The special election in PA-12 yesterday proved one thing beyond the shadow of a doubt: the Democrats have no purity test. And that's why, as I have been saying all along, the GOP might want to consider moving to the left if they want to see substantial gains in the fall.
I still think they are going to pick up around 17 seats in the House and 5 in the Senate but they could get more if they want to. They are going to have to move more to the center on some issues. This, of course, means compromise and that has about as much of chance of happening as me setting my DVR to a season pass of Glenn Beck. More importantly, they are going to have to tell the American people how they are going to create jobs. So far, they have done a poor job of this largely due to the fact that they are simply running on hate and fear. Mistakenly, they have turned their party over to the likes of Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh and now they are paying the price.
Certainly, the Dems got a little bruised yesterday as well but it was a good thing. Sestak is much better candidate than "which party do I belong to again?" Spector. I was pretty happy at that one and thought President Obama was wrong to campaign for Spector. In addition to being part of the cover up of the coup d'etat in this country in 1963, Spector was 80 yeas old for crying out loud. Time to rent a room at Shady Acres, dude.
Getting back to PA-12, one has to wonder exactly what the strategy is for the fall for the GOP. Anyone care to guess? Mark Critz is one of the most conservative Democrats you will ever see. He is pro life, pro gun and anti Obama care. But he would never pass the Cult's purity test because he believes that government is not a four letter word. No problem, say the Dems. We can find some stuff that we have in common. Let's roll up our sleeves and get to work. And, by they way, we'll send President Clinton down there to help you win...win in a district that McCain won in 2008 and favors our current president at 35 percent.
Keep it up, Cult members. If things keep trending this way, I may revise my numbers above downward:)
11 comments:
One contradiction stands out in your post...
"And that's why, as I have been saying all along, the GOP might want to consider moving to the left if they want to see substantial gains in the fall."
is followed by
"Mark Critz is one of the most conservative Democrats you will ever see. He is pro life, pro gun and anti Obama care."
So the guy who won the race is pro-life, pro-gun, anti-obama care and if you saw any of his TV ads, he also ran on the platform of tax breaks, pro-coal and pro-jobs initiatives (ie being against cap and trade), cutting congressional budgets, bringing down the national debt, and stepping up the federal government’s fight against illegal immigration.
Sure sounds like this guy ran pretty far right and won, and your advice is for folks to run left to get elected?
Few other things I read today -
53% of the vote in a heavily democratic district? Gee, huge win. A dem has held that seat since 1974, that’s eighteen elections. From the Washington Post: "He got us millions of jobs," Charles Finnegan, 72, a retired construction worker, said of Murtha after casting his ballot in nearby Windber. "Critz, he’s going to follow John Murtha’s way of thinking."
How does one reach voters who think millions of jobs were created in a district of 600,000 people? The fact is, nearly 20,000 jobs were lost in this district over the last decade, Murtha’s worthless airport notwithstanding.
Plus, the Democrats had a statewide U.S. Senate primary happening at the same time. It's a special election, in a Democratic district, and on a big Democratic primary day. And a Democrat won. Disappointing to some but not paradigm-smashing shocker.
"More importantly, they are going to have to tell the American people how they are going to create jobs."
More importantly, why does this question need to be asked...why aren't the folks you voted for doing this already? You had all the answers when GWB was president and now that Obama is president, all you have are questions.
"and your advice is for folks to run left to get elected?"
Yes. Moving left from the one yard line on the far right of the field would make any GOPer even with what the American people want. Take a look at Critz's position page.
http://www.critzforcongress.com/page/creating-jobs
No more tax cuts for the wealthy. That's an epic fail right away for any Cult member presently. Don't you know that less tax cuts for the wealthy means more Cadillacs for middle aged black women?
Critz won because he had a plan to help Pennsylvanians get jobs. The government doing anything of that nature is anathema to the current form of the GOP. It's no skin off my nose if they don't get the message that this is what the people want from their government. It just means lost opportunities for you.
"A dem has held that seat since 1974,"
McCain won this district in 2008.
This was a seat that the GOP said they would win and would be a bell weather for the fall. They were wrong which, I know, is the end of the fucking universe and all that is holy.
"why aren't the folks you voted for doing this already?"
They are, last. First, it takes time to clean up the mess the GOP made. Second, they have accomplished quite a bit...jobs bill, health care reform, financial services reform soon...they are taking action as opposed to playing the obstructionist and bitching about Hitler.
Tuesday proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that the GOP plan for 2010 is failing.
Finally, someone responded. Just trying to dampen your spirits is all - it's my job.
All politicians have a plan for creating jobs for their constituents so that's nothing new. I'm looking for results. Saying "no more tax cuts for the wealthy" in a very blue collar district is soooo couragous.
A dem held that congressional seat since 1974.
If you view accomplishment as passing legislation then you should be a pretty happy person nowadays. I think accomplishment goes along with things like the unemployment rate dropping. You know, results. Tell me how the jobs bill and how the stimulus bill have worked thus far. We know your intentions and we know you think the cult are morons, tell us the results. None of you will because you can't.
Again, why do you need to know what the gop is going to do to create jobs?
Don't you know that less tax cuts for the wealthy means more Cadillacs for middle aged black women?
Why do you keep arguing with the voices in your head rather than the people who actually post here?
"Why do you keep arguing with the voices in your head rather than the people who actually post here?"
Profound, sir.
Why do you keep arguing with the voices in your head rather than the people who actually post here?
Perhaps because he can actually hold up his end of a conversation, maybe even win the debate (a long shot I know, but it could happen), against the voices in his head.
What voices? Every member of the GOP fights vociferously against any sort of entitlements and they all believe that black people get rich people's money and spend it on flat screens. Markadelphia is just repeating what is already being said every day.
Every member of the GOP fights vociferously against any sort of entitlements and they all believe that black people get rich people's money and spend it on flat screens.
That's precisely as accurate, for exactly the same reasons, as if I said "Democrats don't believe in helping the less fortunate with their own time or money. You see, the help isn't the important part, it's stealing it from someone they think has too much that's the important part."
Care to explain why you are "entitled" to steal money someone else earned?
So taxes are now stealing?
Goddamit M answer my question first.
No one here that I've ever seen has rolled out the "welfare queen" meme - but you. You attribute it to anyone who thinks that taxes could/should be lower. Well, I certainly think taxes should be lower, and that the federal govt should do far fewer of the things it currently does. So, have you got the balls to say I'm a racist for saying that, or are you going to lame out and say I'm some kind of exception to that rule? Personally, I'd hope that you realize the world doesn't conform to that rule - not even a significant minority of it. But every time I hold out hope for that kind of change I just end up disappointed.
So taxes are now stealing?
What would you call it? Are you suggesting that it is actually someone else's responsibility to pay your mortgage? Are you suggesting that it is actually someone else's responsibility to pay for your UAW or SEIU Cadillac health and pension plan?
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