Civil Wars in the Republican and Democrat Parties
 

I think both parties will be doing some cleaning up at this point.

The Democrats will do 3 things.
1) Blame Kerry
2) They will stop blaming Kerry and then blame voters...calling them stupid, etc.
3) They will start blaming themselves.

Stage 3 is where it gets interesting. DC is considered more liberal usually than the base of the party but now things are inverted.

The base wants to move towards adopting left-wing policies and not anything centrist (centrist includes Clinton, Lieberman, and Bayh).

The Republicans have several things to reconsider now. I think now that the election is done, they are more free to attack certain policies.

1) Attack the high spending. We all know that we're the party of fiscal conservatives and that there was a war and 9/11, but it is not acceptable to swing away from our policy. A deficit is acceptable, a crushed economy where every country in the world owns more of our country than the people inside the country is bad.

2) The war. No matter how justified this war is to some, it is still upsetting. It is a war and not a birthday party will balloons. In addition, it is an expensive war. We need to win ASAP and hand over control.

3) There are other smaller policies that may be addressed but not really. The whole gay marriage issue was never important in the beginning to either party and sadly became solely an election issue.

There you have it folks.

-Rudey

F*ckin' A right well said, Bubba!

For all intents and purposes, Kerry will have to live the rest of his political career in the Senate, where he'll be reelected as long as he's breathing and doesn't piss off his constituents. No way in hell he'll come back to run in 2008.

As for Hillary? She'll run for - and win - reelection to her 'carpetbagger' seat in the Senate in 2006. I wouldn't be surprised if she's gonna plant some feelers to test the waters for a run in 2008. Unless the Democrats stop their intra-partisan bickering, I don't know who else can they put up for President in 2008.

I would be very, very surprised if Bush didn't bring in Democrats more into his administration. The country is too divided and now Bush really has to worry about how Republicans will be perceived in the next election as well as his own legacy.

-Rudey

Potential Democratic contenders for 2008:

H. Clinton
Dean
Edwards
Obama
...Powell?
Bayh

Strike Powell from that list because you're being ridiculous.

Strike Bayh because I am betting that the Democrats will completely abandon DLC members even though Bill Clinton was embraced.

I would also strike Clinton because I bet the Democrats are not going to be willing to put in a high risk candidate. The same goes for Obama.

I really don't know who the DNC will put forward.

-Rudey

Re: Civil Wars in the Republican and Democrat Parties
 

I think if the staunch Dem supports would take a moment, they'll see that even in defeat there are huge gains made in this election . . .


Totally agree - the Republican economic plan is being run over, and there needs to be some reins pulled . . . it's no better or worse than overspending on any other gov't program, the hallmark of what fiscal conservatives have rallied against forever. A great sticking point for Democrats when pushing policies.

Plus, Bush's conciliatory promotions of unity while maintaining a hard line (essentially the same as Kerry's stance) will force a more centered, bipartisan approach lest he be slaughtered in the press and popular opinion.

After many states roundly demolished gay marriage at the polls, this becomes a Supreme Court issue more than anything, and from what I've read they don't want to even touch it - sad, really, b/c it seems like such a potential non-issue; who is really going to protest if those rights are allowed (or rather not explicitly denied)?

I think some of the battle will be fought in the Pentagon. I know Rumsfeld want to turn the military into a smaller, more mobile elite force where they can enter and leave an area quickly. Then you have Wolfowitz, et al who's entire doctrine is about nation building. Those two can not be sustain and one of them has to go. It will be interesting to see if anybody will be leaving.

If I had to guess, I'd say neo-cons will sadly get massacred.

-Rudey

Re: Re: Civil Wars in the Republican and Democrat Parties
 

I don't see the "big gains". Did Kerry gain any state Gore didn't win in 2000? Did more Senate candidates win? Did more House candidates win?

Here in GA, which had been totally Democrat controlled from the 1870s thru 2002, is now totally Republican: Gov., both houses of the legislature, both US Senators, most US Representatives.

What gains have you seen?

Name a spending program, and a spending increase, (except for the military) that the Democrats don't love.

Three and a half years of being slaughtered in the media wing of the Democratic party, and years of entending hands to ungrateful Democrats (remember Kennedy and the education program), is not leading to a more bipartisan approach.


The nation seems to have spoken on this.

Re: Re: Re: Civil Wars in the Republican and Democrat Parties
 

bahahaha, hoosier, you obviously don't pay any attention to the "names at the top of the posts" brotha . . . anyway:

OK - this is non sequitur at best, but is a vague continuation of the point I was making.

The rest of what you wrote is tripe, the sort of stuff that gives my party a bad name. Thanks.

I had an interesting "discussion" with my ex tonight while we were waiting for parent/teacher conferences. This seems to be the best thread to share it...

He said he voted for Bush (a given, he's always been a Republican) but that he can't stand him (huh?). He has always been pro-life and that is the main issue that he votes on so I told him he should be happy because Bush should get to appoint enough Supreme Court Justices now to overturn Roe v. Wade. He said "Well, I hope they don't make it totally illegal. Some people should be able to get abortions" (new spin from him, before it was NEVER, not in rape, incest, health of mother, etc.) BUT, then he said "Once they overturn that, I'll be voting Democratic". He went on to say he was against the Iraq War, upset about the federal deficit (he's a financial analyst, MBA in finance), worried about the privatization of Social Security, worried that we'll take on more countries militarily, etc. On and on and on...

So, from his take, once the abortion thing isn't an issue anymore, he'll be a Democrat.

Dee

"Mr. Bush's victory appeared to clear the way for a reshuffling of his cabinet, with John Ashcroft, the attorney general, and Tom Ridge, the homeland security secretary, likely to leave for personal reasons, according to administration officials."

This is the start of major political bloodshed.

-Rudey

You think it's going to get ugly? I have a feeling that there is a struggle between the Christian rights and the old school conservatives.

Re: Re: Re: Civil Wars in the Republican and Democrat Parties
 

Faith-based initiatives!

Just don't send his sorry butt back to PA. Please, please, pretty please.