried about, and in fact, it looks like they are quite happy about this. Its the R's that need to worry about this particular trend.

 

Moderates and independents are the make-and-break of pretty much every national level election. You eschew those voters, and you lose out big time.

 

[kapkomet]

She said she'd vote AGAINST ObamaCare, and she signed the pledge for no tax increases. The only thing from your items here that is not right-of-center is cap and trade.

She said somewhere she was for a public option... I forget the source to be honest. And it may have been BS, but I saw her support for it somewhere I read. And that "pledge for no tax increases" is a joke. Seriously. If you support cap and trade, you support tax increases, for one. For another, her previous record shows otherwise.

[kapkomet]

I believe I illustrated that the Dems have nothing to be worried about, and in fact, it looks like they are quite happy about this. Its the R's that need to worry about this particular trend.

 

Moderates and independents are the make-and-break of pretty much every national level election. You eschew those voters, and you lose out big time.

And moderates and independents flocked to Reagan bigtime. So, if a real conservative actually could articulate something once in a while, it would work again.

[mr_genius]

Grow up? First, I've seen conservatives on here call them teabaggers.

 

who?

 

Second, I've seen all variety of deriding nicknames given out by wingers and moderates on both sides, to all sorts of groups, a lot worse than that.

 

and you usually threaten to ban them

 

This candidate was textbook moderate, and taken a whole, appears slightly right of center.

 

the voters wanted a fiscal conservative, and if you think she is a fiscal conservative.... how the f*** is a pro-bailout, pro-deficit, pro-cap and trade politician a fiscal conservative? since when? what the hell is going on in this country when THAT is a fiscal conservative. she was a big spending Republican and lost to a 3rd party candidate. no surprise to me.

 

Do you tear apart the Blue Dogs in this same fashion?

 

a lot of 'Blue dogs' are the worst. merely political wind socks. some good though, can't use a broad brush i suppose.

 

The extremes we are seeing the parties run towards, especially the GOP (but not ONLY), are really a detriment to getting anything useful done.

 

the Dems went far left last election and won. mainly because GW Bush sucked so bad, but still.... Al Franken is a moderate now?

Edited November 3, 2009 by mr_genius

[mr_genius]

I'll grow up when they do.

 

 

no one posts that kind of stuff in this thread except for you. you, good sir, are here trying to cause problems.

Edited November 3, 2009 by mr_genius

[Rex Kickass]

I wanted to punch Joe Biden for talking about room for moderates in the Democratic party after listening to Democrats wanting to banish Joe Liberman for being exactly like this woman in upstate NY.

 

There's a big difference between a Specter and a Lieberman. Specter joined the party, Lieberman left the party.

[southsider2k5]

There's a big difference between a Specter and a Lieberman. Specter joined the party, Lieberman left the party.

 

He is bragging about there being room for people who think differently, while they condemn people who think differently.

[Rex Kickass]

He is bragging about there being room for people who think differently, while they condemn people who think differently.

 

I think you're perhaps misunderstanding the frustration Democrats have with someone like Lieberman. Lieberman lost a primary to a more liberal Democrat in 2006. He made a deal with the Democratic leadership that he would caucus and be a team player on "everything but the war." He even went on record, during his election campaign of supporting universal health care. And he ran again in the General and won, because the Democratic party all but turned its back on their nominee in CT.

 

Since that point, Lieberman has been more interested in kingmaking and grandstanding than he has been to staying true to his constituents and his own principles. He doesn't belong to the Democratic party, but maintains a chairmanship that he only has at the indulgence of the majority caucus. If he is going to consistently throw roadblocks to the caucus, and violate his promises to the Democratic party time and again - the very promise he made to stay in office - he should lose his gavel and get shoved right back to the back bench.

 

There are plenty of moderate Democrats who are valued by the leadership of the party. Evan Bayh and Jon Tester for example. Jim Webb, Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson. Mark Prior, Mary Landrieu, Kent Conrad, Byron Dorgan, Tom Carper. And that's just in the Senate.

[kapkomet]

It just depends on your perspective. For example, Corzine is a billionaire who ran Goldman Sachs. By that definition, Democrats should hate the man, but since he's a liberal, they love him. So which story do you want to talk about? Same with George Soros. Same with... you get the point. There's so much hypocrisy on every level on both sides of the aisle.

 

[southsider2k5]

I think you're perhaps misunderstanding the frustration Democrats have with someone like Lieberman. Lieberman lost a primary to a more liberal Democrat in 2006. He made a deal with the Democratic leadership that he would caucus and be a team player on "everything but the war." He even went on record, during his election campaign of supporting universal health care. And he ran again in the General and won, because the Democratic party all but turned its back on their nominee in CT.

 

Since that point, Lieberman has been more interested in kingmaking and grandstanding than he has been to staying true to his constituents and his own principles. He doesn't belong to the Democratic party, but maintains a chairmanship that he only has at the indulgence of the majority caucus. If he is going to consistently throw roadblocks to the caucus, and violate his promises to the Democratic party time and again - the very promise he made to stay in office - he should lose his gavel and get shoved right back to the back bench.

 

There are plenty of moderate Democrats who are valued by the leadership of the party. Evan Bayh and Jon Tester for example. Jim Webb, Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson. Mark Prior, Mary Landrieu, Kent Conrad, Byron Dorgan, Tom Carper. And that's just in the Senate.

 

Wonderful. So the party of inclusion made him promise to fall into line. That is much better.

[Rex Kickass]

Wonderful. So the party of inclusion made him promise to fall into line. That is much better.

He left the party. He isn't a Democrat. He asked the Democrats for help. If you were Harry Reid would you say, well we'll just ignore our nominee for nothing in exchange? Last time I checked electoral politics were never part of TARP.