I wonder if it would be possible to hear from this site's most illustrious Republican (and I don't mean Cheryl H., although she could comment also) to weigh in on the election results.

Specifically, ADG, what do you think about your party's stated aims to repeal the new health care law ("Obamacare"), reduce government spending, shrink the size of government, and keep taxes on the wealthy at historically low levels? How do you feel about the Tea Party?

It seems to me that the above aims can't possibly help the majority of the less fortunate people in this country. Wonder how your dad would have felt at a time like this. Gotta feel he would have written quite a few songs, poems, and stuff.


mikey

I think we need healthcare but not Obama's version of it. I will let Arlo speak first with his views. They should be interesting.

I don't think that the health care bill is Obama's version. It's a mish-mash of concessions after those who opposed it chopped the crap out of it. For instance, where's the public option?

According to Glen Greenwald and Tom Dachle, Obama dealt away the public option very early in the process because the insurance industry would not accept it as part of the negotiations. The WH kept that from the public and issued statements that it was fighting for it but it was never seriously considered.

http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/2010/10/05/public_option

Then the story changes but obviously the hospital industry was against it. Daschle wrote one thing in his book, then tried to defend Obama by changing the story.

[url]
http://news.firedoglake.com/2010/10/05/ ... ic-option/[/url]

Most of what I hear from the newly emboldened republicans boils down to the failed notion of trickle down economics, often disguised with other names.Oddly, the hero of the republican party, Ronald Reagan's own budget guru, David Stockman says it was a mistake then, and a bigger mistake now, to allow this ideaolgy to rule republican thinking.
But it's clear that it is.
Obama's willingness to compromise some of his ideal solutions in order to get something better than what we had, to me, shows pragmatism and a real effort to serve the public good, whereas some liberals view it as weakness or capitulation.
I think Obama should put David Stockman on the payroll ASAP.
Obama has failed in fully explaining and articulating the progress we have made in really bad times.Most people don't understand that taxes have gone down under his watch, and that the government stands to make a profit on much of the bailout efforts, started by Bush, but improved with better taxpayer safeguards and accountability by Obama.
Obama correctly pointed out that reforming healthcare was not only the right moral thing to do, but is needed to repair the long term economy.
Healthcare in this country is something in the area of 16-17% of GDP, where in other western domocracies, some or most with BETTER health care, it's at 10-11%.

To the average uninformed voter in a mid-term election, things are still
bad, so vote out the incumbants.
The republicans do have a better oiled spin machine, and seem to be quicker and better at claiming victory as well as claiming they now have a mandate from the American people.They do have a political victory, but they clearly DO NOT have a mandate.
The problems we face are deep and will not be fixed by the next election, so barring any really weird stuff, I'll expect it to swing back next time, probably on Obama's coat tails.
The scary thing is, we just put the same party whose policies created the economic mess, back in power in the house.

But, with both major parties, they often seemed to be much more concerned with each other than they are with us, and getting the right stuff done. Somebody needs to tell these two pro sports teams, that it's about the fans.

BTW, I thought Arlo was the site's most apologetic....or maybe reluctant republican, and Dave was our most illustrious one?

You know, my adopted little brother Dave, who rails against socialism, but as a government employee living off the public teat, leads a more socialistic life than most of us do?( Not a dig lil' bro, just an observation)

Right you are, Larry; I guess I had forgotten about Dave because he's been so quiet lately. Probably better not to rattle his cage, though, as I'm sure I can't take one more gloating Republican after last week.

Still hoping to flush Arlo out with a statement, though.


mikey

Larry wrote:

"I think Obama should put David Stockman on the payroll ASAP."


One would think that pointing out obvious logical contradictions in Republican/Tea Party ideology/rhetoric would enlighten and change peoples' minds. This, unfortunately, hasn't occurred. Remember, not too long ago, when "Avatar" was all the rave......I thought, (mistakenly), at the time, "After folks watch this, how could anyone keep approving of wars and the exploitation of global resources at the expense of our environmental health and well being?" People have amnesia, or something like a short term memory deficit disorder about these things.......subconscious hypocracy? Ignorance? The "Sheeple" syndrome? It's really too unfreakin' believable sometimes KEEP YOUR GODDAMN SOCIALIST HANDS OFF MY SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE??????????? WTF???

Yeah, I just saw "Avatar" for the first time this weekend, as it made it to HBO. A nice hippie flick that STIIL had lots of shit blowing up!

But so far as movies and the elecorate, who could vote for a witch after seeing The Wizard of Oz? Christine O'Donnell still got 40% of the vote!

If Dave gloats too much about the republicans, just remind him of the Dallas Cowboys.

Some of them need to learn governance isn't a sport and we are not their fans, we are their employers. I don't get all the hand-wringing. The midterm results were predictable to the nth degree. Given only two choices, the only way to slap them awake was to roll the party in power. It's a typical reaction when the driver appears to go too far too fast for the tastes of those he publicly put in the back seat and those in the front seat are laughing.

I'd be less concerned about distractions like witchypoo and be watching the rejuvenation of the Bush family reputation in preparation for the Rise of Jeb. Politics is a game of emotions, that is, entertainment and shaping perceptions have to be part of shaping policy else policy is perceived as edicts instead of reasoned consensus, a polemic instead of a story told. Obama's team has to learn how to play to the back row instead of kibitzing with the reserved tables down front where the rich people talk over the songs.

I don't know if Arlo's opinions would be as valuable as his tutoring on how to play to a thousand people like he plays to ten, aka, the sound at the back can be as good as the sound down front.

I've thought for some time now that Jeb is the logical choice for the Republican ticket in 2012. It's more than a bit frightening to me. The Bush era isn't over yet.

Then we are safe......sort of, because they will pick the illogical choice. It's what they do.

It's never over. Concentrated wealth combined with educational elitism (the ruling classmembers go to the same schools) will always be struggling among themselves and trying to keep ahead of the voters ire. I did see a post on FB where a World Bank official says the globe should revise and readopt the gold standard. I'm not enough of an economist to know if that is even doable now. We need new structures though. Floating currency valuations guarantee the transnationals have the upper hand.

I don't know if they can revive the Bush family with Jeb. The Republicans are desperate for an alternative to Palin. It's too soon for Jindal. Their usual symbols for The Great American Success Story are not distanced enough from the taint of the Bush legacy.

A lot depends on how Obama's team plays the press for the next two years. They have to react faster to lies like the billion dollar claims for the President's travel. A friend of mine was Clinton's travel person on the White House staff and he says the max cost for travel to Africa was $5.2 million a day. Even that sounds pricey but isn't. They are also pounding Michelle for taking expensive shopping trips. A top notch staff anticipates plays like these and has ready answers. Obama suffers too many B-listers in the press staff. Either that or the rumors that Mrs. O is not someone that can be handled professionally may have substance. I dunno. I know they have to get some spin control going and not later but sooner.

Jeb Bush strikes me as not conservative enough for this bunch. I predict the R ticket will be Romney/Rubio.

I also have a (not so) bizarre prediction that Obama will not run in 2012; either he steps down or is challenged from within the party.


mikey