The Future of the Republican Party

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I agree. Don't get me wrong, I believe that Obama has a mandate from the people and he should be allowed to use it (for better or worse)

 

I'm hoping to see Huckabee come back in force. He seems to be exactly what we need right now. He's serious about his beliefs, but still living in the real world. He lives like he talks (something the Reps have needed for decades) and seems to hold himself accountable.

As for the idea that the religious right won't play as much of a role, don't be sure. The constitutional amendments in Florida and California (it was an amendment in Florida, right?) prove that Gay Marriage is still a very hot topic, while numerous abortion defeats show it's still in play, as well. If Obama has an affair, prepare to see family values make a return, too.

 

Snook - I agree with you about Afghanistan. Here's why: The Taliban were in power during the attack on 9/11. They allowed those who planned, financed, and implemented the attack to be conducted from their nation. After the attacks they continued to supply a safe haven for Al-Qaeda. As a result we attacked them and chased them from power. To leave Afghanistan and allow them to return would be defeat.

IMO, those who were in power in Afghanistan should be chased down, captured and brought back to the US to stand for a fair trial for the murder of 2000 people and the destruction of US property.

Iraq - Lordy, we have argued this for five years now and we all understand our positions. Al-Qaeda was not the objective of Iraq, but instead Saddam was supposed to be the "target," with his huge pile of WMD. Well, we know how that turned out. There's no one to surrender to in Iraq, IMO.

I believe Obama will end the war in Iraq, quickly, but will continue in Afghanistan:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/

Well, he is a Democrat, so at least if he has one, it will be with a woman....

 

I think you're missing something important here. Blacks and Latinos in California, AFAIK, broke something like 2-1 in favor of Prop 8. They also broke heavily in favor of Obama. So long as the GOP maintains its stance on immigration, the RR won't be enough--because the GOP will be alienating potential allies. Really important potential allies.

More it already has, I mean.

Yet they all managed to grow the debt substantially. I don't think 'had some years of surplus' is enough to qualify a leader as fiscally responsible. At least if they preside over an increase in the debt.

 

Confession: I only started paying attention to the tables circa '44. My bad.

Still. We have to go back the better part of a century to find that fiscal responsibility.

 

I thought Bush Sr. had been more or less a fiscal conservative. Then again, probably there was a lot of stuff to trim after the cold war so he had some obvious picks.

 

Mitt Romney's religious beliefs might spell a seperation from the Evangelicals. I believe that Mitt will hold to his convictions but still respect a seperation of Church and State.

I think they'll keep a low profile for the next couple years and let the wrath that is felt towards W blow over...

 

I think the best idea for the Reps is to meet quietly, discuss what they did wrong and what they need to do right, and watch what happens with Obama and the Dems. How they handle things now that they have all the power will shape how the Reps need to respond heavily. If the Dems are strong on the right issues, the Reps have to be stronger still, and hold up to their ideological distinctions. If the Dems side-track and overuse their power, the Reps can hit them hard for it, but they need to be careful about that for a while.

 

Whatever the future holds for the GOP, I don't think Sarah Palin will play a very big part in it, at least not for a number of years. Much of the blame for McCain's failure is being laid at her feet (rightly or wrongly), and that will make overcoming the mountain of her own incompetence a much harder road.

 

Sarah Palin is the female George W. Bush, and I hope that the US has learnt its lesson the first time to not become the laughing stock of the world by electing a fool again...then again it took you all two times to figure that out

 

He was, and I personally think he gets a bad rap, taking the blame for Reagan's failed policies. While the government ran a deficit under Bush, he made great strides in reducing it. Expecting a balanced budget within a single term after eight years of Reagan's disastrous economic policies and a war - even a short one - is asking a bit much. As with most things in life, it usually takes longer to clean up a mess than it takes to make one.

 

Interesting text in the Herald Tribune about what lies in store for GOP (written before the election):

http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/03/opinion/edkrugman.php

It's not exactly optimistic:

 

We have talk shows for that Tal. You're assuming the people here read....

 

Nice one, T2, but it actually takes the form of talk radio.

 

You're right, I was being unfair.

In other news, I wholeheartedly encourage my conservative brethren to support this project. It can only be good for the country, if not for the reasons its originators imagine.

 

You would think these boneheads would learn. It's themselves that they are making the "lepers."

 

Oh, so it was Katie Couric's fault that dear Gov. Palin showed embarassing ignorance? I thought it was journalists' job to inform the public, not do free PR work for the GOP candidates. Apparently that is the "liberal media" we have heard so much about.

I hope those kooks get what they richly deserve.