Posted on 11/09/2008 3:37:09 AM PST by gusopol3
Head Strong: Ignoring suburbs doomed the GOP To win Pa., it must appeal to moderates. By Michael Smerconish - Inquirer
Inquirer Currents Columnist
If retail politicking alone determined the election outcome in Pennsylvania, McCain-Palin would have won in a landslide. Speaking on MSNBC election night, Gov. Rendell joked that the GOP ticket had spent so much time in the state that he was thinking of assessing them with a state income tax.
(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...
That's a consequence of voters believing that the mess we are in was caused by the Republicans, as well as the failure of the elected Republicans to live up to their name. Why bother electing Republicans if they overspend and expand government when you can elect Democrats who are real pros at doing it? Why vote for McCain if his position on the bailout is the same as Obama's?
And finally, why vote for a guy who says he'll tax your health insurance, offset by some tax credit. Everybody knows that within ten years the tax credit will be gone, or phased out with income, but the tax on the value of your health insurance will remain -- and counting health insurance as income would push you up into a higher bracket and cost you money.
What kind of a Republican makes a vital part of his campaign platform raising taxes -- on your health insurance of all things?? Oh, I forgot, a "Maverick" like John McCain.
The age old aregument of moving to the center is bogus. Sarah Palin is proving that argument wrong as we speak.
For sure,he was and is a lousy candidate.
Smerconish is a Democratic operative. He pushed for McCain to win the primary and when McCain won, he switched support to Obama. He was among those who derided Palin.
the next Republican candidate will have to cut through the ever more complicating and tightening knot with something like the fair tax.
"Moderate" is a dirty word.
No, the Reps should be pursuing white blue collar Dems.
he’s also going to be one of the big losers of the election, as his audience listens to Bill Bennett.
If he is not registered Democrat he certainly is close enough in all practical effect.
I dismissed this radio talk show lawyer long ago. West Chester University and Lincoln University gave us Democrat representatives in Harrisburg when they went all D for Obama. The consequences of this will be a real shame for the people of Pennsylvania. More Vince Fumo like political thuggery from Rendell Philly gang. The ongoing trial in Philly for Vince Fumo will hopefully put that arrogant crook in jail for a long time. They ought to get rid of that GOP chief in Chester County. He is useless. He has committee people openly working for Democrat candidates.
They are still on the committee
Recently -- and happily -- I managed to pick up 770 AM NYC at Levin time just east of Harrisburg.
hey, I’m not telling you anything about Bill Bennett am I? You are the one who wold me about WNTP several weeks back . I am at the far reaches during drive in AM, can’t hear everything without fade-outs, static, but didn’t a woman named “Gwen” call and was she Smerconish’s mother?
atmospherics make such a day to day difference in reception, don’t they? Heck, I remember getting a strange TV broadcast (over the air days) when I lived in VA. It was a Connecticut station!
You think Mumia might get a pardon?
You voted for Obama. You supported Obama. You helped get Obama elected. One reason Obama won the suburbs is because people like you didn't tell people on the fence about Obama's less flattering side.
Smerconish is a miserable failure.
My simple opinion is this. After a couple of years of BO, the GOP won’t have to “appeal to moderates.” The GOP will only have to offer “change.”
How’d that work out again?
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Before you try to appeal to indies and the moderates, first you MUST get the support of the base. Failure to do so is like building a house without a foundation - it doesn’t stay standing for long.
That pretty well covers it.
fly in that ointment, he'll still be blaming Bush.
They voted that way because that is what they are, try looking at the historical voting record.
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