The 2010 Elections

[matapule]

Re: The 2010 Elections

Aside from NOT DO ANYTHING. She's been a waste of a seat for years. If she's been in for so long and California consistenly has problems, chances are long-time incumbents are still worthless and need to get out.

What would you have her do?

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: The 2010 Elections

What would you have her do?

What Hawaii should have done years ago, push to institute the cultivation of industrial hemp. Hawaii, California, Haiti, could all see blue skies ahead and soon with this one simple measure. Let's hope Abercrombie The Enlightened will have the cojones to get'r done, and quickly, after all these wasted years and $. Such blatantly obvious 'innovation' will be ignored by the Mufster.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The 2010 Elections

Prop 14 passed, it means the top two finishers in the primary are the candidates in the general election regardless of party, meaning in combination with the Republican supreme ct's corporate personhood decision that the two richest Republicans will be the candidates from here on out, its not a government by for and of the people any more but just like France or Russia before their revolutions, a government of by and for the wealthy privileged elite. And the people voted for this. Alas. Glad I won't be around when the kukae is hitting the peahi!

Ummm. I dunno. Actually, it'll be interesting to see how Prop 14 plays itself out in California politics, assuming it withstands judicial scrutiny from the courts.

Let's say that in a general election, the top two finishers in a gubernatorial primary happen to be Republicans. In a general election run-off, the winning candidate not only has to reinforce his/her support with the GOP base, but they also have to reach out to all the Democrats and independents who will be voting in November. The idea here is that Prop 14 will have a moderating effect on whoever hopes to be the ultimate winner, whether the victor is Republican or Democrat. If anything, this would reduce the power and the influence of the two major political parties, as candidates realize that in order to win, they can't just be catering to the party base and its platform. (And for folks like me who consider themselves political independents, that's not necessarily a bad thing.)

At least, that's the theory behind Prop 14. We'll have to see how it all actually works out.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The 2010 Elections

A slap of reality to all the Tea Party boosters: One of your candidates may very well cost the GOP party whatever chance it had of gaining a majority in the senate.

Per the very astute folks at the Cook Political Report:

Delaware Senate: O’Donnell Win Puts Race in Likely Democratic

September 15, 2010

Marketing consultant Christine O’Donnell’s upset of Rep. Mike Castle in last night’s Republican primary puts this open seat, which should have been an easy pick up for the GOP, out of their reach. While the primary provided Democrats with enough fodder to bury O’Donnell, from her personal finances to dubious claims she made in a lawsuit against a former employer, the reality is that Delaware is a Democratic-leaning state where Democrats have a 17-point advantage over Republicans in voter registration. Democrats also have a strong candidate in New Castle County Executive Chris Coons, who saw his fortunes turn 180 degrees over the course of a few hours last night.
National Republicans harbor no delusions that they can make O’Donnell a viable candidate, issuing a terse one-sentence statement from National Republican Senatorial Committee Executive Director Rob Jesmer congratulating O’Donnell on her win. It is clear that the NRSC has no intention of playing in Delaware and will put their resources into more winnable races. With Delaware off the board for the GOP, the possibility that they can net the 10 seats needed to win the majority becomes significantly harder. While it is still mathematically possible, winning Delaware was an important part of the equation.

So while it still appears likely that the GOP will gain just enough seats to take over the House, Tea Bagger Christine O'Donnell's status as the GOP nominee for Joe Biden's old seat has significantly dampened whatever chance the Republicans had for likewise taking over the Senate. Which means no repeat of 1994.

If you ask me, the link between the national GOP and the Tea Party movement is like a dysfunctional marriage. One one hand, the movement has really energized the turnout of the hardcore conservative voting base after the demoralizing losses of '08. But the problems of this union becomes readily apparent when the Tea Party movement puts forward candidates who have no chance of winning general elections in moderate states.

Clearly, the Republicans have shot themselves in the foot with the Tea Party candidate winning the Delaware primary. Only now are some of these folks coming to grips with what I was talking about four months ago.

[Walkoff Balk]

Re: The 2010 Elections

So while it still appears likely that the GOP will gain just enough seats to take over the House, Tea Bagger Christine O'Donnell's status as the GOP nominee for Joe Biden's old seat has significantly dampened whatever chance the Republicans had for likewise taking over the Senate. Which means no repeat of 1994.

Is she Sarah Palin's younger sister?

[TuNnL]

Re: The 2010 Elections

A slap of reality to all the Tea Party boosters: One of your candidates may very well cost the GOP party whatever chance it had of gaining a majority in the senate.

Your post is a clear example that libs are absolutely clueless as to who the tea party is or what they stand for. The GOP is just a vehicle for the tea party. When they have accumulated enough seats, they will disassociate themselves entirely from Republicans. The Tea Party is everything the Libertarian Party wanted and should have been. But that’s okay. The most important thing is they are the fastest-growing segment of active voters in the U.S. today. If we can dismantle the old-boy network, freedom and Constitutional values can be restored and the Republic will hopefully be on its way to shaking itself from the military industrial complex, auditing the fed, and paying off our multi-trillion dollar debt. Only then will we have a government that is truly focused on helping Joe American. Because make no mistake about it. Private offshore interests are in control, not Barack Obama. And at this point, it’s difficult to tell which is worse.

[matapule]

Re: The 2010 Elections

When they (the Tea baggers) have accumulated enough seats, they will disassociate themselves entirely from Republicans. The Tea Party is everything the Libertarian Party wanted and should have been. If we can dismantle the old-boy network, freedom and Constitutional values can be restored and the Republic will hopefully be on its way to shaking itself from the military industrial complex, auditing the fed, and paying off our multi-trillion dollar debt. Only then will we have a government that is truly focused on helping Joe (sixpack) American.

You are parroting what what most Tea Bag candidiates are saying, which is your perfect right. But when you or the other Tea Baggars are asked for specifics how this can be accomplished, you are characteristically short on specific strategy and details. How exactly are you going to create jobs for millions of unemployed Joe Sixpacks? Lowering taxes for wealthy Americans (those making over $250K per annum) certainly hasn't done it in the past. The big three recipients of the National Budget are the military, Social Security, and Medicare. Which one are you going to cut? Many Tea Baggars appear to be focused on cutting Social Security and Medicare to balance the budget. I doubt that will be a popular or successful strategy. But it is time to gore the sacred ox, the military. I doubt that will be a popular or successful strategy.

It is one thing to "hope" your wish list happens, and quite another to "make" it happen. The Tea Bag movement will eventually implode from its own ineptitude.

[Frankie's Market]

Re: The 2010 Elections

Your post is a clear example that libs are absolutely clueless as to who the tea party is or what they stand for. The GOP is just a vehicle for the tea party. When they have accumulated enough seats, they will disassociate themselves entirely from Republicans.

Translation: Our plan A has been a total, utter failure. Now it's time to pretend that we had a plan B in mind, all along.

And it's a plan B that reveals how Tea Baggers are "absolutely clueless" when it comes to history. Breaking off from the GOP to form their own party is to repeat the whole Dixiecrat experience again.

Some people never learn.

The Tea Party is everything the Libertarian Party wanted and should have been. But that’s okay. The most important thing is they are the fastest-growing segment of active voters in the U.S. today. If we can dismantle the old-boy network, freedom and Constitutional values can be restored and the Republic will hopefully be on its way to shaking itself from the military industrial complex, auditing the fed, and paying off our multi-trillion dollar debt.

There you go with the "old boy network" labeling again. You used it on Neil Abercrombie and now this. Clearly, your definition of "old boy network" has nothing to do with matters of substance/policy, but just a label you use against anyone you happen to not be supporting.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: The 2010 Elections

The Tea Party is everything the Libertarian Party wanted and should have been.

I'd be curious to hear an opinion on this from the HT'ers who call themselves Libertarian.

[Kaonohi]

Re: The 2010 Elections

I'd be curious to hear an opinion on this from the HT'ers who call themselves Libertarian.

I'm a libertarian in the sense that most Democrats Are democrats and most Republicans are republicans... that is: I follow the party line, vote Libertarian and then go home for another 2 years.

The Tea Baggers? I consider then NOT Libertarians, and they are doing nothing to further 'our' platform, which is basically maximizing freedom and minimizing unnecessary restrictions. From what I've learned they have some crazy ideas which have nothing to do with Freedom, and everything to do with persecution. I view them about like I view the KKK.

[TuNnL]

Re: The 2010 Elections

The Tea Bag movement will eventually implode from its own ineptitude.

As long as mainstreamers like yourself continue this childish namecalling, the Tea Party will continue to grow and fight the status quo.

Breaking off from the GOP to form their own party is to repeat the whole Dixiecrat experience again.

No need to “break off” since the Tea Party is already an independent movement. They just happen to have fielded a large number of candidates on the GOP ticket.

From what I've learned they have some crazy ideas which have nothing to do with Freedom, and everything to do with persecution. I view them about like I view the KKK.

Clearly what you’ve learned is directly from mouths of MSNBC pundits and “the establishment” (sorry, I use that word because “old-boy network” clearly bothers Frankie ). Let me know when (or if) you ever put boots on the ground.

[escondido100]

Re: The 2010 Elections

when libs start addressing issues and finish with the name calling they very well could be listened to.whenever catch words and phrases are used my eyes glaze over and all credibility goes out the window. i admit i got a kick outta the euphemism the first and second time i heard it. kinda reminds me of junior high.

[escondido100]

Re: The 2010 Elections

from www. teaparty.org

Tea Party Patriots Mission Statement and Core Values


Mission Statement
The impetus for the Tea Party movement is excessive government spending and taxation. Our mission is to attract, educate, organize, and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with our three core values of Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government and Free Markets.


Core Values
•Fiscal Responsibility
•Constitutionally Limited Government
•Free Markets


Fiscal Responsibility: Fiscal Responsibility by government honors and respects the freedom of the individual to spend the money that is the fruit of their own labor. A constitutionally limited government, designed to protect the blessings of liberty, must be fiscally responsible or it must subject its citizenry to high levels of taxation that unjustly restrict the liberty our Constitution was designed to protect. Such runaway deficit spending as we now see in Washington D.C. compels us to take action as the increasing national debt is a grave threat to our national sovereignty and the personal and economic liberty of future generations.

Constitutionally Limited Government: We, the members of The Tea Party Patriots, are inspired by our founding documents and regard the Constitution of the United States to be the supreme law of the land. We believe that it is possible to know the original intent of the government our founders set forth, and stand in support of that intent. Like the founders, we support states' rights for those powers not expressly stated in the Constitution. As the government is of the people, by the people and for the people, in all other matters we support the personal liberty of the individual, within the rule of law.

Free Markets: A free market is the economic consequence of personal liberty. The founders believed that personal and economic freedom were indivisible, as do we. Our current government's interference distorts the free market and inhibits the pursuit of individual and economic liberty. Therefore, we support a return to the free market principles on which this nation was founded and oppose government intervention into the operations of private business.


Our Philosophy
Tea Party Patriots, Inc. as an organization believes in the Fiscal Responsibility, Constitutionally Limited Government, and Free Markets. Tea Party Patriots, Inc. is a non-partisan grassroots organization of individuals united by our core values derived from the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States of America, the Bill Of Rights as explained in the Federalist Papers. We recognize and support the strength of grassroots organization powered by activism and civic responsibility at a local level. We hold that the United States is a republic conceived by its architects as a nation whose people were granted "unalienable rights" by our Creator. Chiefly among these are the rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The Tea Party Patriots stand with our founders, as heirs to the republic, to claim our rights and duties which preserve their legacy and our own. We hold, as did the founders, that there exists an inherent benefit to our country when private property and prosperity are secured by natural law and the rights of the individual.



Please outline what you find so dispicable about what they stand for, and what you are afraid of.

[Kaonohi]

Re: The 2010 Elections

It's nice to easily say, "We stand with our founders," yet the Union is not what it was in 1776, and changes must be adjusted for.

I liked your diatribe on the Tea Party, yet I am not convinced they are a libertarian movement. But, I'm open. I like their core values, I like their stated philosophy. Perhaps trust, or lack of, is what they need to overcome for me. I haven't seen the demonstration thereof.

[escondido100]

Re: The 2010 Elections

Definition of DIATRIBE
1 archaic : a prolonged discourse
2: a bitter and abusive speech or writing
3: ironic or satirical criticism

words mean things....the use of the word diatribe is probably not the best choice unless you are trying to denigrate what someone has to say. its not a good basis for constructive discussion.
i dont see how the word applies.


I too am concerned that the tea party will really be about what they claim to be. they may just end up as the same old politics as usual. it will be important for them to not be beholding to huge donors...but they probably will be.