Red-Faced GOP Turns Blue Over Mississippi Loss

from AlterNet's PEEK:



Red-Faced GOP Turns Blue Over Mississippi Loss

Posted by Daniel DiRito, The All Spin Zone at 6:05 AM on May 14, 2008.

Democratic candidates continue to win elections even in the reddest of red states



The GOP’s loss of a special election in Mississippi’s 1st. district earlier this evening is bound to leave a number of Republicans tossing and turning tonight as they weigh the 2008 election. Regardless, Democrats should redouble their efforts to achieve more gains in November.

I don’t believe in crystal balls or tarot cards…but the fact that the Democrats have now won three congressional special elections in stronghold Republican districts doesn’t bode well for the GOP in November. The most recent loss took place tonight in the solidly red 1st. district in the state of Mississippi.



Now I understand that Rep. Cole has to respond to the defeat and I’m sure it’s difficult to craft a palatable rationale. Regardless, it’s hard to imagine the words “forward-looking agenda” and GOP in the same sentence.

After all, they have John McCain, a supposedly kinder, gentler version of George W. Bush, running as their presidential nominee…and he bills himself as the man who intends to keep his predecessor’s endless war racing full steam ahead. If that’s their notion of a forward-looking agenda, they might as well pull out the “mission accomplished” banners and see if they’re more effective the second time around.

The GOP also faces a campaign cash disadvantage that leaves them in a position they haven’t experienced in modern times. This, coupled with a disenchanted electorate, provides the Democrats with an arsenal of weapons that is both formidable and foreboding.



Notwithstanding, it’s too early for the Democrats to let down their guard or uncork the champaign. While there is reason to be hopeful that the party will take back the White House and increase their majorities in the House and the Senate, a lot can still happen between now and November.

Needless to say, I suspect the GOP may be contacting Nancy Reagan’s astrologist in hopes of having something to look forward too. Hey, perhaps astrology could be the cornerstone of their forward-looking agenda? Nah, come to think of it, the first Bush already tried selling “A thousand points of light”.


http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/85330/

or drudge?

I refuse to visit those places.

:nopity:

I think there have been three GOP losses in special elections just recently to democrats....... This one in MS, the one in LA around Baton Rouge which Woody Jenkins lost and one other I can’t remember. Not good news for the GOP even at the local levels it seems.

The other loss was for Speaker Dennis Hastert’s seat which had been Republican for about 100 years. This is serious.

The Obama-Clinton race has energized RATS. The GOP primary was dull.

Just an indication of what is to come and a big reason that if McLame is elected that he will be stymied by Congress and Senate which are controlled by the Dims.

November will be an absolute bloodbath..........

These were THREE solidly Republican districts (one was Speaker Hastert’s). This bodes a coming disaster, with a veto proof House, the Republicans are likely to have about 140 seats, the same they had after 1964. GW Bush will have leveled the House (and Coalition) that Reagan Built.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2015758/posts

Many wrote about "starting to act like Republicans again" and some commented to the effect that their candidates will have to run against McCain as well as having to run against the Democrats.

This quote from Gingrich (prior to yesterday, but after the Louisiana loss) is very interesting:

<<Gingrich, who was pushed out as speaker following GOP losses in the 1998 midterm elections, advocated “an emergency, members-only” meeting of House Republicans in order to hash out a new reform agenda before Memorial Day. He also called for a “complete overhaul” of the NRCC.

Gingrich said that if the GOP leadership would not go along with his plan, “then the minority who are activists should establish a parallel organization dedicated to real change.” He offered nine policy proposals designed to achieve that goal, including repealing federal gas taxes, reforming the Census Bureau and declaring English as the official language of the United States.>>

(http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0508/10138.html)

I see two things there. One is that Gingrich is proposing, essentially, a GOP counterpart to the DLC; I read "parallel organization" as a party-within-the-party, much as the DLC has become. The key difference being that the proposed GOP counterpart is going to attempt to separate the most right-wing elements of the party -- not the centrists. The second thing is the English-as-an-official language idea; this signals that the right wing of the Republican party would essentially be done courting the Hispanic vote and, instead, pander to the closed-borders crowd. This would signal a break from the Bush family, who go to great lengths to speak Spanish in campaign events and try to present themselves as Latin-friendly at every opportunity.

Color me dense -- anyone want to explain Census Bureau reform?

The GOP Dream is really a NIGHTMARE and the Peeps finally WOKE UP...pissed off...

No Amount of spin will help them...they have been exposed as assholes....

The Scoreboard shows them ZERO for anything Good for America...only losses....

and they wonder WHY? Poor Fools....they should gaze in the Mirror for a long time...

that simple.

We Republicans PROMISE we won't ever do anything Republican again if you elect us......Change you can count on...

Bwahahahahahahaha.

Fat Pig Limbaugh is so far out of touch it's unreal.

Keep talking and pumping up Operation Chaos, Rush. We're reaping the benefits of your twisted thinking.

n/t

Marginalize yourselves to the point of being cartoonish.

People already are waking up to the fact you are big NOTHING.