Now is not the time to point fingers and blame, or to whine and bicker. If Republicans want future credibility, you might want to take this advice:


(AP) Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Friday the GOP lost the White House because the party was tainted by corruption, overspending and "sometimes came across as a bunch of grumpy old men."

Graham, a close ally of John McCain who campaigned frequently for the GOP nominee, said the election left the party damaged.

"It's certainly not beyond repair," he said in a telephone interview Friday with The Associated Press. "I think this is a center-right nation. America did not wake up one day and become liberal, but we as a party had worn out our welcome."

Graham did not single out specific cases of corruption, but in the last year Idaho Sen. Larry Craig was arrested in an airport men's room sex sting and Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted last month in a federal corruption case. He also did not specify instances of overspending, but spokesman Kevin Bishop later said Graham opposes some earmarks.

The South Carolina senator said Republicans need to match the youthful appeal of Barack Obama's positive energy. Obama is 47; McCain is 72.

"All we have to do is go back to the basics of fiscal conservatism, with a smile and come up with new ways to communicate with the younger voter," said Graham, who captured 58 percent of the vote in winning re-election against a little-known opponent.

Exit polls show that 18- to 29-year-olds voted for Obama by a more than 2-1 margin, boosted by particularly strong support from young African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans.

"I don't believe they are all liberal," Graham said. "I think they were attracted to his positive message and we sometimes came across as a bunch of grumpy old men. We have got to knock that off."

"http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/07/ap/politics/main4585066.shtml"

I do not want the republican party to change. Keep up the "good work" republicans and that should keep the Democrats in power for a long, long time.

Off the top of my head I suggest a Ted Stevens/Pat Robertson ticket in '09.

Or maybe a Sarah Palin/Joe the Plumber ticket.

In some ways, when it took jackasses 40 years to become utterly arrogant and corrupt, as they were in 1994 and have so remained, it took pachyderms only 12 years. More is expected of pachyderms, since they claim to hold themselves to a higher standard--certainly the media does that for them in its biased presentations. But unless somebody is an idiot or blatant liar, they will not say that somehow things have gotten any better since the Botox Queen and her jackass entourage were placed back in charge again.

It still comes back to what I have wanted for decades: term limits. And don't fling the bullscheisse by saying, "Well, voters can vote them out." It is very difficult to overcome incumbency. And what we seek is Real Change We Can Believe In--not the same old, same old that we KNOW does not encourage selfless public service to America. The Imperial Congress must be compelled to live in the world that they influence, whose laws they create (and butcher). No special treatment for themselves.

I'm a conservative and voted for Barack Obama. In California I voted against every spending bill except those for children and veterans, and I voted against gay marriage.

I honestly like Conservative ideals(the rational, non racist ones) but they need to enter the 21st century to earn my vote.

Barack Obama is the future.....Joe the Plumber? are you serious? really?

The wishes of Joe the Plumber may seem unrealsitic and corny to many, but if guys such as he cannot aspire to much more than they currently have, the dream of America is lost, a dirty, hypocritical joke. I think Joe is not extensively formally educated, but he has a practical, pretty well informed bent to his opinions; he knows what he wants and thinks, and can explain the reasons for his opinions and desires. He appeals to many as a sort of "everyman." If we lose respect for such people and what they think they can become, we have lost the America that is worth having. There is not a lot of it left.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Arielski:
He also did not specify instances of overspending, but spokesman Kevin Bishop later said Graham opposes some earmarks.
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I'd like to see the term 'earmarks' replaced by the term it actually is. Pork Barrel Spending!

quote:

Originally posted by RRR52:
The wishes of Joe the Plumber may seem unrealsitic and corny to many, but if guys such as he cannot aspire to much more than they currently have, the dream of America is lost, a dirty, hypocritical joke. I think Joe is not extensively formally educated, but he has a practical, pretty well informed bent to his opinions; he knows what he wants and thinks, and can explain the reasons for his opinions and desires. He appeals to many as a sort of "everyman." If we lose respect for such people and what they think they can become, we have lost the America that is worth having. There is not a lot of it left.

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I agree with you Major, but I don't feel his expectations are unrealistic or corny. I feel as a businessman, he wants to know that his efforts just aren't simply going to be unfairly taxed! You are probably accurate in Joe's formal education portion of his resume, but I'll bet from his been there and done that part, he has a hell of a lot of T Shirts to show for it.

quote:

Originally posted by Arielski:
Now is not the time to point fingers and blame, or to whine and bicker. If Republicans want future credibility, you might want to take this advice:


(AP) Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said Friday the GOP lost the White House because the party was tainted by corruption, overspending and "sometimes came across as a bunch of grumpy old men."

Graham, a close ally of John McCain who campaigned frequently for the GOP nominee, said the election left the party damaged.

"It's certainly not beyond repair," he said in a telephone interview Friday with The Associated Press. "I think this is a center-right nation. America did not wake up one day and become liberal, but we as a party had worn out our welcome."

Graham did not single out specific cases of corruption, but in the last year Idaho Sen. Larry Craig was arrested in an airport men's room sex sting and Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted last month in a federal corruption case. He also did not specify instances of overspending, but spokesman Kevin Bishop later said Graham opposes some earmarks.

The South Carolina senator said Republicans need to match the youthful appeal of Barack Obama's positive energy. Obama is 47; McCain is 72.

"All we have to do is go back to the basics of fiscal conservatism, with a smile and come up with new ways to communicate with the younger voter," said Graham, who captured 58 percent of the vote in winning re-election against a little-known opponent.

Exit polls show that 18- to 29-year-olds voted for Obama by a more than 2-1 margin, boosted by particularly strong support from young African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans.

"I don't believe they are all liberal," Graham said. "I think they were attracted to his positive message and we sometimes came across as a bunch of grumpy old men. We have got to knock that off."

"http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/07/ap/politics/main4585066.shtml"

That sounds like the Lindsey Graham I voted for when I was stationed in Charleston.

And this analysis comes for Lindsay Graham, a key ally of the very people he's now condemning?

Where was he when the Republican's were passing the biggest increase in social spending since LBJ and running roughshod over the Constitution? Where was he when the current administration was negotiating free trade agreements which favor corporate profit over the good of the nation? Where was he when the President signed the Security and Prosperity Partnership Agreement? Where was he while the border was left wide open and American workers displaced by illegal immigrants? Where was he while we underwent the most massive outsourcing of our economy in history?

Where was he? Sitting right there on the inside, supporting it all, right in among those corruptible old men.

Sorry, but coming from Lindsay Graham, it sounds just a tad hollow to me.

I lean democrat, but I also realize that it is inevitable that a Republican will be elected president sometime within the next 4-12 years; Americans simply don't like one party rule, probably a very good thing:
The kind of Republican I'd vote for ---
Pro-business without being anti-working people:
Support a free-market – without reducing that ideal to simplistic dogma:
as an investor, I believe that capital gains and dividend taxes should be low or non-existant for all but the super rich (5 million a year or so) Its hard enough to make money in the market as it is, the goverment should tax you when you do.
As a buisness person, we also should recognize that twiddling our thumbs and pretending we don't have a health care problem in this country is dead wrong. And don't give me this claptrap about Canadians flocking to America for healthcare. No system is perfect, but forcing people into utter financial anhilation before begrudingly providing care isn't the answer.. Health care horror stories from Europe/Canada, yep, but we can match them with horror stories that go on in this country..
You won't hear a single canadian politician clamoring for a return to a corporate run health care system; for good reason, they'd be kicked out of office so fast it would make your head spin.

Be values oriented without being anti-intellectual or mean-spirited:
I don't like abortion, don't think anybody really does. But I'm not ready to force women, using the police power of government, which ultimately means men with badges and guns, to carry their rapist's baby.
You may firmly believe that the world is 6000 years old, and Adam and Eve used brontosaurus as livestock, but don't you dare try to teach that to my kids in a science class.

Be pro law and order without reducing whole groups to a political prop : immigration is a serious problem, but turning your primary debates into a contest of who hates brown people the most (as Romney and Fred Tompson tried to do) just isn't going to work...

Support an America first foreign policy that understands engagement, both with our allies, and our potential enemies doesn’t mean weakness or capitualation - If we can talk to Stalin we can at least talk with Achmed the nutjob, if anything so everyone is clear on where we stand and whats at stake

Appeal to people personally, while still projecting the gravitas and intelligence that a leader needs to have: - Ronald Regan had this down cold...
I'm sorry, but if you can let yourself get that rattled by Katie Kouric, i really don't want you sitting across a table with Putin...