Nov 09 2006
Senate And House Gone
I have to tell you that the news that Webb won in VA is sickening. Hopefully all the horney military women will not have to face this man too often. And to those like the caller I heard call in on a radio show and say he voted straight Dem because Reps did not give him enough conservative policies fast enough I have to ask ‘how dumb can you be?” Blogging may be light because I am waiting to see if the Dems start to open up with the investigations. But I also cannot help but be sickened by the response from the right. I said a year ago this race was impeachment vs the war on terror. But somehow the right decided it was about hispanics working in the US illegally – and the war on terror took a back seat. Like I said – we needed those ‘legal’ immigrant votes (also known as naturalized citizens). Threatening to round up their friends and neighbors was probably not the best way to impress them.
I like the ‘No Child Left Behind’ Bill because now we test the schools and require them to perform. I like the tax breaks because the economy is growing. I liked the fact Bin Laden cannot coordinate attacks on us over the phone – again (it is important to note that was key to 9-11). And now they are at risk. All Bush has left now is his veto. But if the Reps feel like punishing him for their mistakes, we will be the ones paying the price.
If I read one more RINO comment or ‘squishey’ middle tirade out of the right I will go back to being a democrat. I dare any conservative to match my passion and my optimism. But I see no reason to ally myself with insulting sore losers. We have sore winners who are painful enough to deal with. Why do we need sore losers as well? The right better slow down and take a deep breathe. Bush is still trying to win the war and hold the line. If you stab him in the back from the safety of the peanut gallery, all you will do is set up the Dems for 2008. The country rejected the right this week because it went too far. If the response is to call them dumb, then they will feel VINDICATED in giving the Reps the boot – and they will be a long time coming back again. Can we keep it civil? Or is the Republican talking establishment trying to see what depths they can plumb in defeat? Please. Stop blaming everyone because the right failed. The right failed because it failed. When the right is on the proper path and drawing support it wins despite the media, despite the liberal slander machine. Iraq is not the reason the Reps are out of office. The country has never once been for cut and run, and even the Dems knew to never vote for it. Insulting those you disagree with is not a winning strategy. You want votes? Try not insulting the voters and see what happens. I have the feeling it just might work better.
AJ,
I understand your distress! However, turning back to the Dems is NOT the alternative. My views are very similar to yours, so I am a RINO. I believe in the “Big Tent” concept and am proud to be a RINO. I am as much a part of the Republican Party as anyone else.
“Conservatives” put Conservative principles above party. That is fine if you wish to stay the miniority. RINOS put party ahead of conservatism.
I too have had it with the fringes of this party. The garbage about Harriet Myers was enough to rile me up. I periodically get riled by the far right.
Differences of opinion are great for discussion purposes as long as an agreement is reached. The far right of the Republican Party cannot reach an agreement unless everyone agrees with them.
I believe there are far more like you and I in the Republican Party than the far right. Many Libertarians vote Republican because some of our issues are similar to theirs. (I think lots of Libs voted Dem this time, helping theDems to victory.)
I forsee a time when the centrist Dems, some Libs and the RINOS form a large “new” party. This will leave a small far-left fringe and a sizable very right group. The Centrists and the Very Conservatives will be the 2 major parties.
AJ
Rush struck the correct point today. I also agree with him that it will be a while before the full spreadsheet data will be available to see where the shifts were.
But in a way we were warned, for that I point to a post by Tom Mcguire over at JOM before the election.
http://justoneminute.typepad.com/main/2006/10/bold_new_dem_ap.html
Reviewing that post it sounds like what happened in some of the races in conservative districts that partially contributed to the seat shifts.
In my state, I am still waiting for the full breakdown of the voter distribution. I have the initial county by county breakdown, but that doesn’t tell the story, since districts both state and federal cover multiple counties and county only data does not tell the story.
Three blocks from my house you cross into a different congressional district. They didn’t even keep a relatively small town intact.
I have some initial thoughts from voter turnout data on county basis, but I am waiting more data to work the bigger picture.
Thanks for saying what needs to be said. I don’t agree with some of Bush’s policies, but he is a man of principles and I would rather have that than someone who governs by polls. Regardlwss whether I agree with him on every issue is irrelevant. I want someone I can trust to do what he believes is right. He has my full support regardless of the outcome of this last election. I can’t believe the vile comments about the President made by many since this election. The right, middle and left wings of the Republican party must work together. The left wing of the democrat party did not win this election. It was won because they courted moderates and conservatives to run as democrats.
Bush did not tell all those Congressmen to go out and be crooks, he is not responsible for Foley being stupid.
As far as big government and all that, well go out shut down the drug pescription program, it is popular and it is not as costly as people said and all those people buying their meds will lose the benefit of it. See where that gets you.
Those folks are already on medicare and if you do not help them buy their blood pressure meds and they don’t take them then you get to pay for the heart attack. That is just common sense. I know people living on $900 a month who have to take $300 amonth or more in meds.
And as far as immigration is concerned, well I bet money the hispanics that Bush had brought to the party voted Democrat this time. The right got their fence and lost the election and they are still bitching.
People can blame this on Bush but the truth is Congress did it to itself. And I do not know one person here in Indiana that voted for Ellsworth because Hostettler was not conservative enough for them. Not one.
I agree with Terrye that the Congressional Republicans brought this on themselves primarily by their failure over the last six years to maintain the commitment to fiscal discipline and integrity that the voters were promised, and had a right to expect, when they give the Republicans a majority in 1994.
I think immigration and the Hispanic vote is a very tricky problem, primarily because I don’t think one can both pursue a rational policy and do well with the Hispanic vote. I hear all of the arguments in favor of “comprehensive reform” and some sort of tricked up amnesty – yes, AJ, that’s what it is – and just don’t buy the proposition that it is good for the country to try to assimilate 12+ million illegals, who are here because we didn’t have the fortitude to keep them out. Even the left-liberal historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. — he of Kennedy- and Roosevelt-worship fame — wrote a book about how multiculturalism would be the end of America.
I am with Terrye. The Congressional Republicans lost because they failed to follow the conservative principles. This shift in power may actually be a good thing for the conservative republicans. It forces them to rethink and rebuild from ground zero based on conservative principles. Let’s hope they spend the next two years doing this and this shift in power will be temporary. It will be hard to trust them after their behavior of the last twenty years.
Perhaps they need to pay closer attention to their party platforms and begin listening to their voters at the grass roots level?
Let them subpoena, investigate, and begin the impeachment process! This will make fools of themselves. Already the gridlock has begun and Bush knows it.
I am sorry to see Rumsfeld go. I still think he did a superb job rebuilding the military and managed it very well. I remain baffled at why people think Iraq is a failure. But I understand why he resigned. Had the Republicans retained the majority of both houses, Rumsfeld wouldn’t have to resign until 2008.
Incidentally, any reports of US troop casualties in Iraq this week? How many reports of US troop casualties will we hear from here on out? Will these reports be pushed off the front page?
How soon before we begin reading how successful Pelosi’s “situation” in Iraq is working?
How many reports of rosy economy will be on the front page for the next two years?
How soon will we see the split between the Blue Dog democrats and the far left wingers?
As for illegal immigration, I am for the fence and assimilating the illegal immigrants that are already here. Once they are assimilated and the fence built, then we can begin enforcing legal immigration. JMHO.
In order to get back the majority in 2008, it’s important that our new Conservative Republicans are ethical, clean, and uncorrupted. The Conservative Republicans cannot afford this again.
55% of Virginia women voted for Webb. Astounding. It’s a sad day in Virginia. I came across plan B for Virginia – I was furious when I read it.
AJ,
Thank you! As a self professed solid capital R it disgusts me that my partys fringe attacks me and anyone like me who happen to want to compromise and use common sense. Because I believe that the opposition have valid concerns about the need for taxes I get attacked. I don’t want my money taken, but there are very good reasons to. GWOT, well you know exactly where I am on that one.
I believe that we all have a place here, lib and conservative, and for that I am not PURE enough. Makes me sick.
Let the scam begin(or actually continue). The truth is a lie and the lies are truth. More abuse to endure from the democrats.
The dems are cons and have conned half of America into electing them for their own political power grab.
The word is betrayal…my fellow citizens have betrayed my beloved America. They knew (and know) the cost and did it anyway.
They have thrown the baby out with the bath water…pulled a nuclear response…which lets me know that they are not safe with which to be in relationship.
Thank goodness for the likes of A.J. – we are grateful for your site.
I agree on comments about Va. Webb is a porn writer. Hey, to each it’s own. Maybe the women of Va. feel that’s what they deserve.
I personally think Bush should have moved faster on solving the Iraq problem. A lot of Reps I have talked to were disapointed on the results. Replacing Rummy and setting some standards to meet for the Iraquis should have beeen done a long time ago. We have been in a limbo in Iraq solely depending on their goverment to solve the mess. If Bush would have done this last year we would have never lost. Now he is moving, a bit too late.
I would calm down about the reps bickering. Yeah, they got spanked, but give ’em some time to vent — but not too much time, and they better wise’n up. And it wasn’t the “right” that lost. It was reps & Bush not supporting & pushing core conservative issues. Of course, Iraq was a huge burden, but it could have been overcome with better and more frequent articulation and focus on the GWOT, vice just Iraq.
As said elsewhere on one of these posts, Hugh Hewitt nailed it on McCain & Gang of 14. That really paved way for the fiasco on 7 Nov.