The following sentiment from fivethirtyeight was/is a common meme on the left since President Obama started lowering the unemployment rate and getting Iran onboard with our diplomatic efforts:
…the Republicans, arguably, are in something of a death spiral. The more conservative, partisan, and strident their message becomes, the more they alienate non-base Republicans. But the more they alienate non-base Republicans, the fewer of them are left to worry about appeasing. Thus, their message becomes continually more appealing to the base — but more conservative, partisan, and strident to the rest of us. And the process loops back upon itself.
That was from January 2009.
What a difference a year makes:
In some of the most reliably Democratic states in the nation, well-known Democrats are suddenly vulnerable. And the GOP, counted out in the region not long ago, is eyeing a resurgence.
Since the 2008 election, no Republicans represent the six New England states in the US House of Representatives. But a recent WMUR Granite State poll indicates that if the election were held now, the New Hampshire GOP would probably recapture both congressional seats lost to the Democrats four years ago and retain the Senate seat Judd Gregg is relinquishing.
Since Obama has taken office and started fixing everything the way a good statist would, Republicans have replaced Democrat governors in New Jersey and Virginia. And we can’t forget Scott Brown, another Republican, is now sitting in the same chair Ted Kennedy used to sit in.
So clearly this means Republicans are going to kick some major league tail come 2010, right? Hardly. Never “misunderestimate” the GOP’s ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It’s clear the leadership of the party is still clueless about the direction they need to go.
For example, they gave liberal “Republican” Dede Scozzafava, a candidate they claimed could win, “almost $1 million…and aired commercials against” the conservative candidate in the race.
Dede bailed on the election then endorsed the Democrat, who barely won.
Then, when Scott Brown started making noise in Massachusetts, the GOP tightened the purse strings, and only gave him $50,000.
That’s right. They gave a liberal loser who supported a Democrat twenty times more funding than Scott Brown.
And then there is the idiotic idea of holding the GOP winter meeting in Hawaii.
If there is to be another Congressional revolution similar to1994, the GOP leadership needs to wake up and abandon this “big tent” mentality and focus on conservative solutions. Push ideas like the Fair Tax. Get people like Rep. Paul Ryan out there to explain these things. I saw him speak at CPAC 2009. He is a guy who can get the message out there in a way people will listen.
The main thing is, the Republican Party isn’t dead. It’s getting stronger every day. Now if we can just get the so-called leadership on board with the message…
