tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post1919754196166131606..comments2024-01-05T06:18:18.086-05:00Comments on CommentaramaPolitics: Elections and Other Stuff...AndrewPricehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-86676489372833643722015-05-12T20:41:48.479-04:002015-05-12T20:41:48.479-04:00OT: The Dema in the Seante blew up Obama's tra...OT: The Dema in the Seante blew up Obama's trade deal today.BevfromNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-24012493443447898092015-05-12T18:27:16.894-04:002015-05-12T18:27:16.894-04:00"I think the left misunderstands this because..."I think the left misunderstands this because they want to see conservatism as a monolithic block that believes the insane things our fringe spews. Hence, they are shocked whenever the GOP wins a seat because they view every GOP candidate as Todd Akin and they can't understand how a Todd Akin could get elected. It never dawns on them that Akin is in the tiny minority."<br /><br />I see that, too. Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-31386117144071859312015-05-12T14:50:02.529-04:002015-05-12T14:50:02.529-04:00Nice clowns! :D
Bev, You make an interesting poin...Nice clowns! :D<br /><br />Bev, You make an interesting point that I think about a lot. Conservatives love to whine that the public has been mesmerized by Obama and his evil socialist brigades, but that's just not true.<br /><br />The truth is that a large majority of the public holds right-of-center (pro-individual freedom) views, but they just can't find anyone to vote for. Our side, which should be blowing away the Democrats everywhere, focuses on stupid fringe issues rather than creating a broad-based appeal to average Americans as conservatism did during its glory days. So national elections come down to which side seems less scary, rather than which side do you support.<br /><br />In places where the focus is more on things that matter (i.e. jobs, business conditions, maintaining freedoms, protecting the people from ___,) such as the state level or Britain or Israel, the right does much better than it does at the national level in the US where the focus is on what to do about the people we hate.<br /><br />I think the left misunderstands this because they want to see conservatism as a monolithic block that believes the insane things our fringe spews. Hence, they are shocked whenever the GOP wins a seat because they view every GOP candidate as Todd Akin and they can't understand how a Todd Akin could get elected. It never dawns on them that Akin is in the tiny minority.<br /><br />What's more, the left has nothing to offer either. Their entire platform is about hating a different set of people than our fringe hates and raising the minimum wage until manna falls from non-denominational Heaven. None of that sells any better than our side's hate.<br /><br />Its really would be easy for either party to become a permanent majority right now, they just need to focus on the public. But neither side will do that because they are locked in an obsessive struggle to the death.AndrewPricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11312364467936820986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-38797425642836039772015-05-12T13:08:32.369-04:002015-05-12T13:08:32.369-04:00Sorry, guys. I am suddenly having a very busy day!...Sorry, guys. I am suddenly having a very busy day!<br /><br />But let me say this. First, that as I see it, the move to the left is not working out to well so far. We will see later today when Bill DeB and his coterie of Hollywood stars like Susan Sarandon and others roll out his "Contract With America". Now what I remember of Newt's "Contract" in the 1990's is that it was mostly directed at Congress not wasting taxpayer money on themselves like with Congressional gyms and special loans and the like. And a general wise cut in spending like limiting welfare checks to 5 years and providing job training and placement. And a general cutting of spending which led to a much touted "budget surplus" at the end of Clinton's presidency.<br /><br />Bill deB's,...is...well...not going be like that. He is supposed to be rolling it out today. I will keep y'all posted. <i> [YES, I used the word "y'all"!]</i>BevfromNYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14953050916932306270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-28334708096029798402015-05-12T11:53:56.156-04:002015-05-12T11:53:56.156-04:00Critch,
"The liberals just don't get it,...Critch,<br /><br />"The liberals just don't get it, I predict they will go even further tot he left in hopes of winning again,,,but let me say,,,I doubt seriously they rally the black people, college kids and nature nuts the way Obama did.....and let's face it, he didn't win any large percentages of the popular vote."<br /><br />First, Obama was a unique individual, able to craft a loyal coterie of voters; blacks, college women. Martin O'Malley will certainly not grab black voters the way Obama did and I highly doubt he will appeal to young women in the same way, either. <br /><br />They also don't seem to understand their victory in 2012 came largely from the Republican Party and the Right utterly self-destructing. A few have pointed out that McCain grabbed more popular votes in 2008 than Obama did in 2012. <br />Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-1511380750375516752015-05-12T11:48:47.345-04:002015-05-12T11:48:47.345-04:00Anthony,
"power is a poisoned chalice for b...Anthony, <br /><br />"power is a poisoned chalice for both parties which is why since 1994 it has seesawed between the two parties"<br />But the chalice with the palace has the brew that is true! Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist. ;-)<br /><br />I do think occasional losses in power is good for the country and conservatism. Politicians too entrenched can cause a lot of damage by setting up patronages in their constituencies in a modern day version of feudalism. Just look at the Kennedys. <br /><br />Of course, on the flip-side, the fear of losing can sometimes cause politicians to go mad with pushing left-wing populist programs. But a political move that reeks of desperation can blow back on you. Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-68064447751691914542015-05-12T11:47:10.151-04:002015-05-12T11:47:10.151-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Kithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01453591141757808708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-40039742791741919832015-05-12T10:33:09.743-04:002015-05-12T10:33:09.743-04:00Those of us in the trenches over the 2nd Amendment...Those of us in the trenches over the 2nd Amendment have been saying for a long time that the war is in the state houses. It goes as well for many other issues...education, welfare reform, and balancing budgets. The liberals just don't get it, I predict they will go even further tot he left in hopes of winning again,,,but let me say,,,I doubt seriously they rally the black people, college kids and nature nuts the way Obama did.....and let's face it, he didn't win any large percentages of the popular vote.Critchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07106908233705403513noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6251675227852122352.post-49644722301340502682015-05-12T06:04:38.513-04:002015-05-12T06:04:38.513-04:00A Republican is the governor of MD (becoming a mor...A Republican is the governor of MD (becoming a more common thing), and while I haven't paid much attention to him, recently he acquitted himself a lot better than the 'Let it burn' mayor of Baltimore.<br /><br />The Republicans will continue to do well for a bit, but going by recent history, it is unlikely to last. Absolute victory in 2016 (a real possibility) would probably translate into a Democratic revival in 2018 unless the Democrats broke left (also a real possibility since I could see liberals blaming loss on Obama and Hillary's 'moderation' rather than their liberalism or incompetence).<br /><br />Generally speaking, power is a poisoned chalice for both parties which is why since 1994 it has seesawed between the two parties. Both like to centralize power, both like to reward their friends and punish their enemies and both have powerful constituencies whose obsessions differ from the priority lists of voters. <br /><br />All that being said, it should be kept in mind that the seesawing works to the benefit of Republicans because prior to that the Democrats consistently controlled two of the three branches at a national level (the President is the most powerful politician in the country, but there is only so much he can do). <br />For example, Supreme Court justices don't go away when the winds of political fortune temporarily change and they have tremendous amounts of power.Anthonyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16124128949343301445noreply@blogger.com