An Opportunity for the Republican Party

[PSM]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

To me, the GOP can do a lot to overcome this obstacle by stepping away from some of the vitriolic rhetoric and stereotypes that are increasingly common place...

Good strategy; become wimpier than they already are.

Pat

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by PSM

Good strategy; become wimpier than they already are.

Pat

That's virtually impossible.

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by PSM

Good strategy; become wimpier than they already are.

Pat

There's a difference between moderating one's tone/modulating the message and taking a less determined stand on matters of principle.

Originally Posted by Dusty

That's virtually impossible.

How well has getting increasingly strident worked for the GOP?

FWIW, this work provides some interesting views that anticipated many of the issues currently under discussion <<LINK>>.

[PSM]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

There's a difference between moderating one's tone/modulating the message and taking a less determined stand on matters of principle.How well has getting increasingly strident worked for the GOP?

You said you are fond of Chris Christie. Yet, he's the most bombastic RINO out there. What message needs moderating? How many more tears does Boehner need to shed?

Pat

[MR2]

I do not think that the GOP has been doing much standing for a few years now and has lost grasp of what it's principles were let alone are. And with all that, there is this ongoing colossal miscommunication foot-shooting circus fiasco that we've been practicing.

[Dusty]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

How well has getting increasingly strident worked for the GOP?

Is that rhetorical? They're crybabies. Cruz, Rubio and Ryan know how to communicate effectively; for the most part, the remainder are useless to me.

They don't use the power they have responsibly or effectively.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by Sigaba

There's a difference between moderating one's tone/modulating the message and taking a less determined stand on matters of principle.How well has getting increasingly strident worked for the GOP?

So you see Republican leadership and their national candidates they have selected as extremists?

TR

[SF18C]

I don’t see the Republicans as extremists...but I do see them as incompetents! I see them on the Sunday shows asking the President to show some leadership, it would be nice if some of those same Repubs followed their own advice.

In my opinion the two party system has broken our political system. The issue, as I see it, is our constitution was written to have checks and balances between the branches of govt. What we have is the Demos vs the Repubs and those checks between the Executive branch and the Legislative are lost when the DNC or RNC are setting the talking points for the polices and agenda of this country! Obama wants an executive order, no problem because the Senate won’t challenge the President. No budget for over 3 years? Well that’s probably because the Senate won’t even bring a budget to vote on one to send to the President, as he might have to veto or sign something he doesn’t want the be responsible for on a political level. The republicans want to exercise the “silent filibuster” because to actually have to have an open filibuster on the floor means they might have to be responsible for what they say!

I agree with Dusty…they all need to go!

[Sigaba]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

So you see Republican leadership and their national candidates they have selected as extremists?

TR

MOO, the GOP and the Democratic Party face the same challenges -- the hydra of populism, ideological rigidity, anti-intellectualism, short attention spans, the blogosphere, an over reliance upon "wedge issues," and split ticket voters.

IRT the GOP specifically, I think that Romney veered so far right (at least rhetorically) to get the base interested that he couldn't redefine himself convincingly enough to appeal to moderate and independent voters.

If I had my druthers, the GOP would embark upon some of the outreach that I've discussed in previous posts over the years. It would change the way it presents its ideas to voters so that the focus is on how preferred policies will impact the every day lives of citizens. Concurrently, the GOP would stop being the party of "no." It would start building a record of bipartisanship by working with the Democratic Party to pick the "low hanging fruit," and adopt the comportment of the "loyal opposition" more generally.

Also, the GOP needs to get away from the name calling, to stop insisting upon ideological and cultural conformity, to cease offering vitriolic responses to political rhetoric, fix its historical amnesia, and address many of its intellectual/ideological inconsistencies. It needs to break down the echo chamber and get out of blogosphere. (A starting point may be Rule and Ruin by Geoffrey M. Kabaservice.)

It is my view that, until the GOP spends time looking in the mirror, millions of voters will continue to cast their ballots against Republican candidates and oppose Republican policies because they simply don't like Republicans. The GOP is alienating voters--in particular Latinos as well as middle class blacks--that could regenerate the party and turning them into lifelong opponents. (IME, it is lights out for many voters when they go from talking about policy preferences to how Republicans walk, talk, and act.)

At one time, the GOP was a globally relevant force. It has altered the trajectory of global history positively no fewer than three times. Now, because of its own mistakes, miscalculations, and the choices its candidates and members have made, I am not optimistic about its future as a decisive force in national politics.

My $0.02.

[Dusty]

Biden's all fired up for 2016-let's get behind him.

[JimP]

Cornell West has been critical of this president only to the extent that Obama (pbuh) is NOT radical ENOUGH!! Cornell West is himself a left-wing radical.

Newt showed his statist tendencies when he attacked the other republican candidates trying to reign in government spending. He showed his statist colors and should NOT be trusted. he talks a good game but he is in it for the power, NOT the salvation of our Country.

We need a clean sweep. Toss everyone of these pigs out and look for a Cincinnatus.

Chris Christie is a RINO who loves the Muj and is VERY anti-gun, don't waste time and effort with this clown.

[Utah Bob]

The GOP is a disorganized smoking mess. Reminds me of the Army after Vietnam.
Serious leadership problems, lack of direction, not sure which direction to turn, etc etc