dagblog - Comments for "Waiting for the GOP to Die"

I've been away from my

AmiBlue — Tue, 16 Jul 2013 00:23:06 +0000

I've been away from my computer so I'm late in responding. I wanted to say that I think we have a worldview, but I don't think we have anyone to lead.

I would say, first and foremost we have to protect the liberal advances of the past. I'll give you an example. I don't have cable so I don't know what's going on there, but I haven't read anything much about the democrats raising a real stink about the the rightwing SNAP trick in the house. Why oh why are the dems not raising all kinds of hell about it? That's how the tea party functions and it is successful. SNAP is just the latest example. Dem leadership, including Obama except when he's campaigning, just sit like dummies without reactions to the really regressive antediluvian policies the republicans are pushing.

OWS irritated the life out of me because it just seemed to drift without purpose. As I said above, we need more Elizabeth Warrens, Wendi Davis's, Patty Murphy's. Perhaps it will be up to the women to revive the party, but I don't count Hillary in that category.

As an aside, I've been wondering if the Pope Francis might help. The Catholic church joined the right because of abortion issue decades ago. Francis seems to be trying to shift the focus back to the poor, which made the church a good partner for the liberals in the past. That's just something that's occurred to me and I have nothing to back it up. And I'm not a Catholic.

Sometimes I wonder if all

trkingmomoe — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 05:02:12 +0000

In reply to The GOP may not realize but

Sometimes I wonder if all these extreme attacks on rights are a Republican death rattle. It is like a death bed last will and testament they are trying to leave behind for us to sign as a witness. They know their days are numbered.

The GOP may not realize but

rmrd0000 — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 04:38:20 +0000

In reply to Keep your eye on the turn out

The GOP may not realize but the gutting of the VRA and the ID laws will spur more people to come out to vote. I think women will feel an urgency to vote given the blatant attack on women's rights. It has gotten to a point where they have riven Blacks, Latinos and woen together because they all feel that they are under Republican attack.

Keep your eye on the turn out

trkingmomoe — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 03:52:29 +0000

In reply to Mississippi is implementing a

Keep your eye on the turn out in DC for the 50th anniversary of "I had a dream" speech rally. That just might kick off one of the biggest voter registration drive in the country for minorities. Here in Florida we had to help people get birth certificates and sometimes that took donations to pay for the fees. Then we had to get them to the county offices to get ID's and then sometimes to another office to register to vote with everything needed. State law restrictions and punitive fines forced us to register voters one at a time. Made sure that people with hardships could get ballots to vote by mail. It was a huge up hill battle and we proved that voter repression would not work.

You only have to move a

trkingmomoe — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 02:54:23 +0000

In reply to If the GOP successfully

You only have to move a portion of the female vote away from the republicans. That will flip the House to the Democrats. I don't see a large scale revolt or marching in the streets everywhere but more of an awakening of women to the repression of them and their children. That process has already started. Social media has been a catalyst and forum for women to express a need for change and also supports the activist. You only have to look at Burnt Orange blog to see that it has been in a unique roll rallying women in Texas. I can't attend protest in Austin, Texas but I can send $5 to Wendy Davis election fund. I can't door knock for Grimes in Kentucky but I can help turn McTurtle's campaign ad against Grimes into a viral backfire/backlash and send $5 to Grimes campaign. This is what is going on right now and it will continue to make a difference in politics.

Mississippi is implementing a

rmrd0000 — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 21:32:59 +0000

In reply to Mississippi voted 44% for

Mississippi is implementing a voter ID law to keep poor and minority voters from increasing the Democratic vote

Well, the cuts in Medicare

Aaron Carine — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 21:03:09 +0000

In reply to Humbly - without time to look

Well, the cuts in Medicare aren't cuts in benefits; they are cuts in reimbursements to providers. If Obama keeps his promises on Social Security(and if Congress gives him exactly what he wants, which is unlikely) people's benefits will only be cut by a minute $100 to 200 a year--my mother says she is willing to make this sacrifice.

Digby's graph doesn't give a breakdown of the spending cuts i.e. what programs are being cut and by how much. Also, I think an analysis from five months ago is out of date; a lot of things have happened since then. Obama's 2014 budget has a lot more increases in social spending than it has cuts in social spending.

Humbly - without time to look

PeraclesPlease — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 20:22:30 +0000

In reply to I would question--humbly, of

Humbly - without time to look into this much - I'm confused with big 2011 claims of a compromise for huge social spending cuts with more to follow. And then the projected upcoming cuts.

Digby gives her opinion - do you see it different?

I would question--humbly, of

Aaron Carine — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 20:00:28 +0000

In reply to I think it's misleading to

I would question--humbly, of course--the suggestion that Democrats are rushing to cut social programs. Obama's budget has reasonable increases in spending for HHS and HUD; Obama expanded the food stamp program; he has promised to veto the bill cutting food stamps, and he created the Neighborhood Stabilization whatchamacallit. And some Democrats are to the left of Obama on social welfare.

A blogger on TPM notes that

rmrd0000 — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 17:33:52 +0000

In reply to Republican Rand Paul will

A blogger on TPM notes that Libertarians and neo-confederates are intertwined. Libertarians believe that government intervention should be kept to a minimum. Neo-confederates believe in nullification the principle that states can reject Federal laws, The fringe wants to secede, Minority groups see protection from discriminatory laws coming from government. When Rand Paul objects to the government telling a business owner that he/ she has to serve a minority that they do not like, neo-conservatives love him. Minorities generally reject Paul's position. Rand Paul's personal assurance that he would not support a racist business does not gain him many minority votes. Republican Libertarians are lied to the neo-confederates by a shared outlook of the Federal government. The shared goals make the GOP less likely to be the place where many minorities end up.