BREAKING: FLORIDA CALLED!: After a lengthy recount, the Florida Department of Elections is now calling the presidential vote for ....George Bush over Al Gore, meaning Bush will be the 43rd president of the United States.
"I didn't leave the democratic party. The democratic party left me."
Ronald Wilson Reagan.
You can cut the number up anyway you want: 93% of African-Americans voted democratic; 71% of Latinos, 66% of women under 30. Any way you slice it, being the party exclusively of older, white, christian conservative americans is not the path to victory today.
The Republican party has died. It was suicide. Nothing happened to the Republicans. They did it to themselves. Start with the attempt by republican state officials to curtail early voting and institute voter ID laws clearly aimed at suppressing the African American vote. All that did was steel the African American community to vote. And they did. And no matter how long the line, people waited, as if to say "you can't drive me away. I will vote." Creating voting lines of 4,5,6,7 hours long is a severe poll tax to an hourly worker who doesn't get paid while standing in line. Those lines didn't just happen. They occurred because republican strategists opposed at every turn measures to increase early voting times and days and measures designed to speed up the voting process. They did so in the name of preventing voter fraud. They are ostensibly trying to fix a problem that does not exist. But their real motives are transparent and in the end served only to increase turn out for the president.
The second thing republicans did to themselves was to actively destroy any reasonable, moderate republican who was capable of working across the isle with their democratic counter-part. Indiana Senator Richard Luger was just such a republican. First elected to the senate in 1976, he ably represented Indiana for 36 years until the very qualities that made him so successful and valuable to his party- his reasonableness and ability to comprise, was used against him in the primary, where he lost to a Tea-Party ideologue, who was never Luger's equal as a politician. The reason why Indiana has a democratic senator today is because their state party was hi-jacked by narrow minded politicians lacking skill, ability, experience and knowledge. The entire country lost an exceptionally able politician when Senator Luger was beaten by a two-bit single issue hack, whose only claim to fame, and only real political philosophy and ideal was "I won't compromise." Well, he certainly won't have to compromise, because he lost and nobody will be seeking his vote even for dog catcher.
Third: The republicans are being driven by talk radio and the audience for talk radio. There's about 100 million votes up for grabs during any presidential election. About 2-3 million people listen to right wing radio during any given week. Those people, those commentators, are not the backbone of the republican party, but that 4-6% of their base is driving the party. Off a cliff.
Fourth: There is no room in the republican party for anyone but an non-compromising, right wing, religious ideologue. Democrats have liberals, conservative, blue-dog democrats. The tent is open for all. Look at it another way: what chance would a republican governor of a large western state have of securing the republican presidential nomination if that governor signed two tax increases during his first two years to balance the budget and signed into law the nation's most liberal abortion bill? None. Congratulations, you just prevented Ronald Reagan, Governor of California, the chance to run for president.
Fifth: Republicans are not true conservatives. True conservatives keep government out of an individual's life in every way. Real conservatives support a women's right to chose an abortion or their form of contraception, since it's their body. Real conservatives know government has no right to stop gay people who want to marry. A limited government has no right to interfere in private choices or regulate social morals. Republicans today are not true conservatives. They are right wing, religious ideologues who have as much desire to poke their noses and impose their morals on the populace as any socialist. The only difference is the type of morals and religious ideals they want to impose. The morals the republicans want to impose are from a different time and era. The country has evolved; their party hasn't.
Sixth: Republicans killed themselves when they abandoned their mind. Who would gather more support in a primary today- a christian conservative with a high school education and strong beliefs against global warming, stem cell research and abortion, or a Princeton educated conservative economist who was an avowed atheist? Who would you want in the white house making life and death decisions?
The first vote we ever cast was for Ronald Wilson Reagan for president. The last four votes we have cast in presidential elections have been for democratic candidates. We didn't leave the republican party; the party left us. Rest in peace.
When you see something that is not right, not fair, find a way to get in the way and cause trouble. Congressman John Lewis
JUSTICE BUILDING BLOG
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46 comments:
Rump, I used to be a Republican too. Now I have no party affiliation. When Mitt announced his candidacy, I thought I might vote for him given what he did as Governor. Then he pandered to the right and he lost me. The Republicans are out of touch with America. We are not extremists. Would love to see some moderate Republicans emerge.
Low Taxes!!!!
Limited Government
Less hand outs
Pro Choice
Immigration Reform
Legal Weed
Raise age of retirement
Less War
Free Sex
Where is this party?
Republican party headquarters was pathetic last night and they were inexorably sour. Oh well the longer they remain in the 19century and not evolve they will suffer.
Anyhow has anyone read "The Shadow of Justice? I just picked it up from Barnes & Noble.
THE CAPTAIN RESPONDS:
HORACE YOU IGNORANT SLUT.....
Not even close Horace. The Republican Party is far from dead and will live to fight another day. If you are writing about this from a National perspective only, the Presidential race, you are correct, to a degree. The Republican Party must rebrand itself or it will forever be chasing a smaller and smaller voting base. Even the great one himself, Karl Rove, could not see the numbers for what they were. This country is not the same as it was 20, 30 , 40 years ago. The Latino voting population, for the first time, makes up 10% of the votes. Single women, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, are all voting for the Democrats, on a National level.
But, when it you break it down, state by State, the Republican Party is alive and well from sea to shining sea. In Florida, where we have 63 counties in two time zones, Romney carried no less than 50 of those 63 counties. In case you have not looked through your telescope lately, and pointed in to the panhandle and Tallahassee, then you missed the fact that we have a Republican Governor, the entire Cabinet is Republican, the Florida Senate numbers are Republicans 26-14, the Florida House numbers are Republicans 74-46. The Democrats in Tallahassee are merely there to fill the seats; they have absolutely ZERO power in the State capitol. The Dems couldn’t pass a bill in Tallahassee unless a hurricane came through this State and wiped out the top 60 counties north of Palm Beach.
And in case you think Florida is the exception to the rule, there are 30 Republican Governors to the Dems 20. Romney carried 24 States to Obama’s 26. No, the Republicans are not dead; far from it.
But, they do need new direction. Will it come from the likes of Chris Christie and Marco Rubio? Or maybe from Bobby Jindal, Paul Ryan, Nikki Haley or Scott Walker? We will know soon enough. You can be sure, in the not too distant future, the leaders of that party will be sitting down for a heart to heart, and mapping out what it will take to grow the tent bigger by 2016 and beyond. Otherwise, before they know it, states like Georgia and Arizona, and yes even Texas, will go from Red to Blue within the next 8-12 years, based on the influx of immigrants to those three states.
On a national level, you talk about the disappearance of the moderate Republican. Have you watched or listened to Nancy Pelosi or Harry Reid lately? Those two and the lockstep Dems that fall in line behind them in the House and Senate are just as bad as the polarizing Republicans on the opposite side of the isle. You go back to the 1980's and you look at the make-up of the Senate. There were dozens of moderates, both Dems and Republicans, and they knew what the word compromise meant. Today, the word does not exist on either side of the aisle. And in a few weeks, the American people will witness a catastrophic event, when we go over the “fiscal cliff” unless the leaders of these two parties sit down and work out a compromise.
As for Talk radio, check your numbers. Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannaty have, according to the latest tracking numbers, over 14 million listeners each and every week. Those are large numbers. But you are correct when you say that those two and a few others are driving the National Republican party off the cliff.
CONTINUED .....
President Obama was as detached as ever there was a President to Capitol Hill the past four years; just take a peek at Bob Woodward’s book, The Price of Politics. He now has four more years, and he better learn much more quickly how to engage the other side on Capitol Hill, and how to bring them to the table. Tax reform, cutting spending, and getting the deficit under control are three major issues that will not go away. But will those problems get solved? It’s up to the President to lead and forge a partnership with leaders like Orrin Hatch, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and others, to bring consensus and solve some of these problems.
We believe the two party system is alive and well and that the Republicans, on a state by state level, as well as Nationally, will live to fight another election. And if Barack Obama and his Democratic party continue to let the national debt grow, to a staggering 20 Trillion dollars by 2016, and if spending continues out of control, and if there is no meaningful tax reform, then Obama will make it that much easier for the Republican party to attract just enough voters in each state to allow them to win back the WH in 2016.
CAPTAIN OUT
Bottom line GOP you will no longer win elections by hating gays, hispanics and blacks and hugging guns and worshipping fetuses.
watching the fox news bimbette megyn kelly call the election for BHO was priceless. She had a look of disgust on her face like she was a high school cheerleader who took it up the ass for 30 minutes in her boyfriends pickup and then he came in her face and she didnt have time to properly reapply her makeup
Captain great reply and , true.
But , Rump, your # 5 is spot on . The problem is there are economic Repubs and Christian Repubs and they come frpm different places.
Captain, or should I say Paul Huck, Jr.,
You speak like a true Jeb Bush Republican. The truth is you are living in a dream world if you beleive that those you have named - more right wing radicals (except Christie) - can be successful in a party that is still controlled and dedicated to an ideal which can only be summarized by one word: NO.
The only thing that saves the Republican Party is getting back to governing. Do you really think that Boehner can control those right wing, non-compromising idealogues that are the Republicn caucus in Congress. No he can not. And if he tries he will be assailed by conservative radio and those who would never compromise. If Obama does what most second termers don't do - worry about domestice matters not foreign policy - he can have a serious effect on the midterm elections and deissimate the Reublicn hold on the House.
Watch out, Wasserman sees the opportunity to kick you when you are down. If she and the President want, they could make this the ultimate UFC. Watch out for that kick to the head.
Any idea how many Tea Party members are left in the House after the election?
Captain watch your language. Your analysis is spot on wrong. The republicans no longer have a super majority in the Florida legislature. Indeed, the super powerful speaker may lose his election and be voted out of office.
As to republican party success in local elections, that is the point and what you fail to see. With re-districting lines carefully redrawn, most republican congress members in places like Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana are safe. So be it. For now they can win small segments of the population and stay on the edge of power. But Texas will be in play by 2020 and California will not. How will the party handle losing both states? How can the party explain loses in senate races in Indiana, Missouri, and Connecticut? They can't, because their party has been hi-jacked. it will take a bit longer for their problems nationally to filter down to the local level. But unless they change their party, they will start losing those local races as well as the demographics change, but they don't. Simply put, moronic candidates who can't help themselves from talking about rape, pregnancy and abortion will continue to get beat. And the party shows no inclination to stop picking high school graduate religious fanatics over well educated conservatives who won't pander to the abortion, contraception, anti-gay, anti- immigration parts of the party.
If you have one choice of a party to join right now that has a clearer path to the future, and you chose the republicans, then your thinking is as addled as your vocabulary is poor.
DS there is nothing smart or correct about the Captain's response. He just thinks that because we have had two parties for over 150 years, we always will.
Change is the price of survival. Just because something has been, doesn't guarantee it will be. Look at the new senator from Maine. Angus King spells more danger for the republicans than the democrats. You will see more Angus Kings, and less Linda McMahon's in the next senate race. Candidates who don't want to be bogged down with a party that endorses anti-mind, anti-science, anti-woman, anti-gay, anti-hispanic, anti-immigration, will start running and winning as independents. Watch.
Slam dunk for rumpole. Call the fight and stop it before Captain gets hurt anymore.
I would never support a party that promotes homosexual marriage when it is clearly disgusting and perverted according to God Almighty. I also could never support a party that is supported by selfish Americans looking to be babied by having everything giving to them for free. What ever happened to good, old-fashioned hard work and high work ethic? Americans are getting dumber and dumber. Finally, I could never support a party that condones abortion. The bible tells us that children are an inheritance from God. Democrats, it's time to stop hating God. This is not about blacks and hispanics against white people as the Democrats would have you believe. Wake up and smell the coffee.
Rumpole, you are so biased that you don't publish any comments that go against your liberal mindset. But it doesn't change anything. The truth doesn't change, and none of these truths are being voiced for the first time. The Democrat party has misled uninformed minorities for years, seeking to make them more dependent on governemnt so they will never get ahead. The whole idea is to hold back the masses while you believed the goal was to "help the people."
Whither Jon Huntsman?
The record will show that I publish EVERY comment that I receive that does not violate some simple rules. No rule I have relates to the political content of a comment. I will not publish a comment that relates to the private life of a judge or a lawyer. I will not publish a comment that makes fun of a person's physical characteristics. I will not publish a comment that is only an ad hominem attack. Other than that, I publish all comments. Go and read the comments sections. It is far from a Rumpole party agreeing with everything I wrote.
10:28- the Bible also has the following prohibitions and punishments:
Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. Because they have cursed their father or mother, their blood will be on their own head.
This one is popular in Iran: “‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death.
If a man has sexual relations with a woman during her monthly period, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has also uncovered it. Both of them are to be cut off from their people.
A man or woman who is a medium or spiritist among you must be put to death. You are to stone them; their blood will be on their own heads.’”
If a priest’s daughter defiles herself by becoming a prostitute, she disgraces her father; she must be burned in the fire.
The Lord said to Moses, 17 “Say to Aaron: ‘For the generations to come none of your descendants who has a defect may come near to offer the food of his God. 18 No man who has any defect may come near: no man who is blind or lame, disfigured or deformed; 19 no man with a crippled foot or hand, 20 or who is a hunchback or a dwarf, or who has any eye defect, or who has festering or running sores or damaged testicles.
I am just not so sure the Bible becomes the end all authority for social norms for anyone other than christian republicans, who have yet, to start executing each other for cursing their parents. But We're waiting for them to show some ideological consistency.
Apparently the bible cherishes children up to the point they might have a physical defect. Then they cannot approach the lord. Nice.
South Florida- John Huntsman is in hiding at a secure location, shunned by his party, a price upon his head for the unforgiveable sin of ...being right.
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
SO, you want to be a Circuit Court Judge .....
The JNC has received 16 applications to replace Circuit Court Judges Leesfield and Platzer, (as I previosuly reported here on Octber 29th).
They have reviewed the applications and they have decided to interview 15 of those 16 applicants. The interviews are scheduled for November 19, 2012.
Those getting an interview:
9:30 Andrew S. Hague
9:40 Eric Wm. Hendon
9:50 Fleur Lobree
10:00 Michelle A. Delancy
10:10 Allan Fine
10:20 Alan D. Sackrin
10:30 Jason Bloch
10:45 Robert Coppel
11:00 Jason Emilios Dimitris
11:15 Candace Renee Duff
11:30 Christopher Green
11:45 Oscar Levin
12:00 Sandra Miller - Batiste
12:15 Steven Reininger
12:30 Leslie Sharpe
If you have any comments to share about these applicants, please contact your local JNC member or the chair at:
Marva L. Wiley (Chair)
P.O. Box 530292
Miami Shores, FL 33153-0292
Miami, FL 33153-0292
Office: 305-793-0701
Facsimile: 786-513-3827
mlwiley_1999@yahoo.com
CAP OUT .......
Horace, enough of the politics, my ole chap. Can we expect to see you at Muirfield next July 18-21?
Great essay
Rumpole, do you have a problem with the one who created all people because of the scriptures that you just quoted? You have to remember that the Lord created the very children you talk about, and he can and will heal any physical defect that a person has if that person asks him in prayer. God loves each person as an individual, he is not just some mysterious, cosmic force. His goal is to have a relationship with every person he ever created, but most of us spend our whole lives ignoring him and wanting nothing to do with him. That is, until we are on our death bed and afraid of what will happen if we take our last breath without calling on him. The point is that he loves you, Rumpole, and everything he does is done in love. Don't misunderstand the character of God, with whom we are reconciled through his son Jesus Christ.
I have no problem with the lord. I have a big problem with people who cherry pick from the bible to support current social issues. You cannot invoke scripture about homosexuality without also particularly following other parts of the bible such as :
You shall not round off the hair on your temples or mar the edges of your beard.
In for a penny, in for a pound. Religion has a very important place, just not in the formation of social policy.
This crazy God stuff is just plain crazy. The bible is a book written by men. Period. There is no divine providence in any of it. Scholars of the day wrote books to help people live what they thought would be better lives. The Bible is just a self help book from antiquity. Listen to science, research, arithmetic and history. There you will find true answers to life's dilemmas. If you think that praying every day rather than getting chemo is going to send your cancer into remission, then the Bible is the right book for you.
THE CAPTAIN REPORTS:
OUCH, THAT STUNG ......
Last Friday, after a four week jury trial, one of our finest GJB attorneys, Ben Kuehne, was part of the legal team that secured a $155,000,000 verdict is a civil case over at 73 West Flagler.
Today, Judge Rosa Rodriguez took away the verdict. She did not, though, give the defendants a new trial. She instead issued a Directed Verdict for the defendant.
Now, the only way that Kuehne's client sees any award is if Rodriguez's decision is reversed by the 3rd DCA (or if the case is privately settled).
Cap Out .....
Here's my two cents on the present state of the Republican Party: (1) what do Carl Rove, Sheldon Adelson, and the Koch Brothers really have to show for the 100s of millions of dollars that they pissed away down the pipes and privys of the TV networks? The networks definately have a vested interest in making sure that the populace remains polarized so that these TV ad revenues keep pouring in; (2) Bill O'Reilly is the perfect example of such network provocation with his claim that "real Americans" don't run the country anymore. O'Reilly himself must realize that, only a few generations ago, his Irish-Catholic ancestors were themselves excluded from "real America" yet now he claims to speak for the establishment. The other networks depend on FOX News and stooges like O'Reilly to keep the hate flowing and the elections hotly contested
Rumpole, the most important thing to realize about the time we live in is that we are repeating the same mistakes as ancient Israel when they turned away from God and began to worship idols and other gods. that is why I apply certain scriptures because those scriptures are reflective of what we are currently seeing in society. The cutting of beards was an example of something that applied before Jesus set the captives free from those rules and ordinances. Homosexuality, on the other hand, is something that is still prohibited by the New Testament. It is obvious that you are Jewish because you know the bible quite well. However, the New Testament is just as true. God is judge but he is also the lover of our souls. Anyone who does not believe God is real is in for a rude awakening come judgment day.
Ok that's enough. This is not a religious blog. Some discussion occurred because of a political discussion. But now that is enough and we will not go further into a never ending discussion. There are other blogs for that.
Well, but this blog does sometimes discuss the over/under on the weekly NFL matchups, so I figured it was a "whatever's on your mind" blog. By the way, the Dolphins look strong this year. Their losses have all been by one score (7 points or less). Philbin is the man, but I still think Ireland should go. I guess politics and sports discussions are fine, but the subject of God is just too heavy as a life issue.
Re: #5
I am a conservative.
That's why I voted for Obama.
Norah O'donnell is a stone cold fox. She certainly caught my eye on election eve on CBS.
Rump I have a question. Now that Pando resigned before her term was up, is the governor going to have to appoint someone or is the new judge going to take over earlier? What if anything is going to happen. Do you know?
Good back & forth between Rump & the Captain.
would check the Omens or the Stars but that is as bad as eating pork or lobster. Their abominations acording to scripture.
Jews for Lobster and Pork is my tribe
Re: Pando. I am fairly certain the newly elected judge cannot begin early because her term was set by law. I also do not think the Governor can appoint someone because there is some sort of law that governs the time period a judge position can be empty before the governor can make an appointment. That is why when some judges retired the seat goes to an election and other times the governor can appoint someone. We'll just have to struggle by with one less county court judge until January.
Boehner reiterates tonight on ABC that tax increases on the rich are "unacceptable." Sounds like a guy adopting a policy of compromise to me. He described himself as the "most reasonable man in Washington." This guy is not working with a full deck. As Judge Pooler is so fond of saying he is "a few ants shy of a picnic." Spinning wheel keeps on turning.
Let me be the first to say I cannot wait for Romney/Rubio 2016.
Mitt in 2016. Tanned. Rested. Ready to lead!
Why not toss interracial marriages into the discussion? Romney/Rubio 2016 will insist a ban on all interracial marriages right next to same sex marriages and contraceptives.
What ever happened to Don Frost, Gino Negretti,Ernie "plead em " Yokum;Tom Duff;Phil Carlton; Skip taylor;Paul Pollock;Dominick Koo?
Norman Haft?
Count me in for Romney/Rubio 2016. I'm hoping on the bandwagon before it leaves the station. Mitt- take a few weeks off, rest, relax, and then get out there in the snows of New Hampshire and Iowa and start the process for the primaries in 2015. You came so close. A half a million votes spread over Florida, Virginia, Ohio, and Colorado and you would still have secret service protection today and people would still be listening to you and calling you Mr. President elect. Get to it. It's worth it and we need you now more than ever.
9:12- in order: not sure, dead, dead, not sure, dead, not sure, dead, and dead.
This past election was a total disaster for the GOP.
Barack Obama had the most baggage of any incumbent since Carter, and he still managed to pull out an impressive, if modest, victory. He lost only two states he won in 2008, and with the exception of North Carolina, ran the table on the swing states. Obama ran ahead of most polls. And Romney ran the most inept campaign since Michael Dukakis.
As for the Senate, the Dems had 23 seats to defend, the GOP 10. And the Dems still picked up 2 seats. Many Democrat incumbents were supposedly vulnerable. Not one lost. The Dems held or won several seats in deep red states, most notably North Dakota and Indiana.
The Dems gained 8-10 House seats. Doesn't sound impressive. But more votes were cast for Democratic candidates than GOP candidates. Only the fact that GOP controlled legislatures gerrymandered House seats for the GOP--most notably in Pennsylvania, but also in other states--saved a flip of the House.
A civil war will break out in the GOP. Most moderates, or even conservatives who were willing to compromise, have been retired or defeated. Those non-ultra-Righties who remain are worried about Tea Party challengers in 2014. And as Tuesday showed, even in GOP states, Tea Party candidates can and will lose to Democrats.
Therefore, I don't expect much cooperation from the GOP anytime soon. And if GOP members of Congress get "tea partied," it is inevitable a number of them will be defeated by Democrats.
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