Posted on 01/02/2014 8:12:19 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Could there be a group that looks more insular, elitist and out of touch than the U.S. Chamber of Commerce? One strategist for the chamber says they want "no more fools" nominated for office by the Republicans. By "fools" he meant Tea Party candidates and their ilk, and the chamber is readying to spend $50 million to defeat them in 2014. This, from an organization that has launched a thousand sinking ships. Recall that this is the same crowd that helped Mitt Romney and John McCain win GOP nominations for president. (They also supported Fred Thompson, who turned out to have the energy of a tortoise.) And the strategist who is credited with this new U.S. Chamber strategy is famous for running Bob Dole's presidential effort in 1996. Now, that was a real winner.)
What these inside-the-Beltway retread political strategists continue to miss is that Mitt Romney's loss to Barack Obama was due in part to a decision by millions of conservative voters to stay home on Election Day 2012. They felt no compelling reason to fight hard for Romney, who seemed good and decent, but lacked fire and had no real connection with most Americans.
Make no mistake: It's not the worst gig in the world to try to nominate sane GOP candidates for the U.S. Senate in states where Republicans are either trying to hold seats or they have a real shot at unseating incumbent Democrats. But the chamber's goals seem at odds with the "average" voter, without whose allegiance few Republicans will win next year. This chamber perspective is both elitist and divisive. And it's likely to backfire.
Consider the U.S. Senate race in Georgia. Incumbent Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss is retiring. One might presume that any Republican who manages to win the GOP nomination in this Red State will automatically cruise to victory against the Democrat.
It's just not the case. Republican incumbents aren't polling so great in Georgia. And while Democrats remain at a disadvantage, partly because of President Obama's high disapproval rate in the state, they will still pose a credible threat with Michelle Nunn, the daughter of former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn, as their Senate nominee. And they will enjoy a "ticket effect" with the combination of Nunn and gubernatorial candidate Jason Carter -- who is Jimmy Carter's grandson.
The most likely nominee for the GOP Senate nomination is longtime Republican Congressman Jack Kingston. He earned his political stripes decades ago and, by most measures, he has good conservative credentials. It's no secret that most "chamber-types" in Georgia and in D.C. are supporting Kingston in hopes that his amiable personality and understanding of the more sophisticated side of public policy will trump the qualifications of any Tea Party types who are running.
But if the chamber's litmus test for Republican nominees is "no more fools," then Kingston might not qualify right now, thanks to his recent suggestion that kids who receive government subsidies for food in public schools should work for what they get.
When considered in context, Kingston's comments are harmless enough. But as political marketing, his words have flown like a lead balloon with Georgia voters. Even the most conservative of talk show hosts ripped Kingston for singling out poor kids and forcing them to "sweep the cafeteria floor" in view of their more affluent peers. If Kingston wins the GOP nomination, his words will be used by Democrat Nunn in TV ads that will help sway especially moderate, independent women voters away from the Republican.
Kingston's ace up the sleeve against Nunn would normally be the fierce and nearly automatic support of ultra-conservative voters. But with groups like the U.S. Chamber picking and choosing who is worthy of joining their "inner circle" of power in D.C., the chance that some miffed conservatives might sit out the race against Nunn, just as they did with Mitt Romney for president, is more likely.
The example of Ronald Reagan is often invoked in situations like this, and with reason. Does anyone who was actually around in 1980 doubt that these out-of-touch political snobs would have labeled him a "fool" before he went on to kick the butt of the Republican establishment by winning the nomination?
Memo to all D.C. geniuses: Think about it.
I consider the US Chamber of Commerce to be the functional equivalent of the Humane Society of the United States.
Both are sleazy low down opportunist organizations out for a buck at any cost.
Radical liberal loons do not like REAL Americans.....
I’m finding it to be a great talking point to take on liberals and show that the tea party is better for them than the democrats.
I point out that the democrats talk a big game about things like income inequality, cronyism, and corporate welfare but then turn right around and bring in corporate heads as advisors and gives them taxpayer money like candy. The chamber of commerce is attacking the tea party because they know we mean what we say.
And they are huge Amnesty pushers. I believe that’s the basic conflict.
Likely they contribute to the GOPers who act strangely about Amnesty and also the economy. This is where the GOP infighting is going to lead, the Tea Party v the CoC.
The GOPers that the CoC funds are by the nature of the deal, disloyal, weak and greedy. Not up for the fight against the Tea Party and the Coc has to now step in.
I don’t know, just a theory.
The USCC apparently wants to clear the field for Radical Democrats to run the table and begin regulating/taxing the crap out of them.
The Liberals hate Big Business
The Libertarians hate Big Government
They are both wrong, the issue is with the collusion between BOTH of the “Bigs” in order to keep the upstart Medium/Small Business and Local/State government ground down beneath their boots.
Keeping upstart Businesses ie. Competition down is just as important to the control freaks as is keeping small and medium government ie. Local and State governments down under the heel of federal control.
“Competition is a Sin” to the control freaks as they want to the kings and queens of everything... they will use laws written by “Bigs” that appear on the surface to supposedly punish the “Bigs” which in execution will punish the small/medium segments of private and public society. How is this done? By increasing the bureaucratic overhead which is more easily handled by the big, and a huge burden for the smaller operators. This is precisely WHY obamacare if the tangled mess of spaghetti code and committees that it is.
And this is why the Chamber of Commerce is actually a tool of this collusion concerning immigration. How else to keep the middle from raising up than to use the poor illegal immigrant as a useful immigrant to keep the bigs up in power.
So they can actually appropriate taxpayer money for their political agenda? Is that the point if this agency?
I’m not voting for any GOPe candidates this year. If the GOP fails to run a conservative in VA against Mark Warner I plan to stay home. For the first time in my life since reaching the age of majority I will not vote in an election. I’ve already decided not to vote for Scott Rigell in VA’s second Congressional District.
They want bailouts of businesses that have been hurt by the buildup of big government taxes, rules and regulations.
The solution to big government is to roll it back, not using the taxpayers and national debt for bailouts.
They accept big government rules from EPA, OSHA, the IRS and so on. They are OK with every entitlement program and Obamacare.
These folks just want the rules bent to favor their interests and want Republicans elected who will do that. They want Obamacare amended to favor their interests and the GOP will do that.
Crony capitalists.
The US Chamber of Commerce is out of touch with reality. First of all Romney was selected by the voters at the primary. Not that damn Chamber of Commerce. This elite idiots then crapped on the Tea Party which was millions of Americans and what they stood for. Smaller government, reduce taxes, etc. Everything the conservatives needed to rebuild America to a Constitutional land. By the US Chamber of Commerce not supporting Romney the way they should they elected King Obama by default. The US Chamber of Commerce is just as bad as the communists Democratic Party.
The US Chamber of Commerce now represents fascism, not free enterprise. That is how corrupted our system has become.
They did label him a fool. George Will, for example, was full of disdain for Reagan right up to his inauguration. They changed their tunes somewhat after he was elected but most of them bought right into Tip O'Neal's 'amiable dunce' opinion. It's only in retrospect that the inside the beltway crowd will admit what most of the people of this country knew from the get go. Ronald Reagan was a great man, who was placed in power at the perfect time. He was the Man for the Age!
From what I am reading the Senate race in Georgia involves Jack Kingston, the GOPe backed candidate who makes conservative noise, versus others who will likely split the vote including other incumbent GOP members of Congress.
Were any of those members of Congress among the ten who opposed John Boehner’s leadership at the beginning of this session of Congress like Steve Stockman of Texas did?
I think their only issue is the unlimited flow of cheap (illegal) labor.
These guys are the poster children of Lenin’s “ useful idiots” who would sell the rope to hang them with....
I agree with the article and the comments here but REALLY why do some of these Republicans make such self-inflicting statements? Do they not believe these type of comments will not be used against them? Do they not understand the left’s game against them? Honestly!
I hope that they will understand that the tea partiers are the grass roots of the republican party. We are the average citizens of this country. Without us, they don't exist.
They (the establishment politicians, the bureaucrats, the chamber members who represent the businesses that we support), THEY REPRESENT US.
They may want all that, but I’m telling you the end result will be people like you and me sitting home on Election Day and the Elizabeth Warrens of the world winning total access to their bank accounts.
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