Charlie Cook: Republican obstructionism is not helping the party
By SilentPatriot Tuesday Feb 24, 2009 12:00pm
Despite what all the talking heads have been reciting ever since the House stimulus vote, Republicans aren't helping themselves any with voters. Indeed, it seems they are shooting themselves in the foot. Charlie Cook -- aka someone who actually looks at data and doesn't recite GOP talking points -- reports:
As polling very clearly shows, congressional Republicans have done nothing to help themselves by almost unanimously opposing the massive stimulus package. Indeed, they look increasingly isolated: a narrow party that is looking inward for sustenance. Selecting former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele to be national party chairman is about the only intelligent thing that Republicans have done since Election Day. At this point, a Republican rebound seems more contingent upon a Democratic collapse than anything else. Certainly, Republicans aren't doing anything these days to help bring themselves back.
As DougJ over at Balloon Juice notes, the American people overwhelmingly trust President Obama to help steer the country through these rough economic voters...in historic numbers.
Head-to-head, though, Americans are putting far more faith in Obama than in congressional Republicans: 61 percent said they trust Obama more than the GOP when it comes to economic matters, just 26 percent side with the Republicans in Congress. Obama’s advantage on that question is bigger than George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, or George H.W. Bush ever had over the opposition party in the legislature on dealing with the economy.
Overall, Democrats maintain a nearly 2 to 1 edge over Republicans as the party Americans prefer to confront “the big issues” over the next few years.
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Rethugs will figure out that they are lost in the wilderness....maybe next century. They are stuck in the Reagan era. They re-wrote history so well they actually believe he was a good president.
They have created their own reality for so long that they don't recognize actual reality today, but everyone else does.
QUOTE: "They have created their own reality for so long that they don't recognize actual reality today"
Nature's God, Patrica, I think you have succinctly summed up the most frustrating part of our political discourse in America today. It isn't just that there are deep divisions or disagreements in our country today but that a significant part of the population is living in an alternate reality. The very fact that 46% of voters went Republican in the last election despite the unmitigated disaster of the last eight years is a sobering proof.
Reagan is their only hero. They are going back twenty plus years to read the instructions Newt wrote for them. They got a black man to lead their party because they thought that would make them cool or something. Sarah Palin and Jindal are their next big things. They refuse to do anything in the way of getting our country out of this financial mess except yell, Tax Cuts!. I mean what the hell do they have that is promising and hopeful?
Perhaps the decline of the Republican party is hurtful to the party but it sure looks good for the US.
That...and it's fun to watch.
They simply are UNABLE to change on their own, and honestly...I doubt the thought ever even crosses their minds that they need to...
I think Darwin might have postulated a theory or two about adaption, and survival.
oops ! the gop does not recognize darwin theory...
Their failure to recognize the theory of evolution, will undoubtedly lead to their eventual extinction...too bad...
I don't think I would agree that the re-Thugs aren't survivors. Their sociopathic traits place them admirably to survive. This is why we are right to remain vigilant and also to fear them.
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You're right of course, but I think this is the most demoralized, disorganized, and disoriented I've ever seen them...they're ripe for a big nasty schism!
No one murdered their party, it committed suicide. Trouble is it's just laying there on the floor dying and no one will admit what happened long enough to call the ambulance.
... I assume. They are not laying anything or anyone.
Hopefully the next election will finally put this miserable beast out of its misery.
when you consider that talent pool is regent university
it's not likely they're going to catch up soon, if ever.
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Gingrich and Norquist said as much a few days ago. In an article about brushing off the re-Thug party's 20 year old ideas - they both indicated that their plan depends on Dems fucking up.
Nothing about re-vitalizing the party with real ideas or reaching out past their historic small-minded bigotries against absolutely everything in the world that is not White, Male and Christian.
Only about the dems messing up so they could take advantage of it.
This is important because it indicates one or both of the following: a) They have no new ideas and don't have a clue about how to rescue themselves; and/or b) They wouldn't do it even if they knew how.
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So the only way they can make a come back is if they destroy President Obama and make him look like a total fu*k up? Good luck with that. How many times since he began his campaign have they thrown mud at him and how many times has it stuck? He always comes out the other side cool and calm with a smile on his face.
I think the phrase is "Hoist! By their own petard!"
Pretty much sums up the GOP at the moment.
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/hoist%20by...
They still have much more power than they warrent. They still control most of the TV and Radio news and talk. They have not only rewritten the history of Reagan but most all of history. I can not argue with them most of the time because it will always boil down to their reasons for believeing things based on the false history. A good example is their beleif that tax cuts increase revenue. In the history of mankind, tax cuts have never ever increased government revenue.
prosecute their leaders when they lie and break the law. Bush, Rove, Cheney. If you prosecute them and win, you scare the shit out of the little followers and ditto heads. Until then, they have the prideful ignorance of feeling superior and infallible.
But we must also do the same for the Dems that break the law as well...
Yep. We can do that at some point later. Priorities are important. Designating the importance and sequence of actions is a great political skill.
Sounds good to me, let's do this!
Interesting how negative numbers always seem to wind up in the 20 something percent range.
From now on, I will be referring to this as
"The Idiot Index".
"Selecting former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele to be national party chairman is about the only intelligent thing that Republicans have done since Election Day."
That's pretty damn sad, if that's the smartest thing they ever did.
"Beyond cutting edge," "off the hook," "urban, hip-hop setting" Michael Steele? Under-investigation-for-phony-campaign-payments-to- sister Michael Steele? Ok, Charlie, I'm looking forward to more of these "intelligent" decisions from the Republican Party.
Did you ever hear the other guys who were running against Steele for that position? I watched a debate with all of them on c-span. I think he might well have been the least bad of all of them. Remember one of them was the man who sent out the copies of the magic negro song at Christmas. There were some real characters in that group.
Officials: Obama to announce 19-month Iraq withdrawal plan
And they said it couldn't be done.
GOP Utah Gov.
In an interview with the Washington Times, the Republican governor of Utah on Monday said his party's leaders in Congress' lack of new ideas renders them so "inconsequential" that he doesn't even bother to talk to them.
"I don't even know the GOP congressional leadership," Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. told the paper's editors and reporters. "I have not met them. I don't listen or read whatever it is they say because it is inconsequential -- completely." Huntsman added that he would not reject any money from President Obama's stimulus. While he criticized what he saw as misdirected spending in bill, he said Republicans had no credibility on fiscal responsibility.
"Our moral soapbox was completely taken away from us because of our behavior in the last few years," he said. "For us to now criticize analogous behavior is hypocrisy. We've got to come at it a different way. We've got to prove the point. It can't be as the Chinese would say, 'fei hua,' [or] empty words."
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/24/gop-...
If he were a governor anywhere other than Utah, my guess is that he would have left the GOP by now. They never forget and they never forgive...so his future in the party is done.
This is as much a Democratic move than anything else. I voted for this guy because, let's face it, this is Utah. It's about as inconsequential to the nation as the Republican ideas are to the stimulus.
I can't wait to get the hell out...
He he he. Intelligent life on Planet GOP. Who would of thunk?
Why do I have this image of the GOP standing in a circular firing squad...and Boehner yelling "FIRE".
So the polls say that the American people support Obama's economic plans by 61% to 29% with about 10% didnt understand the question. I can not imagine a question that at least 20% of the american public would be 180 degrees wrong about. You know the election was not that long ago and Obama only got 52% of the vote. 45% went to McCain, that represents almost 60 million people. Has the economy gotten that much more attention or has about 25 million people jumped the Republican ship? Will they jump back in the next election cycle?
can not imagine a question that at least 20% of the american public would be 180 degrees wrong about.
Oh c'mon. The war, torture, 9/11.
It's called...The Idiot Index.
if it weren't for the fact that in order for the Republicans to pull a win out of this, the entire economy needs to fail. So, the GOP is praying for a catastrophe of worldwide proportions in order to vindicate their position. Niiiice!!
Selecting former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele to be national party chairman is about the only intelligent thing that Republicans have done since Election Day.
That is a REALLY sad statement.
I have been watching these lying bastards all day. They march in V formation just like geese fly in V formation. They toe the line. They all say the same crap. Today and for the past few days the line is that the reason they all voted no on the stimulus was that nobody invited them to participate and it was all done in secret. That is a lie. The president had the house remove some spending for education and other things and put in %345 Billion for tax cuts per their request. They claim they had a better plan that cost less and created twice as many jobs. Where was it? This is a lie that you are forced to prove untrue. Another dishonest claim is that tax cuts have always worked to get us out of a recession. Where is this true? When has their way ever worked? They claim to be fiscally responsible. I am old enough to have witnessed presidents all the way back and I can tell you that they claim to be fiscally conservative when they are not in the majority. They claim to be morally conservative during election years. They have to use those lies because if they told you the truth, that they are going to cut your benefits, push tax burden down to you and borrow to do it, you wouldn't support them. Rethugs are our number one enemy.
That must've been one hell of a mouse to do that to the elephant.
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