Post Mortem Why Republicans got shellacked in the midterms

the weekly standard ^ | 11/08/2006 9:00:00 AM | Fred Barnes

[flixxx]

THIS ONE IS PRETTY EASY TO EXPLAIN. Republicans lost the House and probably the Senate because of Iraq, corruption, and a record of taking up big issues and then doing nothing on them. Of these, the war was by far the biggest factor. Unpopular wars trump good economies and everything else. President Truman learned this in 1952, as did President Johnson in 1968. Now, it was President Bush's turn, and since his name wasn't on the ballot, his party took the hit.

[snowrip]

Are you high?

Are you honestly trying to suggest that the dimocrat party has a stronger record on US security than the republicans?

Go learn something , DUmmy.

[Cold Heat]

From what I can ascertain, the lessons have not been learned, and further losses will be the result in 2008.

This party has only begun to self destruct.....

[bella1]

"No question. But, Bush and his 'strategists' mismanaged the initial war campaign by allowing the chaos and insurgency to take hold without engaging sufficient number of troops to safeguard the 'blitzkrieg' aspect to the war. This is where the 'Rumsfeld' factor weighed in, what ticks me off is that there is a reluctance to see this mistake as the cause of where we are today."

Exactly. I do not believe it was the fact that we went to war that was unpopular to many, but the way it was/is run. Going to war with the intent of "winning hearts and minds" is a recipe for disaster. When we can't bomb mosques that are being used as military enclaves, or go to battle on one of Islams many "holy days", or avoid their "holy sites", well we should have stayed home. Lets hope that Bush/Rumsfield etc grow a spine and finally get tough and stop trying to play nice.

[brydic1]

Why would he do that. After all the biggest welfare measure since medicare, the new prescription drug boondogle was initiated by Bush and the AARP. And did we not notice the millions of democrat votes we got for this giveaway that will along with the other entitlement programs cost our children their future bankruptcy. Bush except for his position on some social issues (which I believe is an act of demogoguery on his part) is a fraud conservative. The Bush family are transplanted Eastern Liberals masking as Texas conservatives. From Prescott Bush, of Connecticut to George H W Bush to GWB, they are the country club republicans that run the party before Ronald Reagan.

[The Worthless Miracle]

I have a sick feeling that we may have started down the road the Europeans have been on - toward socialism. Today's democrats are just so much different than the ones in past.

[taxed2death]

"Post Mortem Why Republicans got shellacked in the midterms"....

...stray too far left...to far away from the conservative base and you get spanked. It doesn't help having a POTUS who goes against the majority of the citizens of the US (as well as the majority of his party), divides his own party by his stance on illegals.

Not too hard to figure out, really. The weak kneed Pubs / POTUS did it to themselves. It was theirs to lose.

[layman]

a record of taking up big issues and then doing nothing on them

This was the most disappointing thing for me, but in some ways it might be a good thing in that it brings home to local and state governments the realization that the federal government cannot be relied upon to solve all problems. They are, in fact, the problem in many cases. Immigration, education, and energy will have to be addressed at the local and state levels because Washington has demonstrated its inability and unwillingness to tackle any issues which have the potential of threatening their incumbencies.

[DoughtyOne]

Don't you realize that it isn't about how they failed to lead? It's about how you failed to support that lack of leadership!

Now get it right...

Well, that's going to be the mantra, so get used to it.

[orzechowskid]

I'm not so sure... I think if Iraq was a non-issue then the Repubs in Congress would've held their ground, but that's about it. How many seats were lost this election due to personal or political scandals, either directly or due to Dem campaigns run on a "culture of corruption" platform?

The Dems got lucky this time because for whatever reason, the only corrupt Congressmen to make the news this year happened to be Repubs (besides Reid in NV, who I don't believe was up for re-election anyway).

[mcshot]

"what will it take to wake up the sheep? a bombing that levels wall street? a nuke in NY? how about one in DC? No real loss there."


I'd sure hate to see it happen because of the innocent who would loose but the area politics is seemingly asking for it.

[liberty_lvr]

Great analysis and right on the money.

Now put it into a stupid Nintendo game or make it a reality show and maybe the electorate will get it.

Though after last night, I doubt it.

[DoughtyOne]

I wouldn't doubt it.

[GeorgefromGeorgia]

Get ready to grease up your remote's mute button. I had to buy a new remote after the Clinton years. I need to practice muting Nancy, Harry and especially Hitlery.
You are right on all counts. Will the stock market tank?

[OSHA]

Is it possible for you to post without being insulting?

Just curious.

[taxed2death]

"Boy Thanks Cut and Run Conservative."

Nice rant. Nice waste of bandwidth.
POTUS did this all by himself by splitting the party.

[Right_in_Virginia]

The plan for Nancy is to continue to bash Bush and investigate him. That is the thing that won them the election and they have no idea for a plan so they will continue to do this.

True. But, Grandma has to take action on Iraq, or her troops will revolt.

[Rodent_in_NY]

I agree with most of what you said. But I don't think it was PC that motivated them. I think it was pure unadulterated corruption that generally occurs when one party runs everything. It was an orgy of spending and an orgy of trampling on individual rights to suit personal pet peeves of the particular corrupt politician authoring the bill or the amendment. Every one of the corrupt, criminal, unamerican swine went along, to get along, almost every time, and the most corrupt, unethical slob of them all, rubber stamped every one of the bills that attempted to bankrupt and destroy America.

[Gigantor]

It's a good thing the Republican Party drummed all of these accomplishments loudly and concisely throughout this election season.


</s>

[taxed2death]

"The only cut and run conservatives were the guys we elected to forward the ageneda. They cut and ran from that agenda. Americans cut them loose."

Very succinct. A point not acknowledged my a lot here on FR.

[Southerngl]

"Bingo. But the Republicans won't take that as the message. They'll simply think they weren't liberal enough."

I know you are correct.