Ace of Spades HQ

November 12, 2012

How Would You Fix the Republican Party?
— Pixy Misa

It seems like everyone and their mother have found the cure for what ails the Republican Party. From amnesty to abandoning our largest and most dependable constituency in the hopes of attracting one of the least dependable.

Sure we lost the election by 400,000 votes spread over four states, but why let reason get in the way of making panicked decisions? So with that, I ask you to put forth your ideas to fix the Republican party. Remember, like professional writers putting forth ideas in the past week, these aren't meant to be serious or well thought out.

I'll start with a few:

We should legalize the felon vote and then try felon outreach.

Ways we can decrease our losses with female voters:
- Place voting machines on the top shelf in the kitchen.
- Place the voting machine on the inside of a tightly sealed mason jar.
- Voting machines should roughly have the complexity of a home theater remote. (Andy)
- Enforced parallel parking at the polling place. (Damned Dirty Rino)

Have at it in the comments, and don't forget the John E. interview on the Laura Ingraham Show at 1:30 Eastern.

Posted by: Pixy Misa at 08:45 AM | Comments (705)
Post contains 208 words, total size 1 kb.

1 Legalize Squatches.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:46 AM (XkWWK)

2 First

Posted by: teebone at November 12, 2012 08:47 AM (YtLSL)

3 Pre-empt Harry Reid's base and go for the NAMBLA constituency.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:47 AM (XkWWK)

4 I mean 3rd

Posted by: teebone at November 12, 2012 08:47 AM (YtLSL)

5 I mean 5th

Posted by: teebone at November 12, 2012 08:47 AM (YtLSL)

6 It ain't broke; it just ain't shiny enough

buff it up a bit... With conservativism

Posted by: Will Folks, esq ( hiding out in Costa Rica ) at November 12, 2012 08:48 AM (Dll6b)

7 Register all Republicans on voter rolls from 1900 through 1986 and count their votes.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:48 AM (XkWWK)

8 Just remember that you can't legislate morality and we should be fine

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 08:48 AM (79ueO)

I'm done with the GOP as a party. Until turds like Boehner are sent home packing and we stop voting to raise the debt ceiling GOP is as much a part of the problem as far as I'm concerned.

Posted by: Andrew at November 12, 2012 08:48 AM (Egza/)

10 Citizenship via lottery scratch-off tickets

Posted by: Your betters in the GOP [/i] [/b] at November 12, 2012 08:48 AM (SX6wc)

11 On election day, a complimentary tampon in exchange for each "I Voted" sticker.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero) at November 12, 2012 08:48 AM (QKKT0)

Embrace the zombie vote...promise them a liberal in every pot.

(And follow through!!)

Posted by: Uncle Jefe at November 12, 2012 08:49 AM (25KoS)

13 Obama loses 6 million voters and it's the GOP that must be fixed?

Posted by: MrX at November 12, 2012 08:49 AM (PxmNZ)

14 I'm done with the GOP as a party. Until turds like Boehner are sent home packing and we stop voting to raise the debt ceilingGOP is as much a part of the problem as far as I'm concerned. Posted by: Andrew at November 12, 2012 12:48 PM (Egza/) And your going where?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 08:49 AM (79ueO)

15 Ways we can decrease our losses with female voters:

Ballots will be given to female voters ONLY AFTER they make a sandwich.

Posted by: EC at November 12, 2012 08:49 AM (GQ8sn)

16 10 Citizenship via lottery scratch-off tickets Posted by: Your betters in the GOP at November 12, 2012 12:48 PM (SX6wc) Just make sure no winners are under the paint.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:49 AM (XkWWK)

17 Hire Messina. Develop ad campaign around Elmo to appeal to the pederast vote. Winning!

Posted by: Y-not at November 12, 2012 08:50 AM (5H6zj)

18 I think everyone should remember these
numbers... 4 and 440,000... and burn them
into your memory. Four states with a total
shortfall of 440,000 votes and we'd be measuring
the drapes in the WH.

If I remember from my blog back in 08, it
was then six states with a shortfall of less then
one million votes that made the difference.

So count me out of the OMG! WE HAVE TO
DO SOMETHING DRASTIC coalition,.

Posted by: Schrödinger's cat [/i] at November 12, 2012 08:50 AM (feFL6)

19 How about if we nominate the next RINO in line in 2016? How about Huntsman? It's his turn next, isn't it?

Posted by: not neo just conservative at November 12, 2012 08:50 AM (MNXL5)

20 The first thing we should do: stop the mental masturbation. Get a grip.

Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 08:50 AM (b1TCv)

21 ~sigh~

Posted by: DumboTheAvenger at November 12, 2012 08:50 AM (BvTwT)

22 Ways we can decrease our losses with female voters:

Ballots will be given out to female voters...

...BUT FIRST, YOU WILL BLOW ME!!!

Posted by: EC at November 12, 2012 08:50 AM (GQ8sn)

23 The first thing we should do: stop the mental masturbation. Get a grip. Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 12:50 PM (b1TCv) I see what you did there

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 08:50 AM (79ueO)

24 Giant billboards in every black neighborhood showing LBJ's infamous quote.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:51 AM (XkWWK)

25 - Enforced parallel parking at the polling place. (Damned Dirty Rino) Fuck you that was going to be my idea! Cover the voting booth in spiders.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 08:51 AM (VtjlW)

Early voting at gun shows, shooting ranges, tractor pulls, NASCAR races, SEC and Big 12 football games.

E-mail voting for ALL military personnel. No more of this absentee ballots in plane crashes bullshit.

Raise the voting age to 26. If you're still a kid needing to stay on Mom and Dad's health insurance, you are too young and ignorant to be voting.

Voila! We win.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 08:51 AM (aBlZ1)

27 Monorail

Posted by: forest at November 12, 2012 08:51 AM (7RBBe)

28 ummmmmmm, maybe nominate a conservative?

talk the talk, and walk the Walk...

Posted by: Will Folks, esq ( hiding out in Costa Rica ) at November 12, 2012 08:51 AM (Dll6b)

29 Let's really go after the dead vote. Dig up Arlen Specter and make him our candidate in 2016.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:51 AM (XkWWK)

30 Lesbian pron. It won't win elections but it will be popular.

Posted by: joncelli at November 12, 2012 08:52 AM (RD7QR)

31 Give everyone one milli-vote for every dollar they paid in taxes. Problem solved.

Posted by: sherlock at November 12, 2012 08:52 AM (f29LO)

32 "Even in precarious situations, the wise generals understand that a problem is also an opprtunity." -- Shih Tzu

Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 08:52 AM (b1TCv)

33 Republicans need to find out what women want, (beside free contraception and abortions), and give it to them good and hard.

Posted by: Fritz at November 12, 2012 08:52 AM (/ZZCn)

34 Put female ballots under sammich fixings in the kitchen. Put male ballots underneath work boots. Done.

Posted by: Lemmenkainen at November 12, 2012 08:52 AM (ZWvOb)

Offer a training course to nominees where they are placed in a room with a reporter from the MFM. If the nominee attempts to talk to said reporter about their personal beliefs, they are given electric shocks until they learn to keep their mouths shut.

Posted by: Warthog at November 12, 2012 08:52 AM (WDySP)

Work on messaging, outreach, and build permanent GOTV bases in swing states starting now.

Learn from the Democrats circa 2004, give nothing back, and wait for the imminent implosion we've been predicting. If no implosion, then maybe we were wrong (highly doubtful).

Posted by: JollyRoger at November 12, 2012 08:52 AM (t06LC)

37 "Even in precarious situations, the wise generals understand that a problem is also an opprtunity." Fuck you, pay me - The 52%

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 08:52 AM (VtjlW)

38 So count me out of the OMG! WE HAVE TO
DO SOMETHING DRASTIC coalition
Posted by: SchrÃ¶dinger's cat

The first thing we should do: stop the mental masturbation.
Posted by: soothsayer

Out of curiosity, did either of you read the post?

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at November 12, 2012 08:53 AM (SX6wc)

39 i tried coming up with something funny, but honestly, fuck it.

too many people are getting too much free shit, and they think that they paid for their free shit so they deserve it.

read the comments section at a WaPo article if you can stomach it. you'll see just how many ways we're fucked.

Posted by: jstevens at November 12, 2012 08:53 AM (Fw/qp)

40 Any "group" that votes for any candidate by over 90% , their votes don't count for being such mindless idiots.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 08:53 AM (79ueO)

41 32 "Even in precarious situations, the wise generals understand that a problem is also an opprtunity." -- Shih Tzu Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 12:52 PM (b1TCv) Butch and Sundance on a 200 foot cliff, pondering what Joe LaFors and his posse could do to them: "They could surrender to us, but I wouldn't count on it."

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:53 AM (XkWWK)

42 Oh, and ban the word "rape" from being used by any nominee for any reason. Too much downside.

Posted by: JollyRoger at November 12, 2012 08:53 AM (t06LC)

43 RNC Chairman Kate Upton

Posted by: Class100 at November 12, 2012 08:53 AM (bWQXp)

44 Sun Tzu never organized a community

Posted by: Will Folks, esq ( hiding out in Costa Rica ) at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (Dll6b)

45 Ballots will be given to female voters ONLY AFTER they make a sandwich.

Do I really need to say what I want female voters to do before they get ballots?

Posted by: Mel Gibson at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (5iuEW)

46 It all starts and ends with the media. That means a decades-long effort to infiltrate journalism programs at liberal universities. No real conservative has that much free time. It's done. Stick a fork in it. The attempt to unite SoCons and FisCons under a single tent was and remains doomed.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (hNXHo)

47 Come up with a voting machine where you vote using an electric drill. And you have to change the bit midway through the ballot.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero) at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (QKKT0)

48 We're fucked. The party of Jesus Robots has little room for anyone else, and there aren't enough Jesus Robots.

Posted by: Abe Froman at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (E55AK)

"Just remember that you can't legislate morality and we should be fine"

I would second this, but I don't think any of Bush's overspending can be attributed to this mindset.

Posted by: Andrew at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (Egza/)

50 Do I really need to say what I want female voters to do before they get ballots?

Posted by: Mel Gibson at November 12, 2012 12:54 PM (5iuEW)

No, I already said it.

Posted by: EC at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (GQ8sn)

51 Spinal implants.

Maybe lace Repulican's coffee with a little PCP before they go on the floor of the Congress.

Stop trying to appease the media, and instead try to crush it. Why don't Sheldon Alderson and the Koch brothers try to buy a MSM network and flip it that way.

Posted by: Iblis at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (9221z)

52 Return to monitoring elections and GOTV efforts the old
fashioned way. TRS-80 mono computers and VisiCalc software.

Posted by: Schrödinger's cat [/i] at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (feFL6)

53 Also, convince Steve Wynn and Sheldon Adelson to fire all their Vegas casino workers who voted for Obama and give them one-way bus tickets to California.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 08:54 AM (aBlZ1)

54 Any Senator who votes in accordance with the AoSHQ Steering Committee, receives one billion dollars. Offer valid to the first sixty applicants.

Posted by: t-bird at November 12, 2012 08:55 AM (FcR7P)

55 My plan to fix the Republican Party begins with Mitch McConnell and John Boehner being dragged out onto that big grassy lawn in front of the Capitol Bldg, where they are horse-whipped. They are then banished to Wake Island.

Seriously, I have no plan. I also realize that any politician's #1 priority is getting re-elected in perpetuity, not making the country a better place. They are insulated from the country's problems; hence, no sense of urgency.

Fuck 'em all.

Posted by: Jones in CO at November 12, 2012 08:55 AM (8sCoq)

56 Shirtless* Paul Ryan *To be truthful, I'd actually prefer pantsless as I suspect his buns are far superior to his pects, but I'm too much of a lady to suggest that.

Posted by: Y-not at November 12, 2012 08:55 AM (5H6zj)

57 Cut a deal with Chik-fil-a to wrap sammiches in paper ballots.

Posted by: Cicero Kid at November 12, 2012 08:55 AM (dNmQK)

58 37 Fuck you, pay me - The 52% Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 12:52 PM (VtjlW) Channeling your inner Henry Hill, I see.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:55 AM (XkWWK)

59 To stamp out the chick vote, put the ballot on spiders. To make it even worse, those crazy jumping spiders.

Posted by: NCKate at November 12, 2012 08:55 AM (MsQkt)

60 Ballots should be available only within issues of Popular Mechanics.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero) at November 12, 2012 08:55 AM (QKKT0)

IÂ’m real tired of you Y-chromosomed cocksuckers bitching about womenÂ’s voting. IÂ’m a female libertarian-leaning Republican. DonÂ’t make me into your personal scapegoat every time an assclown like Obama gets in office. ThereÂ’s plenty of blame to go around, especially toward the white male liberal effetes and minorites who foisted the SCOAMF back into office. I voted for Romney.

Posted by: SFC MAC at November 12, 2012 08:55 AM (TLbgU)

62 I don't think any of Bush's overspending can be attributed to this mindset. Posted by: Andrew at November 12, 2012 12:54 PM (Egza/) What ever over spending President Bush did is gonna seem like chump change pretty soon if it is not already. Ah the good old days

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 08:55 AM (79ueO)

63 Pre-vote 20 question multiple choice quiz on current office holder's names, civics questions, and party platforms. If you don't score at least a 12 you can't vote. Pretty sure that would wipe out 70% of the D vote.

Posted by: Lemmenkainen at November 12, 2012 08:56 AM (ZWvOb)

64 When all of your donations are going to boob jobs and stompy boots, you're losing the game.

Posted by: Fritz at November 12, 2012 08:56 AM (/ZZCn)

65 Make a voting machine that crashes on the first vote and then needs to be rebooted before it works properly. Microsoft could probably help out with this.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero) at November 12, 2012 08:56 AM (QKKT0)

66 "400,000 votes spread over four states" but we should have won by 40,000,000 or at least 4,000,000

Posted by: IreneFingIrene at November 12, 2012 08:56 AM (X7MMs)

67 Handle it via COBOL programs on a mainframe.

Go ahead, hack THAT!

Posted by: Jay in Ames at November 12, 2012 08:56 AM (i2Lsf)

68 If this last election has taught me anything it is that there are a whole lot of foolish, foolish people who aren't prohibited from voting in any way so we should stop trying to appeal to their intelligence and instead just engage in rank trickery.

The first thing we should do is confuse the voters by adopting all the policies of the Democratic party. Then voters will be, like, which party likes abortion and appeasement again? I forget? So, we'll pick up like 20% more votes just from the confusion.

Also, we should definitely rename our party the Democrat-Republican party which totally isn't historical but in a way, it is right? So then people might also get confused about that.

Finally, we need to find an Obama impersonator and put him on the ticket. They people would be like, wha? Which of these jug-eared jackasses is mine again?

Posted by: Pious Agnostic at November 12, 2012 08:57 AM (PiESu)

69 25 damn it. You beat me to it.

Posted by: NCKate at November 12, 2012 08:57 AM (MsQkt)

70 Conservative nominee, and fight voter fraud. Recount on every single close race until we win. Just like the dems.

Posted by: Spypeach at November 12, 2012 08:57 AM (pwTow)

71 On female votes, surround the polling places with spiders, lots of big hairy spiders.

Posted by: Flounder at November 12, 2012 08:57 AM (Kkt/i)

72 We should expand our outreach to Rape Babies who survived their attempted Abortions.

Posted by: RJ at November 12, 2012 08:57 AM (QTVh2)

73 We gotta figure out why R voting was down in a year we should have run away with the vote. Something happened between 2010 and last week. (Hint: not supporting the Tea Party) Ive about had it with the GOP as well. I see nothing in the leadership that gives me confidence.

Posted by: Thelmadatter at November 12, 2012 08:57 AM (gdv+2)

74 60 Ballots should be available only within issues of Popular Mechanics. Posted by: Cicero (@cicero) at November 12, 2012 12:55 PM (QKKT0) Shooter's Bible and Puritan Magazine (my favorite ironic title of all time).

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:57 AM (XkWWK)

75 Fuck you, pay me - The 52% Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 12:52 PM (VtjlW) Channeling your inner Henry Hill, I see. Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 12:55 PM (XkWWK) Yeah the words may have come out of Henry Hill's mouth/mind but they are really channeling the words of Paul Cicero I believe. Just for accuracy's sake?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 08:58 AM (79ueO)

76 Ways to fix the Republican Party? Eliminate ALL of the current leadership and change the primary order and rules.

Ways we can decrease our losses with female voters

Look at the exit polls from 2008. We are losing women because of minority women. White women went for McCain in 2008. I haven seen any reliable exit polls for 2012 yet though.

Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 08:58 AM (YdQQY)

77 12 Embrace the zombie vote...promise them a liberal in every pot.
(And follow through!!)

Posted by: Uncle Jefe at November 12, 2012 12:49 PM (25KoS)

They'd starve. Brains and all, you know.

Posted by: Flounder at November 12, 2012 08:58 AM (Kkt/i)

78 Neither Republicans, their staffers, nor FoxNews employees shall live within fifty miles of Washington DC.

Posted by: t-bird at November 12, 2012 08:59 AM (FcR7P)

79 71 On female votes, surround the polling places with spiders, lots of big hairy spiders.

Posted by: Flounder at November 12, 2012 12:57 PM (Kkt/i)

I usually just squash the fuckers. They make a nice oozing sound.

Posted by: SFC MAC at November 12, 2012 08:59 AM (TLbgU)

80 Barack Obama is a stuttering clusterf*ck of a malignant traitor.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at November 12, 2012 08:59 AM (8y9MW)

81 75 Yeah the words may have come out of Henry Hill's mouth/mind but they are really channeling the words of Paul Cicero I believe. Just for accuracy's sake? Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 12:58 PM (79ueO) Yes, true. No go get your fuckin' shine box! ;-)

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 08:59 AM (XkWWK)

82 Post Todd Akin look-a-likes at every polling place.

Posted by: Fritz at November 12, 2012 08:59 AM (/ZZCn)

83 Rename the party the Remodrats and capture the dyslexic vote.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at November 12, 2012 08:59 AM (SX6wc)

84 I'm with the electric shocks on the nominee.

Posted by: SouthDakotagirl at November 12, 2012 08:59 AM (Ubvwf)

85 Handle it via COBOL programs on a mainframe.
Go ahead, hack THAT!

IDENTIFICATION DIVISION. PROGRAM-ID. ELECTION FRAUD. PROCEDURE DIVISION. DISPLAY 'I gottcha vote sucka'. STOP RUN.

Posted by: Schrödinger's cat [/i] at November 12, 2012 08:59 AM (feFL6)

86 "Giant billboards in every black neighborhood showing LBJ's infamous quote." What quote is that?

Posted by: RJ at November 12, 2012 09:00 AM (QTVh2)

87 hey is there mail delivery today?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:00 AM (79ueO)

88 Or, we could try the Ace of Spades HQ approach:

Publish a long series of snarky asshole posts making fun of the concerns that a lot of your regulars and conservatives at large have about the election and the GOP in general; posts that offer nothing whatsoever constructive. I'm sure we're just another snarky asshole post or two away from locking up the 2016 election! Keep up the good work!

Posted by: davidinvirginia at November 12, 2012 09:00 AM (qEkGZ)

89 On the first screen of the voting machine, voters must make an irrevocable choice between "Choosing Candidates" and "10 New Ways To Lose That Belly Fat Once and For All."

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero) at November 12, 2012 09:00 AM (QKKT0)

90 Just remember that you can't legislate morality and we should be fine

Excellent! Hadji gets to cut off heads of Joos, yes?

(Oh, yeah, I denounce myself.)

Posted by: Meiczyslaw at November 12, 2012 09:00 AM (4+LTj)

91 Cover the voting booth in spiders.

I was thinking mice.

Posted by: Armando at November 12, 2012 09:01 AM (5iuEW)

92 Ban girl voters.

Posted by: Mo the Girl at November 12, 2012 09:01 AM (ahY3c)

93 Yeah the words may have come out of Henry Hill's mouth/mind but they are really channeling the words of Paul Cicero I believe. Just for accuracy's sake? Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 12:58 PM (79ueO) Yes, true. No go get your fuckin' shine box! ;-) Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 12:59 PM (XkWWK) I think both of us watch way to many mob movies. On the other hand, why not

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:01 AM (79ueO)

94 To decrease losses with female voters, make voting machine that look like an oven. They would never think to open it.

Posted by: Daniel Simpson Day at November 12, 2012 09:01 AM (aA2hG)

95 35 Offer a training course to nominees where they are placed in a room with a reporter from the MFM, AND GIVEN A GUN. If the nominee attempts to talk to said reporter INSTEAD OF SHOOTING THE FUCKER BETWEEN THE EYES, electric shocks for both.

Posted by: sherlock at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (f29LO)

96 What's to fix? We like it fine! We're planning expensive vacations at your expense! Thanks suckahs!! LOL!

Posted by: Malia in DC at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (ypzqs)

On a serious note, we do need a concerted effort to start a war between middle-class private sector workers and the entitled public sector unions and their members. Every single Republican budget for the next 4 years at the state and the federal level should be eliminating public jobs, downsizing benefits and pensions for public sector workers, while giving tax breaks to middle class workers and small businesses.

The House GOP should also push for punitive taxation of the incomes of entertainers, professional athletes, sports franchises, movie and TV studios and networks, cable TV companies, and video game makers. Let's make the Democrats defend those tax subsidies for a change.

Oh, and give up on the gay marriage thing. Young voters are learning to hate eveything about conservatism because of this one non-issue.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (aBlZ1)

98 The GOP brand is dead. It's turd-polishing to believe otherwise.

We make it more difficult for ourselves (our task is hard enough) by packaging what we have to offer in a GOP package. Not fair, but it's true.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (MmH0Z)

99 88 Or, we could try the Ace of Spades HQ approach: Publish a long series of snarky asshole posts making fun of the concerns that a lot of your regulars and conservatives at large have about the election and the GOP in general; posts that offer nothing whatsoever constructive. I'm sure we're just another snarky asshole post or two away from locking up the 2016 election! Keep up the good work! Posted by: davidinvirginia at November 12, 2012 01:00 PM (qEkGZ) Considering we are just a collection of assholes on the Internet, why does anything we say on this website truly matter? It's not like if I really believed hard enough an pushed out all competing thoughts, Romney would have won.

Posted by: Mr pink at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (X/nTQ)

100 35 Offer a training course to nominees where they are placed in a room with a reporter from the MFM. If the nominee attempts to talk to said reporter about their personal beliefs, they are given electric shocks until they learn to keep their mouths shut. Posted by: Warthog at November 12, 2012 12:52 PM (WDySP) Not so far-fetched. We really do need to take the narrative away from them. Arthur Lackoff, Rhymes With, was right. Evil, but right.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (XkWWK)

101 86 "Giant billboards in every black neighborhood showing LBJ's infamous quote."

What quote is that?

Posted by: RJ at November 12, 2012 01:00 PM (QTVh2)

http://tinyurl.com/abwguzo

Posted by: jwb7605 (Let It Burn) at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (Qxe/p)

102 Posted by: davidinvirginia at November 12, 2012 01:00 PM (qEkGZ)

We all grieve in our own way. Now go fuck yourself.

Posted by: Cicero (@cicero) at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (QKKT0)

103 - Print all Republican campaign material in gray scale. 50 shades of gray scale. _

Posted by: BumperStickerist at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (RuUvx)

104 Secede.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at November 12, 2012 09:02 AM (8y9MW)

105 90 Just remember that you can't legislate morality and we should be fine

Excellent! Hadji gets to cut off heads of Joos, yes?

(Oh, yeah, I denounce myself.)

Posted by: Meiczyslaw at November 12, 2012 01:00 PM (4+LTj)

Apparently theft and envy isn't morally wrong anymore, just a policy preference.

Posted by: Grey Fox at November 12, 2012 09:03 AM (aJahi)

106 Pick an enemy. Freeze it. Vilify it. Attack it mercilessly. Never relent until enemy is ruined. Start with Hollywood and it's affiliates.

Posted by: Hopeless at November 12, 2012 09:03 AM (ven16)

107 Publish a long series of snarky asshole posts making fun of the concerns that a lot of your regulars and conservatives at large have about the election and the GOP in general; posts that offer nothing whatsoever constructive. --- I'm frustrated, too, but I don't think that's what this post is. I think it's a real attempt to get people to chill (acknowledging the stupidity of panicking by pointing out the margin of loss) and giving us a chance to blow off steam with humor.

Posted by: Y-not at November 12, 2012 09:03 AM (5H6zj)

108 Kick all the Republicans out?

Posted by: Pyro Pete at November 12, 2012 09:03 AM (AzwZn)

109 How do you fix the electorate?

They failed.

They people will get precisely the government they deserve.

Posted by: eleven at November 12, 2012 09:03 AM (KXm42)

110 93 I think both of us watch way to many mob movies. On the other hand, why not Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 01:01 PM (79ueO) Used to work for the producer of "The Godfather."

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 09:03 AM (XkWWK)

111 Poll tests.

With questions like this one: The Constitution:

A. Requires the government to give you free stuff.

B. Can be amended whenever the party in power feels like it.

C. Should be interpreted according to how things are done in South Africa.

D. Ensures a means for a sovereign people to govern themselves under an agreed upon set of rules and operates as a check on the power of the government to interfere with the liberty of the people and of the sovereign states in which they reside.

Posted by: Underground Wolverine the original kind not the movie kind at November 12, 2012 09:03 AM (u3N3z)

112 Bill Commie Krystol says the fix is a massive tax increase.

Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 09:03 AM (YdQQY)

113 EVERYONE who donated to Obama - no exclusions for actors, athletes, musicians, etc - who makes over $250,000 in any way they accumulate income and/or wealth - in any form: dividends, real estate sales, royalties must pay 75% in taxes on a monthly basis. They must pay a team of accounts no less than $15,000 a month -- as well as "gold plate" health insurance -- whether they need them or not. I mean, at some point haven't obama donaters made enough money?

Posted by: Nora at November 12, 2012 09:04 AM (RGgMp)

114

Breitbart is right. The media is the enemy. Help the MSM on it's slide to obscurity, and promote alternates.

Without the media assist, I think Mitt would have won.

Posted by: West at November 12, 2012 09:05 AM (M9Z1j)

115

Move right. And NEVER EVER allow morons like Bloomberg to call themselves Republicans.

If you want to be an opposition party, ACT LIKE ONE!

Posted by: PelosiSchmelosi at November 12, 2012 09:05 AM (oBrP/)

116 109 How do you fix the electorate? They failed. They people will get precisely the government they deserve. Posted by: eleven at November 12, 2012 01:03 PM (KXm42) You can't un-brainwash 50 years of brainwashing in schools and reinforcement in the pop culture of 3 generations of American youth. Figuring out how to undo that is like finding the cure for all cancer.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at November 12, 2012 09:05 AM (XkWWK)

117 If you truly believe that taxes can never be raised, even during wartime, and that a fertilized egg cannot be terminated for any reason, then there's nothing to fix. Republicans have the right to their convictions, even if they never hold elected office again.

Posted by: Slart at November 12, 2012 09:05 AM (qRuw3)

118 Leave the atmosphere and go in search of the martian vote. Transport them all here and tell them the Dems have kept their planet from water.

Posted by: Lady in Black at November 12, 2012 09:05 AM (lTVJy)

119 Ditch John Boehner. Begin to attack on everything. No compromise, no comity. Push hard on the Dems being atheists. Push hard on them controlling our diets and buying practices. Personally insult their leadership. Declare them vote-stealing thieves. Treat media like the enemy and insult them on TV at every turn. Spit nothing but poison at them. It worked for them in 2004.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 09:05 AM (g2ldK)

120 112 Bill Commie Krystol says the fix is a massive tax increase. Man, I'd hate to be the one who has to explain to the Progressives that tax receipts went down...again.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 09:05 AM (hNXHo)

121 La Raza poll-workers and Black Panther poll-workers trade precincts.

Posted by: t-bird at November 12, 2012 09:05 AM (FcR7P)

122 Giant screen televisions in the parking lot outside of the polling places with Lifetime Movie Network. Mice inside of the polling place. Lots of mice.

Posted by: Schrödinger's cat [/i] at November 12, 2012 09:05 AM (feFL6)

123 give up on the redefinition of marriage? give in to special rights just for homosexuals? no thanks, what good is winning elections if we have nothing left to stand for.

Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 09:06 AM (b1TCv)

124 To "fix" the Republican Party they need to allow taxes to be raised and all wealth to be confiscated from millionaires and billionaires, defend abortion rights, learn to speak Spanish, vote for unconditional amnesty for illegal aliens, embrace gay marriage, agree to nationalize entire industries, ban all drilling or digging for oil and coal and ban the construction of nuclear power plants, enact more affirmative action programs, outlaw gun ownership, and reject the mention of God in all public places.

Only by doing these things will the GOP ever have a chance to ever win a national election!

Posted by: A "Conserned" Potentional Republican Voter at November 12, 2012 09:06 AM (PEwU1)

125 88, 99 >> Considering we are just a collection of assholes on the Internet, why does anything we say on this website truly matter? It's not like if I really believed hard enough an pushed out all competing thoughts, Romney would have won.

It depends. Are you trying to attract people to your point of view, or not? Considering we are just a collection of asssholes, why does anything anyone says anywhere truly matter?

Posted by: winston smith at November 12, 2012 09:06 AM (cgOkw)

126 Posted by: SFC MAC at November 12, 2012 12:55 PM (TLbgU)

You must be new here. It's jokes, from the top. Welcome, and thanks for supporting sanity.

Posted by: Flounder at November 12, 2012 09:06 AM (Kkt/i)

127 i am not generally for the legalization of currently illegal drugs because even though i'm pretty libertarian on the idea, it tends to send the wrong signals most importantly to young impressionable people. but i don't think it would hurt for republicans to seriously consider allowing states to determine the legalization of pot. they're doing it anyway. this is effectively the position of the GOP on abortion now, even though democrats like to accuse the party of trying some federal ban on abortion is all cases.

for the record, i am not one that agrees that social issues won the election, free stuff and racial preferences won the election, but running as the party of personal freedom and liberty should appeal to some younger voters.

Posted by: matt foley at November 12, 2012 09:06 AM (ES9kw)

128 I think everyone should remember these numbers... 4 and 440,000... and burn them into your memory. Four states with a total shortfall of 440,000 votes and we'd be measuring the drapes in the WH. ------------------------------------ Burn this into your memory: With Obama's record and campaign of lies and negativity, why didn't we win those states comfortably?

Posted by: Pyro Pete at November 12, 2012 09:06 AM (AzwZn)

129 Drop the abortion and gay marriage stance.

Posted by: beerologist at November 12, 2012 09:06 AM (CdhVC)

130 Bill Commie Krystol says the fix is a massive tax increase.

Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 01:03 PM (YdQQY)

He'd probably go for US boots on the ground in Syria as well!

Posted by: Hrothgar at November 12, 2012 09:06 AM (Cnqmv)

131

@61

You can make up stuff how we can win the rest of the male vote if you'd like.

Votes cast via fleshlight.

We're just being playful and trying to laugh in an otherwise depressing time.

Posted by: Ben at November 12, 2012 09:07 AM (C2Y4l)

132 I'm frustrated, too, but I don't think that's what this post is. I think it's a real attempt to get people to chill (acknowledging the stupidity of panicking by pointing out the margin of loss) and giving us a chance to blow off steam with humor.

Posted by: Y-not at November 12, 2012 01:03 PM (5H6zj)

I might have bought that explanation several posts just like this one in the past, but the hits just keep on coming. I'm sure it makes these jackasses feel better to vent their crap onto the rest of us, but they need to check out the person in the mirror first. I'm done being lectured. What a waste of time and space this place has become. ORCA! ORCA! Yeah, about that useful.

Posted by: davidinvirginia at November 12, 2012 09:07 AM (qEkGZ)

133 New polling place rule: If your gender is not immediately evident to the poll worker, you may not vote. No more androgynous hipster assholes or Rachel Maddow.

Posted by: Jenny Tries Too Hard at November 12, 2012 09:07 AM (IPG9V)

134 Man, I'd hate to be the one who has to explain to the Progressives that tax receipts went down...again.

They know that. They don't care.

Posted by: eleven at November 12, 2012 09:07 AM (KXm42)

135 Seriously, I am absolutely convinced that our crumbling country would not have ever come to this if not for two things: a treasonous and totally corrupt media, and a public school system that does not teach history. Fix those things, and we wouldn't be staring at the coming calamity.

Posted by: Lady in Black at November 12, 2012 09:07 AM (lTVJy)

136 You can't fight Santa. That's why the effort to become more like him, going on right now.

So their answer is to abandon principles. The alternative is to double-down on principles. Again, running against Santa.

So the only answer is for the electorate to discover for themselves the correct path. We should hasten that discovery.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 09:07 AM (MmH0Z)

137 Hadji gets to cut off heads of Joos, yes? _ ~ tap tap tap tap tap ~ Hello! It is I, Hadji the Muslim comic, or as I like to say, I am the Ayatollah of Joke-a-rollah. Does Hadji get to cut off the heads of Joos? No! No! No! No! well, maybe ... NO! Hadji cuts off heads of Jews and it ruins the punchline. Hadji is too much the professional funny-maker to ruin a punchline. So now you know. Hadji leaves you with a joke: What is pale and fleshy and tastes like Nate Silver's nether parts? Karl Rove's tongue. Thank you thank you thank you. Now, laugh. or I go BOOM. _

Posted by: Hadji the Muslim Comic at November 12, 2012 09:07 AM (RuUvx)

138 Place the voting machine on the inside of a ~~tightly~~ hermetically sealed ~~mason~~ mayonnaise jar.

FIFY

Posted by: Sean Bannion at November 12, 2012 09:08 AM (f6KBF)

139 I think we have to face the fact that the brand name is damaged forever and there's a subconscious revulsion to the very word "Republican"

Once a brand name is damaged, all the reforms in the world are not likely to revive it

Say the word "republican" and seemingly normal people foam at the mouth and go into convulsions, scream obscenities, etc

For example I'll say "German"

Even though they're now wimpier than the French, are peacenik socialists who love Obama more than any other European people, the first image that pops into the mind is Nazis

Posted by: kbdabear at November 12, 2012 09:08 AM (wwsoB)

140 Choose One: 1. Vote 2. Win Free Jay-Z Downloads!

Posted by: t-bird at November 12, 2012 09:08 AM (FcR7P)

141 just overheard:

"I have a plumber coming over tomorrow. Do you want me to do it in the morning or the afternoon?"

Yeah... I've been hanging out here way too long.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at November 12, 2012 09:08 AM (8y9MW)

142 Posted by: A "Conserned" Potentional Republican Voter at November 12, 2012 01:06 PM (PEwU1)

Dude! You left out the most important one! Weed!

Posted by: Gary Johnson at November 12, 2012 09:08 AM (/YJYi)

143 more women and minority candidates would be a good start. emphasize the tenth amendment instead of banning abortions. Follow Mitch daniels advice on Social Issues Have the Tea Party return to its small gov roots Expel Akin and Moredick from the party. And let it be known that any candidate that cant answer the rape question must not be allowed to run. put rape incest life of the mother back in the platform

Posted by: avi at November 12, 2012 09:08 AM (40anC)

144 Oh yeah - get rid of morons like Kristol and Peggy Noonan too.

Posted by: PelosiSchmelosi at November 12, 2012 09:09 AM (oBrP/)

145 First party that aggressively supports decriminalization (and takes the WoSD funds and redirects them to the debt) will be in power for quite some time. Why not the (R)s? They might get me to call myself one again with a move like this. And hey, SoCons - if you don't support gay marriage, don't marry a member of the same gender. Let it end there, and wow...amazing how much of the noise starts to abate.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 09:09 AM (hNXHo)

146

"And you would go where?"

@Nevergiveup,

There is nowhere to go but underground. Do we really think we're better than history? The Boston Tea party was over how big of a tax? And look at where we are now... the root problem isn't Obama but the people that elected him, and the same goes for the GOP. Boehner DOES represent the collective of GOP voters. Think about that.

Posted by: Andrew at November 12, 2012 09:09 AM (Egza/)

147 LOL. Ashley Judd isn't quite ready to run for Mitch McConnell's senate seat....not quite yet.

Despite the public support she's received, Kentucky native Judd isn't setting up any exploratory committees just yet.

"I cherish Kentucky, heart and soul, and while I'm very honored by the consideration, we have just finished an election, so let's focus on coming together to keep moving America's families, and especially our kids, forward," Judd told Us Weekly in a statement Wednesday.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at November 12, 2012 09:09 AM (UOM48)

148

>>Publish a long series of snarky asshole posts making fun of the concerns that a lot of your regulars and conservatives at large have about the election and the GOP in general; posts that offer nothing whatsoever constructive. I'm sure we're just another snarky asshole post or two away from locking up the 2016 election! Keep up the good work!

Dude, we just lost an election 6 days ago. Give us a few weeks to decompress before we save the Republican party via a few posts.

Posted by: Ben at November 12, 2012 09:09 AM (C2Y4l)

149 And NEVER EVER allow morons like Bloomberg to call themselves Republicans.

The mans a genius. He now has like advanced degrees in meteorology AND nutrition. /snark

I saw a good quote from someone recently -- ''Global warming'' is political
science, not actual science.

Posted by: Schrödinger's cat [/i] at November 12, 2012 09:09 AM (feFL6)

150 Man, I'd hate to be the one who has to explain to the Progressives that tax receipts went down...again. What do they care? The main thing is to make sure we're hurting. They'll print whatever they need.

Posted by: t-bird at November 12, 2012 09:09 AM (FcR7P)

151 FEDERALISM.
We don't have to drop social issues, just relegate them back to the states. You know, as required by the 10th Amendment, which far too many on our side totally ignore (looking at the NeoCons and SoCons). Sure, it will cost a few votes from the Huckabee/Santorum fans, but in swing states we will gain more from the Guiliani/Pawlenty/Perry/Daniels fans.

Posted by: wooga at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (vjyZP)

152 Ok, I've scooted back from the edge a bit. I mean, fuck--fewer than 500,000 votes over 4 states. And the Romney landslide we were expecting was due to fewer than 750,000 over 7 states. I know tons of people voted for the SCOAMF and his SCOAMF-y record, but these are not "let it burn" numbers.

Yet here's the problem I'm still stuck on:

Why bother "reforming" the party image/platform or improving outreach to new voters if the leaders are just going to stab us in the back and mismanage campaigns? How do we ensure that our leadership obtain Pelosi/Reid/Obama levels of message discipline [yes I know lots of this is covered for by the media; but still...] and ruthless commitment to party goals?

Libs believe we're evil, and they operate "negotiations" with that assumption, whereas Boehner, McConnell, & co. still seem to think that everyone at base can be friendly with one another and truly wants to compromise (cf. Woodward's descriptions of how Boehner couldn't believe that Obama upped the ante on the debt ceiling after compromise had been reached. Even Ryan's disbelief that Obama would invite him to a speech only to start trashing him on stage).

Our current leadership fails to understand this and gets taken for a ride every time, but too many Tea Party/Reform candidates lack the machiavellianism that is utterly necessary so as not to fall into the traps set by the Dems and the media (cf. O'Donnell, Angle, Akin). Those all would have been winning candidates if they had had the message discipline and self-awareness that Dems have. 407,000 votes is worth keeping your mouth shut for 6 months about your generalized personal opinions about abortion or whether people in the country want to work or want handouts.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (ezVK/)

153 87 hey is there mail delivery today?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 01:00 PM (79ueO)

Don't think so. Just found out it was a federal holiday today. Must be nice for them. Meanwhile, the vets keep plugging away.

Posted by: Flounder at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (Kkt/i)

154 Remember that really creepy, dumb movie, "The Village?" That's where liberals should go.

Posted by: concrete girl at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (y2Ojs)

155

143,

That means embracing the TEA party instead of doing everything they can to marginalize them. Not going to happen, and it's too bad.

Posted by: Dax at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (gUYGX)

156 Have all paid Republican party staff (including consultants) stand in line. Beat every tenth one to death while the others watch.

Decimation: It worked for the Romans.

Posted by: Luke at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (UE8ht)

157 Arrange an all day Glee marathon on election day.

Posted by: Daniel Simpson Day at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (aA2hG)

158 Fix those things, and we wouldn't be staring at the coming calamity.

Yeah, but now that they're broken and we are starting at the coming calamity, how do you fix it?

I say free pancakes for all.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (8y9MW)

159 Declare the fourth Monday of each month National Taco Night. Federally funded, of course.

Posted by: Andy at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (/Wy5S)

160 LOL. Ashley Judd isn't quite ready to run for Mitch McConnell's senate seat....not quite yet. Despite the public support she's received, Kentucky native Judd isn't setting up any exploratory committees just yet. ------------------ Well, bless her puffy little heart.

Posted by: Jenny Tries Too Hard at November 12, 2012 09:10 AM (IPG9V)

161 144 Oh yeah - get rid of morons like Kristol and Peggy Noonan too.

Throw "conservative" Kathleen Parker into the pile.

Posted by: Jane D'oh at November 12, 2012 09:11 AM (UOM48)

162 And hey, SoCons - if you don't support gay marriage, don't marry a member of the same gender. Let it end there, and wow...amazing how much of the noise starts to abate.

I'm not a socon by any stretch but doesn't same sex marriage get shot down even in blue states?

Posted by: eleven at November 12, 2012 09:11 AM (KXm42)

163 In last nights Evening Open Thread (#148 Palandine had an idea for a Big Bird card. Here is a link to one for everyone to share on Facebook, Twitter, e-mail, post, and spread around. You can download it to your computer and print them to hand out to the unemployed Lefties in your life. http://tinypic.com/r/2h5l55t/6 I will post this again in later threads as well.

Posted by: Redman Bluestate at November 12, 2012 09:11 AM (sRIFP)

164 Boehner DOES represent the collective of GOP voters. Tell him that. He thinks he represents majority Washington opinion.

Posted by: t-bird at November 12, 2012 09:11 AM (FcR7P)

165 Don't change a damn thing. I would rather die standing up than live on my knees.

Posted by: Truck Monkey at November 12, 2012 09:11 AM (jucos)

166 148 Dude, we just lost an election 6 days ago. Give us a few weeks to decompress before we save the Republican party via a few posts.

I think #88 was talking about behavior before the election.

Posted by: winston smith at November 12, 2012 09:11 AM (cgOkw)

167 No mail today

Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (YdQQY)

168 Let progressives slowly infiltrate the party over the course of 50 years.

Posted by: The Mega Independent at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (6JMZR)

169 Maybe passive aggressive methods would be worth a try

When a lefty attacks, they want a fight. It's really the lefty vs you, not Dem vs GOP

Tell them you're not a Republican, you don't care what the GOP does. Make them tell you why the Dems are so great, shut off discussion of why Republicans suck. Make them try to sell you

They can't. Most are not about how great the Dems are, it's about hating Republicans

Posted by: kbdabear at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (wwsoB)

170

Can't be fixed until the debt bomb goes off. People actually beleive we can keep borrowing at the pace with no consequences. Helecopter Ben has been making that happen.

When inflation hits people will change.

Posted by: robtr at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (rTgOf)

171
Nothing one man can do about such an entrenched and stubborn problem about which people disagree so vehemently.

Posted by: John Brown: Harper's Ferry, Virginia at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (u3N3z)

172

"Secede"

This

Posted by: Andrew at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (Egza/)

173 Do what Clinton did- find tiddly wink little things that people want, and do them. I would suggest going fter the TSA and sexul molestionts at the irport. /half joking

Posted by: Baldy at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (opS9C)

174 Require men demonstrate their commitment to the war on women by getting vasectomies prior to voting.

Posted by: Y-not at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (5H6zj)

175 125 88, 99 >> Considering we are just a collection of assholes on the Internet, why does anything we say on this website truly matter? It's not like if I really believed hard enough an pushed out all competing thoughts, Romney would have won. It depends. Are you trying to attract people to your point of view, or not? Considering we are just a collection of asssholes, why does anything anyone says anywhere truly matter? Posted by: winston smith at November 12, 2012 01:06 PM (cgOkw) I control one vote, Im just trying to say its kinda deluded to think I or you personally can influence shit nationally. If that was the case Obama would have lost. Also I don't wanna turn this place into LGF

Posted by: Mr pink at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (X/nTQ)

176 It's not about reforming Republican Party... I suggest we do a "let it burn" with a caveat: Every tax raise the Dems wan, go for it. We ask one thing in return: An end to employer withholding. Each taxpayer is now responsible for either quarterly, or yearly writing a big fat check to Uncle Sam. Let people see what they really should be taking home. Then let them see the big bite that government takes out of them every 3 months. I believe honestly people are just flat out ignorant of what they make vs. what the government takes. Let's help get past that ignorance by not allowing government to be shielded by employers who auto draft withholdings, which many people hardly check. This is seriously an issue because people seem to think getting a check back from government inApril is such a great thing, whe. In essence you are really just getting back part of what was yours in the first place. Let people feel the pain of writing that check- of having to be responsible for saving that cash, and the. Realize the hurt of sending it in. Explain to me why this wouldn't convert millions to lower tax platforms, and more interest in what the government I'd blowing their hard earned cash on yearly?

Posted by: Kotter at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (34Bl3)

177 @97 rockmom

totally agree. class warfare sells like nothing else. it is in ours and everyone's interest to highlight the fact that the public pensioners are the new aristocrats that are literally taking ever more wealth from those creating it. and we should be asking what we are getting in return. one of the few things that never seems to get any more efficient (i mean we have lots of technology and economies of scale - allegedly) is government; besides the military and intelligence etc. which can understandably cost more now (perhaps) why can't we demand the government be more efficient each year (ie. cost less)?

Posted by: matt foley at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (ES9kw)

178 Stop giving the corrupt media credibility by not pointing out their corruption.

Posted by: Pyro Pete at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (AzwZn)

179 Conservatives have ceded education and culture to the progressives.

There is out and out revulsion in the public sphere for anyone that reveals themselves to be Republican.

Witness what happened to Stacey Dash when she came out in support of Mitt Romny.

Do a general google search of her name, there is not one positive story about her.

Musicians routinely send cease and desist orders to our politicians when they attempt to use their music in within their campaigns.

Our children are being taught by people who despise us.

We lost the republic when we ceded these arenas.

Pat Buchanan was most definetely right about the culture war.

We just didn't want to listen

Posted by: General Woundwort at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (06lNq)

180 I'm not a socon by any stretch but doesn't same sex marriage get shot down even in blue states? Even the bluest.

Posted by: Calfornia at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (FcR7P)

181 A time machine really needs to be invented, for the sole purpose of having 35 year old Sarah Westwood sit and have a talk with 20 year old Sarah Westwood.

Posted by: Alec Leamas at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (Nfpnr)

182 Think about it; that's 3.5 Michigan games seated at capacity.

Posted by: marcus at November 12, 2012 09:12 AM (GGCsk)

183 Who was the Reagan pollster who used to go to diners and listen to what the average guy was talking about? We need a push to gain back what Reagan gained for us-blue collar America. 60% of eligible voters stayed home. They did not think they had skin in the game. Like the guys in the South who did not own slaves-no dog in the fight. That's what they perceive even if not correct. R's should go after white collar corruption with all they have. Go after the nepotism in the Washington culture. Expose how the media and Washington elite ALL dip into the slush fund called the federal treasury. Clean it up. Expose our own. Show how the Dem's benefit personally from all the largess.

Posted by: Locus Ceruleus at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (MsOp2)

184 Ubiquitous Piss-Christ imagery is a sure-fire way to expand the tent.

Posted by: RamonAllones at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (3lLli)

185 There is one hammer that can knock sense into the electorate. The one-half-of-one-third crowd happens to hold that hammer. Freeze the debt ceiling. Force Obama to choose which factions of the Free Shit Army get fed and which factions go hungry because Obama chose to feed the other factions instead. They voted to take other people's shit. They are the aggressors. Set them against each other. The more of each other they take out, the less that people who actually matter and deserve to live will have to suffer.

Posted by: FRONT TOWARD LEFT at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (ogdab)

186 Find out what Democrats say we should do to the party and then do it, because they won so they know best.

Posted by: The Mega Independent at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (6JMZR)

187 Have a homosexual leather bar on the stage at the next Republican convention and and have a fetus smashing demonstration.

You wingnuts will never get the young voters with your old man socon crap.

Posted by: LeBron Steinman at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (jfWE9)

188 Posted by: John Brown: Harper's Ferry, Virginia at November 12, 2012 01:12 PM (u3N3z) ----------------------------------------------------------- Where's that?

Posted by: Truck Monkey at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (jucos)

189 The GOP must die. The brand is dead. It is synonymous with anti-Santa and changing it into Santa Lite is no answer.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (MmH0Z)

190 CLOSE THE FUCKING PRIMARIES!

Posted by: Courtesy Flush at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (tkbF8)

191 Two words: Free shit!!!!!

Posted by: The Mega Independent at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (6JMZR)

192 "Have all paid Republican party staff (including consultants) stand in line. Beat every tenth one to death while the others watch. Decimation: It worked for the Romans. Posted by: Luke at November 12, 2012 01:10 PM" I. WILL. BRING. THE. BATS.

Posted by: Nora at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (RGgMp)

193 Split the Dem coalition. The Elite wing really has little in common with the FreeShit wing except for their hate of Republicans. Trying to gain the support of the elites would be futile since they either live in a fantasy world or are activively trying to bring a Marxist state where they have total control of everything.

But as we've seen, the FreeShitters are endlessly open to class warfare so it should be easy to turn them against the Elites:

1) 25% Entertainers and Lobbyists Payroll Tax (off the top, no deductions)

2) Remove the exemptions for contributions to college endowments and also revoke their tax-free status. Ear mark the revenue from this for scholarships for the poor, i.e. Hispanics.

Then sit back and watch the hilarity that would ensue...

Posted by: Jaylord at November 12, 2012 09:13 AM (Y6qC4)

194

#128 I will tell you:

Florida - allowed huge numbers of illegal aliens to vote, kept polls open until midnight even after 3 weeks of early voting. Democrats essentially stuffed the ballot boxes in 3 Democratic counties.

Virginia - lost it in Northern Virginia, where the two richest counties in America now reside thanks to massive government spending. They voted to keep their gravy train running.

Ohio - lost it in Cleveland and Cincinnati where it appears that blacks voted in even greater numbers than they did in 2008. Protip: Don't try to keep black people from voting, they really don't like that very much.

New Hampshire - too many refugees from Massachusetts have moved there.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 09:14 AM (aBlZ1)

195 The GOP should push a tax on the Entertainment industry. Then give the money to single women.

Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 09:14 AM (TVbdM)

196 Free sterilization I mean birth control for all Liberals.

Posted by: MostlyRight at November 12, 2012 09:14 AM (ZG8Ti)

197 The main problem with the GOP is what it does and doesn't do when it wins.

Trying to think of ways to make it win again isn't productive.

Posted by: runninrebel at November 12, 2012 09:14 AM (J4gw3)

198 162 I'm not a socon by any stretch but doesn't same sex marriage get shot down even in blue states? Sure, it's a politically toxic issue that Democrats keep beating Republicans on (successfully) for a decade or so, and it doesn't even enjoy enough support to gain 51% of the vote in several very blue states. How dumb is that to keep beating one's head against *that* wall? How about, succinctly: "We have no national stance on this important State issue. If you wish to change how your State defines marriage, we suggest you contact your State party officials." Wow, a National party could say the same thing about abortion too. Hmmm...

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 09:14 AM (hNXHo)

199 A new paid holiday: Election Day

Posted by: t-bird at November 12, 2012 09:14 AM (FcR7P)

200 I'd throw out the neo-cons and anyone in the north east that calls them self a republican. lets face it those fuckers bitch that we don't take their advice. then when we do (mccain, romney) and we get our asses kick they conveniently forgot that those are the guys they pushed on us.

Posted by: we are so screwed at November 12, 2012 09:14 AM (HEa5q)

201 We could change the name of the party to New Coke I mean New Republican Party

Posted by: whenuboilitdown at November 12, 2012 09:14 AM (wlVrM)

202 @ Stop! You are embarassing jwest!

Posted by: T.Hunter at November 12, 2012 09:14 AM (EZl54)

203 The die is cast with respect to the debt ceiling. They won, and Boner slept like a baby.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 09:15 AM (MmH0Z)

204 Stop underestimating the MFM. Be ready to respond aggressively to it. Mobilize vets/retired/pub governor's for GOTV. Especially immigrants from former Soviet bloc countries. Tons of them in the NE and they understand, and hate, socialism. They would be great at GOTV in the swing states. Spend money on it. Hit back every time they hit you. Bush and his surrogates silence when attacked by the MFM killed him. Romney's waiting so long to air ads killed him, especially in swing states. Candidates must receive a briefing on how not shoot yourself in the foot (esp regarding abortion). I hate it, but a lot of these low info voters get their info from crap like the view, etc and all the other "soft" for liberal venues. Pubs should not be afraid to go on those shows. Be ready to articulate conservative principles Last time, we worked hard on getting pub Govs and state AGs. We need to do the same with poll watchers, workers, and boards of election, especially for pub counties in swing states.

Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 09:15 AM (Dnbau)

205 #1 - fight all govt. corruption, waste, and cronyism. Zero tolerance for party members engaging in corruption. Expose and fight corporate welfare and shady big govt.-big business cronyism. #2 - fight for effective and sustainable govt. Do it in the urban centers too. #3 - stop being stupid in the language wars. Stop using leftist labels. Fire strong words at the left instead of shooting ourselves with words. Stop calling the left 'liberal.' Do this daily and it will grow the party and discourage the opposition. The urban areas are ripe with votes from people sick of cronyism and ineffective govt. The Dems. s--t on inner city residents by closing down their charter schools. The GOP should be getting 30% of that vote already. #3 - stop moving to Texas. Folks on right fleeing CA and NY should look at Florida (no income tax), Virginia, Colorado, Washington State (no income tax).

Posted by: The Pitt at November 12, 2012 09:15 AM (9bWs4)

206 The only positive point of Ashley Judd's entry into the political arena is that it reminds me of Ace's exquisite post on her puffy face. Man, that's one for the ages.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:15 AM (ezVK/)

207 And hey, SoCons - if you don't support gay marriage, don't marry a member of the same gender. Let it end there, and wow...amazing how much of the noise starts to abate. Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 01:09 PM

Actually, the reason that it lost even in blue states that Obama won easily is that some of the Free Shit Army isn't fond of the gheys

Take away common hatred of the Republicans and promises that they're first at the trough, and their coalitions become badly fractured

Posted by: kbdabear at November 12, 2012 09:15 AM (wwsoB)

208 Put the ballots on top of a raised toilet seat lid.

Posted by: SARDiver at November 12, 2012 09:16 AM (h25fc)

209 Don't give the media a target to shoot at.
Go underground. Infiltrate the party of tolerance and act like they do.
Register all Republicans as Independents or Democrats.
Retire the GOP vote for Americans.

Posted by: Gunsmoke at November 12, 2012 09:16 AM (0N+6v)

210 With the make up of America as it is now and with a "Black Messiah" running we are pretty much fucked no matter what we do. One thing we must do is bust the Unions. Why 'Unions" especially PUBLIC Unions which we basically fund are able to spend unlimited and ungodly amounts of money unchecked is a perversion of the electoral system.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:16 AM (79ueO)

211 The country is slowly dying,
And the GOP's shit, we're buying
But I really have no concern,
Let It Burn Let It Burn Let It Burn !

Posted by: Jones in CO at November 12, 2012 09:16 AM (8sCoq)

212 I have some ideazzzz my frienzzzzz

Posted by: Juan McCain at November 12, 2012 09:16 AM (jucos)

213 Do nothing.
Stand back.
Do absolutely nothing to get in Barky and Harry's way.
Then, after the ChiComs skip a few debt auctions in a row and inflation goes over ten percent, deliver the biggest shit eating "Fuck off. We warned you" in history.
Suffer.

Posted by: Dexy at November 12, 2012 09:16 AM (u3N3z)

214 Nominate moderates and then bitch that the country doesn't want a conservative.

Posted by: The Mega Independent at November 12, 2012 09:16 AM (6JMZR)

215 Republicans = Old Democrats Democrats = New Socialists Conservatives = Majority with no party.

Posted by: USS CONSTITUTION at November 12, 2012 09:17 AM (KqwSL)

216 >> I might have bought that explanation several posts just like this one in the past, but the hits just keep on coming. I'm sure it makes these jackasses feel better to vent their crap onto the rest of us, but they need to check out the person in the mirror first. I'm done being lectured. What a waste of time and space this place has become. ORCA! ORCA! Yeah, about that useful. You're free to leave anytime.

Posted by: Andy at November 12, 2012 09:17 AM (/Wy5S)

217 @ 194 rockmom

Stop with the illegal excuse for why we lost Florida. I have relatives down in the Orlando area and can tell you why Romney lost. He went 3 months without answering any ads. On the Spanish TV/Radio the ads where brutal. They even had an ad telling Cubans that Republicans want to take away dry foot/wet foot. Romney never answered these ads.

But go ahead keep thinking all Hispanics are illegals. That really will endear us to that community.

Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 09:17 AM (TVbdM)

218 The party rules need some teeth and consequences. As long as you can lose a Republican primary, and continue to use the elephant brand, and get party cash, the GOP will continue to be the stewpid party.

Posted by: SpongeBob Saget at November 12, 2012 09:17 AM (SDkq3)

219 155 143, That means embracing the TEA party instead of doing everything they can to marginalize them. Not going to happen, and it's too bad. Posted by: Dax at November 12, 2012 01:10 PM (gUYGX) if the Tea Party only endorsed competent people like Rubio and Cruz it would be listened to. But with Odonnel, buck , Akin and MoreDick the Tea Party loses credibility and fulfills the MSM narrative.

Posted by: avi at November 12, 2012 09:17 AM (40anC)

220 let it burn

Posted by: T.Hunter at November 12, 2012 09:17 AM (EZl54)

221 Probably would also help to have conservatives run for office.

Posted by: Baldy at November 12, 2012 09:18 AM (opS9C)

222 147 Judd is an idiot. Went to undergrad with her. Complete fake. Like that wasn't evident.

Posted by: NCKate at November 12, 2012 09:18 AM (MsQkt)

223 209 With the make up of America as it is now and with a "Black Messiah" running we are pretty much fucked no matter what we do. One thing we must do is bust the Unions. Why 'Unions" especially PUBLIC Unions which we basically fund are able to spend unlimited and ungodly amounts of money unchecked is a perversion of the electoral system. Posted by: Nevergiveup

***

Been there. Done that. Got my ass handed to me. What's yer Plan B?

Posted by: Hon. John Kasich at November 12, 2012 09:18 AM (u3N3z)

224 Wow, a National party could say the same thing about abortion too. Hmmm...

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 01:14 PM (hNXHo)

Didn't we try that with slavery once? Refresh my memory, how did that work out?

Posted by: Grey Fox at November 12, 2012 09:18 AM (aJahi)

225 @ 213 Dexy

" Do nothing.
Stand back.
Do absolutely nothing to get in Barky and Harry's way.
Then, after the ChiComs skip a few debt auctions in a row and inflation goes over ten percent, deliver the biggest shit eating "Fuck off. We warned you" in history.
Suffer."

THIS.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 09:18 AM (MmH0Z)

226 207 Take away common hatred of the Republicans and promises that they're first at the trough, and their coalitions become badly fractured Amen. The common hatred of Republicans is the ONLY thing keeping their coalition together...they would so much rather be attacking each other, since that's all they really know how to do. It was Bush, now it's Republicans. Again, thanks MSM.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 09:18 AM (hNXHo)

227 When Barton Stone and Thomas and Alexander Campbell looked at the state of Christianity, they decided that it could not be "reformed." The damage was too great; tinkering at the edges would not work.

So, instead, they set to Restore what they believe had been (how close they got is certainly an open question).

The GOP cannot be reformed. The damage is too great. We must begin Restoring it. Tear it down to its foundation and (if it's not stretching the metaphor too far) load-bearing members, and then rebuild something that will stand the test of time.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at November 12, 2012 09:18 AM (8y9MW)

228 Want to get the female vote? Reenact affirmative action.

Posted by: ryukyu at November 12, 2012 09:19 AM (Cvyuv)

229 for the record, i am not one that agrees that social issues won the election, free stuff and racial preferences won the election, but running as the party of personal freedom and liberty should appeal to some younger voters.
Posted by: matt foley at November 12, 2012 01:06 PM

As I said, years of indoctrination by the MSM and schools have permanently damaged the brand name

I see constantly on social media how Republicans won't let them live their lives, won't leave them alone to do what they want.

Yet they can't fathom how their loving government under the Dems will follow and track their every move "for their own good". They'll bitch about how they can't eat what they want, but still hate Republicans because they believe the GOP doesn't want them to get laid

Posted by: kbdabear at November 12, 2012 09:19 AM (wwsoB)

230 Shoot out one tire of every vehicle driving to polling station. GOP takes 47 states.

Posted by: Lurking Canuck at November 12, 2012 09:19 AM (NF2Bf)

231 Honey Boo Boo (R)

Posted by: The Mega Independent at November 12, 2012 09:19 AM (6JMZR)

232 Suffering is underrated, and long overdue.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 09:19 AM (MmH0Z)

233 BTW

An average 1 email per minute from yet another Robo-Romney was really fucking annoying.

Knock that shit off.

Posted by: T.Hunter at November 12, 2012 09:19 AM (EZl54)

234 "207 And hey, SoCons - if you don't support gay marriage, don't marry a member of the same gender. Let it end there, and wow...amazing how much of the noise starts to abate. Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 01:09 PM" This election was day of the fisccon and it was a spectacular failure. I don't want attention-grabbers to redefine a word that has a great deal of meaning to me.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 09:19 AM (ytax8)

235 How about, succinctly: "We have no national stance on this important State issue. If you wish to change how your State defines marriage, we suggest you contact your State party officials."

Wow, a National party could say the same thing about abortion too. Hmmm...

Very good point Rob. I like it.

Posted by: eleven at November 12, 2012 09:19 AM (KXm42)

236 129 Agree partially. Forget the gay marriage issue--it is a travesty and a perversion of the language, but it is a loser. Say that every state should allow civil gay marriage and churched gay marriage by churches that wish to perform it after a state referendum, but formally indicate that it should not required of any church per the 1st Amendment.

The very real moral issues with abortion make it much harder to dismiss while retaining some principles. I think it might made a bounded issue by proposing that contraception/abortion is and will remain legal, but that states should determine via referendum that late term abortions are allowed only in cases of rape, incest and the health of the mother (I know I know), and that post birth abortions shall be considered murder.

It would be a nice benefit if the entire cost of any such procedure was considered to be a co-pay borne by the "user", but the FSA will never allow that.

As far as voter requirements, women should only when allowed to vote when they bring in hot scratch biscuits with bacon as ID.

Posted by: Hrothgar at November 12, 2012 09:19 AM (Cnqmv)

237 Been there. Done that. Got my ass handed to me. What's yer Plan B? Posted by: Hon. John Kasich at November 12, 2012 01:18 PM (u3N3z) Take off and nuke em from space

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:20 AM (79ueO)

238 222 147 Judd is an idiot. Went to undergrad with her. Complete fake. Like that wasn't evident. Posted by: NCKate

***

Weighing against that opinion, however, is the fact you could go on the internetz and see a fairly hot U.S. Senator stark nekkid.

Posted by: Guccione's ghost at November 12, 2012 09:20 AM (u3N3z)

239 actually the ChiComs have been skipping dept auctions. the feds been buying something like 70% of the bonds that have been issued.

Posted by: we are so screwed at November 12, 2012 09:20 AM (HEa5q)

240 okay, so we barely lost and most of the difference in votes between Obama and Romney can be attributed to voter fraud so we really didnt lose but the solution is obvious: Be Moar Like The Democrats!1!1 okay, Mensa members, great plan

Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 09:20 AM (b1TCv)

241 The Hardline Socons and the Nativists need to be purged from the GOP. The Republican Party should not be a home for intolerant scum.

Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 09:20 AM (TVbdM)

242 Seriously-
For every illegal immigrant deported, A government paid college scholarship to an African- American student who can show third generation roots in this country.

Posted by: bigben at November 12, 2012 09:20 AM (x759p)

243

#183 -- I had a coworker in 2004 who went to Ohio for GOTV the last 4 days before the election. She said they were going into diners, gun shops, shooting ranges, taverns, high school football games - not just knocking on doors and phoning people, but going where they know white conservatives hang out, especially older people - and actually talking to people and convincing them to go vote, getting their names and numbers, and then calling them on Election Day until they voted. These were the "surprise" voters that were not showing up in the polls and Democrats did not expect. My coworker said that in 4 days she personally found over 300 people who had not planned to vote but she convinced to go vote for Bush. And there were HUNDREDS of volunteers all over the state doing that.

THAT is what a real GOTV operation looks like. I don't think we did that kind of stuff this year.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 09:20 AM (aBlZ1)

244 @229:" years of indoctrination by the MSM and schools have permanently damaged the brand name"
--
This.

Look at the current Dem bumper sticker: "Not a Republican".

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:20 AM (ezVK/)

245 rockmom: Protip: Don't try to keep black people from voting, they really don't like that very much.

========================

Um.....what? WHO tried to keep black people from voting?

Posted by: Tami at November 12, 2012 09:21 AM (X6akg)

246 Spend the next three years on GOTV infrastructure.
Embrace Bill Clinton's mantra that no attack can go unanswered.
An all-expenses-paid weekend for me and Kate Upton.*

*It's a wish-list....right?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 12, 2012 09:21 AM (GsoHv)

247 Repeal the 19th Amendment (women's suffrage)

Posted by: ducking and running for cover at November 12, 2012 09:21 AM (A+/8k)

248 No hill dying, because you know.

Posted by: The Mega Independent at November 12, 2012 09:21 AM (6JMZR)

249 @ 240 soothsayer

Keep deluding yourself with the voter fraud excuse. The GOP as configured can't win. We need to adapt to the 21st Century.

Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 09:21 AM (TVbdM)

250 The culture always wants something new. GOP brand is dead. Even the name has 'old' in it. Anything we wrap in it is doomed. It's time for a new brand name that doesn't have stink on it.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 09:22 AM (MmH0Z)

251 When all of your donations are going to boob jobs and stompy boots, I would like to note that I do, in fact, take donations for stompy boots. The Rack is doing just fine on its own. I mentioned the Epic Whining of Epicness right? Right. So. Someone explain to me why it is that when I feel like shit I want to eat everything ever? I mean more so. It's not like I can really taste anything. I may have to stop at Mommy's on the way home for Momminess. Momminess makes everything better. Also I can con her out of cookies.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 09:22 AM (VtjlW)

252 "Republican" is the monster under the bed, the new bogeyman.

It used to mean "Abe Lincoln and the end of slavery".

That's how far down the road we are with newspeak.

Posted by: T.Hunter at November 12, 2012 09:22 AM (EZl54)

253 serious response/

My idea is to be evangelists for conservative government. For example, to make big inroads to the African-American community, arrange meetings between black church leaders and very articulate and persuasive GOP representatives. Just groups of four people meeting over lunch. Convince these black church leaders that conservative policies will lead to a more prosperous future for their church attendees, the wider community and the nation as a whole. This can't be one-off encounters, but you'd have to have extremely dedicated conservatives that could meet with these same church leaders periodically over a four year period, like once every 3 months. From those meetings other opportunities would open up, like being invited in turn to speak in front of their congregations.

Posted by: Serious Cat at November 12, 2012 09:22 AM (UypUQ)

254 Oh yeah-find politicians who actually are conservative and have the passion and skills to bring the fight to the media. They are the enemy not the Dems. I would just quit if I thought the nation was choosing Pelosi, Reid and Obama. They were not. They were choosing Jon Stewart, Colbert and the View. We have to expose the cool for what it is-a veneer.

Posted by: Locus Ceruleus at November 12, 2012 09:22 AM (MsOp2)

255 Didn't we try that with slavery once? Refresh my memory, how did that work out?

1) No, not really. We called it a "States' Rights" issue, but somehow it wasn't enough to let States make that choice, we had to force it on some.

2) At least Slavery was mentioned directly in the Constitution. (A specific prohibition against Congress making any law regarding the importation of slaves until after a certain date, IIRC).

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at November 12, 2012 09:22 AM (8y9MW)

256 Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:20 PM (TVbdM)

How's that rectal fissure healing now that you have stopping going to the glory-hole for a few days?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 12, 2012 09:22 AM (GsoHv)

257 More sex

Posted by: Jack Squat Bupkis at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (F3nFt)

258 I have known plenty of blacks, hispanics, asians, and white youths who don't like each other

But they all hate Republicans

Posted by: kbdabear at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (wwsoB)

259 Scrap the primaries. Nominate the last American Idol winner.

Posted by: Andy at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (/Wy5S)

260 How Would You Fix the Republican Party? Throwing the Weeping Boner out on his ass and then tarring and feathering him. It won't fix the GOP, but it's a start, and a necessary start at that.

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (X3lox)

261 Voting can only be peformed using a keyboard and mouse.

A live, furry mouse.

Posted by: Tex Lovera at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (wtvvX)

262 The only thing left to do is wait and prepare. Support alternative systems that compete with the State. Break free of the State in every way that you can. Do everything in your power and within the law to hasten federal, state, and local insolvency.

Posted by: runninrebel at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (J4gw3)

263 Um.....what? WHO tried to keep black people from voting?

Posted by: Tami at November 12, 2012 01:21 PM (X6akg)

Well, the MSM told me that Republicans and Romney were engaged full time in black voter suppression!

Posted by: Hrothgar at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (Cnqmv)

264 Repeal the 19th Amendment (women's suffrage) Posted by: ducking and running for cover at November 12, 2012 01:21 PM (A+/8k) Hang in there, as soon us our muslim overlords take over that will be taken care of and i am sure all them liberal bra burning broads will be ok with that, right?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (79ueO)

265 I say that we propose to annex the Sudentenland.

Posted by: Damn Sockpuppet channeling Monty Python at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (YmPwQ)

266 hector, we are never going to win by being a less socialist democrat either. People will just vote for the democrat. whats your plan

Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (Dnbau)

267 Fix the voting irregularities.

click link

Posted by: laceyunderalls at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (pLTLS)

268 Advocate true sexual equality. Hollywood celebs and porn starlets would be required by law to do the nasty with ugly people. Granted, the waiting list might be long, but if you know the right Republican pols and reliably show up to vote for the GOP, maybe we can do you some favors, wink wink.

Posted by: Emperor of Icecream at November 12, 2012 09:23 AM (ZMzpb)

269 We don't have to change a goddam thing and we'll do very well in the '14 midterms. All we have to do is get our shit together, focus, and work hard. You'll all come around to what I'm saying in a few months.

Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (b1TCv)

270

Nothing says tolerance like purging those who disagree with my disingenuous smearing of their positions!

Posted by: Hectora at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (ggRof)

271

For you anti-socons out there that keep jabbering about the repubs can't be successful if we legislate morality need to sit down and actually think about what you're saying.

The democrats have been very successful legislating morality.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (00XQo)

272 The Rack is doing just fine on its own.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 01:22 PM (VtjlW)

Says you.

We need more proof than just your word.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (GsoHv)

273

156 Have all paid Republican party staff (including consultants) stand in line. Beat every tenth one to death while the others watch.

Finally, a useful, practical suggestion that can be easily completed.

Posted by: jwest at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (ZDsRL)

274 No ID for voting. If you show up, you get to vote. You can even make-believe and be one or two or twenty of your neighbors.

Posted by: RWC at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (fWAjv)

275 @ 250 hannitys_hybrid

The Republican Party needs a name change and new platform. We should be geared towards small business and the Middle Class. Screw Wall Street and the Rich. They vote Dem anyway.

Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (TVbdM)

276 after the ChiComs skip a few debt auctions in a row and inflation goes
over ten percent, deliver the biggest shit eating "Fuck off. We warned
you" in history.

More elaborate than 'Let it Burn!", but I can get behind this.

Posted by: fluffy at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (z9HTb)

277 how do we change the demographics to our advantage? Why do the dems always get to play that game? Can we somehow create more voters that favorus demographically? Maybe encourage white emigration to the US? From eastern Europe? Those people want to shake the yoke of marxism and statism? Have them come here -- they will be dependable voters. Now, how we do that, I have no clue.

Posted by: chris at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (qD/o+)

278 250 The culture always wants something new. GOP brand is dead. Even the name has 'old' in it. Anything we wrap in it is doomed. It's time for a new brand name that doesn't have stink on it. Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 01:22 PM (MmH0Z) Yep, there was a reason ford changed the name of the Escort to the Focus. Sometimes a fresh handle is a good thing.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet, Wonders what Dagny thinks at November 12, 2012 09:24 AM (3Y7RV)

279 "I think we have to face the fact that the brand name is damaged forever and there's a subconscious revulsion to the very word "Republican"" That's because idiots on the right do not know how to fight the language war. They keep calling the left liberal when they are not liberal. Brand the Democrats as what they are: fascists, commies, and lefties. They are the party of slavery. The GOP brand is mud only because the right is too stupid to play word and culture games to convert or discourage the folks on the sidelines.

Posted by: The Pitt at November 12, 2012 09:25 AM (9bWs4)

280 238 That would only work with a bag placed over her head.

Posted by: NCKate at November 12, 2012 09:25 AM (MsQkt)

281 Nominate a war hero that likes to cross the aisle, and grab the reasonable male moderate vote. Then he can choose a woman for Veep to snag the female vote.

Posted by: The Mega Independent at November 12, 2012 09:25 AM (6JMZR)

282 Look, Mitt Romney is a fine man. But there was no way he was going to fix what needed to get fixed completely. Not possible. He could patch us together a bit more. And yeah, I really wanted him to win...mainly to clean house.

HERE IS THE THING

We now have 29 states controlled by Republicans.

We need 30 to pass an amendment.

It's time to play long ball. Limit federal power.

- define 'regulate' as a meaningful limit to the commerce clause
- abolish personal income tax, keep corporate
- end popular election of Senators

Wipe away there tears, there is work to be done.

Posted by: CT moron (the other one) at November 12, 2012 09:25 AM (qxcKC)

283 #217 You are right about that. The Democrats ran a stealth scare campaign in the Cuban community and it apparently worked. They dug up some obscure bill Paul Ryan voted for and beat them over the head with it on Spanish radio. Romney/Ryan never did an event aimed at the Cuban community, which all previous GOP nominees have done on Florida. That was a major fuckup.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 09:25 AM (aBlZ1)

284 I'm with Matt Foley. Let the states decide as much as possible. Send the hot button issues to the states, and do it whole hog. The ones we don't like -- pot, gay marriage -- and the ones we do, abortion bans, etc. Make that the deal. "Elect us, blue states, and we'll let your state be as blue as you want to be -- but our states will be red, red, red." We'll still win the same states at the local level, and add to our national offices (which is where we have problems.)

Posted by: Phelps at November 12, 2012 09:26 AM (aO4H/)

285 "he Hardline Socons and the Nativists need to be purged from the GOP. The Republican Party should not be a home for intolerant scum. Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:20 PM " this isn't the democratunderground -- go back to your browser and turn hard left

Posted by: Nora at November 12, 2012 09:26 AM (RGgMp)

286 Go to knowyourmeme.com and look up "college liberal" and see the subentries for "college republican". This is the image we need to combat. STAT!

[Yes, they're both intended as parodies. But the difference is that the culture accepts the liberal parody as a parody, whereas it pushes the republican/conservative parody as the truth]

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:26 AM (ezVK/)

287

Christ Almighty. Who just shit in the thread?

Oh. Hi Hector.

Posted by: Jaws at November 12, 2012 09:26 AM (4I3Uo)

288 233 BTW

An average 1 email per minute from yet another Robo-Romney was really fucking annoying.

Knock that shit off.
Posted by: T.Hunter at November 12, 2012 01:19 PM

+1,000

The Dems bombarded us with TV commercials, which people hear because they're not going to turn off the tube

The GOP bombarded us with mailers, which usually get tossed unread, and those fucking robo calls which really annoy people, especially seniors

Posted by: kbdabear at November 12, 2012 09:26 AM (wwsoB)

289 No ID for voting. If you show up, you get to vote. You can even make-believe and be one or two or twenty of your neighbors.

Posted by: RWC at November 12, 2012 01:24 PM (fWAjv)

Vote until you get tired!

Posted by: Hrothgar at November 12, 2012 09:26 AM (Cnqmv)

290 The Hardline Socons and the Nativists need to be purged from the GOP. The Republican Party should not be a home for intolerant scum.

Those so-called "Hardline" SoCons are not at all against homosexual couples, they just believe that Marriage represents more than some mutual commitment (we call those "contracts") and deserves the protection of society.

Of the two groups, the one that seems to be "intolerant scum" are the people who want the SoCons "purged."

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at November 12, 2012 09:26 AM (8y9MW)

291 Votes cast on the Top Shot nominating range. Automatic disqualification for holding the pistol sideways.

Posted by: Andy at November 12, 2012 09:26 AM (/Wy5S)

292 of course we really won this election, you numbskull the Democrats stole VA, stole OH, and stole FL,

Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 09:27 AM (b1TCv)

293 Says you. We need more proof than just your word. Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 12, 2012 01:24 PM (GsoHv) You really really really want to get mad at the Romney campaign? I was serious about the camwhoring if Romney won. The emdippening would have been posted.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 09:27 AM (VtjlW)

294 @ 267 Thunderb

Nowhere did I advocate Socialism. The GOP needs to reform and become more appealing. Right now the GOP is viewed as evil. When people like Santorum, Bachmann, Akin and Coulter are the face of the party, it created a negative image.

Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 09:27 AM (TVbdM)

295 Here's how we win back the single female vote: Free veterinary care for households with 4 cats or more.

Posted by: Pyro Pete at November 12, 2012 09:27 AM (AzwZn)

296 Vote until you get tired! Posted by: Hrothgar at November 12, 2012 01:26 PM (Cnqmv) RedBull gives you wings!

Posted by: RWC at November 12, 2012 09:28 AM (fWAjv)

297 271 For you anti-socons out there that keep jabbering about the repubs can't be successful if we legislate morality need to sit down and actually think about what you're saying.

The democrats have been very successful legislating morality.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 01:24 PM (00XQo)

They also have a pretty narrow definition of "morality."

Posted by: Grey Fox at November 12, 2012 09:28 AM (aJahi)

298 The only thing left to do is wait and prepare. Support alternative systems that compete with the State. Break free of the State in every way that you can. Do everything in your power and within the law to hasten federal, state, and local insolvency.

Posted by: runninrebel at November 12, 2012 01:23 PM (J4gw3)

----------------------------------------

Speak for your own state when you advocate insolvency. OK is doing quite well. Why don't you visit a few red states and see how it's done.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 09:28 AM (00XQo)

299 hector, with your pro class warfare talk, pro ethnicity division talk, proposal for a tax (albeit on the entertainment industry) to buy votes (of women I guess), you sound just like a prog

Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 09:28 AM (Dnbau)

300

You can't "fix" people's minds.

The future has already been sold to pay for the present, which makes the young economic slaves to the older. The future is already increasingly incapable of paying for the present.

It's a good time to be old, and a bad time to be middle-aged or young.

Posted by: Meremortal at November 12, 2012 09:28 AM (1Y+hH)

301 Have TLC run a Here Comes Honey Boo Boo marathon on election day to keep the truly stupid from leaving the house. Make every voter pass a Constitution Quiz before being allowed to vote. How about checking their damn IDs?

Posted by: Rick at November 12, 2012 09:28 AM (1Cy8E)

302 272 The Rack is doing just fine on its own.
Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 01:22 PM (VtjlW)
Says you.
We need more proof than just your word.
--
I'll see that, and raise you a weeping Boehner, IYKWIMAITYD.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:29 AM (ezVK/)

303 Disqualify anyone who accepted more than $1000 in federal welfare benefits in the previous year from voting due to a conflict of interest. Problem solved.

Posted by: @DiscardedVirtues at November 12, 2012 09:29 AM (fKq4H)

304 @ 241 >>> http://tiny.cc/3xaonw

Posted by: xxx at November 12, 2012 09:29 AM (PEwU1)

305 Whistling past the graveyard, this is. No doubt their is much that ails the Republican party, and I don't blame anyone for abandoning it at this point considering the way they have abandoned us.

But the cold hard truth is the electorate is fucked. We're past they tipping point, they want their free stuff, they vote for cool over self-government, they want candy even though they need to eat their vegetables.

You can throw an lot of criticisms at the Romney campaign and at the Republican party in general - and valid ones at that - but the fact remains, if the specter of Obamacare and another four years of a president who is an epic failure beyond anything imaginable isn't enough to get the electorate motivated to fire the incumbent and try somebody new, then there is no hope. We're fucked.

Posted by: thirteen28 at November 12, 2012 09:30 AM (AbmsP)

306 #183-- I had a coworker in 2004 who went to Ohio for GOTV the last 4 days before the election. She said they were going into diners, gun shops, shooting ranges, taverns, high school football games- not just knocking on doors and phoning people, but going where they know white conservatives hang out, especially older people- and actually talking to people and convincing them to go vote, getting their names and numbers, and then calling them on Election Day until they voted. These were the "surprise" voters that were not showing up in the polls and Democrats did not expect. Mycoworker said that in 4 days she personally found over 300 people who had not planned to vote but she convinced to go vote for Bush. And there were HUNDREDS of volunteers all over the state doing that.

THAT is what a real GOTV operation looks like. I don't think we did that kind of stuff this year.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 01:20 PM (aBlZ1)Wow, that 300 number is impressive. Given the ratio of dollars to votes the GOP spent this election, that comes out to...

$1b / 60million votes = $16.66

300 gotv newbies * $16.66 = $5,000

So, one volunteer spending a half-week in smart, well researched GOTV efforts for Bush-2004, netted $5,000 worth of Romny-2012 votes. (Unfair math comparisons, but still..)

Posted by: Serious Cat at November 12, 2012 09:30 AM (UypUQ)

307 Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 01:27 PM (VtjlW)

I just spent a fuck of a lot of money on new tires and a new battery (try finding where the battery is on a Buick Enclave), and I was in a foul mood.

Thanks for making it worse.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 12, 2012 09:30 AM (GsoHv)

308 #263 The Ohio GOP tried to suppress the black vote, in a variety of ways. It was stupid and hamhanded. Not just voter ID, but also screwing around with the early voting dates and polling places in the cities. In retrospect all the voter ID efforts were stupid, all they did was give the NAACP ammunition to use against us to scare black voters.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 09:30 AM (aBlZ1)

309 The Republican Party needs to purge all those I perceive as undesirable elements, just like my Chetnik grandfather helped the Nazis do.

Posted by: Hector of Troll aka The Ignorantdumbfuck at November 12, 2012 09:30 AM (XMaKL)

310 Nominate a war hero that likes to cross the aisle, and grab the reasonable male moderate vote. Then he can choose a woman for Veep to snag the female vote.

Posted by: The Mega Independent at November 12, 2012 01:25 PM (6JMZR)

Reporting for duty!

Posted by: Petraeus/Broadwell '16 at November 12, 2012 09:31 AM (A+/8k)

311

2 lessons:

1. Negative campaigning works. Stop the civility and nice-guy rountine.

2. You lose the culture-wars if you dont fight them! After they won us the presidency in 2004, people somehow concluded that a candidate who identifies as social conservative is a negative and our campaign was tiptoeing around to avoid what a huge chunk of our people actually believe. Add to this that we discussed social security and Benghazi only halfassed (point 1!) and we basicly ended up with a single issue campaign on the economy, which we lost despite the dismal state of the economy.

Be confident. Run on all three legs of the conservative stool and treat Democrats like the scum they are and we will win elections again.

Posted by: Elize Nayden at November 12, 2012 09:31 AM (IMxlS)

312 Fixing the GOP is a matter of messaging in a Breitbart-ian vein. I'm reminded of the old story of how Superman defeated the KKK--turning its rites and mystery into a laughing stock. And, for all the hipness the Dems are supposed to posses, they are really, really humorless and can't stand being laughed at. It's time to push back against their irrationality and va-jay-jay obsession in a mocking way. We've been adults (which I really prefer for the Head of State) but the mainline GOPers should loosen the tie and roll up the sleeves and when VP Biden malarkeys it up during the debates, he should be asked if he's drunk or having a stroke event.

http://arcana.wikidot.com/how-superman-defeated-the-ku-klux-klan

Posted by: Beanerschnitzel at November 12, 2012 09:31 AM (8d63Z)

313 The American Socialist Superstate is in a death spiral, however. America is lost in this sorry nation. Whether the GOP is fixed, or not, is of little consequence. Either the American ideal is restarted or it will remain dead and conservatives will be forced to live as strangers in a strange land, as there is no nation on Earth that operates according to the precepts and ideas of American Conservativism.

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at November 12, 2012 09:31 AM (X3lox)

314 ut with Odonnel, buck , Akin and MoreDick the Tea Party loses credibility and fulfills the MSM narrative.

CO was the only one of those endorsed by the Tea Party. Akin was Democrat funded candidate in a 3 way race with no runoff.

Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 09:31 AM (YdQQY)

315 I am 64. I have NO idea how to appeal to younger voters, and freely admit it.

Pictures and numbers help with some; it did with my daughter. But she knew I don't lie to her, which is not something we have going for us with the general public.

My general recommendation is to give Newt some money to run classes on how to make the media look stupid. Also we need to somehow get a stealth investor to buy one of the networks.

That's all I have. I am leaving it to you younger people.

Posted by: Miss Marple at November 12, 2012 09:31 AM (GoIUi)

316 I don't see why so many on the right are so willing to die in the last ditch over preventing tax increases.

There are many, many more important issues to fight.

Preventing new forms of taxation should be the first.

Carbon/energy taxes, VATs, etc.- just establishing the principle in law guarantees you'll never get rid of it. Once you have a $6/ton carbon tax it'll be $30/ton in a decade, once you have a 4% VAT it'll be 22% in twenty years just like it is everywhere else.   These things cannot be permitted even to get their nose under the tent flap.

Let them fiddle tax rates, let them have their millionaires' tax, but no new forms of taxation, and no 'grand bargains' while this bunch is in control. We need a budget but we need to keep it within the framework of the current tax structure.

And eventually we're going to have to address the immigration mess. 'Throw them out' isn't really an option but we can't have any more of these supposed 'compromises' that just leave the door wide open.   I don't think this one is hurting the GOP as badly as some of the agitators would argue, but it needs to be taken off the table.

Obama's position on welfare and expansion of benefits is a loser, and while there'd undoubtedly be a whole lot of 'RACISTRACISTRACIST' pot-banging in the end you've got to mobilize the suburbs against the cities.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 09:31 AM (o+SC1)

317 But the cold hard truth is the electorate is fucked. We're past they tipping point, they want their free stuff Yes that is partially true, but like everything else, sooner or later the free stuff runs out.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:32 AM (79ueO)

318 Wel-fairness. Did you know that the top 1% of entitlement recipients recieve far more than the average middle class family? Its time those recipients pay their fair share. Reduce Medicare, foodstamps, jobtraining, Obamaphone, etc., etc., etc., until we have a more just distribution of benefits.

Posted by: Emperor of Icecream at November 12, 2012 09:32 AM (ZMzpb)

319 @277

The Immigration act of '65 changed the makeup of who would be allowed to immigrate to the US.

It moved away from a European bias to a 3rd world bias.

It would take an act of congress to change this.

It's not going to happen.

Posted by: General Woundwort at November 12, 2012 09:32 AM (06lNq)

320 My ancestors gave up everything and moved to a place where Freedom rang when their country got too far gone. Where will Freedom ring in the 21st Century?

Posted by: MostlyRight at November 12, 2012 09:32 AM (ZG8Ti)

321 Whistling past the graveyard, this is. No doubt their is much that ails the Republican party, and I don't blame anyone for abandoning it at this point considering the way they have abandoned us. But the cold hard truth is the electorate is fucked. We're past they tipping point, they want their free stuff, they vote for cool over self-government, they want candy even though they need to eat their vegetables. You can throw an lot of criticisms at the Romney campaign and at the Republican party in general - and valid ones at that - but the fact remains, if the specter of Obamacare and another four years of a president who is an epic failure beyond anything imaginable isn't enough to get the electorate motivated to fire the incumbent and try somebody new, then there is no hope. We're fucked. Posted by: thirteen28 at November 12, 2012 01:30 PM (AbmsP) I have to agree. If the past four years did not provide enough motivation for the alleged 3 million "phantom" pub voters to show up, I doubt a GOTV volunteer would

Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 09:32 AM (Dnbau)

322 The democrats have been very successful legislating morality. Posted by: Soona

They changed the culture first.

The only way you legislate anything is to get a majority that already agrees with it.

No majority, no law.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at November 12, 2012 09:32 AM (SX6wc)

323 Other ways to decrease female voter losses: Put dead mouses next to voting booths. Two lines at polling spots--line to vote, and line for free chocolate. Voters get to pick one.

Posted by: A. at November 12, 2012 09:32 AM (EQ05H)

324 I am Libertarian, not a Leftist. Posted by: Hector the Toy aka The Truther at November 12, 2012 01:30 PM (6Lik1) You're an idiot.

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at November 12, 2012 09:33 AM (X3lox)

325 I can tell you what NOT to do:

Don't embrace immigration reform.

Don't raise taxes.

Don't raise spending.

Don't play by their rules.

Don't engage in debates with MSM moderators.

Don't blow off your GOTV efforts.

Don't nominate RINOs.

There's a start...

Posted by: Tex Lovera at November 12, 2012 09:33 AM (wtvvX)

326 Where will Freedom ring in the 21st Century? Posted by: MostlyRight at November 12, 2012 01:32 PM (ZG8Ti) Depends on your definition of Freedom I am sorry to say

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:33 AM (79ueO)

327 283 #217 You are right about that. The Democrats ran a stealth scare campaign in the Cuban community and it apparently worked.
--
No, no, no. It's school indoctrination of the younger generation. There's no fucking way older Cubans voted for Casto-loving Obama unless they were already Democrats for a long time before 2012. It's the younger generation that's turned because it's uncool to believe your parents' and grandparents' stories about how awful statist policies really are. They've grown up in America and have no clue how Castro raped that country; all they're told is, well...Cuba has free health care! (which is bullshit. I know doctors who escaped from there in the 80's and 90's, and it's a shithole where no one gets what they need. Sad and pathetic. But the liberals eat it up...because they CARE!)

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:33 AM (ezVK/)

328 Give up entirely. Wave the white flag of surrender, and just lay down and wait for inevitable death. Because that will teach them!

Posted by: Sticky Wicket at November 12, 2012 09:33 AM (L7hol)

329 change abandon gjve up start a new party all brilliant ideas except for one thing: the Republicans only barely lost because they didnt cheat but fuckitall anyway burn it down!!!1!

Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 09:33 AM (b1TCv)

330 If the Republican party is dying, as even so-called "conservative" pundits are saying, put it out of its misery

Politics like nature abhors a vacuum. People have been conditioned for so long that republican = evil and stupid, that once the brand name is defunct, the Alinsky media complex is punching at thin air

Small government advocate need a reboot and a new name

Posted by: kbdabear at November 12, 2012 09:33 AM (wwsoB)

331 Those so-called "Hardline" SoCons are not at all against homosexual couples, they just believe that Marriage represents more than some mutual commitment (we call those "contracts") and deserves the protection of society. Of the two groups, the one that seems to be "intolerant scum" are the people who want the SoCons "purged." I think we need some kind of accepted definiation of SoCon. There's a world of difference between those who believe that homosexuals should be imprisoned and those who believe that gay marriage should not be enforced by the courts. Likewise, there's a world of difference between those who believe that a single woman who gets pregnant should be forced to carry the child to term and then forced to give her child up for adoption and those who are against abortion with possible exceptions for rape and incest. Honestly, I don't have a problem with the SoCons, I have enormous issues with the Huckabee wing who actually believes in big government but wants to steal the mantle of social conservatism to claim that they are the One True Conservatives. Big government is still big government, even if you think Jesus is telling you to do it.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 09:34 AM (VtjlW)

332 Voter ID laws.
Poll Taxes or Tests.

Call mooching out.

Posted by: Iblis at November 12, 2012 09:34 AM (9221z)

333 Bringing this up from another thread...But think it is important!

Organize and Vote EVERYDAY with your Money

The reason we Conservatives get defeated is; we never organize ourselves to do anything of substance...

Yea we protests with the Tea Party, but then just stand around and get defined by Oblamo and crew...

This is an Asymetrical task ... You cannot defeat the ideals in an "All in one Approach"...

You have to make the other side respect your ideal...or in other words give them undesirable CONSEQUENCES...

I vote with my Dollars EVERYDAY...

Why do Conservatives continue to buy UAW products when we know it is a money laundering scheme for the DNC?

Posted by: Chicken ala King at November 12, 2012 09:34 AM (VvvBE)

334 Get with the dialectic, Comrade.

Let it Burn.

Posted by: Comrade Trainer at November 12, 2012 09:34 AM (QbdUW)

335 Just a reminder, John E interview coming up soon on kuik. Link in previous post.

Posted by: Jay in Ames at November 12, 2012 09:34 AM (i2Lsf)

336

Junk the presidential primaries for 2016. Instead, during the 2014 midterms, have people vote for 2 delegates per state. This group of 100 (hopefully, all mega-donors) would pick the candidate in total secrecy.

During the 2016 election cycle, only brand building ads would be played, along with issue-stealing commercials designed to take the advantage away from democrats on their prime areas. The candidate wouldn't be revealed until the last day of the convention, about 45 days prior to the election.

A massive organized and preplanned campaign would be unleashed, with so much force and focus democrats wouldn't be able to get a word in edgewise.

Done deal.

Posted by: jwest at November 12, 2012 09:34 AM (ZDsRL)

337 @277

Oh yeah forgot to mention that law was written by Ted Kennedy and was written with the express purpose for changing the demographics of the U.S.

Yes the Dems knew what they were doing when they pushed this the Republicans once again sowed the seeds of our destruction wittingly or unwittingly.

The Democrats play the long game the Republicans don't have a clue.

Posted by: General Woundwort at November 12, 2012 09:35 AM (06lNq)

338 When is show gets stale, you add new characters. Poochie for Congress.

Posted by: DCPensFan at November 12, 2012 09:35 AM (ma/2m)

339 Another way to decrease female voter gap: every voter required to take a bag of trash out.

Posted by: A. at November 12, 2012 09:35 AM (EQ05H)

340

Nothing says "lying scumbag" like referring to oneself as "truthteller".

Posted by: Hectora at November 12, 2012 09:35 AM (ggRof)

341 No welfare recipient should be allowed to receive more than 80% of the poverty rate in total state plus federal benefit value. They can hustle charities and sell shit and services on Craigslist for the rest.

Posted by: MostlyRight at November 12, 2012 09:35 AM (ZG8Ti)

342 Serious answer, any politician who runs for President in 2016 is likely going to raise nearly one billion dollars, like Romney/Ryan. How to spend that money is going to be critical as the failed OCRA (or whatever acronym it was) software showed.

Using technology to be 'hip' and on social media, using email, is one thing. But if you don't understand the concept of 'mission critical' software then I hope you don't even raise one hundred dollars.

Your volunteers can then use paper printouts of voter lists and mark then off with a .59 sharpie pen -- like the precincts in West Philly who turned out 99% of the vote.

Posted by: Schrödinger's cat [/i] at November 12, 2012 09:35 AM (feFL6)

343 Speaking of Huckabee...

He is the only one in short history that Conservatives organized and Rallied for a cause...

It was powerful and it had an affect!!

Posted by: Chicken ala King at November 12, 2012 09:36 AM (VvvBE)

344 Xenophon. Anabasis

Posted by: Yenober at November 12, 2012 09:36 AM (6bVkc)

345 I mean, let's say the GOP wins huge in 2014 and 2016. What are they going to do?

We're on a set path. The Progressive State is ending because it is an outdated model being dragged along by inertia. It can't be reformed any better than the Soviet Model could be reformed. It will have to crash.

Voting in this system, and voting for the GOP in particular, would only be worthwhile if the GOP aimed to help crash the State, or if voting somehow helped bring it down. But the GOP won't do that, and I refuse for vote for progs even if it helped bring down the State.

So, serious questions: What's the point of continuing to operate within this system? Why not focus our energy and resources on supporting it's replacement?

Posted by: runninrebel at November 12, 2012 09:36 AM (J4gw3)

346 Can we haz comment registration please? Then we won't have to read erg and Hector and ...

Posted by: Lemmenkainen at November 12, 2012 09:36 AM (ZWvOb)

347 But the cold hard truth is the electorate is fucked. We're past they tipping point, they want their free stuff

Yes that is partially true, but like everything else, sooner or later the free stuff runs out.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 01:32 PM (79ueO)

Barry: Have you seen our printing presses?

Posted by: TheQuietMan at November 12, 2012 09:37 AM (1Jaio)

348 They changed the culture first. The only way you legislate anything is to get a majority that already agrees with it. No majority, no law. Posted by: weft cut-loop at November 12, 2012 01:32 PM (SX6wc) Bullshit. They went around the law and forced things on people through the courts. Many people finally gave up resistance to endless pushes against them and endless demonization of them. This was only allowed to occur because few bothered to try and stop these leftists, so many people saw the future they faced and gave up.

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at November 12, 2012 09:37 AM (X3lox)

349 I'll say it again:

407,000 in 4 states. NOT "let it burn" numbers.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:37 AM (ezVK/)

350 You can throw an lot of criticisms at the Romney campaign and at the Republican party in general - and valid ones at that - but the fact remains, if the specter of Obamacare and another four years of a president who is an epic failure beyond anything imaginable isn't enough to get the electorate motivated to fire the incumbent and try somebody new, then there is no hope. We're fucked.

Posted by: thirteen28 at November 12, 2012 01:30 PM (AbmsP)

-------------------------------------------------

This country is irreconcilably divided. Until we come to grips with this reality, nothing will be salvagable.

For those states with repub governors and legisatures, start writing and calling in and encourage them to either resist DC or separate. There's really no other way of saving what's left of our Constitution.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 09:37 AM (00XQo)

351 Fellows, you are going to have to amend the Constitution if you ever want a Republican (or a conservative, whatever the label) to ever again be President.

California, New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota are automatically spotted to the Dems. That's 60% of what the Dems need to win. Every election.

Name the two team contest, in any field, where one side spots the other side 60 percent of what is needed to win and has any real chance of success? Most any Sunday duffer could beat Tiger Woods if Tiger had to spot him 40 shots.

And it's only going to get worse. By 2020 at the outside, Texas will very much be in play. When that happens, it's game over for the GOP in any form recognizable today.

Posted by: J. Madison at November 12, 2012 09:37 AM (u3N3z)

352 Many of your beloved European Immigrants voted Democratic before 1965. Stop whining with your Nazi racial crap. Your time is up in the GOP. Go join the Nazi Party and get out of the Party of Lincoln. Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:34 PM (6Lik1) Ya know I don't care if you act like an asshole, because we all do sometimes, but if you do, at least be historically accurate. Before 1965 many in the Republican Party were Isolationists and that did not appeal to Eastern Europeans who want us to confront Communism, so they preferred the democratic party. And that Democratic Party is NOT the democrats of today.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:37 AM (79ueO)

353 " Likewise, there's a world of difference between those who believe that a single woman who gets pregnant should be forced to carry the child to term and then forced to give her child up for adoption and those who are against abortion with possible exceptions for rape and incest. " Yeah, the rape and incest people hold an illogical position. If you believe life begins at conception, it's life. You can't just kill it.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 09:38 AM (pmDdf)

354 This might be a serious idea:

One year before each election/primary, send in Project Vertias to sting the GOP's presumed-candidates and see if he can get them to say really stupid-ass comments about legit rape/whatever/etc.

Any that can be 'encouraged' to speak their mind - and it's crazy talk - gets booted out asap.

Posted by: Tonic Dog at November 12, 2012 09:38 AM (X/+QT)

355 This group of 100 (hopefully, all mega-donors) would pick the candidate in total secrecy.
The candidate wouldn't be revealed until the last day of the convention, about 45 days prior to the election.
Posted by: jwest

Yeah, the Dem's wouldn't make hay out of that at all.

No siree, bob.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at November 12, 2012 09:38 AM (SX6wc)

356 "Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:30 PM " :::yawn::: LIEbratarians will violate the First Amendment, "free exercise of religion" so fast to appease leftists so don't lecture anyone about how you respect constitutional limits on the government - you would be first in line to fine Churches for not performing "gay marriages." Nativists? WTF? I just don't like line jumpers who think they get to decided which of our laws we should enforce.

Posted by: Nora at November 12, 2012 09:38 AM (RGgMp)

357 All the talking heads are spinning this election as "Social Con FAIL", and saying we should drop the social con positions to get more votes. But this is insane. You'd lose all of the meager minority support and over half the base and gain a few hundred thousand Paulbots. If the goal is simply to get more votes, it would make much more sense to drop the fiscally conservative planks of the party platform. Support raising taxes and more entitlement spending and give a strong defense of marriage and the unborn. You'd lose some of the base, but steal millions of minority votes. Every one of those stolen votes would reduce the Democrat voter totals by the same number, doubling the actual impact of the swing. So, to the libertarians I say don't hope the GOP does what is most expedient to win elections. You might get what you asked for.

Posted by: Mozam at November 12, 2012 09:38 AM (A5oSi)

358 Free. Legal. Weed. And. Buttsecks.

no homo.

Posted by: Hectard of the Spermicidal Trojans at November 12, 2012 09:38 AM (EZl54)

359 @333:"
Honestly, I don't have a problem with the SoCons, I have enormous issues with the Huckabee wing who actually believes in big government but wants to steal the mantle of social conservatism to claim that they are the One True Conservatives."
--
I'll take opinions like this over camwhoring any day.

(Although the camwhoring would still be nice...)

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:38 AM (ezVK/)

360 There are three things.

If we had done any one of these three things this cycle just passed, we almost certainly would have won the election. If we had done two of them, we would have definitely won. If we had done all three, we would have won overwhelmingly.

(1) Muzzle the socon wing. It's okay to have pro-life candidates run on our tickets. It's not okay to have them blurting out extemporaneous statements about abortion that come across to swing voters, and some base voters, as utterly lunatic. (Mourdock just sounded loony. Akin WAS loony.) They have to be vetted and drilled in advance about what is and is not an acceptable thing to say.

(2) Don't run any more goddamn super-rich people who say things like, "NASCAR? Why, some of my best friends own NASCAR teams.". Class envy and class distrust have become very real things in America. That sucks, but it's reality. Romney got sandbagged with working-class whites in the Midwest because they thought the only thing they had in common with him was complexion. That commonality is enough for Democrats. It's not enough for our base.

(3) Put someone nonwhite and/or nonmale on the top ticket. Or both nonwhite and nonmale. I wanted Jindal or Martinez this year and didn't get either one. Now I am nailing my colors to the mast on Haley/Martinez for 2016. You want minorities and women prominently placed in our party? Got your stunning quadruple play right here.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 09:39 AM (ymG7s)

361 Inspired by the way the dems screech about minorities being disenfranchised by voter id laws: The RNC should hire teams of people to go out with a bus into minority neighborhoods and make appointments to take people to go get their IDs, with the RNC picking up the $10 cost. When the RNC workers encounter black, latino, etc citizens who have id and are understandably perplexed at these guys offering to help them obtain id, they should shrug and say "Yeah, we kind of figured you did. You have a job or get a check from somewhere, and you don't look stupid to me. But I dunno, the democrats seem to think you're too poor or too stupid or something, and they didn't seem too interested in helping you guys actually get ids even though they say you don't have one..." Really that's a just long-winded way of saying my actual goal. Remind people that Democrats only platform is that you, yes you, are too stupid to run your own life, so they will do it for you by your consent or by fraud. They don't care about you except to use you.

Posted by: Jenny Tries Too Hard at November 12, 2012 09:39 AM (IPG9V)

362 ---"Honestly, I don't have a problem with the SoCons, I have enormous issues with the Huckabee wing who actually believes in big government but wants to steal the mantle of social conservatism to claim that they are the One True Conservatives. Big government is still big government, even if you think Jesus is telling you to do it."----

This times eleventy.

Posted by: Beanerschnitzel at November 12, 2012 09:39 AM (8d63Z)

363 350 Can we haz comment registration please? Then we won't have to read erg and Hector and ...
Posted by: Lemmenkainen at November 12, 2012 01:36 PM

Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.

How are we going to argue with leftists on their turf if we can't argue with them on ours?

Posted by: kbdabear at November 12, 2012 09:39 AM (wwsoB)

364

Hector, may dogs and vultures devour your flesh.

Posted by: Achilles at November 12, 2012 09:40 AM (ggRof)

365 So is there any "honest debate" to be had here, or are we just going to make jokes. Apparently, giving up on the social agenda is the only serious point being made, and that is to dismiss any such idea out of hand. Why ? Someone tell me the next legitimately achievable goal in the fight against abortion. Seriously. I want to know what actual, legislative goal people that are pro-life think is achievable in their lifetime.

Posted by: deadrody at November 12, 2012 09:40 AM (DkAJe)

366 Rats at polling places. Trap them in sewers and collect them up until election day. Load them into vans. Pose as UN poll watchers and smuggle them in. Release them in liberal suburban areas and enjoy the show.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at November 12, 2012 09:40 AM (i0vBR)

367 407,000 in 4 states. NOT "let it burn" numbers.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 01:37 PM (ezVK/)

---------------------------------------------

That will change drastically after amnesty. And there will be amnesty. Baraka has more or less decreed it anyway. All it needs is the formality of a congressional vote. The way it's shaping up, it'll happen.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 09:41 AM (00XQo)

368 Can we haz comment registration please? Then we won't have to read erg and Hector
Posted by: Lemmenkainen

Firefox,
Greasemonkey,
and this
userscripts.org/scripts/show/142617

It works, but I do not vouch for anything beyond that.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at November 12, 2012 09:41 AM (SX6wc)

369
JeremiadBullfrog @ 354:

407,000 in 4 states. NOT "let it burn" numbers.

No, no. The media, and left have told us that as a party we're finished. Many here echo those sentiments. We need to accept the sweet, comforting embrace of death. No more battles, no more fights. No more elections, no more GOTV efforts.

The only winning move is to not play.

Posted by: Sticky Wicket at November 12, 2012 09:41 AM (L7hol)

370 @358:"If you believe life begins at conception, it's life. You can't just kill it."
--

Yes, but you don't have to talk further about your personal theological/biological theories about why God does or does not allow pregnancy and rape to happen. Stick to the issue. Be disciplined. Keep your mouth shut about all else.

If you want to testify/witness your faith publicly, be a preacher.

If you want to make a difference politically, shut your mouth and get elected.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:41 AM (ezVK/)

371 Hire Snooki as our GOP spokesperson and introduce longbows as our preferred weapon of choice during the Zombie Apocalypse.

Posted by: YaHump at November 12, 2012 09:41 AM (cenWS)

372 "Where will Freedom ring in the 21st Century? Posted by: MostlyRight at November 12, 2012 01:32 PM " Estonia, seriously, check out Estonia!

Posted by: Nora at November 12, 2012 09:41 AM (RGgMp)

373 It's done. Stick a fork in it. The attempt to unite SoCons and FisCons under a single tent was and remains doomed.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 12:54 PM (hNXHo)

No, it isn't. Why? Because common ground outweighs points of contention. And there's another reason, too: the reason why the Republican Party came into being in the first place was the unwillingness of the Whig Party to effectively oppose the expansion of slavery into new territories. Slavery was at once both an economic issue and a moral issue, aside being a complete and insoluable contradiction to the Constitution itself. Take abortion, for example, one of the big 'SoCon' issues many find too divisive and problematic. Currently, 42% of adult minority women in NYC have had at least one abortion, achieving an end-result more in line with the aims of the KKK than any movement that styles itself 'progressive'. Surely, an argument can be made that free abortions on demand are a bad thing. And what about physician-assisted euthanasia? That's a social issue. Last year in Great Britain, the British NHS more or less euthanized 140,000 elderly people by depriving them of food, water, and continued life support measures. That's coming our way, believe me, and if we don't speak out against it then we are essentially colluding with a great evil for the sake of political expendiency. Nobody likes a quisling.

I personally believe the GOP should stick to big ideas and first principles: economic freedom, individual self-determination, and limited government. For example, the sorry state of our economy is a symptom, not a cause. Further, we should call out the Democrats for what they are. Not once during the campaign did Mitt Romney even call Barack Obama a liberal, much less the stealth socialist weasel we all know him to be. Go on the attack. No more compromise. No more nice.

No more chasing the middle by moderating our message. Bring the middle to us by means of the strength of our ideas and arguments. When given the choice between Liberal and Liberal Lite, the typical voter will usually go with the less adulterated brand.

Posted by: troyriser at November 12, 2012 09:42 AM (vtiE6)

374 Get your hands off my vote you damn dirty RINO.

Posted by: Typical Obama Voter at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (j2McS)

375 ICYMI, this is a joke thread. Hector, I wish I could say it was nice knowing you, but buh-bye.

Posted by: Andy at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (/Wy5S)

376 For those states with repub governors and legisatures, start writing and calling in and encourage them to either resist DC or separate. There's really no other way of saving what's left of our Constitution.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 01:37 PM (00XQo)

---- This times a fucking million

Posted by: Velvet Ambition at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (R8hU8)

377 Steal their tactics end of story. It's not dirty if you win. It's completely stupid to play nice.

Posted by: james at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (1PqiV)

378 Votes will be cast at the shooting range from 40 yards. Republicans will be on the bottom half of the ballet. Missing the target entirely counts as not voting in a particular race. No scope.

Posted by: Dave at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (wmzCM)

379 "That's because idiots on the right do not know how to fight the language war. They keep calling the left liberal when they are not liberal."

We have conceded the higher education establishment & the entertainment industry. The problem is much deeper than "labels".
But more to the point, the majority of Americans now believe that they are "entitled" to the fruits of somebody else's labor.

There are lots of things the Republican party can do to improve the mechanics of getting elected but what do you about the fact that the majority of Americans now live according to principles that are out of step with traditional American values?

Let. It. Burn.

Posted by: RayJ at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (pI/IV)

380 Hector, I posted this above and you did not respond hector, with your pro class warfare talk, pro ethnicity division talk, proposal for a tax (albeit on the entertainment industry) to buy votes (of women I guess), you sound just like a prog Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 01:28 PM (Dnbau) tell me where I am wrong

Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (Dnbau)

381
Why ? Someone tell me the next legitimately achievable goal in the fight against abortion. Seriously. I want to know what actual, legislative goal people that are pro-life think is achievable in their lifetime.

Posted by: deadrody at November 12, 2012 01:40 PM (DkAJe)

How about adoption reform?

Posted by: Serious Cat at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (UypUQ)

382 The gloves are off with you Nativists bigots. Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:41 PM (6Lik1) ---------------------- Oh, can it already. I'm 2nd-gen Mexican-American and not down with across-the-board amnesty either. Am I a nativist bigot, too?

Posted by: Jenny Tries Too Hard at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (IPG9V)

383 http://tinyurl.com/cceovgx

"We have always had these dense urban corridors that are extremely Democratic," said Jonathan Rodden, a political science professor at Stanford University. "It's kind of an urban fact, and you are looking at the extreme end of it in Philadelphia."

Can a state politically kick a city out ?

Create an "urban island" surrounded by the state border?

Posted by: T. Hunter at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (EZl54)

384 "(1) Muzzle the socon wing. It's okay to have pro-life candidates run on our tickets. It's not okay to have them blurting out extemporaneous statements about abortion that come across to swing voters, and some base voters, as utterly lunatic. (Mourdock just sounded loony. Akin WAS loony.) They have to be vetted and drilled in advance about what is and is not an acceptable thing to say." Jesus Christ people. We muzzled SoCons in this election. We stayed away from social issues and focused on the economy. It failed. You guys are trying to - yet again - use an election to push your social liberal platform. Stop it. It's getting really fucking irritating, especially when all your prophecies didn't amount to jack shit.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (hrAg/)

385 Start the process of purchasing many mass media purveyors. Make them ours.
Money talks and bullshit walks.

Posted by: doowleb at November 12, 2012 09:43 AM (r+Gn+)

386 346 Serious answer, any politician who runs for President in 2016 is likely going to raise nearly one billion dollars, like Romney/Ryan. How to spend that money is going to be critical as the failed OCRA (or whatever acronym it was) software showed....

***

I live in a suburb of Columbus. Of the hundreds of campaign communication I was subjected to this year, the most effective (and moving) was a xeroxed sheet I got in my mailbox. Just a list of four years of Obama's failures and a polite request to vote for Romney, some anonymous person took the time to write, print and distribute it at their own expense.

THAT is grassroots organizing.

Posted by: McGuire at November 12, 2012 09:44 AM (u3N3z)

387 ( sarcasm ) We should get as many Republicans elected to Governor as possible.

Then these state Governors should pardon anyone who shoots a known Democrat, or anyone with an Obama sticker on their car.

Tell the Democrats that if they turn themselves in for protective custody, they will be relocated to Europe as political asylants. ( / sarcasm )

Seriously: We need to nominate electable candidates. Not time-servers. Not obvious corporate folks, and not people who sit behind the pulpit instead of in the pews. And not folks who have zero charisma.

Posted by: Kristophr at November 12, 2012 09:44 AM (wYVte)

388

Hector, get your lying ass back to La Raza.

Posted by: Achilles at November 12, 2012 09:44 AM (ggRof)

389 ~~Goodbye for now!~~ Off to the gloryhole!

Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:43 PM (CX71c)

Posted by: TheQuietMan at November 12, 2012 09:44 AM (1Jaio)

390 @374:"That will change drastically after amnesty. And there will be amnesty. Baraka has more or less decreed it anyway. All it needs is the formality of a congressional vote. The way it's shaping up, it'll happen."
--
We don't know the effect. Let me repeat, WE DON"T KNOW THE EFFECT!

Prior to this election, people were engaging in this kind of demoralizing bullshit. Over the year since the debt crisis debacle, could the "let it burn" attitude have been worth 407,000 key votes if otherwise channeled?

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:44 AM (ezVK/)

391 "...but like everything else, sooner or later the free stuff runs out."

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 01:32 PM (79ueO)

Eventually yes, but even with a decreasing pool of taxpayers there is a lot of money that the government can transfer from the productive to the unproductive. It is difficult to imagine an 85% marginal tax rate, but trust me, the Democrats have firm plans for the money it will raise. And if that isn't enough, there is lots of other stuff they can tax.

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 12, 2012 09:44 AM (GsoHv)

392 We have conceded the higher education establishment and the entertainment industry.
Pixie is cutting ampersands.

Posted by: RayJ at November 12, 2012 09:44 AM (pI/IV)

393

And how about GOP controlled states splitting their electoral votes by Congressional district? Y'all know that GOP won 13 of 18 House seats in PA this year. Obama carried 3 of the GOP districts. So we could have divided the EVs 11 to 9 instead of losing all 20. I don't know the math in the other swing states but I imagine it is favorable in most if not all of them. That would do more than voter ID laws. Democrats want all their voters crammed into a few areas, fine.

I guarantee you that if the tables were turned and Republicans were winning national elections by driving 80% turnout in a handful of counties, Democrats already would have split the electoral votes everywhere. Now they are whining about Republicans gerrymandersing states like PA to increase their House margins.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 09:44 AM (aBlZ1)

394 How about adoption reform? Posted by: Serious Cat at November 12, 2012 01:43 PM (UypUQ) -------------- Which kind? Birth parent groups, adoptees, and adoptive parents all seem to want different things. It's a clusterfuck.

Posted by: Jenny Tries Too Hard at November 12, 2012 09:45 AM (IPG9V)

395 Let. It. Burn.

Posted by: Comrade Arthur at November 12, 2012 09:45 AM (eEev7)

396 Double down on conservativism, is what I say. Who needs another demoncrat party?

Posted by: Mike at November 12, 2012 09:45 AM (Pq3dc)

397 @316 - yep.

We need some reeducation camps for our own nominees.

Literally, we need to put electrodes on these people and if their response to any abortion question is anything other than 'Roe v Wade is the law of the land full stop' then we give 'em 2400V in the groin.

There are probably 100+ Congressional districts where an anti-abortion message will resonate, but very few states where the same message is palatable statewide. And, as we saw in this election, one candidate's statement can screw things for the whole party.

Come on, people, get with the program. Lie like the other side does.

And let me put it this way: if you support any sort of federal ban on abortion, you are advocating for big government. You are going to lose the libertarians and you're going to lose the non-evangelical center.

"It is bad, therefore the Federal government should ban it" is the liberal fascist position. cf Michael Bloomberg.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 09:45 AM (o+SC1)

398 It is difficult to imagine an 85% marginal tax rate, but trust me, the Democrats have firm plans for the money it will raise. And if that isn't enough, there is lots of other stuff they can tax. Wasn't that the effective marginal tax rate in the UK in the 1970's? Related, isn't that why everyone rich suddenly found out the were from the Isle of Mann?

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (VtjlW)

399

It didnÂ’t occur to me at the time, but it should have been a red flagÂ…Â…

Starting in September , the Romney campaign start advertising on radio station in Northern Virginia. The problem is, the heavily advertised on AM CONSERVATIVE stations. What. The. Fuck ???

They were pissing their money away trying to capture an audience that was already in their corner.

Not one add on any of my teen daughters stations.

Stupid.

Posted by: Chairman Mow at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (RGDtb)

400 Bevel: The dems painted us as the party of Jesus.

It worked.

Get a clue.

Posted by: Kristophr at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (wYVte)

401 @393:"We muzzled SoCons in this election. We stayed away from social issues and focused on the economy."
--

One word destroyed that plan: Akin

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (ezVK/)

402 Bullshit. They went around the law and forced things on people through the courts. Many people finally gave up resistance to endless pushes against them and endless demonization of them. This was only allowed to occur because few bothered to try and stop these leftists, so many people saw the future they faced and gave up.Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair

You write this as if judges are autochthonic.

The culture has changed. If you don't think this is true there isn't much I can say.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (SX6wc)

403 My plan;

1) Fight Obama on everything now. But do it intelligently. Offer him tax increases on the legal industry, entertainment industry, etc.

2) Draw distinctions and offer a choice to the electorate. No more liberal leading leaders - dump McConnell, Boehner, and for the love of God no more McRomneys.

3) Start playing smart politics. Remember the idea of dividing the budget up and submitting parts to Obama in the order that we want? Why the hell didn't we do that?

4) Governors need to start ignoring the federal government. Guess what, you chose to be a leader, now is time to fight - Obama might bring charges against you. Let him. Open up drilling. Start throwing people in prison for Affirmative Action (violation of state anti-discrimination laws...no?) accessory to statutory rape (planned parenthood), etc.

Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (AUeaU)

404 I read that GOP observers were kicked out of urban polling places. WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU SAY YOU ARE WITH THE GOP? Why can't you lie and say your with the U.N. Or form a fake human rights polling group or something.

Posted by: Adam Smith's Invisible Pimp Hand at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (NzBQO)

405

With a shotgun.

Seriously though, to get rid of the sold-out, complacent, insular, clueless wax museum that is the current leadership, it's going to take time and a good supply of new blood. Constant pressure, pushing, and maneuvering. It's a tumor that has to be removed without killing the patient. The leadership have their ways of keeping the new Congress creatures in line -- the threats of being primaried, of losing all those lucrative connections and positions after leaving office. Find a way to make the whip that they have to crack less of a threat.

In other words, find a way for it to be less important whose freaking turn it is. Seniority and 'party discipline' as they currently exist brings us mediocrity, surrender, and failure.

Posted by: Wm T Sherman at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (w41GQ)

406 Estonia, my family home for a thousand years until the Soviet Union decided to liquidate us. Lovely country since regaining independence. One of the few fiscally sane places in Europe and a bastion of freedom and free enterprise. Sadly it has one tiny problem next door -PUTIN'S RUSSIA.

Posted by: Blue Falcon in Boston at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (KCvsd)

407 Promise to abolish unconstitutional government agencies, starting with the least popular. TSA, I'm looking at you. Remind voters early and often that any unconstitutional Federal program that they like can be enacted at the state level.

Posted by: Cato at November 12, 2012 09:46 AM (OjFT2)

408 Like I tell some people in my family.... If you have to say "that was a joke", it actually wasn't. Nice try, but FAIL. This is a very serious topic that isn't funny in any way.

Posted by: deadrody at November 12, 2012 09:47 AM (DkAJe)

409 386 Steal their tactics end of story. It's not dirty if you win. It's completely stupid to play nice.

Posted by: james at November 12, 2012 01:43 PM (1PqiV)

^^^^This^^^^

The problem is Asymmetrical...In all conflict; you must employ a superior force to overtake the objective...

Vote with your Dollar Everyday..Do not support DNC causes such as UAW products....

Posted by: Chicken ala King at November 12, 2012 09:47 AM (VvvBE)

410 We aren't asking the socons to let go of their issues. Just move them to the state level. Where they belong.

Posted by: eleven at November 12, 2012 09:47 AM (KXm42)

411 for the last I don't know how many weeks, this "Hector" from Sadly No or Balloon Juice has been pushing your buttons you're arguing with a troll who is laughing its ass at you

Posted by: soothsayer at November 12, 2012 09:47 AM (b1TCv)

412 366 Reading this blog no woner the GOP is screwed. Bigots like General Wormnut are respected. Maybe a massive defeat in 2016 will force the GOP to get rid of the bigot brigade.
Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:39 PM

George Wallace - Democrat
Lester Maddox - Democrat
Bull Connor - Democrat
LBJ - Democrat

The Old South was a Democrat monopoly until the latter part of the 20th century

In the 1960 Dem convention held in Los Angeles, Sammy Davis Jr was booed off the stage by southern Dems, while the northern Dems did nothing

Posted by: Real History is a Bitch at November 12, 2012 09:47 AM (wwsoB)

413 *Disqualify anyone who accepted more than $1000 in federal welfare benefits in the previous year from voting due to a conflict of interest. Problem solved.* In February, there will be a huge number of conservatives filing for unemployment and food stamps. And they will do it no matter how humiliating the process is. Because when you have to choose between paying the rent and feeding your child, you will do what has to be done. The safety net you deride today might save you or your neighbor tomorrow. And please, no lectures about "find a job." If you don't know how tough the job market is, just wait. Either you or a loved one will find out.

Posted by: Slart at November 12, 2012 09:47 AM (qRuw3)

414 well, obviously voter ID is racist. We should simply put about 100,000,000 ballots in the center of Central Park NYC and let each side collect as many as they can, sort of like Hunger Games meets the Oklahoma land grant race. No rules, just a violent deadly race to stuff the box.

Posted by: joeindc44 at November 12, 2012 09:47 AM (Z3ckx)

415 They changed the culture first.

The only way you legislate anything is to get a majority that already agrees with it.

No majority, no law.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at November 12, 2012 01:32 PM (SX6wc)

--------------------------------------------

Culture vs. morality. Semantics. I hate to tell you this, they're both the same thing.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 09:47 AM (00XQo)

416
And let me put it this way: if you support any sort of federal ban on abortion, you are advocating for big government.
___
Damn straight darling.

Posted by: Jerfferson Davis at November 12, 2012 09:47 AM (AUeaU)

417 We have conceded the higher education establishment the entertainment industry. The problem is much deeper than "labels".
But more to the point, the majority of Americans now believe that they are "entitled" to the fruits of somebody else's labor.

_________________________________

No - the majority of Americans now believe that anyone who has something has gotten it by unfair means, and therefore it doesn't really belong to them in the first place. That's the narrative coming out of higher education.

Posted by: Alec Leamas at November 12, 2012 09:48 AM (mg08E)

418 Not enough space or time to answer this question.

We all know that after Goldwater we took over the party and Reagan won. Now we are not as strong.

Through defeat sometimes comes strength. A strong tree weathers a lot of storms and becomes stronger..

Just saying boys, it is up to us.

Posted by: Billy Bob, the 1% at November 12, 2012 09:48 AM (wR+pz)

419 . It is difficult to imagine an 85% marginal tax rate, but trust me, the Democrats have firm plans for the money it will raise. And if that isn't enough, there is lots of other stuff they can tax. Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 12, 2012 01:44 PM (GsoHv) Can you say revolution?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:48 AM (79ueO)

420 All this talk of getting rid of the SoCons is stupid. If you look at what little exit polls have been published they voted overwelmingly for Romney.

It also ignores the 3 ton elephant on the couch. Why did a shit ton of Republican voters sit at home?

Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 09:48 AM (YdQQY)

421 fund and recruit candidates -- not nutjobs -- at the state and local level. build a farm team and destroy theirs. make is so [insert liberal activist] thinks twice about running for school board because of the barrage of attack ads that will come. essentially attack their candidate recruitment efforts in swing districts.

Posted by: DCPensFan at November 12, 2012 09:49 AM (ma/2m)

422

"...these state Governors should pardon anyone who shoots a known Democrat, or anyone with an Obama sticker on their car."

Let's not give up on a perfectly good suggestion until it's been fully fleshed out.

Posted by: jwest at November 12, 2012 09:49 AM (ZDsRL)

423 Rockmom, gay marriage isn't a civil rights issue, it's a sticking it to the right issue. Even if conservatives roll over on it, the left will still pursue their goal of destroying all values and therefore ensuring dependency on the state. Just like abortion is not really upheld in the interest of liberating women but rather creating a wedge issue that keeps single women firmly in the Democratic column. We supposedly fight for the betterment of society and the empowerment of the individual, while they believe all problems can be solved by the government and that the individual should be subservient to the collective. They will use straw men rather than debate you in earnest, and the media and academia will ensure this.

Posted by: Tattoo De Plane at November 12, 2012 09:49 AM (i0vBR)

424 "Republicans will be on the bottom half of the ballet."

Posted by: Dave at November 12, 2012 01:43 PM (wmzCM)

Can I rest my rifle on the barre?

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at November 12, 2012 09:49 AM (GsoHv)

425 Which kind? Birth parent groups, adoptees, and adoptive parents all seem to want different things. It's a clusterfuck.

Posted by: Jenny Tries Too Hard at November 12, 2012 01:45 PM (IPG9V)

I really don't know much at all about it to be honest, but I seem to recall Bush pushing this idea whenever he go challenged on "choice".

Posted by: Serious Cat at November 12, 2012 09:49 AM (UypUQ)

426 - but the fact remains, if the specter of Obamacare and another four years of a president who is an epic failure beyond anything imaginable isn't enough to get the electorate motivated to fire the incumbent and try somebody new, then there is no hope. We're fucked."

THIS.

We narrowly lost this election. That is the problem. It is a wakeup call slightly more harsh than if we had won by that amount. It should not have been close.

This is the problem we need to fix or hasten 'gets fixed'.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 09:49 AM (MmH0Z)

427 @411

Agreed with many of your points...Also do not support agencies of the DNC such as Labor Unions...

Vote with your Dollars every Day

Posted by: Chicken ala King at November 12, 2012 09:49 AM (VvvBE)

428 Businesses need to push out ward from the blue skidmark stain cities and into the unincorporated red state areas.

Bleed off the tax revenues, turn the all the blue stains into Detroit.

Once the downtown are is no longer "trendy" libs will run back to NYC and other Marxist hives lickety split.

Posted by: T. Hunter at November 12, 2012 09:49 AM (EZl54)

429 Disqualify presidential candidates who produce forged birth certificates?

Posted by: Whatev at November 12, 2012 09:49 AM (2t6Gz)

430 Thank you for forgetting my existence entirely.

Posted by: Reince Preibus, Chair of the RNC at November 12, 2012 09:50 AM (bGg6O)

431 Bust the unions and educate the underclass. And how do we do that you ask? I got no fucking idea. Anyone got a drink for me. Sigh

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:50 AM (79ueO)

432 Can you say revolution?

Against a duly elected government? This isn't 1776. This is this.

Posted by: eleven at November 12, 2012 09:50 AM (KXm42)

433 Paramilitary strike force, a la IRA/Sinn Fein. We'll impress the ladies with our cool uniforms. Seriously, we need to project real power and the capacity to inflict violence on our enemies. This is the kind of action that can take place in the so-called red states. All it takes is Will. The first GOP politician to break the jaw of a smart-assed reporter (even a woman, heavens) should get the nod for 2016.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at November 12, 2012 09:50 AM (Ec6wH)

434 It also ignores the 3 ton elephant on the couch. Why did a shit ton of Republican voters sit at home?
****
Two words.

Massachusetts Moderate

Oh, and get ready for the Republican's plan for 2012.

Jeb....Bush.

Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 09:50 AM (AUeaU)

435

If we're being serious,

immigration reform

the Center for Immigration Studies has proposed a mini-comprehensive immigration reform. Basically, a law that combines the DREAM Act with mandatory e-Verify and an end to the immigration lottery. All three of these positions are very popular with the public.

student loan reform

Allow bankruptcy for student loans (put in some basic limits so you don't get the classic 'med student declares bankruptcy right out of med school' problem). This will be very popular with students and parents, will rectify a big injustice, sounds totally reasonable, screws over one of the Democrats fatcat mainstays (worthless university programs), and long term should push students towards more serious majors, which will be good for the country and will take away the Democrats grad student shock troops.

Additional proposal: tax university endowments and use the proceeds to fund student loan forgiveness.

tax Hollywood

Instapundit's joke should be a reality.

tax reform

Push for flattening rates and limiting deductions, especially for high earners. The state and local tax deduction must be part of the program. Never, ever, ever consider any proposal that doesn't eliminate or cap the state and local tax deduction. Rich liberals and liberal states must pay.

However, push hard for an expanded child tax credit. Point out that its not adjusted for inflation, unlike all the goodies for liberals. Don't make it refundable, but do let it apply to payroll taxes. Married people with kids are a *huge* Republican constituency. Bonus: it brings on the Social Security and Medicaid crisis sooner.

As part of this, demand that employer payroll taxes be added to the employee's salary and taxed from there. Ostensible reason: that way the child tax credit can reach it. Real reason: let people see what the State is taking out of their pocket.

military and foreign affairs

we're fucked

Posted by: Emperor of Icecream at November 12, 2012 09:50 AM (ZMzpb)

436 There's a world of difference between those who believe that homosexuals should be imprisoned and those who believe that gay marriage should not be enforced by the courts. Likewise, there's a world of difference between those who believe that a single woman who gets pregnant should be forced to carry the child to term and then forced to give her child up for adoption and those who are against abortion with possible exceptions for rape and incest.

Well, yes. We call those bad people "Muslims." (I guess I denounce myself. Sort of.)

Seriously, I don't know of any Christian (and I know a whole heck of a lot of them) who actually want to make Abortion flat-out illegal. What we mostly want is not to have to subsidize it. I also don't know of any Christian who wants to imprison homosexuals.

I disagree with (for instance) Mike Huckabee because he's a liberal on everything except Morality. He likes high taxes, he's not so much for the whole "enforce the law" thing, and so-on.

On the other hand, I am a Social Conservative. I think there is the Natural State called "Marriage" in which one man and one woman come together to create a family. In most cases, the purpose is for the baring and rearing of Children. I think that Natural State is something Government protects, not something government creates or defines. I also think it is highly dangerous to invite Government into the realm of creating or defining any right (including that of marriage) because once the government can create or define a right, it can also abolish any right.

I think that life begins at conception and that the child's Natural Right of Life takes precedent over everything short of the Mother's Natural Right of Life. I also think the vast, vast majority of cases of "unwanted" or "unplanned" pregnancy come from consensual sexual relations, not "rape or incest" and we need to stop those murders before we start looking at possible exceptions. I don't want the Government deciding when I count as being "alive" in case they put a top-end limit on that, too. Giving them the authority to do the one gives them the authority to do the other.

Over all of that, I want as few laws as possible. I don't want a law defining marriage at all. I want the government's nose out of it. Abortion is a different matter (in that taking a human life is always homicide, and so it falls to society to decide what kind of homicide an abortion would be), but, again, I think a complete lack of any government position would be the place to start, and feel out the correct answer from there.

Where we are today is so far from that, though, that they're not policy positions worth talking about on either side. We have bigger fish to fry.

Posted by: AllenG (Dedicated Tenther) Channelling Breitbart at November 12, 2012 09:50 AM (8y9MW)

437 " If it was Europeans, you would be fighting for amnesty. The gloves are off with you Nativists bigots. Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:41 PM" Except I turned in someone from Lithuania who I found out was here illegally....

Posted by: Nora at November 12, 2012 09:50 AM (RGgMp)

438 CO was the only one of those endorsed by the Tea Party. Akin was Democrat funded candidate in a 3 way race with no runoff. Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 01:31 PM (YdQQY) and you kept on saying that Akins disgraceful statements would pass in 3 days and Akin would win

Posted by: Avi at November 12, 2012 09:50 AM (40anC)

439 There needs to be a concerted effort to delegitimize the mainstream media. Time and time again they do things that one would think would be "the last straw" and finally expose them as the Ministry of Propaganda for the Progressive ruling class. But no, people still believe what the WaPo, LAT, NYT and the major news outlets say, even if it runs counter to what they know is true. Why didn't Benghazi make a bigger splash? How was Steve Kroft able to (admittedly) withhold portion of an Obama interview which demonstrated beyond shadow of doubt that he never called it a terrorist attack until over a week later? Because the spineless Republicans didn't beat Obama over the head with it. Until we start playing hardball, we will continue to lose and become more and more irrelevant.

Posted by: TimInVirginia at November 12, 2012 09:51 AM (Eaemu)

440 I am off to Spain tomorrow to see our future.

Every fucking thing is CHEAP. They are broke.

Look forward to Chinese tourist visiting your city and buying shit.

Posted by: Billy Bob, the 1% at November 12, 2012 09:51 AM (wR+pz)

441 One thing I see constantly is anti gay comments by black and hispanic celebrities, particularly rappers and athletes

Sometimes you see them from the Tolerance and Diversity soldiers like Alec Baldwin, who scream FAG at photographers

will.i.am got no threats by Al Gayda when he punched out Perez Hilton and called him a fag.

Posted by: Real History is a Bitch at November 12, 2012 09:51 AM (wwsoB)

442 Can you say revolution? Against a duly elected government? This isn't 1776. This is this. Posted by: eleven at November 12, 2012 01:50 PM (KXm42) Hey a guy can dream can't he?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (79ueO)

443 How about boycotting, dropping, refusing to patronize the leftist media and crime centers? Cut Comcast, Warner cable on the trophy mantle. Avoid Disney like the plague bacillus it is, Refuse to support the economies of NY, LA, SF, Vegas, Baltimore, DC, Boston and turn them into Detroit. Shun professional sports. That swag trickles to the ghetto-media welfare complex that votes and manipulates for a living. No donations to anything remotely resembling liberal/left. That includes the corrupt racket of college sports which ads massive revenues to the grotesque college and universities that are poisoning minds en masse.

Posted by: Fed Up. at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (WnjLc)

444 Start every response like this, "Thank you for the question. As a former democratic staffer, and a lifelong democrat voter, I can see why that question is important to you..." This applies to the entire media in one way or another.

Posted by: MJ at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (TR60b)

445 if the specter of Obamacare and another four years of a
president who is an epic failure beyond anything imaginable isn't enough
to get the electorate
***
Obamacare was never under threat in 2012. Even if the Republicans got to 51 in the Senate and Romney was president Reid would filibuster and Romney would give his best Hugh Hewitt imitation - sorry kids we need 60 Senate seats to do anything

Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (AUeaU)

446 >>>>>And if that isn't enough, there is lots of other stuff they can tax.
_

So what. That doesn't mean they'll get the revenue. Your premise is that socialism works. It doesn't. The Progressive State is going to fail. It took the hard version 75 years to collapse. We're 100-150 years into the soft version, and we're nearing the end.

Let's help it along and start working on what comes after.

Posted by: runninrebel at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (J4gw3)

447

Embarass the leadership by doing their job for them. Fight the fights that they let go. Demonstrate success outside of their ossified channels. Is voter fraud an issue? Then go after it and don't wait for directions from Party Central.

Make these Republican jerkoffs who join the Democrats in attacking the Tea Party or similar insurgent movements pay dearly. Anyone who turns on the grassroots movements is not one of us.

And of course, any consultant who worked on the McCain or Romney campaigns should be blackballed for life. Name them and shame them. Make them an issue. They are self-absorbed drones and hacks, and they bring failure.

Posted by: Wm T Sherman at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (w41GQ)

448 The first GOP politician to break the jaw of a smart-assed reporter (even a woman, heavens), or eat him, should get the nod for 2016.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at November 12, 2012 01:50 PM (Ec6wH)

FIFY

Posted by: Christie 2016 at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (GsoHv)

449 AoSHQ just had a poll on this in the "Fold like a cheap pup tent in a hurricane" thread.

The overwhelming choice for which issue the GOP should drop first: abortion.

I have to say I agree. The battle is over. Roe v. Wade will never be overturned. Continuing to fight this battle in the political arena is a prescription for more Akins, Mourdocks and GOP losses.

On top of everything else, there are more than a few closet pro-choicers in the other two legs of the GOPÂ’s three legged stool. They are content to keep quiet as long as Roe is under no real threat, but if it were ever seriously threatened, they would come out of the closet and alter the balance so that Roe still had majority support.

Posted by: cool breeze at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (A+/8k)

450 RE: Akin

Reform state election laws to always have run-off elections when the winner fails to break the 40% barrier.

Posted by: Serious Cat at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (UypUQ)

451 Look forward to Chinese tourist visiting your city and buying shit. Posted by: Billy Bob, the 1% at November 12, 2012 01:51 PM (wR+pz) Can we poison them that they poison us?

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet, Wonders what Dagny thinks at November 12, 2012 09:52 AM (3Y7RV)

452 "We aren't asking the socons to let go of their issues. Just move them to the state level. Where they belong." Centralization isn't happening?

Posted by: derit at November 12, 2012 09:53 AM (I88Jc)

453 " If it was Europeans, you would be fighting for amnesty. The gloves are off with you Nativists bigots. Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:41 PM" What part about immigration doesn't make sense when we have 7.9% UE3 and 14-16% UE6 do you not understand?

Posted by: Nate at November 12, 2012 09:53 AM (i3OIF)

454 and you kept on saying that Akins disgraceful statements would pass in 3 days and Akin would win

Posted by: Avi at November 12, 2012 01:50 PM (40anC)

That was dependent on a Republican wave which did not materialize.

Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 09:53 AM (YdQQY)

455

408 Estonia, my family home for a thousand years until the Soviet Union decided to liquidate us.

Lovely country since regaining independence. One of the few fiscally sane places in Europe and a bastion of freedom and free enterprise.

Sadly it has one tiny problem next door -PUTIN'S RUSSIA

Two problems: Putin's Russia and a vanishingly small birth rate.

Posted by: Emperor of Icecream at November 12, 2012 09:53 AM (ZMzpb)

456 What more proof do you need that the GOP brand is dead?

Worst president, worst economy we run a perfectly respectable candidate up against and the party still cannot win. This was the acid test for the party. It failed.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 09:53 AM (MmH0Z)

457 I said, about socons, "They have to be vetted and drilled in advance about what is and is not an acceptable thing to say."

There was no way to make Akin's statements acceptable, because they reflected his underlying real views, which were nuts. He should have been detected and filtered. Or, Rommey should have made a huge public denunciation on the tarmac at the airport in Akin's home town.

But there was a way to soften Mourdock's comments. Mourdock was sane, just incredibly clumsy in how he voiced things.

We need to start working on how to message better, and practice practice practice. We need to be like Marine Corps recruits in basic, running around with their booklet of General Orders held up in front of their noses every free moment, memorizing.

Here's a version of a Mourdock answer that sounds reasonable:

"Rape and incest are monstrous crimes. Committed by predators against innocent victims. We need to harden our hearts and toughen our laws against the predators to make sure they will never reoffend. On the other side, we all need to open our hearts to the women and girls who are victims, and offer them every form of support. But we should also not forget that there are other innocent victims, those who are conceived because of these predatory crimes. It is a terrible moral dilemma when pregnancy results from rape or incest, and there is a decision about whether to destroy an innocent life which is the fruit of an evil act. I will work and pray for those who find themselves in that dilemma, and I hope they will remember the smallest victims, too."

Can that be improved on? No doubt.

But at least you can't hear or read that and come away with any idea that rape is something that "God intends" in some cases, as was what happened with Mourdock's actual bungled response.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 09:53 AM (ymG7s)

458

One other thing about all of you anti-socons.

If you can dare to touch it, find a bible and turn to the Ten Commandments. Go through each commandment and honestly evaluate it. If you are honest, you're going to see that either our national culture or national politics are breaking every one of the commandments.

Freedom can't survive without moral guardrails.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 09:53 AM (00XQo)

459 If it was Europeans, you would be fighting for amnesty.

The gloves are off with you Nativists bigots.
Posted by: Hector of Troy aka The Truthteller at November 12, 2012 01:41 PM

Sorry to kill your fantasies trollboy, but I detest Europeans, they're a bunch of socialists who detest America. The ones who move here are like Californians who move to Nevada

Posted by: Real History is a Bitch at November 12, 2012 09:53 AM (wwsoB)

460 Posted by: Chairman Mow

Barrel. Now.

Posted by: weft cut-loop [/i] [/b] at November 12, 2012 09:53 AM (SX6wc)

461

Vic, we don't know yet that it was a shit-ton, may have been relative handfuls in a few states that stayed home.

They didn't like/trust Mitt Romney, and/or they were not scared enough at the prospect of another four years of Obama. Some of them - I'm guessing possibly a lot of them, actually, were women who voted against the rapey rape stuff.

The Romney campaign really failed on both of these accounts. It failed to make Romney more likeable until he himself did it in the debates. And it totally failed to show casual Republicans why another four years of Obama was a scary proposition even if they didn't like Romney a lot.

If you were a white moderate-to-conservative female with a job and doing OK in the economy, Romney/Ryan really had no message for you.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 09:54 AM (aBlZ1)

462 >>I personally believe the GOP should stick to big ideas and first principles: economic freedom, individual self-determination, and limited government. I agree wholeheartedly. Telling folks who they can sleep with (or marry) feels *really* "big government" to me. Not to mention telling them which plants they can grow and stuff like that too. If we're for individual self-determination, let's be for it. Not that I carry an (R) behind my name anymore...but I could be talked back into it. I personally haven't felt great about an election since 1988...well, except the one that crushed my spirits, broke my heart, and all that other shit last week.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 09:54 AM (hNXHo)

463 What would it cost (sic) to get volunteers (sic) at every polling place where Obama got 90%+ of the vote and just count the people coming in to vote. With a continuous video of the entire day, time stamped.

(Depending on state law, that might basically be a video of the doorway(s) into the polling place.)

1) If votes > voters
2) ???
3) Profit!

Let's take this fraud shit seriously.

Posted by: Tonic Dog at November 12, 2012 09:54 AM (X/+QT)

464 @393 - no, the two that slipped the muzzle caused significant damage. Maybe enough to have flipped the election.

Whatever you intend to do long-term - and my long-term position would be:
a) Abortion is a state issue
b) There will be no Federal funding of abortion
c) There will be no Federal mandates requiring healthcare coverage of abortion

It's not something that's going to happen now, it's not something that's going to happen in the next Senate term. In fact, we've been so horrible about defending the part of the field the game's actually being played on, we're down kicking air-balls at their goal while they've moved the ball far enough into our end of the field that we'd be hard-pressed to preserve (b) or (c) in the next six years.

So if you're a Senate candidate, at most you present where you're going now: Roe v Wade is law, but we're gonna work to keep Federal money and Federal mandates out of the abortion discussion.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 09:55 AM (o+SC1)

465 Worst president, worst economy we run a perfectly respectable candidate up against and the party still cannot win. This was the acid test for the party. It failed. Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 01:53 PM (MmH0Z) I don't think it was our failure completely. As long as you have a Black Population that mindlessly votes for one party and in this case one candidate by over 98% we are fucked. Throw in the public unions and the other unions and we are pretty much fucked no matter what we did.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:55 AM (79ueO)

466

The party leadership is the enemy. Until they are dealt with no change is possible.

Make them pay for grovelling to the Progressives, starting now.

Posted by: Wm T Sherman at November 12, 2012 09:55 AM (w41GQ)

467 Would someone please drop the banhammer on that idiot Hector?

When he opined in an earlier thread that "You conservatives just want to shove all brown-skinned people in gas chambers," or words to that effect, he removed himself from the sphere of acceptable rational discourse.

Don't know if he's a deliberate inflammatory troll or just off his meds, but his presence and voice add nothing to the deliberations here.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 09:55 AM (ymG7s)

468 All this talk of getting rid of the SoCons is stupid. If you look at what little exit polls have been published they voted overwelmingly for Romney. It also ignores the 3 ton elephant on the couch. Why did a shit ton of Republican voters sit at home? Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 01:48 PM (YdQQY) exactly seems like all the pundits are asking dems what we should do, instead of finding and asking the 3 mill that stayed home I will wager they stayed home because they did not believe Romney, the father of Romneycare, would really do away with Obamacare. When he did not go after Obama on Libya, they figured, second verse, same as the first. I think they were wrong to stay home, but I think its worth considering that they would have been motivated by someone more conservative, not more centrist. Perhaps they reasoned things would not be different under Romney so their vote did not matter. Or perhaps, with things so bad, they want their freebies too now. They want a safety net. They feel like they have earned it. People here have even joked about it

Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 09:56 AM (Dnbau)

469 We muzzled SoCons in this election. We stayed away from social issues and focused on the economy. It failed. Akin and MoreDick became the face of the party- Deal with it. Oh and Romney ran ahead of most SoCons who lost

Posted by: Avi at November 12, 2012 09:57 AM (40anC)

470 If you can dare to touch it, find a bible and turn to the Ten Commandments.

Why does he like Democrats so much? Have you asked him yet?

Posted by: eleven at November 12, 2012 09:57 AM (KXm42)

471 Catholic Bishops Vow To Â“DefyÂ” ObamaÂ’s HHS MandateÂ… Hey fine with me, but you first might want to ask your lambs why obama won the Catholic vote? I'd be curious to know the answer to that one also????

Posted by: Nevergiveup at November 12, 2012 09:58 AM (79ueO)

472 "461 I said, about socons, "They have to be vetted and drilled in advance about what is and is not an acceptable thing to say."" Losing strategy. A politician will always exist who says something moronic. For some reason, Democrats can keep theirs and we can't.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 09:58 AM (ytax8)

473 But at least you can't hear or read that and come away with any idea that rape is something that "God intends" in some cases, as was what happened with Mourdock's actual bungled response. Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 01:53 PM (ymG7s) Whatever Con party we construct for next time should have a madatory STFU class. Set the party line and rock it. You know, like the winners did. Murdock and Akin hurt us bad. They fucked up. If you don't have a good positive answer, STFU. An entire class for every candidate, STFU, STFU, STFU. When you win, STFU. Follow the Constitution. You need no fancy crafted words to do that.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet, Wonders what Dagny thinks at November 12, 2012 09:58 AM (3Y7RV)

474 Make it illegal for women wearing Birkenstocks and no lipstick to vote...or men wearing any kind of sandals over socks.

Posted by: texexec at November 12, 2012 09:58 AM (QgvTp)

475 Some on give Hector a sedative.

Posted by: Mallamutt, RINO President for Life at November 12, 2012 01:55 PM (OWjjx)

Or laxative. That might relieve some pressure on his brains

Posted by: TheQuietMan at November 12, 2012 09:58 AM (1Jaio)

476 If the GOP bases a platform on the foundation of creating a true separation of church and state by making liquor readily available on Sunday mornings, there would never anything other than a conservative super majority.

Posted by: Will Taylor at November 12, 2012 09:59 AM (gQt6b)

477 #461 Romney and Reince Preibus really should have gone to Missouri and locked Todd Akin in a room with them until they got a signed statement from him withdrawing from the race. Then they should have picked Sarah Steelman as the GOP candidate. Women voters would have seen a strong leader taking charge of his party and getting rid ot a troglodyte, and promoting a woman to take his place.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 09:59 AM (aBlZ1)

478 "That was dependent on a Republican wave which did not materialize. " In part because of Akin and that stupid ass Democrat Mike Huckabee ensuring that loser stays in race. Huckabee will try to lose us 2016, just watch. I am boycotting all Fox News (except Red Eye) until they dump Huckabee.

Posted by: The Pitt at November 12, 2012 09:59 AM (9bWs4)

479 Hey fine with me, but you first might want to ask your lambs why obama won the Catholic vote? I'd be curious to know the answer to that one also????
***
You can have "social justice" or you can have Catholicism.

Whatever the bishops are claiming now, they've gone with the former for too long...

Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 09:59 AM (AUeaU)

480 @463 - Yes, that's a nice bit of moral guidance. Every religion, every culture, has one.

Federal enforcement of the Ten Commandments would be akin to a Judeo-Christian Sharia and I for one ain't going there.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 09:59 AM (o+SC1)

481 "...The overwhelming choice for which issue the GOP should drop first: abortion...".

Posted by: cool breeze at November 12, 2012 01:52 PM (A+/8k)

Yes, by all means, let's focus exclusively on the economy in the next election and confine the public argument solely to pocketbook issues, period. First thing, we'll need a candidate known for his or her business acumen and professional accomplishment, a real turnaround artist. A northeastern moderate would probably do nicely, too, since he or she would be able to attract moderates of both parties, along with independents.

It's in the bag.

Posted by: troyriser at November 12, 2012 09:59 AM (vtiE6)

482 "Akin and MoreDick became the face of the party- Deal with it." Sounds like Calvinball.

Posted by: derit at November 12, 2012 10:00 AM (I88Jc)

483

I think they were wrong to stay home, but I think its worth considering that they would have been motivated by someone more conservative, not more centrist. Perhaps they reasoned things would not be different under Romney so their vote did not matter.

Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 01:56 PM (Dnbau)

Or maybe Republicans have our share of lazy do-nothings that want everything to be done for them and then whine and complain when the country goes to pot.

Posted by: Average Jen at November 12, 2012 10:00 AM (bGg6O)

484 Turn the abortion issue around on them. A pregnant woman schedules her c-section with her doctor for 1pm on a Friday. How long before 1 pm can she change her mind and have the baby aborted?? 12:59?? 24 Hrs?? Make the libs defend their abortion on demand stance, any answer is likely to turn off a few on their side about ithe issue, put them on the defensive about it rather than the usual rape questions our side gets.

Posted by: robschr at November 12, 2012 10:01 AM (8TK13)

485 "Akin and MoreDick became the face of the party- Deal with it. " Because we let them define us so. If two politicians can kill the party with statements while the other party has guys fucking hookers and declaring babies alive when they leave the birth canal, what does that tell you? Oh, and your model Senator Scott Brown got his ass kicked by a fake Indian. Go ahead and run Mitts and Browns and see how great the party does. What doesn't sell is the fiscal conservatism. Deal with that.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 10:01 AM (ytax8)

486 Or maybe Republicans have our share of lazy do-nothings that want everything to be done for them and then whine and complain when the country goes to pot. Posted by: Average Jen at November 12, 2012 02:00 PM (bGg6O) I'll buy that.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet, Wonders what Dagny thinks at November 12, 2012 10:01 AM (3Y7RV)

487 Hey fine with me, but you first might want to ask your lambs why obama won the Catholic vote? I'd be curious to know the answer to that one also???? *** You can have "social justice" or you can have Catholicism. Whatever the bishops are claiming now, they've gone with the former for too long... Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 01:59 PM (AUeaU) it broke down by race Romney won the white Catholic vote, Obama won the black and hispanic catholic vote demographics - there are a lot of hispanic catholics

Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 10:02 AM (Dnbau)

488 Or maybe Republicans have our share of lazy do-nothings that want everything to be done for them and then whine and complain when the country goes to pot.
***
Romney, like McCain before him. was selected for a job - he failed.

How many more McRomneys are we going to chose before we learn that "moderate" Republicans don't win presidential elections?

Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 10:02 AM (AUeaU)

489 What are the numbers on the Catlicker vote? Mrs Meanie is new to the Genuflecting Set and we're curious as to how many of us betrayed the faith.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at November 12, 2012 10:03 AM (Ec6wH)

490 All this talk of getting rid of the SoCons is stupid. If you look at what little exit polls have been published they voted overwelmingly for Romney.

Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 01:48 PM (YdQQY)

The SoCons apparently did turn out, so you can't fault them for that.

But the SoCons have also become the bogeyman that the Dems use to energize and turn out an even greater number of SoLib, unmarried, female, and low interest voters. Energizing the SoCons is a net losing proposition for the GOP in the general election nowadays.

Posted by: cool breeze at November 12, 2012 10:03 AM (A+/8k)

491 "As long as you have a Black Population that mindlessly votes for one party and in this case one candidate by over 98% we are fucked. " I blame the GOP for this. The black vote should be priority #1. The black vote is conservative and sick of crony, ineffective govt. GOP needs fight in the urban areas too. Abandoning it is the GOP's real demographics failure. How the heck isn't Detroit not a daily political issue? Democrats made that mess, make them wear it, daily! So sick of stupid, weak Republicans afraid to fight or say the right words.

Posted by: The Pitt at November 12, 2012 10:03 AM (9bWs4)

492

#466 There are over 1,600 polling places in the city of Philadelphia. Really hard to find enough Republicans to serve as poll watchers. I think you have to be a resident of the city to serve.

Maybe we just need to play the Democrats' game for once. Let's get Artur Davis elected Governor of Virginia and make him the nominee for President in 2016. The hell with his qualifications, he is black, smart, and a former Democrat from Virginia. And make Susana Martinez his running mate.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 10:04 AM (aBlZ1)

493 "Secede"
"Let. It. Burn."
"Revolution"

Not funny. Not serious. Not the way to win hearts and minds or build community.

Posted by: winston smith at November 12, 2012 10:04 AM (cgOkw)

494 "We muzzled SoCons in this election. We stayed away from social issues and focused on the economy. It failed."

Socons were not muzzled.

Socons got their prized "no abortions EVAR under any circumstances" plank in the platform.

And several different socons made hugely damaging, nutty sounding statements about God, rape and abortion (three things that don't go well together) that had immediate detectable negative long-lasting effects on our polling.

If neither of these things (the platform plank or the nutty comments) had happened, I would concede that socons were in fact muzzled this cycle. They were not.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 10:04 AM (ymG7s)

495 Turn the abortion issue around on them.
***
Yep. The Republicans should have hung Kermit Gosnell around the Democrats' necks.

Did anyone ever even mention him?

Stupid, Stupid, Republicans.

Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 10:04 AM (AUeaU)

496 Quiet. Gradual. Economic. Secession. for red states/counties.

Start with holding the line on the ACA mandate.

Posted by: T. Hunter at November 12, 2012 10:04 AM (EZl54)

497 Make voting machines look like self serve gas pumps.

Posted by: texexec at November 12, 2012 10:05 AM (QgvTp)

498 Problem: almost 4 years after G. W. Bush left office most people still believe Bush owns the economy Solution: Make Obama own the economy. The R's need to get out of the way - and let him adopt the policies of a pie is only so big worker paradise (Cuba and North Korea come to mind)... I can't wait to see what happens to the older voters who voted for the president once he redistributes their wealth and forces his younger supporters to pay for that free health care. Yeah I know we really can't let him wreck the economy just to prove a point but...

Posted by: ADK46er at November 12, 2012 10:05 AM (hcRCp)

499 68 If this last election has taught me anything it is that there are a whole lot of foolish, foolish people who aren't prohibited from voting in any way so we should stop trying to appeal to their intelligence and instead just engage in rank trickery. I don't think that's far from the truth. The way to appeal to moderates isn't to be more Liberal. The way to appeal to moderates is to speak the language they understand: TV drama plot development. They don't understand ideology of any stripe. But they do understand "good guys" and "bad guys." You have to sell yourself as a good guy, like Obama did: "I inherited this mess from my predecessor and I'm working for you." We know that's garbage, but they don't. And if you try to oppose it with facts or logic, their eyes will just glaze over. All Romney really did was sell himself as marginally better alternative. If I remember correctly, Axelrod's background is in advertising. I don't think that's a coincidence. You need to be convincingly Conservative enough to pull in the base, but savvy enough to dramatize your message for the middle. Remember Bush "clearing brush" on his ranch? Pure theater. But it worked. When Reagan was asked how a mere actor could do the job of President, he said he couldn't understand how anyone but an actor could pull it off. We need to somehow replace our consultant class with people who understand drama, sales, and advertising.

Posted by: rfichoke at November 12, 2012 10:05 AM (xfLkJ)

500 Federal enforcement of the Ten Commandments would be akin to a Judeo-Christian Sharia and I for one ain't going there.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 01:59 PM (o+SC1)

------------------------------------------------

So what would be the basis of the law you would advocate? I'll be waiting.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 10:06 AM (00XQo)

501 From the Catholic Sentinel: The vote is still being parsed, but experts think the majority of the Catholic vote went for President Obama. Catholics who attend Mass weekly seem to have favored Romney. Catholics represent more than a quarter of the electorate and have voted for the winner of the popular vote in every presidential election since at least 1972. Both campaigns conducted intense outreach to Catholic voters and had Catholic vice presidential nominees. Meanwhile, Hispanic voters also broke heavily for Obama by a 39-point margin.

Posted by: Thunderb at November 12, 2012 10:06 AM (Dnbau)

502 Yeah I know we really can't let him wreck the economy just to prove a point but...
___
Let?

Damn the unemployment - full speed ahead!

Posted by: Commodore Boehner at November 12, 2012 10:06 AM (AUeaU)

503 Thanks, ThunderB. Pretty much what I expected.

Posted by: Big Fat Meanie at November 12, 2012 10:06 AM (Ec6wH)

504 I am off to Spain tomorrow to see our future. Every fucking thing is CHEAP. They are broke. You know, I didn't think about that but now is the perfect time to go to Spain, at least while the dollar is still considered hard currency. Most people there are desperate for hard currency. Seriously, I don't know of any Christian (and I know a whole heck of a lot of them) who actually want to make Abortion flat-out illegal. What we mostly want is not to have to subsidize it. I also don't know of any Christian who wants to imprison homosexuals. I happen to know a bunch of Christians who do want to do both. That being said, those people are considered to be on the fringe even by the very hard core Evangelicals I know. Look, I do not think the SoCons need to stfd and stfu. What is the point of having dearly held principles if you aren't willing to stand up for them? That being said, there is nothing wrong with pointing out that learning how to speak in public without shoving both feet in your mouth is a good thing. Hell, look at Newt. As many of us noted, the problem with Newt is you never know what idea he's going to end up advocating whenever he opens his mouth. You would think that Newt, of all people, wouldn't need lessons on staying on message. You would be wrong.

Posted by: alexthechick - SMOD. Coming not nearly soon enough. at November 12, 2012 10:07 AM (VtjlW)

505 #495 That is a bit delusional. The black vote in the big cities is The Black Vote. They vote first, second, and third, Black. They rely on leaders within the black community to tell them what that means, usually their mayors andf black congressmen and the NAACP. As long as Obama was on the ticket nothing else mattered, it was purely an identity vote, and even those who were a bit disillusioned with the first term came home in the end out of tribal loyalty.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 10:07 AM (aBlZ1)

506 @505

Damn SOCONS!

Posted by: T. Hunter at November 12, 2012 10:07 AM (EZl54)

507 Let no Republican male issue any statement about women - their bodies- or the reproductive rights of females. Period. No mention of Roe or the dialogs. Period. Support free birth control for men and women.

Posted by: Jiminajam at November 12, 2012 10:08 AM (ufCDr)

508 The majority of Americans want abortion legal. To continue to push for a ban on abortion might make you feel good, but you will not get elected.

Posted by: Slart at November 12, 2012 10:09 AM (qRuw3)

509 Are you all so willing to stand on principle - NO TAXES! NO ABORTION! that you're willing to forswear electoral success for the next decade?

I'm sorry, no.

Fiscal Conservative does NOT equal no taxes.

And Republican does NOT equal no taxes.

In fact, I'm more or less in the Kristol/Macchiavelli camp on this one, and have been for a year - the Democrats are dependent on the two groups of voters that can be most easily hurt by tax increases - the suburban entertainment/enviro/legal/techie near-rich and certain groups of urban voters - and we should be doing everything we can to make that happen and make sure it's pinned on them.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 10:09 AM (o+SC1)

510 Make it illegal for men who wanna have drag races in Prious's to vote.

Posted by: texexec at November 12, 2012 10:09 AM (QgvTp)

511 The Myth of the Missing Three Million Republicans Jack Cashill Also by Jack Cashill today: The Real Lesson of the Election A score of people this past week have asked me about the three million Republicans allegedly "missing" at the polls this year. For starters, if the Washington Post is to be believed, Mitt Romney received 1.3 million fewer votes than John McCain did in 2008, not 3 million. For the record, Obama received 7.5 million fewer votes in 2012 than he did in 2008. More than 1.1 million of the Republican votes were "lost" in California. It is not that California Republicans turned against Romney. His percentage of the vote was higher than McCain's in 2008. It is just they know their votes were in vain in that increasingly absurd state. The same is likely true in New York State where Romney fell more than a half-million votes short of McCain's totals. Excluding these two states, Romney received 300,000 more votes than McCain. That much said, the results in several states do raise eyebrows, most notably Ohio and Pennsylvania. Romney received nearly 100,000 fewer votes than McCain in the former and 35,000 fewer votes in the latter. In all the other battleground states, Romney improved both on McCain's raw numbers and his percentage of the vote. This includes Florida despite the fact that every vote south of Palm Bay down Florida's I-95 corridor is suspect.

Posted by: Avi at November 12, 2012 10:09 AM (40anC)

512 #488. Posted by: robschr at November 12, 2012 02:01 PM (8TK13)

That reminds me of a conversation I had a few years ago with a very "progressive" co-worker. She (early 20s) couldn't understand how I could be against a "woman's choice". So I asked her if she would like to go to a hospital and see a baby being born. Of course that would be cool. How about going to see an abortion. No. Why not? I don't want to see something like that. Why don't you want to see something that you support 100%? If you really understood it and supported it you wouldn't have a problem seeing it. You support "choice" because it's an abstract idea and not something that you've really considered what it is in reality. I got a dirty look

Posted by: TheQuietMan at November 12, 2012 10:09 AM (1Jaio)

513 The entire GOP is too divded to win shit. Fiscal, socons, libertarians and consitutionalists. One gets butthurt they all suffer. I don't know what the fuck the answer is.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet, Wonders what Dagny thinks at November 12, 2012 10:10 AM (3Y7RV)

514 "All this talk of getting rid of the SoCons is stupid." Shouldn't get rid of them, just need to shut them up. I understand some of yall love your Jesus, but you are scaring away potential voters. Need to focus on everyday issues, not mythology. Folks who are not religious are scared away from religion because they fear that person will make decisions based on it instead of what's going on here on earth. The GOP needs to speed up party realignment. The big govt. conservatives should become Democrats and the classic liberals should all be Republicans by now.

Posted by: The Pitt at November 12, 2012 10:10 AM (9bWs4)

515 Federal enforcement of the Ten Commandments would be akin to a Judeo-Christian Sharia and I for one ain't going there.
Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 01:59 PM (o+SC1)

------------------------------------------------

So what would be the basis of the law you would advocate? I'll be waiting.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 02:06 PM (00XQo)

------------------------------------------

Still waiting.

Posted by: Soona at November 12, 2012 10:10 AM (00XQo)

516 Hey fine with me, but you first might want to ask your lambs why obama
won the Catholic vote? I'd be curious to know the answer to that one
also????

Obama did not win the "catholic vote". He won the "Black and Hispanic Vote" most of which were CINO. The real church going Catholics went for Romney.

Posted by: Vic at November 12, 2012 10:11 AM (YdQQY)

517 Hey, how we doin with Asians?

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet, Wonders what Dagny thinks at November 12, 2012 10:11 AM (3Y7RV)

518 I understand some of yall love your Jesus, but you are scaring away potential voters.
***
When we ran the Jebus loving hillbilly we won. Twice.

Since then we are 0-2

Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 10:12 AM (AUeaU)

519 End the culture war would be at the top of my list.

Enough of the "Reagan won 49 states on that platform". This country was much different 30 years ago. We don't talk about outlawing porn anymore or having teachers in public school lead the class in prayer. People simply aren't as religious as they once were, and politicians are not going to make this country more moral. It's killing us and it's all for nothing.

We need to build a new coalition, and ending the culture war might mean we don't run up big numbers anymore in the Bible belt (but the GOP got slaughtered there anyway with many Senate races) but we could once again compete in the East and West Coast and New England.

The cultural issues are only going to kill us more as time goes by. We got a brief respite from those issue because of 9/11, but you could see it creeping up to destroy the GOP (Bush and the GOP essentially lost in 2000, had 9/11 not happened, we would have been wiped out)

Also, for those that think it was just a minor turnout issue, we lost with an 8% UNEMPLOYMENT RATE. Imagine what voters will do when we don't have the economy to run on.

Posted by: McAdams at November 12, 2012 10:12 AM (aVSeo)

520 Oh, and your model Senator Scott Brown got his ass kicked by a fake Indian. Go ahead and run Mitts and Browns and see how great the party does. What doesn't sell is the fiscal conservatism. Deal with that. Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 02:01 PM (ytax

Scott Brown came very close in an extreme Blue State with coattail votes going to his fake Indian opponent. he did far better in a deep blues state than Akin and MoreDick did in a deep red state. maybe your'e correct!

Posted by: Avi at November 12, 2012 10:12 AM (40anC)

521 It is not fiscally-conservative to support fighting two foreign wars and cutting taxes. It is national suicide.

Posted by: Slart at November 12, 2012 10:14 AM (qRuw3)

522 The party that is tolerant of everything except intolerance is a perfect match for our culture today.

Posted by: hannitys_hybrid at November 12, 2012 10:14 AM (MmH0Z)

523 "Socons were not muzzled. Socons got their prized "no abortions EVAR under any circumstances" plank in the platform. And several different socons made hugely damaging, nutty sounding statements about God, rape and abortion (three things that don't go well together) that had immediate detectable negative long-lasting effects on our polling. If neither of these things (the platform plank or the nutty comments) had happened, I would concede that socons were in fact muzzled this cycle. They were not. Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 02:04 PM (ymG7s)" The party platform on abortion is unchanged from 1980. Now suddenly that's a great sacrifice? Because two guys said stupid shit when asked, SoCons weren't muzzled? We can go back to threads and show thousands of comments from people saying, "stay away from social issues! The economy will win this!" Where was the response on contraception? Where was the defense of the party platform (you know, how Mitt said he disagreed with it after Akin?) We can look at Mitt's social issue-free campaign. This is just scapegoating the one faction that voted, vainly trying to make this not about fiscal issues. But it was.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 10:14 AM (iy7de)

524 Confiscate and give away business owners assets. It is the only way to compete against Santa Claus.

Posted by: d_fitz at November 12, 2012 10:16 AM (vu3g7)

525 @520 - The Constitution.

Regulation of abortion is not a 'necessary and proper' function of the Federal government. It wasn't in 1783 and it isn't now.

What the states do should be largely up to them.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 10:16 AM (o+SC1)

526 #516

I suspect a substantial number of those who voted Republican in CA in 2008 no longer live in CA. My brother is one of them. But his new state went blue this year, too.

Posted by: epobirs at November 12, 2012 10:16 AM (kcfmt)

527 What the states do should be largely up to them
___
Yeehaw! Damn these Republicans wanted to tell us what we can do with our property!

Posted by: Jefferson Davis at November 12, 2012 10:17 AM (AUeaU)

528 Government-provided contraceptives, but only for Democrats.

Posted by: Socratease at November 12, 2012 10:17 AM (iVBDH)

529 @528 - the problem is we're back to Terri Schiavo.

For every one voter energized by a bunch of GOP legislators lining up behind using Federal power to enforce a moral judgment, another half-dozen were chased away.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 10:17 AM (o+SC1)

530 "Scott Brown came very close in an extreme Blue State with coattail votes going to his fake Indian opponent. " Um, no he didn't. He lost 54% - 46%.

Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 10:18 AM (BNuW6)

531 I'm telling you, it has nothing to do with SoCons, FisCons, or any other ideological position. The base cares about those issues, and the base, if given basic support, will be there. The moderates are the key, and they're NOT ideological in any way. At all. Ever. They vote for a personality and an image. It really doesn't matter what you believe if you sell the right image. Remember the Donald complaining about their "messaging" in 2004? Yeah, they were right. With Obama and Axelrod, they finally have a winning team.

Posted by: rfichoke at November 12, 2012 10:19 AM (xfLkJ)

532 "Romney and Reince Preibus really should have gone to Missouri and locked Todd Akin in a room with them until they got a signed statement from him withdrawing from the race. Then they should have picked Sarah Steelman as the GOP candidate."

With you, but MO election law precluded standing Steelman in the general.

But Akin should have had the million pound shithammer dropped on him within one day of his statement. Or less. There were others who could have stood in his place.

Really, "if you're raped, and you get pregnant, it wasn't a *legitimate* rape," is utterly fucking insane. Utterly insane. Romney should have responded with massive overwhelming firepower to that. And failed to do so.

That Romney thus failed to react to such an obvious and key moment really tells me that, while Obama sucks, we dodged a bullet with Romney. Bad instincts. A tepid wimp who would have not rolled back the leviathan state and would have lasted only one term.

At least now, next time, we have a shot at electing a true reformer who might pull two terms.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 10:19 AM (ymG7s)

533 @523

+1000

Posted by: T. Hunter at November 12, 2012 10:19 AM (EZl54)

534 We need to blanked in different languages how much many was spent ON EACH INDIVIDUAL. Get billboards reading "Obama spent $84,000 on you that you didn't get: THEY STOLE YOUR MONEY." Keep this up, then reveal "they" as rich lawyers, rich judges, rich politicians, and rich church members who support leftists. Pictures of them and their riches on billboards all off the nation, localized to the leftists in each specific area.

Posted by: twoslaps at November 12, 2012 10:20 AM (pbUEP)

535 He lost 54% - 46%. Posted by: Bevel Lemelisk at November 12, 2012 02:18 PM (BNuW6) Yep. He sold out the GOP for his constituants and still got his ass kicked by a lying POS. I know there is a lesson in there somewhere.

Posted by: Oldsailors Poet, Wonders what Dagny thinks at November 12, 2012 10:20 AM (3Y7RV)

536 Reposted serious question because I don't know

I know that a city can incorporate county area but :

Can a state politically kick a city out ?

Create an "urban island" surrounded by the state border?

Posted by: T. Hunter at November 12, 2012 10:21 AM (EZl54)

537 We just need smarter voters.

Posted by: Marmo at November 12, 2012 10:21 AM (QW+AD)

538 #517

Yeah, that ain't gonna work. I love me a good steak but that doesn't mean I spend a lot of time on the Slaughterhouse Channel on my cable service. Considering all of the other looney stuff they have I'm sure it's there somewhere.

I approve of people getting open heart surgery when needed. Doesn't mean I want to watch more than once.

Posted by: epobirs at November 12, 2012 10:21 AM (kcfmt)

539 Should be "The Donks". Stupid autocorrect.

Posted by: rfichoke at November 12, 2012 10:21 AM (xfLkJ)

540
Get billboards reading "Obama spent $84,000 on you that you didn't get: THEY STOLE YOUR MONEY."
***
That's pretty good.

Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 10:22 AM (AUeaU)

541 @526 - agreed, to a point.

The problem, of course, is that we have not been fighting two foreign 'wars'.

We've been trying to extend the US concept of civil society to a couple foreign states, while we use the lawfare-riddled military to suppress adverse elements in those places. It's as if we'd tried to roll out the Marshall Plan while we were still squatting on Omaha Beach, with some lawyer in the Pentagon telling the 8th USAAF what the loadout in their B-17s should be.

Crush 'em flat dead first or they won't respect you.

The notion that we should be at war in Afghanistan, of all places, for a decade and a half, and Iraq for nearly a decade, is farcical.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 10:22 AM (o+SC1)

542 Yep. He sold out the GOP for his constituants and still got his ass kicked by a lying POS. I know there is a lesson in there somewhere.
***
Sell out more!

Posted by: Bill Kristol at November 12, 2012 10:23 AM (AUeaU)

543 Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 02:19 PM (ymG7s)

Revisionist history. Romney and the RNC nuked him from orbit.

In fact I recall a lot of TruCons saddened by the fact that Romney spent time at ALL distancing himself.

Posted by: HoboJerky, now with 45% more DOOM! at November 12, 2012 10:23 AM (xAtAj)

544 Clarification on my question @541
Could an unincorporated county take over/unincorporate a city?

Posted by: T. Hunter at November 12, 2012 10:23 AM (EZl54)

545 Billboard reading: Obama spent $120,986 over the last four years and that money was supposed to go to YOU. Did you get yours? All of it? Who took it? Who took YOUR money that Obama tried to give you?" Build up that envy and hatred, then reveal which leftists did take money like Solyndra or Rezko's land deals or whatever, wherever the leftists operate. Politicians need to be pictured via conservative paparazzi using their wealth like leftists use their stolen wealth, then those pics need to be shown on high billboards.

Posted by: twoslaps at November 12, 2012 10:24 AM (pbUEP)

546 Brown did better than Akin and MoreDick

Posted by: Avi at November 12, 2012 10:27 AM (40anC)

547

"How Would You Fix the Republican Party?"

Fix it? F**K IT! Stop fighting for something that is already terminally broken. This applies to the entire federal leviathan. We need to concentrate our efforts at the local level to create as many oases as possible for like-minded individuals to weather the coming storm. To hell with Washington, D.C.

Posted by: Foul Harold at November 12, 2012 10:27 AM (m/WmK)

548 Have a few good states secede. This unity of the states is no longer a productive enterprise.

Posted by: Not productive at November 12, 2012 10:27 AM (Kd6lF)

549 "We've been trying to extend the US concept of civil society to a couple foreign states, while we use the lawfare-riddled military to suppress adverse elements in those places. It's as if we'd tried to roll out the Marshall Plan while we were still squatting on Omaha Beach, with some lawyer in the Pentagon telling the 8th USAAF what the loadout in their B-17s should be. Crush 'em flat dead first or they won't respect you. The notion that we should be at war in Afghanistan, of all places, for a decade and a half, and Iraq for nearly a decade, is farcical."

This times a quintillion.

But let's not lose sight of where that mincing, rules of engagement, politically correct, respect your enemies while they try to kill you attitude originally began.

It started with George W. Bush and his nonsense about how "Islam is a religion of peace".

I threw my beer across the room when I heard that from him. Wanted to puke.

I've said before that the Bush family's long term legacy is the destruction of actual conservatism after Reagan. I stand by that with feet solidly planted.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 10:29 AM (ymG7s)

550 @550 - 1/2 step would have been enough to get elected in MO.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 10:30 AM (o+SC1)

551 OMG WTF !!! I dont know what happened. Im an idiot.

Posted by: Chairman Mow at November 12, 2012 10:30 AM (RGDtb)

552 After the 2004 election, the Democratic Party changed tactics, not ideology. I see in the Democrats plan some good ideas. How about contesting all 50 states? How about letting each state party decide what it wants to do, instead of having some national plan? How about raising more money early than waiting to run ads late? How about mocking Obama and having signs that say "don't blame me, I voted for Romney?"

Remember, Obama is not more like Bush. He is not someone who has been in Washington a long time. He is not someone who has ducked a re-election campaign. He is ambitious, and it caused him to run, not sit out. He was an insurgent, not the establishment candidate.

Also, David Petraeus, Mark Sanford, and Jerry Sandusky have two things in common: 1) they were ambitious men who refused an opportunity to advance to the highest positions in their fields for no reason anyone could understand, and 2) they had skeletons in their closets. Before we commit resources, we need to know why Marco Rubio did not get selected as Romney's VP.

Posted by: Carl at November 12, 2012 10:31 AM (jqxbo)

553 Make yahoos like Akin, Mourdock, and Huckabee feel generally unwelcome in the party. They do little for the GOP aside from scaring the shit out of single female voters.

Posted by: reggie182 at November 12, 2012 10:31 AM (sSCew)

554 Akin is a Psychotic flake and he and his magic uterus followers must be expunged. But after Akin all candidates that were lifers with no exception should have memorized good answers. The fact that MoreDick didn't only shows how unready he was. Our Tea Party candidates work when they are competent not idiots

Posted by: Avi at November 12, 2012 10:33 AM (40anC)

555 Nominate an good looking man who is a smooth talker who says things like..."I love you" while blowing kisses... Someone like Marco Rubio.... Also women hate other women (unless they are feminist lesbians or bisexuals) which will work great if Hillary is the Dems 2016 nominee.

Posted by: William Eaton at November 12, 2012 10:33 AM (rwioF)

556

Potential voters whould be greeted with the following:

"thanks for showing up to the polling place, please select one from the following three items: a $25 Wal-Mart gift card, a $25 Starbucks gift card, or a ballot."

Posted by: Rory at November 12, 2012 10:34 AM (IL9gH)

557 @555 - There's no question that Bush, and specifically his trust in Rumsfeld and the Rumsfeld-headed DoD, is responsible for how the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were fought.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 10:34 AM (o+SC1)

558 Excommunicate Huckabee et al. Declare an end to deficit spending. If the American people want spending, they get taxed. Let the electorate feel the pain of increased government spending. "High taxes" is one of the few things DEMs can't credibly blame on the GOP.

Posted by: Hussein in the Membrane at November 12, 2012 10:35 AM (EX+sq)

559 We are the most dependable constituent SoCons threw a Ron Paul like tantrum and let Obama win

Posted by: FiCons at November 12, 2012 10:36 AM (CISf2)

560 "Revisionist history. Romney and the RNC nuked [Akin] from orbit."

Nope. Not even close. I said Romney needed to go, personally and physically, to MO and hold a huge press conference in which he said, "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. AKIN MUST LEAVE THE RACE."

That didn't happen. Nothing close to it did.

There's a rule of communication which says that you communicate even when you opt not to communicate.

Romney chose not to communicate an unambiguous message of rejection of Akin. The Democrats spun that as tacit acceptance of Akin's nuttiness.

Who won?

Who won?

Think, for Pete's sake.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 10:36 AM (ymG7s)

561 @560 - the real problem is this: any sensible GOP candidate for national office should be able to take any question about abortion and immedately turn it into a denunciation of Federal funding of same.

There should be no discussion of morality, or biology, or even legality of the basic procedure. Just funding and mandates.

Posted by: JEM at November 12, 2012 10:36 AM (o+SC1)

562

"Secede"
"Let. It. Burn."
"Revolution"

"Not funny. Not serious. Not the way to win hearts and minds or build community. "

No, not funny at all. But very serious. And I could give a shit about the hearts, minds, and communities of those who are too corrupt, stupid, lazy, or evil to value Liberty over Free Shit.

We're fucked without a hard reboot.

Posted by: Jaws at November 12, 2012 10:37 AM (4I3Uo)

563 Nope. Not even close. I said Romney needed to go, personally and physically, to MO and hold a huge press conference in which he said, "THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE. AKIN MUST LEAVE THE RACE." it would have been good theatre but Akin thought he was on a mission from G-d and wouldnt leave.

Posted by: Avi at November 12, 2012 10:38 AM (40anC)

564 Cannot believe that no one has suggested the obvious.

Rename Republican party the Demoncrat party.

Winning!!!

Posted by: shibuimi at November 12, 2012 10:38 AM (z63Tr)

565 Make yahoos like Akin, Mourdock, and Huckabee feel generally unwelcome in the party. They do little for the GOP aside from scaring the shit out of single female voters.

Posted by: reggie182 at November 12, 2012 02:31 PM (sSCew)

I'm not mad at Mourdock for his statement--I voted for the guy, after all, since I vote straight-ticket GOP as a matter of conviction. I'm mad at him for his poor political instincts and lack of polish. He wasn't ready for the big leagues.

Akin and Huckabee, on the other hand? Screw them. Akin's an idiot, but Huckabee isn't. Huckabee's a cornpone Machiavellian who sees himself as a GOP kingmaker and wants to stake out a claim on the Christian Right constituency--or he's completely delusional and aspires to another run at the Presidency. Either way, he hurts more than he helps.

Posted by: troyriser at November 12, 2012 10:39 AM (vtiE6)

566 DEM Strategy - Come on in illegals, goats and child molesters!

GOP Strategy - Got to get rid of the damn SO CONS !

Stupid Republican self immolation.

Posted by: T. Hunter at November 12, 2012 10:40 AM (EZl54)

567 Sacrifice one RINO every week during the primaries, two a week during the election. And 5 RINOs on election day just to let 'em know we mean bidness.

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at November 12, 2012 10:40 AM (eHIJJ)

568 570 - I like it. Those 13 Philly wards who voted 99% Obama would probably split 50/50 in future elections.

Posted by: Hussein in the Membrane at November 12, 2012 10:40 AM (EX+sq)

569 Allow Europe to pick our president.

Posted by: Timwi at November 12, 2012 10:41 AM (pdhxN)

570 Burn it to the ground.

Posted by: TexBob at November 12, 2012 10:42 AM (pUOpM)

571 *Declare an end to deficit spending. If the American people want spending, they get taxed. Let the electorate feel the pain of increased government spending.* Damned straight. If you want a trillion dollars of goods and services, then you will pay a trillion dollars. And both D and R want lots of goods and services (at someone else's expense.)

Posted by: Slart at November 12, 2012 10:42 AM (qRuw3)

572

First-

Abortion as an issue has devovled into blatant demagoguery by both sides. Let's be honest: IF, and it is now a resoundingly unlikely for the next generation IF, Roe v Wade were overturned, it would not stop a single abortion anywhere in the country.

It would revert it back to the States, where arguably it should have been left in the first place. Roe v Wade created a "right" out of the nether regions of the 14 th amendment, and totally subverted the explicit rights retained by the States in the 10th.

Back before the culuture had imploded to the pathetic state it is in now, Pro- Life arguments could rile up a certain constituency of voters to go to the polls. Now, with a generation of girls voting their lady parts - the Voting Vaginas- rather than whether or not they can get a job, this demagoguery of "Republicans want you to be raped and forced to carry the child" wins- Dumbasses like Akin and Mourdock who took the Santorum approach of out pro-lifing everyone in a 30 mile radius didn't help.

The same judicial philosophy that would reduce the scope of government would also be conducive somewhat to the social conservatives' views. We should treat this constitutuency like the Dems do Blacks- but unlike the Blacks, they have really nowhere else to go- the Democratic Party of today is about as godless and anti-christian as any party in western civilization. Besides, the christian right obviously don't carry the weight they used to.

SECOND- Rather than sellout on immigration, DELINK controlling the border from immigration reform. Lock it down before any discussion on amnesty, work visas, path to citizenship, etc. Otherwise we run the risk of thousands more trying to come in under the wire. Plus the existing laws will allow us to filter out even more of the nastier criminals and thugs among the illegals here already while this goes on.

Why these two issues are joined at the hip is a travesty- border control is a national security concern, particularly since 9/11. This approach is sensible, and would alleviate the ignorant calls of RAAACISM! , at least for a little while.

Posted by: Gerry Owen at November 12, 2012 10:42 AM (4ABat)

573 Warren / Brown: 53.7 / 46.3 Is 46.3 close? maybe not but it's a lot better than Romney's 37.6. Remember we're talking about MA a state that pretty much elected a democrat to congress solely based on his last name (Kennedy) and reelected another Democrat (Tierney) for no other reason than his party.

Posted by: ADK46er at November 12, 2012 10:42 AM (hcRCp)

574 We just need to pray more.

Posted by: Hussein in the Membrane at November 12, 2012 10:43 AM (EX+sq)

575 #442 I sell on eBay, and for some time the purchases from foreign nationals has kept my sales up. I have done particularly well with Canada and Australia. Sales to Europeans have been down (except for that Russian in France who tried to scam me for 6 Hummels, but I wasn't tricked and reported her. HA!)

I imagine Chinese tourists will be the next thing. I cant' sell to them due to their internet being isolated from ours, for the most part.

Posted by: Miss Marple at November 12, 2012 10:44 AM (GoIUi)

576 When we ran the Jebus loving hillbilly we won. Twice.

Since then we are 0-2

Posted by: 18-1 at November 12, 2012 02:12 PM (AUeaU)

Your Jebus loving hillbilly Bush turned out to be a big spending, deficit loving big government jerk who didn't do a damn thing about abortion but did blow up the economy and damaged the GOP brand so badly that it may never recover.

The GOP should definitely pass on drinking any more of that kool aid.

Posted by: cool breeze at November 12, 2012 10:44 AM (A+/8k)

577 T. Hunter: GOP Strategy - Got to get rid of the damn SO CONS ! Stupid Republican self immolation.

You lost. You cost us an election. Americans prefer a candidate that sits in the pews, and not one that sits behind the pulpit.

Posted by: Kristophr at November 12, 2012 10:46 AM (wYVte)

578 LET. IT. BURN. !!!

Posted by: Evilpens at November 12, 2012 10:51 AM (ck76k)

579

The GOP ran two RINOs back to back, and it's social conservatives that aren't attracting voters?

Posted by: Dr. Eviler at November 12, 2012 10:54 AM (/y4N7)

580 The problem with the Scott Brown example is it didn't matter what his position on abortion was, it was the fact he was going to caucus with Akin and Mourdock. They tainted the entire brand, Elizabeth Warren's numbers turned positive as soon as became a national issue and she got to campaign against Akin instead of Scott Brown. Democrats ran against Akin in all 50 states, and it worked.

And we're the same way. Everytime a "Manchin" blue Dog Democrat tries their conservative act in deep red states, we wisely understand it's usually horse shit, they're going to vote with their party 90% of the time.

That's why it's not enough to end the culture war in just the deep blue states, it needs to be ended everywhere, especially considering it doesn't even sell in the Bible Belt anymore.

Posted by: McAdams at November 12, 2012 10:58 AM (aVSeo)

581 The RNC needs to be a single-issue party: Tort Reform. America could actually afford ObamaCare, if we weren't shoveling all the money to lawyers instead of doctors and nurses. Think of late night TV, and all the ads you see wanting you to sue a drug company or medical device company. Those lawyers are the problem. The lawyers, and the corrupt judges are the truly evil "1%"ers that are parasites on our economy. Just as defeating ObamaCare should have been our first priority, now defeating ObamaCare from the other side - through Tort Reform - should be our priority.

Posted by: dustydog at November 12, 2012 10:59 AM (K550W)

582

Idiots on our side are just doing wonders pushing these secession petitions on the White House website.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH THESE PEOPLE???

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 11:00 AM (aBlZ1)

583 @ dustydog That is not a bad idea...or how about a ban on all lawyers from running for congress and the president for 10 years. That would solve a lot of our national problems....

Posted by: William Eaton at November 12, 2012 11:02 AM (rwioF)

584 Idiots on our side are just doing wonders pushing these secession petitions on the White House website.

WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH THESE PEOPLE???

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 03:00 PM (aBlZ1)

I think secession is the only hope. We are past the tipping point.

The country needs a divorce.

Posted by: cool breeze at November 12, 2012 11:03 AM (A+/8k)

585 To appeal to hispanics, we need to redefine the republican party as the TRUE party of the worker. In puerto rico, the conservative party's logo is a blue palm tree; however the liberal party's symbol is a red guy in a sombrero, a field worker. Hispanics and latinos for the most part, immigrate here believing that they are the part of the party of the the little guy, the worker, the downtrodden. . . aka the democrats. They are sold this idea from day 1 by the dems and they foolishly believe them. Little do they know that in today's economy, republicans are becoming the TRUE party of the worker, protecting them from the government taking all their money, and the takers who feed off government largesse. Republicans are for the makers not the takers. We believe in hard work, as do most hispanics. We believe in the little guy, we want them to find their own version of success. There has to be a way to get this message to them; then we can convert them without falling on the sword of default amnesty. Blank check amnesty is a mistake, and does not address the real problem.

Posted by: LizLem at November 12, 2012 11:04 AM (8wqqE)

586 "The GOP ran two RINOs back to back, and it'ssocial conservatives that aren't attracting voters?"

Criminy.

It's not that social conservatives aren't attracting voters.

It's that socons are REPELLING voters.

Politics comes down to (a) people who will always vote for you, (b) people who will never vote for you, and (c) people who might vote one way or the other who you have to win over.

Independents are the fastest growing vote bloc in the country. Romney figured he had them sewn up. He didn't. It turns out independents don't like hearing about how some rapes are something "God intended" and how women have magic rape sperm detectors in their crotches.

If the GOP can't figure out something this simple, we *are* doomed.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 11:05 AM (ymG7s)

587

591-

By losing this election, the coming changes in the courts basicly makes the social conservative's wishes on Abortion, Prayer, and Gay Marriage moot for a generation or two.

They may as well start clamouring to bring back the 8-track.

Why waste time and political capital chasing a lost cause?

Posted by: Gerry Owen at November 12, 2012 11:05 AM (4ABat)

588

Declare an end to deficit spending. If the American people want spending, they get taxed. Let the electorate feel the pain of increased government spending.*

bingo,give the man a cigar

Posted by: kj at November 12, 2012 11:06 AM (AW9md)

589 602nd.

Posted by: Just a redditor at November 12, 2012 11:06 AM (pLTLS)

590

Late again.

If it hasn't been said before, ...

QUIT ACTING LIKE ELECTIONS ARE A SURPRISE!!!!

They happen quite regurally.....FIGURE IT OUT!!!!

Who are we going to run in 2016?? (Sound familiar??)

WHAT, THEY HAVEN't BEEN BORN YET????

WTF???

Posted by: dDan at November 12, 2012 11:07 AM (q1RJB)

591

#594 George W. Bush ran on tort reform. Rick Perry had made it a key point in his platform before he imploded too. He still insists passing tort reform in Texas was a key to the economic boom the state had enjoyed, and the continuing influx of jobs and people.

Really, though, the House Republicans should spend the next 2 years passing stupid, meaningless shit bills like the Lily Ledbetter Act but with important and liberal sounding names like the Women's Health Choices Act and the Educational Equality Act. This seems to work for Democrats.

Posted by: rockmom at November 12, 2012 11:08 AM (aBlZ1)

592

The Republican party doesn't need fixing the American electorate does

Posted by: kj at November 12, 2012 11:09 AM (AW9md)

593 I remember the Reagan years.

I remember how there was a National March For Life every year on the Washington Mall.

And I remember how Reagan never ever personally appeared out on the Mall to address those marchers, even though he physically was only a few blocks away at the time. He sent greetings on recorded video. That was it.

So let's see. We have a guy who keeps a wary distance from the hardest-line anti-abortion bloc, and wins the White House twice. Maybe, just maybe, there is something to be gleaned from this? "Big tent" ring a bell?

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 11:10 AM (ymG7s)

594 602 602nd.

I flew with that outfit.

Posted by: Biden, Joe, reporting at November 12, 2012 11:10 AM (GdalM)

595 Screw this...The GOP should promise to make prostitution and drugs legal. That should take away some democratic voters... Free drugs and sex if you vote GOP!

Posted by: William Eaton at November 12, 2012 11:11 AM (rwioF)

596 torquewrench I will not vote for a party that advanced slavery, and I will not vote for a party that advanced killing those that are inconvenient - a radical form of slavery. Either humans inherently possess a right to life, or they possess inherently no rights. That is the question. Want a "big tent" without pro-lifers? Fine, the Democratic Party has always been there to take care of any "turn people into things without rights" actions you need to take. There's your tent. It's filled with blood. Enjoy.

Posted by: Inspector Asshole at November 12, 2012 11:13 AM (JVGuP)

597 "By losing this election, the coming changes in the courts basicly makes the social conservative's wishes on Abortion, Prayer, and Gay Marriage moot for a generation or two.
They may as well start clamouring to bring back the 8-track.
Why waste time and political capital chasing a lost cause?"

I'm almost wondering if the best thing that could happen to the GOP is if a liberal Supreme Court made gay marriage legal in all 50 states before we kill ourselves on this issue over the coming years.

I remember when Santorum went to the Senate floor and went on a ridiculous tirade about bestiality because the Supreme Court struck down sodomy laws. These are the people that need to be shown the door, guess which generation you're going to lose forever when you're LITERALLY for enforcing sodomy laws with cops busting into people's bedrooms.

Also, what candidates like Akin showed is that the NRSC NEEDS to get involved in primaries. The fact that Akin got over a million dollars in ads from McCaskill shows you that Democrats LOVE them some SoCons and are going to play this card till they have every branch of government.

Posted by: McAdams at November 12, 2012 11:13 AM (aVSeo)

598

Posted by: dDan at November 12, 2012 03:07 PM (q1RJB)

In view of your suggestion, that was an attempt at unseriousness.

Bcause, it will never happen.

Posted by: dDan at November 12, 2012 11:13 AM (q1RJB)

599 "No Abortion under Any Circumstances." Yep. That position just locked up 20% of the vote that was already locked, and turned off 40% that were potentially persuadable. oops. But every sperm is sacred.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 11:14 AM (hNXHo)

600

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 03:05 PM (ymG7s)

Yes, Akin's remarks were uneducated and damaging. Mourdock's remarks were taken completely out of context and no one from our side was willing to call bullshit. Perception is reality.

The problem is that socons have held their noses the last two elections and voted for democrat-lite. Romney was a terrible nominee. He eliminated a key issue that helped make gains in 2010 - gov't healthcare. Then you have idiots like Ann Coulter defending him and RINO Christie. Socons are to the point now that if the GOP doesn't want them they will walk away. It would be better to vote for a third party then to continue to run losers that don't hold the same values.

Posted by: Dr. Eviler at November 12, 2012 11:15 AM (/y4N7)

601 But every sperm is sacred. You're not going anywhere if you're misrepresenting entirely the full position. That is not anything close to any aspect of any pro-life position in any place in the US. So why did you use it? Possibly because you are not able to accurately say anything. It is a question of this : What capital crime has been committed by a child that requires his/her execution by the state? Lacking that, is the mother's life under direct and immediate threat? If so, then you can kill for self defense. That is, if you allow a child - unique in his or her genetics, if left alone able to reach adulthood -to be killed for convenience. The only way you can square that circle is if you deny humanity to someone due to technology. A human has inherent rights. Those who commit murder for convenience disregard and disdain the concept of inherent rights.

Posted by: Inspector Asshole at November 12, 2012 11:21 AM (JVGuP)

602 614 So why did you use it? Because I'm parroting our enemies. That's how *they* use it. And they win.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 11:22 AM (hNXHo)

603 If I'm going to be dragged kicking and screaming into fighting this fucking war, I'm not doing it with a fucking RINO hand behind my back. The gloves must come off, the Earth must be scorched, and we must play to win. Fuck that nice guy bullshit.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 11:24 AM (hNXHo)

604 @615,616: So is the logical step for SoCons to then return fire at you and twist Libertarian arguments beyond all recognition? You know, to win?

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 11:28 AM (Y5I9o)

605 "I will not vote for a party that advanced slavery, and I will not vote for a party that advanced killing those that are inconvenient - a radical form of slavery."

Great. Take that absolute, uncompromising maximalist stance.

Then lose election after election and watch the thing you loathe become more and more deeply entrenched in the national fabric as a result.

My moral calculus says that if I have a choice between some "killing of those that are inconvenient" and a whole lot more of "killing of those that are inconvenient", and if those are my ONLY AVAILABLE CHOICES, then I must opt for the former.

Whenever I put this dilemma, I'm greeted with blathering. "But if..." No. There is no "but-if". You get these two choices.

That's what this comes down to. Those are the only available choices. It sucks. Sucks hard. But that's reality. Reality is that which sucks whether or not you subscribe to it.

And people who don't realize this are operating in literal unreality.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 11:28 AM (ymG7s)

606 @615,616 -- And furthermore, don't think once the Dems get you to kick the SoCons out by using their arguments, that they won't do exactly the same to your precious Libertarian arguments. You know, you're the ones who want to put arsenic in the water, put roach legs in candy bars, and abolish police and fire stations. I hear these bullshit arguments all the time in education, and it's the next shoe to drop after the socon's fall. We're a coalition against the Dems for a reason, not because we agree with each other, but because they Dems are out for all our blood and they're now playing divide and conquer, and you're playing right along

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 11:31 AM (Y5I9o)

607 Figure out why RNC's leadership and the GOP disincentivised 10 million registered voters from voting for anyone or anything. A tarot deck would've been more effective than ORCA. "When someone doesn't do the job you hired them to do, they've gotta go." paraphrasing Mr. Eastwood. Kick the RNC leadership to the curb, join them with the GOP "leaders" in the Senate. Promote based on performance, not seniority.

Engineer a new hydrogenated flavinoid oil to be added to Hot Pockets ASAP to flood the brain with endorphins at the phrases "fiscal responsibility" and embed the Constitution of the Republic in trance dance music, when played backwards. . .?

Posted by: TMN at November 12, 2012 11:32 AM (ok/PA)

608 "A human has inherent rights. Those who commit murder for convenience disregard and disdain the concept of inherent rights."

As I said: stand on that platform, and lose. Over and over, lose.

Which will result in more of the murders by which you are troubled.

It would be great if America as a whole subscribed to religiously based bright-line reasoning about abortion issues. America as a whole does not. Much of this country is irreligious, or softly religious, and thinks along dim rather than bright lines about abortion. That is hard cold reality.

Hard cold reality. Adapt to that or become irrelevant and extinct.

Posted by: torquewrench at November 12, 2012 11:33 AM (ymG7s)

609 Return to the 10th amendment. instead of trying to ban gey marriage, abortion everywhere , stress the 10th Let Alabama ans NJ choose what they want.

Posted by: avi at November 12, 2012 11:33 AM (40anC)

610 | Idiots on our side are just doing wonders pushing these secession petitions on the
| White House website.

I agree. It could cost us an election.

Posted by: Mr. Peabody at November 12, 2012 11:33 AM (uGiHE)

611

"400,000 votes spread over four states"

If Obama got an additional 350K votes more in NC and MO, he would have gotten an additional 20 electoral votes. See how that works?

Posted by: Jess Sayin at November 12, 2012 11:33 AM (PtxEO)

612 But every sperm is sacred.

______________

That is not anything close to any aspect of any pro-life position in any place in the US.

Posted by: Inspector Asshole at November 12, 2012 03:21 PM (JVGuP)

Obviously, you have forgotten me. Contraception is evil.

Posted by: Rick Santorum at November 12, 2012 11:33 AM (A+/8k)

613 We need to poop on more police cruisers. If Romney would have pooped on a cop car while wearing one of those Code Pink foam rubber vagina suits he woulda had this thing on lock. You know it, I know it. Let`s get this done, people.

Posted by: fire captain at November 12, 2012 11:34 AM (L8Qa7)

614 @621:"As I said: stand on that platform, and lose. Over and over, lose." --- ...Because the Libertarian party has been doing such a stellar job of getting votes, too.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 11:34 AM (Y5I9o)

615 Well, one logical step would be for the disparate entities under the big tent to do a little self-examination...you know, starting NOW. 1. Do you have any minority positions which you cling to and describe as "really fucking sacred" that may alienate over 50% of the electorate? (R)s, (D)s, (L)s all have a few here. 2. Which of those positions are you willing to walk away from in order to build a coalition that can win an election? 3. For any group that can't list one or more legitimate issues from #1 under #2, buy your own fucking tent. That's how it logically proceeds in my mind. Hey fellow Libertarians, the votes aren't there for abolishing the Fed. Can you live without it? Hey SoCons, the votes aren't there for ending abortion at the Federal level. Can you live without it? Can you work within your state to do whatever needs to be done within your state? Hey FisCons, the votes aren't there for "no tax hikes", but we may be able to do it for "no tax hikes for anyone making under $1M". Can you live with that? Etc., etc., etc. If we have a bunch of disparate groups, all of whom refuse to cave on their pet issue, it sounds like a really stupid way to populate a tent.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 11:35 AM (hNXHo)

616 Go bold and realize we may lose by doing so. When the collapse comes, have a set of solutions ready to rebuild the US from the ruins. Ryan wanted to go into poverty stricken areas and give speeches about big ideas, the Romney team held him back from doing so. I know why they did it and I don't think it would have made the difference this late in the game.

HOWEVER, there is no reason at all why we should be shy about our principles now. Go into places like DETROIT and other areas where liberalism has failed and point out how Conservative policies could improve conditions. This is not to get the black vote necessarily, it would be to call attention to the enormous failure of what 50 years of left wing policies brings about.

Do not let the MSM set the narrative. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD THEY BE ALLOWED TO MODERATE ANY MORE REPUBLICAN DEBATES OR EVEN THE GENERAL ELECTION. Demand truly objective moderators and be ready to explain why, with examples. We probably need to get get Boehner and McConnel to step aside because neither one makes a constant case for Conservatism. They simply are not eloquent or bold enough to do it, even though they may be well meaning.

We need to be clear to the American people about what is coming if we don't address the debt and such without sounding like Alex Jones and such. Ryan is a good guy for that. We should NOT pander on amnesty for illegals at all. That is only a Democrat vote pump.

Basically we need to understand we are probably going to lose at the ballot box for the next few cycles until the financial reckoning forces the American public to re-think this whole Santa Claus government idea. If we stand on our principles in the meantime we may be seen as the answer at that point. If not, it will be a free-for-all for control as we will have been on record as being no better than the other guy.

Posted by: Ken Royall at November 12, 2012 11:37 AM (x0g8a)

617 Hard cold reality. Adapt to that or become irrelevant and extinct.

Yeah, because your boy Mittens did such a great fucking job by ignoring and all these issues, right fuckwit?

Posted by: GMan at November 12, 2012 11:37 AM (sxq57)

618 @628 -- Ok, that's a MUCH more persuasive angle than taunting people with "every sperm is sacred". We're a coalition, and we need to tone it down, which means the Paulnuts and the Akins and the Santorums need to know that publicly testifying to their beliefs isn't helping.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 11:39 AM (Y5I9o)

619

Go into places like DETROIT and other areas where liberalism has failed and point out how Conservative policies could improve conditions. This is not to get the black vote necessarily, it would be to call attention to the enormous failure of what 50 years of left wing policies brings about.

I agree, except you don't need to win the black vote to 'get' it. If you could hit just 15%-20% it would be enough to alter the political map.

Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 11:39 AM (TULs6)

620

."..Because the Libertarian party has been doing such a stellar job of getting votes, too."

The Libertarian Party is a joke-

It stands for nothing more than legalizing pot. Gary Johnson was running around saying if they got 5% the Party would qualify for Federal Matching funds! The Libertarian Party, desperately trying to get Gummint money.

Pathetic.

Posted by: Gerry Owen at November 12, 2012 11:39 AM (4ABat)

621 Put Marco Rubio in a sombrero. That will fix everything.

Posted by: Jess Sayin at November 12, 2012 11:39 AM (PtxEO)

622 You need to halt the Left's march through the institutions of the culture (media, arts, entertainment, academia). Do this by going after its funding. This should be done as a compromise on the question of raising revenue. For the moment, spending cuts are off the board. Now it's just a matter of who's ox is going to get gored.

1. University endowments are tax havens of the 1%. Tax them punitively. This will raise some revenue in the short run and in the long run will reduce the power, prestige, and electoral reach of the professoriat.

2. Digital media. Do away with digital copyright. All digital media should be public domain. In the short run. this will increase the Republican's stature with the youth vote. In the long run, it cuts the profits of media corporations and reduces their ability to make unlimited in-kind donations to the Democrats every election.

3. Deductions. End tax deductions for things like donating a bazillion dollars to some Ivy League school. That's nothing but a tax dodge for rich liberals.

These are three things that can be done plausibly and that the Left would have a hard time defending. It's almost all upside for Republicans and the economic damage would be limited -- mostly -- to the other side.

Everything else: deck chairs. Titanic.

Posted by: Basil Seal at November 12, 2012 11:40 AM (xvN0P)

623

which means the Paulnuts and the Akins and the Santorums need to know that publicly testifying to their beliefs isn't helping.

LOL what Paulnut beliefs aren't helping, antiwar?

One of these things does not belong. One of things does not go together.

Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 11:40 AM (TULs6)

624 Again, this is a mere academic exercise. A thought experiment set up as if votes in any future election will ever be counted instead of merely "staged". This discussion would be quite interesting if we were discussing it in a place where you actually were capable of voting contrary to the desires of the far left. Fact is that it doesn't matter what we say or do or how we vote, message, campaign, or monitor. That all presupposes a free and fair election. That is not what we have, and it is not something we can expect.

Posted by: Inspector Asshole at November 12, 2012 11:41 AM (JVGuP)

625 @631 They were a coalition. I want this "GOP entity" that I'm considering someday supporting again (currently registered NPA) to rebuild its coalition from scratch, counting nobody amongst its ranks until they answer those three questions...yep. And if the reddest most reliable best turning out voting block - whoever they are - can't compromise with the other members of the coalition...fuck em. Fuck em, fuck em, fuck em. *They* became the third party, not us.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 11:42 AM (hNXHo)

626

2. Digital media. Do away with digital copyright. All digital media should be public domain. In the short run. this will increase the Republican's stature with the youth vote. In the long run, it cuts the profits of media corporations and reduces their ability to make unlimited in-kind donations to the Democrats every election.

I'm writing in Basil Seal for 2016.

Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 11:43 AM (TULs6)

627 @636 --- I said "Paulnuts", not "Ron Paul supporters", for a reason. If you hang around academia, you'll see that just as much propaganda goes out against people who talk about the Constitution like Ron Paul does, and this gets distorted into a caricature of the Libertarian position, which the Paulnuts play right into, just like Akin and Santorum play right into caricatures of SoCons.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 11:46 AM (Y5I9o)

628 619

I don't see too many conservatives making the more absurd anarchist arguments of Libertarianism or liberals getting much traction with it. You hit pay dirt though when it looks like you want the state to enforce your version of sexual morality. People shut off their rationality and will gladly pay a little more in taxes if it means the Akins of the world are shut down.

No one is saying we're going to win every voter, but it's clear to me that we have to find a coalition that can achieve a majority, and it's getting to the point where even conservatives can no longer stomach the SoCon idiocy.

Posted by: McAdams at November 12, 2012 11:48 AM (aVSeo)

629

Gary Johnson was running around saying if they got 5% the Party would qualify for Federal Matching funds!

Well Mitt Romney just gave nearly a billion conservative dollars to liberal media outlets and liberal campaign advisors for what amounts to no good reason whatsoever.

So, yeah. At least GJ didn't waste 1000 times as much money just to secure the same outcome.

Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 11:48 AM (TULs6)

630

628-

"Hey fellow Libertarians, the votes aren't there for abolishing the Fed. Can you live without it?"

Rather than clamour for the impossible, at least demand accountability and openess. I can agree to that- but do I REALLY want these fools in Congress mucking around with fiscal policy? Hell no.

Besides, the only thing most of the people who claim to be Libertarian" want is legal pot.

"Hey SoCons, the votes aren't there for ending abortion at the Federal level. Can you live without it? Can you work within your state to do whatever needs to be done within your state?"

Whether the votes were there or not is and WAS inconsequential- it is stuck in the judiciary, and every SoCon who stayed home or didn't vote for Romney because he was a Mormon just ended any chance of getting the Supreme Court populated with Judges that might have seen the fallacy of the Courts dealing with these issues. Point is moot, at least for 20 years or so by my reckoning.

"Hey FisCons, the votes aren't there for "no tax hikes", but we may be able to do it for "no tax hikes for anyone making under $1M". Can you live with that?"

Since this will mean we sacrifice growing the economy and therefore rendering any hope of fixing the budgetary mess we atre in, probably not.

But a part of me wants someone to stand up and say, "OK- we will back this. The rich will be fine. We always knew they would be. The only people hurt will be the 700,000 or so who will lose their jobs or not find one. You elected to go off the cliff? See ya at the bottom!"

Posted by: Gerry Owen at November 12, 2012 11:50 AM (4ABat)

631 Support abortion rights. Let them abort themselves out of existence.

Posted by: Doktor Zhivago at November 12, 2012 11:52 AM (scLNg)

632

I said "Paulnuts", not "Ron Paul supporters", for a reason.

Oh. Nobody can get them to shut up. Don't you think we would have already?

Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 11:53 AM (TULs6)

633

First forbid welfare recipients from voting. Second allow aborted fetuses a vote. Third nominate another moderate. Works every time. no pay for congress unless a budget is balanced. Lastly I think we start a taxpayer union and fight for collective bargaining with congress. What a riot.

Posted by: 3flukesaday at November 12, 2012 11:53 AM (tlQrW)

634 Maybe if we legalize heroin they'll be too comatose to talk.

Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 11:54 AM (TULs6)

635

642-

What the hell is your point? Libertarians are supposed to be against the concept of government involvement and funding, yet the Party is clamouring for a handout.

They do not stand for Libertarian values. They stand for legalized pot.

Change the name, and stop pretending.

Posted by: Gerry Owen at November 12, 2012 11:54 AM (4ABat)

636

Force the return of US Civics to grade school and high school: Constitution, Declaration of Independence, a little Burke, a little Adam Smith, some of the key Federalist Papers, and the history of the Constitutional Congress.

Understand these, and you will have prepared the ground for realizing that the debate of government's role in one's life belongs at the State and Municipal levels, not the Federal level.

Posted by: Lessons from the Ceramic Throne at November 12, 2012 11:54 AM (ze9yk)

637 So let me get this straight: The plan of the Libertarian wing of the GOP currently is to point at SoCons and scream to swing voters, "Hey, love us because we're not like THEM!" And this will get them enough votes too significantly offset the SoCons they blame for not voting after having been shit all over? And the once the SoCons are marginalized into a 3rd party, the Democrats and Liberal media won't start demonizing Libertarian policies with just as much gusto as they attack SoCon policy now?

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 11:55 AM (Y5I9o)

638 Support gay marriage. No offspring.

Posted by: Doktor Zhivago at November 12, 2012 11:55 AM (scLNg)

639

They do not stand for Libertarian values. They stand for legalized pot.

Well, republicans just don't want to get blaimed for raping women because the baby proves she was asking for it.

It seems like I too, took the Strawcrafting feat at the last level up.

Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 11:56 AM (TULs6)

640 I'm very strongly in favor of divorcing the several States from the Federal government.

My oath was to support and defend the Constitution, and the Feds have been the one to violate that contract. I can't fight the Feds and win, but I can take the words of the Moron who quoted Malcolm Reynolds on Election Night.

""I look out for me and mine. That don't include you 'less I conjure it does."

Posted by: SGT Dan at November 12, 2012 11:57 AM (O0YsD)

641 Support legalizing drugs. Let them drug themselves into oblivion.

Posted by: Doktor Zhivago at November 12, 2012 11:57 AM (scLNg)

642 Enjoy everyday with family while waiting for the end.

Posted by: Doktor Zhivago at November 12, 2012 11:58 AM (scLNg)

643 Every election should be publicly funded. Every candidate should have equal access to the airwaves (that our citizens themselves actually own). Every term should be limited. there should be no corporate $ in elections (and yes, last I checked, unions were corporations). Those are the things that (actually) get me hot and bothered. Those are my "pet issues". I think it's ridiculous we just as a nation shat $2+B for nothing. Basically we spent in excess of $2B to preserve the status quo. Wow. That's idiotic. I'm a heterosexual 42 year old male, happily married, and fixed. I would like to say I live in a world where I never have to hear the word 'abortion' again, because...get this, I was never (ever) going to have one, and as of a few years ago, I'll never cause another one. This Reagan guy spoke to me in my youth...you know, back when I was 16 or 17. I started out a Republican because he was a Republican. I stayed a Republican for a while. I know we can't start cloning yet (and I'd vote for Dick Nixon first), but can we really not come up with another charismatic leader? Is there a charismatic leader that can unite SoCons and FisCons and Libertarians and Evangelicals? Personally, I don't think there is. i don't think that individual can exist, much less already exists. I think it's a losing game to begin with. Which bring me back to the wrong tent. Again.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 11:58 AM (hNXHo)

644

Force the return of US Civics to grade school and high school

Wrong.

Force school choice.

Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 11:59 AM (TULs6)

645 @645:"Oh. Nobody can get them to shut up. Don't you think we would have already?" -- Ah, I see you don't like it either when people conflate your position with more extreme versions that happen to be more vocal and get more attention. There are a lot of SoCons who wish people like Akin and Santorum would STFU. I know you're going to say it's apples to oranges because radical SoCons are a bigger part of the GOP than Paulnuts, but it's still just as dickish to lambaste an entire constituency and read it all out of the movement due to one faction.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 12:00 PM (Y5I9o)

646 657 Force the return of US Civics to grade school and high school -- We do have civics, but the Liberals own it. I've been in education classes with current social studies teachers, and when they bring in examples of what they teacher their students, I just want to puke.

Posted by: JeremiadBullfrog at November 12, 2012 12:02 PM (Y5I9o)

647 Late to this but WTH.... How about we drop the social issues like abortion? And maybe be a little less preachy. We can't claim the higher ground of smaller, more fiscally responsible and less intrusive government if we are constantly saying " except for this...." And, no I do not approve of abortion. In fact in today's world I think it's about as valid as an iron lung. BUT it is the law of the land. The only thing that will get rid of it ( but never entirely) is for it to become socially unacceptable. You cannot legislate morality.

Posted by: Christmasghost at November 12, 2012 12:10 PM (CkK+I)

648

but it's still just as dickish to lambaste an entire constituency and read it all out of the movement due to one faction.

I haven't been and never will. I've been fighting back against this "let's blame the socons" BS even though it would be very easy and comforting to just scapegoat them and declare the solution is MOAR Libertarianism. I wish it to be so, which is all the more reason I should be suspicious of it.

Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 12:12 PM (TULs6)

649 And if you really want to keep us girls away from the voting machines...just put spiders on them. God! You guys are so clueless! Spiders work every time!

Posted by: Christmasghost at November 12, 2012 12:17 PM (CkK+I)

650 "How Would You Fix the Republican Party?"

Send the RINOs and the spineless pussies like Boehner packing.

Posted by: Blacque Jacques Shellacque at November 12, 2012 12:17 PM (F3HO3)

651 How would I fix the republican party? Tar and feather Boehner, Cantor and McConnel publicly.

Thus ended the lesson.

Posted by: George at November 12, 2012 12:23 PM (qBLA2)

652 As a socially liberal fiscal conservative, EVERY election is lesser of two evils for me personally. I assume it's the same for, oh...80% of this great Republic.

Posted by: Rob McNeece at November 12, 2012 12:27 PM (hNXHo)

653 How about we just nominate the most pristinely conservative legislators in 2016 and see how "NEED A TRUE CONSERVATIVE" works out?

Marco Rubio - Jim Jordan 2016!

(that was actually way less scary than I imagined it would be)

Posted by: WAGOPinTX at November 12, 2012 12:29 PM (fXInK)

654 The problem with the the "it's just the Akin, not all SoCons" is it all eventually leads back to the same point.

I think 99.9999% of us here agree the rape exception HAS to be in the pro-life plank. The fact that it was a BATTLE during the convention shows that this isn't just a single figure we're battling.

But if you're pro-life because you think abortion is a political issue because it's ALWAYS the taking of innocent life, you're doomed for failure.

A child conceived in rape is still innocent, so it's almost impossible to argue for the exception unless you're just going to say "because it's politically unpopular, we'll allow this murder to happen" You've thrown all credibility out the window because it's no longer a principled stand, you've already contradicted yourself. And that's why people that are really big on abortion issues can't help themselves and always fall into these traps.

Also, for those SoCons who actually think the pro-life plank could be passed into law, if you have the rape exception, it's essentially a loophole for every woman to get an abortion on demand. Are you really going to be the Party that questions whether or not it was a "legitimate" rape?

This issue is destined for failure in terms of politics and public policy. It's a MORAL issue that you can be as strident as you want to be personally and you never have to compromise your beliefs on but it's not something you can expect to be made into laws in the real world.

Posted by: McAdams at November 12, 2012 12:30 PM (aVSeo)

655

Mitt would have won if fewer than 167,000 voters in these states had flipped from D to R:

FL 36,600

OH 51,741

VA 57,956

NH 20,330

Mitt would also have won if 334,000 stay-at-home GOP voters had shown up.

These are based on CNN results so it might be wrong.

Posted by: Kortezzi at November 12, 2012 12:31 PM (zAZNI)

656 How about we don't allow Iowa and New Hampshire - two states that voted for Obama twice in overwhelming numbers - choose the GOP nominee in 2016.

Posted by: Mr. Moo Moo at November 12, 2012 12:33 PM (HDgX3)

657 Call Oprah, offer to bail out her TV channel -- it's still on, isn't it? -- as long as she puts pro freedom and self-reliance guests.

Posted by: PJ at November 12, 2012 12:34 PM (ZWaLo)

658
WHEREAS

Republicans have long acknowledged that our public education system is a complete failure, and have proposed various structural solutions that involve more than just allocating more money to education, by focusing on the two essential ingredients of successful reform: parental choice and competition. However, because of the Republican affinity for limited government, Federalism, and local control, most of these efforts have taken place at the state level. Federal efforts at improving education on a fundamentally structural level have been limited to pilot programs, like the DC Opportunity Scholarship program, and pairing further increases in funding with setting national standards; and

Posted by: Guvnah at November 12, 2012 12:37 PM (tXNVC)

659
WHEREAS

Republican adherence to Federalism and local control with respect to the issues of public schools is obsolete, and an unnecessary impediment to achieving full reform of the nation's public school systems. It has long been recognized that on issues of civil rights -- particularly as they apply to public school systems when those school systems inflict harm upon children of racial minorities -- subjecting local institutions to Federal control is entirely permissible under the United States Constitution; and

Posted by: Guvnah at November 12, 2012 12:38 PM (tXNVC)

660 WHEREAS

THE GREATEST CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE OF OUR TIME is the consignment of all children, but particularly poor children and children of historically disadvantaged groups such as African-Americans and Hispanics, to a failed and crumbling public school system. Because of their slavish devotion to the political contributions given to them by corrupt, uncompetitive and sclerotic Public Teacher UNIONS, today's Democratic Party -- as its forefathers Orval Farbus and George Wallace did in the 1950's -- are standing and blocking the schoolhouse door. In this instance, however, they are blocking the door from the inside, imprisoning children within schools that were chosen for them without their parent's consent, and which are operated according to the mandates of Public Teacher Unions which fail to educate them, and which thereby consign them to bleak future of continuing poverty and limited opportunity; and

Posted by: Guvnah at November 12, 2012 12:38 PM (tXNVC)

661 WHEREAS

It is a compelling federal interest, particularly in light of the historically intentional and continuing disparate effects that local educational policies have had on children of historically disadvantaged groups such as African-Americans and Hispanics, that the children of this country be provided with an education that is sufficient to prepare them for prosperous lives and full participation in this country's economic and civic arenas, without regard to their race, ethnicity, religion or national origin.

Posted by: Guvnah at November 12, 2012 12:38 PM (tXNVC)

662
THEREFORE:

AN ACT

1. This Act shall be titled, The Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity in Public Education Act of 2012

2. All funding originating from the government of the United States and provided to state authorities for the purpose of public education shall be equalized on a per student basis, from state to state.

3. All such funding received by state authorities shall hereafter be distributed by those authorities to the parents of minor children, on a pro-rata basis, in the form of educational vouchers that shall be redeemable, at the parents' sole and exclusive choice, for attendance at any school, public or private, within the state's geographic borders that is accredited by the Secretary of the Department of Education (the "Secretary").

Posted by: Guvnah at November 12, 2012 12:39 PM (tXNVC)

663 4. Any funding collected by levy or taxation by state governments that is spent by state governments for primary education purposes that are not capital improvements shall be distributed by those authorities to the parents of minor children, on a pro-rata basis, in the form of educational vouchers that shall be redeemable for attendance at any school, public or private, within the states geographic borders that is accredited by the United States Department of Education.

5. The various state departments of education shall be required to manage all local educational capital improvement bond programs to assure that all public school facilities within the state have available the same amount of funding, per student, for capital improvements, as any other school within the state, as such amounts may be adjusted to account for local prevailing construction and operation costs.

Posted by: Guvnah at November 12, 2012 12:39 PM (tXNVC)

664
6. No teacher in any state shall be required as a condition of employment to join a collective bargaining union. No public school authority shall be permitted to withhold from any employee pay, amounts for union dues. No public school shall be required to enter into collective bargaining with any teacher employee union, except upon the issue of regularly paid wages and/or salaries. Public schools are strictly prohibited from engaging in collective bargaining with Unions on issues of hiring, retention (including tenure), promotion and termination of public school teachers.

Posted by: Guvnah at November 12, 2012 12:40 PM (tXNVC)

665 7. The Secretary shall develop such rules and regulations as may be necessary to achieve the following objectives, and submit the same to Congress for ratification:
Accredited schools shall be required to achieve various benchmarks concerning graduation rates and other educational outcomes, as determined by the Secretary, in order to retain accreditation.
Accredited institutions shall be required to accept vouchers from all families, without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, national origin or the child's prior educational performance. In the event that the number of attendance requests received by an institution before the commencement of the school year exceeds the number of available seats, then ALL seats shall be filled by lottery, with a sequential waitlist. Vacancies occurring during the school year may be filled from students on the waitlist.
The use of seniority in making decisions regarding the hiring, retention, promotion and termination of public school teachers shall be prohibited, and such decisions shall be based solely on:the teacher's educational credentials and additional education relates skills, including without limitation, foreign language proficiency;student educational outcomes;

Posted by: Guvnah at November 12, 2012 12:40 PM (tXNVC)

666 #671
But California and New York are cool, right?

You dumbass.

Posted by: Marmo at November 12, 2012 12:43 PM (QW+AD)

667 If we want to win again, and win over minorities, it is time to drive a wedge -- not a little pilot program wedge, but a GREAT BIG FAT FEDERAL WEDGE -- between the minority voting constituency and the teacher constituency.

We will be "on the right side of history" in doing this.

We will be making good policy, both economically and educationally.

Like granting the franchise, granting a school choice voucher is a powerful right... that costs virtually nothing. It's a RIGHT, not a HANDOUT.

Posted by: Guvnah at November 12, 2012 12:44 PM (tXNVC)

668 bad lip reading
http://tinyurl.com/bw2bnjj

...revised for those who didn't bother keeping up

Posted by: The Kid at November 12, 2012 12:46 PM (BAnPT)

669 We could easily add a voucher deduction into our tax code, we wouldn't even need 60 Senate votes to do it. My state has a "voucher bank" that works great.

But the last time the GOP had full control of the federal government, we spent more time dealing with Terri Schiavo than reforming education.

Posted by: McAdams at November 12, 2012 12:46 PM (aVSeo)

670
I can't see significant change until the country has a major head adjustment and becomes a serious nation again. The culture is adolescent and that will only change through experiencing very hard times and deep retrospection.

I voted for Romney and thought that he was clearly one of the best candidates we've nominated in our lifetime, but that is moot as long as there is a stranglehold on the major influences of our culture: the press, Hollywood, and academia. For the past forty years they have been pounding away and devaluing our society.

Interestingly all of these institutions turn hard left in a relatively shore period of time, from the mid sixties to the early seventies. So presumably with the right levers the reverse could happen, but not before there is widespread disillusionment with the status quo.

Posted by: Mr. Peabody at November 12, 2012 12:49 PM (uGiHE)

671 Convince the Kardashians to run as a third party.

Posted by: Chris at November 12, 2012 01:03 PM (rVZBi)

672

Provide balls for all prominent Republicans and republican-wanna-bees. And yes, I mean those masculine kind of balls. We need to articulate our position every day and in every possible forum. Can't let the nominees do it alone (part of what failed this time).

Susan Lee

Posted by: Susan Lee at November 12, 2012 01:08 PM (ELoCe)

673 If you receive government assistance in any form you will not be allowed to vote.
Welfare, food stamps, housing, government grants/loans, social security disability, etc.

Problem solved.

Posted by: JDShellnutt at November 12, 2012 01:28 PM (2cfUo)

674 Unfortunately, if you had a little mini-quiz before the ballot was presented, you'd eliminate a sadly pathetic number of women. Anything absolutely basic like: 1. Name the house the head of the executive branch of government lives. 2. What is the top court in the country called. Wait, that would eliminate...all of Obama's base.

Posted by: vonvervengarten at November 12, 2012 01:47 PM (zToqc)

675 Since we really WON this election*cough*fraud*cough* the only thing I'd change about the party is to find them a spine to fight.

Posted by: Aslan's Girl at November 12, 2012 01:53 PM (KL49F)

676 The First damned thing I'd do is force a stop on this bullshit about allowing the cultural destructionists to define the GOP.

Nearly every "problem" that's been pushed out to the idiot audience has been based on the bullshit propaganda of the leftardics.

Anyone wanting to play the game in the GOP needs to put his/her fighting gear on and start getting nasty. Or, stand by to be put against a wall and kicked in the nuts.

Fuck this weak suck bullshit. Fuck the moral cowardice that refuses to fight back, loud, clear and aggressively against the evil that's swamping us all.

Stupid fucking Repubs. We're in a fight for our lives and mealy mouthed snivelers are put out in front to do the fighting.

1st Law of Warfare.
Reciprocity. Beat the leftards to death with their own bag of tricks, or be the shivering bowls of snivel with heaping ladles of weaksauce.

Oh, and the Moral Equivalence retards? Yeah, you've been turned already. So shut the fuck up.

Posted by: Grimmy at November 12, 2012 02:15 PM (uUsh9)

677 657 Force the return of US Civics to grade school and high school
Wrong.
Force school choice. Posted by: entropy at November 12, 2012 03:59 PM (TULs6) How is forcing school choice different from forcing the cirriculum? I assume that you mean, as I meant, that the forcing should be at the State or Municipal level, neither of which would violate Federalist principles.

Posted by: Lessons from the Ceramic Throne at November 12, 2012 02:21 PM (ze9yk)

678 Hey Republican representative to the Presidential Debates Commission: VDH and Mark Steyn will host two out of three debates, no compromise.

Posted by: Buck O. Phive at November 12, 2012 02:26 PM (R2ShP)

679 Statehood for Puerto Rico! (For that matter, statehood for the District of Columbia.)

Amnesty now!

Increased mass immigration! Specifically from countries where people wanted Obama to win - because you know they'll stop thinking that way once they get to America.

Organize all the other positions of the party around the views of these many millions of new voters. You'll find that these views amount to socialism, and very strong race preferences against Whites. Go for it!

Posted by: The Lightworker at November 12, 2012 02:32 PM (00xTL)

680 Closed primaries. A party that wanted to win would've done that after 2008.

Posted by: JustLikeDavidHasselhoff at November 12, 2012 02:35 PM (wWZWw)

681 Ask the Democrats how we should fix everything, then do the opposite.

Posted by: DUNNO WHY WE LOST DERP at November 12, 2012 02:44 PM (ZZg4j)

682 Give the entire population of the People's Republic of China American citizenship - but they are not allowed to vote for the first 25 years after this reform.

Posted by: The Lightworker at November 12, 2012 02:45 PM (00xTL)

683 MEGALODON - from now on the Republican Party will have no get out the vote program at all; effort will be concentrated exclusively on fooling Republicans into thinking that all is well, until the election day returns come in and its another defeat.

Posted by: The Lightworker at November 12, 2012 02:48 PM (00xTL)

684 It's really quite simple. The Republican party is DEAD. Long live the Republican Party.

Some of us held our noses and voted for McSHAMnasty so we could dream of him dying in office and giving us a real PRESIDENT again. A few of us voted for Romney in spite of the excessive in party bickering and flip flopping.
[btw: the words domestic energy independence will draw my vote like a moth to the flame. I VOTED FOR ROMNEY!!!!!]

Here's the problem when you're stuck on stupid. It's the same as moving more and more moderate and LOSING election after election. IF you WANT the conservative vote, you must put forward a CONSERVATIVE candidate.

We out number them by more than two to one. BUT, our side can't find a polling place with both hands wrapped around the door knob.

I'm sorry for offending ron's and ronette's delicate sensibilities BUT, I am sick and tired of the namby pamby wimpy weak kneed sissy crap I hear coming from what USED to be my party!

Which is easier:
1) getting dhimmicrap brains to vote for you
2) getting registered Republican repeat voters to vote for you

The hilarious answer is the Republican Party doesn't have a clue. They are openly saying they have NO IDEA how to get registered Republicans to come out and vote.

Here's a tip: Put somebody on the ticket we want and watch the votes come TO YOU!

Posted by: Blacksmith8✡ at November 12, 2012 02:50 PM (Yzu6e)

685 Okay all ranting aside, I have a prediction if you dare.

The Republican Party is about to take the last great plunge into the swamp that is the home of socialist liberal progs. As they do this, we, the surviving thinking reasonable members of what WAS the greatest nation the world has ever seen, will watch them sail into the horizon and wave quietly. A new party will come from the death of the grand old party and with it the spirit of our founders will be renewed.

This is their end, not ours. We are going to win this war for our freedom. Because we have power the left can never hope to claim.

We love our children and are willing to die that they can be FREE!

Posted by: Blacksmith8✡ at November 12, 2012 02:56 PM (Yzu6e)

686

First, you have to embrace the Social Conservatives. They could care less whether you are small government or medium government as long as you are socially conservative.

Second, be small government. Now you have just locked up a guaranteed 45% of the electorate and all you have to do is to appeal to a few more moderates.

What we did:

1) Pretend to be social conservative while the GOP establishment constantly demanded the social cons take a back seat.

2) Pretend to be small government while at the same time forcing upon the base a big government liberal nominee.

Seems to me you just pissed off a good portion of your base, I imagine some of them won't be so enthused about voting.

Now, if we can just get rid of the f'ing suburban republicans who insist on pissing off the social conservative wings while embracing the g'damn big government candidates thinking they will capture the moderate vote.

Oh wait, that's all of you in the blogosphere and in control of the GOP establishment, never mind, let Ann Coulter and her boyfriend run the show.

Posted by: doug at November 12, 2012 03:06 PM (uJ8q7)

687 Well, if someone's idea of hip and cool is sticking a vacuum curette up a woman's uterus and dicing an innocent baby to bloody pieces, then count me among the proudly UN-hip UN-cool. Nazis thought THEY were cool in their jackboots, too. Fuck "cool." It's way over-rated and anyone with half a brain and the slightest bit of self-esteem doesn't need to be a slave to it. I'm about human rights. If 20-somethings think it's "cool" to stomp all over other people's human rights just because they're 20 or so years younger than them, screw the 20-somethings. If we can't even stand firm for the very lowest common denominator of a civilized society -- namely, the principle that we never, ever deliberately kill the defenseless -- then we're long past having a "civilized society" to save.

Posted by: Kathy from Kansas at November 12, 2012 03:43 PM (F0o5k)

688

54' 40'' or Fight!

Posted by: Laurie David's Cervix at November 12, 2012 03:44 PM (kdS6q)

689 "How would you fix the Republican Party?" Easy....never vote Republican again and usher in economic collapse as quickly as possible! For those of you that believe you can change the Republican party to make it competitive are only going to end up compromising your principles. It is a branding problem...you will never make the "Republican" Branding Cool, and at the end of the day, thats what matters, as Fucked-Up as that is.

Posted by: Walter Sobchak at November 12, 2012 03:52 PM (uvNSk)

690 effing hilarious post

Posted by: rows d at November 12, 2012 03:57 PM (huxh9)

691 Two things regarding the platform. 1st. Adopt the Sharon Statement with minimal modification 2nd. Only include those incremental changes that you can win the wide majority of people over easily. Ain't that easy?

Posted by: The Political Hat at November 12, 2012 04:07 PM (sZTYJ)

692 The best thing we can do to win the future back is to teach. When you retire, volunteer to teach. Volunteer for free if you can, but get credentialed and TEACH. It doesn't matter if it is at a public, private, or homeschool group, but TEACH. If I'm ever lucky enough to retire before keeling over, I fully plan to "retire" into teaching.

Posted by: The Political Hat at November 12, 2012 04:14 PM (sZTYJ)

693 we need conservative teachers in k through 12 and academia. we have about two whole generations that have been lost to liberal leftist education, and it's getting worse. the radical lefties are getting more and more brazen about indoctrinating our youth. go look at all the howard zinn crap that is shoved down students' throats. it's disgusting, yet we do nothing. we need to put out conservative publications in spanish. we need a spanish speaking conservative talk show host. we need to educate people not pander to them. we also may need to do some serious new branding. the republican party brand has been completely smeared by the liberal radicals. they have associated us with racism, hatred, etc.. why we haven't made the point that it was a very democrat andrew jackson that f-ed with the indians, i don't not know! if that was a republican, oh, the radical lefties would have used it. we need to attack the democratic party, go after specific big media journalists that are basically shills for the obambi regime.

Posted by: Mistress Overdone at November 12, 2012 06:23 PM (2/oBD)

694 well. well. well

Posted by: Artruen at November 12, 2012 06:52 PM (fDGF1)

695
Close all the primaries in every state. The Dems have chosen our candidate for us twice in a row, now. We cannot allow it to happen again.

Dump all the electronic touch-screen voting machines. Here in NYS we have paper ballots that are scanned electronically to speed the count, but the paper ballots are kept as proof.

Purge the voter rolls of dead and fake people, and set up a statewide data base to compare registrations so people can only be registered in one district. Before every national election, the states must compare their rolls to make sure people aren't hopping state lines to vote more than once. Computers can do this, and local jurisdictions can verify votes as we do here: comparing signatures when you go to the polls, in a master book for that district. Absentee ballots can be compared against the signature when they are opened. Anything that comes up duplicated results in all of them being thrown out except the in-person, at the polls vote (if any): that's because the signature was witnessed by a poll worker who probably recognized the voter. Mine always remember me.

Be steadfast re conservative principles; we already have a Democratic/Progressive party, and a D/P Lite party is a waste of everyone's time and money. Our motto should be the business of America is business! Republicans are the party of the Rich: those who are, and those who wish to be! The government's business is not charity; charity is for individuals and churches, and non-profits. Under our tax structure and shrunken government, people will have the money to donate where they want to donate.

Propose federal recognition of a civil union contact suitable for use by gays as well as for siblings and roommates; ie, not dependent on sexual behavior at all, but bonding two people into a household, with rights re inheritance and hospital access and child custody similar to those of a legal marriage. This could allow long-time heterosexual couples to have a contract as well as non-married siblings or friends, living together for companionship and to share expenses. It's not an endorsement of gay behavior (which our Christian fellows cannot do), nor does it devalue marriage. The federal civil partners contract would be exactly the same as a marriage contract, except it doesn't require a sexual relationship of any kind between the two, and accepts any relationship between them, Only change: both partners must be 21 and not married or partnered with anyone else. Breaking the contract requires only mutual consent and notarized signatures; everyone leaves with what they brought in, mutual property is negotiable. Not much different than now. It's not marriage, so the churches need not get involved or upset.

Posted by: Leonie Alemann at November 12, 2012 07:30 PM (ixKn7)

696 i say we just go ahead and go full democrat. they won, obama got his "mandate". so.. lets go ahead with the tax hikes, obamacare, regulations.. the whole lot. republicans can never offer what obama did to win an election. conservatives do not believe in it. if the democrats are right, it won't matter anyway. the economy will be humming along in a matter of months. jobs are going to be saved all over the place. might even create a few in all of the success and prosperity that is created by the democrat platform. then conservatives can sit there and look like idiots. socialism works. redistributing works. obamacare and the single payer it will eventually become work. or, democrats are shown for the frauds that they are. and we can start over. it wouldn't be pretty, but the way we're going isn't looking so great either.

Posted by: ryan at November 12, 2012 07:45 PM (5gik7)

697 Repeal the 24th Amendment.

Posted by: Michael Kochin at November 13, 2012 12:09 AM (4J7R5)

698 Start with Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House. Seriously what's the point of getting Republicans elected like in 2010 and getting the speakership? How'd those spending cuts work out? Republican's percentage in the house is greater than Obama's 51%. What does Boehner do? Act like Obama's bitch If pussy Boehner is still the speaker in January, I'm registering as an Independent or a Libertarian in Illinois.

Posted by: liontooth at November 13, 2012 04:02 AM (xk0Xg)

699

Get some of the Democrat conversions to give our clueless leaders lessons on Corruption, Voter Fraud and fixing the polls.Like in Phildelphia, Ohio and Florida.

Then use their tactics against the DNC.

Posted by: John21 at November 13, 2012 05:43 AM (46VAS)

700 It is all about voter fraud people! Romney did not "loose", he was cheated by a gangster mob disguised as a political party. You want to get the liars and thieves out of the government. Clean up the voter rolls. Why do you think donks support no voter ID, absentee voting, motor voter... Cheating! Why do you think the donks want to keep the inner cities uneducated, drugged up, crime ridden and violent? 59 precincts in Philthydelphia and not even an accidental Romney vote. Those people didn't even have to show up. Do you get the picture, the democrats created the ghettos and are now havesting them. Not for meat but for "votes", and more importantly, power and money.... TRILLIONS!

Posted by: den1313 at November 13, 2012 05:52 AM (yMk61)

701

The solution to moving forward is to control the narrative by offering a universally accepted compromise that the Democrats will hate to support.

That compromise is Simpson-Bowles.

Its not anywhere near perfect...but it is unnassailable from the left and the media. It owns "Balanced plan".

The worst parts of it are the tax raises...but even those include base broadening measures that we support.

Plus...we can always lower taxes later...easy political issue.

That is the play...SImpson-Bowles. Republicans need to figure this out and get on board. Drive it home.

Posted by: Chris at November 13, 2012 05:56 AM (kyeFg)

702

1) Court the Arab American vote 1.5 Million. As displayed by this election we will NEVER win the Jewish Vote. If there was EVER a time for Jews to avoid the Dem party it was this election year. What happened? Democrats INCREASED their share of the Jewish vote.

2) Begin to defend Bush and his record. Stop allowing Democrats free will to make statements like " 8 years of bad policy" etc. Majority of Americans blamed Bush for the financial crisis which was anything but true. I understand Romney had to remain silent or be seen as defending Bush.

3) Begin to demonstrate to the African Americans that voting Democrat has not done anything for them. New Orleans is again a crime capital. Last GOP Mayor was in the 1890s. Last GOP mayor in Detroit elected 1957. Chicago in the 1930s. etc etc etc. Democrat policies have delivered nothing but crime, poverty and bad schools. I think an effective effort could garner a 15% GOP black vote.

Posted by: Dennis D at November 13, 2012 07:38 AM (tW2cO)

703 Spiders, John. Spiders everywhere. Under the machines, on the ballots, and in the boxes with the pens.

To make this an especially effective tactic, boyfriends and husbands are not allowed to be with them while they vote.

Posted by: Last Sane Man, CA at November 13, 2012 09:55 AM (jHHDO)

704 Jewish folks, except in Israel like totalitarian governments. They supported Lenin, Stalin, Mussolini, Roosevelt and even Hitler in the early days. Why would they not support the gangsters that are running the US these days. I don't get it, it never turns out well for anyone but they keep doing it anyway.

Posted by: den1313 at November 13, 2012 01:47 PM (yMk61)

705 I realize your post is tongue in cheek, but I am as serious as a heart attack!

Buy a large dump truck of chord wood (Give or take a faggot or two.)

Dump the contents onto the ground and add 2 five gallon cans of gasoline
and a match.

Then start chucking Republican campaign strategists into the fire.

Ronald W. Reagan won two landslide elections when he ran for Governor
of California!

Richard Nixon won by a comfortable margin in 1968 against Hubert
Humphrey. Nixon even carried VT, NH, NJ, and CA.

In 1972, Nixon beat George McGovern like a Narc at a biker rally! Nixon
carried 49 states. McGovern won in the state of Taxatwoshits and D.C.

And this was after the Watergate scandal broke.

1980 and 1984; Reagan won two landslides in the presidential election.
It was 489 electoral votes against Carter's 49. Again Reagan carried the
state of California. In 1984, Mondale won 13 electoral votes vs Mondale's
13. The only state Mondale won was Minnesota and DC.

Mondale was beaten like a bongo drum (426 to 11.)

George H.W Bush should have beaten Clinton. John McCain should have
beaten Obama. Romney should have cleaned Obama's clock last week.

Our Republican candidates have been advised for far too long to "Run to
the right in the primaries and run to the center in the general elections.

When you run as an unapologetic conservative, you win in landslides!

It is time to start throwing faggots in the fire. Even Bob Dole would have
beaten Clinton if he ran the right kind of campaign!

Posted by: Leonard Jones at November 13, 2012 06:52 PM (HDG/T)

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