Republican Unrest in the Northeast

[dtotire]

Republican Unrest in the Northeast

A reader emails in response to the yesterday's Boston Globe story suggesting Democrats are poised to make gains in the Northeast this November:

I'm one of those comfortably off, middle-aged, mild Republicans who inhabit some of the more expensive homes along the Connecticut shore. At least I was a Republican until the Iraq fiasco and the fiscal nightmare they have created turned me off. I tend to hang out at cocktail parties and yacht clubs where most folks are (or were) like me: mild Republicans. Let me tell you, this group is deeply unhappy with the way things are going. It's not an exaggeration to say they are embarrassed by the performance of this administration and Congress which seems to fly in the face of everything we've thought the GOP stood for. Many of them openly say the Democrats have got to be given back control of the Congress. This is anecdotal. Will all of them vote Democrat? Probably not, but based on what I am seeing the Republicans are in trouble in Connecticut and I suspect the rest of New England. Is a tidal wave building? Who knows, but the above is not an invention.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/blog/2006/03/republican_unrest_in_the_north.html

[bryant69]

1. A fractures

I will say that Limbaugh Republicans would largely respond to that with a hearty "good riddance." After all "real" americans woudln't be caught dead at a coctail party, not to mention a yacht club (Rush has special dispensation because he's wealthy).

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[rman]

2. We can only guess how many really do support the W admin

The fact that we have to guess about such a thing doesn't speak well for our democracy.

[maveric]

3. Now they want us morally bankrupt, godless, babykillers to clean it up?

Typical isnt it? They have been spouting off about how evil and spend-crazy we are since Reagan took over in 1981. They supported Newt and his "Contract for America", listen to Limbaugh and probably thought that the band-aid w/purple heart thingie at the GOP convention was funny.
Now as they reflect, they now see the Dems as the ones to clean up the mess that THEY made.
Fuck Them!

[seabeyond]

16. your title alone, that is the way. that is the f*in way it always is n/t

[no_hypocrisy]

4. Are your republicans "Old Money" or "New Money"? n/t

[kenny blankenship]

5. I don't get it. Bush puts in practice ALL the shit they have said

that they believe in, and now they're unhappy with the result?
He's slashed at socialist Democratic Party entitlement programs and regulatory oversight. (The exception is the Medicare Drug Benefit which he set up as a time bomb with a short fuse.) He's slashed taxes. He's made the most radically conservative Judiciary appointments since Attila the Hun. He's flexed our military muscle with unilateralism and extreme prejudice. Basically the UN has ceased to exist. Bush has made it clear that he thinks America is founded on and authorized by the Christian God. He's done everything they have said should be done.
They should be loving it.

If they don't like the results maybe they should look in the mirror for the cause.

[HamdenRice]

6. Folks this is about Connecticut Republicans ...

who in the past were almost indistinguishable from Democrats on most issues, even social policies and programs, but basically wanted to balance the budget every year. In fact, in Connecticut there was a tradition of the "liberal Republicans"; if you are under 40, you might not even believe this species once existed. Maybe that tradition of Connecticut liberal Republicanism is what snookered Joementum into trusting the neo con Texas death cult currently in power in DC.

[Tesha]

9. Example: Lowell Weicker; a Republican Joe Liberman ran *TO THE RIGHT* of!

(NT)

[HockeyMom]

10. Describes my husband perfectly

They used to be described as Rockefeller Republicans. I think what finally woke up my husband was moving and working down South. That showed him exactly what a "real" Republican is today. He now describes his fellow Republicans as "shortsighted". He is far too kind. lol

Upside is that I believe we will have another Democratic vote in Florida.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. One more time: Bush is not a conservative

Bush is a fascist. Fascists don't make good conservatives.

A conservative is for smaller government, local control, fiscal responsibility, lower taxes (a corollary of the last two is less government spending) and personal liberty.

Although I describe myself as progressive, I believe I have a better claim to calling myself a conservative than Bush and his aides do.

For example, I do not believe it is possible for a large bureaucracy, either public or private, to be responsive to its constituents. It is also just common sense that people in California and people in Arkansas do not have exactly the same problems. These are good reasons both for smaller government and to allow most decisions to be made at a local level.

Fiscal responsibility, too, is a matter of common sense. A good fiscal policy must be like a good environmental policy: one should not consume a resource faster than it can be renewed. Old fashioned conservatives we're not out of line suggesting that unbridled government spending, even on noble sounding social programs, is unsustainable. Again, like environmental policy, government spending has to be about making choices. We won't be able to everything we want simple because the resources aren't available.

Concerning personal liberty, I can't think of an administration, even Richard Nixon's, that was more hostile to the idea than this one. Warrentless wire tapping? Based on some nutty unitary executive theory? Bush has reversed the American Revolution by assuming for himself all the powers of the British Crown that the colonists described as tyranny. On the other hand, King George never lied to start a war.

I have my differences with conservatives. I think regulation of private business is a fitting and proper use of government. It is also the place of government to protect the rights of citizens. To that end, the federal government used its power properly to end the enforcement of Jim Crow legislation in the South and to assure that all citizens have the right to vote. The Bushies seem to have a real problem with that last idea.

Nevertheless, I think conservatives, liberals and progressives have more similarities than differences. There is much for us to discuss. As for the Bushies, the only thing I have to say to them is, "Get out of town, now."

[lildreamer316]

12. .....but the general pop. does not differentiate

unfortunately. I know this; you know this. Your general everyday voter does not. Don't know if we have the time or resources to make them understand it; either.

REAL conservatives don't spend trillions we don't have. PERIOD.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. There may be time

It's encouraging to see Kevin Phillips discussing this with Amy Goodman.

[thoughtanarchist]

8. Killer post! You Rock.

bookmarking.

I can attest to this trend as I have spoken with a number of "mild republicans" who share these sentiments.

Of course then there are the "rabid republicans", but they are dwindling in number and they are stupid and they smell bad. :evilgrin:

[B Calm]

11. I love this picture!! I'm a Republican and ASHAMED of this GOP!

[Swamp Rat]

13. GOP = Genocidal Oppressive Patriarchy

GOP = Greedy Old Pigs

ad infinitum

[tom_paine]

15. What a good thing the Busheviks don't require actual votes anymore

Just the illusion of a vote.

The 2006 and 2008 elections are already over.

NOTE: This does NOT mean I am giving up...perhaps a sufficient landslide victory can eke us out a 0.000001% victory in "actual counted votes. Perhaps I am wrong about the total corruption of the voting system entirely. In either case, please DO NOT interpret this post as a call to give up or not to vote nor work in campaigns. IT ISN'T.

Don't think I can make it any more clear than that.