But is that really so terrible? For the GOP, I mean. I know you* Democrats think it's totally not terrible.
———————————
* "You"? So Althouse admits she's not a Democrat. Aha!
Don't get all aha-y. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat.
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Yeah, that's how it works when you lose the Presidency.
For the "Dear Leader" authoritarian party, it's a real crisis not to have one leader to march behind and echo.
Don't get all aha-y. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat. .
Me neither. Though I'm stuck with Dems in our political system. I back candidates.
My wife's from Finland where they have dozens of functioning parties. She thinks it's laughable that everyone defines themselves here as one or the other and then plays football against the other side. It's so primitive, from her perspective.
The GOP spokesman is whoever gets the Media to put him/her on TV. Old fat white guys are the pool out of which the media will pick the next GOP spokesman. Therefore Limbaugh is who will be selected, much to the frustration of the GOP.
TG is right that the news media decides who they want to "speak for the GOP", which is one reason Pat Buchanon has had such a long shelf life.
I really don't think it's a bad thing that there is no single spokesman for the GOP right now. It's not like we're authoritarians. We like raucous philosophical disagreement. What would be best would be if a half dozen or so clear voices that represent the various schools of philosophy that comprise the GOP came to the fore by 2012 to carry the banner forward. Right now I think it's okay for everyone except the press, who like for their world to be simple.
In Sweden, they now have a Pirate Party.
It was only a matter of time.
There is no main person who speaks for the Democrats either. They have the party line and any idiot who can read a teleprompter could spew it out. Ah, except Biden. He is not any idiot. He is an extraordinary idiot.
She thinks it's laughable that everyone defines themselves here as one or the other and then plays football against the other side. It's so primitive, from her perspective.
I agree it would be much healthier to have a parliamentary system. But, we don't so we're stuck with two parties.
They don't need a "main person" they need something, anything, resembling a coherent message.
How is the sex going with you and Meade?
Is it:
a) what you expected
b) more than you expected
c) less than you expected?
Is there moaning and hair flying and juices flowing and name calling? Is everything working? Can we hear about positions? How many times? Role playing?
Details please.
Thanks doll.
I am leaving for Sconi today and I have to get my BMW 328xi towed before I leave. It says on the computer, "Brake, ABS, 4X4"-that doesn't sound good.
How are you? I care. Not really.
I called at 9:35 and it is supposed to be here by 10:35. I am going to be watching that clock bitches.
This guy might make a decent enough spokesperson.
Well, at least until Kirk and Spock show up and start asking a bunch of pesky questions.
And then . . . KABOOM!!!
What about oral and anal? Is that on the menu? It better be.
I just heard from the towing company. They are running 30 minutes late. How rude.
That was (one of) McCain's problems: Parts of the GOP did not let him talk for them. A successful Presidential candidate has to be able to at least quiet the inevitable backstabbing that is always occurring in a party.
I don't think it's terrible at all.
Imagine if they did have an identifiable spokesperson.
They might say something.
Better to be silent and thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
The Dems will fight to the death to avoid an MMP-style, multi-party system.
The liberal crackpots who run the party could never put a majority coalition together. The Dem core, eggheads, victim classes and convicted felons, are actually a fairly small percentage of the population and given many choices, the dupes would be unlikely to join them (again).
And no, I'm not a Republican. I spent 26 years of my life registered as a Dem and I'm not proud of it.
This is the part I loved:
WHO LEADS THE GOP?
"Forty-seven percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents could not even come up with a single name in response to the question."
Now THAT'S funny.
Jeremy: Palin!
elHombre said..."The Dems will fight to the death to avoid an MMP-style, multi-party system."
A prefect example of the intellect of a Republican.
What in the world would possibly make you think something so ridiculous? And what does it have to with the GOP having three old fat guys running the show?
traditionalguy - Any Republican with a brain (and there aren't many) who heard Palin's insane interview with Hannity a few nights ago should be shaking in their little booties. She came off as a raving idiot...talking about the government coming after the "people." (Whatever the hell that means)
The Democrats would pay her to run.
Here's a new word for the local pack: Web 2.0
Remember where you got it.
Jeremy...The name of Palin is the only thing you seem to fear these days. So where's the cash donation you say you will make to her campaign? The world awaits this election contest between an American and a European Socialist. May the strongest win.
elHombre said..."The Dems will fight to the death to avoid an MMP-style, multi-party system."
A prefect example of the intellect of a Republican.
What in the world would possibly make you think something so ridiculous?
Reread the post, Gene. I'm not a Republican and, despite my sarcasm, I did explain why I think that.
Better reread it several times, since I do use words of more than one syllable.
Don't worry. There's no pressure. Nobody expects an intelligent response from you.
Good heavens. Titus worries about the abs on his BMW. What kind of exercises will fix that?
Oh, and about the political stuff - who was the Dems leader 6 months after GWB defeated Al Gore? Or 6 months after GWB defeated John Kerry? These things evolve.
Don't get all aha-y.
Not to worry. There's nothing about your post that would cause me to turn into a cartoon and get chased around by guys with pipe wrenches.
MM wrote: "Parts of the GOP did not let him talk for them."
Well, I saw it more as McCain did not have a political philosophy that I could agree with. It was not that I was biased against him, it was his name being on some of the worst legislation of the last 15 years that bothered me.
Trey
For the next several years, the message of the GOP need simply be "We're not the Democrats." If they start having an actual spokesperson whose positions the media can pin down, their advantage will be gone.
My wife's from Finland where they have dozens of functioning parties.
Finland could lurch from socialism to fascism and back again, every six months, and few would care. The US has to stay on a relatively predictable course.
On the world stage, Finland has the impact of the state of Minnesota, in terms of population (some 5 million) and economy (Nokia vs. 3M). Minnesota's Mayo Clinic may make it more significant.
Seems like the GOP has seven governors who do a fair amount of talking and don't agree with each other: Christ, Daniels, Jindal, Palin, Pawlenty, Sanford, and Schwarzenegger.
Two ex-governors: Huckabee and Romney.
Four house members: Boehner, Cantor, Pence, and Ryan.
One ex-house member: Newt
Three senators: Graham, McCain, and McConnell.
Two talking heads: Hannity and Limbaugh.
One RNC head: Michael Steele.
Daniels should run as an independent based on intelligence and competence and turn the Democrats and Republicans to dust.
Thinking back to the Democrats between 2001 and 2007, I don't remember who spoke for them. At that time, they were in a similar position to the Republicans today, shut out of both elected branches of government. For certain, it wasn't Nancy Pelosi, because if it had been, then the Democrats would likely never have taken the House in 2006. It wasn't Harry Reid either, though I don't think his speaking would have hurt them as much.
I like the fact a post about a leadership GOP has a Democratic Party tag. Heh.
"For the next several years, the message of the GOP need simply be "We're not the Democrats." If they start having an actual spokesperson whose positions the media can pin down, their advantage will be gone."
For the first time in a long time, FLS has said something that I agree with.
But he and I would probably disagree as to why that is true. My view is that much of what the current Administration and Congress are doing is not well liked by the general public - including quadrupling Bush (43)'s deficit, borrowing more than all Obama's predecessors, nationalizing banks, health care, and car companies, screwing all the later's creditors and auto dealerships except the UAW to protect their pension plan, encouraging our enemies, instituting a tax and bribe (aka cap and trade) carbon trading system, etc.
Obama owns this economy. That's what speaks for Republicans.
Limbaugh, Cheney and Gingrich are currently serving as Republican infantrymen.
From Wikipedia :"Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically bore the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars."
This war has just begun, and the new leaders will appear when the timing is right.
Limbaugh, Cheney and Gingrich are currently serving as Republican infantrymen..
Haha. I don't think you can't the deferrments on two hands between those 3 warriors.
traditionalguy said..."eremy...The name of Palin is the only thing you seem to fear these days."
Like I said before: The Democrats will pay money to have Princess Palin as the Presidential nominee.
She has the intellectual capacity of a nine year old child.
*Oh, and if you think Newt, Romney, Pawlenty, Jindel and others will allow her to push them aside and become the nominee...you need your head examined.
Ann - "Don't get all aha-y. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat."
You're just a conservative who tries to represent herself as an "Independent."
And anybody who visits your site knows it, to.
That's why you have so many conservative sycophants who follow your every lead.
"That's why you have so many conservative sycophants who follow your every lead."
Like you?
@Jeremy, the Professor is conservative next to you. But next to a real human being I place her center-left (which I'm certain makes her conservative by the standards of the faculty of her university).
Now would you left-wing idealogues please butt out while we fiscal conservatives have our little tete-a-tete with the social conservatives to figure out where we go from here? Thanks.
Oops. Make that "ideologues."
Sum day I well haff to lern to spel when I use Explorer since this version duz not inclood a spel-chekker.
Well, I'm looking forward to all the Dem donations to Sarah PAC.
Go to it, Jeremy!
For the larger question... the situation isn't a bad one at all, because contrary to AL's little fantasies the Republicans aren't the "Dear Leader" authoritarian party. Granted, it worked for the Dems to keep saying so last time around, but what sort of moron lets the opposition define you?
Certainly the people *in* the Republican Party prefer to think of themselves as the "rugged individualist" and self-reliant sort. For a whole lot of people the question "Who speaks for the Republican Party" is going to gain the response, "What do you mean by that?" or "What an irrelevant question."
Gingrich had a few days in the sun a few years ago but even he wasn't promoting himself before his "contract with America" which gave Republicans something concrete to focus on and rally around. Which was *unusual*.
For the "Dear Leader" authoritarian party, it's a real crisis not to have one leader to march behind and echo.
Sorry, wait -- and you support Obama?
Snark about the Dear Leader aside, I don't think it's bad for Republicans to lack a clear party leader. That may be more of a problem in 2011, when the presidential campaigns start coalescing, but 2010 will be a test ground for what works electorally and what does not. No point in cutting off the competition early.
Yeah, but most of the GOP want there to be a bonafide Rush / Hannity type and they won't tolerate someone less than hard right. Which is why the Republicans will continue to lose elections. Americans are moderates for the most part.
Yeah, but most of the GOP want there to be a bonafide Rush / Hannity type and they won't tolerate someone less than hard right.
We just came off 8 years of Bush -- with his immigration amnesty plan and his expansion of Medicare entitlements -- and you think the GOP won't tolerate someone less than hard right? For heavens' sake, the GOP nominated John Sidney McCain as their nominee last time. And during the primary, much of the GOP establishment pushed for Mitt Romney, who gave us all a preview of universal healthcare and its discontents, when he was governor of Massachusetts. A sizeable chunk of Republicans was even keen on Huckabee, who is an out and out economic populist.
There is, yes, a faction of Republicans who are well represented by Hannity and Limbaugh. But the evidence that they are a majority of the GOP is pretty thin on the ground. Rather, there's a diversity of attitudes and approaches in the Right today, and no one faction commands a majority.
"How is the sex going with you and Meade?"
Titus, as a fellow Republican and lover of the Bush Doctrine, I am old school. Aren't you?
That means no sex before marriage.
And that goes double for you gays.
You want marriage? Earn it, bitches.
Love,
Meade
ROAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!! :-)
You don't really need a leader when the opposition is busy committing suicide. I got my ticket to the show, so I'm good.
"My wife's from Finland where they have dozens of functioning parties. She thinks it's laughable that everyone defines themselves here as one or the other and then plays football against the other side. It's so primitive, from her perspective."
There really are only two poles: harder/softer, male/female, Liberal/Conservative, Yin/Yang. There all the same thing. Our bipolar system covers it all. That's how the left nominates a Bill Clinton and the right can nominate a McCain. The whole spectrum is there. We rarely choose one extreme although it is possible a la Obama to dip too deep.
-
The Balkanized European system just allows people to avoid making tough choices. Everyone votes for their little boutique candidate and one wins with the majority not voting for them. I like our system. At least 50% usually have to accept responsibility.
That explains it. Meade is a republican.
The world sharpens into focus.
WHO LEADS THE GOP?
"Forty-seven percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents could not even come up with a single name in response to the question."
Now THAT'S funny.
I think it's a great sign of progress. Less following, more thinking.
You know, if they were following Meade's philosophy, I'd support gay marriage.
"That's why you [Prof. Althouse] have so many conservative sycophants who follow your every lead.
I don't think too many of us conservative sycopahnts followed her lead into the voting booth last November. Phooey!
Double Phooey!!
Trips!
Amen, Bagaho20....Ringside seats have a downside. We're sitting so close I'm starting to smell perspiration. Not exactly sure where it's coming from, but somewhere close.
We are currently living with a 7% reduction in income, instituted company wide in March to meet payroll and prevent additional layoffs.
Now it's starting to look as if the money lost won't be returned any time soon.
We were hoping for enough change to buy some refreshments at intermission, but the tickets for this show cost more than we expected.
I do not believe Meade.
Mortimer: "I do not believe Meade".
I don't believe he cares.
Chuckling out loud.
I believe you are exactly right, Mr. Streak.
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