Republicans simply cannot govern...

[kentuck]

As is obvious over this entire country, the national economic policies have rippled down to every state in this union. Although some states, such as California, are in worse shape than others, they are all in deficit. They are cutting programs left and right and are scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for revenues.

Why is this so? Just as in any job, if you do not like it, chances are you will not do a good job. As we know, Republicans do not like government. Not only do they not like it, they intensely dislike it.
How can we really expect them to do a good job at governing? They can do a great job with cutting revenues and cutting government programs.

However, they seem to have no concept of the connection between taxes and the process of governing. Their sole mission is to cut taxes. But they have just as many special interests, perhaps more, as the Democrats. That is why they always run huge deficits and generally mess up the economy. The Democratic Party has become nothing more than the Shovel Brigade. They march behind the Republicans and shovel up the messes left behind by the elephants.

[GOPisEvil]

1. They have no concept of incrementalism...

..they want it all, and they want it NOW! Then a percentage of the people that had once supported them sees them as power-mad freaks, and votes alternatively. I'm counting on this to partially help us take back government in 2004.

[joeybee12]

2. Maybe not...

...but they can still win elections. Maybe we could learn something. They've been vile, mean, hateful and spiteful for the past 10 years, and turn people off, but guess what, they still control all three branches of the federal government, most statehouses, legislatures, etc.

Have we been missing something?

[Northwind]

3. I would like to remind everyone

That there is at least one state that actually has a surplus right now. Vermont.

And the man who got their budget that way is running for President.

[GOPisEvil]

5. Look at 1994.

Newties little army of fascist hatemongers came in with much fanfare. Turns out they were so far out in right field that people got turned off within a couple of years.

I'm not saying the Republicans are inept politicians; I think they are very good at it. However, the key to winning is the middle 50%. 25% will always be Democrats; 25% will always be Republicans. The middle 50% is always in play, and they are likely to get disaffected by extremism shown by the Republicans currently. This is why we must offer a clear message of choice to that middle 50%. We've got to show how we are different and more effective.

Spelling edit!

[ewagner]

7. Newties little army

When they were too visible, the public hammered them so they went underground. Witness Newt's role in the whole "March to War" crap. Witness that Newt is still featured speaker at Young Republican (brownshirt) rallies. They're still around, just underground.

[htuttle]

4. They don't try to govern

They just loot.

[Vitruvius]

6. Rethugs are the sociopath party. Every comment so far fits the

sociopathic profile:

Post 1: "...they want it ALL, and they want it NOW!"
Post 2: "...they've been vile, mean, hateful and spiteful for the past 10 years
Post 4: "They don't try to govern -- they just LOOT."
Post 5: "...Newties little army of fascist hatemongers came in with much fanfare...they were so far out in right field that people got turned off within a couple of years". (Sociopaths con people -- often by using hate, burn them, and eventually alienate them.)

And there is the Rethugs' utter inablity to grasp the idea that actions have consequences; hence their tax cuts for the rich that will bankrupt the economy, and their pro-global-warming energy policy.

Sociopaths indeed cannot govern -- because all they're good for is lying, seizing power, stealing, and looting.

Vitruvius

P.S: It would be surprising if there were NOT a sociopath party; on the order of 10% of humanity has some degree of sociopathy, and sociopaths can be very very good at seizing power -- both in business and in government.

[Ress1]

8. I always thought is was counter-productive

to put a party that detests government in power. For once in my life. I think I've been proven correct. :-(

[Bertrand]

9. Republican talking points

republicans love government. They dislike democractic participation in government, much like many Democrats. The whole footsie dance with libertarian capitalism during the early 90s was obviously a beard, much like many of the centrist candidates the Dems are fielding moving to the left during the primaries. I mean, Bush had the largest increase in the federal budget since LBJ.

[Starpass]

10. Kentuck---that was brilliant

It really was. Think about it----would you hire a brain surgeon who dislikes the practice of medicine, detests patients, feels the only good patient is a dead one, etc. Would you hire a CEO who hates the company and feels it should be out of business?? Then why do we put into office people who want to kill our government??? The big, big challenge for the Dems, I've said many times, is to explain to them that the government is the only way they can come together and be a force to further the protection of the average citizen against the filthy barrons who use them. And I like what you just said.

[AlinPA]

11. Look at PA. Pig Ridge screwed things up, went to DC

with the moron after cutting business taxes and removing protections for the environment; then idiot Schweiker further messed up things by making a lot of promises, eliminating the rainy day fund and then the Rpigs blame Rendell.