AprilOrit on May 22, 2009 at 8:22 AM

What exactly is so radical about the modern GOP? Did we nominate the right-wing equivalent of McGovern? No, we nominated Mr Bipartisanship whom liberals promptly called a senile cancer-ridden cripple.

Position by position, policy by policy, we are moving in the mainstream. Yes, we are demonized by, well, David Axelrod and drones like you. And the media have given up any pretense of objectivity.

But that does not make it reality.

By contrast, the most radical elements of the Democrat party are in control of the party and the country. Obama is arguably to the left of McGovern, Humphrey or LBJ.

Even pointing that out is called radical now, but we are merely calling a spade a spade.

A doubling of the federal debt is what it is.
Politicizing the census is what it is.
Intimidating lenders is what it is.
The White House singling out private citizens for attack and ridicule is what it is.
The Dems channeling billions to groups that will help them get elected is what it is.
Nationalizing the car industry is what it is.
Badmouthing your country in front of foreign autocrats is what it is.
Ignoring strategic allies like India is what it is.
Ignoring Iran is what it is.
Breaking campaign finance laws is what it is.
Signing trillion dollar laws overnight and installing nationalized health care without any transparency or debate is what it is.
Threatening conservative voices with censorship is what it is.

It´s called corruption. It´s called radicalism. It´s called stupidity and lying and breaking of campaign pledges. Most of it is unprecedented.

If you want us to ignore all that you´re out of luck. But it´s your country too, isn´t it? Stop whining about the Republicans. We are not the ones making a mess. We are the ones who must stop it.

Hal-9000 on May 21, 2009 at 1:59 PM

Bravo. This is so manifestly obvious, it’s remarkable that it even has to be said. Yet so many “Republicans” fail to heed this truism and set about eating their own. Then the MSM complains that the social conservatives are trying to drive the “moderates” out of the party. This is a demonstrable lie, but it’s their lie and they’re sticking with it. The truth is that the “moderates” are demanding the social conservatives be silenced and acquiesce to their philosophy. When that doesn’t happen, they cry like petulant punks and threaten to run home to mommy Obama. I say: let them. Their departure can only strengthen the Republican Party because their ultimate aim wasn’t the party anyway. Their aim was to turn the Republican Party into a Democrat mini-me. Guaranteed epic fail.

Sounds like a great idea, Karl. Why don’t they turn it around on the dems? The GOP remains overly meek and timid, sadly. Like a whipped dog shivering in the corner. DD

This is happening to the GOP – the general populace is seeing it as very radical and very Far Right.

As long as the Party gets hijacked by radicals – the longer it will lose.

I’m really really glad that people like Rush, and Newt and Cheney aren’t running things in today’s Republican Party! They would want to remember Reagan after all and isn’t it time to “leave Reagan behind”?

strangelet on May 21, 2009 at 1:56 PM

Your mother did not abort you because?

(white) house organ for the Obama administration.

Will a Monica be involved with this (white) house organ?

I think you’re lucky the MSM hasn’t made Glenn Beck the face of the GOP…..yet.

strangelet on May 21, 2009 at 1:56 PM

….

Grow up, Nishi.

RNC = Rush-Newt-Cheney? Don’t make me laugh.
Now comes Newsweek’s Howard Fineman with the same old line from the Obama White House

If Republicans had spent the last eight years telling the establishment
media that the DNC was led by……

The more Rs desperately cling to finding another Reagan (he’s gone) and things that will never happen, like outlawing abortion, the easier you make it for them.

Concentrate on fiscal matters, national security, things that affect every single American. That’s more than enough to knock down the house of cards Obama lives in.

In other words, reality bites.

A bit different than liberal fantacy land where Obama’s fool hearty lefty sheep dwell.

Their throats will be the first to be slashed.

I think you’re lucky the MSM hasn’t made Glenn Beck the face of the GOP…..yet. strangelet on May 21, 2009 at 1:56 PM

Huh. What’d he do, run a homo whorehouse out of his basement or something?

strangelet on May 21, 2009 at 1:56 PM

Grow Fins on May 21, 2009 at 1:55 PM

Working overtime.

Obama needs to hire 149,998 more trolls to make his 150,000 employment numbers true.

portlandon on May 21, 2009 at 3:01 PM

Shoot….that’s their senior internship.

including a generally apolitical middle that can be turned off by more aggressive figures

I don’t think they are turned off as much as they are smitten by Obama and can’t make the connection between liberalism and the decline in our standard of living.

The unapoligetic R-N-C is our only hope against a populist president that sends chills up their legs. The more we can contrast the gobble-dee-goop of the opposition, the better. They don’t call it the “right” wing for nothing.

Karl on May 21, 2009 at 3:27 PM

You’re probably right. Let’s see if Fineman’s meme gets picked up on the Sunday Shows and MSNBC.

If Steele only made speeches and never spoke extemporaneously I’d be delighted. He is awful when not on script. At least I got a good idea of what his guiding principles are, and they are spot on.

Slightly O.T. – Shep Smith is just read an email from so-called ‘staunch lifelong Republicans’ who claim to have gone to motor vehicle office today to change to the Dem Party cause Cheney is such an outrage. It’s like a MOBY email, but Shep is so unhinged about waterboarding he’ll believe anything.

Very unfortunate typo. I meant to type Obama there at the end.

paulzummo on May 21, 2009 at 3:36 PM

I understood it, while noting its potentially Freudian aspect.

paulzummo on May 21, 2009 at 3:26 PM

While the RNC can’t go as far as Rush or Cheney in opposing Obama and the Dems – and for that reason, that’s why I agreed with those who though branding the Dems as Socialists was a stupid – it most certainly is the responsibility of the opposition party to firmly make the case against the party in power. And while fundraising is important, how you put said raised money to use is even more important. Otherwise, we’re talking about the underwear pants gnome method of political calculation.

1. Raise money.
2. ?
3. Win elections.

I generally agree with this — but in your example, #2 probably has something to do with GOP officials and candidates. I think that at least some of the flack Steele gets is better directed at the largely ineffectual House and Senate GOP caucuses.

[Fineman] is not saying that Cheney/Limbaugh ought to be the face of the GOP, but that the GOP would be wise to be a little more aggressive and emulate, to some degree, the Cheney/Limbaugh model. And unlike you, I don’t think that the model has been entirely unsucessful in inflicting at least some political damage on the GOP.

Here we disagree. To the extent that he’s suggesting the GOP should be more like Limbaugh, et al., he’s doing so from the perspective of thinking it would actually turn off the mushy middle. To the extent that the GOP should be sharper, but less sharp than Limbaugh, I would again say that is the job of officials and candidates, not the RNC.

And I don’t even think Fineman put that much thought into it. I think he just took the Axelrod talking points and slapped himself on the back for coming up with the (R), (N) and (C) part himself. Maybe Gibbs will give him a gold star on his forehead.