I'd like to point out how my legitimate thread about the remaking of the GOP is being neglected for all this tripe about Rush Limbaugh. Its a sad characterization of reality. Trust me, he is not the future of the republican party. Build him up to tear him down. Eventually this bubble is going to pop and few will remember Rush.

It's pathetic the only person worth talking about in terms of the GOP's future is Rush Limbaugh. Is this really the best they have right now?

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Originally posted by josh4 [b] It's pathetic the only person worth talking about in terms of the GOP's future is Rush Limbaugh. Is this really the best they have right now?

Oh and don't forget ...............
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Originally posted by josh4 It's pathetic the only person worth talking about in terms of the GOP's future is Rush Limbaugh. Is this really the best they have right now?

I think this is the point - and it's the one a lot of bloggers are pointing to - Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh have the highest approval ratings among conservatives of nearly anyone in the Republican establishment.

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Research 2000 1/5-8/09; 2,400 adults, 2% margin of error Mode: Live Telephone Interviews (story, results) National Job Approval / Disapproval Obama: 67 / 29 Pelosi: 39 / 37 Reid: 33 / 41 McConnell: 29 / 46 Boehner: 21 / 47

A sad characterization of reality? Maybe. But only because the reality is really that sad.

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Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov I think this is the point - and it's the one a lot of bloggers are pointing to - Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh have the highest approval ratings among conservatives of nearly anyone in the Republican establishment. A sad characterization of reality? Maybe. But only because the reality is really that sad.

Which is what I was arguing in my other thread. This is the direction the base is going but its clear the party needs to increase standing with minorities. Considering things like the Palin rallies during the election, I think the base will be resistant to those changes even though they are necessary for the party to remain viable. That significantly increases the chances of the party fractioning.

I don't think the Party is in any danger of fracturing - they are becoming more right-wing, yes, but so long as the Democrats can govern more effectively than the Republicans showed they could, there will come a moment (likely a 2012 landslide election), when the Republican Party starts to moderate again.

By running to the right, people like Rush think they can paint Obama as a liberal nutjob... but in reality, Obama stands with the people now.

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The possibility of seeing it fraction is probably much less than my wishful thinking. Their becoming more right-wing is an affect of being cornered into what they think they know best. This is not the direction the country's general population is moving. We should see indicators of this not in 2012 but the next midterms. If the republicans loose even more seats next year I expect that to be a big enough shake for them to figure something out by 2012.

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Originally posted by The17sss ... it also doesn't mean "we're going to do with we want, period."

Oh, it absolutely does. But then again you've been living under a rock the last 8 years so you wouldn't know.

Frankly, I hope this is the least bipartisan administration since, well, the last one.

And hearing Rush say:

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Mine is a genuine compromise. So let's look at how the vote came out, shall we? Fifty-three percent of voters in this country -- we'll say, for the sake of this proposal, 53% of Americans -- voted for Obama. Forty-six percent voted for Senator McCain, and 1% voted for wackos. Let's give the remaining 1% to President Obama, so let's say that 54% voted for President Obama and 46% voted for Senator McCain. As a way to bring the country together and at the same time determine the most effective way to deal with recessions, under the Obama-Limbaugh Stimulus Plan of 2009, $540 billion of the one trillion will be spent on infrastructure as defined by President Obama and the Democrats. The remaining $460 billion, or 46% that voted for Senator McCain, will be directed towards tax cuts, as determined by me.

Is fucking RICH.




Like he gave a FUCK that ore than half the country didn't vote for Bush TWICE. Like he gives a FUCK that there are people who don't agree with his agenda.

Jesus Christ it's like the entire right wing is in bizarro world right now.

Again, payback is a bitch and I hope we get more "I won so I'll trump you on that" and less pandering to a bunch of big fat babies with soiled diapers who don't have daddy Bush to change them.

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Originally posted by ******** Seplling don't demonstrate intelligence and educatoin - knowing does.

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Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov I don't think the Party is in any danger of fracturing - they are becoming more right-wing, yes, but so long as the Democrats can govern more effectively than the Republicans showed they could, there will come a moment (likely a 2012 landslide election), when the Republican Party starts to moderate again. By running to the right, people like Rush think they can paint Obama as a liberal nutjob... but in reality, Obama stands with the people now.

I think you and Josh4 have it backwards... elected Republicans and their pundits and strategists are NOT listening to Rush because the party has clearly moved more towards the center, which is how you got Bush abandoning conservative principles, government growth in a Republican administration, excessive spending by the GOP, McCain as the presidential nominee, and so on. This is evidence that they are becoming LESS right-wing, which has shown to have disasterous results in elections.

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Originally posted by Lebezniatnikov http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0109/18049.html Politico reports that Republican House member Phil Gingrey has a message for Limbaugh: back off. "I think that our leadership, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner, are taking the right approach," Gingrey said. "I mean, it's easy if you're Sean Hannity or Rush Limbaugh or even sometimes Newt Gingrich to stand back and throw bricks. You don't have to try to do what's best for your people and your party. You know you're just on these talk shows and you're living well and plus you stir up a bit of controversy and gin the base and that sort of that thing. But when it comes to true leadership, not that these people couldn't be or wouldn't be good leaders, they're not in that position of John Boehner or Mitch McConnell."

Phil Gingrey to Limbaugh today, calling him on his radio show:

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Rush, thank you so much. I thank you for the opportunity. Of course, it's not exactly the way I wanted to come on, but I appreciate you giving me the opportunity. Mainly, I want to express to you and all your listeners my very sincere regret for those comments I made yesterday to Politico. Basically the intent of my words to them was to discuss the unique position of congressional Republicans and our leadership, particularly John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. I clearly ended up putting my foot in my mouth on some of those comments (laughs) and I just wanted to tell you, Rush, and -- and all our conservative giants who help us so much to maintain our base and grow it and get back this majority that I regret those stupid comments. Well, Rush, congressional Republicans and our leadership need you and other conservative giants to galvanize the millions of Americans who don't live in Washington. They may not even live in Republican districts. Maybe they're in Democratic districts. But we've gotta have your support, and of course I know you reach millions of people across the country. I'm telling you, I heard from quite a few of them (laughs) since my foot-and-mouth disease yesterday, and I just thank you so much for what you're doing, and we're with you 100% -- and we know that you're with us a hundred percent, more importantly.

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Originally posted by Clovis But then again you've been living under a rock the last 8 years so you wouldn't know. Again, payback is a bitch and I hope we get more "I won so I'll trump you on that" and less pandering to a bunch of big fat babies with soiled diapers who don't have daddy Bush to change them.

Clovis... first, you are mistaken if you think I'm on board with how the last 8 years went. I'm just as desperate for real leadership on my side as you are on yours. And secondly, you sound way too angry/bitter for someone who is getting exactly what they hoped for in this election. Enjoy the ride while you got it on your side man.

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Originally posted by The17sss Phil Gingrey to Limbaugh today, calling him on his radio show:

Just goes to show how spineless congressional Republicans are when kow-towing to Rush. Proves my point pretty well, yes? If he's to be the face of the new party, time to get on board.

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