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The Transformation of the Republican Party

greekdeac2011 said:
Mittens is probably a northeast moderate at heart, more in line with the 1994 version as opposed to the 2012 one. He is a politician though and knows if he ran on his real beliefs, the crazies that make up the Republican primary electorate would doom him from the start, sort of like Giuliani when the GOP actually began to realize he was pro-choice, pro-gay and pro-amnesty.

I am all those things, but I still consider myself a Republican because I don't believe in expanding government as much as the Democrats do. That said, the direction the party is going scares me, and I will likely vote for Obama if Santorum is the nominee. Both he and Obama are big government types, but Rick is just insane when it comes to social and religious issues, and for someone that favors keeping religion out of government, I just can't vote for him. I think Obama has been a disappointment, but at least I know what I will get with him.

The transformation has been going on for decades now. George W. Bush in 2000 wouldn't win in 2012. Bush in 2004 probably wouldn't win now. Even in the last 4 years, the rise of the tea party has forced the party so far right we are back in the stone ages where contraception is a bad thing and we should stop all abortions and ignore reason and change the constitution to the Bible, etc... It's frightening. If the party moves any further right in the next 4 years, I may as well leave it.
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same happened with McCain last election
 
WFFaithful said:
same happened with McCain last election
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Yep. He had to tack right early to win some states. Giuliani was up front about his views and then his poll numbers plummeted as a result. This year, however, you can't just tack right, you have to be insane. In 2008, Romney was the conservative alternative to McCain and now he's a liberal by current GOP standards. The party is bordering on insane. Does anyone believe the GOP can win a national election when their candidate opposes contraception and making college accessible and affordable for more people? If the GOP wanted to run a preacher, at least make that preacher Huckabee and not Santorum. He was at least likable and a great speaker.
 
Huckabee was considered too far right in 2008. He's the perfect candidate for Pubs in 2012. He would have dominated everything but the northeast.
 
FuckmouthedRube said:
The match up that both bases want is Obama vs Santorum. Don't think it's remotely close to the best possible match up for America, but the losing party would be forced to retool kicking and screaming. Don't think McCain and Dole lost because of ideology, but (the conveniently/myopically forgotten) Goldwater did. Don't think the GOP varsity (Jeb, Daniels, Christie) sat it out because they're stupid cowards.
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Enormous understatement.
 
Exhibit A to McCain's transformation in 2008 is the VP selection his advisors and GOP powers force fed him.
 
Anybody see Steve Schmidt on Morning Joe earlier this week? He was very blunt about what a screw up choosing Palin was. One of the more frank discussions I've seen in some time.
 
PhDeac said:
Anybody see Steve Schmidt on Morning Joe earlier this week? He was very blunt about what a screw up choosing Palin was. One of the more frank discussions I've seen in some time.
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Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace have been very candid about their dealings with Palin and their own personal failings in the process. Refreshing to see anyone in modern politics speak openly, admit mistakes, and accept accountability for their own failure.

Not sure if it was the same show, but was also interesting to hear Ed Rendell's comments about Santorum. Don't recall the exact word he used, but it was something like shocked or amazed when asked what people in PA thought about Santorum winning GOP primaries.
 
We would be discussing McCain's reelection possibilities if he hadn't selected Palin as his running mate.
 
Buttermaker said:
We would be discussing McCain's reelection possibilities if he hadn't selected Palin as his running mate.
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No we wouldn't. He lost it himself.

The anti-Bush vote was plenty. McCain screwed the pooch when he cancelled his campaign for a few days.

He was losing with or without her.
 
FuckmouthedRube said:
Steve Schmidt and Nicolle Wallace have been very candid about their dealings with Palin and their own personal failings in the process. Refreshing to see anyone in modern politics speak openly, admit mistakes, and accept accountability for their own failure.

Not sure if it was the same show, but was also interesting to hear Ed Rendell's comments about Santorum. Don't recall the exact word he used, but it was something like shocked or amazed when asked what people in PA thought about Santorum winning GOP primaries.
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Yeah, pretty sure it was the same show. Rendell also said Santorum was a "good pork guy" or something like that. "If I needed something, he went and got it." The panel joked that he gave the Romney campaign their next ad.

I liked the way Schmidt put it. He forgot that he needed to pick someone who could lead our country, particularly with respect to foreign policy.
 
NO VOTE 2012

Leave the presidential line blank. At some point the plurality of independents need to stop being blackmailed into participating in a system that disenfranchises them, forcing them to decide which of two d-bags will make the country worse at a slower pace. There is no hope for a third party because of our constitution. There is no hope for America.
 
Steels said:
NO VOTE 2012

Leave the presidential line blank. At some point the plurality of independents need to stop being blackmailed into participating in a system that disenfranchises them, forcing them to decide which of two d-bags will make the country worse at a slower pace. There is no hope for a third party because of our constitution. There is no hope for America.
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No. Vote Libertarian. If Gary Johnson is the candidate, that's who I'll be voting for. Not as excited about some of the other Lib candidates, though.
 
RJKarl said:
No we wouldn't. He lost it himself.

The anti-Bush vote was plenty. McCain screwed the pooch when he cancelled his campaign for a few days.

He was losing with or without her.
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McCain had already started bowing to the extreme right, but the Palin selection really did him in. Sure there was plenty of anti-Bush sentiment, justifiably so. But there were plenty of moderate voters uncomfortable with the spectre of an Obama presidency who might have voted for McCain had he not gone over the cliff with Palin.
 
Quote Originally Posted by bobknightfan View Post
Been there, done that. I was a registered Republican for 20 years from 1980 until 2000. (That was from my mid-30s to my mid-50s....which I've concluded must be about the greediest period of a person's life.
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So are the 70's officially now the greediest period in a person's life?
 
What made you leave the party?

The Religious Right, mostly. The Clinton impeachment was the final straw.....and I didn't even vote for Clinton.... in 1992 or in 1996.
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Unbelievable stuff truly.
 
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