Republican Strategy

Off Topic Politics & World Issues
1

Before I ask my real question, I want to lay out what I see as the two major differences between the Democrats and the Republicans.

Democrats

  1. Believe that the government has an important role to play in American society
  2. The government should take most of the responsibility in carrying out its programs in the name of equality.

Republicans

  1. Believe that the government has a very minor role to play in American society
  2. When, in the rare cases, the government must take a bigger role, it should be done as much as possible through the free market.

Republicans have to make a decision. When responding to democrat proposals do they use principle 1 and oppose it altogether, or do they use principle 2 and accept the expansion of government while pushing to allow as much freedom as possible?

By framing the parties in this way, we may analyze the republican response to individual issues

Health care
Obama supports socialized medicine (eventually). Should the GOP oppose all attempts at the expansion of universal healthcare, or should it accept the expansion and push for universal health insurance (or some free-market variation there-of)?

Saving the Banks
Obama supported the original bailout and will likely support another. Should the GOP oppose all bailouts, or should it accept the necessity of intervention but propose alternative ways of doing it?

Stimulus
Obama supports stimulus. Should the GOP oppose all stimulus, or should it accept its necessity and propose tax cuts instead of govt. spending.

This type of analysis can be applied to pretty much every major issue. So what do you think? Should it pick and choose positions on each of these major issues, should it universally oppose all of them or should it suggest free-market improvements to democrat proposals?

(or secret option #4, pull a John McCain and just support everything the dems say.)

2

As a party, they should stick to free-market principles. Not that they will, but they should. Why compromise? Well, I know why. To secure a political career.

But, if we’re talking about standing on principles, why compromise just because the political winds aren’t in their favor? Compromise now, while they’re out of favor, and roll back new programs/spending once they’re back in power? Seems to me that counting on the ability to reverse new spending and programs is a poor wager. Nothing as permanent as a government program, so they say.

And what’s the payoff? Because, the left would say “thanks, that program was the last thing we wanted government to handle!”? Nah. Give an inch, they’ll take a mile. If hope for a small government is all but dead, do the honorable thing and let the party go down with it. Of course, we’re talking about a hypothetical “small-government” GoP…

3

the problem is they are not differentiating themselves from the democrats in areas that are important enough to win elections.

Republicans lost congress by spending like democrats.

Mc Cain, and other Republicans, lost elections by voting for the bailout.

Republicans made a huge mistake by putting their own pork in the current spending bill. They could have hung democrats and Obama on this if they didn’t account for 40% of it.

They put a neocon like Steele in front of the party.

What we are dealing with here is plain and simple incompetence. Miscalculation and betrayal at every fucking step.

Republicans are lost and I don’t think they are smart enough to find their way home.

4

[quote]dhickey wrote:
the problem is they are not differentiating themselves from the democrats in areas that are important enough to win elections.

Republicans lost congress by spending like democrats.

Mc Cain, and other Republicans, lost elections by voting for the bailout.

Republicans made a huge mistake by putting their own pork in the current spending bill. They could have hung democrats and Obama on this if they didn’t account for 40% of it.

They put a neocon like Steele in front of the party.

What we are dealing with here is plain and simple incompetence. Miscalculation and betrayal at every fucking step.

Republicans are lost and I don’t think they are smart enough to find their way home.[/quote]

The good news is that the obama/pelosi/reid cabal, and their orgy of spending, are going to spend their way right out of a job.

I’m excited to hear Palin say, "We have a balanced budget. We didn’t accept the bailout. We believe in fiscal responsibility. Are you tired of the orgy of spending in Washington?

I’m here huckleberry."

JeffR

5

[quote]Jeff R wrote:
dhickey wrote:
the problem is they are not differentiating themselves from the democrats in areas that are important enough to win elections.

Republicans lost congress by spending like democrats.

Mc Cain, and other Republicans, lost elections by voting for the bailout.

Republicans made a huge mistake by putting their own pork in the current spending bill. They could have hung democrats and Obama on this if they didn’t account for 40% of it.

They put a neocon like Steele in front of the party.

What we are dealing with here is plain and simple incompetence. Miscalculation and betrayal at every fucking step.

Republicans are lost and I don’t think they are smart enough to find their way home.

The good news is that the obama/pelosi/reid cabal, and their orgy of spending, are going to spend their way right out of a job.

I’m excited to hear Palin say, "We have a balanced budget. We didn’t accept the bailout. We believe in fiscal responsibility. Are you tired of the orgy of spending in Washington?

I’m here huckleberry."

JeffR

[/quote]

The fact that Palin may be the republicans’ best chance in 4 years is quite depressing. It seems you now have to be one of folks and good at winning a popularity contest to get in. where are the intellectuals?

6

[quote]dhickey wrote:

The fact that Palin may be the republicans’ best chance in 4 years is quite depressing. It seems you now have to be one of folks and good at winning a popularity contest to get in. where are the intellectuals?[/quote]

Intellectuals = elites = aloof ivory tower liberal types… in the eyes of the ‘folks’.

People don’t want to feel(even if all their leaders are and dumb down themselves to appear populist) like they’re being ruled by know-it-all types who think they’re better than Joe Blow. To be ruled in the Platonic matter outlined in The Republic is to hand over all sense of dignity the average folks feel.

*talking out my ass…

7

[quote]dhickey wrote:
Jeff R wrote:
dhickey wrote:
the problem is they are not differentiating themselves from the democrats in areas that are important enough to win elections.

Republicans lost congress by spending like democrats.

Mc Cain, and other Republicans, lost elections by voting for the bailout.

Republicans made a huge mistake by putting their own pork in the current spending bill. They could have hung democrats and Obama on this if they didn’t account for 40% of it.

They put a neocon like Steele in front of the party.

What we are dealing with here is plain and simple incompetence. Miscalculation and betrayal at every fucking step.

Republicans are lost and I don’t think they are smart enough to find their way home.

The good news is that the obama/pelosi/reid cabal, and their orgy of spending, are going to spend their way right out of a job.

I’m excited to hear Palin say, "We have a balanced budget. We didn’t accept the bailout. We believe in fiscal responsibility. Are you tired of the orgy of spending in Washington?

I’m here huckleberry."

JeffR

I don’t think you have to be an intellectual. Someone once said I would rather be governed by the first ten names in the NYC phonebook than the faculty of Harvard. Reagan wasn’t a rocket scientist, but he had very good principles that he could articulate and he followed through with them.

It’s better to be a motivated person of above average intelligence who is right as opposed to some intellectual who is wrong. Didn’t Reagan graduate from a small college in Illinois? Jimmy Carter graduated from the Naval academy, a very prestigious school.

Who would you rather have in office?

I’m not saying Reagan was stupid, he was a smart guy, but to many of these intellectual types seem to hag around academia to long and never do jack in the real world. They end of wringing their hands while hostages are held for 444 days and are released the day ronnie is inaguarated.

I just hate Carter for what he did and this new guy is quickly replacing him as the A1 don’t have a clue guy.

The fact that Palin may be the republicans’ best chance in 4 years is quite depressing. It seems you now have to be one of folks and good at winning a popularity contest to get in. where are the intellectuals?[/quote]