The Chris Matthews Show: Today's GOP: No Leader, No Idea Where To Go.
While I think it is premature to write an obituary for the Republican Party, it's hard not to watch this clip and not come to the conclusion that the party is in critical condition.
What is a consensus amongst the talking heads is that the GOP is lost today: no leader, no clear idea of what values to champion, no clear idea if it should be centrist or move even further to the right. Of all the things that the Bush administration destroyed in their term of office, their own party is probably the most surprising.
And who is it poised to rise again like Lazarus to prove the divine right of the GOP, according to those Beltway insiders? Newt "Love means never having to say I'm sorry to my other wives" Gingrich. Even Chris Matthews cannot hold back his patented guffaw at the thought.
Ultimately, the group agrees that it remains to be seen whose idea will resonate with the general public, but it appears that no one currently vying for the top role has been able to offer an idea that we haven't seen for the last 30 years. So have I got this straight? No obvious leader, rudderless and no new ideas?
Awwww....couldn't happen to a more deserving party.
have they considered competance? i know it's a radical idea, but it might be worth a try.
EASY
Just make a few dozen video montages of Newt talking to ANY Faux Noize pundits - REMIND the American people that he is all things Republican, ie, kooky and extreme.
FOR CHRIST SAKE, when it's not Ann Coulter, Oliver North, Karl Rove or DICK (Morris) on the Hannity Show EVERY NIGHT it's Newt Gingrich.
He's as good as Obama running up against Caribou Barbie.
They won't even come close to winning until they step away from the abyss on the right side of this flat earth and offer up a credible centrist who can be taken seriously by the majority of the American people. And right now Lush Limpdick is in charge and he's successfully dragging the neandertal base further over to the right, so I just don't see it happening.
They (the Republican Party) cannot come out of the room (the wilderness) until they are willing to behave themselves (join the civilized moderates in this country).
And I'd HATE to break the news to them - I think the center in this country has shifted to the left. THEY HATE the idea of that - it's a hard pill for them to swallow - I think it'll take another bludgeoning in the 2010 midterms to finally see the light, come to that conclusion, and rid themselves of the whackjobs (Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin) currently running the show and setting the tone.
And it will be a BBEEAAUUTTIIFFUULL sight to see when that finally happens!
Even harder to swallow will be the realization that they're in no small part responsible for this shift. With all the excesses they've promoted, most people thought:"If this is what the Right brings upon us, call me a Lefty".
To be honest, this was us in the 2004 elections. We had the ideas, of course, but that was it. Kerry lacked the charisma to push his ideas; and was too wishy washy to realize that you can't just ignore the chattering idiocy from the Right. You have to address it, fight back, and show the mainstream that the right represents the new radicalism in this country.
The two main differences I see here are, 1: Kerry's loss galvanized the Democratic Party. We recognized that we were fading rapidly into irrelevance. We'd become the joke of politics. I think ultimately, people voted Republican because we didn't have a leader who knew how to sell our ideas to the American people. Once Howard Dean came along with his 50 state strategy, people realized that there WAS an alternative to the Republican fear-mongering, and voted for us en masse. The second difference, I believe, is in the ideas our two parties represent: conservatism vs progressivism. The military industrial complex stood trial last November, and lost. People are tired of carrying Republicans around on their backs and it showed last election day.
Sad thing is, their time will come again. We as a species seem to have a great deal of trouble learning from our own mistakes.
To quote my favorite TV show: All this has happened before, and it will happen again.
"The military industrial complex stood trial last November, and lost."
Did Obama or any Democrat for that matter, ever say he would do anything to take on the military industrial complex? hasn't he approved an increase in the Pentagon's budget, sent more troops to one front and rattled his saber at another?
I'd say business is very good for the military industrial complex. They haven't lost a thing.
We are / were NOTHING like them EVER.
It just took time for enough of the American people to get on board, see the Republicans for what they were, and stop shooting themselves in the foot.
I bet you that Kerry could run in 2016 and fare better than he did in 2004, but I wouldn't want to perform that experiment!
and lost????
What - are you high?
Do a quick checklist:
War in Iraq? check.
War in Afghanistan? Check.
Hundreds of bases scattered all over the planet? Check.
Military spending soaking up a vast percentage of gov't budget? Check.
US spending more on military than the rest of the world COMBINED? Check.
The military industrial complex is still very firmly in control of the USA, and will be until the oil runs out.
It's called the American Dream because you have to be asleep to believe it.
-George Carlin
...and that you'll probably never see this, but....
Now that you mention it, I may have been high. I certainly didn't mean to imply that Obama's government or any other Democrat or Republican would do anything about it. I spoke of voter dissatisfaction with the wars and the Defense budget, etc. It stood trial with the voters. After all, traditionally at least, it's Republican idealism that pushes the military agenda.
Can you blame me for seeing some voter dissatisfaction with that agenda in this past election?
But... and this is in reply to Timmy the Music Snob... yea, we really were like this in the 2004 elections. Rudderless, unable to get our message out, etc. Philosophically, no... of course not!
The pendulum swings every eight years but the clock never moves.
The Democrats are pretty broken too.
They forgot to mention that Glenn Beck is positioning himself to be the next leader of the GOP even though Michael Steele thinks that he is knocking on the same door. Pawlwnty's hard place will devour his chances in a few short days or weeks. These GOPers simply cannot stand Romney as evidenced with their nomination of McCain who they hated just a little less. Huckaby who? Sarrrrrah, Sarah... Great family values there plus the Republican Party in Alaska are on the verge of recalling her if they can. Maybe Michele Backmann can rise up.
to bring them back from the dead, and all the better if it's something they can pin on Obama. No matter that the Republicans in power at the time said that terrorists will attack again. It's a certainty they said, and it's only a matter of time. Republicans said that when they were in control of the White House and in charge of national security.
Regardless, they'll blame whatever happens on the Democrats, and play the only card remaining in their pitiful deck of policy cards...the FEAR card. They'll be back, be certain of that. Besides, the media needs the revenue.
I mentioned this yesterday. Obama and friends have to bring this to the attention of Joe Sixpack. There is going to be another attack but it will be the Republicans fault because they made this world a more dangerous place for the U.S. because they went into Iraq for no good reason and made the rest of the world hate us after we had them on our side after 9-11.
the long slow slide to the bottom continues.
"Obama will have raised 1 Billion dollars by 2012"
That's a good thing? What if most Democrats aren't happy with him after 4 years and want another candidate? Is it really a choice when one candidate has that much money to throw at re-election?
What a waste of money. What a shitty process.
You get tickets for this:
Glenn Beck, Fox News Channel's latest sensation, is taking a comedy show on the road for six live performances over six days during the first week of June.
Beck calls his act a "poor man's Seinfeld" and intends to mix topical humor with his modern-day reimagining of Thomas Paine's 1776 pamphlet "Common Sense."
The radio and TV talk show host will start June 1 in Denver, then perform in theaters in Phoenix, San Diego, Kansas City, Houston and Richmond, Va., over the next five days, he said.
http://apnews.myway.com//article/20090412/D97...
A "poor man's show about nothing" really is, well, NOTHING.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
was something he took from Gallagher's act. Petro fruit.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
so now I can pay a mere $40 to watch a grown man cry crocodile tears while sipping down a crappy $7 well drink. ooman, I'm so there... =\
priceless!
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
GWB hasn't won an election. USSC appointed him in 2000 and Diebold swung the vote for him in 2004. If electronic voting machines are still being used in 2012 they will have a chance to steal it again. I would bet that the votes for Obama would have been even a larger margin if electronic voting machines weren't used. You won't hear this in the MSM.
I wish I could at this point.
no leader,no idea.......NO kidding. the republican party is floundering and instead of being helpful on most of the challenges they are very busy criticizing Obama. there critiicisms are difficult to take seriously. it's very obvious they're scared to death of obama having another term. personally, they did NOT play fair to get BUSH in office. look who they are putting in front of us to talk "conservative" gingrich,jindal,palin,boehner,mccain,cantor..........this is a motley crue of losers.
because he was selected by the illusion producing machinery of television and citizens under its influence. It is hard to underestimate the strength of these illusions.
and stave off the disaster of a female prez-densy.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
What, no mention of Rushbo?
ljmel
step 1: start with a 3 cups of faux-populism (say, the 'tea party movement')
step 2: slowly stir in a mixture of scapegoats and diversions (illegal immigrants and gay marriage)
step 3: add a heaping spoonful of religious hypocrisy (right to life)
step 4: and a dash of corporate media spin (he said/she said reporting)
step 5: garnish with funding by corporate interests
spot on and funny.
Wait a second, 4 and 5 are on the democrat's recipe for government as well!
very similar recipes... very similar results...
either recipe MUST be palatable to the ruling class or the chef will be fired
people are more similiar than they are different. you noticed the similarities. i noticed the differences. #1-3 and less 4-5
And the Democrats are right there, for the most part, spewing the same crap the Bush administration offered for the last eight years. If fact, in my view, using the disaster that is now the Republican party to get away with all they can.
Sure, some things will change but we're just repainting a house that should be consigned to demolition.
We are still being completely controlled, enslaved and manipulated by corporations enabled by the Obama administration.
woo hoo! you win today's mini-pulitzer!
This "small government, pro-choice" candidate they keep describing sounds exactly like GWB, and look where that got them.
Unless Obama invades Israel or punches a child in the face, anyone who runs against him in 2012 will be humiliated.
may they ALL rest in PIECES!
If I believed in such a thing, I'd say the GOP would find a leader who would later be revealed to be the anti-Christ.
May they all rest in pee.
They'll come back, they did after the Great Depression, they did after Watergate.
They just need another Eisenhower or ray gunn. Eisenhower seemed to bring back normalcy (certainly no more rationing), and ray gunn had what passed for a "vision."
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
Ike went to Korea.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
they'd dig up and revive Richard Nixon.
He'd look innocent compared to GWB and fairly progressive by today's Repub standards.
He swore a lot and did some bad things, but he was pretty intelligent and did try to benefit the country in some ways.
Nixon also help pass the first environmental laws.
Today's republicans only pass gas.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
to implement national health care and declared a war on cancer.
Anthony Hopkins played Richard Nixon in Oliver Stone's "Nixon".
Anthony Hopkins is still alive.
We've had an actor for president before.
Hmmm.....
We've had worse.
but did he eat it too?
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
that was in extremely poor taste. And extremely funny! LMAO! Hahahahahahaha! It must have tasted like a Bush booger.
No wonder there wuddint no cattle at Crawford.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
gerald ford of all people i miss the most in the conservative movement.
he seemed to be the last of the sane, level-headed statesmen they had.
i think ford is, perhaps, most responsible for the current state of the gop and the world. he was the parent who did not discipline his unruly children (nixon) when they needed reeling in.
we might well have had impeachment proceedings against bushco.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
we might never have had Gone With the Wind.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
Looking at those clips, Reagan was worse than I remembered.
despite their broad recognition of the leaderless state of the GOP, their responsibility for pushing America and the world into the situation we're in, they continue to enthusiastically give the mic to Rove, Newt, Buchanan, et. al. They continue to pedal crazy ideas that are simply anti-Obama created by the same lunatics who have driven the boat into the iceberg. amazing.
A terrorist attack and complete economic collapse. They're rooting for it.
after we take guns from the law abiding.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
If your a Tim McVeigh or Eric Rudolph the Feds should take your gun.
Howerver ricky, if your a a law abiding citizen when the fed's knock on your door to take your gun, I'll wear your tin foil hat for a week.
if there is a breeze. That's an angel joke.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
Don't believe in angels....or a bearded sky man. probably why i don't get it, it's over my head, excuse the pun.
How about the bearded clam?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
"Clams got legs! Clams got legs!"
and make a fortune over the next 8 years at the expense of those rooting for failure as Obama brings the country back on track.
Granted, this may be a bit fantastical but hear me out. The g.o.p. needs a leader, but who says it has to be a human leader? Why not a machine? A roboleader! We have all the technology. Roboleader can be programmed to unalterably tout the party line, show no quarter to its opposition, quelling dissent with a single utterance, act without the hindrance of conscience, and lie like a dog with a straight face. With Vox, it can even have a Texas accent. What's more, it'll have no pesky personal history to cover up and will never make a stupid gaffe. And it can be made to look like Jeezus. Or Ronald Raygun.
My dear late momma was convinced that Hinkley did kill Raygun and that he was replaced by a robot. I am not sure if that was why the Catholic Church excommunicated her. It may have been her divorce and remarriage.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
than anyone the GOP has put forth lately, in terms of caring in the least about human values.
I think PJ is describing the Hammer 2000, Tommy Delay.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QPiF4-iu6g
Rat brain robot for president 2012!
http://www.btinternet.com/%7Ereg.joy/images/R...
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
That one has female parts.
“Why would anyone with a functioning brain believe this guy?”
Some guy with an eating disorder
Roboleader can be programmed to wink on cue, as well. Female roboleader -- great idea! You betcha!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_uMj4MToe0
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
What Matthews, the rest of his panel, and certainly the Republicans don't seem to get still is that moving away from the extreme right of the current GOP wouldn't be "centrist", it would be a less extreme right wing stance.
It would still be right wing though, in terms of the rest of the country, who continue to respond to polls showing that they agree with positions that can only be called progressive, even if people label themselves "conservative".
That's why the sudden move to seriously talk about legalizing marijuana seems so out of the blue and surprising, because the media and the Beltway has themselves convinced that right wing conservative views are "centrist".
The Republican party is suffering from one thing mainly: Blindness to how far right and marginalized they've become. Matthews and the rest of the corporate media masters are only somewhat less blind.
about just how out of touch the right wing beltway pundits are with the average American:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2...
No kidding -- when you have Newt Gingrich stepping up to the plate to offer himself up as the party's moral center and de facto leader -- you KNOW the party's in trouble.
The party is being torn in about four different directions. And none of them have the numbers to win anything on their own. In fact a clear 60 plus percent reject the whole lot of them.
*
Chris laughed at Gingrich being a contender for president then immediately back tracked saying "I should not laugh" (translation: The right is dumb as a bag of nails and Matthews knows it. They might support Gingrich, afterall there is a track record of who they are dumb enough to support. 2000, 2004 and 2008 doncha know. you betcha)
I have a few suggestions.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
"...it appears that no one currently vying for the top role has been able to offer an idea that we haven't seen for the last 30 years."
And that hasn't been totally discredited by events.
newt's efforts to impeach clinton were not unsuccessful...clinton WAS impeach, he just wasnt fired...
granted it was bullshit trumped-up charge motivated by the GOPs hatred of a popular democrat leader and if they hadnt impeached him on this, they wouldve impeached him for some other made-up thing....
since there's no way theyll impeach obama the same way, these pundits will now advocate violence...obama being assassinated would be like christmas to some of these people and im sure the secret service watches their shows and reads their articles with great interest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JGQUEnpTkw&feature=related
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
:)
What is your conceptual, continuity?
.
G(no)P...
NO plan...
NO unity...
NO cooperation...
NO budget...
NO sense...
NO leadership...
NO honesty
NO integrity...
NO vision...
NO truth...
THE PARTY OF "NO"...
... The G(no)P!
.
Starve the WAR Beast...
... Save the World.
It's obvious why all this nutty Glen Beck Tea-bag doomsday nonsense is happening.
Their strategy is to whip up the CRAZIES and just maybe the GOP won't have to run against Obama in 2012...
They can beat Biden easily enough.
That's my fear...
We'd all be happy to make suggestions, if they would just consult us.
Ron Paul. Talk about a populist presidential candidate.
Has Mr.Rather found what is the frequency of Newt's errors on History?
Mr.Gingrich believes historically (hysterically?) that the south won the battle at Gettysburg.This is a sign of a not so much a keen sense of history so much as a publicity stunt to attract attention to Newt's attempt to resurrect the party of Jefferson Davis.
Good luck with that Newty boy
2012 republican tickets
Larry Craig/ Mark Foley
Newt Gingrich/ Alan Keyes
Mitt Romey/ Mike Huckabee
Sarah Palin/ Alan Keyes
Jon Kyl/ Mark Sanford
Jeb Bush/ Charlie Crist
Jesus - she's such an idiot
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