Tactical moves can't cure strategic blunders. If the GOP has moved toward the wrong side of everything good, such audacious recommendations are useless. It's like aggressive treatments for a cancer patient in the last stage of the cancer. The important move is to get rid of the cancer cells.

Good luck to the GOP, because I do believe in a competitive 2 party system. If the GOP fails, I will start my 3rd party movement to take over the 2nd spot, as the GOP did in 1850s as the 3rd party to end up as getting the 2nd spot in a 2-party system.

Our message was weak

Use present tense! The GOP message IS weak. Republican ideas that have been tried and failed are still being recycled.

It is very difficult to find enough old white men to elect a Republican candidate nationally.

Heed the lessons of the dinosaurs and adapt or die out.

The GOP message wasn't necessarily weak, it was just plain WRONG. Scary wrong and the American electorate didn't want any part of it. A party that doesn't know it's out of step with the public until it loses an election is a party that has secluded itself behind blinders of beliefs and dogma that they refuse tp remove. As long as extremists control that party they will not advance and hopefully will not win any more elections. Palin, Santorum, and others who show no willingness to compromise their views are icons of what's wrong with the GOP - that and they're grossly unfair policies against the middle class and the poor.

To sum up: No policy changes for the GOP.

All they feel they need to do, is mislead the American people more effectively.

How a party can condemn government and then run for office is beyond belief. Government does have a role in every citizens life and that must not change. Supply side economics has caused crisis after crisis as the wealth divide has grown. To many in poverty and giving to the very rich over and over again just doesn't work nor will it ever. I'm with piggy, the facts are we have a two party system and both must be on the same page. They when elected must work for the people, what is good for the country and not so much the very rich and corporations that have led the republican party away from American values.

Look out America.

The New Brand is still hazardous to your health.

Can't wait to see how they sell this one!

Hahaha! It finally happened! The big money that pulls the GOPs puppet strings have finally realized that coddling extremists is not in their best interests. This will be very interesting to watch.

Don't think for a second that just because their political party in disowning them that all those ignorant rednecks are just gonna sit down and shut up.

A house divided can not stand, the republican party is screwed!

Time for the libertarians to step up and take the reins from this long broken party.

"Supply side economics has caused crisis after crisis as the wealth divide has grown.'

Bingo!! Supply side economics, the economic foundation of the Republican Party and bought into by far too many Democrats doesn't work and never has worked. The results are absolutely predictable --- the rich get a whole lot richer, the poor get a whole lot poorer, the middle class stays about the same and the debt explodes.

They can talk all they want-they will never change their core beliefs. These are beliefs held for generations, they will not change until all the old GOPers get voted out, and young people take their place.

Narrow minded, scary, and greedy old white men are huddled together trying to rebrand the same group of narrow minded, scary, and greedy old white men.

They want to look like Americans.

They don't want to be like Americans.

They don't want to pay taxes like Americans.

Historically, what wins elections is bribing the electorate with borrowed money. This has worked for the democrats, and can work for the republicans as well. However, this is a very short-sighted "What's good for the Party?" type of solution, and doesn't take into account the health and well being of the electorate.

We should concentrate less of what's good for Obama and what's good for the GOP. This is a politician-centric way of thinking. It's all about them I suppose.

Essentially, we're going nowhere if all we care about from our government is them giving us $60 worth of our own money for $100. Sadly, this is what the electorate has come to. Same for Europe.

The new "branding" spin, you can put lipstick on a Pig but it is still a Pig. This will likely turn out like "New Coke" when some fool tried to trick consumers. The GOP should remember we are the consumers who serve the people.........

They could do all those things and they will still fail. They should also consider a dose of reality. That would help. I don't expect it, because they still think Palin and Bachmann are worth listening to.

Rots of Ruck, TeaBagger Nation...

The RNC's 100-page report, the "Growth and Opportunity Project," is the election autopsy ordered by Chairman Reince Priebus last fall.

More babble coming from the Republican Clown Politicians Action Conference (CPAC)

An autopsy is a post-mortem examination done on dead people. Is that what these clowns mean when they talk about being pale men?

JERRY! JERRY! JERRY! JERRY! JERRY! JERRY!!!

maybe they should try working with the president instead of trying to make him fail and in the process make America fail... then we the people might see a GOP that can do more than obstruct and criticise maybe even a GOP that can lead

Timewonttell,

And that's no where in Priebus' message. As long as they characterize the leader of the free world as not one of us, I hope they do die off. This is BS. All that work and no one suggests working with fellow Americans to solve problems?

The people controlling the Republican party are fools. They made a pact with the devil when they got into bed with religious fundamentalists and greedy corporate interests. If they really want the American people to trust them again all they have to do is start representing the people that vote for them and not the fore mentioned groups. Unless they do that soon there will not be a Republican party in ten years..... No more GOP in ten years HUMMM.... Now that I think about it; hey Republicans DON'T CHANGE A THING your doing just fine.

"Historically, what wins elections is bribing the electorate with borrowed money. This has worked for the democrats, and can work for the republicans as well"

This is just not true, the democrats give no one anything but they do work to make this country a better place for all, not just the chosen few that can afford to buy the republicans.. Name one program, or policy by the democrats that is a "give away" to anyone? Bottom line is, the republicans give away to the rich. The democrats try to level the playing field so that everyone one has an equal shot at the dream. That isn't a give away, you still have to work for it.

The Republicans should just stick to two simple messages and keep repeating them;

1 - The skyrocketing Debt will be devastating to the future of our children.

2 - The massive increases in the money supply to fund the Deficits will result in massive Inflation, high Interest Rates, and more Unemployment.

These are simple messages that even the 'low information voters' will understand, and there is no doubt that we will have to deal with these problems in the near future. They need to make sure that Obama is held responsible for the economic consequences of his policies.

Obama's own 2013 Budget projections show that the National Debt will increase from $9.986 Trillion at the end of fiscal 2008 to $20.392 Trillion at the end of 2016 (Obama's last year) - but President's budget projections are notoriously 'optimistic' (Bush projected a SURPLUS for 2012, but Obama's DEFICIT for 2012 was $1.1 Trillion) - it will likely be closer to $25 Trillion in 2016. The Interest cost alone will be devastating.

The Chinese are no longer buying our Debt - in fact, they have quietly 'cashed in' about $200 Billion of their loans to us over the last year (they know inflation is coming), and the Federal Reserve has had to replace that money by effectively 'printing new money' - along with about $1 Trillion in new money to finance the Deficit. The money supply (M1) has increased from about $1.4 Trillion in 2009 to about $2.5 Trillion now. Every responsible economist will tell you that this is highly "INFLATIONARY" - ala the 14% Inflation and 18% Interest Rates under Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Even the far-left Liberal outlet The Huffington Post recognized this;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheldon-filger/federal-reserve-begins-ma_b_677483.html

Not weak, wrong on the social issues.

The Republican Party that has lost all respect!!!

Bottom line is, the republicans give away to the rich. The democrats try to level the playing field so that everyone one has an equal shot at the dream. That isn't a give away, you still have to work for it.

That is the problem! Conservatives don't want to "work" for @!$%#! Just mention the word labor and you are automatically branded a "socialist"!

In the conservative ideology, those whose money works for them are far more important and superior to those who work for their money. Bull@!$%#!

Hmmm. Too much data will provide them with too many facts. Fact-driven policies and campaigns have as much chance in succeeding in today's Republican Party as finding a snow flake in Tahiti!

Looking around the world at places like India, Russia and China who spend their resources on building while the US spends their resources on destruction, killing. Our military budget has been out of control for a long time. How dead do we need our enemies to be? Are these enemies really enemies? A 10% cut in military spending, shifted to the social security medicare issue would go a long way to solving future problems that the right insist exists today when they do not. When I hear them use the words, Social Security Entitlements I am turned off from voting for them. The right lacks the ability to deal with social issues; all they know how to do is cut. Once you start cutting, there is no end to it. There are no cuts you can make today that you won't have to make again tomorrow until there is nothing left to cut then they go on to someplace else. When the population increases and the money supply does not, cuts are the only answer unless you increase the money supply. Bush took the worst of times to increase spending and decrease income. No corporation on the planet would survive such a foolish move.

I used to vote Republican, a long, long time ago. The current malaise of the Republican Party started with Nixon, the Southern Strategy, but was made permanent by Reagan and his alignment to the cooks in the evangelical movement, and now, the "teabaggers' which have brought a once great party to its knees.

Look, we need two well functioning political parties.

The only way the Republicans fix this is to get off social issues, quit lying about their belief in smaller government, and to make an honest appraisal of their rape of the Federal treasury for their corporate owners. Until they do that, they will make NO progress.

I can't think of another time in history that the United States was engaged in military action around the world, and a major party demanded that taxes be cut. We used to KNOW that our responsibility as citizens was to make sure we could pay the bill.

I am tired of hearing how "fiscally responsible" the Republican Party declares itself to be. They are like a drunk with a credit card. And when you think of Bush, and his problems with alcohol and personal responsibility, it is a pretty apt description.

The problem in this Nation is the GOP TeaCrazies, they call Social Security and Medicare a "Privilege" and loopholes for the Super Rich a Necessary, are these people Nuts ???

"We do not have an immediate debt crisis,” John Boehner 3/17/2013

Hey Roy,

Good luck with that.

Roy is just the wacko that the GOP needs to get rid of. Full of false figures and post, Roy represents what is wrong with the republican party today.

When these spineless bastards start doing the right things then and only then will they come back. I was watching MTP yesterday morning. The Rep form CL kept saying no new taxes. David said to the Dem that the Rep can't go back to his people and say more taxes. Now if we know its only the 2% of rich people he represents, then why can't he tell the other 98% that he needs to raise taxes on the 2%????? Doesn't he represent the other 98% as well. Are is that the 2% give him all his money to stay in office. When we american's start voting for people that represent us and not just the rich, we will get people in office that will do what is good for us and that means what is good for the country as a whole. There use to be a saying, " What is good for GM is good for America" Well that isn't true any more. What is good for the American people is what is good for America. Its time for big business to understand that. It's time for America to stand up for its people and buy nothing but American products. America first, now and forever. That is what made us great. We took care of our self first. Now we take care of everyone but American's. And look what that has gotten us.

Reince Priebus: Money can solve all of our problems! Money, money, money, money, moooneeeey.

Sure. Your message was the right one, but was just too weak.

Make the exact same message stronger. That's it!

Let's see if it works:

The 47% are lazy bought and paid for leaches!

We need to increase defense spending despite ending two wars!

All efforts to balance the budget must come from entitlements!

Immigration solutions will not have a path to citizenship (amnesty)!

Any attempt to do background checks is an affront to the 2nd amendment!

Any attempt to ban assault weapons or massive clips violates the 2nd amendment!

Any attempt to raise taxes on the rich is class warfare and will not happen!

We must repeal Obamacare and go back to our old healthcare system!

Economists are wrong!

The CBO is wrong!

Israel is always right!

Bomb, bomb, bomb Iran!

Scientists are wrong about Global Warming and the cause of it!

Anything "obama" is wrong!

Anyone "on the dole" is the very reason we are failing!

Well? Are you convinced yet? Are you sure you just need a stronger message and not a new one?

Okay then... it's up to you!

Hey Republicans – what’s wrong with this picture?? Michael Steele was the RNC Chairman for 2 years from 2009 to 2011. During his time in office more Republicans were elected nationwide than at any time in the history of the Republican Party. You gained seats in Senate, a record number of seats in the House and any governorship across the nation. So how did you reward him for this effort --- you fired him. You then made Reince Priebus your chairman. During his first term in office Republicans lost the White House, lost seats in the Senate and Lost seats in the House. What happened to him after these losses?? You gave him another 2 year term. So ---- you fire winners and reward losers. How smart is that??

All PR and tactics but the same old policies. This IS the Republican problem: They think they can con the American people with better spin.

I like how a third of their "ideas" are basically to try and eliminate public donations to campaigns and find more ways for them to allow the rich to be able to contribute even more money. How about you stick with trying to appeal to more people, instead of how to buy an election more easily.

What happens when all this data analysis says, "You are an ancient dinosaur who needs to completely revamp practically everything you think you know is true." Do they throw it out, saying it was hacked by evil liberals, or do they actually listen to what the data will surely show?

Retardlicans need to learn the difference between cosmetics and reconstructive surgery.

Essentially, we're going nowhere if all we care about from our government is them giving us $60 worth of our own money for $100. Sadly, this is what the electorate has come to. Same for Europe.

It is such BS to suggest this is the culture progressivies to which progressives aspire. You sound like Mitt Romney or Phil Mickelson with your argument. It will not sell politically.

Actually what you describe what happens when you allow too much wealth to be concentrated into too few hands. There is plenty enough wealth in this country that if it were properly distributed we would not have so much government dependence. And that doesn't require forced redistribution it means private enterprise caring more about your workers than shareholders. It means paying them a liveable wage. It means providing adequate jobs for those with limited skills. That's how you reduce government dependency. This will not occur in a country where 8 members of one family (the Walton Clan) own as much as 40% of the population and make decisions that directly affect that percentage.

I work for a very unique company that does all of this quite well (in the health care industry of all places). But I also see examples of quite the opposite. A major internet retailer located in my area last year and there were many excited about the jobs that would come. When it came to to do the actual hiring many were appalled to find these were minimum wage jobs that required intensive labor. Many just walked away. And this is an GOP dominated area once dependent on textile mills that paid low wages for grueling work. You know, the world of "opportunity" that Sarah Palin and her ilk want us all to return. That was a God fearing time but it was also a time of great prejudice and disparity. It was also ironically a time of much higher taxes on the wealthy. Excepting that issue Palin and her ilk appear to wish to return to those dog days. Nothing to which anyone should aspire. That's why their beliefs are rejected by the sane. And we have seen that supply side economics can quickly return us to that world.

Interesting...so, the GOP starts talking about pushing for immigration reform and not taking a hard line on social issues, and posters here still bash them? Really? Why can't you just say I'm glad at least some in the GOP finally seem to get it?

People need to learn to give credit where credit is due...

In other words the GOP needs to LIE more convincingly if they want to win in 2016.

This comment is to Roy Wilson. If you are so worried about the National Debt then get off YOUR dime and send it in ...do more with less like the GOP is forcing the less fortunate of us to do and see if you can make a difference in the bottom line....

As a conservative independent (former Republican) I can attest that the GOP lost me/us because they lost sight of their morals, ethics, and principles. They lost sight of us citizens and our best interests. They can get us back IF they can make a major turn in realizing that political posturing and the DC power system is fraught with corruption and is set up to turn them into pawns for lobbyists and personal gain.

Clearly our country is in dire straights principal-wise and leadership-wise. The people have fallen asleep and have been turned around to believe that government is the key to our success, not the power of the individual and the exceptional-ism of America. We can't allow our government to keep shifting over to take control of everything in our lives for our "best interests". That's what happened in England and over and over around the world prior to civilizations collapsing. They have learned to raid the treasury to keep the people complacent, only to undermine the basis of our currency and put us nearer and nearer to the edge of being able to regain control. If we don't wake up and take more of our responsibilities back on ourselves, as well as demand the control back from the government, then we are destined to collapse.

What I did not see in this so called report was the idea of working for all americans...not just the few they identify as haveing not connected with the past years. Obama was elected because he spoke to everyone..not the few wealthy who donated as the republicans did..and as everyone of their ideas had to deal with. Both of these parties are suppose to be working for this nation as a whole..not making more money for the wealthy few who hate to pay a living wage so that they can keep all profits made from the work put in by their employees. Even politicans consider themselves better than those that voted for them....as they have proven by making sure they are excempt from whatever ideas they come up with for the rest of the nation.

JoeNY

As a conservative independent (former Republican) I can attest that the GOP lost me/us because they lost sight of their morals, ethics, and principles. They lost sight of us citizens and our best interests. They can get us back IF they can make a major turn in realizing that political posturing and the DC power system is fraught with corruption and is set up to turn them into pawns for lobbyists and personal gain.

Clearly our country is in dire straights principal-wise and leadership-wise. The people have fallen asleep and have been turned around to believe that government is the key to our success, not the power of the individual and the exceptional-ism of America.

JoeNY,

Just curious...which party do you normally vote for now?

Ron - Because none of us believe them. They always say they have to be more inclusive, but it always ends up just being empty words. I am all for the GOP moving towards the center a little more, but I am sure not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen. In Europe, our Democratic party would be considered center-right, not far left as the GOP likes to portray it. So where do you think the GOP would reside, probably the insane asylum. Not saying we should model ourselves after the rest of the world, but it goes to show you how far off they have gone.

So sad...a conclave of stubborn Republican conservatives intent on making speeches that insult, exaggerate, and mock America.

If there is a "position"..it just reinforced the nasty.

Swagger & hubris... not attractive or inspiring for that "change".

Changing lipstick color on the same pig won't change porcine to bovine. It isn't that they have the wrong presentation, they have the wrong century. Blindly determined promotion of the 'tail wagging the dog' nonsense.

They have a very loyal, if not desperate and resentful, minority following. The operative word here is 'minority'. It's becoming no less desperate and resentful, but it is becoming more of a minority. Those opposing the current administration are facing difficult choices - join the lynch mob, find a rational alternative, of simply give up.

Look at the lineup of representation at this years national meeting Are the voters going to finally 'see the light' and view Palin, Trump, Bachmann et al as serious leadership - are you kidding? Riding a wave of deprecating one-liners to victory in 2016? Sure.

The Republicans should just stick to two simple messages and keep repeating them;

1 - The skyrocketing Debt will be devastating to the future of our children.

2 - The massive increases in the money supply to fund the Deficits will result in massive Inflation, high Interest Rates, and more Unemployment.

Meaning they should pretend that 2007-2013 didn't happen and espouse a school of economics that has been proven wrong at every turn during the recession? Where's the inflation that the Austerians have been warning about? It should have kicked in a while ago. Where's the sky-high interest rates? If you actually looked at a single study, you'd realize that the expansionary policy does NOT correlate with high interest rates for countries that control their own currency. You'd also know that the more austerity, the weaker an economy right now.

Your post symbolizes precisely what is wrong with the GOP: a steadfast refusal to admit that your economic beliefs have been proven wrong. No, minimum wage does not create unemployment. No, tax cuts cannot possibly do anything other than increase the deficit. No, austerity does not work in bad times. No, expansionary monetary policy does not bring about high interest rates. No, it doesn't seem to be bringing inflation this time around, either. No, balancing the budget is not a good idea when the economy needs the government to create demand. No, universal healthcare isn't more expensive than free-market healthcare. These are all readily verifiable facts. That's what the GOP needs to admit.

Republicans are on the wrong track which they proved when they last held the White House, and then they turned worse when they decided to rebuke our President and stalled our economic growth.

The ONLY way anyone is going to believe Republicans have a "clue" is when they decide to work with our President and for the American People.

"Reach out to women." By doing what, exactly? Finding kinder, gentler ways to blame us for rape?

I just had an outrageous online conversation yesterday with a (as it turned out) Tea Party pro-liar nutball who claimed that a rape victim's "body was very willing" because it got pregnant. He twisted himself into knots in response to my questions as to the difference between him and Tom Akin, refusing to answer or to repudiate Akin.

Republicans out there believe this shyte and continue to do so, no matter how much public humiliation they receive in response to the astonishing "misstatements" by Akin, Mourdoch, and now this petrified zombie Celeste Greig.

There is just something wrong with these people! There is something fundamentally wrong. They lack social skills. They lack analytical skills. They are superstitious, denying the evidence for evolution, climate change, birth control, and various other aspects of the "reality-based culture." They don't like "smart" people. They hate colleges and universities, as well as public education, which I believe another Republican recently called "indoctrination camps." They mind everyone else's business, wringing their hands over unsactioned orgasms by unmarried women or by homosexuals, thinking that everyone else needs to add a little Jesus to their religion or to their atheism, and making histronic claims about "white genocide" and the "hardness of people's hearts" because not every single man or woman is eager to have kids.

"Change" in the asylum run by the lunatics? First you lock up the lunatics and quit enabling them. First you call these people what they are: anti-social personalities with an extremely distorted, paranoiac worldview.

There is a real split in the GOP. Sarah Palin goes out and says "ignore the consultants" and Reince Priebus goes out and hires a bunch of consultants to tell the Republicans what to say and how to say it.

Hidden in a report is an acknowledgement that the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, but what do they recommend? "Convince Congress to remove the biennial aggregate contribution limits," or, absent that, seek to increase the contribution limits for federal campaigns. In other words, let our rich billionaires buy more of the election process.

The GOP split is between the rich backers and the social neanderthals. The rich, represented by Priebus, don't care about anti-gay or pro-prayer-in-school stuff, and they are happy with illegal immigrants being granted legal status to work for $5/hour legally. The Social Neanderthals do care about gay marriage, hate minorities, and really hate the idea of "amnesty." The social neanderthals want to keep Ann Coulter saying mean jokes and Orly whatshername asking for more birth ceritificates. Sarah Palin's party followers are fundamentally opposed to Reince Priebus' ideas. They ought to just split into two parties and part ways.

It is truly GREAT how the country has finally awakened to the fact that Republicans are about their wealthy donors and that's it. The only way they can get average joes to support them is through misinformation and deceit, playing their bigotries and religion like a card game.

Bottom line for Republicans and the biggest lesson they should have learned throughout all the losing elections: Supply-side economic policies only benefit the have's and never before has that fact been more evident.

Wake up Republicans or we will replace you and what's left of your ignorant Southern followers will have no place to go.

TO: ROY WILSON-336103 who wrote:

"'The Republicans should just stick to two simple messages and keep repeating them; 1 - The skyrocketing Debt will be devastating to the future of our children."

No one is going to believe that Republicans are in any way concerned about "the future of our children" as long as Republicans have no respect for clean air, clean water, safe food, and global warming now and for "the future of our children".

Republicans want to remove all regulations that would provide safety in those things that are real "necessities of maintaining life as we know it" in favor of making the rich even richer.

As long as Republicans call toxic water, polluted air, and reduced quality of food "freedom", they cannot possibly make the case that Republicans have any concern whatsoever for anyone's future, and even less regard for our children's future.

ROY WILSON-336103

Every responsible economist will tell you that this is highly "INFLATIONARY" - ala the 14% Inflation and 18% Interest Rates under Jimmy Carter in 1980.

Even the far-left Liberal outlet The Huffington Post recognized this;

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheldon-filger/federal-reserve-begins-ma_b_677483.html

Roy, that article is nearly three years old. In the past three years, the economy has improved, housing prices have recovered and there's been no inflation that I'm aware of.

I'm not trying to pick at you, but I've always felt that economics isn't a science, it's more like astrology. People just say things, cherry-picking their data, and sometimes they're right, sometimes they're wrong.

You said it, American Girl. Republicans have loudly and with relish called true concern for the future "greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the American people" (Inhofe).

They have ratcheted up the rhetoric to screech levels, finding new and bizarre ways to try to ban all abortions by calling the fetus an "organ" or "crime evidence" and such. They have written books called Godless, Treason, and other crap.

Republicans do care about children as the future of the country. After all, who else is going to work the counters at the minimum wage fast-food jobs (about the only jobs that won't be outsourced) and line up to be killed in the next war to make American safe, even if that war is on the other side of the globe?

What part of that laundry list produced by this GOP committee addresses LISTENING?

Geezuz Aitch Ka-Ryst, you goobers. If you want to represent the American public, shouldn't you consider hearing what they have to say?

All you have is a sales pitch for failed ideas, and you really think everybody's stupid enough to let you tell them what to think and when to think it. You've got a message problem and you're too arrogant to accept that. Sorry, GOP - time to face reality.

newdayDAWNING...RETURNED and chuck-2111043-- You two hit that nail right on the head. If I could vote for you sixteen more times, I would.

The way I see it, the problem with the Republican party is that they not only do not represent 98% of the population -- they are contemptuous of it. And it shows, big. And second--how hypocritical can you get? They accuse the Democrats of "buying" the vote of the less fortunate because they support a strong social safety net, yet have no problem with billions of dollars' worth of corporate wellfare and multi-billion dollar tax cuts for the most affluent, to the point where these people pay a stunningly lower percentage than the middle class. But that's not "buying the vote"?

And second, they scream as loudly as they can that the government is too invasive, and that it regulates too much of our lives. Yet they make it a point to not only regulate, but to attempt to take control of the most private part of our private lives--our fertility, our family planning, even what we do in our bedrooms. Is there a stronger term for this than just "hypocricy"?

BTW--just as an aside: GHW Bush's father, W and Jeb's grandfather Prescott Bush served as the treasurer of the first national capital campaign of Planned Parenthood in 1947. He was also an early supporter of the United Negro College Fund, serving as chairman of the Connecticut branch in 1951. (From Wikipedia.) How do you like THEM apples?

Not weak.....just wrong...very wrong for the majority (99%) of Americans!

Well this autopsy certainly shows that the conservatives, just as in congress, are unprepared, unwilling and incapable to lead and legislate. To them it's not about building a strong nation, it's about them pulling out all the stops to gain control in order to impose their warped, twisted, religiously flawed, fascist agenda on everyone else through lies and distortions, using vile and vicious rhetoric. Don't believe me? Where are the jobs the conservatives promised during the 2010 mid terms? "That makes her a slut." "They have a way to shut that whole thing down." "47% of Americans are victims and dependent on government." Teachers and public workers are under worked, overpaid, over-pensioned, godless union thugs. Who in their right mind would vote for such an out of touch, dysfunctional bunch?

Rorschach-558483

What part of that laundry list produced by this GOP committee addresses LISTENING?

Rorschach, listening would actually involve something from the world outside penetrating an oriface. It's only going to happen to a Republican in a bathroom stall at the Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport.

Agreed, VERY wrong! And, a careful read of their "solutions" shows that the proposed "fix" is to make it easier to BUY elections.

- Our message was weak: We mocked everything that wasn't old, white, male, straight and christian. Not sure where we went wrong.

- Our ground game was insufficient: We have all this Citizens United money. Why won't people go out and do our bidding?

- We weren’t inclusive: See #1

- We were behind in both data and digital: Fox told us we were going to win by a landslide. They've never been wrong before, so why bother checking their work?

- Our primary and debate process needed improvement: Once again, not sure where the problem is. Cheering the death of people too lazy and poor to get insurance and booing gay soldiers sounds like a winner to me!

Hey, GOP: how about coming clean and saying, "Our message was sick"?

Sick.

Sick.

SICK!

And Americans are sick to death of it!

They are the party for the 1%, who have only survived based on their abilty to dupe 50% of the remaining voting population that they were part of their camp. Now the 50% that they used to be able to dupe has dropped to 46%, thus Mitt lost with only 47% of the vote (47%, how ironic, is that?)

All of you who posted above should watch this video about Wealth Inequality in America: http://www.youtube.com/v/QPKKQnijnsM This is a problem that both Republicans and Democrats should address. How do we save the shrinking middle class? There is something inherently wrong with our global economy and our government if this is the skewed way the money is going.

TO: Ron-1861300 who wrote:

"Interesting...so, the GOP starts talking about pushing for immigration reform and not taking a hard line on social issues, and posters here still bash them? Really? Why can't you just say I'm glad at least some in the GOP finally seem to get it?

People need to learn to give credit where credit is due..."

Republicans are always begging for "credit" but do nothing to deserve it. So, Republicans are ready to deal with immigrants and skip right over the American People which matches with Republican policies that foreign countries come before America and the American people, and the GOP wants "credit" for what?

Republicans are still stalling our economic recovery and havent' yet learned that the American People actually are "people" and not just poll numbers.

Maybe you can live in denial, but the fact is the Republican Party is a disaster for the American People.

They missed two other important aspects, when your message upsets the majority, you lose and you can't fix stupid.

TO: Honest John 30 who wrote:

"All of you who posted above should watch this video about Wealth Inequality in America ... This is a problem that both Republicans and Democrats should address. How do we save the shrinking middle class? ..."

I guess you haven't been watching, Republicans want to repeal the minimum wage and dissolve employee unions so that working class Americans are forced into lower paying jobs, and Republicans would like to do away with public education and affordable health care.

Democrats want the exact opposite, better paying wages for American Workers, affordable health care, better quality education for American children so they can better compete in a global environment, and of course affordable health care for all Americans.

Republicans look at "wealth inequality in America" as dirty words.

Democrats believe in leveling the playing field so that everyone has a chance at bettering their lives.

Your message is too strong because your philosophy is too strong because it's based on blind faith in economic principles that are a fantasy. The theory that the economy will advance because you cut taxes on millionaires is complete hogwash. The theory that clean air and water regulations and constraints on urban sprawl are harming the economy is garbage. The theory that government is the enemy of the economy is just plain crap. The theory that private, corporate enterprise is a benign force in the world is lunacy. Don't you guys learn from history? Your whole program is based on untested and unproven hare-brained theories. That's why your numbers never add up. You need change that's a lot deeper than tweaking your set of talking points to try to fool more voters. Now I'm no fan of Democratic politics either, so this criticism is not based on any feelings that my side is better than yours. You continue to underestimate the intelligence of the voters that aren't pre-committed to your party.

If you expect people to believe your tax cut theories, provide some facts and economic modeling from non-partisan sources to back them up. You can't because there are nono. Only conservative dogma based on a fantasy economic model.

TO: ROY WILSON-336103 who wrote:

"Every responsible economist will tell you that this is highly "INFLATIONARY" - ala the 14% Inflation and 18% Interest Rates under Jimmy Carter in 1980."

Roy, you have to go back more than 3 decades, skip right over George "Curveball" Bush who destroyed the entire United States Economy and caused millions of Americans to lose their homes and their jobs before you can find a Democrat that you, not history, consider to be at least as equally as bad as Bush, in spite of the fact that Carter in no way compares to Bush who lied us into war, allowed us to be attacked by terrorists on 9/11, among other disasters brought on by the Republican Party.

Then you want to competely ignore the incredible success of Democrat Bill Clinton that we enjoyed during all of the 1990s, and the fact that all of the progress made by Democrat Bill Clinton was completely reversed by Republican George "Curveball" Bush and his Republican Administration.

I consider that to be along the lines of "lie and deny politics".

The GOP's message wasn't weak, it was full of hate and obstruction.

We all heard the message loud and clear, and America rejected it.

Let me clarify: 1) Start shouting "immigration reform", yet do the opposite. 2) Get better digital brainwashing. 3) Get more money, however you can. Got it. Reince and repeat!

TO: ROY WILSON-336103 who wrote:

"'The Republicans should just stick to two simple messages and keep repeating them; 1 - The skyrocketing Debt will be devastating to the future of our children."

A dead planet will take care of them much faster

@ American Girl post 1.68, Oh, I have been watching. I am not in favor of the Republicans mantra. However, don't believe for a moment that only one party is completely at fault for what is going on. There is so much wealth in Washington, and it is not confined to the Republican party. There is a complete overhaul of governance that is required to affect real change. Starting with the Republican party is just that, a start.

The GOP needed a huge report to figure out why they lost? Here, let me break it down for you:

1) Your party believes that rape is a "gift from god". You literally had people claim that rape is a "gift from god", and instead of condemning them and removing these people, you SUPPORTED them.

2) You "boo'ed" a soldier on LIVE TV, just because he was gay. This was a soldier, fighting for YOUR freedom, and you "boo'ed" him. At this point you might as well join the WBC.

3) You claimed that every woman on birth control is a slut.

4) You spent 4 years screaming about a birth certificate CONSPIRACY.

5) You claimed that senior citizens on social security, and active duty soldiers, are worthless pieces of sh**... because they are part of 47% of the population that does not pay taxes.

6) You argued that reducing Mitt Romney's tax rate to LESS THAN 1% was "fair and balanced", and would pay for it by removing the mortgage interest rate deduction from middle class families.

7) You chanted "let him die" when discussing a poor person who can not afford medical care.

8) You claimed that this is a "christian nation" that should be based on "christian law", despite numerous writings from the founding fathers which say otherwise.

9) You discussed plans to kill off illegal aliens.

10) You argued with an empty chair, then claimed that if Obama was reelected we would see "a thousand years of darkness"... Lord of the Rings wants their plot back.

Oh... and did I mention, you actually believe that rape is a "gift from god"?

And yet, here you are... still surprised that you lost. The problem is not in your message, the problem is that you are CRAZY. People do not vote for crazy, well... your people do, but we don't.

Since Barry Goldwater lost, every political consultant has lived and died by the mantra, to win the republicans must play to the middle. The republicans will win if they win the middle. Well, they played to the middle with Bob Dole, John McCain, and Mitt Romney - and lost.

The only difference between these candidates is that Romney won the independent vote and the others LOST the independent voter.

McCain was a really bad candidate, but Romney who constanly gave the cold shouldered to the Tea Party had 4 million less conservative votes than McCain.

Palin is spot on. It's the consultants that need to go.

New Rubes same as the Old Rubes; all I heard in that article was, ka'ching, ka'ching, ka'ching!!! Spend that $$$$$$ because it sure took you far last time, didn't it?

Note to GOP: If you want to have ANY chance in 2016, Sarah Palin, Allen West, Donald Trump, Kelly Ayotte, Mitch McConnell, Wayne LaPierre, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, Willard and Lyin' Ryan should not be giving speeches--ever. But then again, knock yourselves out.

I was going to write a sequel to, "Being John Malkovich" called, "Being Sarah Palin." But I can't; for one, I didn't write, "Being John Malkovich", Charles Kaufman did. And two, I like and respect John Malkovich too much AND, Mr. Malkovich is SMART, so there is no comparison or even a hint of resemblance except by a few words in the title.

So then my mind wandered to a time far away and a paperback novel once read; and that's when it hit me! Sarah must be a psycho prop in a "Perky Pat" layout designed by a cracked Chew-Z addict. But alas, to even think that would be like a sacrilegious hawked phlegm wad upon the grave of Philip K. Dick. NO CAN DO.

So, I have resolved myself to this: Palin's attraction to the GOP masses is a mystery. Initially, she appealed to the (Redneck) MEN for shallow reasons and to the (Redneck) WOMEN as a "classy" role model? I honestly DON'T KNOW the why's and how's about it. I think Woody Harrelson's portrayal of Steve Schmidt, said it all; "SHOCK and AWE" but not in a good way. More like, "Shock and Oh What the Phuck"?!

Palin is spot on. The consultants need to go.

Everybody grab the popcorn. The 2 + 2 = 5 crowd is going to put up one hell of a fight!

Maybe if the Tea Partiers all spit into the wind at the same time and in the same direction, they can shift the path of the next hurricane sent by God to punish the gays that never seems to hit San Francisco!

Maybe if they contribute a larger chunk of their government funded Social Security/SSI/WIC/AFDC, they can get the government out of their Medicare checks?

Maybe if they wave more placards and introduce more Intelligent (?) Design resolutions at the PTA, they can topple for once and for all this pesky theory of evolution which they say is simultaneously 1) about to collapse as a science and on its way out of the classroom, and 2) a hegemonistic conspiracy by worldwide scientists to enslave the poor, oppressed, creationist homeschoolers?

Stay tuned.

Muse:

Com'n - cut to the chase. Well done - excellent articulation of the realities. How is it that it makes sense to some to shoot themselves in 'the other foot', when the original gesture didn't achieve the desired result? And the audience faithfully, if not hysterically, follows right along. Got me.

To bad there is NOT enough INTELLIGENCE on the left side. They already showed they are to STUPID to put anyone with that can get this economy MOVING(not at a snails pace)forward, tired of this parked economy.

When are you IDIOTS going to put someone up that can get this country moving in the correct direction. When is the government going to live within its means. Why do us taxpayers have to take a hit to our paychecks so these THIEVES in Washington DC can keep getting RAISES each & every year.

Until the GOP walks the talk, they will continually be in catch up mode (or try). Do they think people are stupid when the about face happens with, for example, people of color? I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw any of them.

The Republicans should just stick to two simple messages and keep repeating them;

The skyrocketing Debt will be devastating to the future of our children.

The only thing wrong with that assumption is people know that the "skyrocketing Debt" is a result of Bush and his Republican Congress putting 2 wars on the credit card, the largest expansion of government since LBJ on the credit card, a new entitlement on the credit card, a massive farm bill on the credit card, and two tax cuts on the credit card. People remember that it was Bush and his Republican Congress who turned the largest surplus of all times into a massive deficit -- in less than 6 years. Combine the massive spending of the Bush era with the Bush depression and we have the current debt. electing Republicans to fix what they caused is like smoking to cure lung cancer.

McCain was a really bad candidate, but Romney who constanly gave the cold shouldered to the Tea Party had 4 million less conservative votes than McCain.

Romney embraced trickle down and picked Ryan as his running mate, hardly a cold shoulder to the right. Romney relied on lies and distortions trying to make Obama look bad rather than to offer a better solution. Offering more trickle down by cutting taxes another 500 billion and increasing an already bloated military 200 billion a year isn't the answer. Those are both programs embraced by the far right.

Republicans painted our debt and deficit as our most pressing concern yet tried to pretend they had nothing to do with creating them. Every poll ran before the election shows most Americans including most republicans believed Bush mostly responsible for both. The CBO's revised budget analysis in the summer of 2008 before Obama even won his party projected the deficit for 2009 would greatly exceed 1 trillion dollars and remain above 1 trillion through at least 2011 whoever won the election.

To bad there is NOT enough INTELLIGENCE on the left side. They already showed they are to STUPID

Hey Steve -- Republican need to learn a basic fact. You don't win elections by calling people stupid or idiots. People like you need to decide if you want to run your yaps like a bunch of smart ass teenagers or if you want to at least have a chance at winning elections. Based on what I saw at CPAC this past weekend, I think you would rather run your yaps.

"Palin is spot on."

• DB Akron --- please, please, please, please do EVERYTHING YOU CAN to make sure she is the 2016 Republican Presidential Nominee.

steve:

Love the caps. Always compelling. Way back in high school a soft-spoken, and highly regarded girl I hardly knew introduced to me a reality I've never forgotten. "The louder people talk, the less they have to say".

TO: Honest John 30 who wrote:

"@ American Girl post 1.68, Oh, I have been watching. I am not in favor of the Republicans mantra. However, don't believe for a moment that only one party is completely at fault for what is going on. There is so much wealth in Washington, and it is not confined to the Republican party."

The article is about the Republican Party.

My concern is for what's best for America and the American People.

I'm not angry at people just because they are wealthy, we'd all be much better off if Republicans weren't working so hard against us.

As far as agendas go, I prefer the Democratic Party's agenda because it favors America and the American People.

The Republican agenda only favors the wealthy and that could mean the Top 1% or it could even mean wealthy corporations, but the Republican Party itself does not favor the American People at all.

@ American Girl, the article is about the Republican party. But if people think that the Republican party is the only problem that we have, they need to wake up. If you watched the 4 minute video, it shows that there is something wrong with both parties. I am not angry at the wealthy. I just want those who caused this "recession" to be held responsible. And so far, no one is addressing the problem as to why the banks failed, and there is no accountability. There is a big problem, and yes, the Republicans are completely out of touch.

To quote Ms Palin: "Now is the time to furlough the consultants, and tune out the pollsters, send the focus groups home, and toss the political scripts, because if we truly know what we believe, we don't need professionals to tell us."

The problem with that logic Sarah, is that the consultants and pollsters and focus groups don't tell you what you believe, they just tell you how very much you are out of touch with the American public. Maybe what you need is better consultants and better focus groups who will tell you where you are wrong, and what the GOP needs to do to get back in touch. And then you need to actually listen to them.

The GOP primary debates for the 2012 election looked more like skits from SNL than anything resembling real debates. Sarah, if you are thinking about running for president, you would do well to start dressing your age instead of dressing like a teenager looking to charm the high school football player. After all, you are a grandmother now and will never be taken seriously with your outlandish wardrobe. (Take a fashion cue from Hillary, she always looks professional and dignified.)

Also, your rhetoric would be put to better use talking about how you would solve problems than doing your stand-up comedy routine. You're going for the cheap laugh, but then maybe that is all you actually aspire to at this point in your career. Let's see, from beauty pageant contestant to governor of Alaska to VP candidate to former (resigned) governor to Faux News host to stand-up comedian. Looks like the rise and fall of Sarah Palin. Do you really think that you add anything at all to this party?

Your message is not weak. It is loud and clear. The fact that you don't see this is the whole problem.

@PJB, The consultants, pollsters, etc. who did tell the republicans that most people don't like them were fired or ignored. The true problem is that the republicans keep telling themselves the same crap and soon it becomes fact. Rush, Sarah, Bill, Sean, Glenn all spout the same stuff. Obama is the devil, where's his birth certificate? He's a socialist! Women don't count!

They don't need a new message, they need to change.

ED-2874315

To sum up: No policy changes for the GOP.

All they feel they need to do, is mislead the American people more effectively.

The reason the GOP is not doing as well is actually the opposite. They are not deceiving the people as effectively as the Jackass party. Give out a phone, get a vote. Give out a citizenship certificate, get a vote. I'll give you someone else's money to spend, get a vote. YEE HAW!

The problem with the Republican party is that they are more concerned about winning the next election and making the POTUS look bad then they are about fixing anything. The "my way or the highway" attitude needs to change if the GOP expects support from the people. Keep refusing everything that isn't your idea. keep Congress ineffectual by filibustering, keep acting like a petulant child throwing a tantrum because he didn't get his way and the GOP will be a thing of the past. Analyze all you want but actions speak louder than words. Citizens are tired of arguing and finger pointing, fix something!

With master minds like Rand Paul the GOP is on track to make a strong comeback without a doubt.

We need strong leadership in the GOP to step up and start taking back this country and save it from the current 'Big Gov't' ideologies of destruction. There will be a lot more damage done over the next four years but with better leadership the GOP will get this country backon track. Unfortunately the current administration still does not get it that you can't spend your way our of debt.

TO: DB Akron who wrote:

"... Romney won the independent vote ...

... Romney who constanly gave the cold shouldered to the Tea Party...

Palin is spot on. The consultants need to go."

Romney didn't win a majority of the vote in any category, least of all Independents.

I'm not even sure that Romney won the majority of registered Republicans but for arguments sake I'll give Romney that, albeit by a very small margin.

As for Republican consultants, apparently Republicans overpaid their consultants during the run up to the Presidential Election who then told Republicans what they wanted hear which kept that money coming in for their consultants, which is why Republicans were so shocked when Romney lost by such a wide margin when they thought they were ahead.

Maybe Republicans should try to get their money back.

When I see how the GOP continues to squander their considerable economic and tactical advantages in order to come up with inventive ways to lose national elections - only to blame it on "messaging" failures - I realize they are not smart enough to vote for. Get your stuff together and things will turn around for the GOP; if not, you might as well stay on the lecture and book circuit.

So they propose doing everything in the book, EXCEPT changing their losing philosophy and agenda.

That's like using a lot of salt and pepper to disguise bad meat. It may smell a little better, but when you try to digest it, you still get sick and throw up.

TO: ProFreedom-5130956 who wrote:

"With master minds like Rand Paul the GOP is on track to make a strong comeback without a doubt..."

Republicans already believe they made a "strong comeback".

It's just that the American People don't agree with Republicans, neither do American Voters.

The message is weak because the GOP is WEAK.

A bunch of single issue voters all in the same room does not lend itself to strength. It lends itself to divisiveness, hence the GOP.

I should be charging the GOP for this sage advice.

As long as the republicans keep going on Faux News and saying things that maybe they don't really support. Just to make some small group of cave dwellers happy. Nothing will change. They will remain fodder for Comedy Central ... Instead of standing up for what they truly believe in. The GOP will never have a chance with main street America. Because way too many voters know that they are puppets, too afraid to rock the boat & get thrown under the bus. When actually all we want is somebody with balls big enough to stand up for America as a whole. Not just a few.

I'm sure the Minorities got the message, take for instance here on the blog how many times have I seen Minorities degraded by the Republicans, do you people thing these people don't have computers. Everyone knows that any change will only be false just to get the VOTE and that just will not happen, here when I read the comments, that is the true feeling of most Republicans, most are pure racist and bigots, people complain about the KKK but at least they are up front that they are racist, here yes I will admit that many show their true color, but the Party thinks people don't know it, well guess what We know it. Steamie so true ... That's what the people want someone that will fight for wahts right and the hell with how it looks, Obama did that many times but where it really counted he caved too.

Damn, GOP, you'd have more minorities on your side if you a) stopped blaming them for all the country's problems, b) stopped balancing the books on the backs of the poor and middle class, and c) actually were the "party of fiscal responsibility" you claim yourself to be.

Yeah, I actually was a Reagan Republican back in the 80s and 90s. I also had a flattop, too. Times change and people grow up.

TO: Idaho-Steven who wrote:

"The reason the GOP is not doing as well is ... They are not deceiving the people..."

Is that the "Plan", for Republicans to become even more deceptive than George "Curveball" Bush.

The reason why Republicans are not doing well is because Republicans don't represent 98% of the American People.

Republicans just don't get that.

I'm republican and it's shocking that party leadership is fundamentally saying: we communicated our message poorly, but the message itself doesn't need a tuneup.

that they have the arrogance to think, we've got a good platform, people just didn't understand it, speaks to the vapor lock that the GOP is in.....

it is full frontal crazy to not come to terms with issues that are polling 60% like pro choice, gay marriage, tax hike for the 1%, etc.

as long as the GOP ignores reality... the azz kicking will continue at the polls... it doesn't matter if Hillary runs because she's a slam dunk, but if she doesn't and at the midterms it does matter, big time..., when are they gonna smell the coffee?

What "drubbing" is this NBC hired libbie, O'Brien talking about? The GOP lost the Presidency by only a 51-49% margin. They retained their House majority, lost only a handful of Senate seats, and gained a significant number of governorships. Does that sound like a "drubbing"?

RedRoverRedRover has an excellent idea. I'm going to send Reince Priebus a bill for my comments here! I am a consultant, BTW.

SDN, it's got me, too. They seem to be incapable of learning.

So the Republicans are trying to find a way to look less Republican. I guess that's why they are having issues after all. :)

As of today, the cost of Iraq (War) $3 TRILLION. But that's just what can be "accounted" for. And only a small part of the war. When the dust really settles they will find that tax payers will pay for even more; because you can't put a price on the fallen, and the wounded who will never "recover." The amputee's may learn to walk again and lead productive lives--some are doing that even as I write this, I mean those that either have or will have succumb to unforeseen demons or circumstances masked as, suicide. The Pentagon can write up the suicide numbers anyway they want and "blame" it solely on lowered recruiting standards. But that's just a quick fix excuse; a "Finger-Point" excuse. And they haven't even got to Afghanistan, yet.

They have a plan. It's from the 1950's, but they have one. You know, put women in their place and take the decision making away from them. You know, take away a minorities right to vote, to make sure white stays in power. You know, take away public education, to make sure only people with money get an education. Oh yeah, they have a plan. You know, to obstruct everything and then blame everyone else for nothing getting better. I can't wait to vote every single one of them out of office. Especially the Tea drinkers! They do have one plan I agree with, though. Their plan to self destruct!

TO: spider-737231 who wrote:

"What "drubbing" is this NBC hired libbie, O'Brien talking about? The GOP lost the Presidency by only a 51-49% margin. They retained their House majority, lost only a handful of Senate seats, and gained a significant number of governorships. Does that sound like a "drubbing"?"

So, you still don't get the message, and Republicans remain solidly in denial.

Good.

It reminds me of boxing where one boxer gets punched in the face and says "I didn't even feel that, is that all you got?" So his opponent hits him even harder until he does feel it.

So, how badly do Republicans need their butts kicked at the ballot box before they're ready to listen to the American People?

This is so easy and you don't need to spend a fortune to find this out. The Republican party is NOT The Conservative Party, yet Conservatives are welcome. The Republican Party is NOT The Tea Party, yet tea party members are welcome. Until the Republican Party stop letting members of other organizations affiliated and yet not the GOP they are going to go the way of the DODO. It is perfectly ok to have these extreme groups be a member of your party, but when they start making decisions for the many then the party loses. The GOP should be center right, not so far to the right you can't even see the center.

OR...

What their real problem is is that they're on the wrong side of any number of social issues (gay marriage, immigration, marijuana legalization), on the increasingly unpopular side which maintains the status quo, don't have a leg to stand on on economic issues, pushing to further already failing policies like cutting taxes on the wealthy so that they're essentially bribed into creating jobs that won't net them any money because they have no customers because the customers are picking up their share of the tax burden, they've squandered any sense of credibility on foreign affairs, angering our allies and provoking our enemies, can't complain about Obama's abuses on civil rights because Obama's merely using the policies that they themselves set out, can't consider themselves fiscal conservatives because they merely want to spend the money in the budget handing out subsidies to corporate entities rather than the poor, and want to cut funding to the poor in order to do more... In short, and why that's all one sentence - IT'S THE POLICY, STUPID.

The GOP is on the wrong side of everything at the moment. They pander to right wing extremists and the wealthiest minorities at the expense of the rest of the public. What is "Reaching Out" to hispanics when your party still supports AZ's immigration law allowing local law enforcement to arrest people on the suspicion of being here illegally? For looking too Mexican? You think any amount of, "Heeey buddy, let me tell you about the GOP..." is going to change that?

The GOP has become a fundamentally flawed and actually destructive party to the national debate. They're not without hope of coming back to reality, but at the moment, they're a party of one race, one gender, one religion, and one economic status. Their message is horrible only because the party itself is. Sticking to their principles is the last thing they should be doing.

No one is going to believe that Republicans are in any way concerned about "the future of our children" as long as Republicans have no respect for clean air, clean water, safe food, and global warming now and for "the future of our children".

Republicans want to remove all regulations that would provide safety in those things that are real "necessities of maintaining life as we know it" in favor of making the rich even richer.

As long as Republicans call toxic water, polluted air, and reduced quality of food "freedom", they cannot possibly make the case that Republicans have any concern whatsoever for anyone's future, and even less regard for our children's future.

Amen and don't forget how willing they are to send our sons and daughters overseas to die.

Palin, Santorum, and others who show no willingness to compromise their views are icons of what's wrong with the GOP

Which is why we should want some combination of the two above, plus Bachmann, Mourdoch, and whatever other loony their party offers, as their 2016 ticket. My preference would be Palin/Bachmann, because that ticket wouldn't have a prayer. But no matter what, if Hillary decides to run the election is hers.

Don't listen to moron extremists from the 'left' who think Hugo Chavez was a good idea. A lot of them post here, pretending they wouldn't be thumping for Biblical government if they were born in a different family. They're the same kind of people they pretend to hate.

Point is, if the Republican party goes the way of Palin, expect a mounting casualty count in political losses. Palin is the part of the party that is pig faced, stubborn, and mold. In other words, the part of the party that the moron extremist leftists are most like. The two of them belong together and certainly not in a two party America.

If the Republican party follows people like Fleischer, you could expect a Republican Party that stands a chance to begin to win elections again. It is a party where compromise is a way to get what you want, not a dirty word for sellout. It is a party that has an ideal, and bothers itself with ways to have that come across to people rather than stick their nose up at them and try to sort out the 'real' (i.e. read as faux) conservatives.

Look at the posts from extremist leftists and it isn't hard to imagine a victory over that kind of thinking. Problem is it takes looking, and thinking.

GOP message...same actions....just need to do more word smithing....by changing words it may appear to low information people(republicons) to be different action.

Here's how NBC begins the article when the GOP takes such action: "The Republican National Committee released an audacious set of recommendations on Monday aimed at revitalizing the party following the drubbing suffered by GOP candidates last November." Well done NBC - way to ignore the fact that the GOP took back the House two years ago.

Here's how NBC would have begun the article had the Dems taken such action: "The Democratic National Committee released an optimistic set of recommendations on Monday aimed at educating voters on issues the voters did not understand when some GOP candidates edged out their Democratic counterparts last November"

But then again, that's what makes NBC the nation's least trusted news network. Oops, tied for least... with THE COMEDY CHANNEL (at least according to the most recent poll). Now THAT'S FUNNY!

TO: steve-1962 who wrote:

"... They [Democrats] already showed they are to STUPID to put anyone with that can get this economy MOVING (not at a snails pace) forward, tired of this parked economy..."

The GOP is doing everything in their power to stall our economic recovery in hopes that they can somehow come around later and take credit for President Obama's work.

If you're that upset, you need to contact your Republican Representatives in Washington, D.C. and demand that they work with the President of the United States and ask the GOP to stop stalling our economic recovery.

Aside from everything else I have posted here (you're welcome Priebus, and wait for my bill), how about finding some candidates who don't look as awkward and stiff around real people as ESL students acting out some dialog from their language book at the front of the class?

I know ordinary-Joe/Jane Republicans (moderates, naturally) who know every riff from Mystery Science Theatre 3000's send-up of Blood Beast. These people actually drink alcohol, know how to dance, use birth control, have side-splitting humor, and think that creationism is BS.

How about a couple of them making it past the local convention? Yanno?

Look at the posts from extremist leftists and it isn't hard to imagine a victory over that kind of thinking. Problem is it takes looking, and thinking.

Thanks for illustrating the point. If you can't discuss or rationalize just start calling names and flinging insults.

F--k you starsailing....GOP, has a lot of problems but they will find themselves someday, it may take a few years but they will be back and you limp wristed dems/libs will still be whining...

Once again, if you can't beat 'em. Start with the name calling and innuendo. How's that working for ya?

The 2 party system is broken. Both receive big donations from big companies (there are companies that donate to BOTH simultaneously so that they have a foot in the door no matter who wins). Both had a majority of their congress members vote to rescind the Glass-Steagall Act. Many unwise choices have been made by both parties for decades now.

This last election, though, the GOP seemed especially out of touch. I don't even know where to begin to describe my thoughts and feelings about that.

In some ways I am conservative, in some ways liberal. I voted independently this last election.

i agree with most on here. the republicans can say all they want but until they start actually changing their actions will we ever be able to trust them again. i was a republican for 25 years and then they sold their collective souls to the radical religious right and then to the koch bros, et.al. still, to this day, they fight against the president, not because he's wrong but because it is their party policy to be contrary to every single thing he wants to do. well, put your actions where your words are. start working WITH the democrats to fix our infrastructure, thereby creating thousands of jobs. stop pounding on a deficit that expert and expert has said should not be our primary problem. adding jobs to the payroll, raising wages will both bring more money into the federal budget to pay down deficit. read what the economic experts say. STOP trying to take away medicare, we don't want that. STOP trying to take away our social security. that belongs to US. start siding with americans against the big business machine, especially the medical industry and work with the president and democrats to bring real reform. anybody out there is who isn't outraged enough about your medical costs, just go find a copy of time magazine, march 4th, 2013. it should make your head explode.

if the republicans really believe in the change they are espousing, then DO something about it. the democratic party was where the republican party is many years ago. they used to be the party of racism and the rich from the 1800s thru much of the 20th century. somewhere along the line, they realized they were on the wrong side of history, did some serious soul searching and changed their ideals, not just their rhetoric. they became the party of the people, of freedom and equality. now, i'm not saying that every democrat is an angel, they are, after politicians...but, the party as a whole changed from big money, white men, to inclusive and progressive. but, it wasn't until they admitted to themselves that they were wrong that they were able to do so.

also, the core party did one other thing that the republicans NEED to do. they put the crazies on the fringe! the tea party, the rand pauls, the sarah palins...these people and groups will continue to do nothing but hurt the republican party. let them start their own, lame, losing third party, just like ralph nader and the radical left. they're there, we just don't pay attention to them.

JMagnum, an online analysis regarding the projected cost of the Iraq "war" appeared a few years ago. The projected cost was in excess of $4 TRILLION. All of that on a credit card and all of that to satsify Bush's personal vendetta because there were doubtless no weapons of mass destruction. And all of that to be paid by the American people, not to mention the 6600 soldiers' lives the "wars" cost, and counless maiming injuries to our boys. From what I understand, when Mr. Bush had planned a trip to Switzerland, he was advised against it because he would be arrested and tried in the World Court and the State Department might not be able to get him back. This MUST be true because he has never left the country since the end of his term. Such is the legacy left to the American people by the last Republican President.

spyder:

You, no doubt inadvertently, failed to mention the Electoral vote - you know, the one that elects Presidents. Might want to check your popular vote totals while you're at it. Pretty difficult to sell an argument based on false information.

GOP message wasn't weak, it was all about the wrong things, all about suppressing the middle-class, the poor, women's rights, discriminating and forced religious mythology upon the masses. And they claim to stand for less government intrusion into private lives.

TO: COYOTEHUNTER who wrote:

"F--k you starsailing....GOP, has a lot of problems but they will find themselves someday, it may take a few years but they will be back and you limp wristed dems/libs will still be whining..."

Well but, we're not the ones whining, Republicans are because we won't vote for them.

I heard the GOP's message loud and clear and I opposed it. Romney lost not because he wasn't conservative enough but because he was a crappy candidate who opposes the poor, the sick, the aged, and middle class and only gave a damn about his millionaire friends who wanted to return to the worst policies of Geo.W.Bush.

If the GOP wants my vote then they will have to jettison the "states rights "TEAparty, the evangelical theocrats who think that the Constitution is based on the Bible and the supply side economic junkies who think that low taxes and corporate subsidies are the answer. That means that they need to kick the CPAC nutters to the curb and return to being the party of Dwight Eisenhower because the current party is so far right that they make the policies of Nixon look liberal by comparison.

America is not just freedom and equality for white, hetero christian males and their Wall Street elite friends. I'm not much of a fan of Obama either but the broken two party system limits us to voting to the lesser of two evils. The DoD needs to be cut by 2/3s and we need to reign in Wall Street and corporate excesses.

Alessa, the problem is that even when the GOP implements the changes that will make them more formidable in future elections, the mainstream media will give it the Benghazi / Fast and Furious treatment. In other words, they won't report it.

So the sheep who rely on the likes of (MS)NBC for news won't hear about it. The mainstream media would rather promote an uneducated voter base than report on news that might give the GOP a leg up.

TO: ProFreedom-5130956 who wrote:

"With master minds like Rand Paul the GOP is on track to make a strong comeback without a doubt..."

I don't like Rand Paul, except when I look him it makes me laugh a little.

All you Dems on here crack me up. Do you all really think you didn't buy the voters? You bought the voters with all your handouts. People were afraid they wouldn't get their gov't handouts. Gov't workers were afraid they would lose their jobs. Everyone knows the Republican party is broken, maybe to the point of no return. That in no way means the Dems are any better. They are just like a drug dealer, they've got you hooked. Handouts, or 'equalization' doesn't benefit anyone. All it does is provide an incentive to not try as hard. An incentive to rely on the gov't in some way. Both sides do it. The Republicans cater to ag and corporations, which both supply jobs. The Dems cater to the voters, providing an incentive to not work as hard. You can't get people off gov't programs if they have an incentive to stay on them. Clearly you can win elections by creating gov't programs that cater to poor AND middle class. When the middle class start feeding into the programs and these families kids realize all the handouts out there it's going to drag them into the lower pay ranges over time. That's what scares those of us that don't buy the Dems retoric.

I also agree with epistemologist post 1.128.

As a progressive, I dont hate main strem Repubs. I would love to see them regain control of their party. I think this "autopsy" was a sincere attempt to get the party back in orde but I think they are still missing the mark with minority voters.

They say they need to talk to them more and try to bring them into their tent. What they really should be doing is listening. Minority blocks which went 80/20 democat in november do not want to be told whats best fo them, who does? They want a voice, a voice that makes a difference in the direction of the party. Sorry, Repubs, I am not trying to be insulting, but it is something you really have suked at as of late.

Their list of 'Recommendations' lacks one item: FACT-CHECK OUR ASSUMPTIONS. Stop making up stuff as we go along.

Jeff, how can you say with a straight face that republicans lost the minority vote because minorities don't want to be told what's best for them, when a mainstay of the Obama presidency is to regulate based on what he decides is best for people?

The reason that the republicans lost the minority vote is that Obama is a minority. Racism is unfortunately alive and well in America - on BOTH sides. Only one side gets exposed much more than the other.

realistic:

I think the content of the comments here and elsewhere clearly demonstrate the relative intelligence of 'liberal' vs 'conservative' factions. I think all commentors should look of the definitions of these terms before deciding what faction to support.

Seems to me that 'receptive of change', 'receptive to different ideas and behaviors' are positive character traits. I believe it's often referred to as 'tolerance' - something the Republican party instinctively rejects. They can't seem to get on board with personal freedom.

If 'liberals' are intolerant of anything, it is, ironically, 'intolerance'.

Jason---the word is "rhetoric," not "retoric". I guess I'm one of those worthless lazies taking "gov't" handouts (it's spelled "government" in case you didn't know how) because I have worked every day of my life since I was 17 and I now am entitled to Social Security. But this is one handout recipient who knows how to spell.

If the right-wing did "fact-check" their beliefs and their statements that follow from it, then much of their radically conservative ideology would no longer have any legitimacy to continue in its promotion. They would have to continue living in denial to maintain their ever-more extremist ideology.

But I do agree with what Republican Governor Bobby Jindal has repeatedly said, that their party and their leadership have, "got to stop saying stupid things." If they continue to insult the intelligence of the voters, they're not going to win the vote. And as Donald Trump said at the CPAC, the GOP can't expect to win the vote if they continue on with their talk about cutting entitlements and immigration.

The GOP serves a minority of white, bigoted, selfish people. They will always be a minority from now on. Romney let the cat out of the bag with his 49% rambling....People are sick of the banks, and Wall Street abuses. Your party is over.

coyotehunter:

Just happens that my wife and I lucked out last weekend and got to watch a beautiful coyote making his/her rounds at the Mountain Preserve. Can't for the life of me imagine why anyone would want to kill such a creature - and brag about it. The potato goes in the front.

TO: rradiko who wrote:

"... I do agree with what Republican Governor Bobby Jindal has repeatedly said, that their party and their leadership have, "got to stop saying stupid things." If they continue to insult the intelligence of the voters, they're not going to win the vote. And as Donald Trump said at the CPAC, the GOP can't expect to win the vote if they continue on with their talk about cutting entitlements and immigration."

The only reason why I would take issue with that is because Republicans do say "stupid things" but that's what is in their hearts.

The first thing Republicans want, which is No. 1 on their "wish list" is to steal our Social Security money, which is why Republicans like to try to convince people that our "money is already gone" and then try to get us to vote away our Social Security money is schemes created by the GOP.

Republicans don't want to understand that sometimes the government uses our Social Security money to fund defense spending, among other things, and that money they borrow from us must be paid back.

While Republicans absolutely love to "borrow" money from anyone and anywhere possible, history tells us Republicans hate to pay back the money they love to borrow.

Democraps are the 'great pretenders' who talk the talk but can't walk it. Then, they point fingers at the gop and to former administrations that no longer exist in an attempt to make up for their shortcomings.

Obamacare is a travesty, the national debt is nearing $17 trillion, we're continuing to involve ourselves in wars that aren't ours, and offering a free ride to illegals who by entering this country illegally are criminals! Hope and change you can count on?! Only in your worst nightmares.

The GOP's message is weak. Their ideas are weaker. And their crop of candidates are weakest still, with no one on the bench or in the minors to fill the roster. My advice, cut loose the neocons and teabaggers and the party will grow. Maybe, in about 10 years you can attract some voters.

Well, the Repubs could implement all the recommendations suggested, but still they would lose, because for the simple reasons, they don't like black people, they don't like Latino people, and they hate women. The best thing for them to do would be to get as much money as they could all scrape together, build a time machine and all go BACK to the fifties, where they could all feel way more comfortable and actually fit in!!

Mr Priebus, The minorities, women and GLBT minorities did get your message.

Blacks, the poor and Hispanics had to stand in line for hours to vote because of your message. GLBT people cannot marry their preferred adult partner because of your message. Women are supposed to believe that rape is a right and that being invasively probed is also our right. Deciding when we have children, determining our own religious beliefs, and equal rights to men in the home or the workplace however are not our rights according to the GOP.

I am a white female with a STEM degree and my daughter recently graduated from a private school with a STEM degree, but neither of us will ever vote for the GOP in their current mode because we refuse to live as second class citizens in 1950s America. I grew up in the middle class because both of my parents were professionals, but I stopped supporting the GOP during the Bush#1 administration because their support of the rich, evangalicals and foreign wars.

Until you kick the TEAparty to the curb so they can form their own party(1840 or bust) and the rich republicans learn that Ayn Rand wrote fiction, then I'll continue to hold my nose and vote democratic because a 3rd party doesn't stand a chance.

TO: ProFreedom-5130956 who wrote:

"Democraps ... point fingers at the gop and to former administrations that no longer exist in an attempt to make up for their shortcomings ... Obamacare is a travesty..."

Republicans are trying to get away from all things George "Curveball" Bush did and want to blame "anybody" as long as Republicans don't have to stand up and take responsibility for their rotten failed economic policies, and then want to do the same things all over again that got us in trouble in the first place!

We're not going to vote for irresponsible Republicans who are compete and utter failures and who are unable to stand up for their own mistakes, and then have the audacity to stall our economic recovery after campaigning on a mantra of Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!!!

The more Republicans continue to refuse to accept responsibilty the more obsolete they're going to make themselves.

Realistic 17, I will agree with that african americcans were exited by the fact that Obama was black, But it goes without saying the black votewould have gone Democratic regardless. I still stand by my assertion. It is the same reason hispanics and asian americans broke dem.

Repubs would do better to listen to their concerns and craft policies that effect them that are not percieved as hostile. Like I said earlier, i want the 2 party system to work (and work together). i know it is my politics showing, but i tuely believe the far right wing has to much influence on the repubs and the reverse is not as tue. It helps the repubs in local elections, but nationally, not so much

We don't need 2 Democrats parties leading our Nation, Republicans failed to send their message and Democrats were expert in politics taking down their contender.Republican lost because Americans are turning to a Government dependency a good position for Democrats to attack Republicans and demagogue about their worry about the poor. Republicans can not cave into the Democrat position of Citizenship for illegals , position used for Democrats against our own country to get the Latino vote. Republicans must maintain the support to a strong defense, and continue fighting for an small government, individual responsibility, less regulation, lower taxes to promote job growth ,lower the debt and balance the budget. Republicans have to learn how to use sentiments instead the reason to get their mesage and reach the voters, because it is more efective , learn by the mistake but not cave in their principals .We got enough with a Democrat party that want to destroy our economy

Mark my words; if and when these preachers get control of the Republican Party, and they’re sure trying to do so, it’s going to be a terrible damn problem. Frankly, these people frighten me. Politics and governing demand compromise. But these Christians believe they are acting on the word of God so they can’t and won’t compromise. I know, I’ve tried to deal with them.

• Senator Barry Goldwater

First of all, they should quit lying. While they are spouting this disgusting B.S. they are working hard all over the country to continue to do all they can to obstruct the voters. They can't get their way honestly so they have to gerrymander the voting districts and create new requirements to vote. That's evil, just plain evil.

Coyote heap big hunter....thanks for replying the way you did......perfect example of a republicon....name calling the last resort and first resort!......Beep beep.............! Coyote you need to quit getting Ideas from the greedy rich 1% Acme company!................Beep beep!

Historically, what wins elections is bribing the electorate with borrowed money.

Well, if that is true then McCain should have won by a landslide! Just look at the numbers. Bush put more people in houses that couldn't afford them than any Democrat ever did! His American Dream Downpayment Act reduced Fannie Mae, Freddi Mac and FHA loan downpayments to 3% from 10%.

And then there is the dole. Over a 2year period at the end of Bush's two terms, he put 7 million poeple out of work and onto the dole! Why didn't they all vote for McCain, the Republican candidate?

Naaaw, there must be something wrong with your thinking.

@Tess--I know, it's way too sad to put into words. You should remember also, that a lot of women fought in Iraq and Afghan; died, lost limbs, and some forever scarred as well. Inside and out.

Here's what the Republicans can do:

1) Flush the christianists. Tell them they with their waving bibles are no longer welcomed or wanted. People of the same sex will marry people of the same sex throughout America and if Jeebuz doesn't like it he can bite it. Tell the christianists they can form their own party.

2) Flush the anti-capitalist, anti-free-enterprise corporatists like the Koch Bros. Tell corporations that if they outsource jobs they will be taxed at 99%. If they hire Americans and provide them with living wages they will get a huge tax-break. Support small businesses that will compete against corporations with huge tax breaks (and only if they hire workers at living wages). End "free trade."

3) Tell Sarah Palin to shut her rightwing woman's mouth and do what a rightwing woman is suppose to do: retreat to the shadows and tend to her husband, doing all the cooking and cleaning and waiting for him with his slippers, pipe and a martini (and she better look good when she does it or else not complain when he has to go elsewhere to find a real rightwing woman who will provide him with all her pleasures).

AmericanGirl

If you're the poster girl for the "progressive left" god help us all. Why don't you take some business courses and economics courses. It would do you a world of good. Take that hillbilly "livinginthewoods" to class with you.

So dr821....you thinking ......because you were duped to think that you are the same, live the same, hide your profits in offshore accounts like the rich 1%....that American girls is as ignorant as those who believe they are 1% when they are just middle class or poor?????.......Doh!

Repubbie Post Presidential check list:

1.) Perform autopsy 2.) Autopsy performed -GOP determined to be DOA since 11/06/12

3.) Dig grave

4.) Pour copious amounts of lime on stinking rotten corpse

5.) Fill in hole

6.) Cement over for use as dog park

7.) Declare National Holiday

8.) Most importantly "foggit about 'um"

9.) Mission accomplished

Study after study after study has confirmed the need to fool at least 76 percent of the people, a minimum of 83 percent of the time - focussing on the target rich areas of economics and crime.

They can collect all the data they want. The bottom line is they aren't going to like the results they get from it. It's only going to show that there is a fundamental shift in the way Americans are becoming politically and it isn't more conservative.

What I find interesting is that no where does their statement include the concept of working together to enrich the American people nor do they talk about why they should stop selling out to the special interests. Apparently they forgot the first three words of the Constitution, "We, the People"; it does not say "The GOP, as owned by special interest groups".

The GOP can convene all the focus groups, consultants, pollsters, report writers, etc. that they want to and until they kick the Tea Baggers out of the party or glue their mouths shut, nothing constructive will actually happen. The should have hired Dennis Miller to do the post-mortem; at least it would have been funny. A 100 page report that who is going to read?

JMagnum, thanks for the correction. I intended to include the gals in the numbers. I know of three soldiers within 7miles. A gal in the next town lost her leg; my neighbor's son three fingers. He was lucky; the fellow next to him absorbed much of the blast, but he survived. Lots of surgeries though. Former neighbor's brother had three tours in Iraq--almost 3 1/2 yrs there. I met him and from his attitude, appearance and carriage, he may have been special forces. He came home in one piece----physically. But his sis said he'll never be the same.

Top ten reasons I will never vote for Republicans to the office of the Presidency and also the top ten reasons I am no longer a Republican.

1. Failure on 911 and the lies given as the official story. Every year little bits of facts are being forged as to the real story and every year it looks more like a coup by the government to facilitate removing our freedoms and reasoning to spend from 400 billion in 98 to over 860 billion in 2010 - money that went to the 1% owners of the war machine.

2.The complete and utter proliferation of changing state and local laws as written by membership companies of ALEC - most were for privatization of public goods and services under the auspices that it would save money....it hasn't.

3. Their preoccupation of forcing Religious morals on society and fighting costly political battles again and again Example Roe vs Wade &Obama Care

4. Their deliberate attempts to help those who need it the least through tax cuts to the highest earners all in the name of trickle down.

5. Continued support of big oil at the expense of developing industries.

6. Complete disregard for the environment to induce even higher profits - Fracking companies do not have to abide by the Clean water and air act, cause it would cost too much. Allowing private companies to ruin BLM public lands

7.Republicans signing the Grover no tax increase pledge.

8. Claiming Fiscal Conservatism - They absolutely say one thing and do the opposite.

9. Global Terrorism - which really is Global Domination. The proliferation of world-wide military installations. In 1998 there were 470 bases in 63 countries with 1.3 million staff and an operating budget of 470 billion In 2011 there are over 900 bases in over 130 countries with over 2.5 million in staff at a budget of 800 billion per year.

If you look at a world map....these bases just happen to consistently be near large natural resources whether water, mineral or oil.

These bases are the leading cause for us to lend "Foreign Aid" - because without the payoff to the host country they would not allow it. Foreign aid is not foreign aid - it's rent due.

We do not need 900 or more military installations across the globe; unless of course the Republican desire is to rule the world.

10. They have done NOTHING to HELP America out of this depression I offer the following

44 Bills..........on Abortion
99 Bills..........on Religion
71 Bills .........on Family Relationships
36 Bills..........on Marriage
67 Bills..........on Firearms/Gun Control
522 Bills........on Lowering Corporate Tax
445 Bills........on Government Investigations

0 Bills………...on Jobs!!!!

ROY WILSON-336103

The Republicans should just stick to two simple messages and keep repeating them;

1 - The skyrocketing Debt will be devastating to the future of our children.

2 - The massive increases in the money supply to fund the Deficits will result in massive Inflation, high Interest Rates, and more Unemployment.

Again to Teapublicans it's all about messaging...not message. You just don't get it do you. The American People don't trust Republicans with little things like Social Security and Medicare. You simply can't regurgitate the same Supply-Side Economics crap with the rich getting richer at the expense of the middle-class and poor and talk about privatizing Social Security and Medicare. Perhaps that works for the rich...but the rich only make up about 10% of the population.

TO: oskar-1391552 who wrote:

"We don't need 2 Democrats parties leading our Nation, Republicans failed to send their message and Democrats were expert in politics taking down their contender. Republican lost because Americans are turning to a Government dependency..."

We Americans were minding our own business, going to work, going home, paying our bills, and trying to better our lives when George "Curveball" Bush and his terrorist henchmen decided to crash the entire United States Economy in the way that terrorist Osama Bin Laden had hoped for.

Why do Republicans try to shame everyone who was affected by the Republicans' 2nd Great Depression brought on by Republicans' failed economic policies and then do everything possible to stall our economic recovery?

Before they put on a new suit,they should take a shower...

Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin encapsulated the sentiment during her speech on Saturday before the Conservative Political Action Conference.

"Now is the time to furlough the consultants, and tune out the pollsters, send the focus groups home, and toss the political scripts," she said, "because if we truly know what we believe, we don't need professionals to tell us."

Sarah Palin personifies the Tea Bagger mentality: stubbornly refuse to face reality, and never compromise. That segment of the GOP will continue to erode any progress that might be made. The Tea Baggers are the heart and soul of the Stupid Party, and they will be its downfall.

Wait until they ask Ben Carson about assault weapons.

His "look" on guns will not look good to the NRA.

Liberals usually know how to spell and use some remote form of evidence based logic to their internet posts. I continue to wonder why this does not seem to be the case for anti-liberals?

Talk about typical!!?!!

A conservative who cannot even spell the word "dumb" is trying to insult the intelligence of others!!!?!

They need to reach out to women voters and educate them on "legitimate rape". That should help.

...and those "garden variety" slaps as well.

How about cutting the taxes on the lower and middle class to zero? If cutting taxes is the answer to our problems, then cutting the taxes on people who keep the money inside the country rather than outside of it would be a proper answer. The middle class takes their entitlement and spends it right back into the economy. Hello small business. The rich take their money and deposit it in offshore bank accounts so they can't even spend it themselves. How much of our money does the Grand Cayman need and why since they better not spend it either? Reset the taxes to zero until you earn over $250,000. Take the lid off social security and pay into it as long as we have an income.

I like the way you think spowers!

Get ready conservatives! Our day in the light and your day in the barrel is coming!! And, none too soon at that!

Palin Big Gulps her party for a cup of Tea, what a ragtag !!!

The repubs need to reach out to other people but they won't. Their attitudes won't let them. They are too exclusive, they know it, and they don't want to change. How do you change people that don't want to....you can't. You see it in their posts, and especially on here right after the election....mean callous people that think that 47% of us are moochers and waiting around with our hands out....not true, never was true, and never will be, but repubs think it, breathe it, and will never back away from it! Legitimate rape??? Vaginal probes? wth are they thinking???? None of the teabags focused on jobs, even tho they ran on that platform in 2010...they came right in with anti abortion rhetoric, anti planned parenthood, who help the poorest of the poor with everything from birth control to breast and pelvic exams, and then they fought against a woman's right to use birthcontrol and plan her family...good grief!!! And they are still fighting against all of these things. This will never win the women's vote...never!!!!

Yes it is a pity liberals still are dum, well thats life.

oh the irony...

Hey Corey, the word is "dumb".

Steve-1101648

Pity, they still don't get it.

Got THAT right. Right in their report, it says...

• Establish a new "Growth and Opportunity Inclusion Council" tasked with reaching out to Hispanics, African Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and other minority communities;
• Commit an initial $10 million to improving outreach to minority communities;

All well and good, but what they still don't get: Their outreach is all about selling their message.

Not once do they mention LISTENING to those "minority communities".

Translated, it's "We want you, as long as you do things our way". That's what wrong, GOP. Your way or the highway ain't gonna work any more.

Your message SUCKS, period.

Hey, Repubes: how about when you "reach out" to the people that you are forced to admit are storming your gates, the people that you have hated and feared for so long, how about you hold out a tax cut for the middle class, a machete for our out of control military spending, and some free birth control? That would be a start.

Also it's that's not thats.

The message was not weak. We heard it loud and clear and understood it.

The problem was the content and not the packaging, delivery, or the communications. The message played well to the GOP right wing core base which is not even a large majority of Republicans, and definitely a minority of voters in general. The country is much more moderate and centrist than the groups the GOP is targeting and who they believe make up the majority of their own party and independents. I suppose if you only consider white males, then those assumptions bare out, but women, minorities, and the youth vote that the Republicans did have are leaving the party in droves. Expecting to attract them back and target new voters by changing the marketing and recruitment tactics to be more friendly to groups they only want for the votes, but who's issues they still don't support in principal isn't going to be very successful. The demographics are changing and trying to win elections based on angry white males and old people who vote Republican regardless isn't a long term strategy that can work.

The GOP really has a much bigger problem they need to solve first, though. They need to distance themselves from the extreme right wing, religious right, and Tea Party and move more towards center embracing moderates or the party is on a path for the way out as a real player in national politics. The extreme right can either shut-up and settle for half a loaf or go start their own party, but the real Republicans would really like to get their old party back and are tired of it being hijacked by a small group of nutcases. Once the crazies are gone, then many voters may reconsider the GOP as a viable option. As long as the crazies still run the show, though, all the messaging they put out will fall on deaf ears.

We didn't get their message? We got it loud and clear, MORE money for the megarich and the big banks. I must say however, that the GOP is very loyal to their masters on Wall Street and the corporate boardrooms.

the GOP is very loyal to their masters on Wall Street and the corporate boardrooms.

.... and they're literally on their knees with loyalty (or something) in airport men's rooms.

corey:

You've illustrated the problem far more succinctly than anyone else on this thread.

Yes it is a pity liberals still are dum, well thats life.

• So Corey -- one thing those "dumb Liberals" are good at --- kicking the snot out of Republicans.

Roy Wilson is one of those who always says republicans need to emphasize more the seriousness of the debt but apparently isn't bright enough to realize we've been concerned about it since Bush was first elected and ignored both debts and deficits.

Sorry Roy but the last thing your party should bring up are debts and deficits because your party created both. You try to blame Obama for our trillion dollar deficits but ignore the CBO's revised warnings in the summer of 2008 that deficits would greatly exceed 1 trillion in 2009 and at least through 2011 whoever won. Hard to blame a man who hadn't even won his party for spending that simply matched CBO projections.

I've seen the (game) board; GOP loses...check and mate.

Priebus said Monday morning at the National Press Club, "As it makes clear, there’s no one reason we lost. Our message was weak; our ground game was insufficient; we weren’t inclusive; we were behind in both data and digital; our primary and debate process needed improvement."

In summary, this can be narrowed down to one reason indeed....YOU SUCK!!!!!

Corey-460457

Yes it is a pity liberals still are dum, well thats life.

And in response comes...

Charlie-1915998

So Corey -- one thing those "dumb Liberals" are good at --- kicking the snot out of Republicans.

As well as punctuation and spelling.

...and they're literally on their knees with loyalty (or something) in airport men's room.

Hey, Rorschach, you stole that from my comment about how Republicans listening would involve something entering an oriface! :-D

We have not addressed their other grand schemes, such as moving away from the convention model and hiring a Chief Technology Officer. I think that instead of primaries their candidates should just oil wrestle naked (being all men), and I hardly think that adding a new bureaucrat to try to teach these stuffed shirts how to jump on the "Harlem Shake" bandwagon and to tweet "I be down with the Clown" is going to do much good.

'Memba George H.W. Bush with the guitar? Yeah, not so cool.

These guys have a serious stick-up-ass problem.

Not knowing how to spell the word 'dumb'. Something truly sad about that.....

I was taught how to think - not what to think. What a critical, and often unrecognized, difference it is.

Amused Muse

Hey, Rorschach, you stole that from my comment about how Republicans listening would involve something entering an oriface! :-D

Two responses to that one...

1. When Republicans decide to get into politics, it's because there's nothing they find more seductive than public orifice. It gets 'em hot.

2. Don't think of it as theft. Larry Craig is like herpes - the gift that keeps on giving.

Preibus is telling the truth when he says that the GOP is calling for sweeping "reforms" for the 2016 presidential election:

From PFAW (People For the American Way:)

"Republicans are trying to steal the next presidential election by changing the way electoral votes are awarded in large “blue states.” It's come up in several places but Republican lawmakers in Pennsylvania are moving forward on a plan right now to rig the Electoral College to help ensure victory for GOP presidential candidates.

PFAW is fighting this right-wing effort nationally and we’re on the front line in Pennsylvania, where the Senate Majority Leader has introduced the electoral vote reapportionment bill (S.B. 538) and has half the number of votes it needs for passage in cosponsors alone. We have staff on the ground and activities aimed at turning up the pressure on Republican lawmakers to abandon this naked power grab.

Let’s be clear: this Electoral College rigging scheme is not just a Pennsylvania problem, this is a national problem. By applying these electoral rigging schemes in only blue states, and not nationally or in consistently red states like Texas, the Republicans are effectively rigging the game. If the plan had been in place last year in only the states that have recently seriously considered it -- Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, Wisconsin -- Mitt Romney could have walked away with as much as a 22-vote victory in the Electoral College despite losing the popular vote. The will of the people is now at stake."

http://site.pfaw.org/site/PageServer?pagename=GOPElectionRigging

Yes, the GOP is working hard to steal the 2016 presidential election.

The right wing will not rest until the greedy are totally free to, rule and ruin.

The GOP's mantra: "When you cannot win fairly - cheat, lie, change the rules and then declare an honest victory!"

The GOP will have to change the voting laws to win in 2016. The majority is going to vote GOP with all of their haters. Some of the things they say is just stupid. They turn of common sense people.

Babooph #2.1 -- Hahahahahahaha--yes!

And singing "I'm gonna wash that tea right out of my hair, I'm gonna wash that tea right out of my hair, I'm gonna wash that tea right out of my hair and send it down the drain!"

spowers

How about cutting the taxes on the lower and middle class to zero? If cutting taxes is the answer to our problems, then cutting the taxes on people who keep the money inside the country rather than outside of it would be a proper answer. The middle class takes their entitlement and spends it right back into the economy. Hello small business. The rich take their money and deposit it in offshore bank accounts so they can't even spend it themselves. How much of our money does the Grand Cayman need and why since they better not spend it either? Reset the taxes to zero until you earn over $250,000. Take the lid off social security and pay into it as long as we have an income.

That is the way to do it (even though I would lower the taxable income to $100,000). But does anyone think the rich will ever allow this? They own both parties. Heck, politicians in both parties are primarily members of the rich, including the Clintons (don't forget that Hillary, while a senator, worked with other Democratic senators to destroy an anti-oil bill in the House because she and her husband are huge stockholders in the oil industry and don't want to lose the lifestyle to which they've become accustomed).

Expecting politicians, whether Republican or Democrat, to do what's right for the working middle class (and to raise the working poor into the middle class) to make this a prosperous nation again ain't gonna happen. It's time to consider torches and pitchforks and bringing back the guillotine. It would be wonderful to see the likes of the Koch Bros. to Trump being led up onto the platform. Even Barbra Streisand, who once asked everyone to line-dry their clothes to save the environment and when her head maid was asked if Streisand does the same responded by saying: "she doesn't have to; she's a star," could use some good head-rolling. It's time to end the redistribution of income from the working middle class and the poor to the wealthy; it's time for the middle class and poor to get to keep their money and take it back and if the politcians won't do it, then we must.

Establish a new "Growth and Opportunity Inclusion Council" tasked with reaching out to Hispanics, African Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and other minority communities;

The fact that they need to "reach out to minorities" is telling. They have systematically excluded them and that is why they now must reach out. Do they believe minorities (who are set to become the new majority) will buy their B.S. just because they pander to them? Frankly, that's an insult.

You don't have to be Albert Einstein to see the negativity on Fox News, or hear Scott Brown's campaign staff mock Native Americans. You don't have to be some kind of genius to understand exactly what Romney meant by his "47%" comments. We can all hear Limbaugh, Beck and Coulter...and their rhetoric is not inclusive because they are not inclusive people.

The Republican attitude is: I've got mine, F--- you.

You can't change a leopard's spots.

How about stopping the lying and telling the truth? They spoon feed us with information that might push forward their agenda and not ours. I noticed there was an ominous absence of doing anything for our senior citizens. With their numbers of 68 million and the number of people between the ages of 15 and 54, those 235 million pull the strings - people that have been trained to care nothing for anyone but themselves.

It wasn't that the message was weak. It's that the message was too strong. When you get muddled down in a definition of legitimate rape, you know you're not talking about what you want to be talking about. The GOP needs less crazy candidates, not more crazy candidates.

They still have not answered the question: what is the GOP for? What do they believe in? Aside from convincing women that rape is ordained by God, whose angels gift-wrap rape babies as "blessings," that is?

The traditional role of GOP is to look out after the interest of the wealthy. Individuals and Corporations which are owned managed by wealthy. Thing is, It's not the GOP of Eisenhower anymore. The Wealthy folks now are a very, small percentage of the population and getting smaller - but way richer. This means fewer votes for them. More votes for the people who want money, rights, and things from gubmint as social welfare. It was bad politics for Romney to say that many voters want things from gubmint. Wrong because his truth is viewed as an insult by those people he was referring to. But the rich folks he'd like to cater toward, are beneficiaries of a lot of welfare they arranged through lobbying to make themselves richer. They are just like the social welfare recipients they detest, they just dress better and live in over sized mansions. They receive their gubmint benefits through corporate maneuvers and practices many of which were illegal decades ago. They lobbied to get those practices legal. But they think their stuff doesn't stink. Both parties have ruined the US. Repubs are corporate welfare all the time, the Dems are social welfare all the time. And between them, they have simply wrecked the greatest society that once was.

Goody! Now we'll get to listen to the same old bible thumping and bigotry through beefed-up social networking. Or hear it from famous conservative celebrities. Let's see, there's Gary Sinise, Frasier, Ted Nugent, and... well I guess that's about it.

Ron, don't forget Pat Boone. That has-been has to have his 15 seconds of fame as well--calling Obama a fascist!

Charlie... "Don't overestimate the decency of the human race." H.L. Menken

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them (because) no problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. We shall require a substantially new manner of thinking if mankind is to survive." Albert Einstein

Good quotes, Sam-3910152!

Their big problem lies in the fact that the religious crazies completely control their party. And they control the primaries and who gets nominated. I don't know how they can fix that without starting a whole new party whose "litmus " test would be : " No more religious screwballs".

Don't forget about the gun nuts.

They just trotted out Ben Carson because he looks black. They forgot that he is a neurosurgeon in inner city Baltimore where many of his patients are victims of gunshots.

Wait until he talks about gun control.

PS - He also believes in evolution!

I agree, Ed Burke. The new millenium seems to have brought about paranoia and doomsday fantasies in a certain segment of the populace.

We are at a religious tipping point now, much as mankind was in the days when worshipping the sun began to fall out of favor. Mature, educated people who use reason and reject what is illogical are finding it very difficult to buy into religious dogma.

People of faith would do well measure their dogma against common sense.

Your "message was weak" because you still cling to a failed ideology and embrace the far-right fringe kooks in your starring line-up. You prop people like career politician Paul Ryan up, spouting his "ideas" about a randian utopias, while conveniently forgetting that he owes government assistance for everything he is today. You ostracize the most popular members of your party because they DARE to give credit where credit is due, you cheer the idea of people dying at the doors of hospitals if they don't have health insurance while gnashing your teeth over a system that requires them to buy that same insurance.

They ran a collection of nuts in the primary and one by one they were eliminated as they said stuff so stupid their own party said "what'd you just say?" The guy standing in the end, Romney, a tax cheat, who made himself wealthy treating businesses in trouble like a ship wreck. He dismantled them for scrap value keeping an oversized chunk for himself. Then took the money to offshore accounts - because he could. Because people like him lobbied for and got the law changed so he could hide his money and how he got it. Then he made his 47% speech and calls others welfare queens. The GOP doesn't have a prayer if they can't see the lying, deceit and prejudice in that. It sure as heck isn't how you are going to build a bigger stronger America.

Excellent, succint analysis of the 2012 GOP presidential primary lineup.

kaybee:

My wife and I were discussing this enigma this weekend. A very good argument can be made that some of us are retreating to caves (doomsday bunkers), and arming ourselves with an arsenal of big clubs (firearms) in order to repel whatever the hell it is we are convinced is coming.

We concluded that we wouldn't even want to 'survive' the scenario they imagine - and may well be fomenting.

Just grab the popcorn, SDN! Too bad it isn't a commodity traded on the stock exchange. But maybe we can make a killing placing bets on which militia storms the vacant lot next to the Alamo Dart Board wholesaler. 500 quatloos on the Neo-Know-Nothing Party (Yazoo City affiliate)!

muse:

Have I descended into the apparently gaping delusional abyss, or are these folks reverting to a Cro-Magnon social order? In 5 short years, and they've devolved 35 millennia. At some point it's inevitable that they will realize they've spent their kids college education on the worlds most expensive storage shed. Not to worry, their opinion of 'liberals' - whomever they are - will still be epithetical.

Is 'critical thinking' in fact dead?

At some point it's inevitable that they will realize they've spent their kids college education on the worlds most expensive storage shed.

Not to mention an arsenal of expensive weapons and ammo that they will likely never use. What dupes!

And the dem's seem to have forgotten about freedom. As long as they keep giving away the peoples money they will stay in office.

President Chaney gave away trillions to the 1%.

We want them to give it back - the 99% paid for all those dressage horses.

Corey-numbers, you are the problem, not the cure, you leave a large segment of our country out when you talk about these kinds of freedom. The fact is we must fund our government, that is not "taking money away" and "giving" it to others. The people you are worried about is actually a very small minority of people. But you hurt many others in the process. Most would rather go to work if they could make a livable wage. You people are even against paying people a decent wage, it has failed the middle class. it has increased the impoverished people that you hate so. Your way just don't work for this or any other country.

So much great advice from Viners here. But it begs the question—why doesn't the Republican Party just go away? They are so screwed up, so completely out of touch, so against anything positive, so determined to blame the poor, elderly, and disabled for our economic problems, and so arrogant that their members have become nothing but lunatic-fringe crazies. I'm not a Democrat either, and hate Party politics,n which I believe is destroying our country. But I would be downright embarrassed to say I was Republican these days.

The GOP has given more money away than any democrat. 90 bil a year in subsidies to big oil, ins co., and pharma. Its easy to pick out the fox news watchers here. You guys need to do some research before you post. 50 bil goes to "welfare" 90 to corporate welfare..... who would you rather help? Companies making millions in profits or the working poor? Senseless dribble for the low information voter.....

What I don't understand is why a party can't be fiscally conservative and socially moderate. Why is it that if I agree that we need to get our fiscal house in order, I also have to deal with a RNC platform that denies marriage equality, is anti-birth control and pushes god down my throat.

Corey-460457

And the dem's seem to have forgotten about freedom. As long as they keep giving away the peoples money they will stay in office.

Want a Hollywood example of the type of world Corey#'s and his GOP believes in? Watch the movie "In Time" staring Justin Timberlake.

Replace money with time, give the GOP majority rule and that's we're we will be.

Kathy-531928

That reminds me of the joke about the priest who named his penis God.

corey:

Not altogether, the ladies (and more than a few of us men)have their knickers in a knot about a Southern Senator dictating what they can or cannot do with their reproductive organs. Can you imagine? Do you suppose the 'liberal conspiracy' will attempt to marginalize this Senator's rights to demand such authority?

We know for a fact that Rush (what do you get when you take 'civil' out of 'civilization'?) Limbaugh can call anyone's daughter a 'slut', or whatever else he imagines, whenever the rage compels him. What happens when he singles out your wife, girlfriend, daughter?

And the dem's seem to have forgotten about freedom. As long as they keep giving away the peoples money they will stay in office.

Well, we have seen the Republican idea of freedom. 7 million people out of work and free to starve were it not for food stamps.

No, thank you!

I turned Rush off when he called Chelsea Clinton a dog when she was like what 14???

Rush is an a$$.

Me too!

Three!

I will never vote for another republican. The Bush administration reversed that for me, for all time. They did whatever they wanted to do and lied like dogs about it, Bush sounded like he was telling bedtime stories to little kids when talking about WMD's. That is what put this country in the hole - trillions of dollars worth, now THEY have the audacity to blame it on the poor, the sick, the aged. If a country can't take care of those groups then it is all over for that country. This country has the ability to do this, because we always have done it, the problem now is racism plain and simple. The rich just can't stand the idea of somebody using the system and existing without contributing to society, like a lot of them got rich doing. There will always be non-productive people looking for the easy way, don't throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Another huge issue is guns. Can't turn on the TV or computer without hearing about another mass shooting, but they steadfastly stick to their "guns" and won't even do the sensible thing, which is ban high capacity mags. Abolish the NRA and do the sensible thing, which is let private citizens keep their guns for self-defense as long as they are law-abiding, jail the criminals for life when committing a crime with a gun - no parole.

Then there's the CEO's and their corporate officers, who are taking huge amounts of money out of our pockets, millions of dollars in salary, much more in bonuses and stock options. This boosts the price of everything for us and waters down the stock, and if they do a poor job they are punished with a huge severance package so they can walk across the street and get a big signing bonus from the next board of fools. All this for flying around making flowery speeches, loving to hear themselves talk. I've met a few of them, and was never impressed. Why, because none of them had a clue about what their companies actually did, whether it was manufacturing or service.

Get rid of lobbying, tax offshore accounts, or go to a flat tax. In essence, let's make our government be fair and equitable to the majority - that's why we have government. Our society does not have to be this chaotic, all it takes is some common sense, and if our reps don't want to do it then vote them out. With the internet and all this social media there is no reason why the voice of the people can't be heard loud and clear.

The R party is losing members, like you guys. But it's richer than ever ! They are consolidating wealth. Koch brother style. It matters not to them if the run the U.S. bus into the ditch. They will simply walk off with piles of wealth we can't even imagine. All us fools on the bus will deal with the damage, casualties and cleanup. We'll be like Greece or Ireland but it'll not be as much fun as St. Paddy's Day !

Ireadyou:

Don't forget corporate America among the blessed. A national or worldwide severe 'recession' or a 'depression' isn't of much concern to those of us with several hundred million socked away offshore, or wherever. Hire a private security force, move to a tropical island, and exploit the population - just like back home.

While the GOP is talking about outreach to women and Hispanics, the states are passing the most punishing restrictions to both in ND, AR, and AZ. Talk about mixed messages.

I'm not sure many understand the ramifications of what's going on here. Essentially, the Republican establishment seems to be giving up on principle. It claims to be the party of smaller government, but only embraces crushing, nanny, tyrannical, welfare-state government at a slightly slower rate. Don't these people understand that unless there's a principled difference between them and the Democrats, there's no reason to vote for them? And our social agenda as a people? It's set by Hollywood and the major media and anyone who dares to object or dissent from their orthodoxy is villainized, marginalized, isolated, and ridiculed.

Oh, we can embrace hedonism and materialism and doing-whatever-the-hell-we-want, ignoring the consequences. But sooner or later they come home to roost and people who refuse to govern themselves reap the whirlwind.

SDN: agree. Lamarquise: Agree also, The R's are going to walk differently than they talk. They will embrace Romney's 47% and offer benefits to get the votes. They aren't as good at math as they think. While compiling wealth they have lost votes. A smaller but richer membership gets you nowhere at the voting booth. They PO'd African Americans, Latinos, Women and many men. They do not represent working people unless they are in the top 15% of income. There is nothing sadder than the bubba who needs a dental plan spewing this R mantra of Protect the rich cause they provide jobs. Sure they do, jobs that don't pay medical, no retirement, and no dental. They tell their workers to sign up for medicaid. They just about run out the trickle down idea. Even weakminded folks are learning. A dumb animal figures out an electric fence after a while. In the future the R's are going to have a bidding war with the Dems to offer gubmint benefits to garner votes. Once in office they will weight gubmint action to continue the wealth concentration of their base. They will only offer the commoners enough to get votes. Enough Commoners will go for it because they sell themselves out too cheaply. With both parties selling gubmint benefits for votes, how long do you think the US will stay afloat ?

The message most recently conveyed by the GOP that is killing them is that they are not empathetic with others unless it affects them personally (i.e. GOP senators changing position on gay marriage only after it affects their families). Not being able to understand and have compassion on a social issue UNTIL it affects you relegates you to appearing very selfish and hypocritical. While the decision reached may be the right one, little points are gained for reaching it when it is so blatantly self centered.

Corey, you're probably hanging around in the wrong places.

And if you're goiung to accuse Democrats re-writing the Constitution give us some examples.

Your bias is showing...

Because they see themselves as victims.

but then how come, most liberals I meet are the meanest people?

Perhaps you don't know many liberals?

its the dem's who want to rewrite the constitution.

What constitutional amendments have been proposed by Democrats?

YOU ARE SO RIGHT CHARLIE! Straight, to the point, and simple...hopefully, someone with some brains in the RNC will read this and really, really think about it...my Republican friends deserve better,

For Corey (who can't even spell 'dumb')... you realize, don't you,that the Constitution was written as a 'living' document? In case you don't know what that is, it's a document that must change over time. You RWNJs just don't get it do you?

The above list is why the GOPs have such a long way to go. How does one transform from a racist, gun-toting elitist overnight, especially when there is no real desire to do so?

I dont hear democrats wanting a constitutional ammendment on marraige, I dont hear democrats wanting to suceed from the union.... re write the constituion/ More conservative failed talking points. I firmly believe in a 2 party system.... but the lunatics on the right are keeping "normal" republicans from being heard. Just keep up the palin, trump, santorum, cain, perry, bachman stuff and you guys will go down in the history books like the the wigs.... eventually your party will self implode. Your teetering on the edge now. Good luck with immigration!

Play nice, one way would be to tune the radio and TV out that is telling the lies that Corey believes. Rush Limbaugh and his field of wanna bees, have led the republicans down the path they are taking and that is not a good thing, as we can see by election results. There will always be the Coreys of the world but the main body of the GOP need to learn to ignore them.

With the naming of a new Pope, and the CPAC meeting over the last few days, I can't help but see parallels between the Republican party and the Catholic church. Both organizations say they need to change but when it comes down to actually changing they vote for more of the same.

Charlie. I totally agree with your sentiments.

Look at the absolutely ugly, vintage performance Sarah Palin put on.

Rude, disrespectful, nasty, terminally angry, dressed up like some kind of weird biker chick and always looking for the nearest camera.

And, Rand Paul. So pleased with himself at his ridiculous and wasteful 13 hour filibuster.

And, Donald Trump ... jetting in from the last episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" so he can drop another barb about Obama's birth certificate.

What a bunch of self-important losers!

Charlie, you left out stop saying you will increase defense spending.

Charlie, you hit the nail right on the head...excellent post, and I agree with every point that you made!

Charlie - you have it wrong. The GOP is not bad mouthing anyone certainly not Women, Hispanics or Blacks. Where they have failed is getting caught up in "emotional" issues that are played by the democratic party and the media. If you look at races on the state level versus the federal level you will see a huge difference in how those groups vote.

In state races when it comes to social issues us blacks, the Hispanics and Women voters often vote against things as abortion, gay marriage etc. On the national level it is not even a consideration. An example is in California Prop 8 which was about gay marriage was hugely defeated because of the black and Hispanic vote. We do not believe in abortion or gay marriage but in the next breath for the most part we do not want the federal government involved in it.

Its like guns. We believe in our right to carry arms and do not want to see it changed. We believe that the federal government has been over-reaching its boundary for some time on a host of issues.

On immigration we believe that the border and immigration are two separate issues. We believe the government should properly secure the border and then have a proper policy on immigration. Hopefully it will be resolved.We believe in the death penalty and an eye for an eye.

We also know that liberal whites "believe" they are helping us "poor blacks" and keep throwing money at us. Those white liberals are the fools because they believe they are making a real difference. The difference they are making is handing out money while we stock pile it

So where the Republicans have made the mistake is engaging in false arguments that have no real relevance to any of us. As long as the democratic party hands out money it will be taken until there is no more to be handed out then we will take the rest.

cory:

The fundamental problem my be that you label the 'mean people' you meet 'liberals'. That's often referred to a 'convoluted logic'.

Charlie - you have it wrong. The GOP is not bad mouthing anyone certainly not Women, Hispanics or Blacks.

Well Bubba Boudreaux -- you may want to several Women, Hispanics and Blacks about that. I think they may disagree with you. Remember-- the majority of each of those demographics have been voting against for the past several election cycles or longer. You also LOST young people, college graduates, Asians -- just about every demographic except old, white people. Those are the facts. And as long Republicans continue to believe that the only reason they're losing these groups is because "democratic party hands out money" , that insane "Free Stuff" argument, you will continue to lose them.

What Bubba does not realize is that, historically, when the economy suffered so that people lost jobs, had no viable means of making a living, and had no assistance to re-educate themselves in another industry, there was no potential for personal improvement. The assistance they eventually did receive allowed them to re-educate themselves or be re-trained in another industry. Cutting everyone loose without any safety net completely eliminates the potential for that happening. Without some sort of assistance, there is no money for transportation, no money for classes or books, no money for food, utilities, rent. And, of course, a greater potential for commiting crimes just to survive. If given the opportunity to work, the vast majority of people would be thrilled to have a job, and not just meager minimum wage which would not be enough to either improve oneself or pay the rent. By giving assistance, you are, in fact, eventually improving the economy by improving the status of consumers and the earning and spending capacity of them. There will always be lazy undesirables who consider a welfare check a "paycheck." That is always difficult to correct because they have never been introduced to the pride of accomplishment. However, you cannot forsake those who are anxious to work just because you have those who have a sense of entitlement for just being alive.

And one more thing, Bubba. How do you explain the Republicans pushing for voter redistricting in the Southern States? Don't you think this is a ply to negate the black voters' votes, who generally vote Democratic?

Jvalen, you equate the Catholic Church with the Republicans regarding inability to change. The vast difference there is that, basically, the Church adheres to religious doctrine, the Bible and its inherent restrictions and prohibitions. The Church is not politically motivated or looking for votes to install their candidates anywhere to influence legislation beneficial to the church or its heirarchy. The Church does, however, through donations of its parishioners, spend milliions of dollars annually supporting the poor, abused women and children, and the ill all over the world of ANY FAITH. They do not withhold assistance because of race or withhold aid to non-Catholics. Their contributions and support are non-denominational. It is always the recipient's choice if they wish to attend the church; it is not a requirement or restriction.

I do not think the Republican party would ever be able to claim credit for that type of empathy, generosity or "real" Christian behavior. Rather, if you differed somewhat from its core beliefs, you would never become a revered member of the party.

Charlie - you have it wrong. The GOP is not bad mouthing anyone...

Mitt Romney, Republican candidate for president, May 17, 2011:

“There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what … who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims. … These are people who pay no income tax. … and so my job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”

Rick Santorum, Republican hopeful for presidential candidate, Feb, 1994:

Rick Santorum warned voters of a growing menace that was "breeding more criminals" and threatened to destroy America from within: single mothers.

Sarah Palin, Republican vice presidential candidate, July, 2012:

“Well, first off, Nancy Pelosi is a dingbat."

Joe Wilson, Republican, 11/2009

During President Obama's major health care speech on Wednesday, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson (R) yelled out "You lie!" when the President said the legislation would not mandate coverage for undocumented immigrants.

And so on... The list is endless! Have you been living under a rock?

The only time the GOP looks strong is when it torpedoes women's legal reproductive rights........

Is that looking strong, or looking like a bully?

@ Lori.......for the repubs, being a bully is the GOP way of being strong.

yeah, like the truth.

Corey, your comments are irrelevant to this discussion. How about putting forth IDEAs to improve the GOP and hopefully restore the two party system to this country?

I once voted GOP, until they started badmouthing moderates and those seeking pragmatic solutions irrespective of party labels.

They REALLY don't get it.

Americans want welfare and not opportunity

Americans worry about what others have not what their own goals are

Americans want worthless government jobs not producing jobs because they are easy

In short what Americans want is Bankruptcy and guess what? By the time Minorities are in full control and the day is coming America will have already collapsed under the weight of their give me entitlement attitude.

I agree the GOP is not the right tool for today's world. I am not religious and want to see religion gone from politics (no Muslim or other influence either) for starters. I could care less about abortion, gays, marriage, family values or any of these issues either way and I suspect a lot of folks feel this way.

The GOP needs to be replaced with something worthwhile and a message of REAL prosperity achievable for all. A world where folks don't have to depend on government support and where they are not taxed into oblivion if they do succeed.

Obama's vision of a taxed state and jobs meaning government jobs is indeed a horrible vision and one which should turn even minorities away but around the world the pendulum is swinging socialist and now there is even talk in some places of just TAKING the money to pay for socialism.

Folks forgot Stalin and Hitler and here we go again worrying about what others have and not about what we need to do as individuals... Sorry state.

There is some hard truth to what you say GHX,

Too bad nobody is going to listen when you have it mixed up with that anti-minority, anti-government bull@!$%#.

This country cannot possibly exist without a strong federal government and that takes taxes, like it or not.

I am not too happy about the fact that apparently BOTH political parties no longer care about enforcing our imigration laws either but, the fact is this has always been a diverse country and it likely always will be. Again like it or not, the uninvited diversity of the country is not likely to change.

Extremists on both sides of the political fence want to live in some sort of utopia. Sorry, this is real life and it's a bitch!

There is no truth to GHX, just the same garbage, Americans, at least very few would rather get a hand out then to earn their own way. Government jobs are necessary, not a luxury as you seem to think. GHX, you are one of the most cynical people I have ever read. You are actually the problem. For crying out loud, get an education other then Fox TV. No rich guy has ever filed for bankruptcy because of being over taxes. It is still just a portion of their wealth and you know that. How sick of you to equate that once one gets rich they are under no obligation to pay their taxes.

By the time Minorities are in full control...

How would a minority group ever get in control of our government? That's more Rush rhetoric, will never happen. If you're so afraid of minorities maybe someday you'll be one and know how they get treated. Have a little tolerance and care about your fellow man, it might make you feel better about yourself and life in general.

a minority gains control when the majority allows control to be taken. When you have liberal whites with their "guilt" and they believe they are "helping" then that is when you have a power shift. White liberals actually believe that when the minority gains power they will still be needed. Most people believe that the minority's are black, Hispanics, Asians etc... that is not the case. The minority are those people in which the government creates a block of people dependent upon the government. Trust me they are of all colors, races, creeds, religions...

These are simple messages that even the 'low information voters' will understand, and there is no doubt that we will have to deal with these problems in the near future. They need to make sure that Obama is held responsible for the economic consequences of his policies

Roy Wilson: You want your simple message to reach low intellect voters not low information ones. Why would any republican want to stress our debt and deficit problem when every poll ran before the election indicated most Americans blamed Bush and republicans for the wars and tax cuts?

"Americans, at least very few would rather get a hand out then to earn their own way."

Key words -- at least very few. But Republicans think it's 47% and then go on to insult almost half of the population.

47% IS the actual number. Might be higher now. Obama is marketing American in Mexico with ads about food stamps!!!

I for one am taking my tech company and moving and I know "don't let the door hit you on the ass" , but once all the whites are gone who is going to pay your welfare and all those babies?

Sorry, but I am disgusted with the group I see coming up from the south. At least Blacks are trying to make a better life and Asians kick butt, but Latins? babies and welfare.... The original illegals are actually hard working industrious types but their offspring???????

yes I just love Dem's too. I love the hole they are digging, and soon the country will love them all too. If they ever wise up.

Corey, see my previous comment.

Obama is already looking at next years elections realizing there better be some new jobs available and he needs to change his evil ways if he is to stand a chance of gaining the Congress. Even minorities can only be fooled so long.

GHX, its not Obama, it is the GOP's you send to congress to obstruct anything that might help this country. No one is fooled but you, and those like you.

And here we have it, folks: two stalwarts of the failed GOP, Corey and GHX, closing their eyes and plugging their ears, and screaming "Lalalalalalalala! I can't hear you!" Keep it up, guys. You cannot even convince yourselves anymore.

@GHX..........thanks to Obama my retirement portfolio has rebounded form the dump it had to take thanks to Bush's deficit spending for two wars and his huge tax cuts for the wealthy.

ghx:

His 'evil ways'. And you wonder why 'liberals', Democrats and Independents dismiss conservative opinions and assessments? It's all we hear from the Republican/conservative encampment - Palin, Trump, Boehner, Rove, Coulter, O'Reilly, et al. Nothing addressing the issues Americans want resolved - simply a nonstop tirade of sophomoric epithets. Take this attitude into any marital discussion, business meeting, or community gathering and see what it gets you.

So SDN your answer to Americas problems is to raise taxes (to the maximum level given more is better) and then kick back on the wealth!!!

Did you know the FED is kicking in $85,000,000,000 a month and most of it is going to the rich ala Obama!

And I could vote for the old democrat party not the socialist one it seems to be now. Once my whole family was Democrats.

Corey my wife and I used to be Democrats. Today we vote republican because they are the lesser of two evils and frankly if you REALLY look at Obama he acts a LOT like GB even is he does sing a different song.

Under Obama the rich are getting richer. I just heard another 800,000 millionaires were created in the last few months by the stock market rally for one. Do you know of ANY poor minorities or poor in general who benefited from this?

IMO Obama was installed by the banking sector and he certainly tows the line!

Do you both realize that your comments are exactly what the GOP needs to change? No, neither of you do, and that's what is wrong with your party and your thinking. Sigh....

You and your wife must be on a different planet

I could never fathom the constant threat one must feel to vote democrat. If thoughts that have been voiced ( and this topic unsuprisingly has brought all the little crows ) were this volacious, they would go largely unspoken, at least in this public context on a message board. Why? Confidence in one's belief doesn't need 50,60 other posters to confirm one's thoughts. The ONLY way it appears to me, to even justify this filth is call the block of repub voters things they are not. Every little accusation on here towards the GOP, funny enough, is voiced BY the GOP to Democrats. Democrats do not care about the minority voter, if anything voting for democrat has gotten them nowhere! If democrats support all these fringe voters, why do they feel so threatened by the norm? Do Democrats REALLY believe we are all racist rednecks, that do not believe in evolution, kindness or compassion? You really think almost half of this country is that cold? Sorry, it isn't, and I also believe many democratic voters have this country and its people also in their interest. It's the best way to achieve it is where the differences lie.

Blogs and message boards like this make me believe more and more often, how narrow minded, assuming , and immature democratic voters are. I'm a minority... I'm 24 COLLEGE grad that votes GOP. I'm educated, very open minded, and not what you would consider a GOP voter to those ignorant of who we are. That is one advantage the GOP HAS had, they understand democrats in a more practical manner than the other way around.

Talk of the GOP in deathrows holds no weight for me, they lost 2 elections, but have won 5 to your 4 in the past 30 years. If the GOP truly was done, the threat of them becoming relected would be minimized, and a political skewed leftist site like MSNBC wouldn't even bother putting this up.

Your average trailer trash white angry male, by the way, votes Democrat. It's a guaranteed hand out. Trust me, I know.

I'm in Sales, and can see everyday the difference of consumer independence and confidence, and nothing AT ALL leaves ME to believe the Democrats can deliver any better ( and much worse often times) an atomosphere for business ( yes, the enemy to you D's ) than a Republican in office.

The fact of the matter is, the LOUDEST are typically the most EXTREME, and not as important, serviced, or the majority of what either party they recognize with truly assembles.

Your average trailer trash white angry male, by the way, votes Democrat. It's a guaranteed hand out. Trust me, I know.

Comments like that are why Republicans have lost 4 of the last 6 presidential elections, lost the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 presidential elections and have an approval rating in the low 30s. Yo don't win elections by insulting people.

I'm in Sales, and can see everyday the difference of consumer independence and confidence, and nothing AT ALL leaves ME to believe the Democrats can deliver any better

Well -- take a look at the DOW. When Bush left office it was 8000. Today it's over 14,500. The financial community seems to disagree with you. For the record -- I'm in sales also and in sales it's all about results. 14.500 is a better result than 8000.

I used to vote Republican way, way back, before it became the party of corporate America. In fact I used to consider corporate America to be well-trusted pretty much across the board. About 12 years ago things started to change, now you must read the small print or suffer the consequences. Everything gets downsized but the price goes up, almost everything is made in China, Viet Nam, India or elsewhere. The stock market used to be pretty much on the up and up, now they trade 24-7 and the big boys get their choice first and also influence the prices by pump and dump, buying huge quantities and when joe blow puts his little retirement fund in there they gobble it up. It has become a ruthless country, and the repubs have accelerated it all by changing or doing away with the regulations that have protected society for so long. Today all protection is gone due to our civil liberties being trashed after 9-11, all repub backed strategies. Now they accuse Obama of not being a citizen, being a Muslim, being part of a conspiracy to ruin the country (a little late), and everything else under the sun. Now they want to discontinue social security and tax private pensions, do away with medicare and make the poor people pay the rich people's share of the taxes. I have conservative values but I am also tolerant for the most part of my fellow Americans and there religious and ethnic differences, so now I vote democrat.

You make some good points being who you are, but you do seem a bit nieve,

Your average trailer trash white angry male, by the way, votes Democrat. It's a guaranteed hand out. Trust me, I know.

I think you will find a good 40-50% of those you mention will vote GOP.

ThickSkinn, I have two old gal friends whom you might call "trailer trash" because they are retired, moved out of either homes or unpleasant apartments and bought mobile homes. For the life of me, I simply cannot convince them to vote Democratic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The financial world AGREES that the FED pumping $85,000,000,000 each and every month into the stock market is a good thing. Apart from this there is no recovery and no economy - just $85,000,000,000 a month in printed FED money.

YOU CALL THAT RECOVERY???????

That IS the Obama recovery!!!!!! and when at last it stops??? OOPS!!!! Look out below!

IDIOT big time!

And you must be the typical socialist democrat why are you not in office? You could do alot of good for this country. After all, people like you is what the 50.4 percent want for now. Just keep that head in the sand.

Corey-460457 writes, "After all, people like you IS...". People like you IS? If, Corey darling, I said to you that the word "people" is a plural noun and therefore takes a plural verb, you wouldn't know what in blazes I am talking about. And in the same vein, if I or some other "libtard" tried to explain to you some fundamentals of socialism and how socialism has long been a part of the American economic and social scene and how it has contributed to the collective wealth of our nation, I doubt very much whether you would comprehend. However, I personally find it refreshing and exhilarating that people like you can come to these "discussions", loaded with an arsenal of ignorance and unadulterated prejudice, and scream and wail about all of us "DUM" people who IS running and ruining this country. Corey-460457, I implore you, beseech you, encourage you to keep writing your thoughts here. They are both enlightening and entertaining.

Poor ole dumb Corey 460457 probably got his education from watching faux "news."

Yanni, the poor are self loathing and the middle class are joining them in record numbers under Obama because the business environment is so bad.

You need to stop worrying about what other have and focus on what YOU want to achieve. I know this is a lot harder under Obama with all his tax increases and handouts but it can still be done.

Do you REALLY believe success in America is a welfare check away?

GHX read the article people like YOU are what is wrong with the GOP. Wake up.

OK, minorities are great and DESERVE welfare and food stamps? Can I get elected now?

GHX

Have you ever gone back and checked how many clicks on the arrow of your posts ever happen? If you did, you would see that nobody does! The reason for that is that no one thinks what you have to say makes any sense and they don't support your position.

You might in the future research your facts by seeking information from more varied sources to get a full picture of the topics you are talking about. Unfortunately many of the negative comments made by many individuals here rely on one source. Most of your reflections seem to lean toward only one source! I would suspect that your a follower of Faux (French for FALSE ) News!

the problem is the Democratic party allowed themselves to be infected with socialism. That is what started the tea party.

Take from the rich and give to the poor.

It has never worked before why would it now?

GHX - No ,busness is bad because they aren't reivesting in America , they're just pocketing the profits. this in it self raises their taxes. They are taxed on NET profit ,remember?

Well, the Tea Party is imploding, Corey. It started out talking about economic issues, and I appreciated that (as I am more conservative on economic issues than many Democrats, but very socially liberal), but they allowed themselves to get sucked into the same old social issues that are killing them.

You really give a lot of power to the Democrats in your comments. Why, thank you. It's a compliment. Who is portraying themselves as "victims" again?

Corey, don't be ridiculous. Socialism, you say? Where in the democratic platform or in Obama's presidency do you see wholesale nationalization of industry, centralized planning of production or worker's control in the factories? Leftist politics moved away from any real socialism decades ago - into ideas just as flawed in other ways if you ask me, but that's another matter - but the general public has no real thirst for a truly libertarian economics either. Your Tea-Party would be the first to march in the streets in the face of a government truly small enough to drown in a bath tub.

Corey - Do you even know what Socialism is??????

GM? Citi, Bank of America, Chase, Solyndra?

We nationalized a LOT and got Jack!

Socialism is a system where each person gets an equal share regardless of intelligence, effort or output and each person loses an equal share based on intelligence, effort and output.

It is a proven way to destroy a country and the morale of its people!

It is Obama's dream for America and the ONLY thing standing in his way is Congress!

Corey, pull your head out of your ass!

Yes, both political are completely corrupt and bought and paid for by the interests of big money! We ALL know that!

BUT! But, there is only one party actually promoting and running on the idea that, that level of corruption is not only legitimate but positive in nature and the "American way" and I can assure you it is not the @!$%#ing Democrats!

Quit your damned bellyaching and pay you stinking taxes like everybody else!

The poor are doing so well under Obama and he is still big on trickle down economics making the rich richer, bailing out big banks and keeping millions of Americans under the thumb of a small welfare check or a small food stamp allowance.

Get real and see what is going on around you. Take a GOOD look at Obama and see if he is really your man. He has done nothing for the poor and has systematically gone after the middle class to help them join the poor.

We need a party who represents Americans not big banking and Obama is a banksters man! I noticed they recently got to Boehner as well who is now towing the banksters line hook line and sinker.

GHX, you are the one that needs to get real, Obama is and has been working for middle class Americans, not the uber rich. You take a good look at Obama, you need to also take a good look at what Bush did. You are wrong about everything. Turn you radio off and state making up your own mind instead of being brainwashed by rich radio and TV host.

GHX, I actually agree with your assessment of Obama as just another bought and paid for puppet of big money.

But the big problem I see is that most folks on your side of the political fence seem to have the complete opposite opinion of him and seem to believe he is some sort of "socialist" in complete defiance of the reality in front of their face.

Personally, I don't see anything "liberal" or "progressive" about a mandate to put even more of our hard earned money into the pockets of greedy, moneygrubbing, insurance companies much less "socialist". It is the exact @!$%#ing opposite!!!

So, what is it? Bought and paid for corporate shill or "Marxist socialist"? Because he can't be both.

And, if you can obviously see things so clearly, why the hell do you think Mr.PrivatizationMittensRobme would actually be the "lesser of two evils"?

I agree Obama speaks socialism but his actions are clearly in the pockets of big banking.

The fact is at some point we will no longer be able to borrow. I don't know if that is this year or ten years from now, but there is a saying "what cannot go on forever will not go on forever" and clearly we are all on a path to chaos.

As Americans we have lost hope because the powers that be do not represent our interests. Our government, unions and big corporations are corrupted to the core. I did not like Bush but at least it was clear he was crooked. Obama is a sheep in wolfs clothing and appears (by his actions) to be intent of bankrupting the US by burying it in debt, but perhaps the GOP would fare no better and we are just passengers on a runaway train!

Johntho, some SPECIFICS on how the middle class are better off today than 5 years ago?

ObamaCare? Tax hikes? Gas and Energy increases?, Food costs? Housing costs? Credit availability? LOL!!!

Good luck with that, that is what has been done, moderate republicans have been run off by the likes of you and you are the exact reason republicans can only cheat to win.

I am stell waiting for the real Democrats. I think thye all died off.

True, the social and economic positions of most of today's Democrats resemble more that of the GOP of the 1950s, like Eisenhower and Rockefeller, than that of Democrats of the 1930s-60s like FDR, Adlai Stevenson, JFK, and LBJ.

Corey would not know a liberal if one bit him square on his ass! He only knows the boogeyman that his boss, his preacher, and rush limpburger tell him about.

Tell me corey have I got you all wrong or are you the type of person who lives by drivel like "If it was good enough for grandpaw, it's good enough for me"?

The GOP does need to shed the religious right for sure. I personally don't care at all either way about gays, marriage, abortion or any of that garbage. I DO care about small business and our current administration is about as good for small businesses as a bull in a china shop.

Obama has done more to put middle class Americans in the poorhouse and more to harm those already poor than any other president in history and yet apparently the poor are down with this!

Really? Perhaps you need to re-evaluate the republican party's goals. Spreading false redderick about their intentions only shows your lack of knowledge of their policies. Do away with Medicare? Do away with SS? Actually, they want SS to be a privately run system so that the gov. will not be able to "borrow" against it until it's completely spent. And Medicare? They don't intend to "do away with" it either.

Less tax on corporations? They propose a 17% tax on all Americans spread across the board.

But hey, it's not fair if John Makes 10 mil and has to pay 170k in taxes, if I only make 50k and have to pay 8,500.....right? I mean, John gets to keep 8.3 mil out of 10! The Audacity!

This reminds me a lot of where the socialist parties were back in the 1980s - trying to peddle an antiquated message to an electorate that no longer buys it. Conservative parties will find elections impossible to win on platforms that include rolling back contraception and bizzare conspiracy theories and building a great wall along the U.S-Mexican border. Like the leftists of a generation ago, and the center-right in most other western democracies, the G.O.P will have to face the fact that the world has moved on and change with the times, or become a complete anachronism.

Just because i dont want to pay for your rubbers doesn't mean a rollback in contraception. And we dont need a great wall on the Mexican border, one long electric fence will do the job. The problem with the Republican party is how do you compete with a party largely put into power by people that pay no taxes at all.