How is all this Republican overreach going to play out in November 2014?

[KingOrfeo]

It seems the Republicans are dealing with being shut out of the WH by (1) at the federal level, playing the party-of-no role and (2) meanwhile, in any states they control, barreling forward-and-rightward at full-retard speed with guns blazing to enact probably ALEC-crafted new abortion restrictions, cutbacks in public services and benefits, anti-labor-union legislation, voter-ID laws, anti-gay marriage resolutions, meaningless 10th-Amendment or "nullification" resolutions, etc., etc. North Carolina's legislature in particular appears to have gone completely off the rails and provoked a backlash of "Moral Monday" protests. And what Scott Walker has done in and to Wisconsin these past three years . . .

In policy terms it may be that they are just doing what they believe in. But in electoral terms, this all makes sense only as a grand national Hail-Mary play: Betting that their RW base's positive reaction to all of this will outweigh any anti-Pub backlash at the polls in November 2014. And there will be backlash.

Will they win that bet or lose it, I wonder?

 

[Sean Renaud]

This is another year where MATH says they should win. At least in the Senate. I'll probably go put together an early guess. It does depend on the seats though.

 

[KRCummings]

Nobody is held in very high regard on the moment. Since America votes extremely reactionary then it will depend on who is hated the most at election time. If I had to guess I'd say Dems will be the most hated because those in power usually are. That will give the Pubs votes which will win them seats.
On the other hand the Pubs might decide that implosion is the way to go and fuck themselves in ways nobody has thought of yet. It would have to be in ways nobody has thought of yet because they've already fucked themselves in all ways that everyone can think of.

 

[VaticanAssassin]

 

[KingOrfeo]

Both parties are owned by the 1% and the megacorps.

The difference is that the Dems are not wholly owned.

It really does matter.

 

[KRCummings]

Both parties are owned by the 1% and the megacorps.

The difference is that the Dems are not wholly owned.

It really does matter.

Bullshit.

 

[pete]

Both parties are owned by the 1% and the megacorps.

The difference is that the Dems are not wholly owned.

It really does matter.

this literally made me L O L

thanks!

 

[KingOrfeo]

Bullshit.

You can tell by the behavior of the 1% and the megacorps. They give to both parties, but there's no question they favor the Pubs and give more to Pub and RW causes. How often does the Wall Street Journal endorse the Democrat?

 

[Sean Renaud]

The cookie is right!

 

[KRCummings]

You can tell by the behavior of the 1% and the megacorps. They give to both parties, but there's no question they favor the Pubs and give more to Pub and RW causes.

And you think that means the Dems aren't wholly owned? All it means is that the Pubs cost more.

 

[KingOrfeo]

And you think that means the Dems aren't wholly owned? All it means is that the Pubs cost more.

What makes the difference is voting-base -- can't win without that no matter how much money you have to spend. The Dems' base includes many who are fundamentally inimical to 1% hegemony, e.g., labor unions and the poor. The Pubs' base does not. See the 2011 Pew Political Typology. The Dem base includes "Hard-Pressed Democrats." The Pubs' base includes nothing analogous -- the "Disaffecteds" are not reliable Pubs. The GOP is more nearly the party of the comfortable.

 

[VaticanAssassin]

You can tell by the behavior of the 1% and the megacorps. They give to both parties, but there's no question they favor the Pubs and give more to Pub and RW causes. How often does the Wall Street Journal endorse the Democrat?

Megacorps may slightly favor the right but do you not think this is more than balanced by Union money?

Unless you actually think unions are benevolent......

 

[Sean Renaud]

And you think that means the Dems aren't wholly owned? All it means is that the Pubs cost more.

Stop cuddle slut! The cookie is about to bake you!

 

[KRCummings]

Stop cuddle slut! The cookie is about to bake you!

What the fuck are you going on about?

 

[unregistered]

 

[KingOrfeo]

Megacorps may slightly favor the right but do you not think this is more than balanced by Union money?

Unless you actually think unions are benevolent......

Compared to the 1% and the megacorps, definitely.

 

[KingOrfeo]

Yeah it's all over, the Democrats will rule for a thousand years, Pubs extinct, orgasmic love for Obama circles the world 6 times, everyone agrees, liberty, the Constitution, states rights, are obsolete...people everywhere are demanding Communism...many can't wait to be led off to the box cars and firing walls to be sacrificed to bring it about...it's coming no need for a vote...we're a selfish nation that deserves to die, after all the Russians and the ChiComs love Yellowstone too. I hope I covered all your talking points, your can take a vacation now.

Did that sound less idiotic in your head, before you typed it?

 

[KRCummings]

Compared to the 1% and the megacorps, definitely.

Really? Holy fuck.

 

[unregistered]

 

[The_Trouvere]

The Republican Party has become the party of the white majority of all income levels. Nevertheless, whites of different income levels vote Republican for different reasons.

A large minority of whites vote Democrat. More probably will as the Republican Party moves to the right.

By moving to the right on various issues the Republicans will pick up voters who thought they were not reactionary enough during the last election. And these are reactionaries. They do not want to conserve the status quo. They want to restore a previous status quo. Lower income Republicans are nostalgic for the 1950's. Upper income Republicans are nostalgic for the 1920's.

By moving to the right the Republican Party will not pick up non whites. They will not pick up Jews who remain a fairly loyal Democratic constituency despite their higher incomes.

Affluent Republicans have difficulty understanding this, but life feels differently to those who make less than $40,000 a year, with little or nothing in the way of health and retirement benefits, and savings. If these are white they may support the GOP passionately, but for other reasons than the affluent Republicans.

White blue collar workers did not leave the Democratic Party because they began making so much money that they neither needed or wanted the reforms of the New Deal. They left because they came to associate the Democratic Party with the defense of blacks, and because they associate blacks with social pathology. In addition they really are jeopardized by affirmative action and forced school busing.

White blue collar Republicans would like more restrictions on legal immigration, the deportation of illegals, an end to affirmative action and busing, a narrow interpretation of the civil rights legislation in general, and a harsher criminal justice system.

They do not want weaker labor unions, a weakening of minimum wage laws, less unemployment compensation, and cuts in Social Security and Medicare payments.

Many white blue collar workers are not pious, so theirs is a constituency that overlaps with the religious right, but is distinct from it.

The religious right wants to outlaw abortion and the teaching of evolution in public schools. It wants to legalize prayer and Bible reading in public schools. For now it is content with more restrictions on abortion, and the teaching of creationism along side evolution in public schools.

Since 1980 the Republican Party has solicited the votes of white blue collar workers and Christian conservatives, but the GOP has done little to advance their concerns other than to triple the prison population. This has resulted in a decline in crime.

Affluent conservatives like to complain about the "socialism" of President Obama, but they are more affluent than they used to be, so I think they are content with the GOP.

Whether or not the Republican move to the right will benefit it in 2014 will depend on how successfully the GOP conciliates white blue collar workers and Christian conservatives. It is important to keep in mind that these people are not reactionary on economic issues.

 

[Killswitch]

To get back to the OP's question for a minute, I think they have already done their homework in their individual districts and amongst their constituents slash contributors.

They have to completely please the contributors and only have to please 51% of their constituents.

Of course this is true in any election nowadays no matter what party you run for but I believe the homework is done and they've polled it all and would be convinced they are safe.

I would like to believe they will have some questions to answer regarding the immigration bill but spin this spin that and they know what they are doing. They'll exaggerate and lie about the bill to please the old ladies in the town halls.

 

[unregistered]

 

[dan_c00000]

Megacorps may slightly favor the right but do you not think this is more than balanced by Union money?

Unless you actually think unions are benevolent......

Actually, thanks to coporate money and the Citizen's United decision unions have much less power. Furthermore, moron republitard gov's like Christie and Walker errode the power of unions in order to destroy the environment and lives of middle class people.

It's not your fault you didn't know this. You probably think your 401k is a good deal.

 

[VaticanAssassin]

Actually, thanks to coporate money and the Citizen's United decision unions have much less power. Furthermore, moron republitard gov's like Christie and Walker errode the power of unions in order to destroy the environment and lives of middle class people.

It's not your fault you didn't know this. You probably think your 401k is a good deal.

You are correct. I have no idea how 401K's work.

Please explain it to me in all the detail you understand?

Also please explain how the $ union's donate is less powerful than the money big business donates. Does it have less spending power? Do Unions donate in confederate currency?

 

[KingOrfeo]

White blue collar workers did not leave the Democratic Party because they began making so much money that they neither needed or wanted the reforms of the New Deal. They left because they came to associate the Democratic Party with the defense of blacks, and because they associate blacks with social pathology. In addition they really are jeopardized by affirmative action and forced school busing.

One can perhaps make this argument or that against busing, but no one ever has been "jeopardized" by it.