#62: Fred: Of course I know that, and I didn’t mean to imply otherwise. Sorry for being careless. But its a fact-many voters now carry an indelible impression that the GOP had to be forcibly evicted in 2006, to restore some semblance of adult government. The memory lingers, as the new poll showing only 21% see themselves as repubs shows.
The GOP also controlled the white house in 2007 and were most visibly “in control” when new york banks were laying people off in droves, while paying their execs bonuses and Hank Paulsen was breathing into a paper bag and insisting that he needed $700 billion just to keep banks from going under tomorrow. When it broke in 2007, the GOP was in charge. And nothing the congress could have done would have stopped the meltdown: true it’s traceable back for decades, but like a hangover, it’s the last 12 drinks that are really hurting now. Eevryone knows it.
The GOP also “looks like” the responsible party. As the party in control for 12 years or so, they were the last ones holding that potato. They can’t tenably inist that 2007′s meltdown is “Carter’s fault.” They can’t show off one GOP man that tried consistently to do somehting about it. The GOP had no one –no one–who can stand up and say “I opposed this all along.” (No, McCain’s episodic comments on the issue in 2005 don’t get there–esp since he has that 1987 Lincoln Savings problem around his neck). That’s where the GOP really fell down. They had no one that had resisted out of control spending and corruption as Churchill had pushed for rearmament. They had gleefully scooped up credit for Freddie and Fannie too.
So, like the Dad that used to be a sober if boring and responsible man, the GOP got drunk, went to Vegas, blew the mortgage money on tarts, tatoos and more booze, skipped school meetings, partied with lobbyists, did inside deals, and swaggered back for the election, swigging from a Cristal bottle while we are evicted fro the hosue, and sneering that voters had no where else to go. Now Dad tells me its all someone else’s fault: Someone that bought the first drink or suggested the vegas trip?
Clayton (#71) I cannot see the benefit in fecklessly dismissing gay voters, women worried over abortion and countless others alienated or scared away by an image that scares and repels beyond those immediately effected. And for what did we sacrifice those votes? Remember how close 2000 was?
The GOP needs to get out of D.C., into the “hinterlands” where real people live. It ahs to shed the idea that wisdom and benefit come from Washington. There are lots of issues it could exploit if it understood them and believed in its role. How about proposing that the US Congress shed its health benefit plan and join the unwashed in the US health system? That colleges have citizen oversight boards with 25% elected representatives with veto power over new departmnts and tenure? That tenure be restricted to those hitting the 20 year mark? State employees have no cost of living increases in deficit years and it cannot be made up later? That police departments be held accountable for no knock raids that are objectively unreasonable? What about allowing generic drug purchasing abroad for health plans?
The GOP could meld a victory by being for things that reasonable people of all stripes are for.
The GOP has to be for something again. Because much as I detest Pelosi, I am not convinced that the GOP has anyone better. And coming from me, that’s sad.
