Booman Tribune ~ A Progressive Community

Republicans Lost Without Leader

by BooMan
Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:01:14 PM EST

Wonkette's been talking to Republicans. They have no idea how to function without a Dear Leader.

"You walked into the RNC [over the last 8 years] and it made sense--George Bush was the head of the party, and everyone there was working for him. All those 'dear leader' pictures of Bush made sense. Now, who's it going to be? McCain? Seriously? I think we're going to have to go retro. Nixon. Reagan. Hoover... though McCain's also been harshing on him."- Anonymous GOP consultant.

It's funny that these Republicans always forget to mention Poppy Bush. The economy sucked during the latter half of Poppy's presidency, but at least he didn't leave office in disgrace like Nixon, Hoover, and Dubya. In many ways, Poppy had the most successful presidency for a Republican (not named Eisenhower) in the 20th-century. He successfully navigated the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union. For that alone, he deserves some serious credit. But I don't want to fluff Poppy too much. I think he is (and was) basically the head of a legalized crime syndicate (why'd we invade Panama again?). If you really want to find a Republican presidency to be proud of, you have to go to Eisenhower. But Republicans never mention him as a role model either.

In reality, the Republicans will stick with Ronald Reagan. His presidency was a disaster of cronyism, corruption, and incompetence, but at least he gets good press and a so-so deal from historians. And, at least he was conservative on the issues modern-day Republicans care about. Of course, Ronald Reagan is dead and is therefore unavailable as a candidate for higher office. That's why there are all these articles out there about Sarah Palin becoming the nominee in 2012.

If 2012 brings us a match-up between Palin and Mittens, it'll be hard to get anyone to pay attention.

Republicans Lost Without Leader | 18 comments (18 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (4.00 / 2)

Woah. How is Eisenhower's a presidency to be proud of? He engineered the overthrow of elected governments in Iran and Guatemala, foolishly or dishonestly decrying these as Soviet-controlled communist dictatorships. He installed real dictatorships in said countries, doing so on behalf of big business. He authorized the CIA to assassinate the elected prime minister of the infant Republic of Congo. He wanted the US (and the UK) to intervene in Indochina on behalf of the colonial power, so there could be a merry Vietnam War even in the 1950s. He threatened the tactical use, "like bullets," of nukes against China over Taiwan, and did not kill the genodical plan for US strategic nuclear first strike even against passive third parties SIOP-62, though he did acknowledge its evil. Domestically, he did nil to check McCarthyism.

Still, he was one of the best US presidents in the last century. Morally speaking, he might deserve to be hanged humanely, by long drop perhaps.

The world's northernmost desert wind.

by Sirocco (sirocco2005 - AT - gmail.com) on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:45:30 PM EST

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

I'm being generous, Sirocco. We've had a long string of terrible presidents.

by BooMan on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:55:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

But Palin/Romney will be about CHANGE, and we all know Republicans love CHANGE, don't we?

mbr + dv + woyg

by keirdubois (keir@mybandrocks.com) on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:21:13 PM EST

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

If change means deinsuring 45 million people of their health care....

by BooMan on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:28:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

They'll get real used to that nasty liberal relativism, won't they?

mbr + dv + woyg

by keirdubois (keir@mybandrocks.com) on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:34:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

Watch Charlie Crist of Florida. He is the only hope the GOP has of being politically competitive again.

by eagleye on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:28:31 PM EST

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

If he wasn't gay, he'd be on the ticket right now.

by BooMan on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:29:35 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

there are several republicans who, if they stepped up into leadership roles in their party, could turn it around for the republicans in one election cycle....we are fools to ignore this....they could find a messiah just as easily as we could.

here are just 3 possible future messiahs;

Iglesias the former us attorney
patrick meehan the former us prosecutor in philly
colin powell

by anna in philly (flymetothemoon@yahoo.com) on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 04:21:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

why'd we invade Panama again?

To drop off the equipment that Ollie North got caught trying to deliver?

The Underground Railroad

by Oscar In Louisville on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:28:50 PM EST

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

something like that. I think it probably had to do with money laundering on an epic scale.

by BooMan on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:30:40 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

I am expecting a fight to the death between the nutjob wing of the Republican party and the more moderate Wall St/Country Club Republicans. And the loser may end up going out and forming their own political party.

I don't know how it will play out in the long run - each will initially have trouble as a national party, but I suppose they will run candidates nonetheless.

Without the deep pockets of the more moderate Republicans, the nutjobs will have a much harder time of it. The nutjobs do bring a fair number of of votes however.

The moderate Republicans might be able to peel off some blue dogs here and there. Remains to be seen..

by ericy on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:47:02 PM EST

Stupid Is As Stupid Does (none / 0)

The Underground Railroad

by Oscar In Louisville on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 02:59:06 PM EST

Re: Stupid Is As Stupid Does (none / 0)

I love that ad. The wink at the end is just perfect.

"Little people are very stuff-intensive."

by CabinGirl on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 03:19:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

Not to interrupt, but yet another Obama effigy hung on a college campus, and this one in my backyard at UK.

University of Kentucky police are investigating who hung an effigy believed to be Democrat Sen. Barack Obama from a tree on the Lexington campus Wednesday morning.
UK President Lee Todd, after a news conference Wednesday, said that UK police have notified federal authorities of the incident. Todd said a professor saw the effigy on the tree near the Rose Street parking garage across from the Mining and Minerals building this morning and called police. The professor then sent Todd an email notifying him of the incident.
UK police took down the effigy and have it as evidence, Todd said. Todd said anyone with any information about the incident should contact UK police. The effigy was likely placed there sometime overnight. But it's in a well-traveled area and police are hoping that someone saw something, Todd said.
Todd called the act "deplorable" and "abominal" and says that type of behavior is not tolerated on UK's campus.

I am getting so tired of this.

More at Zandar vs. The Stupid.

by Zandar1 on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 03:07:55 PM EST

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

Honestly, I'm surprised that it's taken this long for that to show up at UK, Adolph Rupp and whatnot...

The Underground Railroad

by Oscar In Louisville on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 03:14:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

Sadly, you should probably get used to it.

"We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further." - Richard Dawkins

by halo0 (philiott at gmail dotcom) on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 03:23:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

Schwarzenegger, Hagel, Jindal, Bloomberg, Mittens, etc. These guys are all the types that could/really,really,really want to lead the Repugs out of the wilderness..

Declaring the bottom is the only way back up..

by anarchronarchist (mincers (-at-) hotmail (-dot-) com) on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 03:22:58 PM EST

Re: Republicans Lost Without Leader (none / 0)

Let's focus on beating them in 2008 before we look to 2012.

Be nice to America. Or we'll bring democracy to you country.

by Drew J Jones (blahblahblah@blahblahblah.com) on Wed Oct 29th, 2008 at 03:26:04 PM EST

Republicans Lost Without Leader | 18 comments (18 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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