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Hillarysworld -> The Democratic Party -> Democrats Outrun by a 2-Year G.O.P. Comeback Plan (NYT) 11-04-10
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TOPIC: Democrats Outrun by a 2-Year G.O.P. Comeback Plan (NYT) 11-04-10
freespirit


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Democrats Outrun by a 2-Year G.O.P. Comeback Plan (NYT) 11-04-10
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I found this article via Tennessee Guerilla Women.  This is an interesting account of what the author alleges was a well thoughout and executed plan by the Pubs to regain power.  Apparently Boehner and other heavy hitting Pubs began planning this way back in January 2009.

Democrats Outrun by a 2-Year G.O.P. Comeback Plan

The latest on President Obama, the new Congress and other news from Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion.

“If the goal of the majority is to govern, what is the purpose of the minority?” one slide asked.

“The purpose of the minority,” came the answer, “is to become the majority.”
The presentation was the product of a strategy session held 11 days before Mr. Obama’s inauguration, when top Republican leaders in the House of Representatives began devising an early blueprint for what they would accomplish in Tuesday’s election: their comeback.

How they did it is the story of one of the most remarkable Congressional campaigns in more than a half-century, characterized by careful plotting by Republicans, miscalculations by Democrats and a new political dynamic with forces out of both parties’ control. The unpredictable Tea Party movement, the torrent of corporate money from outside interests and an electorate with deep discontent helped shift the balance of power in Washington.

The White House struggled to keep Democrats in line, with a misplaced confidence in the power of the coalition that propelled Mr. Obama into office. Republicans capitalized on backlash to the ambitious agenda Mr. Obama and his party pursued, which fueled unrestricted and often anonymous contributions to conservative groups, some advised by a nemesis Democrats thought they had shaken, Karl Rove. That money so strengthened the Republican assault across the country that an exasperated Democratic party strategist likened it to “nuclear Whac-a-Mole.”

Most of all, Republican leaders had the foresight to imagine the possibility of winning again. Even now, they believe they could have taken back the Senate if they had just managed to block at least two Tea Party candidates who proved unelectable.
At that Republican retreat in January 2009, gathering inside a historic inn in Annapolis, Md., the group — led by Representatives John A. Boehner of Ohio, the Republican leader, and Eric Cantor of Virginia, the whip — did not tolerate the hand-wringing that consumed so many Republicans that dark winter.

Instead, they walked through a by-the-numbers picture of Democratic vulnerability that had been lost in the excitement over Mr. Obama’s election. Some 83 Democrats held seats in districts that once supported President George W. Bush; more than two dozen won their last elections by wafer-thin margins, according to a Republican document provided to The New York Times.

In their quest to reach a majority, the Republican leaders imposed tough party discipline, warning incumbents that the party would no longer act as a “welfare state” for those who were lax fund-raisers. They began an aggressive recruiting effort for top-flight candidates in districts that seemed to be virtually owned by some of the longest-serving Democrats in the House. And they were keenly aware of the anti-establishment mood, rarely engaging with Tea Party challengers, as Senate leaders did, fearful that any efforts to influence primary races could backfire.

They also tried to push Democrats into retirement, using what was described in the presentation as “guerilla tactics” like chasing Democratic members down with video cameras and pressing them to explain votes or positions. (One target, Representative Bob Etheridge of North Carolina, had to apologize for manhandling one of his inquisitors in a clip memorialized on YouTube. Only this week did Republican strategists acknowledge they were behind the episode
(snip)

Long article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/04/us/politics/04campaign.html?_r=2&partner=rss&emc=rss

-- Edited by freespirit on Thursday 4th of November 2010 09:59:51 PM

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Sanders


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Sounds diabolic.   I would not be surpised if the entire Tea Party movement was part of the strategic.

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Hillarysmygirl16


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Sanders wrote:

Sounds diabolic.   I would not be surpised if the entire Tea Party movement was part of the strategic.


As a member of the Tea Party let me explain what they are about. First of all although they ran in GOP Primaries they did that because they want the GOP to remember their Conservative base.   They are as much about reminding the GOP that the spending must stop and the GOP is just as responsible  for the debt as the Democrats.  Which is why they lost power in 06.
Personally I am glad the Tea Party as well as PUMAs exist to keep both parties honest.

 



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smile I am not a Tea party member.  I may qualify as PUMA - I say may because I am not a Dem. biggrin

There is no third party and that is a big issue for many, especially those who want to run potentially as separate from the two parties.  For voters like me who want a real choice, it is a real yo-yo -- this year in particular, I just could not bring myself to vote in some  columns.

Back in January 2008, the W.Bush bailout of AIG and Insurance companies, Fannie and Freddie and Wall Street was already under way.  

The article above makes it clear that there was a 2-year grand plan... and that is about when we started to see Tea Party come up as a big voice.

Yes, they already knew that tax holiday that W.Bush extended to the rich was about to expire.

Yes, spending is an issue that BOTH sides have to address.

As you may know, there is already a 5% across the agencies cut that has been passed. It is in waiting to go into effect in February.

No, they are not spending nearly what they need to on EDUCATION and INFRASTRUCTURE.  Especially Education.  Our 6th grader kids are about 2-years behind comparable 6th grader in China and India.  When they graduate, will 75% of them be able to go for VERY advanced studies which is the level that may be needed in the future for real prosperity?  The calculus and the incentives need to shift hugely.

Companies often point to lack of skills in the U.S. as reason for taking the job outside the country but are not doing enough to demand higher skilling in the country, nor putting more money into higher skilling their own employees instead of cutting their jobs. 

Labor differential is the bigger issue and it cannot be corrected in the short-run.  The only way to reduce the IMPACT of the labor differential on our workforce is to levy taxes on income generated in lower-laborbase economies by commpanies incorporated in the U.S.  Unfair? No, it is fair to the workerforce of the U.S. as a whole who are loosing jobs and to the next generation that needs that cash invested. 

Meanwhile, China,  India, Ireland and Germany are all working hard on nanotechnology.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of ploughing some money back into upgrading our education.  We have really no choice in the matter.  Absolutely none.  And if we fail to do that, we WILL never regain our economic edge. 

So, it is not just expense reduction, it is expense re-direction that is at stake.  And, for that, this effort will require that the government reinstate the Clinton year tax levels.    No added tax money from the rich => no investment in education and skilling for our future.

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Democracy needs defending - SOS Hillary Clinton, Sept 8, 2010
Democracy is more than just elections - SOS Hillary Clinton, Oct 28, 2010

Madam Secretary Blog at ForeignPolicy.com
Project Vote Smart - Stay informed and engaged!
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