Can Republicans rebound in Illinois, New Jersey, and New York as the party of reform?

Not until the GOP actually reforms.

Can Republicans rebound in Illinois, New Jersey, and New York as the party of reform?

Maybe two out of three.

Outlander on December 9, 2008 at 3:28 PM

You are right. I shouldn’t have lumped everyone together. I stand corrected.

I think self reliance has a lot to do with it.

Bingo!

I’m a suburban person myself, and while I rely on the government to plow the snow off the streets, keep the criminals off the streets and operate the schools, I do not otherwise interact with the government or with poor people in my day-to-day existence.

You are right I think. Suburbanites do tend to be more self reliant.

It also makes me wonder if there’s a way that we can appeal to urban voters with economic or social conservatism. As more cities choose to fight “sprawl” and try to create social policies that encourage more and more people to move back into central cities, I’d hate for that change to spawn more liberals and put us further into the minority.
Outlander on December 9, 2008 at 3:28 PM

Boy I would really like to know how. Bcs I believe the balance has tipped way too much that way.
People are becoming way too dependent upon others in their daily lives.

cjs1943 on December 9, 2008 at 2:45 PM

All of that I understand. But it goes further than just an urban vs. rural distinction. After all, suburban residents — most of whom know about as much about logging and mining and turkey slaughtering as urban-dwellers — tend to be much more Republican. I think self reliance has a lot to do with it. I’m a suburban person myself, and while I rely on the government to plow the snow off the streets, keep the criminals off the streets and operate the schools, I do not otherwise interact with the government or with poor people in my day-to-day existence.

It also makes me wonder if there’s a way that we can appeal to urban voters with economic or social conservatism. As more cities choose to fight “sprawl” and try to create social policies that encourage more and more people to move back into central cities, I’d hate for that change to spawn more liberals and put us further into the minority.

Good post. I didn’t see yours because I was working on mine.

cjs1943 on December 9, 2008 at 2:49 PM

Thanks.

BTW-Should I feel honored that I’m being attacked here by the Canadian?

You have got to be kidding.

Dave Dick Rywall on December 9, 2008 at 3:11 PM

Where do you stick your head in the sand (AKA address)?!
Try it sometime. That is if you are open-minded enough to give living in the stix a real chance.

Not bad, eh?

Cody1991 on December 9, 2008 at 2:09 PM

My CA Uncle Hippy (baby boomer) voted for the Messiah.
I am not surprised.
They are still around. Becoming outdated, but still around.

Badger40 on December 9, 2008 at 2:38 PM
———
You have got to be kidding.

canopfor on December 9, 2008 at 2:38 PM
——
Sorry to burst your little bubble, but my seething hatred of Dion is well-documented. Good day sir.

I’m more optimistic. The Republicans just have to get the right candidate.

Let’s hope they don’t pick someone else named Ryan. We tend to have bad luck with them.

Badger40 on December 9, 2008 at 1:49 PM

Good post. I didn’t see yours because I was working on mine.

wise_man on Dec 9,2008 at 2:34PM.

wise_man: You are correct,it’ll be SarahCuda to clean
this unholy stinking pile that the ‘ONE’ will
leave behind!

You know, you are right. Does anyone know why it is that every major (over 500,000 population) city in the United States is overwhelmingly Democrat? What about urban life attracts liberal people?

Outlander on December 9, 2008 at 1:38 PM

I think you are on to something here. IMHO people who live in large cities are far removed from what is happening in the real world. They have no idea what is happening in mining, logging, manufacturing, and agricultural. They have no idea how food is grown and processed. See Sarah Palin at the turkey murder operation. Like you said the government does everything for you except wipe your nose.

Mining? They are against it because it disturbs all the pretty scenery. Where do they think iron ore comes from to make their cars? How about aluminum, copper, coal, and other minerals? The only one they can talk about is coal. Because it is dirty and causes global warming.

Logging? No concept. No idea where they get paper and furniture and building materials. Can’t relate to the whole process. Planting and growing trees. Cutting down trees and hauling them to saw mills that cut the trees into useful lumber. Lumber that is used to build homes and other buildings and their interior and exterior decors. Trees (Poplars) that are sent to paper mills that make these into pulp that is used in the manufacturing of paper.

Manufacturing? Can’t relate to the whole process of mining and logging to get the raw materials to their place of work that is manufacturing whatever product they are producing.

Agriculture? Don’t understand the concept of tilling the ground to plant and harvest crops that go directly to mills (manufacturing) to produce food or go to feed lots to feed livestock (cattle, hogs, turkey, chickens) which go to meatpacking or meat processing plants.

To sum it up, they are liberals because they don’t understand what is happening all around them in the rest of the country. They go to the grocery store and there is all of this food to choose from and don’t see all of the hard work done by people who work for some company that pays taxes and pays their employees who pay taxes. And if someone becomes successful, they are evil.

Someone else from the Boston area talked about the government building mass transit. Only the government can do this. Just like water and sewer. But, building mass transit costs billions of dollars. Building roads cost hundreds of millions of dollars. Mass transit moves people. Roads move people, goods, and services.

Can Republicans rebound in Illinois, New Jersey, and New York as the party of reform?

In a word?

No.

Dave Rywall on Dec 9,2008 at 2:16PM.

Dave Rywall: Why are you not useing your time more wisely?
And help your treasonous buddy Dione,over
throw the Harper Government!You know how it
is, Canadian Liberals are upset that they
lost!

Yeah, there’s no corruption whatsoever in small towns. None at all. Are you permanently sedated or do you never leave your basement?

Dave Rywall on December 9, 2008 at 2:16 PM

Why are you being such a jerk? Of course I realize there can be corruption at a local level.
But sir-life is different out here. It keeps you grounded in reality. Things are a lot simpler bcs people don’t make everything as complicated at it seems to get in the city.

As for the basement-I can’t afford one. I live in a double-wide, 1979.
But we got a nice feed-pick up & a couple of tractors.
Want a nasty horse? Come on down. I got a good bronc trail horse for you to ride if you wanna come down & play some cowboy games with me.
Sounds like you could use a good lesson with a loop & a dally.

Openings.

What a missed opportunity to label this for what it is:

Democrats: Culture of Corruption.

Thanks for normsrevenge on December 9, 2008 at 1:44 PM and canopfor on December 9, 2008 at 1:57 PM for getting it.

And yes, it will take a woman to clean the house. And her name is Sarah Palin, president of the United States 2012. 2016 at the latest.

I would vote to convict just because of his hair.

Can Republicans rebound in Illinois, New Jersey, and New York as the party of reform?

Someday, probably, maybe unexpectedly like thieves in the night, as it were, could be soon, could be 40 years from now – though they may not be called “Republicans.” Could be cataclysmic, like a nuclear chain reaction, or it could be that we, or our grandchildren, wake up one day and even California’s gotten a major clue.

It wouldn’t hurt in the meantime to run serious grassroots reform candidates even if their chances of winning appear slim. That it could be the work of a generation, and probably won’t include a sudden reform of basic human nature, doesn’t make it any less worth trying.

A comment on this WaPo blog makes the case:

RE: Name that Party! Rod’s Missing (D) [Denis Boyles]

It took four Chicago Tribune reporters (and 1150 words) to cover the arrest of Illnois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on corruption charges. Not one of the four managed to report the political party of which Blagojevich is a member. (Hint: He’s not a Whig.) Just goes to show there’s more than one way to declare yourself bankrupt.

In case you forget, the criminal is, as usual, a D.