Dec 10 2011
Voters Souring On Incompetent Parties
Voters have really had it with the dysfunction in DC coming from both parties. As the left and right establishment attempt to control who is their standard bearer (versus attracting voter support) the electorate is leaving both parties to go independent:
A report released Wednesday by the centrist think-tank Third Way showed that more than 825,000 voters in eight key battleground states have fled the Democratic Party since Obama won election in 2008.
…
Amid frustrating partisan gridlock and unprecedentedly low party-approval ratings, the number of voters registering under a major party is falling fast, but it is also falling disproportionately.
In eight states that will be must-wins in 2012 — Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina and Pennsylvania — Democrats lost 5.4 percent of their registered voters while Republicans lost 3.1 percent. The number of independent voters in those states jumped 3.4 percent.
Democrats started ahead in numbers, so while the percentage of GOP defections has been less percentage wise, the fact is both parties are hemorrhaging support.
There will likely be more independent voters in the upcoming election than there has been in nearly 50 years, according to the report.
I think the character assassination of Herman Cain was the last straw with many voters who want a say in who is nominated. They are fed up with the power brokers in the parties and those inane talking heads (whose only expertise is in the sewer of politics) deciding who is worthy. That decision must be in the hands of the voters or our democracy has been lost.
What is really irritating about the Cain fiasco (besides his buckling before voters could weigh in) was how the GOP bower brokers piled on based on rumor. A lot of conservative commentators now look like fools:
The former NRA [National Restaurant Association] Chairman, Biff Naylor, who hired Herman Cain says that Sharon Bialek was terminated before Herman Cain was even hired and thus he never met her. On top of that she propositioned him (Naylor) for dinner once because she thought he was handsome, which he promptly turned down as he was happily married.
Naylor also says he knew the other two that said Cain harassed them, and that whatever they took exception to was so minor that it wasn’t even reported to the executive committee or the board.
As we suspected, Allred and her floozies made up their claims of harassment. But did the GOP establishment stand by their comrade – hell no! They raised their elitist noses and left Cain to fend for himself.
I was not sure if Cain would make it, but I do know he deserved and earned the right to have some votes held to let the people decide whether his flaws or the false claims of the DC power brokers were going to impact their support.
The anti-government fervor has not abated. And instead of being focused on the Dems and Obama (a rightful target of such anger), the GOP has successfully placed themselves into the box called ‘source of the problem’ instead of ‘possible solution’.
Be prepared. Because this election will be like no other, and polls will be hopelessly out of sync with an electorate’s mood which will be completely different from all past elections – making their turnout models crap.
Addendum: And like the lemmings they are, the left and right are in the news with dumb politician tricks. First from the petty and dumb wing of the GOP:
More than two dozen House Republicans introduced legislation on Thursday that would prevent the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) from calling airport screeners “officer” unless they have gone through federal law enforcement training or are otherwise eligible for federal law enforcement benefits.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), the lead sponsor of the Stop TSA’s Reach in Policy (STRIP) Act, said that TSA has essentially allowed its airport screeners to play dress-up by giving them metal badges and police-like uniforms in recent years. But she said many airport screeners have no “officer” qualifications, and should have this title removed.
What an egotistical moron. My son, a US Marine Corporal, was a TSA screening agent before he joined the Marines. These screeners have a thankless job, but they have protected the flying public for over a decade since 9-11. They are doing what they are told to do, and they do it while arrogant travelers like Alec Baldwin fail to understand why they are not above the rules for the riff-raff. My son had to be stern with some famous people (including Mike Tyson) and I travel a lot and KNOW it is not the fault of screeners for what their management directs them to do.
So these elitist GOP no-nothings are going to go after and insult TSA workers trying to keep us safe. How is this different from a liberal demeaning someone in the military?
But to be balanced, I will also note how clueless are Democrat President is to his current predicament:
STEVE KROFT: Did you overpromise? Did you underestimate how difficult this was going to be?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: I didn’t overpromise. And I didn’t– underestimate how tough this was going to be.
Like having the waters recede was not an over promise, or the idea of shovel ready jobs was not a massive underestimation of the government nimbleness.
BTW, don’t kid yourselves about why Cain’s alibi was so late in coming. People were orchestrated to let Cain take hits without help, and then he was bought/pressured to drop out. The fact he folded indicates he did not have what it takes. The fact he was the only outsider means this election cycle is lost, unless Cain or Palin or someone from WAY outside the DC Political Complex shows up.
A couple of things….
I hope the disaffected don’t try for a third party, that would reelect Obama for sure, and NOTHING is worth having Obama for another 4 years.
During the George Bush years the purists withdrew support, and criticized him for not being perfect. As we find out years later most complaints were media hype and outright lies. Holder can lie about Fast and Furious and call it a state of mind, but Bush “lied” about Iraq, and what does the party say, nothing.
Republicans need a better balance of thinking (the purest part) and heart or feeling (the possible). We know Democrats will take anything as long as it feels good.
Why would anybody from way outside get into a run when we the right, what ever you want to call us, will sacrifice the good for the perfect. Palin’s voice is too high, scratch her, what did Cain really do? Where is the help, the offered support from the right for these guys. Even George Bush who had all the machinery in place was allowed to be hung because he wasn’t perfect. Today Obama can say he is cleaning up after Bush and the right is silent. The left supported Clinton who had sex in the Oval Office with a 19 year old and lied his head off, we can’t support George Bush or Palin or Cain. What is wrong with us.
Newt could make Obama look like the crook he is. Newt could verbally take Obama to the cleaners, what do we do to Newt? Cut off his legs before he has a chance. I give up on us!
It’s become obvious that the GOP will fight their own candidates harder than they’ll ever fight the Democrats. Somehow “The Stupid Party” doesn’t quite fit this kind of snobbish destructiveness. The GOP is like a football team whose players insist on tackling their own quarterback while the other team’s quarterback scores touchdowns by running off the field.
Well Yes, You can hate everything.
That is the message of the anarchists, the sex pistols (early Brit punk band),
the occupy movement, and the exquisite sarcasm of Frank Zappa.
I went to one of his concerts once. He was a consumate musician
but after two hours I was so tired that I left.
To be against everything is useless.
One has to build something. and for now the most
important thing we can do is get the ultimate manchurian candidate out of power.
There is little time left and certainly not enough to indulge in the luxury of considering 3rd parties .
Osawatomie revealed the true Marxist.
We can only give thanks for his incompetence.
This country is desperate for a new President.
****Breaking: Islamic Terrorist Groups Plot Attacks on US From Mexico & Latin America (Video)
****Despite Warnings From Pentagon – Obama Gave US Drone to Iranians (Video)
Posted by Jim Hoft on Saturday, December 10, 2011, 10:57 AM
Despite repeated warnings from the Pentagon, Barack Obama rejected three plans to recover or destroy drone.
The Dems are sitting on over 25 job related bills that passed the house with bipartisan support. Add to that the pure political delay to the XL pipeline which is in fact a shovel ready job.
Yet Obama is trying to pull a Truman and blame the do nothing congress. The true blame is the lack of action on all those bills that Harry Reid is keeping from coming up for votes.
At the most recent Fast and Furious hearing the Repubs were looking for answers and the Dems were supporting more gun control and couldn’t lavish enough praise on Holder.
Mordecal,
You must have missed my point. I support the average American. Their wisdom, their drive and their morals. I do not blindly believe in government, big business, global religion, the green left …
I grew up and learned to think for myself, and appreciate those who do as the same.
AJ, Many of your regular readers share your anger over Cain’s treatment. These attacks were inevitable for a black Republican; he was not ready for a “high tech lynching” and failed to respond in a coherent manner. He needed to keep moving a counter punch; he was not ready to do so.
As to the point of your article, more voters are identifying as independent which, on its face, would seem to be a positive. Here in NY, where the primaries of major parties are closed to Independents, I
was forced to register ‘R’ in order to cast a vote during the last primary cycle.
I do believe that there is a sea change coming for the major parties in America. I don’t believe for a minute that they care a whit about losing voter’s to Independent status, as they have a stranglehold on the nominating apparatus. If and when a strong Independent candidate does emerge, they will be savaged. Cain was not prepared. We can hope for better next time.
Regards,
Mick
I had lunch this week with an old friend, a black democrat here. btw, one thing most northerners don’t get about the south is that its generally a lot more racially mixed than northern states are. I’ve visited relatives up north (anything north of Kansas City to me) and as far as I can tell, black and white people never even talk to each other up there.
But back to my conversation with my friend – I asked him what he thought about Herman Cain, and he laughed. “All you white boys are such suckers for a good black orator! I seen it happen over and over again. Revivals, state conventions, college competitions – a strong black speaker can always have every white boy in the audience eating out of his hand. But as black orators go, Cain was average, at best. That’s why he didn’t impress nobody in my community.”
I had to agree. I’ve been to revival meetings and community gatherings, and I’ve seen that over and over again. This is something that those who have never been to church gatherings, ESPECIALLY southern-style revival meetings, will probably have missed in their life experience. Very strong, motivational speaking is a longstanding tradition in black culture – that’s why there’s so many guys running around with a “reverend” in front of their name. That’s why just about every strong black church is based mainly on the personality of the preacher who runs it. (to be fair, so are many of the non-denominational, evangelical southern white churches) The reason I was never all that impressed with Cain’s speeches (they were motivational, but weak on substance) is that I’ve seen his act dozens of times in my life. Cain just took the template, secularized it and played to a national audience consisting of a bunch of white boys who’d never been exposed to the style before. And to people who are new to it, its overwhelmingly compelling.
And there’s nothing wrong with it – but with someone who’s good at the style, you’ve got to be extra careful to watch out for what’s beneath. Sure, it’s a stereotype to compare him to the strong southern preacher who has legions of devoted fans while he lies, cheats, and steals behind their backs – but the stereotype is there because it happens, and has happened, a lot. When you start to see signs of dishonesty in someone like this – and it ALWAYS shows up in the personal life, in the family life first – then you HAVE to dissociate yourself from that person as quickly as possible. check out Elmer Gantry for a literary treatment of the personality type.
of course, a more understanding treatment is the fantastic and underrated Robert Duvall piece “The Apostle”, about an evangelical preacher who rises, and then falls due to his own sins, and who eventually finds his own redemption while taking responsibility for what he’s done.
I wish Herman Cain well, I hope he makes a lot of money on the motivational circuit where he can continue to impress people who don’t have the experience to realize that he was barely average for his type, and that he was all style with little to no substance.
[…] the TSA Is A Real Bomb For Most Americans Posted on December 11, 2011 7:30 am by Bill Quick The Strata-Sphere » Voters Souring On Incompetent Parties What an egotistical moron. My son, a US Marine Corporal, was a TSA screening agent before he joined […]
Mick,
Agreed. Being a long time independent here in VA I too have to register to vote in primaries.
When they have primaries. Last few years we have not even been able to chose our candidates!
Criminal
WWS,
I have to hand it to you, you hit the nail on the head again about Cain. Another practice in the South by “Strong voiced Black orators”, especially preachers, is the practice keeping a “string of women”
In my community if a Black pastor is single, the women in his church are expected to “service” his needs. This is widely practiced.
I was not suprised by the manifestation of “Cain’s women”.
The irony is that many on the right decrying what happend to Cain, are the same folks 20 years ago calling for Clinton’s head, his impeachment.
How far we have fallen.
But not doubt about it we are in serious trouble. Our two front runners are abyssmal candidates and Obama has over a billion dollars in his war-chest
OL
Why Americans no longer trust Washington
http://washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/2011/12/why-americans-no-longer-trust-washington/1990061
AJ Strata,
Actually we don’t have party registration in our state. We can vote in any primary we would like to, which is why they tend to put the R and D primaries on the same day so the voters have to choose which one to vote in.
And yes, the GOP have screwed the voters out of having a voice in our primaries the last few years. This has also allowed unqualified, unlikeable candidates to get the nomination, but the Dems to win the general election. But then again that is why I stopped volunteering for them.
DJS So since you don’t have to register by party in Va and you can vote in any primary, can you vote in the Republican one then go over to the Dem polling place the same day and vote? if not, why not?
never mind, I found the answer to the question, seems reasonable.
“The only restriction is when more than one party primary is held on the same day, also known as a dual primary. While Virginia election law stipulates that any qualified voter may vote in either political party’s primary, no voter may vote in more than one political party’s primary on the same election day. “
[…] The Strata-Sphere: Voters Souring On Incompetent Parties […]