The GOP's internal warfare

[babylonsister]

The GOP's internal warfare

By Dan Balz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 29, 2010


It has long been said that any political coalition large enough to aspire to majority status is an organization of factions, conflict and contradictions. That description defines the Republican Party as it looks toward the November elections and beyond.

This was a week in which the party's strengths and weaknesses competed for attention. Turnout in Tuesday's primaries showed Republicans energized and enthusiastic, far more so than the Democrats. If anything, Democrats are more pessimistic about their prospects in November than they were two months ago.

But the elections last week in Florida and Alaska also pointed to ideological differences and personal enmities that have played out in Republican primary battles all year and that threaten to leave scars and fissures within the party that will have to be dealt with later. Republicans have seen more turmoil in their ranks this year than Democrats have, a sign of both robustness within the coalition and unresolved debates about the party's direction.

On another front, House Republican leader John A. Boehner (Ohio) went to his home state and made his first attempt at offering a GOP agenda for the fall campaigns, an essential - and until now, largely missing - element of the party's message.

But Boehner's speech left many questions unanswered about what his party would do if Republicans win a majority of seats in November. How radically would they attack government spending? How bold would they be in dealing with entitlements, beyond the grown-up conversation that Boehner promises? How much effort would they make to work with President Obama compared with the past two years?

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/28/AR2010082803548.html

[Hubert Flottz]

1. They agree on a couple of things like

"Winning" means more to them than the survival of their own country.

Being on God's side means anything goes, as long as you demean, defeat and destroy the other guy in the end.

Show no mercy...ever.

Hate thy neighbor...

[KharmaTrain]

2. It's Easier To Pick On Democrats...

The divisions in the GOOP are both deep and eventually fatal. Study after study shows the changing demographics in this country are working against the GOOP...especially the teabaggers. The days of white inclusion and domination are passed but the GOOP clings to it as their only thread that holds their entire corrupt "philosophy" and party together. It's been obvious for years yet the corporate media would prefer to pick on the divisions within a far more diverse and robust Democratic party...low hanging fruit and its sure to get a reaction from all sides.

What's really stupid is in their attempts to use hate as their selling point, the GOOP is alienating more than they're attracting and this will only get worse in the years ahead. Unfortunately this country's short-sightedness may allow the GOOP to retake the House in November, but its a short-term gain and if they succede it could only speed up their demise. If they do win...then what? They'll have the teabaggers all over them to waste time and money on worthless "legislation" and all but grind the government to a halt that will only make matters worse for a majority. The GOOP has the "luxuary" of being able to attack and lie without any reprocussions as they're totally out of power (and seems too few are remembering why)...once they're in a position of responsibility, they're sure to squander it. Now if the electorate thinks this is progress, this country is really screwed.

Eventually the GOOP will have its own day of reckoning. They've put it off for years. They ignore the booosh years yet within lie the seeds for a majority of today's problems. They have alienated a majority and are adding more to that list. In short, they are no longer a national party...and will be seen as such in 2012...but when it comes to local/congressional elections, they're still a pain in the ass. Time will be the avenger...their own armageddon awaits, and I can't wait for it to happen. The best thing that could happen to this nation is for the GOOP to disolve itself just as the Whigs were forced to do.

[cilla4progress]

4. Your lips to god's ears...

I keep remembering the Clinton-Lewinsky flap. It was the early days of the internet. I "finally" went online when the damn repub "independent" proscutor - Ken Starr - published his report. I must have done a search on "thong" or something..when I began to read, I was repulsed and revolted. I thought: "this is what they are spending time and our money on?"

Of course, I was (and am) a Dem...but the mood of the country also turned 180 right at that crux. It was the big forehead slap. I was impressed with the basic decency of the American people, when they turned at that precise moment (away from the impeachment and toward Clinton), and gained a trust and respect for them. The election of Obama did the same thing for me. Of course - there are the steps backward, election of Bush, for one (although, he wasn't truly elected...). What wise person said: "You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time...". Google Search says: Old Abe! Appropriate...

[malaise]

3. They will not win

either the House or the Senate.

[cilla4progress]

5. Yours also

I'm not normally a praying person, but lately, I've been praying for Obama!