Congressional Republicans seem intent on burying their heads in the sand about their political situation, warns longtime GOP pollster Frank Luntz. Robert Novak writes in the Chicago Sun-Times:
"The Republican Party that lost those historic elections was a tired, cranky shell of the articulate reformist, forward-thinking movement that was swept into office in 1994 on a wave of positive change," Luntz wrote. The Republicans of 2006 "were an ethical morass, more interested in protecting their jobs than protecting the people they served. The 1994 Republicans came to 'revolutionize' Washington. Washington won."
* * * * *In fact, there was no Republican theme for 2006, as individual members of Congress make clear in private sessions with Luntz. Yet, the GOP minority overwhelmingly re-elected Boehner as leader against the reform candidate, Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana. Immediately after the 2006 election returns were accompanied by exit polls indicating voter concern with scandals, Pence said: "The greatest scandal in Washington, D.C., is runaway federal spending." Luntz agrees, and so do McCain and a few other members of Congress.
Luntz is not alone in his gloomy prognosis. Republican pollster Bill McInturff believes his party underestimates the 2006 outcome, and he thinks the GOP outlook is as dangerous as it has been "at any time since Watergate." Sen. Jim DeMint, a reform Republican from South Carolina, says the Republicans are like the Israelites yearning for the fleshpots of Egypt. The question is whether the party will heed warnings or follow the route of its leaders, who want mainly to trash Nancy Pelosi.
Read the whole article at the link above.
Trashing Pelosi is an attractive and relatively easy past-time - far less daunting than holding to principle, for example. As with the Hugh Hewitt column posted below, this article points to a Republican Party in the Congress which is not only defeated, but bewildered and disconnected from its base and its history.
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Comments (1)
yo jim, you better be caref... (Below threshold)1. Posted by strongMan | February 5, 2007 11:39 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
yo jim, you better be careful, dude. writing stuff like this could get you banned from writing for this site. questioning republicans? you did notice that i am the only person to comment on this.
you gotta appeal to the 30%. the 30%!
however, these are wise words for members of any party to think about.
1. Posted by strongMan | February 5, 2007 11:39 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 5, 2007 23:39