Newt to GOP: Change course now or face calamity in November
posted at 4:21 pm on May 6, 2008 by Allahpundit
Without Change, there’s no Hope.
The Republican loss in the special election for Louisiana’s Sixth Congressional District last Saturday should be a sharp wake up call for Republicans: Either Congressional Republicans are going to chart a bold course of real change or they are going to suffer decisive losses this November…
This defeat follows on the loss of Speaker Hastert’s seat in Illinois. That seat had been held by a Republican for 76 years with the single exception of the 1974 Watergate election when the Democrats held it for one term. That same seat had been carried by President Bush 55-44% in 2004…
A February Washington Post poll shows that Republicans have lost the advantage to the Democrats on which party can handle an issue better — on every single topic…
This is a catastrophic collapse of trust in Republicans built up over three generations on the deficit, two generations on taxes, and two generations on national security.
Most ominously: “The Republican brand has been so badly damaged that if Republicans try to run an anti-Obama, anti-Reverend Wright, or (if Senator Clinton wins), anti-Clinton campaign, they are simply going to fail.” Yup, pretty much. Follow the link for his nine-point triage plan, none of which, surprisingly, has to do with global warming. I like the earmark moratorium, which jibes with McCain’s own agenda, and red meat on judges and English as the official language will help with the base (but beware alienating Latino voters). Overhauling the census, though? Space-based GPS for air-traffic control? I get the point of reducing bureaucracy, but are these really the kind of meat and potatoes issues that are going to push GOP congressional candidates over the top? “I’m disgusted with Bush and the war, honey, but that space-based GPS idea convinced me to give the Republicans another look.”
Exit question: How bad is it going to be in November?
Blowback
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Yeah, that global warming ad, fits right in with open borders and that monstrosity of a drug nightmare. And earmarks forever ….
So who is it that wrecked the GOP, is that you Newt? Bush? McCain?
tarpon on May 6, 2008 at 9:19 PM
Didn’t Newt predict a Hillary Presidency about a year ago. Now, she has almost certainly lost the dem nomination…Newt is a smart guy but I think he’s probably off the mark on this one. The American people and our now extremely important independant voters are getting a good look at the two democratic lightweights running for President and it ain’t pretty. What with dodging sniper fire and goddamn America of the KKK it is has been quite an education in what or who the DNC considers Top tier Presidential material. I’m thinking McCain picks up a win with overwhelming support of independants and latino voters in November and Republicans more than hold their own in Congress.
Nozzle on May 6, 2008 at 9:30 PM
A ray of optimism. Refreshing!
RushBaby on May 6, 2008 at 9:34 PM
As a conservative, I am absolutely disgusted with the Republican party. The republicans have become a spineless, democrat coddling party of apologetic appeasers. I am at a point I could care less who gains power in Washington. Let the Dems run it into the ground and perhaps out of the ashes we will find some conservatives with a pair of stones.
trs on May 6, 2008 at 9:43 PM
More helpful prophecies from Newt – Nostradamus – Gingrich.
labrat on May 6, 2008 at 9:52 PM
I heard Obama’s acceptance/stump speech today, and if McCain cannot separate himself from Bush, he will lose. Pandering to the La Raza folks, promising another government program to boondoggle, winking at illegal immigration will do him about as much good as it did Bush – IOW, zero.
Liberals will always hate Bush just like they will hate McCain He must stand up for his conservative principles and LEAD, not follow, the spiraling GOP out of this compassionate conservative abyss.
PattyJ on May 6, 2008 at 10:05 PM
Theworldisnotenough, thuja, WisCon:
You folks have it right. Allah/Eeyore is a depressed, suicidal pessimist. Theworld’s list of issue by issue debunking is right on, and add that the kids I know now who are in high school and college drink less and do less drugs than when I was in school in the 70s and 80s.
As for 1964, Allah wasn’t even born yet, I’m pretty sure. He read some leftist college professor’s analysis of the election? Whatevs, AP. Glass is half full, babe – yeah, the GOP is going to get slapped around again, but that’s because the idiots in office have governed as liberals, so their base is completely disconnected.
When you look at Trent Lott, Mel Martinez and Don Young, it doesn’t exactly fire you up to go out and support the GOP, does it?
As for Newt, he’s a putz. Go cheat on your seventh wife Newt; I’m sure there’s a 17 year old page looking for a date with a fat, balding has-been somewhere. He had his shot, and he was no better than the Clenis.
We just need a conservative, optimistic Republican party, without queers hitting on cops and interns in bathrooms. For the past three years, there has been zero difference between us and the scumbag liberals.
Jaibones on May 6, 2008 at 10:45 PM
Newt’s just dead wrong. The guy in LA didn’t pay any of his taxes and had several criminal indictments coming down.
Yeah, big wow he lost.
Meanwhile, LA has a Republican Governor, Jindal. And MN is likely to have a Republican not Democratic Senator since Al Franken, gosh darn it, didn’t pay his taxes in 17 states. While Dems are asking for tax increases.
All politics are local. If Dems are horrified by the Wright ads that tells you something. If they were nothing they’d not object. If they didn’t think they’d lose votes they wouldn’t object. If it didn’t matter they wouldn’t object.
Obama, his Flag Stomping pal Ayers, Michelle, Wright, Rezko, Auichi, his anti-flag, anti-flag lapel pin stands, his idiot statement of the day (he’s “angry” at the Media over Wright, but wants to Hug Iran if it Nukes Israel) — that’s enough to win. Big. In November.
Newt doesn’t get it. The voters are mostly middle/working class who see Obama and Dems “saving the Polar Bears” (which they don’t care about) and hiking their taxes to do it, controlling every aspect of their lives, and raising more taxes for welfare, being soft on crime, and other things that have giant signs “No Typical White Persons Clinging Bitterly To Guns and Religion Allowed!”
whiskey_199 on May 6, 2008 at 10:49 PM
AP, where’s the content warning for the video?
jgapinoy on May 6, 2008 at 11:01 PM
Only Democrats are in the running for POTUS, thats not exactly clairvoyant.
That will never happen, La Raza, MALDEF, ACLU et al would be cut off, give that a shot.
Nearly the entire rest of the world is at least socialist and perhaps a hundred million people living here either are immigrants or have immigrant connections.
Trending left? Not exactly a surprise and not exactly and accident either.
The GOP has worked very hard to arrive in its current condition of pathetic, rudderless and suffering from extreme karmic forces.
Newt spews reams of armchair wisdom but its real middle right leadership that we need a boatload of.
Speakup on May 6, 2008 at 11:01 PM
Global warming hooey aside, Newt was the architect of an electoral earthquake when the GOP took over Congress for the 1st time in forever. His ideas are worth considering.
jgapinoy on May 6, 2008 at 11:04 PM
no kidding, what happened to all the tough guy conservatives
Hillary has more balls than all of you
break out the smelling salts
windansea on May 6, 2008 at 11:09 PM
bingo
Jaibones on May 6, 2008 at 11:10 PM
Sure they are, I’m not saying they aren’t what I am saying is we have ideas.
What good are a million good ideas without the drive and leadership to make them reality.
If I walk into the Bosses office with a problem the first thing he asks is, whats the solution? Well, get it done.
Newt is talking about some of the first two parts but he’s not doing much with the, get it done part.
Speakup on May 6, 2008 at 11:31 PM
True, but the problem is, McCain is under the covers with the polar-bears and the carbon taxers.
You want to get Joe Six-Pack back voting for Republicans? Campaign on more drilling, more refineries, and more nukes:
*****AMERICAN ENERGY FOR AMERICAN GROWTH!******
MrLynn on May 6, 2008 at 11:59 PM
The Dems are striving to recreate a typical European socialist democracy here. You can count on ultra high taxes and a cradle to grave welfare system and unlimited benefits for workers. You can count on unchecked illegal immigration to pay for it. You can count on a small, feckless military good only for parades. You can count on a foreign policy that appeases aggressors and cuddles up to left wing tyrants. You can count on economic integration with not only Canada and Mexico, but also the EU. You can count on swarms of bureaucrats, fresh from newly minted bureaucracies, dictating regulations to govern all aspects of our behavior. Is this bad? Ask your typical Western European. Maybe it’s a peculiarity of the American experience, having been founded on the idea of opposing an overweening government, that leads Americans to believe that freedom trumps the security of slavery. Trouble is, the idea is dead. People define freedom as being free from worry about the uncertainties of life. Security is freedom. They used to define it as the ability to act unfettered by government, whose only role was to act as referee, to make their own destiny. That’s why the idea of American exceptionalism is dying.
NNtrancer on May 7, 2008 at 12:47 AM
As bleak as things look now,, I am telling you, there is both a Christian revival and a massive conservative sweep coming to this nation in the near future. This has been burning in my spirit. Revival is coming. It has already begun. It will be followed by such a massive conservative sweep that the Reagan era will pale in comparison.
I am not just throwing our some wishful words.
JellyToast on May 7, 2008 at 7:19 AM
Newt does not seem to understand what happened in LA’s 6th district.
Jenkins has run unsuccessfully several times for senator. He is an excellent speaker having been a local newscaster and anchorman. He got a bit bloodied by a political newcomers in the primary in what should have been a shoo in.
The Dem opponent was young and ran a very effective campaign ad in the primary that was a friendly how to pronounce my name ad. It got the notice of the local political analysts as the best ad of all the campaigners. It made Cazayoux “friendly.”
It was the main GOP opponent who bloodied Jenkins and it bled over into the runoff and general election.
The locals who are overwelmingly conservative are not put off by the Dem and connect his election more as a taking back of the Dem Party to a moderate agenda. Also, Jenkins was connected (in the campaigning during the primary) to David Duke over and over and over again.
Kermit on May 7, 2008 at 9:27 AM
The census is already getting an overhaul, getting off paper and going digital (FDCA) is how its going to be done from here on out. Accuracy in population location will affect elections and seats of power.
GPS tracked aircraft is also already rolling in. All flights within the US will eventually have a GPS transmitter allowing more precise location in 3D space of an aircraft. This is a good safety, security and tracking measure which shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. However, I agree that these are hardly the most pressing matters facing the Republican party. I’ve been getting a stream of letters from the RNC about my cessation of funding, due to my displeasure with my party’s stand on illegal aliens (and to think I voted for RNC ex-chairman Mel Martinez) and the numerous RINOs littering our House and Senate. They better get a clue about what we want before they are all scrounging for speaking gigs as ex-senators/congressmen.
Geministorm on May 7, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Both Party’s are losing their base voters left and right. And they’re worried about it. Deport Illegal Aliens, more raids, NO AMNESTY, build the fence, release Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean, no benefits to Illegal Aliens and their Anchor Baby kids, and………….support the unifying JAMIEL’S LAW in Los Angeles, not the divisive SPECIAL ORDER 40 (Sanctuary City policy)! Do those things, and you’ll get money and volunteers. Until then, we have plenty of tar and feathers. American taxpayers are FED UP!!!
DfDeportation on May 7, 2008 at 11:04 AM
And yet…it’s McCain.
fossten on May 7, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Republicans lose elections when they run as Democrats, it is that simple!!!
azcop on May 7, 2008 at 2:24 PM
AMEN!!!
labrat on May 7, 2008 at 5:17 PM
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