Reagan staffer to GOP: 'Specter switch is bad. If you think otherwise, put down the Coulter book.'

(From this otherwise sage commentary, it's apparent that Republicans continue to suffer from the delusion that Reaganism is "fresh" and sane and the party just needs to communicate better about it to win the hearts and minds of the American electorate. I think as long as they stick with Reaganism, they're stuck in the mud. But what do I know? I'm just a member of the majority.)


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/28/AR2009042802261.html

ED ROGERS

White House staffer to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush; chairman of BGR Group

Notice to Republicans: Arlen Specter changing parties is good for the Democrats and President Obama and bad for us. If you think otherwise, put down the Ann Coulter book and go get some fresh air. There's always a delusional element within the GOP that thinks if we lose badly enough the Democrats will gain so much power they will implement all their crazy plans, the people will revolt and purest Republicans will then be swept back into power. Even if this were true, it doesn't take into account the damage done while our opponents are in control.

Specter didn't want to be a Democrat. The party deteriorated to the point where there was no place for him. Who knows if he will be elected as a Democrat in November 2010? The damage will be done right away, when he votes with the majority. This is the latest in a series of wake-up calls the GOP should have gotten starting with the 2006 elections.

Despite this, I believe we have not lost the battle for ideas, because the Democrats don't have any. We have lost our majorities in Congress through corruption and mismanagement. Obama's victory in 2008 was an Obama phenomenon, not a Democratic Party phenomenon. What they haven't been able to do through legitimate party building, we've handed them on a silver platter. We need to stop.

"There's always a delusional element within the GOP that thinks if we lose badly enough the Democrats will gain so much power they will implement all their crazy plans, the people will revolt and purest Republicans will then be swept back into power. Even if this were true, it doesn't take into account the damage done while our opponents are in control."

We have that element, too.

We've been waiting for the GOP and the Democrats to screw up and usher in that glorious Progressive revolution since the Roosevelt days.

The republicans had control of everything and unsurprisingly fucked it up in a phenomenal way. Now, we are in control.

we're far behind where we would have been if Gore were President and continued the Clintonian pace of reforms, and our party still has the same moderate-to-conservative element it did in 2000.

But we did regain power. So that's nice.

Hear, hear.

that stopped me from wanting to read further. That's absurd and he's not paying attention. He's confusing not having any ideas he likes with not having any ideas. Dumb.

And this: "What they haven't been able to do through legitimate party building, we've handed them on a silver platter." Dean's 50 state strategy was what?

It's standard Republican bullshit. They have one idea that is only driving them deeper and deeper into the shit the longer they hold onto it.

though of course he overstates his case massively. The Democratic party was indeed significantly helped by Republican failure. Back in 2004, even our most optimistic thinkers weren't seeing a fully Democratic DC until 2016 at the earliest. We way, way, way outpaced our projections. Dean built the car that took us there, but the Republicans cleared our path through their own failure.

As such, the path back to power in November 2008 was easier for the Republicans than it might have seemed; the country had not gotten quite as liberal as the electoral maps suggested. After all, a part of our coalition in '06 and '08 was people angry at the Republicans and not particularly supportive of us; they can't be relied upon. However, Obama and the Dems have done a fantastic job of cementing their gains. Dem party ID continues to climb, Obama's approval ratings remain strong, and I think we're doing an overall excellent job of using sound government to help us turn the country blue for the long haul.

I agree that we were handed the election on a silver platter, more or less. It was a lot closer than I would have expected though, considering how royally fucked up Bush left things.

I said the same thing when I got to that line. Notice he mentions Coultergeist not Rushbo...he wouldn't dare!!

Rogers is a complete K Street hack...he's pissed cause the change in parties has meant losing millions in lobbying fees. The dude never cared about ideas other than where to go for lunch and drinks.

Even this one is remains deluded.
The truth is the GOP has scuttled their ship of ideas on the rocks of narrowmindedness, intolerance and greed.

All I hear from them is "stop spending", which might have a little bit more moral authority if Bush didn't spend like a drunken sailor. We actually have plans to better the country and stimulate the economy. I can think of a million problems this country has and positions the democratic party holds to solve those problems. What about them?

We're members of the SUPERMAJORITY! :D

are the party of no ideas, when a blind dog with half an ear and a brain stem could distinguish that this is 180 degrees from the truth.

That's why they are screwed as a party.

It's like asking them to turn off Hannity or Rush. It will never happen.

They are blaming Specter for leaving the party, when it's their extremism that pushed him out.

Things will only get worse for the Republicans, not better.

sounds a little clanish to me.

I liked Harry Reid's estimation of Senator Grandstand: He's with us until we need him. Or until there's a vote. But as long as Specter's in the Senate, I'll take him on the "D" side of the aisle, if only for the added numerical advantage it give the Democrats. And until we can get him out of the Senate (looking at you, 2010!), it's nice to have him as a "D". But I'd rather that Pennsylvania sent someone to the Senate who actually believes in (for example) labor unions and the rights of workers.