Vote em out!

[cdepuydt]

I'm still confused why, after one presidential election, there is so much talk that the Republicans should move away from their core values. That they are the party of the "old white guys", they are "out of touch", and they need to moderate.

If you don't what 10 of the GOP core values are, they are: Lower taxes, a smaller, less intrusive, and fiscally responsible government, encourage growth of business, the right to keep and bear arms, safeguarding religious freedoms, equal treatment for all, freedom of speech/press, protecting our national symbols, definition of marriage, and sanctity of life.

I'm not going to get into the definition of marriage or abortion, as those are hot-button issues, we could debate about them all day, and not get anywhere...but I am just wondering why the GOP should move away from the ideas of lower taxes, a smaller/fiscally responsible gov't, and creating an attractive environment for businesses to be successful and grow...?

Is it because the flavor of the day/year/decade is spend like a bunch of idiots and print money until we run out of trees? Why, because it seems to be popular to villify the successful/businesses in this country now? Why, because it's popular to be on the gov't dole and have somebody else pay for your meager existence? Is it that a group can only be a champion of the people if they give the store away? You can't be a champion of the people if you make the hard decisions? I thought that is what we elected representatives for...to make the hard decisions...not make the easy/most popular ones.

Granted, it could be argued that the GOP and it's representatives have not followed their core value of a smaller/fiscally responsible gov't. I wouldn't exactly call them "champions" of that cause...because our gov't has grown bigger/more expensive under all presidents...Rep/Dem alike. I just think that this is the time our representatives should stand firm on those core values...not waffle, just because it agrees with recent polling data.

Say what you will about most of the core values of the GOP but, they are the values that have made this the greatest country on the face of the planet. Personally, I think the core value, "We work for the people of this country, not the other way around" should be added to the core value of ALL parties. Because, obviously, somewhere along the line, our representatives have forgotten what they are supposed to be doing in Washington.

[WNY PAT]

As they say, if you do what you've always done, you'll get what you always get. The collective "voice" of the GOP unfortunately has become extremely polarizing ideologues linked largely to certain media outlets. There is very little dialogue left.

[msmith1965]

Originally Posted by cdepuydt

I'm still confused why, after one presidential election, there is so much talk that the Republicans should move away from their core values. That they are the party of the "old white guys", they are "out of touch", and they need to moderate.

I know what you are saying here and those core values regarding limited government and personal freedoms are good ones. The problem is that the Dems have done a very good job of painting Repubs as working for those bad, awful rich people while the Dems are for the common folks. Dems were very successful with the message, "If you don't have what you think you deserve, it is because the system stole it from you." "We are here to protect you." Very smart on the Dem's part. And, the Repubs played right into their hands by taking a stance that there can be no new taxes on higher income earners. This plays right into the label.

Also, please consider that we are approaching a break-over point where if you take the number of voters that work for the government (local, state and federal and yes, this includes the public school system), combined with the spouses, they have become so large it is difficult to imagine a situation where a vast majority of voters would decide to limit government growth or for that matter reduce the size of government. Big national government proponents are very aware of this and track this stat.

There is also a good amount of indoctrination going on in schools. Even when I was at university in the late 80's, professors for history and economics were typically extremely pro-government. And, by the time I had graduated, I had adopted many of their positions (higher taxes, more centralized control business and the economy at the federal level, wealth redistribution, etc.). Now these ideas are being taught in the primary grades, one reason my kids now go to private school.

The other issue is packaging. I'll use cars as a good example. Buick is now making some very good cars, modern in every way and getting good reviews, but they are still Buicks. For most, these cars are stale, boring throwback cars for senior citizens. Repubs need to repackage their message and find candidates other than middle aged, gray headed white men. I'm shocked the best the Repubs could do was Romney. The fact he received as many votes as he did still amazes me. However, much of his support I suspect came from older voters.

So, in short, IMHO, the Dems are gaining votes because they have outplayed the Repubs with a message that appeals to many, whether accurate or not. It is easy to foster dislike for those with wealth and paint them as uncaring and willing to throw one's mother under the bus for a dime. If Repubs want to win presidential elections they will have to shake off the label the Dems have placed on them and find candidates that with broader appeal. This will require a lot of work.

[FTM1]

Originally Posted by MoosePond

How the heck does the fact that locals are willing to offer their homes for rent during this quadrennial event equate to greed? Should they instead be offering them up for free as some sort of civic duty? Are you willing to move out of your area home for several days without compensation?

No I am not saying they should not be paid many will be jacking up the price. Now if my home was fixed up I could rent it out then maybe go next door to neighbors & split the profits with her. I just remember how some did last time. Will see if more people will stay in the city this time around then 4yrs ago. The city has changed a lot since back then more eating/drinking places. Crime is down compared to 4yrs ago but it's not gone as some new residents think.

[MoosePond]

Originally Posted by FTM1

No I am not saying they should not be paid many will be jacking up the price. Now if my home was fixed up I could rent it out then maybe go next door to neighbors & split the profits with her. I just remember how some did last time. Will see if more people will stay in the city this time around then 4yrs ago. The city has changed a lot since back then more eating/drinking places. Crime is down compared to 4yrs ago but it's not gone as some new residents think.

Not even close. While violent crime overall in DC has dropped in the past decade, it's still at a rate that's nearly double the national average.

[manida]

When the base of your entire party pays close attention to people like Limbaugh, Hannity, Oreilly, Beck, Bachmann, Palin or those clowns on Fox and Friends, you have a serious problem. Modern America has already dismissed these clowns.
The fact that a guy like Mike Huckabee (Gomer Pyle) is even known in 2012 is absurd. Combine that with "celebrities" like Dennis Miller, Lee Greenwood, Clint Eastwood and Victoria Jackson supporting are your party. Youre behind.
I'd LOVE it if the Rs caught up to the rest of America by 2016. I used to like that we had two competent and somewhat relevant political parties. We just dont any more. The R's have been painted as dinosaurs and its mostly true, sadly.
Just keep throwing up guys like Bobby Jindal and Marco Rubio. I think youve seen where that gets you.

I truly believe your outdated stance on social issues is what lost this election for the Rs. That has to change.

That, and nominating guys like Romney. Geez. Seriously.

[FTM1]

Originally Posted by MoosePond

Not even close. While violent crime overall in DC has dropped in the past decade, it's still at a rate that's nearly double the national average.

Depends on what type of crime we have people that go out with Ipods earphone in ear not paying attention some feel they are safe in certain neighborhoods when they should not think that way.
But to stay in the city in a lot of areas for Inauguration nearby will be pretty safe.
http://inthecapital.com/2012/11/26/n...low-this-year/

[cdepuydt]

Originally Posted by FTM1

No I am not saying they should not be paid many will be jacking up the price. Now if my home was fixed up I could rent it out then maybe go next door to neighbors & split the profits with her.

So...........what you are saying is people with nice houses, that rent them out, are greedy. If your house is not so nice and you rent it out...that makes you...what...an entrepreneur?

Seriously, just wondering where the dividing line is between somebody being greedy and somebody...oh, I dunno...just trying to make a buck.

[MoosePond]

Originally Posted by cdepuydt

So...........what you are saying is people with nice houses, that rent them out, are greedy. If your house is not so nice and you rent it out...that makes you...what...an entrepreneur?

Seriously, just wondering where the dividing line is between somebody being greedy and somebody...oh, I dunno...just trying to make a buck.

The nerve of some people, trying to survive while national unemployment still hovers around 8% (nearly 9% in DC), record numbers on food stamps and other public assistance, home foreclosures all over the place and a federal government that spends money like it's growing on those famous cherry trees in our nation's capital!

[cdepuydt]

Originally Posted by manida

When the base of your entire party pays close attention to people like Limbaugh, Hannity, Oreilly, Beck, Bachmann, Palin or those clowns on Fox and Friends, you have a serious problem. Modern America has already dismissed these clowns.
The fact that a guy like Mike Huckabee (Gomer Pyle) is even known in 2012 is absurd. Combine that with "celebrities" like Dennis Miller, Lee Greenwood, Clint Eastwood and Victoria Jackson supporting are your party. Youre behind.
I'd LOVE it if the Rs caught up to the rest of America by 2016. I used to like that we had two competent and somewhat relevant political parties. We just dont any more. The R's have been painted as dinosaurs and its mostly true, sadly.
Just keep throwing up guys like Bobby Jindal and Marco Rubio. I think youve seen where that gets you.

I truly believe your outdated stance on social issues is what lost this election for the Rs. That has to change.

That, and nominating guys like Romney. Geez. Seriously.

I call you on the loonies on your side of the isle, like Michael Moore, Jerimiah Wright, etc., and raise you every anchor/host/co-host/morning show host on CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, and shows like Saturday Night Live, the View (just to name a few) and almost every newspaper in this country.

While Fox and talk shows like Limbaugh/Hanedy have the highest ratings than any liberal media sources, AS A WHOLE, the conservative media outlets don't reach a fraction of the liberal media outlets do. Plus, the major "news" outlets reach millions more and get more and more left biased every year. I mean, I googled Romney/Bullying and Obama/Bengahzi a while back...and I got something like 8 million more hits on Romney bullying somebody when he was a kid, than I got on stories about Obama and the Bengahzi fiasco. Now, try and tell me there was no media bias there.

As far as views being outdated...hmmm...then explain to me why the Reps swept the country in the mid-terms in 2010, especially states like here in WI, where lefties were swept from office, like the collective flushing of a huge toilet? Where their views outdated then?

No, I don't think the GOP's stance on social issues are outdated. Personally I think Romney was far too nice in the debates and on the airwaves. I think if he would have gone negative on BO %90 of the time...like BO did on Romney...I think he would have done much better. Instead he took the high road, which obviously didn't serve him well. He should have kept hitting BO on Bengahzi, the economy, Bengahzi, the economy, Bengahzi, and then back to the economy again, and again, and again...and should not have given BO a chance to breath.

Instead, Romney (and Ryan) played nice...tried to play nice in back alley knife fight...they/he tried to be honorable in a contest that has no honor...and in the end, it ultimately lost him them the election.