Posted on 09/21/2012 8:43:12 AM PDT by xzins
Mitt Romney's comments about 47 percent of Americans being dependent on government and locked in to vote for President Obama highlight a fundamental reality in American politics today: The gap between the American people and the political class is bigger than the gap between Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C.
Romney's remarks are the GOP equivalent of Obama's notorious comments about small-town Pennsylvania voters bitterly clinging to their guns and religion.
Both Romney and Obama highlighted the condescending attitude that political elites hold of the people they want to rule over. A National Journal survey found that 59 percent of political insiders don't think voters know enough to have meaningful opinions on the important issues of the day. That's a handy rationalization for those who want to ignore the voters and impose their own agenda.
In the nation's capital, this gap creates bigger problems for Republicans than Democrats. Democratic voters tend to think that their representatives in Congress do a decent job representing them. That's because Democrats are a bit more comfortable with the idea of government playing a leading role in American society. However, 63 percent of Republican voters believe their representatives in Washington are out of touch with the party base.
Establishment Republicans in Washington broadly share the Democrats' view that the government should manage the economy. They may favor a somewhat more pro-business set of policies than their Democratic colleagues, but they still act as if government policy is the starting point for all economic activity.
Republican voters reject this view. They are more interested in promoting free market competition rather than handing out favors to big business. They detest corporate welfare and government bailouts, even though their party leaders support them.
The GOP base sees government as a burden that weighs the private sector down rather than a tool that can generate growth if used properly. Ninety-six percent of Republican voters believe that the best thing the government can do to help the economy is to cut spending and free up more money for the private sector.
The Republican base is looking for someone like a 21st century Ronald Reagan, who will display his faith in the American people. The Washington Republicans are more comfortable with politicians like George W. Bush, Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney. Though the establishment has dominated the party since Reagan left the White House, the 2012 election could well be the end of the line.
If Romney loses in November, the Republican base will no longer buy the electability argument for an establishment candidate. From the view of the base, the elites will have given away an eminently winnable election. Someone new, from outside of Washington, will be the party's nominee in 2016.
If Romney wins and does nothing to change the status quo, the economy will falter. He will end up as the second straight one-term president, and the nation will desperately be searching for an authentic outsider in 2016.
If he wins the White House, the only way for Romney to succeed will be to side with the nation's voters and throw out the club in Washington. That will be great news for the country but bad news for political insiders on both sides of the partisan aisle.
Obama May Be the End of the Line for the US.
Corporate welfare is nothing more than 1940's state socialism in the emperor's new clothing
read the article.
you’ll agree with it.
It is a winner takes all bet, IMO.
This will be the end of the line for the GOP-E, should Romney fail to beat the snot out of the Marxist.
If Romney loses, he will be the most hated man among conservative voters.
Odd how Rass response here is in lock step with the GOP Establishment reaction.
Seems Scott has met the enemy and it is him.
“Someone new, from outside of Washington, will be the party’s nominee in 2016.”
This assumes there will BE an election in 2016 if Obama wins. I don’t believe this is a safe assumption.
He's already running a close second. :>)
Believe me, I am holding my tongue now, because all that matters is getting Obama out.
I was surprised, too, that Rasmussen sees himself as an outsider.
Or, at least, he wants his readers to see him as an outsider.
Maybe, though, as a pollster, he wants us to see him as a “no sider”. “I just report the polls, sir, I don’t make them happen.”
“Obama May Be the End of the Line for the US.”
Obama is an accelerant. The fuel is idiotic federal policies going back decades.
Yes, Bill was willing to mingle with commoner females.
LOL.
If Romney loses, we might not see 2016
Ok compare and contrast reactions. Bill Kristol, Scott Rassmussen and the in side DC Romney critics are all upset about how “insensitive” and “out of touch” Romney is.
Rush Limbaugh, Hannity and just about everyone outside the DC beltway in the Conservative movement are “About time someone spoke the truth about this”.
I recommend everyone seeing the documentary at your local theater "2016: Obama's America". Think about it as you leave the theater at the end of the show. Do you really think we will even have a country after another 4 years of the tin horn dictator? Even if we got rid of all the RINOS and GOPe types, the ending of that show will sink in. We are at the tipping point right now. The greatest battle for stopping tyranny is getting rid of the occupier that calls himself "king". And we all know what had to happen to stop that back in 1776.
Hear, hear!
“Someone new, from outside of Washington, will be the party’s nominee in 2016”
I might argue there won’t BE a party (GOP).
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