Stupid: RNC to pass resolution rebranding Democrats the “Democrat Socialist Party”
posted at 2:50 pm on May 13, 2009 by Allahpundit
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Just the sort of smart, sober gesture we need to convince Americans of the party’s new seriousness of purpose. Even Michael Steele — Michael Steele — sees the publicity trainwreck a-comin’, although he’s powerless to stop it.
Oh well. The base will love it, and that’s all that matters.
A member of the Republican National Committee told me Tuesday that when the RNC meets in an extraordinary special session next week, it will approve a resolution rebranding Democrats as the “Democrat Socialist Party.”
When I asked if such a resolution would force RNC Chairman Michael Steele to use that label when talking about Democrats in all his speeches and press releases, the RNC member replied: “Who cares?”…
Steele wrote a memo last month opposing the resolution. Steele said that while he believes Democrats “are indeed marching America toward European-style socialism,” he also said in a (rare) flash of insight that officially referring to them as the Democrat Socialist Party “will accomplish little than to give the media and our opponents the opportunity to mischaracterize Republicans.”
More than anything, this reeks of impotence, operating almost as a concession that the right’s argument on the merits that the left is evolving towards socialism isn’t working to shift public opinion. So now they’re going to up the ante by trying the hard sell: Just repeat “socialism” as much as possible to try to drive it into people’s skulls, never minding the fact that that term’s already lost some of its taboo and might well lose more as it goes further mainstream. Or at least, I hope that’s the GOP strategy here. The alternative, that they’re simply sticking their fingers in their ears and repeating “socialist” over and over out of spite like a five-year-old, is too depressing to contemplate. What’s next, a formal resolution declaring french fries “freedom fries” in the Republican Party henceforth and forevermore?
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Evidently, the need to make “Democrat Socialist Party” official is to clarify the fact to moron progressive RINOs; the GOP is united on that front. RINOs prefer to attack Conservatives because they are progressive wannabe Democrats.
RINOs aren’t saying the DNC isn’t socialist; they’re just too wimpy to say Socialist. RINOs are the progressives within the GOP, PC saboteurs of conservatism, chickens come home to roost on the fence, no balls, broken eggs and plenty of sh!t.
maverick muse on May 14, 2009 at 7:18 AM
Normally I would rant about how stupid the RNC is, to be thinking about re-naming the Democratic Party, even I’m too floored with the sheer stupidity of the RNC. Goopers, your in deep trouble, you are a mess. But keep listening to Rushbo, he will truly lead you out of the wilderness.
athensboy on May 14, 2009 at 7:18 AM
Every other day there is another “New.” The GOP should do this or the GOP should do that. The Dems are gaining here and the Dems are winning there.
Let them call the Dems socialist. So what. What matters are just a few things. Stand for conservative principles and stand strong and speak up. Call the pig a pig!
It does not matter what crap happens tomorrow or the next day. Our message, regardless of the crisis or the distraction of the day,, our message of freedom and liberty is always the same!
Freedom and liberty is the answer to every stinking problem that Obama is going to throw at us over the next 4 years!!
There is no great new message that we need to find!! There is no great new reinvention! We don’t have to climb 16 mountains and sail over 5 oceans to discover what the GOP needs to do!! It’s all right here in front of us!! Your average grandma can figure it out!!!
Protect private property! Protect the rule of law! Stop government expansion and stand for individual rights! Low taxes! Protect the second amendment!! Put this into simple language to remind people why these things are important!! No one wants to live in a police state!! Nobody wants half their pay confiscated! No one wants to go to a government doctor and have the health care rationed! Explain it to them!! No one wants to be defenseless in the middle of the night when thieves break in to rob and steal!! Remind them!!! This is not difficult!!!
JellyToast on May 14, 2009 at 7:42 AM
No one wants their DNA and medical history on file with Big Brother who dictates what procedures you must undergo before any treatment. The entire wish for universal health care is a beguiled death wish.
maverick muse on May 14, 2009 at 7:48 AM
It really doesn’t matter what anyone calls modern Dems. Shortly, they will be the only legal political party in the US. Since it is already too late, all we can do is endure until all those who are willing to fight for the regime are gone – one way or another. As it always is.–Friendly21 on May 14, 2009 at 6:42 AM
If, as you say, you’re going down either way, don’t be a pussy.
Loser mentality. By “endure” you mean hide in a closet as if you’ll be safer later than you are now. Grow up. Study history. Think again. Don’t be a damned lazy cowering fool. Don’t dismiss the very fight as beneath your dignity or beyond your ability that determines your absolute existence or extinction. At some point, you must realize that endure is now or never, and your premise is to relinquish the Constitution because defending it is so awfully inconvenient at the moment, maybe later in an esoteric argument after it is gone and you endured in your closet.
Those younger morons who think that hiding is better than being need to get real. Admit you don’t care in so many words because your rhetoric already belies your premise.
HotAir trumped itself as Braveheart Central while GWB was POTUS. Fickle. All those headline threads about standing against dhimmitude were just hot air. Political convenience a la mode: CHANGE. Stand aside and wave your white flag as good little socialists for “the only legal political party in the US.”
No. Open your eyes and insist on exercising as much hope as anyone else has. Stand up on the conservative platform and take on your responsible position as an American citizen to uphold the Constitution under Marxist attack. Defy the illegitimate Socialist.
maverick muse on May 14, 2009 at 7:53 AM
So AP, are you saying that it is now wrong to call a spade a spade? I see no problem with this, at least it shows that the RNC is getting a little fire in it’s belly. The DNC has had no problem calling us racists and black church burners for years.
Fight fire with fire my friends. AP’s warm and fuzzy approach to the current political climate is the same as George Bush. Stand there and smile as they kick you in the shins. Sorry, I am punching somebody in the nose.
conservnut on May 14, 2009 at 7:55 AM
This is your definition of veering away from a “normal rant?”
Upstater85 on May 14, 2009 at 8:14 AM
Perfect! End the “listening tour”.
katablog.com on May 14, 2009 at 8:54 AM
Thanks for the advice Mr. democrat socialist boy, but we’ll do what we think best. Keep listening to Matthews and Olbermann … they will lead you to utopia.
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 8:58 AM
I only copied one quote from all the selective reading but let’s deal with this one. It’s NOT what I said in the context that I said it.
Offer a solution to national health care – not another national health care bill. and THEN, published it wide and far. Stay on the message, don’t back down and go all mealy mouthed the first time the Dems take a shot at you. Commercialize it. Beat the drum over and over and over again.
What happened with the GOP offered a stimulus alternative? It made the news for one day and then went quiet. No one continued to beat the drum. No one continued to rub the socialists’ faces in it.
How did that alternative budget work for you? It was ill conceived and so simply got made fun of. Spend the time on the details and then bang the drum. Use every single means to publicize the alternatives, from Beck, Limbaugh, media (Fox), ads, bloggers, etc. and just keep it up.
katablog.com on May 14, 2009 at 9:00 AM
GOP: Tackling the
impotentimportant issues.Reaps on May 14, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Don’t you remember? Obama said “I won”, then Collins, Specter and Snowe voted against their party and for the democrat socialist bill.
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 9:06 AM
Oh knock it off. Rush Limbaugh has been preaching true conservatism for over 20 years. His is the one voice that has never changed and that’s why our self-declared emperor has put a bulleye on his forehead!
This is a stupid idea by the GOP. Most people either don’t know what socialism/collectivism is or they outright support it.
The GOP needs to get back to basics and tell people what it will cost them in terms of their quality of life or just outright what will be taken out of their pockets. Tell people that most of the “facts” these idiot libtards use to tug on the American heartstrings are big fat lies.
Quit asking for money, just put up true conservatives and explain how conservative policies will improve their living standards. Just tell the truth. Reagan was able to get around the same hostile media. Go back to that playbook!
vapig on May 14, 2009 at 9:11 AM
Off topic warning!
What the hell was that horrid picture doing in the sidebar while I was trying to read the above article? Thanks for the distraction -not. Guess it was an ad for some Lord of the Rings deal, lost interest in that perversion of an excellent allegory some time ago.
InTheBellyoftheBeast on May 14, 2009 at 9:17 AM
These schlubs don’t know what Socialism means. We need to equate them with PROGRESSIVELY higer taxes and PROGRESSIVELY bigger government – party.
marklmail on May 14, 2009 at 9:18 AM
It’s more than a little hypocritical coming from this particular Republican party, though, isn’t it? And it smacks of immaturity. Fight fire with fire? I’m all for it. Let’s start by presenting coherent conservative alternatives to the Obama agenda. Name calling is sandbox shit. It’s debating along the margins. Quite frankly, the RNC needs to show how the RNC isn’t Socialism-Lite before they call anybody else a Socialist for the accusation to not ring woefully hollow.
holygoat on May 14, 2009 at 9:18 AM
The RNC needs to worry about rebranding itself. They are the ones with little identity, few discernible principles, and no coherent message. Clean up at home folks, before you go out and start throwing mud around.
InTheBellyoftheBeast on May 14, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Of course I remember! And what did the GOP do about it? NOTHING! Instead, months later they plan a meeting (in the press no less) to call the other party names!
katablog.com on May 14, 2009 at 9:21 AM
Exactly! You can tell what threatens the Administration by what they attack and so far it’s Palin and Rush.
Understand, I’m not saying either are perfect or even should be the voice of the GOP, but also understand that their message is what the libs go after with a vengeance because their messages actually make sense and if the GOP leadership start really listening and take it to heart – the libs are in big danger.
katablog.com on May 14, 2009 at 9:25 AM
Stupid is right. It’s like the DNC renaming the Republican Party the Republican Nazi Party.
LODGE4 on May 14, 2009 at 9:30 AM
I’m not a legal expert, but I don’t think you can copyright an ideology like democratic socialism.
Perhaps Steele’s strategy is to draw the libs into suing for slander or libel, and winning by exposing them to be the democratic socialists that they are, thus making the libel/slander case invalid.
Just like Meghan McCain can’t sue for someone calling her a fat ass.
leetpriest on May 14, 2009 at 9:39 AM
What, is it only OK for the Democraps to name the Republicans the “Party of No”? The Dems seems to be scoring with their stupid attacks on Republicans. Maybe it’s worth a try to call them what they are.
orlandocajun on May 14, 2009 at 10:04 AM
I’m with the Orly Taitz and Leo Donofrio TOTUS COLB crowd, but this is a stupid idea because it will put the Dums on the offensive. If conservatives are to be stigmatized as “mean” then let’s be mean on the issues, not on the labels.
Western_Civ on May 14, 2009 at 10:26 AM
Yeah, name-calling, that’s what this country needs!
Lame beyond belief.
PattyJ on May 14, 2009 at 10:27 AM
marklmail on May 14, 2009 at 9:18 AM
Progressively less responsive government
Progressively longer lines, fewer options
Progressively abusive prosecutions and falsified evidence
maverick muse on May 14, 2009 at 10:29 AM
PattyJ on May 14, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Intelligent vocabulary is still available, but no longer attributed by Socialists.
The point is to make the point, calling a Socialist a Socialist is not rogue and is not politically incorrect.
“Lame” describes your own ineffectual response to current events, accepting servitude so as to not make waves.
maverick muse on May 14, 2009 at 10:35 AM
This was not Steele’s idea. You are either too lazy to read, or have poor comprehension. Only you mentioned any thought of copyrighting an ideology; that’s your idea and you dissed it yourself.
maverick muse on May 14, 2009 at 10:39 AM
I like this quote from the most recent Ann Coulter column:
http://anncoulter.com/
Liberals wouldn’t attack James Dobson with the amount of bile they’ve directed at a 21-year-old beauty contestant. It’s not just Christianity — it’s women liberals hate.
From Jean-Paul Sartre, Pablo Picasso and Bertrand Russell, who treated women — mostly their mistresses — like dogs, to Teddy Kennedy and Bill Clinton in our own day, liberals are ferocious misogynists. They share Muslims’ opinion of women, differing only to the extent that liberals also support a women’s right to have an abortion and to perform lap dances.
You’d be better off in a real burqa than under the authority of a liberal American male.
Goodeye_Closed on May 14, 2009 at 10:39 AM
Hmmmmm … by attaching “socialist” to democrat, they are addressing the issues. The democrat agenda has become increasingly more and more socialist. I don’t know what’s wrong with calling democrats “socialists” for promoting socialist policies.
Decades ago, in the early 20th century … progressives successfully rebranded themselves as “liberals”, and in the process rebranded the true liberals as “conservatives”. Those definitions have stuck to this day and have been successful for the most part in preventing the general public from seeing the true agenda of the democrats.
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Stupid. The blue-dogs are not socialists. Way to go and alienate them from our position.
spmat on May 14, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Still more illogic and more desire to posture for our ideological adversaries than to fight for our survival here, I see. Ultimately, we’ll all be victims of socialist policies. But don’t worry! We will have succeeded in not “looking stupid” by not actually naming the policies that will destroy our country. What an accomplishment!
baldilocks on May 14, 2009 at 12:00 PM
okay baldilocks, we’ll name them socialists. Feel better? Isn’t that what conservative blogs have been screaming for months now? Now, did that stop them?
Once again I’ll say: don’t hold a special meeting to agree on stating the obvious. Hold a meeting to get back on track and DO something about the socialism that we all know is taking place.
I’m dumbfounded that some of you think name calling (even if absolutely true) will help the situation we are in. Conservatives already know these are socialistic policies. Blue dogs know it’s socialism. I dare say most 8th graders know too. Those that don’t know, don’t care! Remember who the Democrat base is. Do you think they care what you call their handouts as long as they get them? Do you think the Democrats in Congress care what you call them as long as you don’t call them late for the pig trough they are wallowing in at taxpayers’ expense?
Please explain to me how calling a socialist a socialist ever helped anyone stop socialistic policies.
katablog.com on May 14, 2009 at 12:16 PM
GENIUS post – if you don’t support the RNC officially calling the Democrats socialists, why, you must be illogical and not very willing to fight for your own survival! How old are you, 8? If not, you are fooling me, because you are displaying the social (im)maturity and the reasoning (in)abilities of someone that young…
What the Michael Savage sector of the Conservative side doesn’t grasp is that if you don’t get your people elected to office, you don’t get to make policy.
Bizarro No. 1 on May 14, 2009 at 12:17 PM
Does that mean the blue-dogs will become more socialist in response to saying their party is being run by socialists? You aren’t thinking clearly. If it’s a true “conservative Democrat”, that person will admit that their party is being run by socialists.
Buddahpundit on May 14, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Are you saying Bernie Sanders is using name-calling against himself? Why don’t you just embrace the label like Bernie does?
Buddahpundit on May 14, 2009 at 12:43 PM
Norwegian posted this earlier:
I think the RNC is right on. As an European, I can testify that the word “socialist” is indeed fitting for today’s Demcocrat Party.
In my home country of Norway, the right “re-branded” the ruling Labour Party “socialist” to great effect. Today, the right in Norway has maintained a huge lead in all opinion polls, while the “socialist” Labour Party is dying.
And just because supposedly 50+% of Americans have no problem with socialism today (a figure I don’t believe its true), they will after 4 years of Obama.
Norwegian on May 13, 2009 at 5:23 PM
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 12:54 PM
Now Here is an issue worthy of holding a special meeting! This would be a far more effective way to “beat the drum” than calling names.
katablog.com on May 14, 2009 at 12:55 PM
How are Republicans like Nazis? As for Democrat Socialists:
Wikipedia on Bernie Sanders:
Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist, but because he does not belong to a formal political party, he appears as an independent on the ballot. Sanders caucuses with the Democratic Party and is counted as a Democrat for the purposes of committee assignments.
I guess the Democrats will have to explain how they are not like Bernie Sanders if they want to contest the label. They can’t do it, and they won’t want to insult Sanders by saying they are insulted by the label.
Buddahpundit on May 14, 2009 at 1:00 PM
No, it’s illogical because your side of the debate can’t make a coherent argument.
They’ve said it’s stupid to call Socialists by that name because everybody already knows they’re socialists: If so, what harm is there in calling them on it?
Others have said we shouldn’t do it because nobody knows what Socialism is anyway: If not, this could create an excellent opportunity to teach them.
Some have said that calling them Socialists could backfire on us: But when asked for examples how the truth could backfire the only few examples provided would actually have backfired on the Democrats, because they’d be defending the indefensible.
Your side has consistently agreed that the Democrats are actually Socialists but in spite of that have claimed that calling them on it would be “stupid”, “name calling” and “playing dirty”. If calling them what they actually are is stupid, how can we call them “Democrats” or “liberals”?
Your side is illogical because they claim that while unofficially calling them Socialists is accurate, making it official is inaccurate.
Your side is illogical because the only argument against it that makes any sense is that the Republicans aren’t the right messenger at this time, being chock full of neo-statists and crypto-socialists as they are: But openly accusing the Democrats of socialism will not only put them on the defensive but also the neo-statists and crypto-socialists in the Republican party. So unless you’re one of those, this maneuver, coupled with a reformation of the GOP, could give the GOP a push back toward Capitalism.
FloatingRock on May 14, 2009 at 1:06 PM
I still don’t think you understand. This is not “beating the drum”, this is the first step in tying the democrats and their policies to failed socialist policies world wide. This is not some silly name calling as you and others imply, it’s calling the democrats out for decades of creeping government takeover.
They must either deny it or accept it. Of course they will whine and try to deflect it but in the end they must say either yes or no … if they say no then they must explain how their policies aren’t socialist. They can’t
Also, socialism has a negative connotation to it precisely because every example you can cite from around the world is negative.
Socialism is a destructive force and by calling them what they actually are we can begin to tie them to it.
darwin on May 14, 2009 at 1:09 PM
…And somebody else on your side has argued that we shouldn’t call them socialists because Socialism is just as good as Capitalism so it doesn’t matter anyway; even though that person also claimed to prefer Capitalism.
FloatingRock on May 14, 2009 at 1:09 PM
Two things come to my mind.
1. A rose by any other color…..
2. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck!
TrickyDick on May 14, 2009 at 1:35 PM
Twenty years ago, I helped to resettle, in Denver, former South Vietnamese military officers after they had completed years of “reeducation” at the hands of the communist victors. These men told me how they wanted to become citizens and vote. I asked what party they would align with. Republican, they answered. They said after living under communism, they would not vote for Democrats because Democrats were cousins to the communists.
Liberals have rebranded themselves progressives. I see no problem in rebranding Democrats, Socialist Democrats. Let’s play by their rules for a change.
scullymj on May 14, 2009 at 4:50 PM
The RNC is consistent. So is Steele. I am guessing Steele doesn’t like hurtful talk about his brothers. I am guessing the RNC is trying to get the Limbaugh crowd to trust them again by using Limbaugh rhetoric without the brains of a Limbaugh
Limbaugh was told ‘get over it’. Steele, the non Limbaugh was told ‘who cares’ by the crowd who is more Steele inside than Limbaugh
What this jackass strategy will do is normalize the word ‘Socialist’ as a Dem moniker in the same way it is used in mainstream Euro parties. ‘Socialist’ will go from an adjective of the Soviet repressive state, to a proud progressive title as re-titled Dems take pride in a title bestowed by the crowd they hate
And the RNC isn’t even conservative
Meanwhile, the RINO-NC could give themselves a ‘Socialist’ moniker as in social-re-engineering the GOP to dump religion, conservatism, patriotism, statism, pro-life and keeping the new RINO ideals of open borders, imported illegal employees, protection of the Chamber of Commerce types who prefer imported workers, outsourcing to the point no one in the USA has the money to buy the stuff they make globally, military to protect their factories, stem cells for all, euthanesia to music, and gay marriage because who cares
Lying hypocrites IMHO and doing the heavy lifting for the Dems. Pelosi is thanking the she-god right now for this RINO-NC move to push her constitutents into a new group pride
They think anyone can be a Limbaugh but they miss the point that Limbaugh is principled and intelligent. This is a disgrace. What else is new
entagor on May 15, 2009 at 12:27 PM
I have no objection to name calling, but I do object to that as the sum and substance of their party strategy! How about “repeal the stimulus, you socialists.” That, I could live with.
PattyJ on May 15, 2009 at 10:39 PM
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