Sunday, April 26, 2009

Compromising Republicans, sit up and take note

from: http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=96019

Polls released by Rasmussen Reports this week demonstrate that – at least within the Republican Party – sitting incumbents who vote for increased government, taxes and federal bailouts risk voter backlash in the next election.
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., for example, is one of only three Republicans in Congress to vote for President Obama's $787 billion stimulus plan. According to a Rasmussen poll released this morning, the 28-year senator now trails his 2004 GOP primary rival Pat Toomey in the polls by 21 points: 51 percent of Pennsylvania Republicans say they'd vote for Toomey in a 2010 primary, while just 30 percent would support Specter.
A separate Rasmussen poll demonstrated that 58 percent of Specter's Republican constituents cited his support of the stimulus package as reason for their waning support.

I have long wondered why any Republican would think that trying to play the middle of the road would ever win an election. I knew that John McCain would never win. Why? Because many Republicans would never vote for him because of his perceived compromises on important issues to conservatives. And, on the other side of the aisle, most liberals liked McCain until they found someone more liberal. He didn't stand a chance. It doesn't seem like rocket science to me; I wonder why guys like Specter don't get it.

5 comments:

history27 said...

If you were to ask the average person what the FOMC is they would not know what you are talking about(Free Open Market Committee). If the Bush administration did not act to support the banking system there would be no banking system. The man running the Federal Reserve is an expert on the Great Depression. I believe he is more qualified to address the crisis than the talking heads of the various media.
As to your comments on John Mccain I can say that Mccain actually served the country in the military. What member of the Bush administration served in the military. Was it Dick Cheney,NO was it Paul Wolfowitz, NO was it Karl Rove, NO was it Richard Pearl(the man who said we would be greeted as liberators in Iraq) NO. I believe I made my point. So if I understand you correctly you would rather have a person who agreed with you on social issues and not be concerned about the two wars and thousands of dead and injured. I thought every life had meaning? Or is it just the unborn and military personnel can fend for themselves.
Mccain lost the election because he pandered to the extreme religous right like Jerry Falwell. The Republican party will be a minority party until it starts to address the serious issues of the day and stops pandering to the extreme right.

Purple Empire said...

I have to respectfully disagree with you. Christians still comprise a large portion of America. Amongst people I associate with, I oftentimes heard, "I don't like Obama, but I can't get excited about McCain either." He didn't energize the Christian base of the Republican party. Without that, any Republican is sunk.

history27 said...

Pat Toomey has no chance of winning in Pennsylvania. Arlen Specter made a political calculation to change partys and run as a democrat in Pennsylvania. The religous right continues to challenge incumbent republicans in primaries and either beats the incumbent and loses in the general election or weakens the incumbent and the incumbent loses. Either way another seat is lost. This logic is relegating the republican party to permanent minority status.

Purple Empire said...

To use the logic of not challenging someone in your own party because the incumbent is a powerful voice in congress even though he does not represent the views of the voter doesn't fly for me. That sounds like compromise to me. Voters need to keep their elected officials accountable. Specter was down in a recent poll by over 20 points; he would have lost the primary. Then, whether the Republican wins or loses, at least the compromising politician is out of the picture.

history27 said...

The political reality is that Specter made a decision to switch parties and stay in power. This has nothing to do with morals or ethics it is pure unadulterated politics. The farther right the republican party goes the longer they will stay a minority party. If you are going to be successful in politics you have to compromise. It is unrealistic to think you are going to get your way 100% of the time. Using your logic has gotten the republican party in the state its in right now.