Republicans, do you realize your party is obsoleting itself?

[OneOfTheseDays]

I wonder if you are even aware of what is happening to your party right now. We just witnessed an election where a Democratic president got reelected with 8% unemployment, something that hasn't happened since 1936, with well over 300 EVs. He basically cruised towards reelection.

Does that thought scare you? The fact that your party is basically not able to compete at all on the national stage and that you pretty much won't be able to win the Presidency unless there are major changes made to acquire more of the minority, youth, and female vote.

It's fascinating to me to observe this from the outside because it seems even the Republican politicians themselves are unaware of what is happening to their party. I know the GOP likes to exist in their own echo chambers, but the reality of this election had to have some impact here on what's really going on.

 

[techs]

Like a wounded animal the Republican party is still capable of doing great damage before it dies.

I agree that we have entered a new political era in this country. Many of the old rules and preconceptions no longer apply.

What the Republicans have done since the mid 1990's is polarize politics in America probably more than it has ever been. A good many people used to be willing to vote for someone from the other party. However, the Republicans have so hyper alienated the electorate this is not the case anymore. While this hyper alienation initially worked to the Republicans benefit as it motivated its own members the end result has been a backlash and adoption of a contervaling ideology by their political enemies.

No longer does an unemployment number indicate who will win the Presidency because Democrats won't vote for a Republican under almost any circumstance.

While the Democrats have a bare majority at this point and while it will just keep increasing there is still a close enough divide that a Republican can win the Presidency or that they can recieve more votes for Congress.

The future however, if you look 10 years out, puts the Democrats and Anti-Republicans into a period where they must fail miserably to lose an election.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Maybe it will get better. I hope they nominate Rick "Butt-Goo" Santorum or Palin the Dingbat or Michelle the Moron for 2016.

 

[Screech]

eh, the democratic party had arguably a far worse run (in terms of losing the presidency repeatedly) but is still around. From 68 to 88 the republicans won every presidential election, mostly with ridiculous landslides in the EV, with the exception of winning in 68 with 'only' 301 and losing 76 with carter getting 297 (this is after everything that happened with nixon and the democrats still only managed to get 297!).

To argue that because the republicans lost this year they are going to be completely removed from the national stage is to basically ignore the last 50 years of political history (or more) in this country.

 

[Matt1970]

You can keep rubbing yourself thinking the Republican party is all done but they are not going anywhere.

 

[finglobes]

"We just witnessed an election where a Democratic president got reelected with 8% "

Yes because Obama made sure to suffocate the economy long enough so he could get people hooked on food stamps etc (helps to win reelection when you can run "free" food stamp commercials 6 months before election). Obama does politics the way crack dealers do buisness. He relies on a dumbed down unsophisticated electorate that only cares about raiding the treasury. Secondary to that are the rights for peccadilloes crowd, "get the whites" voters etc. This is why Dems want to import more third worlders from failing cultures and broken countries - they come for the money, benefits etc. Obama is President Barabbas catering to the masses who want lies and goodies over character and earned wealth.

Even with Obama 's crack dealer ways Romney cost himself the election with inept consultants and a failed "prevent defense" strategy. Even a stupid storm blew him off the map because he was running a mousy campaign.

GOP blew Dems out of the water just two years ago. Then the weepy girly men running GOP turned on tea party and conservatives. That's the real problem. Guys like Boehner fight their friends better than their enemies.

Sooner or latter even the libs living in all white states in New England will begin to realize they are voting for their downfall by supporting a Dem party that has morphed into Marxism and third world triumphalism.

 

[Genx87]

eh, the democratic party had arguably a far worse run (in terms of losing the presidency repeatedly) but is still around. From 68 to 88 the republicans won every presidential election, mostly with ridiculous landslides in the EV, with the exception of winning in 68 with 'only' 301 and losing 76 with carter getting 297 (this is after everything that happened with nixon and the democrats still only managed to get 297!).

To argue that because the republicans lost this year they are going to be completely removed from the national stage is to basically ignore the last 50 years of political history (or more) in this country.

They have been saying the republicans are going away since 06. Yet here we are in 2012 with Republicans holding a commanding lead in the House of Representatives. They seem to forget two republicans literally swept the entire country within the last 40 years.

Going forward the Republican party will have to deal with demographic changes. But the democrats idea that minorities will automatically side with them is far fetched. The latino vote is very wide open and will continue to be as it grows in size and % of the population.

 

[dank69]

It's so bad we have to coin new words like "obsoleting."

Huh, nvm, seems obsoleting actually is a word. Lol I learn something new every day.

 

[Matt1970]

"We just witnessed an election where a Democratic president got reelected with 8% "

Yes because Obama made sure to suffocate the economy long enough so he could get people hooked on food stamps etc (helps to win reelection when you can run "free" food stamp commercials 6 months before election). Obama does politics the way crack dealers do buisness. He relies on a dumbed down unsophisticated electorate that only cares about raiding the treasury. Secondary to that are the rights for peccadilloes crowd, "get the whites" voters etc. This is why Dems want to import more third worlders from failing cultures and broken countries - they come for the money, benefits etc. Obama is President Barabbas catering to the masses who want lies and goodies over character and earned wealth.

Even with Obama 's crack dealer ways Romney cost himself the election with inept consultants and a failed "prevent defense" strategy. Even a stupid storm blew him off the map because he was running a mousy campaign.

GOP blew Dems out of the water just two years ago. Then the weepy girly men running GOP turned on tea party and conservatives. That's the real problem. Guys like Boehner fight their friends better than their enemies.

Sooner or latter even the libs living in all white states in New England will begin to realize they are voting for their downfall by supporting a Dem party that has morphed into Marxism and third world triumphalism.

I think it has a lot to do with people not wanting to change Captains mid-voyage. Weren't people saying Bush was the worst President in history yet he got re-elected.

 

[nehalem256]

Actually if you want to look at something interesting compare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_2012

to

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2012

Obama won 65,443,674
Romney won 60,767,509

House Dems won 59,244,595
House Reps won 58,092,751

So Obama had ~6,200,000 more votes than house Dems and
Romney had only ~ 1,700,000 more votes than house Republicans.

This suggests that the largest problem was that Romney was a shitty candidate.

 

[zinfamous]

No, no, it's not that their message wasn't right, it's that they weren't clear enough with their message.

That, and they blame all of their loss on about 3 elected officials going all crazy about rape.

In that, they are partly correct. problem is, republicans see these as fringe loonies who otherwise having remained silent, would not have cost them. The reality is that most people understand perfectly well that these guys are simply voicing the official opinions of the Republican party, which were quite publicly, and quite loudly adopted this year.

Nah, the country heard their message quite clearly. No one wants it.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Over the years in general I have like the Republican message, it just never gets delivered properly. Will someone rational please take the Republican Party back, the constant refusal of basic science, bizarre all about personal freedom but not about women's choices and the constant bowing to high earners is what turns me away. Seriously someone please start containing the lunatics. If the Republicans keep getting weaker The Democrats will get lazy and sloppy.

 

[sMiLeYz]

The Republican party is a joke right now, and a bad one. Voting against people with disabilities while Bob Dole was the champion of that law...

How low can you go?

 

[nehalem256]

Over the years in general I have like the Republican message, it just never gets delivered properly. Will someone rational please take the Republican Party back, the constant refusal of basic science, bizarre all about personal freedom but not about women's choices and the constant bowing to high earners is what turns me away. Seriously someone please start containing the lunatics. If the Republicans keep getting weaker The Democrats will get lazy and sloppy.

You mean not about abortion.

Pro-tip. Woman is not a synonym for abortion.

 

[MiniDoom]

The Republican party is a joke right now, and a bad one. Voting against people with disabilities while Bob Dole was the champion of that law...

How low can you go?

not sure if serious?

 

[Fanatical Meat]

You mean not about abortion.

Pro-tip. Woman is not a synonym for abortion.

I was very sloppy in my summary but yes its about abortion, birth control choices and other services somebody who is anti government should not be pocking around in.

 

[Jaskalas]

I wonder if you are even aware of what is happening to your party right now. We just witnessed an election where a Democratic president got reelected with 8% unemployment, something that hasn't happened since 1936, with well over 300 EVs. He basically cruised towards reelection.

A Massachusetts Governor is no more Republican than Bill Clinton.

The guy stunk as filthy rich, out of touch, and pandering to hold both sides of every issue at all times. You couldn't nominate a worse candidate if you tried. At least some religious fundie would have been sincere in his subjugation of your freedoms.

Romney was all lies, and everyone knew it.

Does that thought scare you? The fact that your party is basically not able to compete at all on the national stage and that you pretty much won't be able to win the Presidency unless there are major changes made to acquire more of the minority, youth, and female vote.

It's fascinating to me to observe this from the outside because it seems even the Republican politicians themselves are unaware of what is happening to their party. I know the GOP likes to exist in their own echo chambers, but the reality of this election had to have some impact here on what's really going on.

What scares me is the Republican Party keeps nominating Neocons. Big gov spenders who side with the Democrats on most issues, who aren't good enough for the D's party but get to co-opt ours under the guise of electability. They're "moderate", they "reach across the aisle" they're "electable", they "win elections" due to those traits. Hah!

No one wants a moderate brand of Republican, the Neocon, after seeing the consequences in a man like Bush. Their continued defeats in 2008 and 2012 are a good thing. The more damage they take the better off conservatives will be. The more likely we can seize control away from the Neocons, however much Democrats and your loyal media dogs paint them as our future saviors.

I mispoke, not everyone hates Neocons, Democrats love them. Not only will they keep the conservative base sitting home in protest, but you'll get most of what you wanted even if you lose the election, ala Bush. Massive entitlement expansion? Check. Police state? Check. Amnesty for illegals? He tried. Banning incandescent light bulbs? Who needs Gore? Bush is your man.

Hence your current propaganda. How a moderate Mitt Romney from a Democrat state is suddenly the embodiment of the "radical right", and thus lost. Your talking point is that he wasn't Democrat enough. Truth is I refused to vote for him because he wasn't Republican enough.

Problem is, they keep nominating these men, so to hell with the Republican Party. If they want to abandon conservatism in favor of you, then I say let them be destroyed. It's what is required to forge a new opposition party. Out with the old Neocon and in with the new “Radical Right”. I’m all in favor of that.

 

[nehalem256]

I was very sloppy in my summary but yes its about abortion, birth control choices and other services somebody who is anti government should not be pocking around in.

Republicans are not opposed to birth control.

They are opposed to the government paying for birth control. And against the government mandating that other 3rd Parties be forced to pay for women's BC.

 

[nehalem256]

A Massachusetts Governor is no more Republican than Bill Clinton.

The guy stunk as filthy rich, out of touch, and pandering to hold both sides of every issue at all times. You couldn't nominate a worse candidate if you tried. At least some religious fundie would have been sincere in his subjugation of your freedoms.

Romney was all lies, and everyone knew it.

Including Democrats until the first debate.

It makes you wonder if Obama tanked it on purpose to make Romney look like a semi-credible opponent so that when he was defeated Democrats could claim the problem was Republicans not Romney.

 

[techs]

No one wants a moderate brand of Republican, the Neocon, after seeing the consequences in a man like Bush. Their continued defeats in 2008 and 2012 are a good thing. The more damage they take the better off conservatives will be. The more likely we can seize control away from the Neocons, however much Democrats and your loyal media dogs paint them as our future saviors.

Hence your current propaganda. How a moderate Mitt Romney from a Democrat state is suddenly the embodiment of the "radical right", and thus lost. Your talking point is that he wasn't Democrat enough. Truth is I refused to vote for him because he wasn't Republican enough.

This is the part that shows you just don't get it.
The people running around blaming the Republicans loss on the fact that their candidates aren't conservative enough are the reason Republicans are losing.

Its the policies of the extreme Republican conservatives that are killing the party.

The bottom line is that polls have proven that Republican policies are not in the majority. However, Republicans vote at a far greater percenatage then Democrats so they have managed to win elections in the past. Now there are just not enough Republicans left on the extreme conservative end that can be encouraged to come out and vote.

The only thing left for the Republicans is to try and get people of more centrist views to vote for them. However, their entire political philosophy and propaganda of the last 15-20 years of the Republicans to the extreme right is no compromise, no flexibility, no tolerance of dissent. Which makes it extremely difficult for the Republicans to put together a winning coalition.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

I would argue that the minority vote is absolutely not as up for grabs as the GOP thinks it is. Major damage was done in this election and if Obama is successful in getting immigration reform pushed through the Democrats could be looking at a locking up of the Latino vote for a generation or longer.

The Republicans made their bed with the Southern Strategy. Their placed their bets on the particular segment of the white population in this country, and that's simply not good enough to win a national election anymore.

I would argue that reaching out to minorities, youth, and women will be the most challenging battle the Republicans will face going forward because they will somehow have to do all of this without alienating their base.

I predicted Obama would cruise to reelection no matter who the GOP nominated because I saw the demographic end game. The Democrats will not lose the White House for some time, especially if Hillary runs next time around.

 

[Matt1970]

This is the part that shows you just don't get it.
The people running around blaming the Republicans loss on the fact that their candidates aren't conservative enough are the reason Republicans are losing.

Its the policies of the extreme Republican conservatives that are killing the party.

The bottom line is that polls have proven that Republican policies are not in the majority. However, Republicans vote at a far greater percenatage then Democrats so they have managed to win elections in the past. Now there are just not enough Republicans left on the extreme conservative end that can be encouraged to come out and vote.

The only thing left for the Republicans is to try and get people of more centrist views to vote for them. However, their entire political philosophy and propaganda of the last 15-20 years of the Republicans to the extreme right is no compromise, no flexibility, no tolerance of dissent. Which makes it extremely difficult for the Republicans to put together a winning coalition.

You aren't seeing the big picture here. Republicans had a shitty candidate that got totally ridiculed in the media and lost 2 out of the 3 debates, 4 out of 5 if you count the vp's, their platform was equally ridiculed in the media and Republicans still managed to get 47% of the popular vote. Republicans are not going anywhere any time soon.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

^^I guess I see your point but they lost Senate seats that should have been assumed to gain and also lost house seats. Republicans really need to start talking to the common voters again. Even last month I heard a Republican strategist speaking about how they lost the "under class" come on is that the plan to gain more votes?

 

[DominionSeraph]

eh, the democratic party had arguably a far worse run (in terms of losing the presidency repeatedly) but is still around. From 68 to 88 the republicans won every presidential election, mostly with ridiculous landslides in the EV, with the exception of winning in 68 with 'only' 301 and losing 76 with carter getting 297 (this is after everything that happened with nixon and the democrats still only managed to get 297!).

That was pre- conservative talk. The news outlets were all liberal due to journalistic integrity, which moderated Republicans. Now the GOP's politics are dictated by what will play to Fox News viewers. Look at John McCain. He used to be a respected Senator with principles of his own, now he is completely beholden to spewing lies and propaganda for Fox News.

Fox News can't liberalize because its only product is selling their viewers the notion that those viewers' ignorant beliefs are right and the intelligentsia is wrong. They can't promote the output of actual intelligent thought without alienating those viewers.

"There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking." - Sir Joshua Reynolds

Their viewers already resorted to changing the channel to Fox News. If Fox News were to start hurting their little heads, they'd just change channels until they found a new propaganda outlet.

The GOP used to win by being moderate. But they've ceded the middle and even middle-right to the Democrats in their chase for the far right, and they don't really have a way back.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

That was pre- conservative talk. The news outlets were all liberal due to journalistic integrity, which moderated Republicans. Now the GOP's politics are dictated by what will play to Fox News viewers. Look at John McCain. He used to be a respected Senator with principles of his own, now he is completely beholden to spewing lies and propaganda for Fox News.

Fox News can't liberalize because its only product is selling their viewers the notion that those viewers' ignorant beliefs are right and the intelligentsia is wrong. They can't promote the output of actual intelligent thought without alienating those viewers.

"There is no expedient to which a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking." - Sir Joshua Reynolds

Their viewers already resorted to changing the channel to Fox News. If Fox News were to start hurting their little heads, they'd just change channels until they found a new propaganda outlet.

The GOP used to win by being moderate. But they've ceded the middle and even middle-right to the Democrats in their chase for the far right, and they don't really have a way back.

Exactly. The real question is where does the GOP go from here? They really can't move back to the center or center right because the reality is this is where the Democrats are. They certainly will never win a national election by being Democrat-lite.

It's going to take a major shakeup for them to find the right footing. The Libertarian wing is likely their best hope of recapturing the Independent vote and starting to make headway with their problem areas. They absolutely must start moving away from the fanatical Christian right and Tea Party absolutists. That is a sure fire recipe for obsolescence.