Not long ago, I posted about the self-destruction of the GOP...

some agreed, many lambasted me for being too "hopeful". Well after seeing what has happened over the past two weeks, I feel vindicated.

What happened in AZ is just the latest in some incredible gaffs that makes the GOP appear as if they have lost all contact with reality. I saw this coming a long time ago, but did not expect the complete meltdown so quickly. I figured it would really get going about 2 months out from the Mid-Term. Lucky me, the accelerated pace that the Republican party had surprised me, delightfully surprised me.

We have McConnell lighting the fuse that Boehner set, and Grassley blowing furiously on it to make sure that is burns as quickly as possible. Bachmann and Palin have poured about 100 gallons of high octane gas on the party and soon, it will just go *KABL:nuke:OOIE*. Not bad, not bad at all.

Out here in Nebraska, only the incredibly disillusioned are hanging on to what was, at one time, a party that consisted of Fiscal Conservatives and Moderates...and has turned into a complete Clown Car of a wreck. The flailing of the hopeful survivors in incredible to watch; with each asinine squeal and defeat, they actually get worse in the aftermath. Rather than do something, anything, to make them look as if they can recover, they go further into the Rabbit Hole and exceed in acting more insane than anything I could have possibly predicted. My wildest expectations have been left in the dust as these clowns just tumble over themselves in trying to "out-idiot" each other.

Months ago, I wrote that we were watching the GOP dissolve before our eyes, look again, for this happens but once perhaps every 120 years or so...a major political party just implodes to critical mass and then goes out in a blast that will be felt nationwide. Grab you popcorn and beer, put on your shades, get comfortable on the chaise lounge...this is going to be one hell of a blowout...:D

I knew things would get bad when Napolitano left but I still had no idea how bad the Republicans would self-destruct.

I recall people wishing for Barry Goldwater again. Barry and I did not see eye to eye on many things, but he was an honest man that called it like he saw it. Just before he died, there was a live interview on TV w/him, and the interviewer asked what he thought of the new Republicans; without missing a beat, he looked right at her and said, "these aren't Republicans, these are shitheads". My respect shot right up for BG...:D

They have their own cable network and some ten times as many radio stations than the left can reach. They've got the idiot vote sewn up, and that accounts for a LOT of voters.

Out here in NE, the GOP is scrambling to maintain what they have. There is no hope to take seats in the House or Senate...the locals tell me the GOP, (to which most belong), is an embarrassment of monumental proportions, it is taking a lot of cash and cowering just trying to get a vote out, the R's are disgusted at what their party has become...many are staying home, even if Jesus Christ were on the ballot...:D

But I still think they have the idiot vote sewn up. :D

People mistaking one thing for another ...

Has the republican party devolved into wild eyed and irratic lunacy ...

Most definitely ...

But, regardless, as noted, they OWN the MSM, and they continue to make gains in that regard ...

And, sorry, as much as we see Palin and company for the crazed demogogues they are and are abhored by it, the soft middle sees it and believes or unattentively is told that "they are all the same ..."

end of the day, while they are going off on countless wild extreme tangents, ALL wings of the party will vote for the party, and their programmed hatred of the evil liberal and all that is democrat will bring them in ...

Sorry, they ARE going make gains in both the senate and house, and they are NOT going to go away ... They are just going to keep throwing crape at the wall until they find something that will work for them.

ALL of this with a DARN good president ...

BO slips up LEGITIMATELY in any way, and it will be a whole new game ...

Now it is the reps who have no one with the balls to stand up to the madness.

In the Congresional elections, which is great news.

:hi:

Hope you enjoy|

And welcome to DU. :applause:

Many others agree

The GOP has been taken over by Ignorant Bullies...hence the sheer arrogant Delusional mindset displayed in ever increasing tones and volume....They are clueless....They rid

themselves of the "Proffessor types" and went nwith Hockey Mom and Diape5r Dan.

They hate intelect and worship Beerhall Heros...IE W Bush

miserable nazi wannabe's...what they did in AZ is an atrocity. I never thought I'd our country go down to that level...:grr:

but that might be easier as it would probably not include the fundie crazies.

that means more D votes...:D

I think there is a danger of letting our guard down....we saw the lengths they will go to (stolen elections, lies, media smear campaings etc.) to get what they want.

I love seeing them go down but we should always be ready for the next evil , the next big distraction from them! I DON'T PUT ANYTHING PAST THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THE CORPORATE POWER IN BACK OF THEM.

these people are evil incarnate, the do not want citizens, the want slaves.

mostly based in the south, and the rural parts of the west.

I was pilloried for that prediction by many here.


I now see that I may have been too timid in my prognostication; as you have posted, they are now locked in a civil war in their own ranks, with the most radical breaking ranks and dragging the rest of the party with them.

Even the fractionalization is becoming fractionalized.

The mainstream of their party now have to pander ever rightward to woo the crazies; which leaves nothing left to attract moderate independent voters anymore.


They decided to ride the tiger, starting with the alliance with the religiously intolerant thirty years ago, and are now reaping the results of that decision.

Unknowingly, they have been building a Frankenstein's monster all these years, and now he is becoming aware.

they weren't satisfied until they set it's tail afire as well...;)

I'm looking at Senator Toomey next year right now at a 71% chance of it according to Nate.

6 months out, it is hard to say what will happen, however, I doubt this hurts Pat Toomey in November, because he was on the record of supporting this prior to it being implemented.

I don't think people may have considered that this is actually a survival plan of the GOP after their outreach failed in 06 and 08 and yes, I believe if they see demographics not favoring their future, they might attempt to curb the demographic trend.

They made the democrats put all kinds of anti-immigration provisions into Health Care reform, without even voting for the bill simply through yelling about it and rude behavior during a Presidential address.

not just by us, but R's in general. They saw the manipulation, and around here, they are pissed, not because of the perceived "wins", but because they had nothing, absolutely nothing to counter with.

That's what has people seriously pissed, all they do is complain like kids, but they have no answers...and that is the killing point...;)

Reminder, this is not the world as I wish it were. I don't post this type of observation on DU because it results sometimes in people thinking that this is the way I want the world to be, instead of seeing this as the reality in the are around where I live and following the national discourse, debate, and legislation trends.

I'm not exactly the most liberal person on this board when it comes to immigration. I'm a firm believer that people need to come into the country legally and people who do not need to be deported.

That being said, the US immigration system is a fucking ridiculous nightmare of a mess to navigate and I really don't want US citizens of Hispanic descent to be subject to harassment having to prove their citizenship to law enforcement officials on a constant basis.

There is a reason the democrats bent over nearly backward to make sure there was no way they could be accused of giving any kind of free health care to illegal immigrants during Health Care Reform. In swing districts and swing states, they will get their ass kicked over the issue.

I mean literally, they wouldn't even allow for a provision that would allow someone to pay the full amount into their shitty health care bill.

Nothing I'm about to say is how I want the world to be, it is how the world is as I'm seeing things from my community

In congressional races in swing districts, there are not large enough Hispanic communities generally to sway an electorate. Generally speaking, most first generation immigrants live in communities that are segregated from the wider nation they are immigrating to. This has been true since this country was founded. They do this for protection, comfort, and their is a group that speaks a common language.

My family in the 1720s lived in a German community in Pennsylvania. My mother's birthplace had three Catholic churches. One for the Irish, One for the Polish, and one for the Germans. People didn't go to the other ethnic groups church and they were all Catholic churches.

Electorally, the way things are gerrymandered in the states, large Hispanic populations are generally gerrymandered into heavily democratic leaning districts. These are the "safe seats" the same is done with large African American populations and large white rural populations.

The swing districts are generally gerrymandered by the party in power in a state to give some kind of advantage to that party in power. It is just the way things are done.

This is also a major base stirring issue for the GOP and there is a considerable amount of democratic defection on this issue in districts that have large white populations that vote democratic and amongst white democratic swing voters.

As much as some are happy about this for political purposes to the Hispanic community, remember, if the GOP feels their Hispanic outreach is a lost cause, they have a plan b to a growing Hispanic population, attack the population trend that is being predicted via policy.

Rasputin, I've done voter registration drives in Allentown during Presidential years in these areas, they are difficult to undertake. This issue might make the communities in my area care more, it might not. All I do know is in an off year election, from working campaigns, turnout in these areas is way down and the republican areas stay around the same, when they aren't pissed off. When they are pissed off they explode.

So, I will hope for your optimism on this issue, with an eye to the fact that Pat Toomey has this as one of his planks, and he wouldn't have it there if he didn't think it would win him more votes than he thinks it will lose him. Hopefully Pat is wrong.

I could not agree with your assessment more. Long term, the current Republican tactics are incredibly stupid, short-term is a different story. TURN OUT will determine many of these mid term races. We have a much larger, more diverse tent than the Republican machine. But their monolithic, narrow interest, organization has always turned out higher percentages of their people.

They intend to to double down on their losing hand, turn up the volume and out hustle, and out work us. They have done it before. Any one that thinks they can't or won't again are "whistling past the graveyard."

mike kohr

Hell, they don't even have long-term plans legislatively. They run the country quarter to quarter like their CEO counterparts.

Here is the deal, if you get power and you've pissed of a certain subset of the population that is growing to get it, the GOP will take steps to curb the growth and electoral access of said population.

All the demographic projections are done based on the continued influx of immigration. Take that out of the equation and the demographic changes.

I find it odd, the people that lived longer 100 and 200 years ago made more long term plans than people with a longer life expectancy. You'd think the opposite would be true.

The country has been in an awful financial condition for the past three years, the worst since the Great Depression. The electorate is angry and frustrated, and they're going to take it out on their elected officials in this coming election cycle, which may benefit the GOP more than the Dems simply because there are more elected Dems.

However, this alone does not disprove the thesis of the OP. If elected, the GOP cannot effectively govern a diverse nation such as ours. They have no long term workable plan or strategy. They have given into the racist, regressive elements of their party and will be beholden to their interests.

The perfect example is McDonald in VA. He won because of the heighten frustration with the economy, but he's governing as a regressive. He's already lost any hope of having a presidential bid, as well as any other statewide office. VA is not a redneck Southern state with romantic notions of the Confederacy. VA is a diverse modern state with a highly educated popualtion that rejects this philosophy.

1) On the Virginia and New Jersey Governors. No one says they have Presidential ambitions. There are 50 governors in the country. I think you don't understand the GOP or their philosophy that much. You view things through the view of a democrat.

McDonald is probably perfectly happy to run Virginia for one term and retire back to the private sector at a fat salary and with the title of Governor after his name forever. He'll rule by his ideology, regardless of the consequences. That is what you get when you have a 1 term limit on an office. Virginia like my home state is not one state.

Christie, will do the exact same thing. This is way the Republicans always act in office. There are no Nelson Rockefellers left. Those are now all Blue Dog democrats.

Pennsylvanians from Pittsburgh are an entirely different political animal than Pennsylvanians from Philly, and that is ignoring the swath of people in the middle of the state.

As far as giving into those elements of their party and trying to rig the electorate through legislation....why do you think they passed laws about people voting after they have served their time and have get tough on crime policies in inner cities.

Seriously, the dumbest things liberals or democrats do, is underestimate the strategy the GOP will undertake in any given election or legislative cycle or what they will do when they are governing.

If this wasn't an issue they think they have traction with, why did the democrats bend and break about it during the Health Care reform debate.

The following has happened:

1998: GOP loses seats, but not control

2000: Dem gains in the Senate throw it into a tie which is broken when a Repub senator switches parties

2002: Repubs re-gain full Congress on the back of the 9/11 terrorist attack and tragedy

2004: Repubs maintain control again because of Terror! Terror! Terror!

2006: Repubs get wiped out because of gross ethics violations and Bush's incompetencies

2008: Dems achieve their greatest majorities in Congress in generations


So, since 1994, when everyone thought that the Repubs had ushered in this new era of permanent congressional majorities, the Repubs have lost steadily, with the lone excpetions being the 9/11 terror cycles of 2002 and 2004. Even if they win one or two election cycles, they're quickly voted out of office shortly thereafter.

and Al Gore should have won in a landslide in 2000.

Within 1 1/2 years of the democrats celebrating the "death" of the GOP with their large majority, they are worried about keeping the House of Representatives in the next election cycle.

I remember some on here celebrating the death of the GOP in the northeast when Specter flipped, not calling anyone out.

A year later, a republican is sitting in Teddy's seat.

I don't think the democrats problem is that they are too any ideological persuasion. I think it is that I honestly can't tell you what being a democrat means after the past year and a half of democratic administration.

You can say what you want about this awful illegal immigration law in Arizona, the fact is the democratic party tip toed around the issue for the bad HCR bill, there has to be a reason for that.

You keep focusing on specific election cycles and candidates and you're missing the overall trend: THE REPUBLICAN PARTY REPRESENTS A REGRESSIVE GOVERNING PHILOSOPHY WHICH DOES NOT GIVE THEM THE ABILITY TO GOVERN.

This is why they lose seats almost as soon as they win them. You belittle Gore in your post. Well, I offer you Newt Gingrich, who in 1994 was considered a political genius and who had ushered in an era of permanent Republican majorities in Congress. By 1998, Newt resigned in shame.

I automatically assume the Republicans are actually doing it themselves.

Here's just two examples. I'm sure there's more.

1) Remember ACORN --- who has long been used as a red-herring by the Republican Party to suggest the existence of massive Democratic "voter fraud" --- Acorn has never been charged with, or found guilty of aiding in the illegal casting of a single vote. Ever. Anywhere. No actual evidence has ever been presented in support of such a charge either. All the while the REAL voter fraud was being done in Kentucky by Republicans: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7765

2) Have you seen Obama pictures with him dressed up like a Nazi? All the while the Republicans pass a truly Gestapo-like law in Arizona.

What's next? Again I'm sure there's more but right now these two have me pissed.

it seems that as one as one of them screech, they get caught on something, an affair, trying to find a prostitute, (male/female)...thing is, the hypocrisy so overwhelming, but gets swept away...:shrug:

Great examples, especially the ACORN one, could not agree more with your assessment.

Welcome to DU!

seats. This is not because the repubs are smart but because blue dogs and conservadems are retiring and endangered. Obama needs to go ahead and do Immigration reform, bank reform and cap and tade asap. We're never doing to ahve another chance like this.

the R candidates are terrible...but from now to November, it's a political eternity.

Think of it this way, the GOP has nothing, no plans, no ideas, absolutely nothing. When one adds that what happened in AZ was pushed through by R's, the issues are all there for a wild bounce up. These people are incredibly vulnerable right now, of course, it will depend on voter turnout...but after the stall techniques, the whine, wimper and absurdity, I think the GOP is doomed.

Then there is the Teabag/Libertarian split of the vote...:D

forcing GOP reps to sign a loyalty oath and not support Gov. Crist is really going to come back and bite them in the ass.

I am looking forward to the continued implosion.

:popcorn:

and it usually ends up being minorities, the Latinos, the Jewish bankers, the lazy welfare queens etc. If the economy and especially jobs improve to a great extent by November, I'll be more optimistic. In my state IL we are drowning in debt and there are lots of cuts to social programs and people are fighting raising taxes (except the governor) and this is a Democratic state.

it will take time, but tying together all of the loos ends and curtailing the R gush up of wealth will be dealt with as time goes by.
Another thing to look at is that R policies crushed the economy, real people, bot D & R have realized that. The clarion call, "tax cuts" holds no merit any longer, people realize this was an incredible scam. Easiest way to save money, get out of the Middle East. Some people actually remember that we are at war, and it's put us into terrific debt.

New financial regulations, closing loopholes, getting rid of crap that rarely benefits anyone, progress is being made...every election is about the economy when you come right down to it...progress being made is not as good as a full recovery, but it beats going back to the GOP financial slaughterhouse.

You may be right about the right but what will take it's place?

A one party system is not good for any of us.
Alternative views and opinions are healthy to spur new ideas and find innovative solutions to problems.

There will have to be a thinking conservative party that grows as a competitor to us liberalists.

one, ultra-conservative, the other more moderate. Then again, it could go into several entities, one of them even being somewhat Progressive as in the days of TR.

There is the "10% Rule" that goes back to my Army days, it is basically seen as 10% of a group are exemplary in just about every thing they do; 80% are 'average', get the job done types; 10% are duds, they will botch up just about anything and are to be given essentially menial tasks and be supervised to the a higher degree". I figure the Radical Republicans are the lower 10%. They have already sliced off and are going to do what they can to mess things up, believing they are correct in everything they believe and do, This will probably scrape off another 5%. Most of the rest of the 85% are disgusted and searching for something more than a party hijacked by maniacs. We shall see what happens, but odds are, whatever comes out of this, it will be ruled by people trying to find the way through the swamp. Biggest problem the GOP has now, they have no ideas, nothing to put before either their members or the public in general. They are bereft of anything we could call a plan, (saying "no" could be considered a plane, but it's just about the worst thing to rest the future on w/o something to replace "no").

The R's here in Nebraska are seriously disgusted, without prompting, I've heard locals say, "For God's sake, they said they'd get rid of abortion 20 years now, and when they had power, they did nothing", "who would vote for a party that spent us into unpayable debt w/o a plan to get out of it?"...stuff like that from locals who defended the GOP for their entire lifetime is unheard of around here. People are pissed and voter registrations for Independent and D have risen dramatically...:D

people they did to make it happen.

Michael Steele, for example. What a gift he's been. Plus the people you named in your post. Plus Jeff Sessions. Plus Governor Brewer. And the added bonus of Rick Santorum, who's evidently going to battle with Palin and Gingrich for the support of overtly insane people in the GOP primaries.

AMEX card and went on a drunken spree. It think it's great!...:D

The whole system is in critical mode, funds drying up, no ideas, they are seen as kids that lost their lollipop and are crying instead of trying to use what few skills they have left come up with an answer. McConnell's, "go slow, start over", was received with eye rolls from the R's out here...people are feeling the clamp of financial disaster from R pushed changes, they don't want any more...;)

rejection by many, many voters.

McConnell is just a total whimp. Kentucky is in pretty bad shape as far as Senators go. Bunning is a mean-spirited dingbat and McConnell is a scarecrow. Let's see how deep McConnell wants to dig the party into the financial reform obstructionist hole.

I applaud McConnell for his tenacity at showing the nation just how electing a mindless idiot can drive the nation into the ground faster than any "terrorist"...:D

Just listening to him drops the national IQ 5 points...:D

Yes. At LEAST 5!

some people here are driving an agenda.

If the GOP wanted to do some introspection and try to redefine themselves in relation to reality they would still have a shot, but by appearances they want to move themselves further and further from the mainstream. What eventually follows will be one of those Wile E. Coyote moments when they realize they have no solid ground under them after they plunge out over the precipice.

the facial expressions were great...:D

They said the GOP was through after the Goldwater debacle in 1964. Well, four years later there was a Republican in the White House. (Never mind the fact that Nixon was to the left of many of today's Democrats.) Then again they said the GOP was finished after Watergate and Nixon's resignation. Well of course the GOP went on to recapture the White House in 1980.

Now, we are hearing the same thing. But I very seriously doubt it. Most objective observers expect the GOP to pick up a few seats in the Senate and perhaps win enough House seats to regain control of that body. (I doubt if it will be that bad although I think they will pick up seats.)

Time will only tell but I think one of the main things that the GOP has going for it is the tendency that the Democrats have to fuck things up and give the GOP a vehicle back into power. We shall see.

when the religious right took over the party, they went downhill very quickly. The thing D's have to d is:

1. Show up at the polls

2. mention bush/cheney at any given time, and often

3. Remind people that the GOP has nothing, no plan, no ideas, nothing...the only thing they want to do is make sure that everyone's cash gowes to the ultra -wealthy, nothing else matters top them.

Keep it on target, and simple...the GOP is melting away on it's own, I don't mind adding heat from time to time.


But I'll never take their demise for granted...:hi:

So I am wondering whether or not it is wise to be talking about a meltdown of the GOP right now. The last thing we need right now is for Dems to become overconfident and complacent. Remember that the right wing lunatic fringe has at one thing going for it. It is motivated and they will show up at the polls in great numbers. We have to make sure that we counterbalance that, or we might be sorry.

we can crush them, help them with their own demise...but we have to work at it...:hi:

FOUR MORE YEARS!:dem:

but we all have to show up at the polls to ensure they are crushed.

:hi:

Keep in mind 20% of the electorate are the radicals, and they will always vote this way. And all it takes is another 30% of the public to side with them for whatever reason.

I have my doubts that their radicalism or stupidity will doom them. I'd like to believe it will, but its hard to say. That is what doomed them in 2006 & 2008, but the polls show them gaining ground with independents now, despite being even more radical.

she refused to vote for McCain...she left her choices for president blank. It is the first time she has ever done that. She has said she is appalled at what the GOP has become, and most of those who are her friends feel the same way. These days, less rational people are starting to see the GOP as bunch of clowns, my Mom was ahead of her time...:D

vote Democratic, support a 3rd party candidate, or just stay home.

Vote 3rd party, good possibility

Stay home, good possibility

As for D's, I think staying home would give the R's an edge. It will depend on poll #'s, we have to show up, and historically, we've been terrible in the Mid-Term election.

But as time moves on, your arguments hold more weight.

Anything can happen over the next 6 months, that's a long time politically, which is why we must be planning now to show up at the polls...and preparing for what the GOP will drag out.

Countering their lies and obfuscations at every point is one of the keys to success...:hi:

However, for that to matter a few things have to be true.

1. Elections must continue to matter. If they continue to control the mechanism for counting the votes and continue to be willing to cheat early and often with a complicit corporate media then they may be able to blunt the numbers.
The TeaPubliKlans should be viewed as "the house" and "the house" wins all ties and close contests. They are also pretty masterful at depressing turnout and voting shenanigans/disenfranchisement, which means that they have to be hammered very consistently or they hook and crook their way to power.

2. The electorate won't continue to dumb down. This will be especially crucial over time as slick and well tested ads and even programming subtlety pushes bogus themes and distortions as enabled by the criminal regressive majority on the Supreme Court.
You combine this with the continued and doubled down on destruction of public education and demographics don't turn out to be the force they are expected to be.

3. They don't find methods to reduce the influx of fresh blood. They see the same trends you do and TeaPubliKlans will use every trick and lever they can find to stem that tide.

4. The whole game isn't rigged.

5. That the Democrats won't continue to follow the pukes to the Reich.

TeaPubliKlans haven't had any ideas in decades and really generations (they just rehash and resell the broken ideology from before the Depression).
Counting on their ineptness, hypocrisy, blatant lies, and being bankrupt on ideas and leadership has not proved to be the stumbling block one would expect from a major political party in a first world nation but they've slid by for about all of living memory in such a way.

No question they have gotten worse with time but the differential isn't evident because the Democratic party has adapted many of their failed concepts and policies so to a casual observer that doesn't get in too deep or is dependent on the corporate media still is in a position to choose rather than seeing the light that the pukes aren't a governing party and should go with great haste to history's waste bin.

I hope for the best but they aren't broken yet and nowhere near powerless. I tend to see them as a group that will have to be beaten back rather than self destructing and they have serious systemic help. Dragons must be slayed, trying to wait one out isn't likely to end well for those waiting.

One of the best things we can do is show up at the polls in huge #'s, something we are really prone to do during Mid-Terms.

Motivation is the key, and they have given us plenty of that...:D

The country is getting more and more urban, educated, diverse and informed.. all of which tend to make one vote more liberal.