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Republicans on the Ropes,
The Hartford Advocate ^ | 10-30-03 | by Alan Bisbort

Posted on 10/30/2003 4:08:07 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Call me laughably optimistic, but I believe the Republican Party is in deep trouble. Even if you don't share my optimism, it's indisputable that the GOP is, like the Know Nothing and Bull Moose parties, ripe for a fall. We're talking smoldering ruins, defections, patricide, fratricide, and acts of contrition the likes of which Jimmy Swaggart never imagined. This situation has nothing to do with the formidable (ha) opposition of the Democrats, last seen playing patty-cake in Congress with the Future Felons of America in the White House. It is just a fact of life, like water running downhill and the Red Sox losing Game Seven.

If images are more important than issues, try this one on for size: The White House has banned the media from covering the arrival of the flag-draped coffins of dead soldiers on all military bases; Bush himself has not attended a single one of these 340-plus homecomings. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil is the Republican mantra, and they're sticking to it even as their ship runs headlong into a perfect political storm.

To wit: Republicans control the White House, Senate, House of Representatives and Supreme Court. They control all three branches of government, have no checks and balances on their power. They also control Wall Street and the media. They not only run the show, they massage the message.

My point: This is their bad. By "this," I mean an all-time record federal budget deficit that's bleeding states, cities and towns dry ($374.2 billion for 2003, doubling last year's deficit and likely to reach $500 billion in 2004). "This" is a quagmire in Iraq that will not end soon, or well. "This" is virulent international pariah status, even among allies (Bush was heckled by Australians and Filipinos! Thai farmers put a curse on him!). "This" is setting back environmental progress 100 years. Etc.

In short, the GOP can no longer blame Bill, Hillary, Franklin Delano or Eleanor. Their so-called agenda has had time to prove itself, and it has proven only one thing: It's a miserable failure on all fronts (economic, environmental, racial, morality, foreign affairs, even war). The only things they have to show for themselves are Bush in that flight suit and 9-11. These are not reassuring items on which to build a campaign. Indeed, the foot-dragging on and censoring of the 9-11 probe (expunging links between Bush's Saudi pals and al Qaeda) and the ongoing Iraq carnage -- despite Bush in that victorious jock strap -- are too obvious even for Fox viewers to deny.

Telltale signs of GOP desperation are everywhere. Let me share one from my town. The "community relations chairman" for the local Republicans has, in a website posting, called Democrats "neo-Nihilists" who are "greedily enamored with the destruction of this nation." Further, Democrats "eschew rational debate," "hate America" and consider Saddam Hussein "a hero." Got that, you Al Gore-voting soccer mom?

Then there's George Nethercutt, a Republican running against incumbent senator, Patty Murray (D-WA). In a recent speech, echoing GOP talking points, he said, "The story of what we've done in the postwar period is remarkable. It is a better and more important story than losing a couple of soldiers every day." Makes a great campaign slogan, doesn't it? I mean, for the Democrats.

Or how about this from my Republican Congresswoman Nancy Johnson. In a recent letter to constituents, she said, "We are in Iraq to help ourselves and the Iraqi people because 9/11 proved how deeply intertwined are our lives." Huh? Even Bush now admits there was no connection between 9/11 and Iraq. Since the pretext for this war is gone, even "moderates" like Johnson are forced to deploy semantic deceits (or what I call Republican pretzel logic).

Last and least, former first lady Barbara Bush recently described the 12 Democratic candidates for president as a "sorry group." The Democratic lineup contains two decorated war veterans, a Rhodes Scholar, a top West Point grad, a longtime legislator, a successful mayor and governor, and numerous other public servants, none of whom warrant such an undignified characterization. Especially not from the matriarch of three substance-abusing grandchildren, a felonious whoremonger son (Neil), ethically challenged son (Marvin), HMO-fund-embezzler and election thief (Jeb), coke-sniffing AWOL Air Guard pilot son (W.), vehicularly homicidal daughter-in-law (Laura) and father- and grandfather-in-law who traded with Nazi Germany.

My bad in last week's column: I blew Red Sox manager Grady Little's name, calling him Grady Wilson. The latter was Fred Sanford's wine-bibbing partner on the great Sanford and Son . Fred's Grady might have made a better manager.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Connecticut
KEYWORDS: lunatic
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
What is the author smoking?
61 posted on 10/30/2003 5:57:36 AM PST by RiflemanSharpe (An American for a more socially and fiscally conservation America!)
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To: camle
"then who are the next republican leaders? these people ought to be household words by now."

The up-and-comers are: Rick Santorum, Condi Rice, Lindsay Graham, Bobby Jindal, Jeb Bush, Mark Kirk, just to name a few. And then there are the already-knowns, who are on the cusp of making some big shows: Rudy Guiliani is foremost among these.
62 posted on 10/30/2003 6:11:10 AM PST by ought-six
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Wow. Talk about building castles in the clouds. This guy seriously seems to think Republicans insulting Democrats in dismissive terms is going to fire up the heartland against the Republican Party.

Sorry to break the news, but the commentary about the Democrats in the heartland is even more scathing. The Republicans are on the verge of becoming the true majority party in the country at the national, state, and local level; with people identifying themselves as Republican overtaking self-identified Democrats possibly as soon as next year. And they're doing it by tapping into some deeply imbedded contempt among the masses against a Democratic Party increasingly seen as pandering to the elite.

This should have been obvious to all but the most thick headed when the Democrats crippled their own fund-raising by limiting soft money, while the Republicans took it in stride because of their huge hard money donations edge. Hard money donations are a far better indication of mass appeal than the soft money kind.

63 posted on 10/30/2003 6:23:44 AM PST by Snuffington
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To: ought-six
Your names are good. To say that the GOP doesn't have legitimate leaders to succeed the current ones is plain silly. Among the top of my names would be Don Nickles. I think his stepping down from the Senate is the first move in a run for the White House in '08. And I wouldn't count out Gingrich. He could use '04-'08 as time to rehabilitate his image outside the party and make a very strong run.

We also have, here in Maryland, Governor Ehrlich who could become a hot property if he can succeed in such a hostile atmosphere.

64 posted on 10/30/2003 6:39:21 AM PST by Mr. Bird
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To: DM1
It was great. He was your "normal" true American democrat; not the nut jobs that the Clinton era has brought out of the woodwork.
65 posted on 10/30/2003 6:40:03 AM PST by milan
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To: alnick
You're right...he is the only real Democrat. The others are socialists...they shouldn't be allowed to use the word democrat anymore...how about the "progressives" party? How about the "dumbass" party?
66 posted on 10/30/2003 6:42:50 AM PST by milan
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
My bad in last week's column: I blew Red Sox manager Grady Little's name, calling him Grady Wilson.

I don't think I'll take this guy that seriously.

My bad. I meant seriesly

67 posted on 10/30/2003 6:42:52 AM PST by Tribune7 (It's not like he let his secretary drown in his car or something.)
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To: milan
The democrats are headed south

Nah, they're headed northeast as in Vermont a.k.a. the state without restaurants. When we get the votes in Congress, we can turn it into one great big reservation for them, complete with government supplied food, health care etc.

Just like we do for the Indians. They'll love it.

68 posted on 10/30/2003 6:46:52 AM PST by Tribune7 (It's not like he let his secretary drown in his car or something.)
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To: Southack
bump #60
69 posted on 10/30/2003 7:02:11 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The democRATS are near the tipping point.)
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To: paul in cape
Methinks Alan Bisbort (what a name!) has ingested WAAAYYY too much of the Cherry Fusion; he may need to be rushed into detox ASAP. This is Wishful Thinking gone bad, folks.

...'They're coming to take me away, ha-ha! They're coming to take me away!' Ya Think?!

-Regards, T.

70 posted on 10/30/2003 7:31:12 AM PST by T Lady (.Freed From the Dimocratic Shackles since 1992)
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To: Mr. Bird
agree with Nickles, but no way Gingrich would get anywhere- the media would crucify him
71 posted on 10/30/2003 7:50:23 AM PST by petercooper (Proud member of the VRWC)
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To: camle; Jim Noble
unless they start publicly grooming a successor.
Senators and sitting vice presidents are seldom elected. I think Abraham Lincoln was the last congressman to be elected.

The only way to groom a successor is to allow them to learn the ropes of electoral politics and of executive action. IOW, there are 50 governorships, and if any one of them has a good Republican executive you should consider that person to be "groomed" for the WH. Not that I'm in favor of dynasties, but the two Republican governors who have won election by the most votes in the past decade are both named Bush.


72 posted on 10/30/2003 8:10:34 AM PST by conservatism_IS_compassion (The everyday blessings of God are great--they just don't make "good copy.")
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To: camle
these people ought to be household words by now.
Funny thing about that, on FR there was an article to the effect that presidential timber has a short shelf life--hardly presidents were elected POTUS more than 14 years after they gained public notice as an elected governor or senator.

They did however consider that the shelf-life clock was stopped while a person was a sitting vice president . . .


73 posted on 10/30/2003 8:21:04 AM PST by conservatism_IS_compassion (The everyday blessings of God are great--they just don't make "good copy.")
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"Call me laughably optimistic, but I believe the Republican Party is in deep trouble."

..right out of the chute...nothing but mainstream, unbiased commentary!!!
74 posted on 10/30/2003 8:51:43 AM PST by Constitutional Patriot (Socialism is the cancer of humanity.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"To wit: Republicans control the White House, Senate, House of Representatives and Supreme Court. They control all three branches of government, have no checks and balances on their power. They also control Wall Street and the media. They not only run the show, they massage the message. "

It's pretty obvious that a person of minimal intelligence should have no problem getting a job with a newspaper.

75 posted on 10/30/2003 8:53:05 AM PST by Constitutional Patriot (Socialism is the cancer of humanity.)
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To: camle
Yeah right. As if Hillary could win an election. Unfortunately for her, most people in this country (excluding highly ignorant, uninformed soccer mom types) hate her guts. The only people fawning over her are the aforementioned idiots and the Katie Courics in the media. I think the democrat vote-fraud machine would have to be in hyperwarp mode to get her the votes she needs outside of NY/LA/Chicago.

I think Hillary would be lucky to win another term as senator in NY if a moderately well known candidate ran against her.

I think that if Condi were to run against Hillary in 2008, Hillary would get burried.
76 posted on 10/30/2003 9:01:17 AM PST by Constitutional Patriot (Socialism is the cancer of humanity.)
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To: Southack
And in Germany, Schroder is going down. Really looks bad for the socialists, and this guy can't see it?
77 posted on 10/30/2003 9:09:03 AM PST by KC_for_Freedom (Sailing the highways of America, and loving it.)
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To: camle
"then who are the next republican leaders? these people ought to be household words by now."

Why? Our current President wasn't a household name 5 years prior to being elected POTUS. WHo the hell heard of Bill Clinton prior to his campaigning for President?
78 posted on 10/30/2003 9:09:17 AM PST by Constitutional Patriot (Socialism is the cancer of humanity.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
They also control Wall Street and the media. They not only run the show, they massage the message.

This is where I stopped reading. I wouldn't even say that the Democrat Party "controls" the media.

79 posted on 10/30/2003 9:10:52 AM PST by Zack Nguyen
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To: Mr. Bird
There are several household names that are RINO's, and Giulianni, as much as he may be electable- is one of them. I like Nichols too, and even better, Kyle of AZ(?)

For VP material, McConnell of Kentucky (Unfortunately- a little short on charisma) and Alan Keyes is still out there. Condi keeps coming up, but like Whitman,she is pro choice.

What his author fails to realise is that the GOP has become the refuge for any Democrat with a bit of character or moral clarity left.

80 posted on 10/30/2003 9:52:00 AM PST by Dutchgirl
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