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.
Palin was on someone’s show last night. I forget whose.
(This is totally unfair, but I’m gonna do it anyway)
She looked like she’d spent a week in a tanning booth dousing with both chemical and radiant tanning stuff.
It reminded me of the Friends episode when Ross overdid the tanning solution in the spray-on shower.
If she’d spoken in clipped English she could have been mistaken for a Chase Card Answering Service from India.
“I think the GOP insiders know this, and are beginning to experience daily underwear soilings.’
I suspect those orchids think the hothouse defines the universe. They are as clueless as the Bourbons. Ditto their ‘frensh acrossh the aisle’.
It appears You are peddling the Obama state media kool
Aid
Yep the usual dismay !
Paulbot!
Lol and all that Paulbot posting BS
Yes, there are differences in speed, method and a number of other details. But they all lead to the same thing, socialism and the destruction of our freedoms.
Is Mittens the guy to break this trend? Get elected first, but we will know in 6 months if they punt on the ObamaCare albatross.
Reverse the Big Government trend and the economy will improve (eventually) and we can get two terms from Romney and 2 from Ryan. If they do not buck the trend, then we can kiss it all good bye.
I still hold a faint amount of hope, but not much.
schu
“I still hold a faint amount of hope, but not much.”
Me too. That hope is based entirely on the relatively peaceful dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the hope that we will be so fortunate.
“Romney thinks so because of his blue blood, financial wealth, and educational credentials.”
You forgot his “magic underwear.” :-)
xzins, I think somewhere in there he called you a Paulbot.
You sly dog, I never knew.
I noticed that too! Sarah has been messing with her natural beauty and her new harsher look is increasingly commensurate with her loss of joy and triumph and can-do spirit in her FOX appearances.
This is not a good sign. Hope she snaps out of what on the outside looks like the start of a funk she could be in.
Such a good line, semantic. Thanks.
The democrats are the tax, borrow, and spend party.
The republicans have become the borrow and spend party.
Sad for us, they compromise on borrowing and spending.
I'm a Perry-bot without the Romney bumper sticker ;.0
Mom, positive soul that she is, always said to wear clean underwear, ‘cause you never know if this is the day you die, and you’d be embarrassed to death if they saw you in dirty underwear.
It does make it’s own kind of sense. :>)
Yep, I’ve noticed it, too.
Unfortunately, I think she’s trying to hide the signs of aging.
It doesn’t work. Worse, it looks silly.
“This is not a good sign. Hope she snaps out of what on the outside looks like the start of a funk she could be in.”
I saw the start of that back to the night she announced she would not run. Someone made her an offer she could not refuse, IMO. Barring a reshuffling of the Geriatric Old Plotters’ deck of cards, I think she is spent.
It was all caused by government regulations the banks were strictly Innocent bystanders. (sarc)
Not as if they have lobbyists pushing an agenda is it?
Not as if they control the money supply.
“An offer she couldn’t refuse”.
The FOX venue is constraining for her, I am guessing, but it has been apparent for a long time that she appears strained rather than liberated.
I don’t know about elsewhere in other settings, but it looks like she is just drawing a paycheck on FOX, and I can hear the Charlie Crist and John Boehner comparisons from my front porch on the mega tan can.
[[Romney May Be the End of the Line for the Republican Establishment]]
For crying out loud- romeny is NOT the end all be all of the republican establishment- nor does he ‘usher in’ ANYTHING- He does NOT represent the many good folks in the GOP- He is however, unfortunately! the only choice right now because AMERICA rejected far more competent candidates-
It is what it is- and NOTHING more! We’re stuck with one of hte worst choices, BUT it’s still a hell of a lot better than reelecting someone like whiny o who has deterined to undermine everythign this coutnry standsw for and to support terrorists abroad by refusing to do anyhtign when they attack us and wage war on us-
Don’t try to make romeny out to be representative of the GOP party- Even htough many are not far off from him ideologically, there are still many good peopel i nthe GOP
It’s been a very trying time for the banks what with them being forced forced into derivative exposures equal to 30-40-50 times their net worth. So sad.
Sorry, Cott, but you and your friends are the ones who are not representative of the GOP. Real conservatives aren't welcome in the club.
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