How you gonna get Palin in as Speaker of the House? Technically the Speaker does not have to be a member of the House but, really, practically, step by step, how you going to get her in?

And beyond getting Palin in, how are you going to get Boehner out?

dczombie on December 12, 2012 at 7:56 PM

Obviously and unfortunately, for all practical purposes, neither of those two events is going to occur (although the latter seems to be gaining steam).

In our conservative fantasy/dream world:
(1) Boehner would be pressured and eventually forced to resign by several other Republican Congressional Leaders (as was attempted in 1997 to Newt Gingrich); and
(2) there’d be a new election in the House for the Speakership.

Palin would garner the support of smart Republicans who realize that she could help get each reelected in perpetuity … but more insidiously, she might get the support of the vast majority of Democrats who underestimate her and think that electing her would be a big mistake for the Republicans — believing that they’re handing the LSM a permanent, target-rich environment.

Oh well, one can only dream …

Boehner has managed to allow Obama to turn the Bush middle class tax cuts, passed by a Republican majority Congress over 10 years ago, into the Obama middle class tax cuts, supposedly opposed by the House majority Republicans.

The Republicans have been such a failure at articulating their message it is truly astonishing.
The party that was birthed as an anti-slavery party today is thought of as the racist party.

The Republicans seem embarrassed by a past that they should be celebrating. The first blacks in congress were Republican. You’d think they would be proudly and passionately be defending their great and rich history! But they act ashamed by it. Republican leaders are embarrassed by Ronald Reagan… while the Democrats want you to think they love Reagan and Reagan was just like they are. And now.. Obama has even co-opted Abraham Lincoln. The first Republican President. I honestly believe that if Obama started saying Lincoln was a Democrat that Some GOP leaders would feel embarrassed to argue the point.

Yeah, because that worked out so well with Newt Gingrich and the government shutdown.

HitNRun on December 12, 2012 at 7:55 PM

What was wrong with the governemnt shutdown under Gingrich? The GOP lost 2 seats in the House afterward and gained 2 in the Senate. It was a wash. If the dems are being criminal bastids who want to force a govenrment shut down, then let them shut the feral govenrment down. Only, this time, the workers don’t get paid for days they didn’t work.

And beyond getting Palin in, how are you going to get Boehner out?

But face it. Boehner is no match for Obama on the national stage. He cannot press the economic arguments articulately. He does not have a compelling personality.

Yeah, because that worked out so well with Newt Gingrich and the government shutdown.

The drawback to Boehner is that he’s a blubberer who will probably cave.

His lack of an easily vilified personality is probably his strongest point, not a weakness. 4/5ths of Americans have no idea who he is. Charisma is no asset when the entire media is looking to create The Face of The Enemy for sequestration. Certainly not when the GOP has just lost the referendum on this issue – the election – and a strong personality would just be The Sore Loser Standing In The Way Of the People.

He only has the power of the purse, enough repubs to outvote the dems, evidence that the Senate is being deliberately obstructionist at every turn.

Had no problem telling his caucus to get their “asses in line” summer 2011 over legislation that is now BITING them in those same asses.

All the principled conservatives are back benchers and in the end amount to nothing (see DeMint), because they never speak out.