The Republican Party has changed

[Bledsoe]

Below is an excerpt from an editorial from the Johnson County Sun of Overland Park, KS (a traditional Republican newspaper) explaining why it will be endorsing a record number of Democrats this year.

I think what it says also applies to Oklahoma Republicans.  The party switch of State Sen. Nancy Riley, D-Tulsa

http://www.oksenate.gov/Senators/biographies/riley_bio.html
http://okiensight.blogspot.com/2006/08/sen-nancy-riley-reregisters-as.html

from Republican to Democrat just after the Lt. Gov. primary this year is an example what has happened and is happening to the Republican party in Oklahoma.

See:  http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1459&dept_id=155743&newsid=17284084&PAG=461&rfi=9

____________________________

The Republican Party has changed, and it has changed monumentally.

You almost cannot be a victorious traditional Republican candidate with mainstream values in Johnson County or in Kansas anymore, because these candidates never get on the ballot in the general election. They lose in low turnout primaries, where the far right shows up to vote in disproportionate numbers.

To win a Republican primary, the candidate must move to the right.

What does to-the-right mean?

It means anti-public education, though claiming to support it.

It means weak support of our universities, while praising them.

It means anti-stem cell research.

It means ridiculing global warming.

It means gay bashing. Not so much gay marriage, but just bashing gays.

It means immigrant bashing. I'm talking about the viciousness.

It means putting religion in public schools. Not just prayer.

It means mocking evolution and claiming it is not science.

It means denigrating even abstinence-based sex education....

But everything else adds up to priorities that have nothing to do with the Republican Party I once knew.

[papaspot]

I agree that the Republican Party bears little or no resemblance to the Republican Party that existed in America when I had more hair growing on the top of my head than out of my ears. There's nothing conservative about today's Republican Party, in fact the only difference between the Republican Party and the Democratic Party is where they want to put the money for big government spending and which state rights they want the federal government to usurp. I think that the Democratic Party has changed less and I think that utter chaos, a total lack of organization and the inability to agree on anything has actually helped the Democratic Party stay relatively unchanged.

[RecycleMichael]

Can you believe how many democrats are being endorsed by the Tulsa World this year?

I really try to pay attention and the Tulsa World has endorsed equally over the long run, but has endorsed more republicans in the last decade.

Not this year. The editorial board has over and over again said that the democrat was the better candidate this year.

[aoxamaxoa]

The pendulum swings...

It may be too late!

[Cubs]

To win a Democrat primary, the candidate must move to the left.

What does to-the-left mean?

It means supporting public education by giving it heeps of money, even though money doesn't help kids want to do any better.

It means claiming to support our universities, while doing nothing while in office.

It means pro-stem cell research despite its moral consequences and lack of any proof that they will help anything.

It means lying about global warming despite any long-term proof.

It means gay praising. Not so much gay marriage, but just praising gays.

It means illegal immigrant welcoming. Maybe they just don't understand the word illegal. It means putting politics first because they know illegals usually side with the Democrat party.

It means completely removing religion in public schools and life in general. Not just prayer.

It means claiming evolution is true and completely disregarding God and those Christians who believe in Jesus Christ.

It means encouraging sex before marriage....

But everything else adds up to priorities that have nothing to do with the Democrat Party I once knew.

[waterboy]

I doubt you ever knew the Democratic party except in negative terms. Or perhaps the Demo party you knew was the one that perpetuated your style of ignorance throughout the South in order to stay in power till Johnson broke their backs. Not to worry, they became evangelical Republicans. Someone remind this toad that the republicans have been in charge of practically everything in this country for over 12 years. You really like the results?

[papaspot]

quote:Originally posted by Cubs

To win a Democrat primary, the candidate must move to the left.

What does to-the-left mean?

It means supporting public education by giving it heeps of money, even though money doesn't help kids want to do any better.

It means claiming to support our universities, while doing nothing while in office.

It means pro-stem cell research despite its moral consequences and lack of any proof that they will help anything.

It means lying about global warming despite any long-term proof.

It means gay praising. Not so much gay marriage, but just praising gays.

It means illegal immigrant welcoming. Maybe they just don't understand the word illegal. It means putting politics first because they know illegals usually side with the Democrat party.

It means completely removing religion in public schools and life in general. Not just prayer.

It means claiming evolution is true and completely disregarding God and those Christians who believe in Jesus Christ.

It means encouraging sex before marriage....

But everything else adds up to priorities that have nothing to do with the Democrat Party I once knew.

Yep, I'd say you definitely qualify as a Modern Day Republican (as do most Bush apologists). Like the other neo-cons, you're a liberal in in right wing clothing.

By the way, it's "heaps", not "heeps". What motivated you to learn to spell (or not) in school?

[papaspot]

quote:Originally posted by waterboy

I doubt you ever knew the Democratic party except in negative terms. Or perhaps the Demo party you knew was the one that perpetuated your style of ignorance throughout the South in order to stay in power till Johnson broke their backs. Not to worry, they became evangelical Republicans. Someone remind this toad that the republicans have been in charge of practically everything in this country for over 12 years. You really like the results?

They'll STILL try to blame it all on Clinton. [}:)]

[Rico]

You know the fact that the Republican Party has changed was the topic of conversation just the other day....

We were remarking how lately it is culminating in a spurt of growth.......

I guess it all began with a plan........






and a few short years ago the book really started to turn the.............







then as recently as just the other evening they showed their support for one another in times of trouble...............





These guys have really changed.... Ronald Reagan would have quite a bit to say dontcha know.....!

[guido911]

PAPA wrote:
Yep, I'd say you definitely qualify as a Modern Day Republican (as do most Bush apologists). Like the other neo-cons, you're a liberal in in right wing clothing.
By the way, it's "heaps", not "heeps". What motivated you to learn to spell (or not) in school?

I am a Republican. I am a Bush apologist and "neocon." I love Halliburton and fully support covering up page abuse scandals. Hey, any other democrat talking point or other b.s. pablum you would like to spout from the party of cowardly cut and run?

[Rico]

quote:Originally posted by guido911


I am a Republican. I am a Bush apologist and "neocon." I love Halliburton and fully support covering up page abuse scandals. Hey, any other democrat talking point or other b.s. pablum you would like to spout from the party of cowardly cut and run?

"We live in a Wold of problems which can no longer be solved by the level of thinking which created them"

[]

[Chicken Little]

quote:Originally posted by guido911

...from the party of cowardly cut and run?

Which party would that be?

CBS Evening News - Oct 1, 2006

quote: ...two separate sets of advisors, one inside the Pentagon and one outside, are now developing plans for what would amount to a withdrawal schedule...

Just nine months ago we were supposed to believe that Jack Murtha was a coward.  Now, Bush is following his advice.

If this means that we are going to get those boys the h*ll out of there, then that's all that really matters.  We should already be drawing down, but instead we had to endure yet another nasty political gambit from the White House.  This time, however, the disgusting, swiftboating, smears have done little more than waste valuable time...and lives.

Time for Rove and all the other political flacks to get out their paste and construction paper and make themselves some little "I stayed the course" badges of dishonor.  Ever feel like you've been played like a grand piano?


UPDATE:  Murtha says it better.  From today's WaPo:

quote: "It's all baseless name-calling, and it's all wrong," Murtha wrote. "Unless, of course, being a Defeatocrat means taking a good hard look at the administration's Iraq policy and determining that it's a failure.

"In that case, count me in. Because Democrats recognize that we're headed for a far greater disaster in Iraq if we don't change course _ and soon. This is not defeatism. This is realism."...

..."Democrats are fighting a war on two fronts: One is combating the spin and intimidation that defines this administration. The other is fighting to change course, to do things better, to substitute smart, disciplined strategy for dogma and denial in Iraq.

"That's not defeatism. That's our duty," ...

[Rico]

Ditto.......!

Republican Congressman Chris Shay (Con) calls for Rumsfeld’s Resignation

I would advise you all to never move. What a nightmare! Glad that’s over with.

While reading thru the usual opinion and news sites, I found an article that just gets me. These republicans betraying their own peers to get votes.

This newest traitor â€" I can’t think of a better way to describe him â€" Representative Chris Shays. He is facing a tough democrat opponent in the upcoming elections, has called â€" on Wednesday â€" for the resignation of Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense. Which is highly unusual for a “long-timeâ€? republican.

The Connecticut Representative also claims that the administration is “withholding information from Congress� about the Iraq war. I don’t think that anyone, besides military leaders and the President himself, should know everything about a war, ANY war. How is security supposed to be maintained if we tell everyone in the country what we’re doing? I don’t trust anyone in Congress enough to keep that information quiet. The first time a constituent had a problem with something going on in the war, it’s my belief that they would tell to save their own donkey.







[}:)]

[papaspot]

quote:Originally posted by guido911

PAPA wrote:
Yep, I'd say you definitely qualify as a Modern Day Republican (as do most Bush apologists). Like the other neo-cons, you're a liberal in in right wing clothing.
By the way, it's "heaps", not "heeps". What motivated you to learn to spell (or not) in school?

I am a Republican. I am a Bush apologist and "neocon." I love Halliburton and fully support covering up page abuse scandals. Hey, any other democrat talking point or other b.s. pablum you would like to spout from the party of cowardly cut and run?

Oops. I'm not a Democrat. But nice try.

Oh, wait...you said the party of cut and run. Let's see...the last time we cut and ran was from Beirut, I believe. It was after the Marine Barracks bombing. Let's see...who was president then...it was....REAGAN. That's it--Reagan was president. Ronald Reagan. Now which party was Reagan from? It's on the tip of my tongue. REPUBLICAN! That's it--Reagan was a Republican. You must have been talking about the Republican Party when you said "the party of cowardly cut and run". My mistake. [}:)]

I'm not a Republican either.

[papaspot]

"That's not defeatism. That's our duty,"

I think for people like guido, "the right thing" is whatever the Republican Party tells them is the right thing.