Republican Party on the Decline?

[Albion]

Actually, more legislation was passed during the first two years and progress made than in any recent time under Bush. But after those two years when more Republicans got into the Congress stagnation followed.

Because Harry Reid wouldn't allow any bills coming from the House of Representatives to be voted on. Or much of anything else, for that matter. I heard the other day that Sen. Begich (D-AK) was having a problem campaigning in a close election in Alaska because he couldn't point to a single piece of legislation that he's sponsored in his term in the Senate and which had been passed into law. So, I guess it would be correct, in a sense, if you say that the election of Republicans caused the main Democrat to shut down the Senate.

 

[bhsmte]

The republican party does have challenges, no question. But, appearing by the election results, it would appear many believe the democratic party has performed poorly and has challenges themselves.

Now, the ball is in the republican's court. They can show they can govern in a positive way or they can screw it up. Time will tell.

There is a reason, the election results were what they were last night.

 

[ThisBrotherOfHis]

The republican party does have challenges, no question. But, appearing by the election results, it would appear many believe the democratic party has performed poorly and has challenges themselves.

Now, the ball is in the republican's court. They can show they can govern in a positive way or they can screw it up. Time will tell.

There is a reason, the election results were what they were last night.

Exactly, well said. I said much the same thing on another thread. We've given them the opportunity. Now they need to do something.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

What on earth are you talking about? Who here has not "accepted the reality"? Many on the left on this forum accepted it prior to the results ever being announced! Why? Because the facts overwhelmingly suggested that Republicans would gain control of Congress. Those were the facts and we accepted them.

Travel back in time to CF in 2012. Were you here back then? A huge outpouring of rage and incredulity at Obama's reelection and the reality that Republicans lost ground in Congress, among a series of other liberal victories. Even though the facts again suggested that this is precisely what would happen, many conservatives were outraged, and the threads of that time testify to that. Some right-wing pundits even poured scorn on the voting public. How dare they! How could they?! Black is white and bad is good!



If facing reality means accepting the facts then, given the mostly measured response we've seen from liberals on here, most have indeed "faced reality" long before the election was even held. Facing reality also means looking to, and preparing for, the future.

 

[JayFern]

The arms manufacturers are pushing for another war where brave Americans can go and make the people proud to be Americans, they will fly the flag and die doing their duty, meanwhile the bloated 1% at the top cream even more money off the top, for every dollar the Koch brothers and their cronies spend directing the Republican party into power they will get back ten and they know it.

Keeping the average American poor and not very bright is very good for their businesses.

 

[abysmul]

If there is another ground war... Dems and Obama will sign off on it.

 

[ThisBrotherOfHis]

They easily could be. Obama got dazzled by his own BST. The Republicans might do the same thing, if they don't realize this wasn't so much a vote for them as it was against the liberal agenda.

If they don't "do something," this will be a very short two years for them.

If they don't "do something," I'll be ready to secede by then.

 

[abysmul]

They easily could be. Obama got dazzled by his own BST. The Republicans might do the same thing, if they don't realize this wasn't so much a vote for them as it was against the liberal agenda.

If they don't "do something," this will be a very short two years for them.

If they don't "do something," I'll be ready to secede by then.

yup

 

[ThisBrotherOfHis]

Actually, more legislation was passed during the first two years ...

In volume, yes. In quality? Not close.

... and progress made ...

So you must be calling "progress" the throwing of nearly a trillion dollars down the black hole of government "stimulation" that accomplished nothing, left the government holding the bag on a once-again-nearly-bankrupt GM, adding 50% to the national debt in less than four years and the creation of government by fiat, the "pen-and-phone" governance Obama is inexplicably so proud of? That "progress"?

OK, thanks. Got it.

Note to self: Beware HT -- appears delusional

 

[AceHero]

The demographics of the nation are shifting, and the party is yet to form a long-term strategy to address this.

I think this is the issue people really don't talk about much regarding the GOP. They are losing on demographics: there are only so many white people, and their share of the nation's ethnic makeup is waning. 2012 was the last presidential election that could have been won solely by getting the white vote.

Also remember that for whatever reason, Democrats just do not turn out for mid-terms. They will be out in full force in two years, just like they were in 2008 and 2012: young people, poor people, and minorities will be getting out the vote, and that could spell doom for the GOP, especially since in 2016 they will have to defend twice as many Senate seats as Democrats will.

 

[ThisBrotherOfHis]

I think this is the issue people really don't talk about much regarding the GOP. They are losing on demographics: there are only so many white people, and their share of the nation's ethnic makeup is waning. 2012 was the last presidential election that could have been won solely by getting the white vote.

Newsflash: It wasn't the overwhelming turnout of "old white people" -- what are you, a CNN soundbite? -- that created this tidal wave for the GOP. It was the simple fact that Millennials don't vote. Yes, they turned out for Obama in '08 and '12, but so what? It was a cult of personality, not a real political movement. They were enamored with the guy. He's already run two presidential elections. He can't motivate them anymore, particularly when his own party didn't want him leaving the Oval Office down the stretch. Well, all except for Anthony Brown and Kay Hagan. And look what happened to them! One's filing for unemployment this morning, the other is wondering how she might sneak a few more ballots into the counting rooms when they open up the absentees and provisionals.

So you can try to spin it however you want. "Old white folks." The electoral stack was against Obama (that was his line last night). The liberal base stayed home. None of it washes.

It's really, really simple. "It's the president."

 

[bewiserthantheserpent]

It's really, really simple. "It's the president."


And yes it was! Shame that wasn't on voter's mind last presidential election as it should have been.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Flashback ... 2009

 

[Savior2006]

Conservative had talked themselves into believing that Romney "would win in a landslide." Nat Silver predicted that Obama would win by a bit and as far as the right-wing were concerned Silver was the one that needed therapy.

I accepted the fact that Republicans would win this midterm. I didn't like it. I got up without a wink of sleep, went to work, came home, went to the wrong precinct, went to the right one, sat down and voted straight Democratic. I'm not angry at the voting public, but this, according to my dad is what happens.

People get sick of Democrats. So they vote for Republicans. Then they get sick of Republicans, and then they vote for Democrats.

 

[AceHero]

I think this is the issue people really don't talk about much regarding the GOP. They are losing on demographics: there are only so many white people, and their share of the nation's ethnic makeup is waning. 2012 was the last presidential election that could have been won solely by getting the white vote.

Newsflash: It wasn't the overwhelming turnout of "old white people" -- what are you, a CNN soundbite? -- that created this tidal wave for the GOP. It was the simple fact that Millennials don't vote. Yes, they turned out for Obama in '08 and '12, but so what? It was a cult of personality, not a real political movement. They were enamored with the guy. He's already run two presidential elections. He can't motivate them anymore, particularly when his own party didn't want him leaving the Oval Office down the stretch. Well, all except for Anthony Brown and Kay Hagan. And look what happened to them! One's filing for unemployment this morning, the other is wondering how she might sneak a few more ballots into the counting rooms when they open up the absentees and provisionals.

I've already mentioned that Democrats tend not to vote in mid-terms. That's not news to me, nor is the fact that my fellow Millennials have very little civic pride, so voting is just not a priority for many of them. It sure is for me.

So you can try to spin it however you want. "Old white folks." The electoral stack was against Obama (that was his line last night). The liberal base stayed home. None of it washes.

It's really, really simple. "It's the president."

Though it's true that demographics are changing rapidly in the U.S. and that could really hurt the GOP in the future.

People get sick of Democrats. So they vote for Republicans. Then they get sick of Republicans, and then they vote for Democrats.

If we had more than two parties, I don't think we'd experience this political pendulum as much. If we had three or more major political parties, or even a couple minor ones to leech votes from the Democrats and Republicans, I think there'd be a lot more willingness to work together, especially if a winning candidate might not get 50% of the vote.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

So you can try to spin it however you want. "Old white folks." The electoral stack was against Obama (that was his line last night). The liberal base stayed home. None of it washes.

Given the way some Democrats ran their campaign (e.g., Mark Pyror), it wouldn't surprise me if the liberal base did stay home in certain districts. It turns out that running as a conservative Democratic probably isn't a good idea.

 

[Aldebaran]

When last I checked, the Tea Party's approval was abysmal. Given that, one might suspect that the Republicans did well despite the Tea Party, not because of it.

Probably because the lame stream media hates them so much because they stand for conservative Americans, which is the exact opposite of what the media likes to report about. It's also the antithesis of the liberals in the White House. The more conservative someone is, the more hateful the liberals are towards them, and will villify them any way they can, including making accusations of racism, bigotry, hate for women, wanting dirty air and water, etc.

 

[Archaeopteryx]

Probably because the lame stream media hates them so much because they stand for conservative Americans, which is the exact opposite of what the media likes to report about. It's also the antithesis of the liberals in the White House. The more conservative someone is, the more hateful the liberals are towards them, and will villify them any way they can, including making accusations of racism, bigotry, hate for women, wanting dirty air and water, etc.

Or, here's another possibility: The values of the Tea Party, and their political aspirations, do not align with the values and aspirations of the majority of voters. As such, the media need not vilify them at all. They merely need to describe their views in sufficient detail.

 

[NightHawkeye]

Or, here's another possibility: The values of the Tea Party, and their political aspirations, do not align with the values and aspirations of the majority of voters. As such, the media need not vilify them at all. They merely need to describe their views in sufficient detail.

If only the media would. That the media finds it necessary to vilify rather than simply let the facts speak for themselves offers a clue to the truth.

 

[TLK Valentine]

If only the media would. That the media finds it necessary to vilify rather than simply let the facts speak for themselves offers a clue to the truth.

How does the media find it necessary to vilify?