GOP Governors Want Kinder, Gentler Approach
2009 November 22
Once again it appears that a large group of mainstream Republicans would rather play nice than take off their gloves and fight hard to win back the country.
AUSTIN – Here’s what I did not hear at the annual confab of Republican governors held here this week: The words socialist, extremist, or government takeover. With the focus on jobs, jobs and jobs, the only red meat was the Texas barbecue. And by design, there was no Obama-bashing.
The surest sign that leaders of the post-George W. Bush, post-Karl Rove GOP really might feel as optimistic as their talking points sound is that they are not only moving away from the last decade’s focus on wedge issues and personal attacks, but are explicitly repudiating them. Rhetorically, at least, they have ditched the whole Rove approach – that the party with the angriest base will have the greater turnout, and thus will win. They see independent voters as the way to win in 2010.“When Bush became president,” Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour said from the podium, “there was a hardening of partisanship” that worked in the Republicans’ favor in ‘02 and ‘04, but against them in ‘06 and ‘08. He spoke approvingly of voters moving now towards a post-partisan moment in which “people will say ‘I vote for the woman, not the party.’ ”Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle followed up on that politically correct happy talk: “I hope it does go in a direction where people can work together,” she said, and ended the session with a pacific “Aloha!”Barbour cautioned Republican candidates to refrain from attacking the president, period: “People want the president to succeed; goodLord, they want the country to succeed, and particularly the first African-American president has a lot of goodwill. . . . We need to be careful, we need to treat the president respectfully, we need to make this about policies, not personal. . . . This is a guy people like.”
Think back to 2002 when the Democrats made George Bush, an unpopular President, the centerpiece of its 2006 and 2008 campaigns. Will Barack Obama be any more popular in 2010? Once again the GOP demonstrates why it’s earned the title of “The Stupid Party.” Perhaps they are afraid Chrissie Matthews will call them racists.
Your thoughts???
Hat tip: Politics Daily
[1]
Easy to yell “sissies!” so I will: “Sissies!”
Sooner or later, these people are going to have to stand up and offer an alternative, and this is where the problem is: I think they have no idea what they will say when the time comes.
[2]
The R party is the party of whores. They make no sense, as they did last night. McConnel wanted to go home for Thanksgiving Break.
The HHRs say – well, at least we win in 2010…(they fail to realize that we get Obamacare). I rather lose 2010 and not have Obamacare. At least we fought on principles.
[3]
And a good morning to you folks, its been a while.
It is also the belief at HHR – that they can overturn Obamacare in the courts. Yeah right.
[4]
Well, we can’t stop the Dems right now, and hopefully if we do take the house back in 2010, we can starve it of funding, and if we take the Senate back and win the WH in 2012 we can repeal it entirely.
And by all means, keep fighting it now, in case we can stop it, but its entirely up to the Dems if that happens, because they have 60.
[5]
That may be as well, Tina, but I doubt it. And in any case it is not what you want to rely on.
Even if the courts overturn the individual mandate, that would not overturn the tax and regulatory schemes, so I think overall that is wrong,.
[6]
Tina, McConnell is corrupt and personally worthless.
[7]
True, RWY. He is a whore as is the R leadership. I would rather have delayed the initial vote as much as possible – by using the parl. tricks – blasted the bribes to Lamedrieu,etc., and tried to galvanize further American public opinion. I am not sayting that it would have been enough to prevent passage of that prel. vote. However, I would not have bent over like the R party did last night.
Entitlements rarely go away when they are passed. I do not look for the courts to assist to overturn it.
[8]
so who was the non vote?
[9]
Tina,
You need a sexy Gravatar if your going to stay!
[10]
Voinovodka did not bother to show, he was having a street or something named after him.
Rino.
[11]
Did ANY R’s crossover??????? The sisters Maine????
[12]
At least the Repubs hung together as a bloc last night…and didn’t need to be bribed to do it.
The Dems had to threaten, bribe and cajole their bloc into voting to proceed. As Byron York said (in a link I put on the other thread):
The extraordinary thing about the dramatic events surrounding the health care bill in the Senate is that there was any drama at all. Lawmakers were simply voting to begin debate on the Democratic version of health care reform. Just begin debate — not end it, and not move on to a final vote.
I am hoping (okay, PRAYING!) Coburn forces a reading of the Bill if it looks like the next filibuster is going to be defeated. Considering that such a vote won’t take place until mid-December most likely, Coburn alone could push the final vote into January.
Either way, the Repubs DID hold the line last night…they just don’t have enough peeps to hold it with. Lieberman was the biggest dissappointment of the night for me. The Dems SLIT HIS THROAT…and he still supports them! Geez.
[13]
with the exception of “Voinovodka” (thx Tina, I love it!
) the rest of the Repubs quickly voted “No!”
[14]
I am still waiting for the moderate Democrat to assist our side.
Blanched nuts
Lamedrieu
Loserman.
Where are these so called moderates?
[15]
Tina: “Where are these so called moderates?”
You can only see them out of the corner of your eye. But they, Sasquatch, the Easter Bunny and Nancy Piglosi’s smile are ALL genuine…I assure you!
[16]
“Where are these so called moderates?”
At the HHR
[17]
Bingo EPH, it has become difficult reading that site because that is what many were writing about the so called phantom moderate D.
I will place my contacts on tracking them down.
[18]
I literally got attacked at HHR for pointing out that the Rs should have fought last night but McConnell wanted to go home to see his Connie Chung clone wife.
[19]
Until the GOP decides it wants to fight for what it supposedly believes in, it’s going to loose. Pretty boys like Mitt and T Paw are not going to get the job done. Pretty girls like Sarah, Michele Bachmann and Marsha Blackburn – that’s another story.
[20]
The Repubs truly had no ammunition to fight WITH last night. Once the Dems (including Liegberman) started the “Just let us debate it!” chanting, it was all over.
The true test for the Repubs is in KEEPING their bloc of votes together . They have ZERO leverage if either of both of the Maine twins defects, for example. But with 40 votes they can, and SHOULD bribe the hell out of just ONE Democrat and then they can stop this madness.
The big test is coming. Other than the slime from Ohio (who couldn’t be bothered to show up) the Repubs did all they could last night. It’s the Dem whores who deserve everyones anger:
Nelson…Landrieu…Lincoln…and yes, LIEBERMAN.
Four a**holes who SWORE they would not let it proceed in it’s current state…and ALL FOUR then reversed themselves.
[21]
Pardon me. I am not feeling well. I just threw up.
The Republicans have learned NOTHING. NOTHING.
The Dems took control by flat out demonizing Bush while the R’s sat on their f++ing hands.
God, it really is time for a third party.
[22]
No, Mdefl, no third party until 2012 and only then if the Rs foist another McCain type on us. We can win the House back in 2010. It is the only hope we have. But I appreciate your sentiments.
[23]
Tina, you are really funny. I hope you stick around.
[24]
MDefl…it’ll be time for a 3rd Party after 2010…maybe. Give Palin, Bachman and a few others, time to see what can be salvaged from the Republican Party.
If we do not at least take back one of the (whore)Houses of Congress then it will be time for (a) a 3rd Party AND (b) hunkering down (for we are screwed)
At least the Repubs DID hang togther last night. That’s more spine than they’ve shown in some time. And with one stooopid exception, they hung together in the (whore)House of Representatives.
The Repubs ARE seeing the spraypainting on the wall…and it is WE who spraypainted it there: We the People are mad as hell!
There was essentially nothing the Repubs could do last night. WE can punish Landrieu, Lincoln and Nelson!!
[25]
but McConnell wanted to go home to see his Connie Chung clone wife.
lol, lol…
Tina, I’m sorry I chased you off PP. Was it the fighting with Chekote? Please stay, or at least stop by more often, and note that we have banned Chekote for lying over and over…
[26]
#7, Tina, that is exactly right.
[27]
RWY, I do not think you chased me off. It was the site administrator and the person whose named rhymed with Thief.
[28]
oh. well, good.
[29]
And that poster that you mentioned is now referred to as ?
???
checkplant
Checkpant.
[30]
Roger that.
[31]
Here,
I posted this last nite at HHR (I fixed the typos becasse I was a bit drunk. My first attempt at poetry, I am not very good):
The Republicans talk a big game
But they act so lame.
They want to home.
So they can get some.
What a bunch of bores.
So they are really whores.
[32]
Tina,
Basically, we are the only 2 doing battle with the Frumette, surrender cats at HHR. We need some help. There are SO many of them.
[33]
Yup, they have multiplied.
[34]
Practice makes perfect, Tina, watch out for poetry night and join us, please.
IP and I used to rule the roost here, but now, everyone, and I mean everyone, has showed us that we are not the sole talents.
competition makes everyone better….
Everyone who has worked on getting better has done so. Kudos to all of them!
[35]
That is why I am here RWY, HHR has gotten flooded with Surrendcrats and Rinos.
[36]
What many of these Gov want is to be bailed out.
[37]
That’s right, and we can never tell the Feds to sod off, if we’re taking their worthless cash.
[38]
Bingo, can’t go anywhere if they want their milk from momma.