Some passing thoughts on the GOP

[rasputin1952]

The vote on rescinding Health Care Reform is nothing more than a dog and pony show for the faithful to the cause. Considering there is no possibility it would pass in the Senate, which says nothing of the fact the president would veto it virtually immediately, the vote itself is even less than symbolic, it is merely another stupid waste of time and effort. To take this just a step further, the "debate" on repeal is non-existent, simply because if there was a true debate, the GOP would come out of it proving they have not a clue of what they are doing. If people were to find out that millions of children would lose any hope at receiving health care, and seniors would expend large amounts of cash having to pick up medications that are now being covered, helping to o only extend their lives, but raise the standard of that life.

(caveat: I am not ecstatic about what passed as HCR, but I understand that steps forward are better than standing still, or worse, leaping backward).

The GOP House "agenda"...there are a few knocks and rumbles about fiscal reform, but considering this is the party that created the situations that nearly destroyed this nation financially, it would do us well to keep a very close eye on anything the clowns come up with. In fact, when it comes to increasing budget expenditures, I look forward to watching Boehner squirm, knowing full well that although there was much rhetoric of "reform" and "shutting down the government", the memory of Gingrich's self destruction is foremost in his thought thought process. He knows that if he actually followed through and backed some of the Teabagger ideas and a few from slightly saner R's, he is looking at a single term as Speaker.

The future of the GOP/Teabagger; well it is grim indeed. Without a firm agenda, or at a minimum, something that can actually pass that will benefit the population, the GOP once again, found the perfect was to sit on a barrel of gas with a book of matches, and it looks like Issa may be the one that will strike that match, (but that asshole is a whole new story).

[Frustratedlady]

1. I don't think I've ever seen a more disgusting "entry" by a SOTH

Boehner is self-destructing. What has he accomplished to this point? Shamed himself, for the most part. He's either bawling or rejecting invitations from the POTUS.

I've come to refer to him as a DITH, as he has taken on an empty, frightened look of a deer looking into the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

[rasputin1952]

2. That is the entire point...

for the past two years the GOP has does nothing but complain about how Pelosi and PO have done nothing except drag the nation to the the edge of a "socialist utopia"; but other than the the usual tax cuts and repeal of HCR, they have absolutely nothing else. Issa is talking about a never ending round of investigations which, if he does will tie up the House for the next two years, getting even less done that the previous Congress and the Senate will remain in gridlock as McConnell will do all he can to toss trees across the track to slow any progress. Boehner is one of the post pathetic individuals to take on the mantle of SOTH, at this early part of his position, he's not had much of a chance to even try to fulfill any part of what was promised, but he's shown a propensity to distance himself from his previous "convictions". I'm figuring he will collapse. He wanted the leadership position, but he is incapable of leading, especially when there is actual legislating to be done. It was all smoke and mirrors, now he'll be exposed as the fraud he is.

Basically, with the people in the House right now and how some of them are distant from any kind of reality, I'm saying that we have one of the greatest opportunities to make some headway in regaining/retaining power in both Houses, perhaps better than any time since FDR's second term.

I figure that a few potential GOP presidential candidates will come out of the woodwork in late Feb, maybe not until mid-March after they see what the situation in the House is. At that point, unless they have someone of incredible ability in the wings, the president and D's in both Houses will be poised to sweep the election in 2012. Boehner will not deliver, McConnell will be seen as the complete joke he is and the Teabagger movement will get stronger for a short period of time by becoming more radical, but the populace will reject them as extremist in 2012, not just the anomaly they were coming into 2010.

[wiggs]

3. There are three ways they can become successful as perceived by much of the

public

1) get good legislation passed

2) lie about getting or trying to get good legislation passed

3) smear and lie about the opposition party

This is how it's been for a long time now; gop is not on the correct side of the vast majority of issues, but they use low road tactics (#2 and 3) to confuse voters into once again choosing them. It has worked before...they will try it again...and it will work again unless something changes in media and/or in the way dem leaders frame the issues. Not hopeful about either.

Arguably, the party of one of the worst administrations in history and its congressional gop enablers have doubled down on their reprehensible campaigning tactics and two years later they are at least partially rehabilitated. Yes, they will stumble through two years and make a big show and make a big stink and start silly investigations and dig their heels in for 'freedom' so that millionaires and billionaires can make more money. Everything they do will be counter to the interests of 98% of americans yet 30% of americans will believe that Boehner is leading a band of mavericks to do battle for them.

[rasputin1952]

4. I think option #1 is out of the question...

I cannot fathom anything they have that will actually benefit the nation as a whole.

That leaves options 2&3 which pretty well intertwine.

They came in with nothing more than the same tired old rhetoric, and some events that have happened since the election have already made them look as if they just popped out of a Looney Toons cartoon.

[wiggs]

5. Probably most on DU have thought since 2000 that the gop looks like

looney tunes. Yet time after time they have proven they can overcome just about any misdeed, fact, dishonor, lie, mistake, disaster, etc. They literally have spent billions of dollars and 40 years in order to control information and public perception. That infrastructure and capability is still there. They are able to convince whole swaths of the public to believe in clear lies too numerous to recount...and they are able to confuse or deflate much of the remaining public.

I believe that any real analysis of the next two years will confirm what you are saying...they won't have solved much and they will have denied progress on many issues. Yet, next election they will trot out the Chinese threat, the Iran threat, the gay threat, the brown threat, the union threat, the marxist/socialist threat, the atheist and teacher and Kenyan and Canadian and French and OBL and San Francisco and Chicago and Chavez and reproductive choice and gun control threats....and they will rally their folks and try to confuse the hell out of everyone else. And it will work to a degree determined by the ability of dem leaders to provide message on their own and on the media to be halfway responsible.

[bluestate10]

6. Let republicans put on their show. They will pay in 2012. nt.

[UTUSN]

7. I only wish the "GOP" would be "passing" instead of these thoughts. n/t