Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Trashed GOP Brand, Romney, Select Smart & Dem Choices
As Republican elites coalesce around Mutable Mitt as their presidential standard bearer in the upcoming race, one has to wonder what in the world GOPers are thinking about...
Let's face it, it's not as if Democrats won't nicely turn the Kerry karmic tables on Romney as the flip-flopping poster boy on guns, gays, immigration, abortion and campaign reform (replete with past quotes, of course).
But there's something else going on.
David Brooks penned a nice column in the New York Times, "Road to Nowhere," that in light of the Bush fiasco and current political climate might explain all.
Now back to an earlier theme from a previous post. This is a generational historic moment where Democrats can marshal their energies to help elect the presidential candidate who best embodies their hard core principles.
Go ahead, take the simple online quiz by USA Today, ABC News and/or SelectSmart. And then have the courage to follow through with your vote -- especially if the same low-tiered candidate wins every time -- and in spite of media pundits parroting opposition research and calling him or her a ball-buster, druggie, phony, irrelevant loony.
Let's face it, it's not as if Democrats won't nicely turn the Kerry karmic tables on Romney as the flip-flopping poster boy on guns, gays, immigration, abortion and campaign reform (replete with past quotes, of course).
But there's something else going on.
David Brooks penned a nice column in the New York Times, "Road to Nowhere," that in light of the Bush fiasco and current political climate might explain all.
Indeed. Even before the first vote is cast, Republican leaders know that all is lost. But no matter, party on, dude...like it's still 1980 or somethin'If any Republican candidate is going to win this year, he will have to offer a new brand of Republicanism. But Romney has tied himself to the old brand. He is unresponsive to the middle-class anxiety that Huckabee is tapping into. He has forsaken the trans-partisan candor that McCain represents. Romney, the cautious consultant, is pivoting to stress his corporate competence, and is rebranding himself as an Obama-esque change agent, but he will never make the sort of daring break that independent voters will demand if they are going to give the G.O.P. another look.
The leaders of the Republican coalition know Romney will lose. But some would rather remain in control of a party that loses than lose control of a party that wins.
Now back to an earlier theme from a previous post. This is a generational historic moment where Democrats can marshal their energies to help elect the presidential candidate who best embodies their hard core principles.
Go ahead, take the simple online quiz by USA Today, ABC News and/or SelectSmart. And then have the courage to follow through with your vote -- especially if the same low-tiered candidate wins every time -- and in spite of media pundits parroting opposition research and calling him or her a ball-buster, druggie, phony, irrelevant loony.
// posted by Howling Latina @ 10:38 AM 
