Posted on 05/07/2008 3:50:49 AM PDT by Dawnsblood
Shellshocked House Republicans got warnings from leaders past and present Tuesday: Your party’s message isn’t good enough to prevent disaster in November, and neither is the NRCC’s money.
The double shot of bad news had one veteran Republican House member worrying aloud that the party’s electoral woes — brought into sharp focus by Woody Jenkins’ loss to Don Cazayoux in Louisiana on Saturday — have the House Republican Conference splitting apart in “everybody for himself” mode.
“There is an attitude that, ‘I better watch out for myself, because nobody else is going to do it,’” the member said. “There are all these different factions out there, everyone is sniping at each other, and we have no real plan. We have a lot of people fighting to be the captain of the lifeboat instead of everybody pulling together.”
In a piece published in Human Events, the Republicans’ onetime captain, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, warned his old colleagues that they face “real disaster” on Election Day unless they move immediately to “chart a bold course of real reform” for the country.
And in a closed-door session at the Capitol, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) told members that the NRCC doesn’t have enough cash to “save them” in November if they don’t raise enough money or run strong campaigns themselves.
Although a top House Republican brushed aside Gingrich’s broadside as “hype from a has-been who desperately wants to be a player but can’t anymore,” the harsh words from Cole were harder to ignore.
“It was a pretty stern line that he took with us,” said one House Republican.
It will be a disaster. When Obama receives less criticism than John McCain here you know something’s not right.
Quick! The Republicans had better start taking a more liberal and leftward bent in order to make sure that they’re elected come November! Look how well it worked last time!
Mark
“We got heaps and heaps of what we sow” ~ Jack Johnson
They chose and backed the second worst candidate for president (only Julie Annie would have been worse), and he's been living down to expectations (his comments about the GOP using Barak Sharpton's pastor in NC). All of this Democratic infighting IS NOT weakening the dems. It's getting all of their dirty linen out in the public LONG BEFORE the election, and it's giving them massive amounts of free publicity. For every time McCainiac's name is mentioned, you'll hear 100 mentions of Obama or Clinton. The GOP looks like toast for Nov.
Isn't that the way of all politicians? Dig a deep hole and then claim to have the solution? The "reform" really needs to come from outside any current party or entrenched politico.
When they had the ball, they fumbled. Stood only for reelection, nothing else. Spent like Democrats. Party needs revamping from the top, down.
I have some advice for the RNC and for individual Republicans:
Whatever you do, don’t listen to Gingrich.
Duh. Our choices are a democrat and a democrat. For some reason, there’s a lot of people on FR that think McCain is practically God on Earth because he has an R next to his name.
Hey! Look at his R! Nevermind his policies. In fact, I will ignore all his past policies and believe with full faith he’s become a conservative in February 2008!
Of course, nevermind the fact that he can’t keep his liberalism in check STILL and reflexively criticizes Republicans!
All hail McCain! He is Lord! He can do no wrong! Worship the R!
For all his faults this shows the loss Delay greatly affects the Party’s cohesion. They need somebody similar, if not better, to step up and take the role, of “The Hammer”, up.
Maybe they should have listened to the BASE, who have been telling them this for more many years!
Even after 2006, they still didn’t comprehend.
Instead, they set up the primaries to prevent a conservative nominee.
They have no leader to pull them up, they have no money, they have nobody to walk precincts for them,and they DO NOT have the courage to throw McCain back to Arizona where he belongs.
So, unfortunately, alot of pubbies will go down in the fall, still scratching their heads, and we will be left with socialists in power.
No kidding. When the GOP had complete control of government it did not solve a single national problem. Instead, it grew government worse than any Democrat, spent worse than any Democrat, and added more welfare dependents than any Democrat.
FDR's ghost is smiling.
The end result of all this is that there are simply too many people dependent on government now for conservatives to make their case.
“It will be a disaster. When Obama receives less criticism than John McCain here you know something’s not right.”
Here at FreeRepublic it seems that McCain and Mormons are bad words. Hope people here like Black Liberation Theology, Kwanza and Al Sharpton picking supreme court justices.
Never underestimate the Republican’s ability to lose an election.
This has all the hallmarks of a Bob Dole campaign.
I can only hope that the Republicans are waking up to the fact that they backstabbed and otherwise ignored their base.
Many seem confused at the lack of enthusiasm for their country club style of politics.
Theyare going to learn some hard lessons come November.
“Whatever you do, don’t listen to Gingrich.”
DITTO, DITTO, DITTO!
It’s because a large majority of the people can only identify a “D” or an “R”. They don’t understand the details.
The GOP has leaders?
Huh. Who knew?
Not only did Woody Jenkins lose as I feared, but there is a real chance that the Wicker seat in MS goes Democrat this month. Also the Shreveport-based House seat is ripe for a return to “democracy”.
We are quickly headed to a one party political system.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.