GOP: Rebranding Vs. Rethinking

Memo Pad

previous | next

GOP: Rebranding Vs. Rethinking

February 7th, 2013 12:00 am E. J. Dionne

WASHINGTON — Rebranding is trendy in the Republican Party.

Rep. Eric Cantor gave a major speech on Tuesday to advance the effort. Gov. Bobby Jindal wants the GOP to stop being the “stupid party.” Karl Rove is setting up a PAC (it’s what he does these days) to defeat right-wing crazies who cost the party Senate seats.

But there’s a big difference between rebranding — this implies the product is fine but needs to be sold better — and pursuing a different approach to governing. Here’s an early action report.

The good news: Some Republicans have decided the party moved too far to the right and are backing off long-standing positions on tax increases, guns and immigration. Their new flexibility, combined with President Obama’s new post-election aggressiveness, is producing a quiet revolution in Washington. The place is becoming less dysfunctional.

Congress has already passed a substantial tax increase, Republicans avoided a debt ceiling fight, and the ice is breaking on guns and immigration.

The mixed news: A lot of the rebranding efforts are superficial yet nonetheless reflect an awareness that the party has been asking the wrong questions, talking about the wrong issues and limiting the range of voters it’s been addressing.

This is why Cantor’s speech was more important than the policies he outlined, which were primarily conservative retreads. His intervention proved that Obama and progressives are changing the terms of the debate, much as Ronald Reagan did in the 1980s.

Cantor wasn’t making the case for smaller government or tax cuts for the “job creators.” He was asking what government could do for the middle class — “to provide relief to so many millions of Americans who just want their life to work again.”

No wonder Sen. Charles Schumer, one of the Democrats’ most subtle strategists, jumped at the chance to praise Cantor for taking “the first step towards finding common ground in agreeing on the problem you are trying to solve.” If the debate is about who will be nicer to business or who will cut taxes, Republicans win. What Schumer understands is that if the issue is providing relief for the middle class (and for workers, immigrants and low-income children), Republicans are competing over questions on which progressives have the advantage.

Continue Reading >> 1 2

Tags: E.J. Dionne, Eric Cantor, GOP, rebranding, Reform, Republican Party, Tea Party

http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Jones/827014412 Daniel Jones

House Unrepresentative is the major force in effect of the corporate lobby and the RNC’s efforts to form a government against the United States of America, end stop.
http://www.facebook.com/douglas.james.712 Douglas James

Tyranny of the minority.
dtgraham

I’ve been watching this GOP extreme makeover with interest although I’m not sure what to make of it. So they’re into promotional rebranding, and having Frank Luntz teach them new words and phrases to hide their true intentions are they? I sense an opportunity here and I think I may be able to help. I’ve given this some thought and this is what I’ve got so far…

My list of possible rebranding promotional slogans for the New Republican Party heading to 2016:

– “Okay. This time we’re serious.”

– “We’re digging up Ronald Reagan and we’re running him again.”

– “Still crazy after all these years.”

– “Hey! The Kochs liked us so much they bought the Party.”

– “Tired of voting for sane, ethical, Democrats?”

– “Choose us, because when somebody says Bachmann, Ghomert, Broun, Brewer, Perry, or Palin…you think PRESIDENT!!

– “The GOP: Something for you 1930′s nostalgia buffs.”

– “We’re a lifestyle downscaling opportunity.”

– “Today’s Republican Party.” “An inspiring role model for your young tax cheats.”

– “Just wait till 2020.”

I’ll be submitting these to the RNC. I accept cheques.

neeceoooo

I like your thoughts on this.

dtgraham

They’re easy to poke fun at aren’t they.

lana ward

Isn’t it Omuslim and the dems killing Americans with drones?? The MSM pounded Bush about waterboarding(3) people, but haven’t said much about Omuslim murdering Americans with drones

awakenaustin

Troll.
lana ward

Someone who believes in murdering babies while they are being born has no problem murdering anyone
Reddiaperbaby

More bullshit, Lana?? No one is murdering babies at birth…that just makes you sound as crazy as you seem to be. Is there anything we can do to help you, or just have you put away in a padded room?
lana ward

You’ve never heard of babies being murdered as they’re being born!! I thought you knew everything. And when Omuslim was a Senator, he passed the law that aborted babies that lived, were NOT to recieve any help!! They were to lay in the trashcan and die!! That’s your “cares so much for kids’ phony
Reddiaperbaby

You’re totally insane…go away and die.

Sent from my iPad
lana ward

It’s the truth, you fool! Take that diaper off your head and put it back on your ass where it belongs!!
idamag

Lying is her strong suit. She cannot prove a thing she says.
Reddiaperbaby

I know I was a bit harsh, but I suspect a little crazy rubbed off on me. I am so done with her!
Sent from my iPad
idamag

She does that to people who have little tolerance for stupidity.
Reddiaperbaby

You’re so cool…xoxoxoxo

Sent from my iPad
idamag

No. Have you got actual footage of that being done?

If you are talking about abortion, you are talking about protoplasma or fetuses, not babies being born.
lana ward

Look it up sponge, babies that live through an abortion, are NOT allowed any help. They lay crumpled and cold to die!! That is the law Omurderer signed when Senator!!!!
idamag

You are nuts. It is too bad Reagan closed the mental hospitals. You belong in one.
lana ward

You didn;t look it up, because it’s true. Omurderer said No help for babies that survive an abortion, but he cares so much for those 20 killed at Sandy Hook
idamag

pictures, please former welfare queen.
lana ward

States are cutting employees hours so they don’t have to pay for the God-awful Ocare!! So now we pay more in taxes and our hours will be cut too!! The bastard sure cares about the middle class!! So you will be a welfare queen, maggot!
idamag

Sponge? You are the one who soaked up welfare money, paid by mine, and others, hard earned money that we went to work every day to get.

I could tell you I met a man who claimed he was from the moon and it was made of green cheese, and there is probably a stupid website, out there, to prove his claims. That doesn’t make it true.

You need some actual footage of this happening. I realize that crazy people don’t realize they are crazy, but you are nuts.
lana ward

Look up his record when he was Senator, that’s all you have to do. That is the one time he didn’t vote present
idamag

She is really delusional isn’t she?
Reddiaperbaby

Delusional, yes…and pathetic!!

nice to hear from you, Ida.

Sent from my iPad
http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

But it’s okay to start wars at the drop of the hat so those babies that were saved can get killed on the battlefield – Isn’t it hypocrite!!!!
idamag

Hypocrite is right.
lana ward

Wars are awful, but there have always been wars, there aways will be. Murdering babies while being born is against Gods laws and is monsterous!! Common sense tells you the difference
http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

That’s not the point!! The SAME people, like YOURSELF, who are preaching against abortion, are at THE SAME TIME promoting starting a war that they know will end up killing people. IT MAKE NO SENSE!!! YOU CAN’T SAY IT’S OKAY TO KILL ADULTS BUT IT’S NOT OKAY TO KILL BABIES!!! STOP BEING A HYPOCRITE!!!!!!!!!!
lana ward

It’s not abortion, it’s murder. I told you I don’t like war, but it will always be
neeceoooo

So how do you rationalize Bush murdering thousands in a war that was unjust.
idamag

She might have a leak in her heating system in that old trailer or else she got exposed to lead paint when she was little.
BDC_57

She don’t care about the murders that Bush did all she cares about is that President Obama is black.
lana ward

There have always been wars, there always will be. Murdering babies while being born is monsterous and against Gods law. If you can’t see this, you have no common sense
dtgraham

On the contrary, the so-called MSM have said lots Lana. This is such a weird one. MSNBC have really been on Obama’s case over this and particularly Rachel Maddow. She’s been harsh on him. Bill Maher and Jon Stewart have taken Obama to task over the drones. On the other hand, ultra conservative Greg Gutfeld actually defended Obama on Fox News’s The Five after liberal Bob Beckel practically called Obama a murderer. Gretchen Carlson, on Fox and Friends, defended Obama and praised his drone attacks. I understand where all this is coming from, but it’s so strange to hear.
lana ward

I have been working so much, I haven’t seen much tv. I did see Ed Schultz ream O, but i’m suprised at Greg Gutfeld. I’ll have to think about that one. I’m telling you, Os power has gone to his head and we’re in trouble
http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Sorry, where I sit – previous Americans who have left the country and choose to do things that would be detrimental to the country ARE NO LONGER AMERICANS!!! and attacking them is fair game. How are these faux Americans any different than those who have joined al Qaeda or the Taliban to fight against American troops and citizens?????????? They sacrificed their citizenship when they turned against the country!!!!
lana ward

This is the perfect way for O to take out those who disagree with him-NOT our country
idamag

draw anal, What happens with the coal mines and welfare is the future. You were on welfare in my past. My hard earned tax money paid you to baby sit your own children while you sat on your draw and waited for your check in the mail. I had to support your children and didn’t have any say in how you raised them so you raised them to look for a check in the mail.

when I had to work so hard, you just waited with your hand out. This is one thing Montana Bill and I agree on.
lana ward

Like I said Maggot, under Omuslim you are going to need 2 jobs to make ends meet . He hates success and punishes it. And with Ocare, we will be punished more. He is punishing us with illegals- and now he is going to kill whomever he pleases. He is satan, Lord of The Flies
lana ward

With all of the people Omuslim is putting out of work, they are having to depend on the Gov for help. More taxes are coming, better start looking for that 2nd job, no one will be able to live with just one
idamag

Independent, I have always thought she was anti-American and now who sticking up for those traitors, who are shooting at the United States, shows she is anti-American. Maybe she should go join the Al Quaeda.
http://profile.yahoo.com/7ZCSXZFKCPCCNTXWY7PKX4VPOA jg

Lana,

Actually there is a lot of questioning going on about drone warfare. Much of it occurring on progressive and MSM media outlets. Folks on your (Lana’s) end of the spectrum are offering up rather apt comparisons to such previous controversies as water boarding as well.

Maybe you should drop your “Omuslim” schtick and try working on expressing factually based thoughts. It’s about time to leave the tea party.

And please don’t tell people to go look it up on the internet. Anyone who does, will see that your accusation is simply a misstatement taken out of context.
lana ward

You will get the truth from the sites I use, unlike the MSM
idamag

You poor stupid welfare queen. I don’t have to get my information from television. I can look up facts and make up my own mind. You only visit websites and television that reinforces your stupidity.
lana ward

I told you before bitch, I’m not on welfare. Just because you are, doesn’t mean everyone else is. You sponge!
idamag

Former welfare, I have never been on welfare. When the going got rough, I got a job.
lana ward

Under Omurderer, you’re gonna need 2 jobs
lana ward

With plants, businesses, coal mines having to close under Omuslim, those who have never needed assistance from the Gov. now need it. Him destroying America, there will be no middle class. He is an evil monster!!
idamag

She is the type that if Americans joined the nazi party in Germany and started shooting at us, we can’t shoot back because they are “American Citizens.” Anyone who joins our enemy and actually wars against us has no rights to citizenship. They are the enemy. They chose to be the enemy.
idamag

The got-pregnant-in-high-school-and dropped out former welfare queen speaks again.
lana ward

Hey maggot!! You need to go back to school. No lying about your “education” any more!!

BDC_57

You got that right.

docb

Cantors speech was plagiarism from a 2011 speech made by President Obama…They can not govern or win so they change the rhetoric and think that will pass muster? Failed again! It was not ‘major’ anything but classic political repub bagger slight of hand BS!

The public is not buying the snake oil!

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Like virtually every Republican, they know nothing about running a federal government and therefore do not have the brains to put together a speech that is coherent and not filled with lies and distortions unless they plaigerize something from an Independent or Democrat.

http://www.facebook.com/dominick.vila.1 Dominick Vila

The results of the 2012 election encompassed a lot more than a race between two politicians. The most important part of that election, because of its long lasting effects, was a repudiation of Republican policies and actions. Republicans and, especially, Tea Party members interpreted the ideological successes achieved by the Bush administration as a mandate and endorsement of their policies. Instead, those policies woke up a sleeping giant, and that awakening, which produced a record turnout at the polls, sent an unmistakable message that even the most obtuse Republican can understand. They had moved so far to the right that they left the ball park.
The obvious move to the center-right has more to do with survival than a change of hearts. Their latest tactic is to moderate the message so that they can sneak in the ideological goals they have pursued for decades, which include the dismantling of social programs, a more aggressive foreign policy, deregulation, and a tax policy designed to protect the interests of the top 2% of our population.

http://profile.yahoo.com/RGOUPZ3JYNMPBVOHLZRCRVRD6Q ivory69690

and their thing about foreign policy and taxes only have to do with what their biggest number of the ppl. of the country the all mighty 2% how can such a small % get so much attention from ppl. voted in office by the ppl.? as for other country YES we should be interested in what happens there . but seems thy care about whats going on there then right hear in their own country. as far as fixing this country to help put us on the high top and stay there strong should be a Clinton era game getting rid of the the money we own to the other country’s . as for the was Bill Clinton did it even the rich got richer . and how the country could use the money now if this country is going to owe any body money then it should be for teaching our children . giving our own ppl school so we and thy can keep the country moving the right way not falling behind the rest of the world

CPAinNewYork

How can the two percent get so much attention? That’s a rhetorical question, right?

They get the attention of politicians because one, they have the money to make huge campaign contributions and two because a lot of people are too dumb to know where their personal interests lie.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Your latter point is what really gets me: how can so many Americans be so clueless. I remember reading a post a couple weeks ago from a European reader who questioned why Americans can’t seem to see that Republicans are working to set things up to steal as much money from the taxpayers as they can, while virtually all Europeans have seen this for years.

neeceoooo

Our last election was a perfect example of that. The fact that Romney got as many votes as he did, tells us that the GOP have the American people (not just the 2%) bamboozled
old_blu

Thankfully not enough were bamboozled.
neeceoooo

True

charleo1

As is standard operating procedure, your summation of the Republican Party’s attempt
to rebrand itself by putting it’s unpopular product in a prettier box, is spot on! It is a
logical move, after painting themselves into a proverbial corner, by embracing some of the most extreme, and radical people in the Country. But they now find they are given very little latitude to modify policy on the big issues, by the very ideologues they helped to elect.
The go big, or go home strategy is a thing of beauty when it works. But they are finding
out, it’s Hell to pay when it doesn’t. I confess to certain amount of satisfaction, after
months of listening as each of the Republican Presidential hopefuls, contributed in turn
to the mean spirited, running joke, as to how they would improve security at the Mexican
border. Then losing the Latino vote to Barack Obama by 70%. Sometimes, small,”d,” democracy is a thrilling thing to behold, is it not?
grandbaby1

Very well said Dominick. Americans in general are very tired of the republican stance can.t touch the job makers and fixing the problems can be done only by closing loopholes. What happens then is they just make new ones. It.s about time they at least, what is truly wrong

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

Yes Dominick Is Always On Clue!!! The GOP/ Tea Party Is Full Of Shit, It’s All Just Talk!! Meet The New Boss Same As The Old Boss!!! All One Has To Do Is WAKE UP Pay Attention To What They Do !! Not What They Say!! The American Taliban Is Still Raging War On The 98% Of The American People!! They Have Learn NOTHING From This Last Election NOTHING!!! Only Way They Will Change And Stop Being Stupid Is When We The Smart People Of America Vote Their Asses Out Of Office Come 2014 And From Now On!!!! Don’t Never Forget Their Motto, Lying , Stealing And Cheating!!!

CPAinNewYork

You still haven’t had your computer repaired, have you? It’s still inserting initial capitals into each word.

It’s probably a software problem.

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

You Still Haven’t Removed You Lips Off The Koch Brother Asses!!! Maybe It’s A Mind Your Business Problem!!! My Computer Don’t Need Repairing Unlike Your Brain!!!
http://www.facebook.com/BaronSieggy Siegfried Heydrich

That was totally uncalled for. I looked at his posting history, and there’s nothing there at all that would provoke such a response. I also looked at YOUR posting history. You are rude, abusive, and extremely obnoxious in your posts.

I think you need to set back, take a deep breath, and chill out. And consider that the ability to conduct civil discourse is a sign of maturity that you very much need to cultivate.
http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

What You Need To Do Is Mind You Damn Business!!! I Give Less Than A Damn What You Think About Me SCREW YOU And if You Got Any Friends SCREW THEM TOO!!! I Think You Need To Shut The Fuck Up And Mind Your Own Business!!!
http://www.facebook.com/BaronSieggy Siegfried Heydrich

I think I’m going to have an awful lot of fun punching your buttons and watching you scream and carry on . . . normally, I just poke bagroes, but your kind of lunacy is uproariously funny. Given that this is teh interwebz and all you can do is throw cyber-temper tantrums, I hope you enjoy your tantrums as much as I’m going to enjoy them. Though perhaps you’d feel more at home over at TownHall or DeadBart where the levels of intellectual rigor and civil discourse are more akin to yours. Or perhaps a grade school playground.

Please, feel free to be as abusive as you like; such childishness is always amusing to watch. Impotent rage is always good for a hearty laugh . . .
http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

I’m Not Mad Screaming I’m Laughing My Ass Off At You Dumb Ass Trolls!! What Makes You Think You Can Tell Grown People What The Fuck To Do!! When You No Doubt Not Raising You Own Damn Kids!!! LMAO!! FUCK YOU !!! LMAO!!! You Are Too Ignorant To Get A Life LMAO!! BRING IT BITCH!!! LOL I’M Having The Time Of My Life Ripping You A New ASSHOLE, ASSHOLE LOL!!! I Got Plenty Of Money My Comcast Bill Is Paid In Full I Got Plenty Of Memory !! Go For It You Stuck On Stupid Asswipe!!! LOL
http://www.facebook.com/BaronSieggy Siegfried Heydrich

How very juvenile . . . does your mommy know you’re using her computer to talk dirty to the grownups?
http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

Pervert!!! LOL And if You Think I’m A Child That Makes You A Pedophile Also!! Freak LOL
http://www.facebook.com/BaronSieggy Siegfried Heydrich

Just out of idle curiosity, do you have anything constructive to add to the conversation here, or are you just acting out? And yes, I do think you’re a child . . . all of your posts indicate a complete lack of maturity or any degree of self control. Adults converse. Children throw tantrums. If you want to be thought of as an adult, behave like one.
http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

I All Ready Said What I Had To Say Cause You Don’t Like It Don’t Read It Asshole Your Likes Is 2651 And My Likes Are 15,951 Maybe You Need To Shut The Fuck Up And Try To Catch The Fuck Up!!! LMAO!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

What You Doing Is More Likely Beating Your Meat!!! Freaking Off Cause You Into Freaky Shit You Low Life Pervert!!! LOL You Not Pushing No Buttons Of Mine You Just Freaking Off!! LMAO Into S/M Aren’t You!! LOL Better Put Your Little Dick Back In Your Pants Before You Get Caught!! LOL

neeceoooo

Dominick is right on, I like to read his posts. Very informative and articulated.
idamag

Fern they can paint a pile of feces pink and it is still feces.

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

You Got That Right My Friend!! They Are Not Fooling Nobody But Themselves And These Dumb, Stupid And Racist People Out Here!!
BDC_57

Yeah fern look at Lana.
http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

I Rather Not I Would Like To Keep My Dinner Down!!
idamag

Good reply.

mjw1952

You are absolutely correct. The problem with getting rid of tax breaks is the rich will get them back. To get rid of breaks for mortgage tax and interest, health care and charity contributions, but keep them for buying airplanes is a blow to the middle class. They would slip the breaks that benefit a few rich people into another bill and it would be years before we find out.

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

Replying To Siegfred Heydrich You Can’t Bully Me I’m Not Scare Of Your Punk Ass!! You Got 2651 Likes To My 15,951 Likes Maybe You Need To Shut Your Ass Up And Try To Catch Up Fool LMAO!!! That’s Over 12,000 Likes More Than Your Perverted Ass And You Been Trolling Over 10 Web Sites!!! LMAO!!!

montanabill

So to protect the ‘interests’ of the 98% of our population we will spend ourselves into oblivion providing ‘common sense solutions’ and endless entitlements. Sorry, I think more Tea Party is needed, certainly not less. Let’s get back to a country where people take personal responsibility and resurrect the type of country our founders envisioned.

idamag

Either one who benefits from the Republican agenda or one of the bamboozled.

montanabill

Yeah, we are doing great so far under the current administration. After 4 years, economy stalled and threatening to head down. 48 million on food stamps, 13-15 million unemployed. Welfare spending exceeding all other budgetary items. SS in the black for only 5 more years. Obamacare costs rising exponentially and degrading America’s healthcare system. Medicare facing a financial crisis. That’s Progress?

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

You really can’t see the forest for the trees, can you??? I’ve gotten to where I’m responding to your nonsense posts only to make sure no one reading through these threads actually believes anything you post makes the least amount of sense.

Only a nitwit wth his or her head in the sand can’t see that the reason the economy is stalling for a bit right now is because the nitwit GOP has done everything they can to destroy consumer confidence since the election to spook the economy by making undo faked outrage at raising the debt ceiling and balking at any sensible budget cuts to prevent the sequester. And all of this of course is a planned outrage after the party had absolutely no problem in raising the debt ceiling 18 times while Reagan was in office, 4 times while Bush Sr. was in office and 8 times while Bush Jr. was in office.

And despite what you claim are Obamacare healthcare cost increases, FACT IS, healthcare costs over the past two years have increased slower than at any time in the past 14 years.
montanabill

Fact: I’m a business owner. Several businesses. I have been paying for insurance for my employees and their families. B.S.: healthcare costs have increased at a slower rate the last two years.

Fact: Continual demonization of success, 10′s of 1000′s of costly new regulations and new taxes have been the reason the economy will not grow. B.S.: We need a new ‘Jobs Bill’.

Maybe my posts would make more sense if you were actually out there trying to grow a business in this environment. Most of the people on these posts receive more from government than they put in. Over 50% of the population at this point. Have you no understanding of what that means?
idamag

Montana, you should learn to give credit where credit is due and blame where blame is due. There are four stimulus bills that cannot get off the table thanks to the idiot tea party people.

Those people working for 83 cents an hour in India (and there is some slave labor in the mix) are not paying taxes in this country and they are not buying things in this country. Until we put people to work we will not have an economy that is 100%.

Congress has an 11 percent approval rating. Doesn’t that tell you anything?
montanabill

You can demand stimulus all you want. It won’t do anything except put us further and further into debt. Jobs are created by the private sector. Higher taxes, costly regulations and continual threats are the reasons the private sector is not active. The taxes and regulations suck money from the economy. Giving a percentage of it back to a few favored industries is not going to stimulate anything but Chris Mathew’s leg.
idamag

When jobs are not being created by the private sector or when the private sector is sending jobs overseas, then the government needs to create jobs. Our infrastructure is crumbling. 40% of the bridges have been deemed unsafe. When you are crossing a bridge and it collapses, that is too late to fix it.
montanabill

The government is the reason the private sector is not creating jobs.

Speaking of infrastructure: how many roads to nowhere are there in the U.S.? How many government funded and controlled road, bridge and tunnel projects are way over budget and behind schedule? How well are the billions already allocated to rebuilding the infrastructure being spent? Was the money in the proposed jobs bill for infrastructure for targeted construction or just more slush fund money?
By the way, only $50B of the $447B was for roads, bridges, etc. Just $1B more than the $49B for extending (one again) unemployment comp.
idamag

Montana, I don’t know how many roads to nowhere. I only know of one – the one in Alaska that was supposed to connect with the bridge to nowhere. How many?
old_blu

And that was Palin’s baby.
montanabill

I couldn’t tell you how many. The U.S. is filled with them. Some examples: Bryson City, NC, Azusa Canyon, and Bexhill-Hastings. A good article on infrastructure:
reason dot com/archives/2011/11/14/road-to-nowhere

We have built an amazing number of roads to nowhere in Afghanistan, too.

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Nobody is spending themselves into oblivian – it’s the GOP that’s starving America for revenue by sitting on Obama’s jobs bills and doing everything they can to stall the economy that’s continuing to drive up the deficit faster than should be the case. Spending per year has come down 1/2 a trillion in the past 3 years – probably faster than it should have. Cutting spending is the dumbest thing you can do in a recession – it just slows down growth which is what is really needed to bring down our deficits (reving up the economy).

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

Yes It Is, The People Who Did All The Spending Was The GOP President George Bush We Just Didn’t Know How Much Till Now!!! Wars Cost Money And Wars Make War Mongers Money. Bush And Cheney Made Big Money, While They Screwed This Country Up!! Remember Bush Was Left A Surplus And He When Thru It And Cause This Mess! This Country Is Slowly Coming Out Of But Our Home Grown Terrorists Cells GOP/Tea Party American Taliban Seems To Think It’s Their Business To Keep Us In Recession!!
montanabill

“Jobs Bill’? Have you actually looked at the money allocation in that bill?
How has spending $6 trillion in the last four years worked to create growth so far?
OMB and CBO have the numbers. Look them up.

idamag

Montana, you still cannot understand that high employment leads to high economy and paying down the national debt. I am sure, in your medical business, you get a lot of money from Medicare and Medicaid even though it might not be directly.
montanabill

I would love high employment, but it won’t happen with the ‘jobs bill’ or any other direct government stimulus that must be paid for by massive borrowing or the printing of money. That is a downward spiral. The economy will come back and bring jobs with it only if government gets out of the way, eliminates 1000′s of useless costly regulations and creates a balanced budget with the income it currently receives.

idamag

Poor Montana Bill cannot grasp that concept.

http://profile.yahoo.com/X2KKGDYW2F5T5XUT6233KBNWSI robert

That’s the problem, nobody wants to move backward, they want to move forward.

montanabill

Leemings like to move forward too! Sometimes, you need to look where you are going.

idamag

Who are the leemings?
montanabill

Those who think that getting more from government than you put in will provide them with a future.
idamag

I guess I don’t know any leemings. Everyone I know are hard workers and have never been on welfare.

old_blu

The product is not okay that just needs to be re-marketed, (the smart people are not falling for that trick) they need to evict the tea party, and move a little closer to the middle. And then there might be hope for the GOP after all. Don’t hold your breath.

neeceoooo

The tea party has a lot of money to throw around with Koch, Carl Rove and all the Fox news family.

BDC_57

I heard Carl Rove is rethinking his strategy.
old_blu

I read somthing the other day that said even Rove is a little Pe’od at them, and is going to start throwing his money at something else, it’s kinda fun watching them come apart, and good morning neece.

idamag

I read that, too. Supposedly, Karl Rove is disgusted with the tea party.

lana ward

I don’t think it’s the Republicans murdering Americans with drones

awakenaustin

Troll

lana ward

Omuslim numbnut

roguerunners

This whole thing started when Bush was in office! It was Bush who put it in place! BUSH!!! It was OK for Bush but not Obama??? You creep me out.

idamag

I listened to the hearing. Brennen feels that is an American joins Al Qaeda then that American has given up his rights as an American Citizen. The Americans being killed have become terrorists. Why should their due process be any different than the other members of that group?

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

What do process?? When they’re found to be part of an organization that is planning attacks on America, they’ve gotten their do process. And most of them have openly admitted that it’s their aim to attack our country. What do process is needed????????
idamag

Right, Independent. If Americans joined the nazi party during WWII, they would have been traitors.

Americans who join Al Quaeda and fight against this country are traitors. What? We can’t shoot at Al Quaeda because we might hit someone who was born in this country?

When they join the enemy, they become the enemy.

lana ward

This is a way O can take out those who disagree with him and get away with it. Wake up!!

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

You’re more than mentally incompetent – you’re retarded.
lana ward

And Omuslim is evil and a traitor
http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

And were you complaining about drone attacks when Bush was doing it??????

docb

The program began under the Bush White House…Catchup!

lana ward

O is using drones so he can murder those who disagree with him, not for the sake of America-you catch up

docb

Lying to yourself might sell but others are not buying the delusion.

Eleanore Whitaker

Not Rebranding or rethinking by the GOP…Just more good ole boi strategizing to get the desired result …two and only two classes of Americans…uber wealthy or uber poor.

BDC_57

They have to get rid of the teabagger.
lana ward

Omuslims Saul Alinsky strategy is sure working. Demonize, marginalize, destroy. I can say, he sure learned well!!

http://profile.yahoo.com/7ZCSXZFKCPCCNTXWY7PKX4VPOA jg

Lana,

Did you actually read and understand the “Saul Alinsky” strategy, or was this some internet, out of context snippet?

Eleanor is right, follow the money. Republicans delude their supporters with a conservative social issues agenda. All the while stacking the tax code against 99% of the country. Unless you are very wealthy, voting for Republican policy is fiscal suicide.

lana ward

The Saul Alinsky strategy is working. Republicans are being blamed for what the dems and Omuslim are doing

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Let’s see: Reagan ran up the national debt from .8 trillion to 2.3 trillion; Bush Sr. from 2.3 to 4.3 trilllion; Bush jr. from 4.9 to 14.2 trillion – and you’re claiming it’s the Dems and Obama that are making it look like it’s the Repubs that are to blame for our current troubles???? Looks to me like the last 3 GOP presidents did a pretty good job of showing us who is to blame: with the 3 of them being the 3 biggest spending US presidents in history: Reagan leading the charge with an 8.7/yr average budget growth; Bush jr. with an 8.3/yr rate and Bush Sr. with a 5.3% rate – significantly outpacing any other presidents in US history. (By the way – Obama has a -1.4 % budget growth (which comes from 1 year of budget increase and 3 years of budget cutting).
lana ward

O has spent more money than all Presidents combined

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

Lana, I’d reply to your nonsense insinuations again but I’ve done that several times which makes it pretty clear that you’re so mentally incompetent you don’t truly understand anything you read!!!!!

neeceoooo

I agree, sometimes I just don’t have the energy to go there. I may as well talk to the wall, I will probably get a better response.
idamag

Independent, I don’t think she reads much. She doesn’t sound like a well-read person. She gets her information from right-wing hate blogs.

latebloomingrandma

Lana–do you realize that Dick Army, of Freedomworks, one of the organizations that bankrolled the teaparty, passed around to would-be TP leaders, Saul Alinsky’s booklet “Rules for Radicals”, so they could learn the nuts and bolts of community organizing, all the while dissing the Pres. for his being a community organizer in his early twenties? Hypocracy abounds in the teaparty/GOP!

idamag

Lana isn’t really very bright. Her trying to say the President is Muslim is ridiculous at most. If a Muslim were to swear on a Christian Bible, and it was a radical Muslim group, Obama would be marked for killing.
lana ward

They read Rules for Radicals so they could see how O works, how his thinking is, so maybe they can counter what he is spewing

http://profile.yahoo.com/RGOUPZ3JYNMPBVOHLZRCRVRD6Q ivory69690

between Eric Cantdooo, Ocollwontdoo, Ryandontknowhowtodoo and the Speakerthatdosenthaveaclue thy say all the time thy want what the ppl. of the country want. time and time again those 4 stooger say this isnt want the ppl. want . well if it’s not for just the greedy basrard 2 % then thy truly sont want to hear what the ppl. want . as now the ppl 92 % calling and agree on back round checks on guns . and the assault weapons ban over 50% and over 50% agree on the clips and the number of shot that go in them . well moe ,larry, curly and shemp . the ppl want these things as so many other things but i guess it dosent hit the number that thy like 2% . as for the whole GOP ding-dong party if it dosent hit the number 2% then its not worth their time seems
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_TT6POTCLZCE74T76WAJIIIUAHU frida

The damage GOP has made so far is so severe. With new tech we are living in now, it won’t be easy to persuade people by only polishing tongues. New faces with different acceptable policies may be can do some tricks. What they are doing now, am afraid to say, will not yield results they anticipate to get.
http://profile.yahoo.com/RGOUPZ3JYNMPBVOHLZRCRVRD6Q ivory69690

Cantor wasn’t making the case for smaller government or tax cuts for the “job creators.” He was asking what government could do for the middle class — “to provide relief to so many millions of Americans who just want their life to work again.”/// well one way to help and fix things would be first off to fix the country’s roads and bridges . and then the money used for that 1 would give thew country better roads and bridge’s to move on 2 it will put the money that is spent on it right back into the country . for the ppl. working on it would spend the money right back into the country to live on . so simple . maybe thats why the GOP ding-dong’s cant get it . because its too simple . one might think the simple minds would be able to understand these simple things. id bet if it had the title of the greedy bastard 2% on it it would fly like a jet

http://profile.yahoo.com/HGC4BGWVYXV76PHZBPSPOOU5GA Independent1

The solution to a lot of what Cantor spoke on is simply having Congress pass the Jobs bill Obama sent to them almost 2 years ago. The American Jobs Act is overarching and would not only fix our roads and bridges but also the country’s classrooms and much much more – creating millions of jobs. Go to whitehouse dot gov a take a quick look.

http://www.facebook.com/BaronSieggy Siegfried Heydrich

The problem the GOP has is that it has become utterly dependent and fearful of the radical base it has ginned up. And the base is NOT having any of this “let’s be reasonable” stuff. If you go to any of the RW sites like TownHall, Drudge, or DeadBart, the base is absolutely livid with rage over the betrayal they feel the ‘RINOs’ are committing. They simply don’t care about what the rest of America believes. As far as they’re concerned, anyone not a staunch conservative is at worst a ‘libtard’ or at best a ‘squish’. They honestly believe that the reason they lost had nothing whatsoever to do with their positions; indeed, they think they lost because they did not articulate their positions clearly enough or with sufficient force.

Rove’s latest project is seen as a declaration of war by the ‘establishment liberal RINOs’ on the patriotic base, and you can bet that any / every republican who dares stray from the base message is going to be subjected to a savage primary fight. Since Obama’s re-election, the focus has shifted away from ‘defeating Obama’ to ‘throwing Boehner and McConnell out of office and reclaiming the party’. Even though the ‘establishment RINOs’ are sending messages of “look, we’re just trying to improve our image here – we still believe the same thing you do”, the base isn’t buying it.

At this point, the Republican party is hoist on its own petard. If they attempt to placate their base, they will suffer greater repudiation by an electorate who has grown tired of the hysteria and low-brow attacks. If they suppress their base, their primary battles will reach levels of viciousness not seen for two centuries, which will further alienate the general electorate. They are trapped in a box of their own making, their core base is shrinking while they continue to alienate anyone who is not ‘one of them’.

Their attempts to sandbag the economy while trying to pin the blame on Obama didn’t work before, but that won’t stop them from continuing that tactic, to the detriment of the nation and the citizenry. If they succeed in forcing the sequester to take effect, they hope to blame the Democrats. This is wishful thinking, but sadly, that is the thinking that now permeates the base. Which means the next decade is going to be a bumpy one . . .
http://www.facebook.com/michael.ross.7505468 Michael Ross

This isn’t the end of the G.O.P., but you can see it coming from here.

Ultimately, that gerrymandering they enacted to try and preserve their Republican majority will also be their undoing. Instead of ensuring that they go unchallenged by Democrats, they have opened themselves up to primary challenges by far-right Tea Partiers, who in turn may prove unelectable even in their gerrymandered districts (Allen West, for example).

Ultimately, the selective changing of the election rules is as shallow a ploy as their voter ID laws, and the American people shouldn’t be expected to keep silent about the new ploy any more than they did the previous.

If anything, voter ID had the opposite effect: Because the G.O.P. was so feverishly trying to prevent people from voting, that encouraged voters, not only to make sure they went out and voted, but to vote Democrat when they might otherwise have voted Republican.

And if voter ID could cause some voters to shift allegiances, wait until you see how they respond to them trying to fix the election rules so that a G.O.P. candidate could have won the election while losing the popular vote by millions.

Honestly, between providing primary advantages to the lunatic fringe and infuriating the rest of America with their blatant attempts to rig the system, I will be surprised if there even still is a G.O.P. when it’s time to redraw the districts again in 2020.
http://www.facebook.com/gatrobert Robert Gat

Congessional republican mail goal was president look bad. They have to pay more attention to general pulic not just the wealthy.
jabber1

In this mornings Chicago Tribune business section there is an article saying Virginia as well as 4 or 5 other red states are proposing legislation to mint their own money because they are afraid of inflation and another economic crash. Almost daily I read about ridiculous proposals in the state governments that are controlled by republiCONs. I think it is time we broke up the United States. Frankly I am exhausted trying to think how to stop these extremists from destroying my country and I would relish the idea of getting rid of the south. I would suggest we not have a free trade agreement with them and we require passports for entry. I just can’t take any more destruction. They need to go.

idamag

They are a cancer on our Democracy.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Jonny-Dancer/100003939186029 Jonny Dancer

GOP: Rebranding Vs. Rethinking – Just words and advertising! Let the American People judge afer serveral years of signicant actions and accomplishments.
CPAinNewYork

Yeah, but they’re dangerous. Watch out for a military coup.
CPAinNewYork

Jabber1:

Get rid of the South? Are you smoking funny cigarettes? Have you ever heard of the American Civil War? It was fought to keep the South in the Union.

old_blu

They want to concede anyway, maybe we should just let them.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Jones/827014412 Daniel Jones

Okay.

First off: that’s “secede” as in Secession, when a part of a nation tries to declare itself independent.

Second, let’s just say that a lot of people IN those states do *not* want to secede, it’s just that the loudest voices are the most hysterical, as is oft the case.

old_blu

Sorry I missspelled that, I’m a little slow this morning, and you are right it’s the ones that squeak the most that seem to get heard.

You’re welcome up here in the north.

idamag

And, they have never accepted that they didn’t win.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1710087686 Bob Shipp

Perhaps the most significant point to consider here is what’s going on in state legislatures as noted in the article. I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I recognize similarities as “strategists” often have a more all encompassing perspective of how local, state and national governments interact politically, affecting behavior at the national level.
Here in Cantor’s Va. the state legislature tried to pull electoral college and local redistricting stunts similar to those described. They are only grudgingly moving to accepting medicade reform, killed all 2nd amendment threatening proposals. This state’s next rep. nominee for Gov. this year is an Atty. Gen. who was recently quoted as saying that Justice Antonin Scalia was not conservative enough! National republican leaders can appear more moderate by word and action comfortable in the knowledge that their red state legislatures and govs. will do all they can to obstruct as much disagreeable legislation as possible. I wish there were more attention on those who are nothing more than bucket carriers for ALEC based legislation. The republicans are rethinking for sure. Thinking about how to dance the same dance to a different tune…..

idamag

I don’t consider myself a conspiracy person, either, but it is not coincidence that all these election tampering happened in a lot of states simultaneously.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_REQQEMPOQISA3W6B42SHFMKTEM Andrew

This was my response about an article regarding a change at Fox “News”:
Erick Erickson was a regular contributor on CNN. He’s a Con. Even though he was correct about Mittens the Liar Rmoney, that doesn’t make him intelligent. Even someone who has half a brain knew that Mittens would lose. His statement that “many people hate President Obama” and he only won because enough people hated Mittens is not rooted in reality….it’s Con BS. The author believes the release of Morris and the addition of Erickson represents an “upgrade”…nah. I commented last night on Facebook that, when your philosophy on governing is, “screw the poor, middle class, women, minorities and same-sex couples, the wealthy and big corporations need more power and money!”, as it is for the GOP, trying to “rebrand” yourself is akin to polishing a turd. The Republican Party has 9 Tenets: bigotry, hypocrisy, elitism, fascism, greed, corruption, incompetence, arrogance and insanity. Until the GOP completely rejects all 9 of those Tenets, they can kiss goodbye Presidential elections and US Senate races. They’ll continue to suffer losses of moderates leaving the party. Most of the nearly 30% of voters who call themselves “independents” are former members of the GOP. Good luck with the polished turd, fellas.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1710087686 Bob Shipp

I think if you let a turd dry long enough it will hold some polish but it will never shine in the daylight.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Daniel-Jones/827014412 Daniel Jones

Eric Can’t or won’t actually change the policy, just the packaging.
http://profile.yahoo.com/GGHNYPK4GNCRYZLXWVZ447WHJM Plznnn

I believe with half of Americans receiving something from a Federal Government that is Trillions in debt, taxing & spending excessively, with no brakes on this, is just leading to a disaster, with just the interest on our National Debt taking 100% of OUR revenue. Then where will we be. The Republican Party has a hard time getting Americans to understand this serious problem, because of ignoring the problem year after year. Eventually we all will suffer because to get elected, politicians ignore solutions to get re-elected.
Pamby50

The republicans haven’t learned a thing. In PA they are still moving forward to change the electoral college. Why? Because they haven’t been on the winning side in a presidential election since 1980′s. Re-branding or re-packaging, sorry not going to work. Actions speaks louder than words. Until then, I don’t believe anything they have to say. 2010 was suppose to be about jobs, jobs, jobs. Well the republicans have done nothing on that front and if they would just get out of the way, we would have more people working today.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_IAQFBEZBH4KQ7QVQN574JGY7DU Nancy

A Turd by any other name STILL stinks! They can call themselves WHATEVER they want, “rebrand” themselves as Paragons of Virtues, however, they MUST realize, by your WORKS you are known!
http://profile.yahoo.com/SDOPYQEXAFU6XM6TSMI2E3ZK7A craig

it’s true that gop’ers will try to win by using any means, especially if their policies are unfavorable with the masses. they tend to say one thing while candidating, and do just the opposite when in power.

http://www.facebook.com/fern.woodfork Fern Woodfork

Stuck On Stupid And They Think We Are Stupid Enough To Buy The Venom The GOP/Tea Party Snake Oil Salesmen Are Selling!! LOL I Think NOT!!!

http://profile.yahoo.com/X2KKGDYW2F5T5XUT6233KBNWSI robert

Judging from last year’s Republican/Tea Bag campaigns, who the hell say they can think? In order to re-think, you had to have thought at some point, right? They don’t think, they thunk.
jiggymama

DING DONG THE GOP IS DEAD!!!
Ayaya Worenwu

Cantor wanted Boehner to fail as leader from day one.
daveldobson

What gets me is they continue to say the rich create jobs — No, it is the consumers that create the demand for products or services. You can start all the companies you want, but if nobody can afford to buy your product/service you will not stay in business very long.

idamag

The consumers create jobs. You are right. And, if you send the consumers overseas, there won’t be any jobs in this country. The law of supply is demand. That is a given.

http://www.facebook.com/BaronSieggy Siegfried Heydrich

The problem with polishing turds is that no matter how much shine you put on them, the smell remains the same. The GOP is trying to market their “New Improved Bovine Composting Material” to a customer base that has become all too familiar with the smell of bullshit.

This is futile, because on one hand, the voters have heard all this before and (for the most part) aren’t going to buy it at all, and on the other, is going to infuriate their base who will take this as the rankest sort of apostasy. If anything, this will drive an even deeper wedge between the establishment RINOs and the bagro base, thus intensifying the civil war going on within the party. If you enjoy the sounds of loons shrieking in rage and despair, pop on over to the Townhall or DeadBart sites and check out the comments threads . . . it’ll warm the cockles of your heart.
http://profile.yahoo.com/YBWWPDTU7ZZAYYNPQLVJBAFRUE Michaelj M.

They are rebranding and not thinking. All they do is lie and appeantly are bought by the big corporations. Everything backfired on them. This time the people woke up and voted President Obama for a 2nd term. In spite of all the voting violations in all the states, THE PEOPLE SPOKE The rebuplican all they can do is rebrand. If you hot poke with a R on it. I’m sure any blacksmith would make one without any charge.
onedonewong

Its not a re branding problem its a 24/7 State Run Media unrelenting attacks. Instead of reporting the news the state Run Media is intent on making news by demonizing one party. In over 6 years you can count the negative stories on barak on 2 hands. W had that many run by 9AM every day.
Good news once people wake up and realize that they are shafting their kids their attitude and me 1st philosophy will have to change. The revenue source is done with
Sierra111

Pennsylvania’s Republican Governor Corbett has horrible approval ratings because of his right-wing agenda. He took over 50,000 people off health insurance for low-income Pennsylvanians. He also has done numerous other things that are making the people of PA angry. He will not be re-elected in 2014. After all the Republicans have done, there is no way I would vote for them because they can’t be trusted, no matter what they claim they will do.
http://profile.yahoo.com/DPLOOERJ6VFM5GM3X4HUG3ARJ4 Jean C

Once again, these people must be on a strict diet of stupid pills, thay cannot see that we are no longer falling for their greedy, mendacious drivel? Forget about it, it can’t happen.
http://www.facebook.com/charlotteharriet.childress Charlotte Harriet Childress

People who want to conserve hierarchies are well-practiced at convincing others to remain engaged in their hierarchies that ultimately benefit those on top. I’ve been researching hierarchies for 30 years, and I would like to see us start discussing hierarchies, how they work, who benefits, because that’s one way to expose what they are doing. It’s very difficult issue by issue.
http://www.facebook.com/charlotteharriet.childress Charlotte Harriet Childress

Hierarchy conservators are well-practiced at convincing others to remain engaged in their hierarchies that ultimately benefit those on top. They want us to convince ourselves that their hierarchies benefit everyone, when actually the benefits are going to clueless people at the top.

We hope that people who are reading our website will familiarize themselves with the workings of hierarchies, so they can see through the smoke screens that many hierarchy conservators will throw out. All of us must ask, “Who’s benefiting?” “What CLUES are hidden behind that message?”

Memo Pad

GOP: Rebranding Vs. Rethinking

Continue Reading >> 1 2

Follow Us

Newsmaker Memo

Most Read

Most Comments