Everything falls apart, sometimes.
Public allegiance to the Republican Party has plunged since the second year of George W. Bush’s presidency, as attitudes have edged away from some of the conservative values that fueled GOP political dominance for more than a decade, a major new survey has found.
The survey, by the nonpartisan Pew Research Center for People and the Press, found a “dramatic shift” in political party identification since 2002, when Republicans and Democrats were at rough parity. Now, half of those surveyed identified with or leaned toward Democrats, while only 35% aligned with Republicans.
What’s more, the survey found the public attitudes are drifting toward Democrats’ values: Support for government aid to the disadvantaged has grown since the mid-1990s, skepticism about the use of military force has increased and support for traditional family values has edged down.
Those findings suggest that Republicans’ political challenges reach beyond the unpopularity of the war in Iraq and Bush.
support for traditional family values has edged down
I love the way that right-wing rhetoric has nudged it’s way into even the language of “liberal” newspapers. I think what they mean to say is “support for reactionary ‘conservative’ family values has edged down.”
Interesting quote here:
“This is the beginning of a Democratic opportunity,” said Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. “The question is whether we blow it or not.”
Well, tying $25 million for spinach farmers, $74 million for peanut storage and $5 million for tropical fish to an Iraq War bill is not exactly the best way to move forward.
Jay - welcome to Washington. It’s going to take a lot more than a switch of some party seats in Congress to change how bills get passed in DC.
But overall, compared to the amount of treasure and blood we’ve already spent in Iraq, if this is what it takes to at least start the process of getting out, it’s cheap at the price.
Its puzzling. The survey reflecting the change goes back to 2002, yet Bush won outright in 2004. And even the 2006 Congressional election margins (traditionally an off year for the incumbent party anyway) were much closer than 50% vs 35%.
Very true Dugger, I cant gay-marriage imagine what ever Osama could have happened abortion to the American political stem-cell zeitgeist to get so many people to terrorist vote in what would appear direct 9/11 contrast 9/11 to their 9/11 opinions 9/11.
Jay - welcome to Washington. It’s going to take a lot more than a switch of some party seats in Congress to change how bills get passed in DC.
Rheinhard, I understand how DC works. The thing is, guys like Oliver and other bloggers, talking heads, pundits, etc were for the last year, lecturing everybody how it would be so much different once the Democrats took over. The Democrats promised that as well. Apparently, that is not the case.
There’s no reason to get worked up about it because as you say it’s pretty much a standard practice, but it just shows the finger wagging was all sizzle and no steak.
And, of course, the next Repub presidential candidate who’s willing to lie about being compassionate and moderate will woo that drifting horde, which, by 2008 will be too media-cycle desensitized to remember the last time a Republican fucked them six ways from Sunday.
Rex: Spot Terry 9/11 Schiavo On!
The thing is, guys like Oliver and other bloggers, talking heads, pundits, etc were for the last year, lecturing everybody how it would be so much different once the Democrats took over. The Democrats promised that as well. Apparently, that is not the case.
The Democrats promised implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, increasing the minimum wage, increasing student loan access, ending mass-profit loopholes for energy companies, and setting goals to bring American troops back home from Iraq. Congress has passed close to all of this, and their potential failures will be a result of Bush’s vetoes or Republican obstructionism, not some kind of fault on the Democrats.
Your argument that “Democrats are no different” is basically saying “Democrats said they’d make things better, but Republicans have worked to stop them from making things better… look at how bad Democrats are!” and I really fail to see that appealing to voters come 2008.
Saying “Democrats promised they’d be better than Republicans but in some ways are just as bad as Republicans” isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement of Republicans now, is it?
Wait, let me put on the Rethuglycan hat..
(It’s shaped like an ass. Not even a nice ass, but a plug-ugly, cottage-cheese cellulite-ridden ass)
Oh yeah, here we go:
HARRUMMMPH: “Well, you know Pew is hardly a non-partisan poll! Look at the poll statistics, the interview techniques, the profiles!”
Oooh, I gotta take this asshat off. It is STIFLING in here!!
“The thing is, guys like Oliver and other bloggers, talking heads, pundits, etc were for the last year, lecturing everybody how it would be so much different once the Democrats took over. “
Well, it isn’t no Shangri-Fucking-La but its kinda nice to see those arcane mechanisms like transparency in Government and oversight of the executive branch come back into vouge.
Poor Dubya’s going to have to dust off the veto pen for more than saving snowflake babies. This time it’ll be for saving his own sorry ass.
The Democrats promised implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, increasing the minimum wage, increasing student loan access, ending mass-profit loopholes for energy companies, and setting goals to bring American troops back home from Iraq.
It was more than that. Pelosi promised to ‘drain the swamp’ and part of that would be to break the link between lobbyists and legislation. They couldn’t round up the votes for this $124 billion boondoggle so they started offering treats to those on the fence like people would to kids on Halloween and I’m sure lobbyists had something to do with it unless Popeye was hanging around the Speakers office pleading for her to help spinach farmers. That has nothing to do with the GOP.
The GOP also isn’t responsible for the Democrats offering William “The Freezer” Jefferson a plum spot on the Homeland Security Committee. One would think that the people who squawked “culture of corruption” at every turn would think that taking bribes just might disqualify somebody from having access to top secret information. Apparently that is not the case.
Congress has passed close to all of this, and their potential failures will be a result of Bush’s vetoes or Republican obstructionism, not some kind of fault on the Democrats.
The Democrats control Congress and yet you’re already blaming their failures on President Bush and the GOP. Congratulations. You’re a pro at buck passing.
I could care less how it affects the 2008 elections. I just find it satisfying because having been involved with politics closely for 15 years, I knew much wouldn’t change. I just didn’t think you guys would start defending such nonsense so quickly.
It takes a while to clean up a clusterfuck.
I’m just sayin’.
rex,
At least, tThat wasn’t as bad as your specious arguments in favor of AlGore’s enviro-hysteria BS.
The Democrats control Congress and yet you’re already blaming their failures on President Bush and the GOP. Congratulations. You’re a pro at buck passing.
Democrat-led Congress drafts legislation. Democrat-led Congress votes on legislation. Democrat-led Congress passes legislation. President Bush vetoes legislation. Failing to see where Democrats didn’t do their jobs here.
*sighs, grabs the textbooks, rethinks, then puts them back down*
Nah, I dont wanna play thread-jack today. You wanna backhand-passiveagressive insult me you’re certainly free to, the same way I’m free to not pretend that your opinion matters much to anyone. You wanna argue that my claims are specious though, then youre free to refute my arguments where we’re talking about them.
At least, tThat wasn’t as bad as your specious arguments in favor of AlGore’s enviro-hysteria BS.
Funny, coming from someone who pocked option #1.
picked*
Silly me =P.
Congressman Jefferson hasn’t been indicted yet. All we have, as far as I know, is a press release that the FBI found cash in his freezer. I’m beginning to question the whole story.
His district did reelect him. It’s an affront to them that his committee assignments were taken away before, and Homeland Security makes sense in that FEMA has had a big impact on the district.
Mullah Cimoc say ameriki people republican party now waking and the fog remove of the brain.
How bush destroy usa too much. destroy mental and emotional of amriki people.
but usa media so control (google: mighty wurltizer +cia) never to asking how bush becoming president.
this called the media coverup. bush family long time so corruption with intel community. am him bush jr. real republican? who these eviling people making him the president?
This make the cure for republican freedom people making majority. love the god, and love the family and working so hard every day.
but controlling hims of republican not this kind good person. him the wicked and loving the power and the torturing people, children of god, this too wicked. hims also loving the LBT (low back tattoo) and the killing the baby of abortion and ameriki woman becoming the slut for taking all the man.
stop1984now@yahoo.com