July 23, 201412 yr If the 2016 election is about the Hobby Lobby decision then I am going to kill myself. If Hillary Clinton is the Dem nominee for president, I have zero doubt that her main emphasis will be to highlight issues of importance to women and (equally) minorities. Hobby Lobby absolutely is part of that equation. (Read today that another company plans to also deny to cover contraceptives.) Yes, Hillary will say she's tough on terror and wants to move America forward economically, etc., but it is in the arena of women's issues where she will find it easiest to separate herself from Perry or Bush or Huckabee.
July 23, 201412 yr That's exactly what the Contract with America did for them in 1994. That was a REMARKABLE political document. It outlined several things that just seemed so basic. Eight simple points. It was easy to understand and every candidate had -- at least -- those eight things as a concrete plan of action upon election. Republicans could use a vision that goes beyond the generalities and vagaries of "small government" and "American values". It's easy to raise money and support from the base with a "this thing the Democrats did is awful" pitch. It's tougher to raise new votes that way. You have made a very good point, something that I wish they would do. Hannity has been saying that the Republicans need to come up with a program that deals with taxes, energy, health care, immigration and the environment. While I was a registered Democrat for 35 years and then a Republican for the last 10, as they both stand today, I do not care for either party.
July 23, 201412 yr You have made a very good point, something that I wish they would do. Hannity has been saying that the Republicans need to come up with a program that deals with taxes, energy, health care, immigration and the environment. I don't even know that it has to be that comprehensive. It doesn't even have to be eight items like the Contract was. But a nice start would be the party heads getting together and finding the things people like most about the Republican platform that a relatively simple and running primarily on those. How about a five-point plan that is simply "If you put us in control of the House and the Senate this year, here are the five things we're going to put on the president's desk right out of the gate." It lays out a simple first-hundred-days plan for the voters and if it works, it has the potential to be a political victory right out of the gate if the House and Senate start passing bills and sending them to the president, putting it on him to veto them or not. Easier said than done, to be sure. But I believe there are enough savvy political players left in the party to hammer something like that together. Sure, the Republicans are dealing with some factional issues that make the process tougher but... welcome to politics.
July 23, 201412 yr If the GOP holds the House and takes the Senate 51-47-2, that will only intensify the stalemate between the legislative and executive branches of government. The real battle will come in '16 when the GOP will have to defend the lion's share of Senate seats with Rick Perry or Rand Paul heading up the GOP ticket and being forced to defend Hobby Lobby in every debate vs. Hillary. I am sure the 'War on ___________' talking points will be kept handy for 2016. Ms. Clinton needs some 'War on Islamist extremist' talking points since she apparently was not concerned that the militia than ended up attacking the Benghazi consulate moved in next door and she was more concerned about the aesthetics of sandbags and machine guns. Then she declared a 'War on youtube videos' in response. Report: State Dept. did nothing after militia moved in next to U.S. Consulate in Benghazi - Washington Times
July 23, 201412 yr If Hillary Clinton is the Dem nominee for president, I have zero doubt that her main emphasis will be to highlight issues of importance to women and (equally) minorities. Hobby Lobby absolutely is part of that equation. (Read today that another company plans to also deny to cover contraceptives.) Yes, Hillary will say she's tough on terror and wants to move America forward economically, etc., but it is in the arena of women's issues where she will find it easiest to separate herself from Perry or Bush or Huckabee. Not seen any of the data but do women really see Clinton as a woman first? I see her as a life long politician first and everything else follows.
July 23, 201412 yr For 2016 the democrats appear bent on repeating the Republican's traditional next (wo)man up strategy. That will be their downfall as Hillary will be an easy candidate to run against. Elizabeth Warren concerns me more but the Dems are not smart enough to see it. Surprisingly enough though Hillary might be.
July 23, 201412 yr For 2016 the democrats appear bent on repeating the Republican's traditional next (wo)man up strategy. That will be their downfall as Hillary will be an easy candidate to run against. Elizabeth Warren concerns me more but the Dems are not smart enough to see it. Surprisingly enough though Hillary might be. There are plenty of Democrats who see it. I think there's a real concern as to how her particular brand of populism plays in a general election and whether her record (or lack thereof) in Washington is a problem. She's introduced a couple of big ideas that have gone absolutely nowhere in the senate. That could be a liability. I'm not crazy about either one of them... but I can't think of the last time I was excited about a presidential candidate anyway.
July 23, 201412 yr For 2016 the democrats appear bent on repeating the Republican's traditional next (wo)man up strategy. That will be their downfall as Hillary will be an easy candidate to run against. Elizabeth Warren concerns me more but the Dems are not smart enough to see it. Surprisingly enough though Hillary might be. Hillary is not my first choice either, but I haven't read anything to indicate that a serious primary contender is waiting in the wings. As I've said before, Hillary won't be running against herself. Voters will choose between a very known quantity (Hillary) vs. Perry, Palin, Bachmann, Jeb, Christie et al. She will look better by comparison.
July 23, 201412 yr Hillary is not my first choice either, but I haven't read anything to indicate that a serious primary contender is waiting in the wings. As I've said before, Hillary won't be running against herself. Voters will choose between a very known quantity (Hillary) vs. Perry, Palin, Bachmann, Jeb, Christie et al. She will look better by comparison. 1) She will be running FROM her past history, can't do it and thus... 2) No way she looks better in comparison to Christie or Jeb, Perry I don't know. The other two aren't running.
July 23, 201412 yr 1) She will be running FROM her past history, can't do it and thus... 2) No way she looks better in comparison to Christie or Jeb, Perry I don't know. The other two aren't running. Just today Michele Bachmann -- aka "the Swiss Miss" -- said, "Don't forget about me in '16, boys!" Give me a shout-out if you see a "statesman" or "stateswoman" among the GOP presidential hopefuls. Looks like Clown College to me.
July 23, 201412 yr There are plenty of Democrats who see it. I think there's a real concern as to how her particular brand of populism plays in a general election and whether her record (or lack thereof) in Washington is a problem. She's introduced a couple of big ideas that have gone absolutely nowhere in the senate. That could be a liability. I'm not crazy about either one of them... but I can't think of the last time I was excited about a presidential candidate anyway. Warren would be interesting from a "high risk, high reward" angle. But, for her ubiquity in Democrats' campaigns this summer, she doesn't seem like she is doing any more than supporting other candidates. No fundraising, no PAC, no self-promotion. Clinton's chances have consistently been oversold. She's been loathed for decades by the right, she has a long, public history that makes for endless attack fodder, and she isn't a very dynamic candidate otherwise - she ran to the right of Obama in 2008 and has fairly "establishment" and commonplace views, which aren't very galvanizing. Her prospects are much more contingent on her opposition.
July 23, 201412 yr Just today Michele Bachmann -- aka "the Swiss Miss" -- said, "Don't forget about me in '16, boys!" Give me a shout-out if you see a "statesman" or "stateswoman" among the GOP presidential hopefuls. Looks like Clown College to me. Bachmann will not be the candidate, period. Neither will Palin so quit worrying about them. If Hillary runs you'd better get used to saying President Clown then. Oh wait, we have that now.
July 23, 201412 yr Bachmann will not be the candidate, period. Neither will Palin so quit worrying about them. If Hillary runs you'd better get used to saying President Clown then. Oh wait, we have that now. You're such a comedian. The official party of the SEC wants a nice, polite, boring series of presidential primary debates in '16, sort of like when GWB was ordained in '00. However, Bachmann or Palin could spoil those plans of Reince Priebus. Right now my money is on the "reinvented" Rick Perry becoming the GOP standard-bearer. Repubs will go back to their Southern roots with Perry.
July 23, 201412 yr You're such a comedian. The official party of the SEC wants a nice, polite, boring series of presidential primary debates in '16, sort of like when GWB was ordained in '00. However, Bachmann or Palin could spoil those plans of Priebus. Right now my money is on the "reinvented" Rick Perry becoming the GOP standard-bearer. Repubs will go back to their Southern roots with Perry. You really are amusing. Predictable but amusing.
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.