This is the dilemma the Republican Party faces.

Our electorate has been so dumbed down by 40 years of federal control over education at all levels, and leftist domination of higher education, that anyone who dares tell them the truth is certain to be punished.

They buy all the lies the Left is selling, hate all the straw men the Left sets up, and see anyone telling them they can’t have everything they want for free as a big fat meanie.

Adjoran on February 22, 2013 at 8:25 PM

It isn’t so much a dilemma for the Republican Party as it is for the conservative movement.

Because, quite frankly, the top GOP leadership (I know that’s an oxymoron) has – by their own free will – bought into the argument hook, line and sinker, and are forcing everyone else in the party to comply and give in to the argument as well.

It’s literally a double instance of battered-wife syndrome – with Obama playing the husband, and Bohenor playing that battered wife; then Bohenor takes out his frustration out on his own caucus by negotiating against himself. It’s been a pattern we’ve been seeing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and…

Speaker Bohenor, not Obama, will be the reason why the GOP will suffer significant electoral losses next year. And subsequently, the conservative movement will have a tough choice – do they finally mobilize to eradicate the complacent establishment in the GOP, or do they stick up for principle and splinter into a separate party?

See that? Cheer up, America!

HOT AIR has the best commenting format on the web. If you turn it into a chat room it will not survive.

Basilsbest on February 23, 2013 at 9:10 AM

…yes!…a few hours late in the day or into the wee hours of the morning is going to DESTROY HOT AIR says the now mumbling Monarch!
…its not the new type of troll that infests the format lately… whose goal is to derail the threads the rest of the day!…
…I remember the days when Basilsbest took umbrage at those kind of tactits in this forum…but in the last year or so has become Basilsballsmissing with nothing but non-articulate adhominem attacks on anybody who does not have… his anal attitude or apptitude!…you have a couple of strokes or something?..it’s not funny… but, you’ve become a rather anal a$$!…I didn’t find you so… a year or two ago…

KOOLAID2 on February 23, 2013 at 11:57 AM

I don’t recall taking umbrage at people hijacking a thread – which doesn’t mean I didn’t. With QOTD my complaint is not that the thread gets hijacked, but, it seems to me more often than not, the thread doesn’t get established. Thanks for helping me to clarify my complaint.

Everything gets cut nothing is special. No get out of jail free cards for the children or the old people or for defense. Take a chainsaw to the entire spending programs.

unseen on February 23, 2013 at 12:04 PM

I agree with this.
I happen to think you are mostly right about these polls things.
People seem to tend to fall into one of three groups:
1. Evil controlling a$$holes
2. Goody two shoe a$$holes
3. People who just want to be left alone
OF that 3rd category, you can bust that down further into 2 other categories:
A. Ignorant morons
B. Apathetics

So there you have it. And #3 is probably nothing but a huge majority of people.
All we are hearing from is categories #1 & #2 who are not that numerous. But some of their members are very persuasive & can get #3 people to do their dirty work for them.
The world is run by the people who bother showing up & that has never been a lot of people.
The use of media these days can be used very cleverly to turn public opinion instantly for a favorable return.

Pardonme on February 23, 2013 at 1:08 PM

…shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!…quiet!

Yes it is a shock but this country runs on poll results and that justifies whatever the politician wants and they know they can get away with it if the poll is right.

Pardonme on February 23, 2013 at 1:08 PM

so whoever controls the polls controls the country….hmmm I wonder why all polling firms are controlled by liberals….nah couldn’t be…they are “scientific” the mittbots told me so.

Government spending buys votes, sure. But it’s only part of the problem.

writeblock on February 23, 2013 at 12:12 PM </blockquote

which do you think will "buy more votes" government programs or tax cuts for all?

I disagree. I think that a large group of people DO want to milk others. They will do so for as long as it is possible.

Do you really think people on welfare, disability, in government employ, unions, etc want to work? No.

I agree the cuts should be harsh and across the board.

antisense on February 23, 2013 at 12:18 PM

I think a large portion wants to work if the reward is higher then sitting on their AS@es. Many went on disability during Obama because they had no choice. Their jobs were gone they couldn’t find work and it was a choice left to them. Same with welfare. I don’t think because someone is ina union a person wants to “milk” others nor do they join a union to “not work” Unions are formed at least at the beginning to protect workers from exploitation by the owners. Which in some cases needs to happen. I think unions run out of normal things to fight over and become outdated and a harm to the workers they sought to protect in the long run.

As for the poll, really read the poll and see what isn’t being asked. The poll asks people which programs needs to be cut. Once you drill down and start turning groups and people against each other they are going to say their program should be saved and the other guy’s needs to be cut. Dog bites man. The poll shows that over the last 25 years the total amouint of people that wnat those programs protected has DROPPED.

An earlier report on this survey showed that 70% think it is essential for the president and Congress to pass major legislation to reduce the federal budget deficit this year. That portion of the survey, conducted in collaboration with USA TODAY, also found that more Americans want the focus of deficit-reduction efforts to be mostly on spending reductions rather than tax increases.

70% is a super majority. that majority falls apart when the talk turns to what to cut. The super majority wants less government less spending less corynism.

and the trend is spending decrease wanted :

Long-Term Trends

While there has been little change in public views on government spending within the last two years, the long-term trend over the past quarter-century is, for the most part, away from spending growth.

When the question was first asked in 1987, a 64% majority felt that Social Security spending should be increased; this stands at 41% in the new survey. Similarly, support for increased federal spending on health care has fallen from 72% to 38% since 1987, and the share favoring more spending on environmental protection has declined from 59% to 33%.

While the trends are shorter, two other issues have seen similar trajectories. When first asked in 1994, 71% supported more federal spending on combating crime. This figure stands at 41% today. And even just over the past 12 years, the share saying education spending should be increased has fallen from 76% to 60%.

again the nmajority in this country wants government spending cut, wants lower taxes, less cronyism, less fraud and less waste. the polls cherry picks what the liberals wants and present the dived view and how people disagree over what spending to cut not the fact that people want less spending.

The poll is done by liberals to push an agenda….namely save “thier spending programs” and to give cover to others like the GOPe to keep “their spending programs” when the real headline should read: “super majorty want government spending cut can’t agree on what to cut…

People want to work if the work lets them be productive members of society. People will not work when not working pays better than working, when there is no work, when rules and regulations makes it easier to be a non worker than a worker.

the problem is not the people and we don’t have to “flip any numbers” We just have to promote what the majority wants in this country and not allow liberals, their polls and their leaders to divide and conquer what the majoirty wants. ALL polls are run by liberals to push an agenda…ALL of them believe them at your peril.

In other words, we need to focus on the whole picture, not just the part that fuels the left’s propaganda. There’s plenty of room for criticizing big banks and big business. Government spending buys votes, sure. But it’s only part of the problem.

writeblock on February 23, 2013 at 12:12 PM

You can try and agitate from the Populist Left, but when they compare both arguments, the populace will go with the side that gives out benefits.

I do not think that ignoring polling like this helps. Must find ways of getting people off of this mentality through privatization of huge swaths of the economy.

yes that is excatly what I’m saying. america is full of small government people who want less spending less taxes less waste less cronyism and less government. You don’t have to flip anything. You just have to convince the people that everyone will get cut. You can’t spend on defense then say welfare needs cut. you can’t increase social secuirty while cutting FDA. then it becomes who gets shafted and you turn one group against another. Until everyone is convinced the cutting is the same for everyone nothing will change. People are for less governemnt but they aren’t stupid. they will not freely give up their stuff until others give up theirs. Like I said before its classic game theory the politicians use it to stay in power and get votes. But it isn’t the desire of the people to “milk” others.

I disagree. I think that a large group of people DO want to milk others. They will do so for as long as it is possible.

Do you really think people on welfare, disability, in government employ, unions, etc want to work? No.

I agree the cuts should be harsh and across the board.

So you are saying this poll isn’t true and that America is full of small government libertarians just waiting in the wings?

You ignore this poll at your own peril. The thought should be: “How can I flip these numbers?”

Some people here seem to confuse affirming the polls with liking their outcome. It is simply identifying a problem to be solved.

antisense on February 23, 2013 at 11:35 AM

yes that is excatly what I’m saying. america is full of small government people who want less spending less taxes less waste less cronyism and less government. You don’t have to flip anything. You just have to convince the people that everyone will get cut. You can’t spend on defense then say welfare needs cut. you can’t increase social secuirty while cutting FDA. then it becomes who gets shafted and you turn one group against another. Until everyone is convinced the cutting is the same for everyone nothing will change. People are for less governemnt but they aren’t stupid. they will not freely give up their stuff until others give up theirs. Like I said before its classic game theory the politicians use it to stay in power and get votes. But it isn’t the desire of the people to “milk” others.

Polls are used by liberals to push their agenda to make others believe they are in the minority to the liberal agenda. It seems to have worked on you.

Which do you think works better. a call to cut spending returning the money to the people or to increase taxes and spending. Ask 10 people that question and you will get the vast majority saying cut spending and taxes. Right now proposed cuts mean nothing to people because they get nothing in return for the cuts. Seniors aren’t going to go for cuts in medicare while DOD gets to buy more $600 hammers. Middle class isn’t going to go for tax increases while the upper incomes get more tax loopholes.

Right now we have cut the rate of spending and INCREASE taxes. in that world people being people we respond with “go to hell”

to fix the debt problems we can’t cut spending and not deal with taxes. We need to reduce taxes across the board while we cut spending across the board. Everything gets cut nothing is special. No get out of jail free cards for the children or the old people or for defense. Take a chainsaw to the entire spending programs.

You ignore this poll at your own peril. The thought should be: “How can I flip these numbers?”

Some people here seem to confuse affirming the polls with liking their outcome. It is simply identifying a problem to be solved.

antisense on February 23, 2013 at 11:35 AM

…you have to understand the history of gummeandpokemes appearances here…to understand my comment to the polesmoker…your statements… are correct.

HOT AIR has the best commenting format on the web. If you turn it into a chat room it will not survive.

Basilsbest on February 23, 2013 at 9:10 AM

…yes!…a few hours late in the day or into the wee hours of the morning is going to DESTROY HOT AIR says the now mumbling Monarch!
…its not the new type of troll that infests the format lately… whose goal is to derail the threads the rest of the day!…
…I remember the days when Basilsbest took umbrage at those kind of tactits in this forum…but in the last year or so has become Basilsballsmissing with nothing but non-articulate adhominem attacks on anybody who does not have… his anal attitude or apptitude!…you have a couple of strokes or something?..it’s not funny… but, you’ve become a rather anal a$$!…I didn’t find you so… a year or two ago…

We are all assuming that most people make sense of a chart! From dealing with some of my Democrat friends, I have to say that is now a questionable assumption.

…took you long enough to get here gummeandpokeme…I see you still shove your head up your a$$…and live off the air in your head…

KOOLAID2 on February 23, 2013 at 10:32 AM

liberals control every major polling firm. It is how they push their agenda. the Mittbots never learned that truth. they believed the polls right up until the end.

unseen on February 23, 2013 at 11:27 AM

So you are saying this poll isn’t true and that America is full of small government libertarians just waiting in the wings?

You ignore this poll at your own peril. The thought should be: “How can I flip these numbers?”

Some people here seem to confuse affirming the polls with liking their outcome. It is simply identifying a problem to be solved.