Hillary Clinton’s big win in West Virginia wasn’t the most significant election news Tuesday. Rather, it was Travis Childers (in photo) winning a special election for a U.S. House race in Mississippi. The Democrat’s victory in this very conservative, formerly safe GOP district could spell problems for Republicans in November. House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, certainly thinks so.
“The results in MS-01 should serve as a wake-up call to Republican candidates nationwide,†he said in a statement. “As I’ve said before, this is a change election, and if we want Americans to vote for us we have to convince them that we can fix Washington. Our presidential nominee, Sen. McCain, is an agent of change; candidates who hope to succeed must show that they’re willing and able to join McCain in a leading movement for reform.â€
68 Comments
I think America has had enough of Republicans “fixing” Washington.
It’s time for change and McBush stands for more of the same s$$$.
John McCain is an agent of change? What a joke. He wants to continue the war in Iraq indefinitely, and thinks the economic policies of the Bush/Cheney/Big Oil Admin have been good for the country. Get real.
The cons must be very comforted that SOME Democrats want the panderer Obama for President.
Just when they’ve finished digging their own grave, Barack wants to give ‘em a hand out of it and tell them “Yes, you can!”.
The one thing some Democrats could learn from the cons is the killer instinct. Shut off the life support on the GOP and bury that party deep.
Hold it, the GOP thinks that republican congressional persons should be more like McCain? As a true conservative, I’m disgusted with McCain. When I vote on Tuesday it will be for ron paul or a write in, in hope that it will send a message to McCain, that conservatives are NOT impressed.
In fact I thought this was suppose to be a two party system. From what I’ve seen there are three Democrats trying to be nominated. Hillary, Obama and McCain. And trust me I am not alone in this thinking.
Aww do ya need a hug Geneo?
I’ll try and get an Obama supporter right on over to you.
Conservativism has failed because you cons can’t think any bigger than yourselves. If you gave it a chance to apply equally to everyone you would not be in this fix.
If my party is foolish enough to nominate Obama it will go easier on you.
As you might imagine, that is not what I want. Enjoy the dust bin of history.
No generaston, you are not alone in your thinking.
“The Democrat’s victory in this very conservative, formerly safe GOP district could spell problems for Republicans in November.”
Childers ran as a Pro-Life, Pro-Gun Democrat. Just the kind we need in Washington, right Democrats?
George W. Bush has gone beyond losing his bearings; he’s losing his marbles. He publicly excoriates Colin Powell for disagreeing with him; he announces he is giving up golf as his personal sacrifice for his misbegotten war; he says that any alternative to his Misbegotten War is like appeasing Hitler? The man is a nut.
As Keith Olbermann said to Bush on the air, “There needs to be a delegation of responsible leaders — Republicans or otherwise — who can sit you down as Barry Goldwater and Hugh Scott once sat Richard Nixon down - and explain the reality of the situation you have created.
There needs to be an apology from the President of the United States.
And more than one.”
The wake up call from what I am seeing of the response to that wake up call? Hitting the snooze button and round over saying “Oh I guess it is time to wake up!”. “The change you deserve”, more meaningless cliques that are suppose to catch the eye and has no substance. The Doctor has one chance to “fix” the problem. If they screw it up a new Doctor is called, the Neo-cons had their chance and the answer is not to keep the Neo-Cons. Hoping to continue the same actions and there might be a different outcome.
The party will not die but will take years to correct, that is just how badly it has been driven down and away from being a party of sound ideas. There are a few of us whom remember and understand the core believes of Conservative thinking. It not “big Business” at all cost, but that in order for this country to survive being a Capitalist economy means that everyone has a share and does well. It not that Religion is a all knowing function, but a personal matter and shall not be infringed upon nor superimposed upon others by Government. It that everything is done in measure and thought out, not force through as being the only solution to every problem.
And JR, it has been that “Killer instinct” that has cause the downfall of the GOP. Think twice before you call upon your brethren to adopt it.
Exactly, Writerdog. They tried to use their “killer instinct” in Mississippi, and look what happened. By the way, the Democratic Party is a “big tent” party, and pro-life and pro-gun candidates have always been welcome. Sen. Webb from Virginia is another.
And that has certainly been a factor in the downfall of the Republican party, it became so rigid in it stances it drive those that do not totally agree out. It has reversed what Churchill said of the subject of Liberal V Conservative.
“If you are not a Liberal in your twenties you have no heart. If you are not a Conservative in your forties you have no mind”
I have become begrudgingly Pro-choice yet I am still Pro-gun, that has made me in some eyes a “moderate” or in their terms a “RINO”. These are Political parties not Religious cults, no one issue should be the deciding factor. Yet that is what the parties have been made to be, us against them and the rest be damned.
The problem with that is that the Rest is the United States of America.
Their obstructionist agenda in congress is biting them in the butt! Wonder if the master strategist Rove should be credited for this?
“The party will not die but will take years to correct”
I agree. But I don’t see how they even recover.
New republicans cannot just campaign on “conservative” values, because they have already demonstrated they have no values. So how do they even get back in the door?
I couldn’t care less what happens to the Republican party. However, the issues that “Republican” voters care about will not go away. These conservative issues will be represented by somebody.
The fact that this Democrat was pro-life and stuck up for the 2nd Admendment should be a wake up call to all Democrats for how to best take advantage of the current apathy for incumbent Republicans.
How long has it been that the Republicans controlled the House, the Senate and the White House? Uh about 3 years. Simply because half of those elected turned out to be RINO’s doesn’t spell doom for the issues they originally ran on.
The issues important to Republican voters will continue to bring them to the polls to vote for somebody. The question is, do the democrats have the brains to campaign on these issues? Childers does, anybody else?
I fully expect 2008 to be the year of the Democrat. THe Democrats will win the White House, the Senate, and the House. In 2012, they will lose at least one or two of those. WHy? Like all the bass turds, they cannot help themselves. When they have the chance, they will ovrecompensate their direction, and spend money like drunken sailors on shore leave. Unfortunately, the Republican party fell into the same trap. Now, There were some extraordinary events, such as 9/11 that set that up, and maybe was used as excuse to do lots of things, but nonetheless, you have to admit something of that magnitude would effect whomever was in control of the govenment. The REpublican party lost it’s moorings, and decided to out Democrat the Democrats by spending tons of money that they didn;t have. They have ostracized large amounts of people by putting forth their CHristian agenda, but leaving off the greatest portion of their christian ideology. They fell into the politicians trap, to be against so many things, instead of for things.
THe Democrats will be no better. And there will be a changing of the guard, again. Political party nature (And I don;t mean Republican or Democrat) will rule. Bass Turds alls
Not to worry, Republicans will work overtime on prohibiting people from voting. They’ll turn away old and poor people from the voting booth since they don’t have drivers licenses. They’ll purge the voting rolls of anyone whose name sounds remotely like a felon. And they’ll cut the number of polling stations to discourage people with long wait lines. If there’s one thing Republicans can’t stand it’s Democracy.
As we have seen in MS and LA, if people come out to vote then the conservative Republicans lose.
“Their obstructionist agenda in congress is biting them in the butt!”
It doesnt seem to hurt republics in Kansas. See also patsy roberts.
Of course, it would help if the kdp could field a decent candidate or two. But they are too busy serving sebelius to really care about much else…
“The REpublican party lost it’s moorings, and decided to out Democrat the Democrats by spending tons of money that they didn;t have.”
Actually LJ, they were trying to out Reagan st. ronnie raygun.
He was the KING of spending money the American treasury didnt have. And isnt he the one who started the false economic mantra that “deficts dont matter”?
One of the unintended consequences of the Republic Party cozying up to the twice-born coalition has been the injection of “y’re with me or agin me” attitudes.
Just as “Nathaniel” has somehow distorted his personal spiritual walk with Jesus into nightly diatribes about how “‘Chas’ is not a Christian,” the Republic Party has systematically thrown out all who aren’t ideological purists.
The current Republic Party base doesn’t understand that maybe, perhaps, sometime, in a pinch, it might be wise policy to raise a tax or two. The CONservative base won’t even consider there might be a gun policy that can balance the cultures of Beloit and Baltimore. If it weren’t for the rigid ideologues there might be some policies that could guarantee abortions that are safe, legal, and rare.
that’s exactly why I dont’ want republicans leaving their party and taking over mine. I want democrats to stand for what I believe in.
“Our presidential nominee, Sen. McCain, is an agent of change;”
Yea, he wants to CHANGE the war in Iraq to a much larger war throughout the Middle East.
“that’s exactly why I dont’ want republicans leaving their party and taking over mine.”
Yes indeed.
Tom Sawyer once told me that given a choice between real republicans and fake republicans, the voters will chose the real republicans every time. We need CHOICE, not just r and r lite.
So, Political Mama,
If they don;t believe in what you believe in, are they then not Democrats?
A.M, the party first off needs to go back to being “Republicans” instead of “Conservatives” .
The difference being that Republicans represents the Republic not just a Conservative agenda.
New Republicans will need to focus on the broader issues and use a conservative point of view to see the answers. To a certain extent every issue is about the pocket book, i.e. taxes and how best to use the money.
The everyday citizen has to deal in such terms, what you want, what you need and how much money you have.
By becoming Conservatives instead of Republicans the party lost the everyday citizen. Ragan’s “tickle down economic” was in principle sound. The problem was that those at the top of income forgot their wealth was do to the efforts of those that made the money for them. Off handedly everyone said they would love to be a millionaire. But in reality most are just wanting to be comfortable, the amount of money is not of importance to them. The failure of Trickle down was that for those at the upper level the money was not money but points in a game. As such they forgot that those below them were still seeing it as money and comfort. It would be impractical for a worker in Kansas to own a 100 foot yacht, but he would be happy to own a 20 foot pontoon boat.
New Republicans will need to focus and have the solutions for the everyday concerns and not the personal concerns. A good example is the answer that the three candidate had to the problems faced by the Detroit auto workers. Mc Cain told them that they had to face it and their jobs are not coming back. Hillary told them she felt their pain and would have government programs to help them deal with their down turns.
Obama said that the future is fuel efficient car and alternate fuel cars and it should be America that takes the lead in building them and not wait for them to be build in some other country. Of the three whom is dealing only in the problem and whom is looking to a solution? Of the three, who’s answer it about a brighter future and not just a dismal present.
No longer can the Republican rely on the “the Democrats are taking the money out of your pocket” or the other guy is the problem but I am not a solution other then I am not the other guy.
The New Republican will have to content with the new Democrat, i.e . Obama. Smart, thoughtful and
wanting a real solution based on the current conditions and the future solutions.
LOL mom I am more then happy to give back those damn Neoconservatives that came from the Democratic party! They should have their own party, the way things are going since they have been able to invoke their ideology. They could have their convention at a Q.T.!
I think it was George Stephanopoulis, but it might have been another Clinton staffer who, in 1993 said, “Once we got into the office we discovered the economy was in a lot worse shape than we’d imagined.” And they won the “It’s the Economy, Stupid” campaign.
Whomever gets to replace George WMD Bush is gonna have a lot of those moments.
Are the old “dixiecrats” going to leave the GOP now?
VET - some will. A big part of the old Dixiecrat policy was populism.
I remember it all too well when I was a boy in rural Oklahoma. “I’m no liberal, damn yankee type. I’m a democrat.” thanks for the reminder Ben. It gave me a chuckle. Or is it a chortle?
We have a one-party system. Democrats and Republicans are controlled by the same organization at the top, the Council on Foreign Relations (see CFR website). Their publication, Foreign Affairs. Their goal, World Government via NAFTA, GATT, destruction of borders, shutting off our own oil, etc.
Now, if anybody wants to sail right into office, he needs to run on an America-first basis. Support deportation of illegals, ownership of guns, retrieving the 112 billion barrels of our own oil, laying off federal “workers” and balancing the budget, and getting us out of the United Nations.
Apparently, so to a wakeup call for the Democrats. Obama doing the Lords work:
http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/double_standards_for_politicians_and_religion/
I thought there was a hue and cry from those on the left about huckabee and the bookcase, huckabee and his religion, etc. What is the sound I hear from the left now? “Hello silence my old friend, I’ve come to speak with you again”
Politics–as usual as it gets
Bob Barr? - south616
Almost heaven, west virginia
Blue ridge mountains
Shenandoah river -
Life is old there
Older than the trees
Younger than the mountains
Growin like a breeze
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
All my memories gathered round her
Miners lady, stranger to blue water
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky
Misty taste of moonshine
Teardrops in my eye
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
I hear her voice
In the mornin hour she calls me
The radio reminds me of my home far away
And drivin down the road I get a feelin
That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
Country roads, take me home
To the place I belong
West virginia, mountain momma
Take me home, country roads
Take me home, now country roads
Take me home, now country roads
Words and music by bill danoff, taffy nivert and john denver
touche’ Ben. Good form.
Well LJ. I started to think about Huckabee. Even if his flat tax would have meant curtains for my line of work (half tax accountant/half computer nerd) I know a scare combination, but my point is. I liked Huckabee until he went too far. When you talk about amending the constitution so that it is more like the Bible. I saw the video and heard the words. Even in context, that is a little too dangerous. Now when you find out that Obama said something like that, he is toast in my book.
I too think Huckabees statement went too far. And was rightly condemned. However, do you recall the hullabaloo over the campaign picture with the “cross” of the bookshelf over his shoulder? Compare that to the noise over the pamphlet shownin my link. THe silence is defeaning.
Oh, the bookshelf. That was just stupid politics
The silence is indeed deafening LJ. Huckabee has a bookshelf that looks like it forms a cross in a commercial. The big deal the media made out of it, including a thread here. How dare he imply this was a Christian nation.
Cut to Obmama, practically getting up on the cross himself. Not a peep.
I think the difference is similar to the Jimmy Carter Playboy interview. With Huckabee and others on the “right” there is concern that they will make being a christian some sort of requirement. For example; Mitt Romney indicated that he was OK with various versions of Christian to be in government but that non-christians need not apply. On the other side the claim raised is that the Democrats are Godless atheists - or in Obama’s case that he is Muslim (that from the CIA). So, Carter’s interview and Obama’s speech are more designed to dispell such false implications.
Ben-
I simply think you are wrong. There is ahuge pile of hypocrisy on both sides of the aisle. Democrat and REpublican. Of the Huckabee picture, and the picture in the link I provided, which is the most overt? WHich has gotten the least amount of noise? Just another example of politics as usual. Until people as a whole start holding both parties to the same standards, they will continue to perpetrate the frauds that they are.
“Until people as a whole start holding both parties to the same standards, they will continue to perpetrate the frauds that they are.”
Amen!
Without the cheerleaders on the red and blue sidelines, our politicians would have no cover.
Well outlander. I don’t always believe the media and neither should anyone. Bill O’Reilly can be proned to rants. So can Keith Olberman. Talk about Mutt and Jeff.
The media is going to pursue their story. The issue is how many idiots believe it. Somewhere between Mike Huckabee will start the American Inquisition and Barack Obama is a Terrorist is the truth. Why is Obama getting away with it? Because now these idiots are relieved that he is not a muslim.
As John Fogherty said so ironically in his song:”I know it’s true….oh so true….cause I saw it on TV.”
lj - I don’t recall anyone claiming that Huckabee or Romney was Muslim. I DO recall Romney indicating that non-Christians should not be in government.
I’m afraid you “mis-remember” Ben.
No outlander, I do not.
Wake up Call to the RepubliCONs, hardly.
These are the idiots who invited Karl “I-Ignore-Subpeonas” Rove to their effing Kansas Fundraiser today.
Talk about not having a clue.
They can do their own prostate exams visually however . . .
I remember an uproar about Romney, Ben. But I don’t remember one way or the other. I have no reason to doubt you, I just got other fish to fry. But as I said above. When Obama speaks of amending the constitution as Huckabee did, he will be history. Until then, I will just laugh at the situation. A politician praises Jesus because voters in West Virginia still thought he was muslim.
“Our presidential nominee, Sen. McCain, is an agent of change…”
Only of Depends! Everything else is same-old same-old. McCain is Bush in 20yrs.
bth
Posted May 15, 2008 at 1:45 pm | Permalink
lj - I don’t recall anyone claiming that Huckabee or Romney was Muslim. I DO recall Romney indicating that non-Christians should not be in government.
Neither do I. BUt I do remember quite a number of pundits in the national news (mostly liberal pundits) claiming that Christians would not vote for a Mormon. There were several on this blog that echoed that sentiment, and made fun of his religion. In addition, I have yet to find where Romney said that non CHristiams should not be in government.
lj - it was on one of those Sunday talking heads shows. Back when he was still in the running.
I also remember the “christians won’t vote for Romney” - but not from the left:
http://christiannewswire.com/news/2365196.html
MEDIA ADVISORY, Dec. 28 /Christian Newswire/ — Mit Romney has enjoyed somewhat of a surge both in the polls and in popularity after his historic address on his Mormon faith.
Afterwards, Romney operatives were quick to take to the airwaves in a defense of Mormonism. The message driven home by hosts like Sean Hannity and Michael Medved was that Mormons are Christians too.
The only problem is, Mormons have far more in common with Muslims.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55642
That’s the word from Bill Keller, host of the Florida-based Live Prayer TV program as well as LivePrayer.com.
“If you vote for Mitt Romney, you are voting for Satan!” he writes in his daily devotional to be sent out to 2.4 million e-mail subscribers tomorrow.
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/19690/mormons-are-not-christians
The Dallas Morning News has reported that the Rev. Robert Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, said in a sermon on Sept. 30 that while Romney “talks about Jesus as his Lord and savior, he is not a Christian. Mormonism is not Christianity. Mormonism is a cult.”
Note that none of those are “left-wing”; in fact that last one sounds a lot like McCain’s Hagee on Catholics.
McCain is a 25 year Senator from a border state — and he has changed nothing to prevent illegal immigrants from crosssing it — he has done nothing to improve the safety and security of our nation —
well maybe he talked the potentially ugliest first lady into giving a couple of cases of her beer to some soldiers — but probably not ….
Hey Ben. Did you ever find any evidence to back up your mis-remembering that Mitt Romney said:
“non-Christians should not be in government”.
No, I did not. I didn’t have a recorder attached to my TV set that Sunday morning. But I stand by my statement.
Do you record everything you see?
Hey Ben-
I hear ya. And I see your links. I also saw Dobson;s ridiculous statement. But, I also read lots in the liberal media, and on this blog, about how evangelicals won;t vote for Romney.
I don;t really care. ROmney is history. I didn’t find any links to where he said about nonchristians shouldn’t serve in government. Makes me wonder if you heard some pundit deciding what Romney meant about something. I don;t know. As I said,I guess I really don;t care.
No lj - it was not a pundit. I avoid pundits. It was back when Mitt was doing his “Kennedy Speeches”. And I remember my jaw dropping.
Well, well, well: looks like the GOP will be staying the course on their general election strategy of painting Obama as bestest bestest buddies with Osama Bin Laden–and other “liberals.”
“The Republican Party is expected to deploy the Obama strategy in several districts in the fall. The NRCC, the conservative group Freedom Watch and Davis himself spent well over $1 million airing television commercials that linked Childers to Obama.
In one ad, Childers was shown next to Kerry and Obama while the Illinois senator’s ranking from the National Journal as the most liberal senator was noted. In another ad paid for by Davis, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright was shown and a narrator chastised Childers for not publicly denouncing the pastor’s controversial remarks. That ad also claimed Obama had endorsed Childers. (Childers later said that was not the case.)”
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/14/miss.election/index.html
After all, it’s worked so WELL in the three elections we’ve seen so far.
Fine by me if you Repukes want to stick with such a “winning” (sic) strategy. Every indication is that y’all won’t realize until November what Hillary Clinton has now realized: the Presidential game has changed.
bth,
Here’s one thing Romney said that indirectly denounces nonbelievers. It’s related to, but not identical with, the quote you’ve referenced (of which I also have some vague memory).
“Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.”
http://www.salon.com/news/primary_sources/2007/12/06/romney_speech/index.html
And here was David Brooks’ take on Romney’s line in the sand between those who have religious convictions and those who do not:
“When this country was founded, James Madison envisioned a noisy public square with different religious denominations arguing, competing and balancing each other’s passions. But now the landscape of religious life has changed. Now its most prominent feature is the supposed war between the faithful and the faithless. Mitt Romney didn’t start this war, but speeches like his both exploit and solidify this divide in people’s minds. The supposed war between the faithful and the faithless has exacted casualties.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/07/opinion/07brooks.html?ref=opinion
Well if all the religions hadn’t proven to be so stupid, that might be what happened.
He’s saying Madison couldn’t imagine not believing in a god?
By the way, another reason the neocons will lose, the Kansas republicans voted AGAINST the farm bill. That should be their death. I mean they’ve already voted against mothers…why not.
p-mom,
Now, now–that vote was only SYMBOLICALLY against mothers. Really, they love moms. Really, they do!
“Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.”
A compelling quote. Thank you CF. Here is another from Albert Eistein.
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”
Despite his big brain, Einstein was uncertain about religion, as evidenced by conflicting quotes. But he knew that there is something much more than what we can grasp. He was a mathematician and could see better than anyone the intricate patterns of the universe, indicative of infinite intelligence.
outlander,
The idea that Romney has anything substantive to say about religion OR freedom is laughable on its face. One man’s “compelling quote” is another man’s “total nonsense,” thanks.
The Einstein quote sounds a great deal like something Kant said in The Critique of Pure Reason. There, Kant wrote “thoughts without content are empty; intuitions without concepts are blind.” (A51/B75)
CF; I try not to dismiss the thoughts of others until I have considered the content. Inspired thought can come from surprising sources.
With regard to Einstein, I doubt he had many “thoughts without content” If I couldn’t see the content, my first suspicion would be that I just wasn’t getting it.
“Here is another from Albert Eistein.
“Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.””
And there were some recent stories about him saying at least some of the Bible is silly. Perhaps he, like most scientists, saw issues with ‘organized religion’ but also realized that there is something out there - just not one group’s dogma.
After listening to both John Boehner and Karl Rowe yesterday, the only wake up call them seem to have realized it there is no need to change anything except for a new batch of bright shiny objects.