Posted on 07/28/2015 3:01:13 AM PDT by markomalley
Remember that picture of Chris Matthews looking upset at the announcement of a Republican sweep in the midterm elections?
There he was — arms crossed, frowning intensly — looking at the results like a man who just lost a lot of money at a game of cards.
It was gleefully shared around by Republicans and conservatives rejoicing in the fact that Congress was now back in the hands of the GOP, with the hope that President Obama’s agenda would finally be put in reverse.
If only Matthews and those same Republicans could see what would happen in the GOP-controlled Senate on July 26.
The MSNBC host’s frown would’ve turned into an ear-to-ear grin. All those optimistic conservatives would’ve shed a few tears at the thought of the brutal disappointment that awaited them this congressional term.
On Sunday, Sen. Mitch McConnell and other Republican leaders kneecapped conservative amendments to a highway bill proposed by conservatives including Ted Cruz and Mike Lee. This action protected funding for Planned Parenthood, killed legislation targeting sanctuary cities and resuscitated the Export-Import bank.
Planned Parenthood, sanctuary cities and the Export-Import bank are anathema to grassroots conservatives. Two of the measures — on Planned Parenthood and sanctuary stories — had outrageous national stories that provided the needed impetus for action.
Instead, the future of Planned Parenthood’s half-billion-a-year funding, sanctuary cities and the Ex-Im bank were all saved from the jaws of defeat by Republican leaders.
It would be easy to say this result was shocking. But it’s not. This latest incident is par the course from the Republican masters of Congress. But it was.
Up until to Election Day, these GOP chieftains promised to bring sweeping change to D.C. and duke it out with Obama.
They have done everything but what they promised to do.
On executive amnesty, they rolled over and played dead.
On Obamacare, they put half-a-fight before giving it more funding.
On abortion, they previously allowed a few moderate members to derail popular legislation on the eve of January’s March for Life.
The only thing Republican leaders have shown any muscle in trying to get through is Trade Promotion Authority — a measure requested by Obama to give him more power and less congressional oversight.
Naturally, Trade Promotion Authority is despised by the base and could hurt the GOP in the upcoming election season.
To call Republican leaders useless would imply that they are, in fact, doing nothing on behalf of their core constituency. It’s worse than that. Republican leaders seem to doing their most to fight against their own base.
And it’s not like powerful GOP figures don’t publicly air their contempt for the people who keep them in office. John McCain called all the people who showed up to hear Donald Trump speak in Arizona “crazies” — even though those same people narrowly saved him from an electoral upset in 2010 after the senator acted like a border warrior in the primary race.
It’s not much of a surprise, then, that rank-and-file Republican lawmakers now have a historically-low favorability rating among voters in their own party.
Anyone wondering why Donald Trump keeps surging in polls in spite of all the establishment hand-wringing can stop wondering.
Congressional Republican leaders have no one to blame but themselves for the unhappiness of conservative voters. What’s the point in voting Republican if the party is going to do nothing it promised when it attains power?
This question is rarely posed to Democrats, who always seem intent on pushing their agenda and working for their interest groups. It would be one thing if Republicans were alienating conservative voters to uphold principles, but thaT’s certainly not the case.
There’s a argument to make that the Republican Party simply exists to perpetuate the personal prestige and power of its leader rather than to promote the principles and interests of its followers.
That’s why nearly a third of Republican voters are choosing a reality-TV star with a treasure trove of insults over veteran politicians this election cycle.
A positive result of this tumult could be the party getting a clue and adopting a firmer posture and an agenda more in tune with its “Silent Majority.”
However, the GOP could very well double-down on its current path and pave the way for even more disappointments and failures in the future.
The rising level of alienation in the party is due to a majority of the base feeling that it is being taken for granted. The GOP expects conservatives to show up Election Day, no matter which policies or candidates are on the ballot — as long as they come with the elephant brand.
Republican lawmakers seem more interested in taking stances on issues like immigration, trade and corporate welfare which are very much out of line with their most reliable voters. At the same time, they expect the core constituency will still vote Red when it comes down to a choice between a Republican and a Democrat.
But the growing discontent and the embrace of Trump should send a clear signal to Republican upper echelons that this demographic is tired of its low priority and lack of respect.
They want their voices heard and their issues addressed.
100% agree.
RINO is also a term that is misapplied. McConnell, Boehnor, Graham, McCain, Priebus, Ryan, Corker, Alexander, Hatch, Graham, King....those are Republicans
Cruz and Trump are RINOs
You did see people calling their congressmen about not funding the TARP bailout. Calls were 400-1 against.
Didn’t matter.
If Jeb Bush is nominated, I will write-in Ted Cruz in the general election.
[And the GOPe will continue to go down this path. They arrogantly believe that the conservative base will continue to vote for them because, “where else will they go?”
Enough. Either the GOP needs to die or the cronies running it need to retire.
And if there are short-term costs as a result of this reorganization, so be it. I see no difference whatsoever between McConnell and Reid and very, very, very minimal differences between Boner and Strech. There is very, very little to lose.]
Well said and worth repeating.
You would be correct, but the federal government has already completely suborned ALL State, County, and local governments. They are no more than smaller facets on the same megalith. They all suck at the bloody teat of tyranny and sell us further into slavery. No one stands against the whore; they all fight for their share of bloody lucre. They are legion, in the sense of Mark 5.
Every day, the state’s minions gorge themselves on the innocent and glut their thirst with the blood of saints and patriots, but their hunger is insatiable and their thirst never slaked. You enter every government office in this country through Dante’s gates.
You are correct that local governments legally retain the power, but their constituents clamor for more. The gibmedats own the country—all of it. They prefer equality over liberty and security over freedom. They will have none. The beast is awakening, but it’s not Yamamoto’s sleeping giant, but an enormous red dragon.
GOP Leaders Are Driving Their Base Into The Arms Of Donald Trump ..."To call Republican leaders useless would imply that they are, in fact, doing nothing on behalf of their core constituency. It’s worse than that. Republican leaders seem to doing their most to fight against their own base." -- Scott Greer, Daily Caller
Don't know anything about this writer, but he sure got that one exactly right.
Wouldn't it be great to be a fly on the wall in the major media newsrooms, at the RNC ( RINO National Committee ) and DNC ( Dummycrat National Committee ), as well as in Jeb's headquarters.
“A third party will all but insure a demodummie victory in 2016.”
I’ve heard that very statement over the past 55 years and every time the party didn’t perform as expected they still all of the votes from people like you...too timid to even take the chance to save America even if we lose one political battle.
Where (in the Constitution) does it say we are to have only a two party system? That’s right....it doesn’t!
Your kind simply bend over every four years, pull your pants down and let the party violate you for four long years and....bend over the next election cycle and let them perform their quad annual ( or anal ) rites once again.....and then you complain about it...........BUT DO NOTHING!
The definition of insane is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting something to change.
But many on this site will blame me for where we are right now, unlawfulness, middle finger to the ones who elected them to be in charge and more and more spending, because I did not vote for the hand picked disaster.
Of course you completely ignored my call to elect conservatives to local government offices in order to affect change.
The fat fascist jellyfish in washington accept your surrender. Samuel Adams said it best:
“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
Well we have been doing the same thing for 20 years and its only gotten worse. Think where we would be if we had started a third party 10 years ago?
If we stay this course in 10 years we will be in the same position or worse. The GOP is moving hard left and I am not going with it.
We need to start this movement NOW and perhaps in 5 years we can build a party that can achieve something. The clock is ticking.
“I have begun to LOATHE McConnell and Boener”
Don’t feel lonely. I can hardly stand to look at either one of them. They are sickening.
> Your kind simply bend over every four years, pull your pants down and let the party violate you for four long years and....bend over the next election cycle and let them perform their quad annual ( or anal ) rites once again.....and then you complain about it...........BUT DO NOTHING
Well the Democrat party was sufficient to create plenty of chaos without a 3rd party involved the last 8 years so your point is moot. Watch the tone too - no references to getting bent over except on liberal sites where they enjoy it...: )
I have been fighting at every level for decades. I am now overseas in the service of my country, so I appreciate your mindset. I just no longer in accordance with any civil remedy. I firmly believe that we are past that point. The GOP and the constituent local governments are all corrupt—you offer no remedy or example. We elect “conservative” after “conservative,” only to see them take their place at the altar of the federal trough.
I truly wish you well in your endeavors, but I can no longer in good conscience support such vain efforts. I would rather work to destroy the GOP in its entirety. I am firmly convinced that it is evil in content and comport. You may disagree; but you will not shame me, for my oath was not to party; but to principle. The GOP has abandoned all principle and exists as a stain on all men of character. God , family, country—party has no place.
God bless you, and may He count your support as true.
GOP delenda est.
“They can be allowed to be re-elected after at least 1 term off “
I’d say a decade off between another run at the office. One term is nothing but a fund-building period. Ten years is better; they’d have to find “real jobs” to support their families over that extended period of time.
Either Friday or yesterday I listened to Rush for a short time. If I heard correctly, and I think I did, he alluded to the possibility that the GOP politicians in Washington are being blackmailed. He didn’t use that word, and the implication was veiled, but that was my takeaway.
He said something like... so many people who started out with good core values don’t as a group change their minds and do the wrong thing consistently. He said they all didn’t change their ideology over so short a time; something else has to be going on with them.
"Either Friday or yesterday I listened to Rush for a short time. If I heard correctly, and I think I did, he alluded to the possibility that the GOP politicians in Washington are being blackmailed. He didn’t use that word, and the implication was veiled, but that was my takeaway."
They can call it tinfoil or whatever, and I always scoffed at that idea myself, but no longer. I firmly believe that blackmail / bribery / coercion are business as usual in the District of Criminals.
We know for a fact that a soft form of it is used via retaliation against "troublemakers" for House/Senate committee assignments. They do this right out in the open with few consequences. The message being: 'Dear new member, when we whip you into a line, don't step out or else.'
There is the famous issue of J. Edgar Hoover collecting enormous intelligence on all kinds of politicians and other people inside and outside Washington and likely using some of it to his advantage and some possibly for the nation's advantage.
Of course we cannot forget the Clinton FBI files. What was done with these? Only God can answer that today, but let's pray that the right people can be inserted into positions to unravel the mystery. Until then I absolutely assume they were used for no good.
Candidates dropping out, appointments, resignations, Supreme Court justices confirmed, others rejected. Waco investigation whitewash with no punishment, Janet Reno never being removed, Clinton acquitted in the Senate even with videotaped perjury. That's the tip of the tip of the iceberg. Someone could start a thread here and it could list suspicious event after suspicious event and nothing else.
So personally, I cannot give a benefit of the doubt any longer. Too many inexplicable things have happened down there in the District of Criminals. I believe they are actively using whatever information they possess to ride herd over whoever is necessary. They can call it tinfoil or whatever, and I always scoffed at that idea myself, but no longer. I firmly believe that blackmail / bribery / coercion are business as usual in the District of Criminals.
I am not a fan of Mister Trump at all, even a teensy bit, because I think that he is a Dem and a fraud . (Flame away, I was right about Perot. Twice..)
That said, I agree with the premise and the supporting examples mentioned in the article.
“You understand what the Founders did to fight British tyranny.
You first secure your neighborhood by electing conservatives to town councils, county boards and schoolboards. This establishes a secure political base to operate from. You also elect a pro-2nd amendment, Constitutional sheriff in your county.
It’s much easier to take back America county by county than trying to clean out the Washington DC swamp.
These simple acts of voting locally give you legal, investigative and armed muscle to take on the Washington fascists. By controlling counties, a thousand brushfires can be set. The federal fascists simply don’t have the manpower to tamp out local rebellions in a thousand different counties.
This talk about forming a national third party is complete nonsense at this time. It’s possible on a local level but not nationally.”
Bingo! Deserves repeating!
Anne Coulter had a great comment on the radio yesterday when asked if Trump running as a third party scared her. She said “the Republican party IS BECOMING the third party.”
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