Senate The Future of the Republican Party

The Virginia GOP doesn't care, and since the state is completely run by the Republicans, we're probably going to be run by Republicans for decades to come once their gerrymandering bill comes to pass.

 

Actually the State Senate is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, leaving the Lt. Governor as the tie breaking vote (and that doesn't even apply on budget issues). If a Democrat wins the Lt. Governorship this year, then they will take control of the Senate, even though none of the Senators are up for election until 2015. The entire House of Delegates is also up for reelection this year.

 

Well apparently they didn't want to chance the potential backlash because they killed their own bill.

 

The RNC Growth & Opportunity report is out...

There's lots of obvious stuff in there, like "we're scary to a lot of women, we should change that" and "let's try to include minorities."

But even then, they're not actually talking about policy changes... except on one issue, with the RNC deciding to embrace and champion comprehensive Immigration Reform. And I think I heard there might be an encouraging shift on cracking down on corporations.

They also want less primary debates (yeah, like trying to hide the crazy will help) and moving the convention to early summer.

 

actually you're the poster child for how hiding the crazy might indeed help them, given how eager you have traditionally been to give the benefit of the doubt to whatever troglodyte is currently flavor of the week

i think there are wide swaths of the (white) population that has a tendency to do the same

 

What does everyone think of Rand Paul's viability in 2016 or even as a new direction of the GOP? He's getting all of the attention, is headlining an Iowa dinner this year, and just won the CPAC straw poll (which I think means nothing; his father won it also IIRC).

It should be interesting if the GOP turns into a Rubio v Paul direction. At least it could make for an interesting primary in 2016, more Hillary v Barack-esque than the disaster and pitiful attempt that was the 2012 GOP primary.

 

I wouldn't have believed it a month or two ago... but yeah, it's possible. Especially if Christie really has fizzled out among the base. It would definitely be interesting. Rubio has no ideas, he's just all "I'm for America!" and the crowd eats it up. Paul is at least interesting. But I think a lot of people are underestimating Santorum... the religious right are probably still the most influential group in the GOP's base.

 

Rand Paul? No way...you can't run afoul of the national security establishment and the religious right and still expect to get anywhere in the GOP.

 

Agreed. He seems popular now, but after the falvor-of-the-week business in the primaries, I say it's too soon to say. I'd like to see what changes the GOP will undergo on social issues in the next three years. Change probably won't be quick, though.

 

How is it a "new" direction to follow a guy who co-sponsored self-deportation legislation, thinks civil rights legislation violates the Constitution, and is an even more fervent follower of the libertarian philosophy for which Romney was panned in the last election? He has the same repugnant set of ideas as his father and the broader conservative movement, except even less experience in the actual business of governing.

 

Actually, does Ron Paul do anything in Congress besides protest-voting?

 

Ron Paul's retired.

 

No. But I'm giving credit for sitting around in the building. I figure one has to at least pick up something by osmosis.

 

Okay, it's not. I should have paraphrased an equally crazy route down the same path with slightly different priorities.

He likes to obnoxiously quiz Ben Bernanke about how he's destroying the monetary system. And he also likes to constantly forewarn us about inflation.

Other than that, no not really.

 

Rand Paul could be a very interesting candidate if he can find more issues like the Drone strike issue he filibustered and thus highlight the ACTUALLY libertarian side of "Libertarianism" as opposed to the general Tea Party faux-libertarianism that is de rigueur on the modern American right.

 

So if anyone thought the GOP was actually going to become, you know, sane - Bachmann warned on the House floor (whilst trying to repeal Obamacare for the umpteenth time) that it will literally "kill women, kill children, and kill seniors."

And also accused the Obama of using tax payer dollars to walk his dog (or something?) then ran from Dana Bash's questioning and while shouting "something-something-Benghazi-something."

Between her and Ted Cruz, you Republicans sure know how to pick 'em.

 

*headdesk* So we're back to Sarah Palin's 'death panels' again. Joy. *headdesk*

 

what was she talking about with that anyway? the thing where the care of very elderly folks is curtailed to cut costs?

 

somethngsomethingwholivesordieswillbedecidedbyagovermentpanelsomethingsomething.

Honestly half the time I don't even think Sarah Palin knows what she's talking about.

 

i'm pretty okay with that. i mean, not the elderly people i care about, but everyone else's elderly people, no problem.

 

I am now going by the assumption that Sarah Palin is being used by the Republicans as a faux-rebel to bring the Tea Partiers under the sway of "Establishment" orthodoxy.

 

What makes you think that?

 

Yeah, there's really two tea parties. There's the grass-roots movement from two years ago and then there's the GOP establishments attempts to co-opt it(with Tea party express and that hack Sean Hannity's constant promotion of Freedomworks).

One is a hollow shell. The other has some genuine concerns, agree with them or not. But the Tea Party Express, Tea Party USA and Freedomworks PAC and all that crap is establishment GOP garbage to co-opt the whole thing.

They're good, you gotta give them that. Karl Rove's been workin overtime.

 

“My father had a ranch. We used to hire 50 or 60 wetbacks and — to pick tomatoes" - Sitting GOP Congressman

Just incase anyone thought they working on their image.

 

Another face-lift! Turns out North Carolina GOPers are proposing their own state-established religion and that the 1st Amendment doesn't apply to them (or something).

I bet they're the same ones that think Obama doesn't understand the Constitution