Tag: GOP in Trouble
The GOP Violents
Some Republicans met Donald Trump’s nonsense with silence,
While others responded with uncharacteristic vehemence.
But amid the outrage,
We’d still like to encourage
Even more “Republican-on-Republican violence.“
Can the GOP Change — In Time?
The momentous events of the last week can be interpreted in numerous ways. But one thing has become increasingly clear: The Republican Party needs to change. … Simply put, Republicans are loaded up in a car, racing toward a generational cliff with their eyes focused on the rearview mirror, with many (but notably not all) oblivious to the societal changes taking place all around them and the growing wedge building between their comfort zone and presidential swing voters… Republicans need to do some soul-searching about their future and their relationships with voters of generations to come. Vibrant parties change with the times, adapt themselves to changing conditions and circumstances. Maybe this past week will help the GOP do this.
— Charlie Cook, National Journal.
GOP Conservative Base Is Shrinking
42%
The percentage of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who describe themselves as both social and economic conservatives, the lowest level Gallup has measured since 2005. The second-largest group of Republicans (24%) see themselves as moderate or liberal on both social and economic issues, while 20% of all Republicans are moderate or liberal on social issues but conservative on economic ones.
The GOP’s Math Problem Will Only Get Worse
If the 2016 GOP nominee gets no better than Romney’s 17 percent of the nonwhite vote, he or she would need 65 percent of the white vote to win, a level achieved in modern times only by Ronald Reagan in his 1984 landslide. Bush’s 2004 winning formula — 26 percent of the nonwhite vote and 58 percent of the white vote — would be a losing formula in 2016, given population changes. … The 2016 electorate, demographically speaking, will be worse for Republicans than 2012. And unless Republicans can begin winning more of the nonwhite vote, the 2020 election will be worse for the party than the 2016 election. And 2024 will be worse than, well, you get the idea.
— The Fix
Pope Francis Is a Democrat!
Catholic Republicans are developing a pope problem. Earlier this month, Francis recognized Palestinian statehood. This summer, he’s going to issue an encyclical condemning environmental degradation. And in September, just as the GOP primary race heats up, Francis will travel to Washington to address Congress on climate change. … Francis may be popular with the general public, but key Republican primary constituencies — hawks, climate-change skeptics and religious conservatives, including some Catholics, are wary of the pope’s progressivism.
— Politico
Lite Ain’t Right
The Republicans just won’t give up the fight.
Now they’re talking about “impeachment lite.”
They say censure’s the solution,
But if it violates the Constitution,
The Grand Old Party would be a very foolish-looking sight.
Obama Regains His Relevance, Sticks It to GOP
Less than a month after suffering an electoral drubbing, President Obama has succeeded in placing the majority of the internal party angst back in the other camp. The president’s move on immigration has made that the overriding issue as Republicans face down a government funding deadline of next Friday. In fact, it now looks likely to become the overriding issue when Republicans try to do much of anything, in the current Congress and the new Congress, for the next few months at least. GOP leaders’ early plans of avoiding shutdown talk have already been forced into rewrite. It’s now clear that Republicans will have to work through their internal party discord – yes, again – even as they reconvene in Washington in substantially greater numbers.
— Rick Klein, on ABC’s “The Note” blog.
Maybe Republicans Really AREN’T People, Too
In its new “Republicans Are People, Too” advertising campaign, the GOP is going to some lengths to show that party members are, variously, guys with beards and tattoos, young black women, Prius drivers and young dudes who read the New York Times.
But according to TPM, the images used in the ads are all stock photos that have been used in other campaigns or, more egregiously, show a young man holding the Wall Street Journal who is, the ad alleges, reading the New York Times. Whoops!
The Republican Party’s ad agency really is clueless, too. Really.
Kind of reminds me of a little limerick I wrote.
