[Uncle Vlad]

Republicans have no one to blame but themselves. PERIOD! I went out yesterday and voted R. I feel like an absolute chump. If the Republicans had done their job, they would have kept both Houses easily.

[Mazda3Fan]

Thank you, I did the same and feel the same. I'm an independent with Objectivist philosophical leanings. I still vote Republican the vast majority of the time.

[Digger]

Republicans have no one to blame but themselves. PERIOD! I went out yesterday and voted R. I feel like an absolute chump. If the Republicans had done their job, they would have kept both Houses

End Of Story!!!

[jwparkerjr]

I would love to have someone to blame it on other than the GOP. But I can't really bring myself to say that you haven't hit the nail squarely on the head. The GOP started losing the leadership shortly after they won it in 1994. Somehow they just never seemed like they understood they were now in the majority and as such they were calling the shots. A good example of their failure to rise to the majority was the 'power sharing' in the early years. Time and again they let themselves get rolled by the minority. A major problem with their wielding of power was the inability or unwillingness to discipline members who seemed to strike out on their own, disregarding the Party's best interest, a la letting chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee keep his position after he dropped the ball. The hue and cry was practically universal among the little guy in the GOP to make an example of him and deprive him of his leadership role, a role usually reserved for those who have helped, not hurt, the party. Time and again they gave in to the urge to be party of nice guys, unlike the minority who would lie to you to your face then stab you in the back when you turned to leave. Politics is a tough world, and trying to get along in it with unilateral nice guy behavior is just like trying to fight terror around the world with politically correct tactics. It ain't going to work and in the end you're going to have the worst of both worlds, with you on the bottom of the heap.

[MayflowerMadam]

"Republicans have no one to blame but themselves. PERIOD!"

Yup. Specifically, Bush blew it by (1) being a liberal when it comes to protecting our borders (the people coming across aren't just illegal Mexicans; some are terrorists), and (2) not spamming the airwaves with the all POSITIVES that came in to being during his administration. There's no WAY this should've happened, considering the good economy, jobless rate, stock market numbers, etc. He wouldn't have had to even think about a slogan -- just take Carville's "it's the economy, stupid" slogan out of mothballs.

[southernindymom]

I agree, I have been so angry with the Republicans for so long. I have emailed my officials numerous times, President Bush and expressed my outright discust with the way the RINOS have been conducting themselves for the past years. We were the ones that put them in power and they had no earthly idea how to lead. They were no better then the Dem's, concerned with only their power and position. Now, President Bush is left hung out to dry, but then he too, could have been more assertive at times, more often than not. I loved it when he would give them the what for.
Now, we're back to square one, maybe -2.

[Ohioan]

Republicans have no one to blame but themselves. PERIOD! I went out yesterday and voted R. I feel like an absolute chump. If the Republicans had done their job, they would have kept both Houses easily.

You are right on the mark. Votes need to be earned by consistent and coherent approaches to the issues. Attacking those whom you have turned off by your own failures to stand fast for principle is ludicrous.

William Flax