What's next for the GOP?

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by Boreas

For the most part the Tea Party candidates won re-election. The exceptions were the crazy or most overtly hate-filled like Akin, Mourdock, Walsh, (probably) West and (maybe) Bachmann. The rest are still going to be around.

On the other hand, a lot of the new Democrats elected are true progressives like Elisabeth Warren, Tammy Baldwin and the resurrected Alan Grayson. Couple that with Virginia and probably Florida (49.8%/49.3%) going blue and with turnout being so high, and I think what you see is a multidirectional move away from the center. That's the "Tea Party Effect", a further polarization of the electorate with someon the center right moving left, the traditional left moving farther left and the far right moving farther right.

Should be interesting but I doubt that it'll be fun.

John

And how could I forget Tammy Duckworth?

John

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

The Tea Party cost Romney the election? I disagree.

Pete

It's a toss-up between Romney's flawed candidacy/message and the GOP's intransigence and cultural backwardness exemplified by the Teabaggers. They unquestionably cost the GOP control of the Senate.

[d-ray657]

According to Fox, it was the liberal media.

Regards,

D-Ray

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

According to Fox, it was the liberal media.

Regards,

D-Ray

It makes me wonder if the Faux/Talk Radio audience will finally realize that they've been played for fools all along.

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by finnbow

It makes me wonder if the Faux/Talk Radio audience will finally realize that they've been played for fools all along.

I seriously doubt it. Unless Limbeck and Hannitage start calling for violent revolution, the "faithful" will simply allow these people to tell them how badly they've been abused.

John

[icenine]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

When Mitt was nominated I wondered if a person that wasn't likeable could win.

It appears the answer is no.

Pete

That's why you should not run in 2016 Pete

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by finnbow

It's a toss-up between Romney's flawed candidacy/message and the GOP's intransigence and cultural backwardness exemplified by the Teabaggers. They unquestionably cost the GOP control of the Senate.

I largely agree. 'Mistakes were made'

Too much can be read in to this though. The mistakes were largely style and inelegant-ness imo.

Pete

[ebacon]

They certainly offended this traditional Republican. Their ideas stank, their candidates stank, and their online debate style was nothing other than piling on anyone that disagreed with them. That style did not show up as much on politicalchat but it was awful on other boards. Even on boards primarily occupied by one percenters. What a bunch of assholes.

They took the Republican party from being citizens to being punks.

[barbara]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

According to Fox, it was the liberal media.

Regards,

D-Ray

I turned on fox this morning just to laugh at all the excuses they came up with. I wasn't disappointed.
Never occurs to them that Obama was the better choice....

[d-ray657]

One of the bigger obstacles facing Obama might be his left flank. The last four (20?) years have created a lot of frustration for many on the left: disappointment with failing to include the public option; with extending the Bush tax cuts for the top 2%; with cutting social programs in the budget extortion; with the continuation of some of Bush's homeland security measures, and so on. I saw a hint of it last night from Chris Matthews who was really sour that Obama had not already started consolidating power from the win. There have been some energetic progressives elected to the senate. I can see a call for an attempt to beat any remaining life out of the tea party and for going forward with the expectations that many held coming into '09 (whether they were realistic or not). It will be interesting.

Regards,

D-Ray