Posted on 11/05/2014 6:16:40 PM PST by Colofornian
Some off-the-beaten track takeaways from the 2014-midterm elections …
We all know that politics isn’t for the faint of heart, that things can get nasty, especially when you’re losing. Especially when you’re desperate.
So Democrats went to their playbook and did what they too often do. They consciously tried to divide Americans – along gender lines (rehashing the so-called GOP war on women) … along racial lines (with despicable ads whose unmistakable message was that a vote for the Republican candidate was a vote for killing black kids) … and along class lines (trying to convince voters that big bad evil businesses didn’t create jobs).
The bad news is this kind of cold-blooded cynicism has worked for Democrats in the past. The good news is it did not work this time around.
Yes, the Democrats had a lot to overcome. The landscape was ruby red this year. Many of the key races were in Red States, making it tough for Democrats who were trying to hang on to their jobs. A vast majority of Americans thought the country was on the wrong track. President Obama was immensely unpopular in those Red States (and elsewhere) for way too many reasons to go into in this space. Americans were voting against him – maybe more than they were voting for Republicans.
And Republicans had good candidates this time around. No one said “I am not a witch” or blabbed about “legitimate rape.” This time around the dumb comments came from Democrats.
But just as important is that this year the Democrats’ divide and conquer strategy failed them. Americans said “Enough!” A friend sent me an email on Election Day about how voters have finally pulled back the curtain on liberal politicians and discovered they’ve been running a con game for way too long. “Superficial arguments like the war on women and racism are becoming laughable,” he said, “particularly among young people, which leaves Democrats with very little. If division and identity politics actually start to backfire, it finally exposes liberals for what they truly are.”
But it would be a mistake for Republicans to get too giddy over the midterm results … to look at how many Democrats bit the dust and make premature optimistic projections about 2016. Rush Limbaugh has said that when voters have finally had enough of Democratic policies that don’t work, they vote Republican. But after a while, they go back to the Democrats – because Republicans don’t successfully articulate what they stand for.
I think he’s right. But I think (as I said in a recent column) the GOP also needs a facelift. Good policies won’t be enough to win in two years. The Party needs a new image because the old one isn’t attracting new voters. As I’ve said before, too many Republican leaders who appear on camera look like funeral directors. They look like yesterday. Voters only care about tomorrow.
So, Republicans need a charismatic front man or woman. Someone who is young and articulate and attractive. An African American or Latino would be nice. A conservative George Lopez – who is funny and likeable – would be just fine with me.
Finally, here’s my suggestion for what Republicans should do now that they have control of both Houses of Congress. Vote on every bill that Harry Reid wouldn’t let come to the floor for a vote: the Keystone pipeline, tax reform, and immigration policy that starts with border security. If Democrats vote “No”, fine. Let them become the Party of No. And if Republicans get barely enough support from the other side, but not enough to satisfy the most liberal president in our history, let him veto whatever they send him. Let him use his veto pen until it runs out of ink. And let him become the obstructionist, the one who is standing in the way of getting things done in Washington.
The question is: Will any of that hurt Hillary? Or will voters revert to their comfort zone and once again pick a Democrat for president? I don’t know what I’m having for lunch so I have no clue on what’s going to happen in two years. But here’s something to think about: Every legitimate criticism of the woman who would be the first female U.S. president will be portrayed (by fellow Democrats and her allies in the so-called mainstream media) as an attack on women. But remember, it didn’t work this time around. And it may not work next time around, either. Millions of Americans are saying,”Enough!”
From Goldberg: Democrats went to their playbook and did what they too often do. They consciously tried to divide Americans – along gender lines (rehashing the so-called GOP war on women) … along racial lines (with despicable ads whose unmistakable message was that a vote for the Republican candidate was a vote for killing black kids) … and along class lines (trying to convince voters that big bad evil businesses didn’t create jobs)...But just as important is that this year the Democrats’ divide and conquer strategy failed them. Americans said “Enough!” A friend sent me an email on Election Day about how voters have finally pulled back the curtain on liberal politicians and discovered they’ve been running a con game for way too long. “Superficial arguments like the war on women and racism are becoming laughable,” he said, “particularly among young people, which leaves Democrats with very little. If division and identity politics actually start to backfire, it finally exposes liberals for what they truly are.” But it would be a mistake for Republicans to get too giddy over the midterm results … to look at how many Democrats bit the dust and make premature optimistic projections about 2016. Rush Limbaugh has said that when voters have finally had enough of Democratic policies that don’t work, they vote Republican. But after a while, they go back to the Democrats – because Republicans don’t successfully articulate what they stand for. I think he’s right...
Funny line...unfortunately true.
“Here’s my suggestion for what Republicans should do now that they have control of both Houses of Congress. Vote on every bill that Harry Reid wouldn’t let come to the floor for a vote: the Keystone pipeline, tax reform, and immigration policy that starts with border security. If Democrats vote “No”, fine. Let them become the Party of No. And if Republicans get barely enough support from the other side, but not enough to satisfy the most liberal president in our history, let him veto whatever they send him. Let him use his veto pen until it runs out of ink. And let him become the obstructionist, the one who is standing in the way of getting things done in Washington.”
BUMP!
EXACTLY! But will they do it? We shall see...
The Dreams of America were realized! America is getting ready to fly Free of obama!
Not one dime’s worth of difference. The cryin oompah-loompah and Yertlle the turd-le are not leaders.
Screw Goldberg, like many a self important pundit he got it all wrong. His whole spiel was “the republicans don’t stand for anything and it will hurt them in the election”. Blah, blah, blah....
She seemed to be the kiss of death for anyone the Clinton Crime Family campaigned for. (Nothing new there).
She's looking old, tired, and ineffective. I know she has huge money but that may not be enough.
GOP Representative Steve Sutherland who lost in the Florida Panhandle IS a funeral director.
The Bastard has pretty much said that he doesn’t give damn about the election, it only represents one third of the electorate and if Congress doesn’t give him what he wants, he will rule by executive decree.
There is a word for this. It’s called tyranny. The GOP will be faced with an increasingly truculent, belligerent, obstructive, and pro-actively oppositional dictator who is going to take the country in HIS direction regardless of the Constitution, regardless of Congress, regardless of the will of the majority of Americans.
In short, America is facing the biggest crisis since the Civil War and I doubt the GOP OR the Americon people are up to the challenge. And so thinks Obama also.
Obola needs to be impeached. Republicans should do that and force the rats in the Senate defend his tyrannical actions.
I completely agree with you.
Furthermore, our economic mess is beyond salvage, now over the cliff, road-runner legs spinning in space. (QE printing fiat, trillions in unfunded liabilities, declining tax base, half the population dependent on redistributon)
There isn’t much conservatives/republicans can do to “fix” this mess. Cutting back on the dole (unfunded liabilities, etc) will send the “gibmedats” into the streets, rioting for their entitlements.
Continuing the printing might hold off the riots until other countries, who are beginning to avoid buying our toxic paper, start selling our junk. (I think they have, already) When this happens, and it eventually will, we get the “gibmedats” into the streets again.
We are in a very complicated mess, and I doubt there is anything the “pubs” can do to save the republic. I hope I am wrong.
It did.
With Obama’s record and popularity, it should have been a blow out in most races. Instead it was a near thing in nearly every case.
Of all the places in the world that can pull themselves out of the mess, the US has the actual assets to pull it off. It will require complete energy independence, and we will end up being a big energy exporter.
Reform corporate taxes such that the US ccompanies can repatriate money from overseas, and you get pretty close to being able to fix the whole mess.
When disaster occurs in a small aircraft (see FR username), the difference between living and dying is keeping a cool head and continuing to fly, as opposed to a strategy of doing nothing. You may still die, but you increase your chances immensely by being actively engaged in the solutions to the problems.
So, perhaps the republic can't be saved. If so, better to have gone down fighting, as opposed to a feeling that there is nothing one can do to save it. I know my kids prefer I take the fighting approach.
It means FU, Democrats.
You are correct - we keep on, while we face present reality , leaving our rose-colored glasses of “hope and change” in the junk drawer. I am not confident that the “pubs” are ready to do that at the moment.
They believe that they can tinker around the edges, adjust this, micromanage that, change a few laws, make some new ones, get a few lobbyists to write new laws, and then line their pockets to support the brilliant “meme du jour”, and {voila} all will be well in electoral land.
Us restless sheep will be back in the pasture, pacified, and contentedly chewing our cud, for “they” did something.
We must prepare for the worst, considering all the probable alternatives, and we must figure out who is being paid to sell us smoke and mirrors just to save their own electoral hides.
At my elder age, there isn’t much I can do, unfortunately, and now depend on adult children who are totally clueless, caught up in the matrix, and do not understand the reality we face, as they assume it will all be there - malls, gasoline pumps, supermarkets, atms, just in time inventories, etc.
At present, I do not think the republic can be saved, but I hope that it can be revived from the ashes, if enough of us can get through/survive, and rebuild on solid principles.
That said, human nature being what it is - the cycle will repeat, for it has throughout history. Hubris is our original sin, our downfall, for we keep making the same stupid mistakes time after time, and continue to think that “this time, it is different”.
Yeah, sure!
Sadly, not much.
George Lopez can be funny, but he is not very likeable. Every time he loses a job he goes out of his way to trash his bosses and accuse them of being racists.
You misread America. We are a majority socialist country and if they vote we lose. Sorrynto be the bearer of I’ll tidings but there you have it.
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