An Open Message To The "New" Republican Leadership

[Glocktogo]

If I thought they even remotely cared what I or any of their constituents think, this is what I might say to the newly minted Republican majority in the House:

"As a conservative Republican, I offer this warning: The Republicans who retook the House and weakened the Democratic hold on the Senate would be monumentally stupid to consider this a "win". It's anything but a win. You were merely deemed the less awful choice in a historically awful lineup of candidates. Don't get cocky. Instead, start reassessing how you conduct the people's business. You've been given fair warning. Your approval rating hovers just slightly North of Adolph Hitler. Keep up the same old crap and you might find yourselves in worse shape that you already are. You're not special, you're not smarter than us and you're not indispensable. Got it?"

 

[OrangeToTheBone]

You're not special, you're not smarter than us and you're not indispensable. Got it?"

I wish more people in general, and politicians specifically, would understand this about themselves.

 

[criticalbass]

Another thought. For the last two years Republicans have been campaigning, and part of that campaign was to keep the Democrats from accomplishing anything, and I mean even things the Republicans might have liked. Now is the time to find a way, in the wake of the most vicious campaigns in living memory by both sides, to a bipartisan approach to governing.

The Dems know that people now think they want less government, and the opportunity for a few real, non disastrous changes should now be in reach.

Gotta lose the "party of NO" image because now the house is under Republican control. Two more years of gridlock won't set well with the electorate. CB

 

[SoonerDVM]

More wisdom in this thread that I've seen in a very long time.

 

[NikatKimber]

*whew* I don't have to think it all out now that GTG has said it so well!

 

[JB Books]

Which could send the pendulum swinging back to the Left. The truth is we need more moderates period, from both parties. No one side has ALL the answers. The lack of moderation is what gives us crazy legislation and declines in our quality of life.

Another thought. For the last two years Republicans have been campaigning, and part of that campaign was to keep the Democrats from accomplishing anything, and I mean even things the Republicans might have liked. Now is the time to find a way, in the wake of the most vicious campaigns in living memory by both sides, to a bipartisan approach to governing.

The Dems know that people now think they want less government, and the opportunity for a few real, non disastrous changes should now be in reach.

Gotta lose the "party of NO" image because now the house is under Republican control. Two more years of gridlock won't set well with the electorate. CB

 

[SoonerDVM]

Which could send the pendulum swinging back to the Left. The truth is we need more moderates period, from both parties. No one side has ALL the answers. The lack of moderation is what gives us crazy legislation and declines in our quality of life.

I agree completely.

BOTH parties have swung way too far to the extremes which makes compromise a lot harder to come by. Evidence from this forum notwithstanding , I think most Americans are pretty moderate and would really just like to see more business getting done and less name calling and drama.

 

[flatwins]

This time around if someone was moderate they were (for the most part) out the door. Even at the state levels in elections we didn't even know about. I think the reason for this phenomena was due to the fact that the government had swung so far to the left.

The new group coming in has the opportunity to work with the Democrats but I'm not sure we'll see it happening for the balance of this term. I think many of them as well as many of us here (myself included) wanted to send a stinging message to the Democrats that what they were doing wasn't acceptable. Having said that, I realize that the two parties will need to reach some compromises to get any effective leadership going. I'm just not sure we'll see it this time around. The two sides will most likely stick to their ground fairly firmly.

 

[Glocktogo]

The R's lost in 2006 because what they were doing wasn't working. The D's lost yesterday for the same reason. If either party thinks that what they were doing yesterday OR 4 years ago is gonna cut it, they're stupider than I thought.

Both sides need to shake off this wildly unrealistic image they have of themselves and start over from square one.

 

[NikatKimber]

Exactly, well put, again!

It's been refreshing to see the young people getting active in politics; and not just handing out flyers too. A friend of mine who is a couple years younger than me ran for, and was elected to the state house. It gives me hope that there are young people who actually realize what is going on, and are sick of all the political hogwash and legal doublespeak.

Say what you mean, mean what you say, be honest, and PLEASE! go find those two marbles before you run, sew them on, and stand up for what you said you would!