What Has the GOP Done for America?

by Jonathan Singer, Thu Jan 07, 2010 at 12:29:28 PM EST

According to top GOP strategist Todd Harris, not a whole lot:

H/T to Huffington Post for making this catch.

The prognosticators are right that swing elections tend to be about the party in power more than the party out of power -- but they can overstate that point, too. To take an example I wrote about yesterday, although Ronald Reagan's approval rating was in the dumps in 1982 (about 43 percent at the time of election day) the Democrats weren't completely able to capitalize as the party in opposition, picking up a more modest 26 House seats (as compared with shifts of 47, 48 and 52 in 1966, 1974 and 1994, respectively) and just a single Senate seat. Just two years removed from a Carter presidency, voters simply were not as quick to embrace the Democrats as they might have otherwise been. This fall, just two years removed from the George W. Bush presidency, will voters really be much quicker to embrace the GOP?

Tags: Approval Rating, Todd Harris, Hardball, Republican Party (all tags)

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4 Comments

Shadow_head_small
I don't think so

Through all the hand wringing from the defeatocrats, and efforts by those with an historical axe to grind to diminish the Obama Presidency, the GOP still does not stand for anything in the 21st Century. Before you can even try to win big, you have to stand for something.

The party is stuck in a past era most Americans would like to forget; an era of racism, xenophobia, ethnocentrism, global deferentialism, and individualism.

Don't get me wrong. There are parts of this country where those ideals still play. That's why we still have the GOP teetering on the brink of becoming a regional permanent minority party instead of, you know, actually becoming one and allowing Americans to form a new third party.

You could argue that they are trying to stand for not being Obama, but Obama is only an 11 month Presidency, and that's not much. Thanks to George W. for 8 brillian years, all the old GOP tricks have no traction. Fiscal responsibility? Tax breaks for the wealthy? Militarism? Nothing works.

by NoFortunateSon 2010-01-07 12:44PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
normally I would agree with you

You can't beat something with nothing, and that's what the GOP are offering.

However, 10 percent unemployment is a different story, especially when Republican voters are fired up to oppose the Obama agenda.

 

by desmoinesdem 2010-01-07 04:07PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
Of course not

But unfortunately the progressive ship that enabled Obama and these majorities is sailing. How do you ask a nineteen year old who never gave a damn about politics before and volunteered for BO like no other that this is what all the blood and sweat and hard-earned money was for? More war, bailouts and the forcing of all Americans into the private insurance industry? Those are your accomplishments that you return to your liberal base with? They better hope for one hell of a tea party summer.

by roman14 2010-01-07 05:00PM | 0 recs
Shadow_head_small
Of course not

But unfortunately the progressive ship that enabled Obama and these majorities is sailing. How do you ask a nineteen year old who never gave a damn about politics before and volunteered for BO like no other that this is what all the blood and sweat and hard-earned money was for? More war, bailouts and the forcing of all Americans into the private insurance industry? Those are your accomplishments that you return to your liberal base with? They better hope for one hell of a tea party summer.

by roman14 2010-01-07 05:00PM | 0 recs

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