What’s news today?
Let’s start with some employment news. Bad, of course.
From CBS Las Vegas
“A Las Vegas business owner with 114 employees fired 22 workers today, apparently as a direct result of President Obama’s re-election.
“David” (he asked to remain anonymous for obvious reasons) told Host Kevin Wall on 100.5 KXNT that “elections have consequences” and that “at the end of the day, I need to survive.”
And this we knew was coming. Obama just got them to delay it until after the election.
From CNBC
“Boeing announced a major restructuring of its defense division on Wednesday that will cut 30 percent of management jobs from 2010 levels, close facilities in California and consolidate several business units to cut costs.”
You can read about the Obama admin coercing them here, from TownHall. Boeing is the second largest defense contractor.
“In an effort to make the economy look a little rosier than it is, the Obama administration is basically coercing defense contractors so as to prevent news of layoffs hitting voters before the election. With sequestration about to result in some major cuts to the defense budget, contractors will lose government business — and that means, employees will lose jobs. But to prevent poor numbers ahead of the November election, the Obama administration has made it very, well, fiscally unwise for companies to issue layoff notices too early.
The Labor Department issued guidance in July saying it would be “inappropriate” for contractors to issue notices of potential layoffs tied to sequestration cuts. But a few contractors, most notably Lockheed Martin, said they still were considering whether to issue the notices — which would be sent out just days before the November election.”
Boy that’s convenient huh?
🙄
Now to the storm, and it’s aftermath. Also bad.
From the NYPost
“Looks as if FEMA is just a fair- weather friend.
Yesterday’s nor’easter proved too much for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s aid location in Tottenville, SI — which hung a sign reading “Closed due to weather” as the wintry storm blew into town.”
I need a head shaking, eye rolling, smiley.
More from the NYPost on the gas rationing starting in NY.
“New York City and Long Island will institute gas rationing starting tomorrow, officials announced, to help ease long gas-station lines, in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.”
This is just insult to injury.
From CBS New York
“In the wake of superstorm Sandy, reports of lootings across the Tri-State have been widespread.
Areas hit especially hard by Sandy continue to deal with dealing with lawlessness.
Rockaways residents told 1010 WINS reporter Gary Baumgarten that looting and thievery have become such serious threats that taking up arms and fleeing town are the best options for staying safe.”
In election news, Allen West is still alive in his race for re-election.
From TheBlaze
“Rep. Allen West is leading by more than 300 votes in Palm Beach County, Fla., a hopeful sign for the Tea Party favorite fighting for his political life after Tuesday’s election, a source told TheBlaze.
No winner has been declared in the congressional race between the Republican West and his Democratic opponent Patrick Murphy, though Murphy had a 2,456-vote lead in the unofficial vote total.”
Jesse Jackson Jr.’s in talks for a plea deal?
From ABC
“Attorneys for the Justice Department and Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. are in talks about a possible deal regarding allegations of campaign finance violations, according to sources familiar with the investigation. Negotiations have been under way for some time.
It is unclear whether the talks will result in a plea agreement, but sources say the talks could come to some conclusion soon.”
And yet he was re-elected. Where else but Chicago?
And where were white voters?
From RealClearPolitics
“Democrats, like Republicans today, were despondent. Aside from having a president they loathed in the White House for four more years, they were terrified by what seemed to be an emerging Republican majority. John Kerry had, after all, hit all of his turnout targets, only to be swamped by the Republican re-election effort. “Values voters” was the catchphrase, and an inordinate number of keystrokes were expended trying to figure out how, as Howard Dean had memorably put it before the election, Democrats could reconnect with “guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks.”
For Republicans, that despair now comes from an electorate that seems to have undergone a sea change. In the 2008 final exit polls (unavailable online), the electorate was 75 percent white, 12.2 percent African-American, 8.4 percent Latino, with 4.5 percent distributed to other ethnicities. We’ll have to wait for this year’s absolute final exit polls to come in to know the exact estimate of the composition this time, but right now it appears to be pegged at about 72 percent white, 13 percent black, 10 percent Latino and 5 percent “other.”
Obviously, this surge in the non-white vote is troubling to Republicans, who are increasingly almost as reliant upon the white vote to win as Democrats are on the non-white vote. With the white vote decreasing as a share of the electorate over time, it becomes harder and harder for Republicans to prevail.”
Here’s some Benghazi news, the cover-up continues.
From ForeignPolicy.com
“Under pressure from senators, the State Department is allowing some lawmakers to look at cables and other documents related to the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, but only today and tomorrow, when most senators are not in Washington.
Congress is gearing up for a full week of Benghazi-related hearings next week, including a Nov. 13 hearing behind closed doors of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led by Chairman John Kerry (D-MA). Kerry has written two letters to the State Department requesting congressional access to information and documents related to the circumstances leading up to and during the attack that killed AmbassadorChris Stevens. Several sensitive documents have already been leaked to congressional offices and the media, so the State Department has decided to let some senators view Benghazi documents but not take them home.”
“One senior GOP Senate staffer told The Cablethat State is only making the documents available for senators and committee staff to view today and tomorrow, which won’t actually allow the members to prepare for the hearing. Staffers for committee members are also not allowed to see the material.
“Funny since no member is in town,” the aide said. “The timing and limited access clearly demonstrates the administration cares more about playing politics with the tragedy than accepting responsibility.”
And another foreign policy issue squashed for political/election reasons?
From FoxNews
“Iran fired on an unarmed U.S. drone last week as it was hovering in international airspace, the Pentagon announced Thursday.
Spokesman George Little said the incident, which marks the first time the Iranians have fired on a U.S. drone, occurred Nov. 1 at 4:50 a.m. ET. He said the unarmed, unmanned drone was conducting “routine surveillance” over the Persian Gulf when it was “intercepted” by Iran. He said the MQ1 Predator drone, which was not hit, was not in Iranian airspace.”
“Little said the U.S. government has protested to the Iranians.”
Oooooooo, that’ll show ’em. Everyone knows the Iranians always cave to strongly worded letters.
🙄
It happened in international airspace according to CNN.
“The incident, reported first by CNN, raised fresh concerns within the Obama administration about Iranian military aggression in crucial Gulf oil shipping lanes.
The drone was on routine maritime surveillance in international airspace east of Kuwait, 16 miles off the coast of Iran, U.S. officials said. The Predator was not hit.”
And from TheWeeklyStandard
“On Twitter, Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin follows up by saying the attack on the American drone by Iran was not revealed until after the election because it was a “classified” mission.”
Sure. I mean it’s not like they’ve ever given us any reason to distrust what they say right?
🙄
I think I need to get my eyes checked. They’re rolling a lot lately.
Wandering Views 
It is starting for us. Hubby just got word that his company lost a big client. Our income could go way down as Hubby is paid by the job. I haven’t been able to find anything that wouldn’t require me to work nights and weekends, something I can’t do with a kid and a husband who is out of town most weekends.
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AJ
Yesterday on the news, you observed that I don’t comment on every piece — it’s not because I always agree with the interpretations give, but rather that I don’t have time to respond to every single piece. Today I will only comment on the Townhall piece — sequestration will only hit if there is no agreement between the House Republicans with the President and the Senate. So we’ll see if the House Republicans are finally ready to actually compromise or if they will do as Mark Levin would have them do (ht to Sails from yesterday’s politics section) and demand that their preference be adopted even though Romney ran on it and lost.
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Congressmen must vote the way they promised their constituents they would vote.
No tax increase in my watch means that I will not vote for a tax increase. The government doesn’t need more money. It needs to cut spending.
Take away some Obamaphones.
Defund Big Bird.
Then we can talk.
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Got it. No compromise. I hope you’ll not criticize Obama for adopting the same position when we arrive at impasse.
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Yesterday Donna asked about differences between Ronald Reagan and Rubio and Ryan. President Reagan did not insist that his entire agenda be adopted. He understood that politics is about compromise and he had a Congress that understood the same. President Reagan was not a zero sum politician like Ryan and Rubio. President Reagan was also not beholden to a ridiculous pledge on taxes and did not have to contend with Rush, Coulter, Hannity, the NRO crew. President Reagan was not weighted down with party sorts trying to flank him on his right.
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Buddy
President Obama will have to compromise as was done on health care. I know most of you don’t buy it, but the liberal ideal on health care was not Heritage Foundation’s 1992 proposal. It was single payer.
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CB, one may adhere to conservative principles, as Mark Levin suggests, and still understand that the essence of good politics involves good personal relations with opponents and the art of compromise. Ronald Reagan and Tip O’Neil remarkably well exemplified this.
Bob Woodward in his recent book, The Price of Politics remarks that Obama doesn’t have good personal relations with high-level members of even his own party. He actually loathes the art of politics. He has an opportunity over the next few months to change his political ways and seriously engage the issues of spending and taxes, though I’m afraid to expect this would be a rather futile exercise of hope over experience.
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Candidates and presidents are two different things. 🙂 There is always more posturing in the candidate mode (well, maybe Obama is an exception 😉 ).
But seriously, has Obama struck anyone as someone who desires to reach across the aisle? He sounds like he hates Republicans, frankly. I am hoping he will adopt more of a bipartisan spirit in his second term. But it’s a small hope.
I finally “unsubscribed” to a FB ‘friend’ yesterday after I read one more of his rude, four-letter-word laced left-wing political rant (this one lashing out against Fox News).
(A) the election is over. (B) how incredibly offensive and disrespectful to all of us “reading” his stuff to use FB as a forum to berate (in ugly dockworker language) and spew his hatred of public figures he doesn’t like, always ending with “LMAO!!!”
Really? He thinks he’s clever? That this is being funny? Grow up already.
I’d go further and “unfriend” him altogether but at least this way I’m not bombarded by his adolescent idiocy — yelled in gutter language — several times a week. What is wrong with these people?
And yes, he’s a father and claims to be a Christian. Honestly.
(He also posts the public announcements for one of the town’s fraternal organizations which is why I approved his FB friend request in the first place. But that clearly comes with too much baggage. So his group will just have to figure out another way to get their info to me.)
Sure does give you a window into who to avoid at all costs in person, doesn’t it? And I hear it much more from the far left than anyone on the FB platform, people who are grownups — many of them even professionals — who really ought to know better.
Even if they watch the language (unlike the previous guy), it’s post after post after post of in-your-face ‘conservatives are idiots and will steal every election they can’ drivel.
I sure wish that whole “civility” thing caught on way back when. But it never did.
There. I’ve now had unleashed rant of the day, thank you very much. 🙂
Oh and Chas, we Californians actually voted to tax ourselves just a little bit more in this past election.
We are a slow bunch. 😉
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CB,
That’s funny. The only compromises Obama made were between the far left and moderate left. Both are on his side. That’s not compromise. He didn’t compromise with R’s, in fact, they were completely cut out of the process. But he won’t be able to do that now, when the R’s hold the House.
Some compromise should happen from all sides, or we’re right back to gridlock. R’s will have to allow some tax increases, and D’s will have to allow some spending cuts. Or nothing changes.
Boehner will need to actually lead the R’s, for a change. Part of that must include compromising to get some necessary things done, like the fiscal cliff issue, the debt ceiling limits, and job increases.
Obama has too big of an ego, and is worried about his legacy, so perhaps he too will be more flexible in his dealings with R’s. Otherwise this just continues, and it will tarnish his lasting legacy. Gridlock is not what a Pres. wants his legacy to be, so we’ll see.
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Entitlements, military, taxes, federal programs, blah blah…. Don’t worry, the compromise discussion takes place entirely “within the box,” and none of the solutions to any of the country’s problems are contained therein. On the one hand, you’ve got your differences between garden variety Republicans and Democrats–differences that don’t amount to a hill of beans–and then you’ve got the kind of differences between Republicrats and (redacted). There was enthusiasm on these boards for Mitt Romney. We’ve got huge problems in this country. Mitt Romney would have been nothing more than a band-aid, just like the positions over which Republicans claim they don’t want to compromise. Time to scrap the pragmatic approach.
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AJ, that’s also my hope with Obama in what will be his swan song term in office (see? there’s always a silver lining!). 🙂
Maybe he won’t feel he has so much to prove and will find a way to actually govern effectively that brings people together — at least on a few issues. And I agree, compromise is needed on both sides to avoid disaster at this moment.
I’ve been disappointed in Boehner’s leadership skills, however. Sigh.
OK, I went the distance and “unfriended” that guy. I think that’s a first for me on FB.
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solarpancake: Entitlements, military, taxes, federal programs, blah blah….
Actually, these are real and serious issues the nation faces. Had Romney been elected, in my view he bid fair to seriously engage them.
As to pragmatism, our best leaders including Washington, Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Reagan were eminently pragmatic. Furthermore, they despised ideologues who lacked the art of serious governance through compromise.
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What exactly, has Obama compromised on?
We are in for a rough four years. We may not survive it.
“Crossing the aisle” has always meant Republicans cross over to compromise and increase spending of some sort.
My problem with Bush is that he didn’t veto any of the bills the Democrats introduced.
Solar pancake is correct on one point, “We’ve got huge problems in this country”. At least Romney wouldn’t haven’t made them worse. I fear for the future for my grandkids.
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Sails, of course they’re serious. Also, we’re in HUGE debt and millions of babies are killed every year. Republicans contributed to that. Don’t think Republicans, in general, even without compromising, have any solutions–and I’m using that term as it’s actually defined–to any of the most serious issues the nation faces.
Also looks like we disagree on who have been our best leaders.
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“Also, we’re in HUGE debt and millions of babies are killed every year. Republicans contributed to that.”
Which part? The debt? They certainly did.
On the other part, weren’t you the guy the other day whining about me contributing abortions as a consequences of 3rd party voters? You didn’t want blame, yet you appear to be doing just that here. Perhaps you could clarify that. I’d hate to think you have a double standard thing going on, one for R’s and another for the more pure at heart 3rd party voters. What gives?
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Obama AWOL again as usual: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/don_go_there_XaKCQnlCrKCXi3F8KmeoWO
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It seems to me we’re now getting the bill for twelve years of living on credit. It will be difficult. Californians passed a proposition to back tax ourselves for the last 11 months in an attempt to close the enormous budget gap.
I think I’ve now crossed over to the other side. I was a budget counselor for many years. You can’t deal with your problems if you’re not willing to take a hard look at them and change.
So tax me. Leave my grandkids alone.
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Oh wait, the real AJ. So there’s something wrong with ascribing blame to certain people for abortions? Make up my mind for me so I know what I’m supposed to be rubbed the wrong way about.
Or either way–say what you want about 3rd party/abstaining voters. You can (try to) make a circuitous case that, somehow, they’re to blame for fostering a pro-child killing agenda, as you tried to do the other day. But how do you deny what is *reality, RIGHT NOW,* and has been for 30 years. There’s nothing hypothetical about it–we’ve had millions of babies killed; we’ve had Republicans in significant positions of power for much of that time. Tell me how I’m wrong.
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the real AJ: Why must you tell me I’m “whining”? Can’t you keep that stuff out of it? Go back and look at my posts. Quote for me where I, without prior provocation, did any “whining” or spoke in any way approaching the way others (including you) have spoken to me. Really, I’m open to correction here.
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You took great offense at my comments the other day. Now today, you did the same. That’s a double standard. You got bent outta shape because I put the fault for Obama’s second term abortion agenda on 3rd party folks, yet you just did the same. You know how our govt works. You know there was no way an R was gonna be able to do away with abortion, yet you blame them for not achieving the impossible. When exactly was it that you think the R’s had the House, Senate, and Presidency that they could do what you say they failed to do when they could? They’ve never had the votes necessary for it. You won’t accept responsibility for the consequences of your vote, but you want others to do just that. Makes no sense to me.
Perhaps whining was the wrong word. Sorry. But really, you’re complaining about how you’re treated? Seriously? You seem to be giving just as much as you’re getting. That’s how it works. Debate is a contact sport. It’s some of your ideas that are being disputed, not you personally. Remember that, and don’t take it so personally.
We’re all allowed our opinion, even if yours is wrong.
🙂
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the real AJ. Where am I giving the way I’m getting? Just provide me some quotes. Don’t make general accusations. There’s no double standard here, either. I didn’t blame anyone here–as you blamed me and others like me, directly–for fostering pro-murder agendas. Man, this isn’t obvious? No need to condescend and tell me not to take it personally. You’d do better to explain how you, as a Christian, defend your and others uncharitable speech toward me, and even 6 arrows. Really, the real AJ, don’t talk like after claiming you’re all apologetic how you’ve treated “Paulites” in the past. So go ahead–provide actual quotes from me where I’ve given anything approaching the insults that have been sent my way.
What was “impossible” about SCOTUS appointments? Reagan gave us O’Connor (who’s just terrible) and Kennedy (who supported Roe). GHWB gave us Souter. [Nixon gave us Blackmun, author of Roe, but I won’t hold that against Christians for not seeing the writing on the wall]. Why have Republican senators *compromised* in confirming other pro-murderers to the Court? Because “that’s just the way it works”? Bah, forget that. And what kind of crazy “compromise” is it when Christians can argue that they’ll vote–actually *support*–pro-abortion candidates because those candidates are at least not quite as pro-abortion as the Democrat?
I explained already how it’s untenable to claim a 3rd party/abstaining voter bears responsibility for pro-murder consequences. There’s just too long and winding a path between that action and a law that makes abortion legal.
Are you going to provide quotes of me giving the way I’ve gotten? I hope you realize it would be cake for me to provide some pretty seriously insulting quotes from the likes of you and yours. But I’d be interested to see what I’ve said that you think is equivalent.
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solarpancake, the Republicans in the House passed the Ryan budget, which, if enacted, would put the country on a path over time to significantly reduce and eventually eliminate the federal deficit. Also, the Republican Party in its platform advocates a strict pro-life policy.
Realistically speaking, for now, the Republican Party is far more conservative than the Democrats or Libertarians. Your pining for some sort of utopian theocracy is rather naive given American political reality. Actually, most theocracies in history prove to corrupt both politics and religion, as the present Muslim ones amply demonstrate.
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See ya, folks.
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Republicans should walk into the meeting and tell Mr. Obama here you go.
2% increase on those making over 1 million and a 1% increase on those making between $250 thousand and 1 million. That big bird and PPH budget will be cut by 2013 by 15% and 2014 by 25% and cut programs also. That Mr. Obama’s czars offices will be closed starting 2013, White House and Congressly Staffing will be cut by 10%, Department of Education, IRS, EPA will have their staffing cut by 10% and their budget cut by 15% (not education that goes to the schools only these departments) The Military Budget gets cut by 2%, All Aid going to the UN cut by 25%, Aid to the Muslim Nations cut by 50%.
The when Mr. Obama gets upset and start to yell, the Republicans should stand up ad tell Mr. Obama when he stops acting like a dictator and start to act like a President, then we can talk about these cuts and walk out on him.
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lets try this again
Republicans should walk into the meeting and tell Mr. Obama here you go.
2% increase on those making over 1 million and a 1% increase on those making between $250 thousand and 1 million. That big bird and PPH budget will be cut for 2013 by 15% and 2014 by 25% and cut other programs also. That Mr. Obama’s czars offices will be closed starting 2013, White House and Congressly Staffing will be cut by 10%, Department of Education, IRS, EPA will have their staffing cut by 10% and their budget cut by 15% (not education money that goes to the schools only these departments) The Military Budget gets cut by 2%, All Aid going to the UN cut by 25%, Aid to the Muslim Nations cut by 50%.
The when Mr. Obama gets upset and start to yell, the Republicans should stand up and tell Mr. Obama when he stops acting like a dictator and start to act like a President, then we can talk about these cuts and walk out on him.
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royner, sounds like a plan to me.
If you look at a map on Drudge, you see that most of the country is red.
Those representatives were not elected to rubber stamp Obama’s plan.
Obama intends not to compromise.
Off the cliff we go.
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Make the Ron Paul supporters happy the Republicans should demad the closer of 50% of all bases in Eourpe and Japan. With the cuting of Aid to Eourpe by 50% also.
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Here is another wild idea, those troops must be out of Eourpe by the end of 2013 and we buid bases for them along our southern boarders… An these soldiers can start to patrol the boarders, use them just like we did in the 1800’s. With permission to return fire when taken fire…
That would stop the mexicans from invading our nation, it would hurt the drug lords.
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just a few ideas from this little old pastor
hello and good bye
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“If you look at a map on Drudge, you see that most of the country is red.”
By geographical area only. By pure number of supporters, it would seem more folks favor Obama than the GOP alternative.
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Bases on the border. Gee how did you all lose that Latino vote? Mystifying, isn’t it?
And Roy what you describe is an ultimatum, not a negotiation. House republicans lost seats. Senate republicans lost seats. Gov Romney’s popular vote was less than McCain’s. Perhaps some reflection on that is in order before moving to ultimatums?
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“walk out on him”
That only works when you can pin the blame for the negative repercussions of disagreement on the president. If he’s able to pin them on you instead then walking out is a losing proposition.
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Krugman, btw, is on board with the “no compromise” approach:
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CB: Gee how did you all lose that Latino vote? Mystifying, isn’t it?
Actually, it is rather simple. The Latinos are part of the many weak willed American people who have become accustomed to government largesse. Heather MacDonald in an incisive NRO article, Why Hispanics Don’t Vote GOP explains as follows:
And a strong reason for that support for big government is that so many Hispanics use government programs. U.S.-born Hispanic households in California use welfare programs at twice the rate of native-born non-Hispanic households. And that is because nearly one-quarter of all Hispanics are poor in California, compared to a little over one-tenth of non-Hispanics. Nearly seven in ten poor children in the state are Hispanic, and one in three Hispanic children is poor, compared to less than one in six non-Hispanic children. One can see that disparity in classrooms across the state, which are chock full of social workers and teachers’ aides trying to boost Hispanic educational performance.
The idea of the “social issues” Hispanic voter is also a mirage. A majority of Hispanics now support gay marriage, a Pew Research Center poll from last month found. The Hispanic out-of-wedlock birth rate is 53 percent, about twice that of whites.
The Latinos are a wonderful part of the coalition that Obama put together with a campaign based on the crude politics of ethnic identity, class warfare, and liberal hedonists.
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Pardon me, in the above the last word ought to have been hedonism.
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you must also consider what type Government that most Hispanic County have.
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So the dem party is just like ther Government , it promotes the idea that the Government knows best and will give them free handouts as long as they vote for them.
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It is very rare when I take an immediate and thorough dislike to someone but I have to admit I really have this time.
See ya!
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If I have offend you KimH, I am sorry..
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This is why the Dem will do nothing to stop them from coming here and why they are working on getting them their rights to vote.. It is another voting block like they can keep enslaved to Governmet hand outs.
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Wow Roy. Just wow. I know a fair number of latinos. They work hard. They pay taxes. They want their kids to have freedom. It’s remarkable to me that you can reduce the group to a stereotype. Did you know that there are a large number of latinos in the southwest and west who have ancestors that date back some 500 years in the area. They are as American as you.
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Sails – It is amazing how the left fight against protecting our Nation at our boarders.
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If you do not protect you boarders you no longer have a nation. We have a problem on the southern end of this nation. The left wants and desire those boarder to be wide up because it is voting block coming across that will end up on Government Programs. I know many fair number of latinos that work hard an came here legaly, who are tired of the fact this nation is being destroy. By people on the left and their allies that fight against the protocting of our boards.
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Now I remeber why I have stay away form this site….
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No, no, no, Roy. You have not offended me. All is well between me and thee
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Sails
We can surely talk about how to best defend our borders and tighten immigration law without casting aspersions on other Americans. Not all latinos are illegal. You don’t have to be left or right to acknowledge a fact.
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It’s notable that plenty of countries have “open borders” agreements with other countries. Australia and New Zealand, for instance. Also Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and several other South American countries. (Copied that directly from wikipedia, lest I be accused of plagiarism.) Few would argue they’ve ceased to be distinguishable countries. Canada also has an immigration policy much more welcoming than the US version. Certainly if you’re skilled and educated that’s the case.
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That’s true Bob and I would agree with folks who obsrve that our southern border is different than our northern one. I would agree with folks who want to reform immigration law and protect the border. And tone matters. Rubio is right about that.
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CB, you really don’t answer Heather MacDonald’s salient points regarding Latinos other than from anecdotal experience.
I, also, know some hardworking Latinos, though having eyes that see and read Victor Davis Hanson and Heather MacDonald, one is aware that a large proportion of the of Latinos, like the Blacks, in our country are ill educated, marginally cultured folk who are disproportionately poor, dependent on welfare, and in jail. Many of them, also, came to this country illegally.
Leftists including Obama pander through base identity politics to Latinos, gain ing votes. The Obama coalition of minorities, single women, labor unions, and libertarian hedonists, may win an election, though it doesn’t follow that this represents any sort of American nobility.
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Here is how Reagan pushed through his 1981 budget changes, the 1981 tax cuts and the 1986 Tax Reform package:
A. He went on TV and inspired the people to pressure Congress to adopt his plans; I was there. The phones on Capitol Hill were ringing off the hook.
B. When he was on TV, he told the truth, and presented comprehensive solutions that addressed the entire problem. He used charts and graphs like Perot.
C. He persuaded Democrats in Congress to sponsor his plan. The 1986 Tax Reform package was sponsored by Dick Gephardt and Bill Bradley.
D. After building the groundswell of public support, he compromised as needed to get the bulk of his plans passed.
Obama does not present the truth or comprehensive solutions. He acts like a demagogue. He attacks straw men. The people understand this and they don’t believe him or trust him. Therefore, Congress does not respect or fear him. Congress respected and feared Reagan.
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Given changing demographics, the Republicans have to win more Hispanics, and the way to do it is not to castigate them as moochers, parasites, etc. coming over here and ruining our culture (and that includes illegals – when large segments of the GOP act like that, do you think the brothers, sisters, sons and daughters of illegal immigrants don’t feel any kinship?) It’s not to send the army to patrol the border and it’s not to have 20 debates in which primary candidates fall all over themselves to prove who opposes illegals the most. Stop giving them the message “we don’t want you and your kind here.” That’s not a Christian attitude and it’s based on the myth that they aren’t assimilating as fast as previous groups and that they’re only here for free stuff. 98% of them want to learn English, according to the linked survey.
On another conservative blog I saw someone else post the following list of things that the Republicans should do:
Obama appears to have won by a little over 3 million votes. Romney got ~27% of the Hispanic vote; Bush in 2004 got ~40%. According to someone else I read online, the plunge in Hispanic share, by those percentages, was 1.8 million votes; that’s a 3.6 million swing from Romney to Obama. Romney would’ve won the popular vote and possibly the election. If he had also won 11% of black voters like Bush, rather than only 6%, he would almost certainly have won.
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I’ve heard rumors that Rubio is planning to come up with a version of the DREAM Act.
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Sails,
See Matt’s post – far more eloquent than what I would have written.
Ricky
Yup. President Reagan was more skillful than President Obama in the deal making and building support ddpartments by far.
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Matt, I think you made some good points. In Texas, Republicans must attract more Hispanics or we are doomed. Fortunately, we just elected a Hispanic Republican Senator (Ted Cruz).
As much as I disliked Little Bush because he was a big spender, I have to admit he did a great job reaching out to Hispanics.
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CB, I think part of Obama’s problem is that he is green. Reagan had negotiated with Jack Warner and run the nation’s largest state for 8 years. I think if Obama had been dean of a law school and then governor of Illinois, he would have been better equipped to be President. He might also have discovered that he wasn’t cut out to be an executive.
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Matt,
That sounds reasonable. But good luck getting Washington to play along. Too many on both sides have interests that work against such dialogue.
Good luck will be necessary, especially on points 4, and 6 as well. That’s where it’ll be toughest to change minds. If you can, point 2 gets easier to accomplish as well. I’m not saying I agree with those who think like those points, but we have to admit that many hold that view. Whether it’s a legit point of view or not is debatable, but it is obvious. There has to be a way to deal with this fairly, legally, and with realistic limitations. But I have little confidence this can get done in today’s political climate.
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CB, minor correction: Governor Romney’s popular vote was not less than McCain’s. It takes days or weeks to finalize the reporting and millions of votes are always added to the total after election night.
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/11/07/where-did-the-voters-go-nowhere/
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Plus, even if it was less than McCain’s, what does that say about Obama since the margin was less than half of what it was last time (it was 7 or 8 last time IIRC)? Not that I’m trying to justify ultimatums but Romney’s vote total isn’t the right place to look for countering that.
Here’s the other link I was looking for. Looks like Romney’s total will definitely be significantly higher than McCain’s. Obama’s will probably be lower than his 2008 performance – so pretty much the opposite of what you said. 🙂
http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-likely-to-win-popular-vote-by-more-than-3
The numbers in the link may mess up my contention that winning the Latino plus black vote at ’04-level rates would have been enough to win Romney the presidency – unless the minority vote also increases at the same rate (not sure if it will).
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RickyWeaver — Agree, Obama’s green. But the real problem is, he doesn’t know it). 😦
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Third party votes do matter. In Arizona two congressional Republicans (Dist 1 and 9) lost to the Democrat by less than half of the third party Libertarian candidate. In Dist 2 the Republican candidate lost by 36 votes with 461 write-in votes (I assume that only includes the valid write-in votes.) These results may not be final.
http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/AZ/42050/111795/Web01/en/summary.html
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Wait, my bad. in Dist 2 the Republican is ahead by 36. There was no libertarian candidate in this race.
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Just got back from a Farm Bureau convention. Had one dairy farmer say that before the election they were trying to hang in there and keep their employees. On Wednesday they informed their workers that they would lay off half of them because they no longer see light at the end of the tunnel. I think that he was going to lay off more than 100.
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Donna J, You are right. I once talked to a young West Texas Congressman who left his first meeting with Jimmy Carter at the White House stunned and depressed. His first words to a friend were, “He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know.”
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Now in Dist 2 they have the Dem up by 289 but Maricopa County is still counting.
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