The national GOP is far from dead,
until Rudy Giuliani is nominated
Posted on 11/15/2006 8:26:42 AM PST by ElkGroveDan
“Whom the Gods would destroy they first make mad.”
— Euripides
Old friend Euripides was referring to insanity, not anger, so in the interests of keeping my regular readers sane — and off the “to be destroyed” list of Zeus, Hera, and the rest — I thought I’d refute some of the madness circulating since the election.
• While voters nationwide certainly gave the GOP a good smack upside the head, it is madness to talk about the results as some massive repudiation or defeat for the GOP. Unless recounts change results in one House seat in Connecticut and one in Arizona, Republicans will have lost 28 seats in the House and six in the Senate. Since 1950 the average loss for a president’s party in the midterm election of the president’s second term is 29 House seats and six Senate seats.
To add some perspective, come January, 202 congressmen and 49 senators will be Republicans. Following the Goldwater blowout, GOP strength stood at 140 in the House and 32 in the Senate. Richard Nixon wrought similar magic with Watergate, January of 1975 dawning with 144 Republicans in the House and 36 in the Senate. The largest number of GOP House members Ronald Reagan ever had to work with was 192.
• It would be madness to view the election results as a repudiation of conservative ideas. Some good conservatives lost to be sure Ð foremost among them Sen.s Santorum and Allen Ð but by and large they took the fall for the accumulated failings and distinctly un- conservative actions of the institutional GOP in D.C. A September CNN poll found that 54 percent of respondents thought government was doing too much, while only 37 percent thought it was doing too little.
An October survey by Onmessage Inc. of 12 swing districts held by Republicans found these results: Democrats were viewed as more likely than Republicans to cut taxes for the middle class by 42 to 29 percent; were thought more likely to reduce the budget deficit by 47 to 22 percent; and considered more likely to control government spending by 38 to 21 percent. The GOP lost eight of these districts last Tuesday. These poll numbers make it a wonder that they didn’t lose all 12.
• Here in California it would be madness for rank and file Republicans or GOP organizations to give Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger anything just because he asks for it. Running perhaps the most selfish campaign in California history, the governor gave the Republican party absolutely nothing, and that is precisely what he should receive in return. He is now officially a lame duck and should be treated as one.
He did less then nothing for his statewide ticket “running mates,” finding time in the last ten days of the campaign to take a gratuitous slap at Tom McClintock over McClintock’s opposition to some of the bonds on the ballot. Running between 18 and 25 percent ahead of dead-man-walking Angelides in polls, and with a 3 to 1 monetary advantage, Schwarzenegger couldn’t see his way clear to share any of his funds with other Republicans, let alone appear with them.
It would appear that Assemblywoman Lyn Daucher has won a Senate seat in Orange county by less then 400 votes. Might an appearance by the governor have taken this seat off the table, making it possible for GOP money to be spent elsewhere? Republican Danny Gilmore lost to incumbent Democrat Nicole Parra by 1200 votes in her Kern County district. Schwarzenegger received 72 percent of the vote in Kern county, but wouldn’t risk appearing with Gilmore. The governor thinks Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia is “hot,” but not worth helping win a race in which she eventually prevailed by 1,100 votes.
He did, however, find plenty of time to campaign for the bloated package of bonds on the ballot. His schedule through most of the last 10 days before the election included at least 20 appearances to help pass the bonds, but not one Ð repeat: not one Ð appearance for a Republican candidate at any level. To saddle our children and grandchildren with tens of billions of dollars of debt was a work worthy of our governor’s time; not so helping the Party that put him in office.
It would be madness for Republican elected officials and the rank and file to give back to the governor anything but exactly what he gave them this campaign Ð which frankly was the back of the hand. If he wants a vote Ð any vote Ð from a GOP legislator he should have to deal for it. If he wants serious consideration by Republican voters for Barbara Boxer’s Senate seat, he should be denied it unless he changes dramatically in his second term.
The Schwarzenegger re-election campaign was a public repudiation of the Republican Party, its office holders, and its members. They should return that sentiment in kind. As the glow fades from the narcissistic victory of this most narcissistic of politicians, Schwarzenegger should remember another quote from Euripides: ”Short is the joy that guilty pleasure brings.”
The Schwarzenegger re-election campaign was a public repudiation of the Republican Party, its office holders, and its members
ping
That little factoid is the reason why I try not to make comprehensive claims of this or that costing Republicans the election. A number of factors contributed.
I would hope that the President would not think one issue cost us. I don't think that is true, and a mindset like that could cause him to go against the base in a manner that would be very destructive to the party.
Sovereignty and the rule of law Mr. President...
I will not contribute money to a GOP that funnels money to the likes of Chafee. I'll give it to the NRA instead.
Yes, agreed on both points. I didn't like to say it too often before the election, because it was critical to get out and vote, but the party in power usually loses seats in a midterm election, especially the second midterm election.
And Arnold is Mister Narcissist himself. His greatest pleasure is watching himself in the mirror. It's all about me, me, me, and the hell with anything else.
Why don't you call the campaigns of your favorite candidates (win or lose) and find out how much the NRA helped them? I worked for two years on a major statewide race in a major western state, where my candidate had a a solid A rating from the NRA. My experience was that the NRA were more a headache than anything else. They are great at lobbying, but the campaign efforts come up short.
I tend to give money to individual candidates.
The problem with the Republicans is that they are the party of old recycled farts. Get some young faces in the crowd dammit!
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Who Speaks for the People?: Schwarzenegger could do more harm than good."
(snip)I'd like to see a resolution at the Convention calling for Schwarzenegger to drop the "R" next to his name. To continue on this farcical path, believing that he still embraces any of the principles of the Republican party or hoping he will advance anything other than the Democrat's agenda, is pure stupidity, IMO.To my friends and colleagues who support Arnold Schwarzenegger or who believe his election, despite his shortcomings, would strengthen the Republican Party, I must say I disagree. . . . We’ve been through this before — eight years of it. Pete Wilson was going to create a powerful “New Republicanism” — but left the California GOP a wreck, characterized by dysfunctional or non-existent Party organizations, a famine in new candidates, a collapsed grass roots structure, wracked by internecine ideological warfare, unable to register voters, raise dollars, or articulate a message (with notable local exceptions here and there where the Wilson influence had not penetrated or had been overcome). It added up to a one-Party, Democrat state.
Wilson’s “New Republicanism” wasn’t new, and it wasn’t, as advertised, “fiscally conservative and socially moderate.” It was opportunism. The governor publicly excoriated and privately betrayed fiscal conservatism as quickly and vehemently as social conservatism when either crossed his vision for his own career. . . .
bump
I was set to do the same, until the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA, the state NRA affiliate) issued their endorsement. Much of the power of the NRA comes from its ability to deliver the vote. The NRA is imperfect, but it would be a mistake, I think, to reduce what value it has.
Like others who have posted, I send contributions directly to pro-gun candidates and to pro-gun organizations. I send NOTHING directly to Republican groups for fear that an anti-gunner might get some benefit.
On the national scene it will be timely for the 2008 election to consider how helpful the pro-gun Democrats just elected have been to increasing the protection of the right to keep and bear arms. If such Democrats have not stepped up, then pro-gun voters will know what they need to do.
Good idea.
And i will donate to Dr. James Dobson.
exactly right...old farts.
This election was long over due term limits.
get some new fire-in-the belly- conservatives in office.
And if we can't do that...It's Newt. He's Old. He's a Fart. But he DOES still have the fire!
And not incidentally Schwarzeneggar is fine, but he's Californian. He's gotta do in California what he needs to do ----For America we need an American --- from Texas or Wisconsin!
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