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GOP is becoming America's dominant party
Miami Herald ^ | November 12, 2003 | Paul Crespo

Posted on 11/12/2003 5:52:58 AM PST by GaryL

While an increasingly angry and alienated Democratic Party spouts gloom and doom, the picture appears bright for conservatives and the GOP. Beginning with Arnold Schwarzeneggers victory in California and following last weeks electoral successes in Kentucky and Mississippi, Republicans are consolidating their hold on state and national political offices.

With President Bushs signature of the partial-birth abortion ban, CBS's decision to drop its politicized hatchet job of Ronald Reagan -- one of Americas most beloved presidents -- and the recovering economy spurred by Bushs hefty tax cuts, the American ''right'' seems to be on a roll. Meanwhile, the Democrats seem to be careening further leftward -- and backward -- toward pacifism, pessimism, irrelevance and political suicide.

These are not just short-term GOP gains. While liberal Democrats feverishly try to spin away the reality, the truth is that conservative ideals of entrepreneurship, individual responsibility, smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense and traditional values have become increasingly mainstream during the past 20 years; the recent GOP successes simply reflect that fact.

In 1983 -- Reagan's third year as president -- Democrats controlled Congress and 23 more state legislatures than did the Republicans. Today the GOP holds both houses of Congress and five more state legislatures than do the Democrats.

That same year, there were 18 more Democrat governors than Republicans; today (after California, Kentucky and Mississippi) there will be 29 GOP governors (five more Republicans than Democrats). Also, the U.S. House had 103 more Democrats than Republicans; today Republicans lead by 24 members.

The Democratic strategy of turning the recent Southern elections into referenda on Bush also failed miserably. In Kentucky, Democrats tried to link GOP nominee Rep. Ernie Fletcher with the ''Bush economy,'' while in Mississippi, Democratic incumbent Ronnie Musgrove tried to attack the Washington ties of former Republican National Committee Chairman Haley Barbour. Republicans won both elections handily.

With these two wins -- which follow GOP gains in Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina -- Republicans have recaptured the growing, dynamic South.

Soon 60 percent of Americans will live in states run by Republicans. With the exception of ''left'' coast enclaves such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, and parts of the ''granola'' Northwest, the GOP continues to dominate the West as well. The only true liberal Democrat stronghold nationally appears to be the Northeast rust belt.

For those who may not have noticed -- the GOP is becoming our dominant party coast to coast.

To bring the point home, U.S. Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., who recently endorsed Bushs reelection, titled his new book about the Democrats, A National Party No More. Miller argues that the Democratic Party has become dominated by parochial and extreme left-wing interest groups that are pulling the party further away from the mainstream even while America has shifted rightward since Sept. 11. He adds, ``Its obvious that a train wreck is about to happen with the Democratic Party.''

The GOP future looks good as America's youth also seems to be increasingly conservative. Despite the predominance of left-leaning academics on college campuses, surveys reveal that freshmen are far more traditional than many of their counterculture professors or liberal baby-boomer parents. A national Harvard University poll in October found that 61 percent of college students approved of Bushs job performance.

As the economy improves, Democrats will pin their hopes for success in 2004 on a Bush failure in Iraq. But hurting Bush on Iraq is not good either for Democrats or America. Most Americans -- regardless of party -- are rooting for victory in Iraq. Cynical defeatism in time of war should backfire and hurt Democrats.

Republicans are on the move across America. Democrats need to recognize and adapt to that, or they may find themselves trampled by the stampeding elephants of the GOP.

Paul Crespo is a public-policy analyst and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Miami.

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TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: elections; gop; republicanmajority
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To: tellw
As a Michigander, I can tell you that the poll numbers for "Reparations" Granholm have fallen precipitously in the past few months. Up to this point, her strategy has been to not do anything much at all, so her popularity figures were unrealistically high. Lately, though, she's been forced to show her true colors, what with her veto of the Republican-sponsored partial-birth abortion ban bill (having run as a "Catholic"), her cowardly refusal to reign in the Detroit Federation of Teachers attempts to block the $200 million Thompson charter school program that was scotched (at a time when state budget shortfalls are forcing major cuts in school spending), her puerile "cool cities" initiative (as a ham-handed way to decrease the flight of manufacturing businesses from union-driven Michigan), and the release of the results of the on-going FBI investigation into her connections with the corrupt Wayne County Democrat political machine (with its criminality and union thuggery). After all, she only won with a 3% margin over the Republican candidate last time, which means she was put over the top by the female "sucker mom" vote.
41 posted on 11/12/2003 7:41:21 AM PST by vanmorrison
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To: Laserman
I wonder if the GOP could offer an olive branch of some power position to Sharpton in some way that would give him enough encouragement to run as an independent?

You would offer a position to Sharpton? Geeez. The guy provides comic relief in the primaries, but surely nobody would put this guy in power. He's a race baiter, a bigoted anti-Semite and a Jesse Jackson wannabe extortionist. Such a move would be tantamout to offering David Duke a government job to shut him up.

The Dems don't have the guts to call Sharpton what he is and throw him out of the party. That's their albatross (or one of them).

42 posted on 11/12/2003 7:43:04 AM PST by DeFault User
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To: DeFault User
I agree with your assessment of him, but he could serve a useful purpose of breaking the Dem stranglehold on the black voter. And once that is broken, I think it would be lost for good! Who knows what it would take- maybe ambassador to somewhere. Lots of pomp and visibility with no reaal power.
43 posted on 11/12/2003 7:49:26 AM PST by Laserman
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To: GaryL
While liberal Democrats feverishly try to spin away the reality, the truth is that conservative ideals of entrepreneurship, individual responsibility, smaller government, lower taxes, strong national defense and traditional values have become increasingly mainstream during the past 20 years

Bears repeating.

44 posted on 11/12/2003 7:51:44 AM PST by Luke Skyfreeper
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To: GaryL
"GOP is becoming America's dominant party..."

...until the illegals and their children acquire voter-registration forms.

--Boris

45 posted on 11/12/2003 7:52:21 AM PST by boris (The deadliest Weapon of Mass Destruction in History is a Leftist With a Word Processor)
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To: GaryL
The Wisconsin Concealed Carry bill was sent to the Governor yesterday. He said he was going to veto it.

With the CCW laws still up in the air in Wisconsin and Missouri, I think the voters will kick the dem governors out as soon as they can.

That should add two more for the count.
46 posted on 11/12/2003 7:54:34 AM PST by Shooter 2.5
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To: tellw
Back in 1980s and 1990s, the Democrats had several governors to pick from as presidential candidates. Clinton, Cuomo, Dukakis. Today who do they have? Their top state governors now are Jennifer Granholm in Michigan (who is constitutionally ineligible to run for President), Bill Richardson in NM, and Rod Blagojevich in Illinois.

Ed Rendell and Bill Richardson plus Janet Napolitano are prez vp frontrunners for 2008 (assuming no Hill). And Mark Warner. Blago sees himself running for prez, it's true . . .

47 posted on 11/12/2003 7:55:44 AM PST by JohnnyZ (Red Sox in 2004)
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Unfortunately for me I live in the Northeast "rust belt". We are making gains locally, but in Maine we have a demo legislature, a demo gov., two demo reps, and two rino senators, and we vote for every stinking bond issue to come down the pike. We are first in tax burden and last in business friendliness. Now our gov. wants to socialize our health care and drive out the few remaining employers. Please send the revolution soon.
48 posted on 11/12/2003 7:55:58 AM PST by Rocket1968 (Democrats will crash and burn in 2004.)
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To: vanmorrison
As a Michigander, I can tell you that the poll numbers for "Reparations" Granholm have fallen precipitously in the past few months. Up to this point, her strategy has been to not do anything much at all, so her popularity figures were unrealistically high.

Her approval rating may have slipped from its peak, but her numbers are still relatively strong compared to other governors across the country. According to EPIC/M-R-A here are her approval numbers from their last three polls:

June: 65%

August: 70%

October: 60%

49 posted on 11/12/2003 7:59:37 AM PST by BlackRazor
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To: Rocket1968
a demo legislature, a demo gov., two demo reps, and two rino senators, and we vote for every stinking bond issue to come down the pike.

And a GOP that's maybe just starting to recover from McKernanism.

50 posted on 11/12/2003 8:01:48 AM PST by JohnnyZ (Red Sox in 2004)
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To: JohnnyZ
Let's hope so.
51 posted on 11/12/2003 8:21:58 AM PST by Rocket1968 (Democrats will crash and burn in 2004.)
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To: petercooper
fuzzy math? isn't it 8 more?

Yes for the real states.Probably includes Puerto Rico,Guam, American Samoa etc.

52 posted on 11/12/2003 8:36:25 AM PST by Timocrat
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To: schu
but they have significant opposition and problems to overcome, mainly the elitist media and leftist academia

This, in addition to activist left-wing federal judges, is the trump card of the Left. The enemy still controls the machinery that molds the hearts and minds of youth and reports the news of the day - repeating a subtle and not-so-subtle message that all good things flow from a benevolent socialist state.

Perhaps that's why leftists viciously attack even the slightest attempts to appoint non-leftist judges, reform public school systems, and bring ideological balance to college campuses and the news media. It is on these issues especially that we on the right must give as good as we get: the Marquis of Queensbury rules that we've followed for so long in the political arena no longer apply when we are in a fight for the survival of America as we know it.

53 posted on 11/12/2003 9:00:18 AM PST by bassmaner (Let's take the word "liberal" back from the commies!!)
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To: GaryL
*LOL* Even when the Miami Blather writes a good perspective, it screws the story up. Democrats did not control Congress in 1983... The Republicans has a firm grip on the Senate (54 Senators, and several DINOs), while the Democrats had nominal, but not total control in the House. And the Pubbies' 29 governors is EIGHT more thean the Rats' 21; not five. Lots more errors all over the place.
54 posted on 11/12/2003 9:02:30 AM PST by dangus
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To: GaryL
Just turn on the T.V. and try to find a Dem with the least appeal to a muddled moderate. I've not seen any.

I have seen a lot of scary angry Dems trying to outdo themselves in appealing to scary angry liberals.

The Dems should grab the immigration issue. It is there for the taking.

55 posted on 11/12/2003 9:24:15 AM PST by Plutarch
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To: BlackRazor
EPIC/MRA is a left-wing pollster outfit, like Zogby. They're shills for the Democrat party. I would bet that their numbers aren't accurate; they're push-polling. Also, I would guess that their October numbers don't reflect the impact of her school choice gaffe and her abortion bill veto, both of which occurred recently. Besides, we all know how wrong the left-wing Zogby people were about the "close" race in California.
56 posted on 11/12/2003 9:53:31 AM PST by vanmorrison
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To: GaryL
extreme left-wing interest groups that are pulling the party further away from the mainstream even while America has shifted rightward since Sept. 11.

The idea that the population is shifting rightward is, at the very least, an exaggeration. The majority get their social and political beliefs from the tube. I liken the trends in American politics to a small pendulum swinging on a larger pendulum. The small pendulum may swing left or right, but the larger pendulum is swinging ever to the left with no sign of halting soon, and much of the Republican success is due to their willingness and ability to accommodate that swing. It is more accurate to say that the Republicans, the people, and the Democrats are all swinging to the left, with Democratic activists swinging just a little too far.

57 posted on 11/12/2003 10:27:12 AM PST by jordan8
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To: JohnnyZ
Blago wants to run for president. Even before he was sworn in as my Governor (yuck!), Blago was talking about running for president. Blago, being a Chicago Machine Hack, is obessed with gun control. Because of this, there is no way he will carry a single Southern sate. However, Mike Easley and Phil Breseden might be viable presidential contenders.
58 posted on 11/12/2003 10:44:14 AM PST by Kuksool
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To: Kuksool
No on Easley. He doesn't even like being governor. He doesn't even do anything. If he had ambition beyond the governorship, you'd figure he would leave the house at least once a week, catch some fresh air or something.
59 posted on 11/12/2003 11:00:05 AM PST by JohnnyZ (Red Sox in 2004)
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To: JohnnyZ
If Easley does win re-election, the media and the RAT leaders are going tout Mike Easley as the "Great Southern Hope - The man who will enable Southern Democrats to rise again".

But then again, any remaining RAT in the South would be given that title.
60 posted on 11/12/2003 11:15:22 AM PST by Kuksool
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