2012 Race for the White House II: The Two Towers

They should be angry that the Republican candidates wish to slash taxes on the very wealthy, only modestly cut middle class taxes, cut middle class benefits, and increase the national deficit. You would think that would piss them off.

 

Ya mean like in 2006?

 

Katrina and Iraq fatigue.

Of course, it is a silly caveat to make, since elections are always held in the context of, you know, stuff that's happening then.

 

I understand Q's point; GOP wins when there is nothing going on.

 

Well, that, and the likelihood of keeping the House and winning the Senate regardless of what happens in the Presidential race.

 

The point here being that while the Repubs may have devolved into a freak show of an organization when it comes to trying to win a national election, the nation remains divided politically. Don't see that changing any time too soon. Obama could cruise to re-election and the Dems could suffer real losses on Congress. We live in interesting times. Hell, even if Santorum were the nominee, and destroys R turnout based on his personal insanity, there's another election in two years.

 

My personal belief is a lot like Jon Chait's: if the GOP can't win in 2012, the recovering economy will destroy them in 2014 and by 2016 demographics will have forced them to become an acceptable alternative or will relegate them to the dustbin of history.

 

While the GOP as we know it may never win another national election, they'll still be, at the very least, a viable super-regional party for the foreseeable future. Even with all the demographic changes and the diminishing value of the culture war, I see the deep red states (basically, the Deep South and the Plains) remaining so for some time.

 

Thanks to their global warming denying the Plains will look like this soon enough:




Minus the black guy.

 

I think I remember somewhere reading that parts of the Plains will become wetter while other parts will become drier. Remember, global warming doesn't mean everywhere becomes Waterworld or Desert.

 

Karl Rove: How To Beat Obama

Ignore his spin on events; the rest, the strategic advice for the eventual GOP nominee is a good read.

 

Well, in a hermetically sealed, Rovian world, perhaps this could work.

Just who is the mythical Republican candidate who's supposed to present this message? Rick Santorum? Mitt Romney? I'm sorry, but I just don't see Obama playing the simpleton that Rove seems to think the President is. Whoever he runs against this fall is going to have nothing to bring to the table as regards foreign policy, the way I see it. Sure, Iran's scary, gas prices are high. But Obama has had real foreign policy achievements, and I have faith that the guy will be ready to present his case is a pretty compelling way if the Republican nominee is dumb enough to go there.

Now, a lot can happen between now and November, so who knows? But based on current realities, you've got to be looking through some pretty damned red-state tinted glasses to see foreign policy as an advantage of any sort for the Republican Party in 2012.

 

Rove is the godfather of neocons. Foreign policy is the only lens through which he sees things.

 

You're gonna have to defend this assertion. I don't see it AT ALL.

 

What I meant was that he was a political godfather to neocons, not an ideological one (which I think you thought I meant).

His mission was to get neocons into positions of power and influence, and he did it by having culture warriors do the lead blocking.

 

I think it was the parts around the Front Range that got wetter. I can't find the pictogram.

 

Well that's your and my fault for tolerating all these hyperconservatives for so long that every Neo/Theo Con in California is moving back to their dustbowl roots and trying to make fly-over country something you really do want to fly over.

 

this vid i just watched explains so much

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/m...-mitt-romney-hasn-t-crushed-this-guy-already-

 

Just came back from vacation, a tour with mostly Australians and Canadians. All rich old white people, in the States 70% of them would be Republicans. They were very cautious about American politics for fear of offending me, then opened up when they got to know me. To a person, they were puzzled that the 2012 Republicans could get more than 10% to 15% of the national vote, given their extremism. I waved my hands a bit about evangelicals which was a partial explanation but it did not suffice.

 

For many "real murikkans", being criticized by Aussies and Canadians would be a badge of honor. It fits with the "rest of the world lives in mud huts and hates us because we are so awesome" narrative.

 

So we're Millwall!

 

When Australians tell you to stop being extremist, you listen.