Republicrat? Elephant Workout? GOP what?

Black Swan

What will the new and improved Republican Party have to look like if they are to seriously compete in the 2010 mid-term elections and the 2012 presidential? Does the Elephant need to go on a diet and shed some useless fat, or adopt a new exercise routine to get back into shape? What kind of political platform? Issues? Presidential candidate for 2012?

Wake-up call:

• Declining number of voters registered as Republican and increasing number registered as Democrat*
• Lost seats in both US House and US Senate
• Lost the White House

If you were placed in charge of transforming the Republican Party into a new, lean, mean campaigning machine, what would you do?

*Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/us/politics/05flip.html?em

Otacon

The only thing I would not change about the Republican party is its stance on the role and size of government. While I don't agree with this view myself, its the one way that it can legitimately attack Democrats.

Support more bi-partisan measures as unfortunately for them, they are going to have to take a back-seat to Democrats for at least the next four years, leadership-wise. So play nice.

It needs to get rid of its associations with the Christian Right. It can still promote family values, without pandering to the church.

It should also promote its support of the US Defense forces without fear-mongering. But tbh, doing all of this may not be enough to get the bad Bush taste out of everyone's mouths (apologies for the pun)

brianthebard

It needs to move back towards the centre, that's where Obama's support came from, but they aren't devoted to the dems for life or anything.

Overheal

The God Fearing Christian bullsh!t can only get you so far. And right now neither party seems smart enough to really understand what a horrible state the education system is in (oh the irony) and even Obama wants to cut back on education spending? It makes no sense! Its my number one issue, and everyone's just shoving it in the backseat thinking the economy is going to save itself when we have the stupidest workforce in the G8.

Get rid of the elephant: new icon - a Gorilla!

Running Bing

what will it take for the GOP to be competitive again?


Simple...the country to go to sh1te while a democrats in charge.


I think thats what it all boils down to now...I dont think its even necessarily down to how a president does in office its simply a question of whether things are going good or bad in the country at that particular time and what side is in charge.

Black Swan

Babybing wrote: »

Simple...the country to go to sh1te while a democrats in charge.

I am certainly not for one party rule, and there will be abuses if the Democrats maintain it in both Houses and the Executive for several years, just like when the Republicans had control of both houses of Congress during the first 6 years of the GW Bush Presidency. Two ongoing wars that have lasted for years, one completely unjustified (Iraq with no WMD claimed by the Bush Administration as a pretext to war), a doubling of the federal deficit (from about $5.7 trillion at the start of Bush to almost $11 trillion by 20 January 2009), record number of housing foreclosure failures, record bank failures, suggesting that during the last 8 years Bush was more interested in playing war games than attending to the store at home (of course blaming everything on prior administrations, but not doing anything but warming the fiscal seat for 8 years in the White House).

So yes, without checks and balances, one party rule can put the country in the dumpster, as it has under 8 years of GW Bush & Company, and if there are no checks and balances on the Democrats, the same may occur too. But to suggest that the Democrats will ruin the country, and the Republicans will not, is pure partisan nonsense, especially after the GW Bush Era track record, which caused them to lose majorities in both Houses of Congress, and the Presidency.

Running Bing

Blue_Lagoon wrote: »

So yes, without checks and balances, one party rule can put the country in the dumpster, as it has under 8 years of GW Bush & Company, and if there are no checks and balances on the Democrats, the same may occur too. But to suggest that the Democrats will ruin the country, and the Republicans will not, is pure partisan nonsense, especially after the GW Bush Era track record, which caused them to lose majorities in both Houses of Congress, and the Presidency.

I think we have our wires crossed a bit BL.


I was'nt suggesting that for a second. I agree the Bush administration has not done a very good job over the past 8 years (not as bad a job as many suggest but they certainly did not cover themselves in glory).

I think McCain would've made a great leader but at the same time I agree maybe it is time for a change and I am interested to see what Barack can do.

As I have said before if I had a vote I would've voted republican but I do think Barack can do a good job and I certainly dont feel he will "ruin" the country.

The point I was making is that I cannot see a Republican getting back into the White house until things start going bad. If the country does well over the next four years Obama is a cert for re-election imo....if it continues to do well over the subsequent four years I cant see passed a democrat victory. If things start going bad though, for whatever reason, its natural people will turn to the other side....could be years and years before that happens or it could be 2012 but that, imo, is what it will take.

I wasnt trying to suggest at all that the Democrats will ruin the country and it was'nt intended to be a partisan comment.

Black Swan

Babybing wrote: »

I wasnt trying to suggest at all that the Democrats will ruin the country and it was'nt intended to be a partisan comment.

My bad. Fair enough.