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Thursday, June 27, 2013

Good News and Bad News in What GOP Learnt in 2012

    .  They had their famous autopsy but I'll admit it-I'm cynical. I never figured they'd learn much of anything.   It seems they mostly haven't. I guess the jury is still out on immigration reform-this always seemed to be the dark horse, the one thing they may have taken from 2012 that they actually had right. 

      "In that much ballyhooed autopsy, Republican National Committee analysts repeatedly stressed the party’s need to develop a more tolerant and inclusive aura. It noted the GOP must strive to “expand and diversify the base of the Republican Party, both locally and nationally,” and must develop a “welcoming, inclusive message” to better appeal to younger voters and to remain competitive in national elections."

       http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2013/06/27/the-morning-plum-gop-doesnt-need-no-stinkin-makeover/

      In most areas, however, they seemed not to have learned too much:

     "But the emerging GOP response to the trio of major issues at the top of the news this morning — immigration, gay rights, and African American enfranchisement — suggests that in practice, most Republicans don’t really see the need for any such makeover."
     They're overreaching on abortion, and are reaffirming opposition to gay marriage. They continue to play the all or nothing game in 'negotiations' with Obama and the Democrats which usually leaves them with nothing. 
     They even went out for Clitonesque scandal mongering-a move which has gained no tracton and now seems to be totally rebounding on them. 
     We have GOPers who argue that killing immigration reform which actually be good for the party. 
    "the RNC autopsy said that “if Hispanic Americans hear that the GOP doesn’t want them in the United States, they won’t pay attention to our next sentence.” But right now a counter argument of sorts is now gaining steam among Republican-aligned commentators — that it would be better politically for the GOP to sink immigration reform. See Sean Trende’s much discussed piece questioning the need to improve its performance among Latinos to remain competitive in presidential elections. Also see Bill Kristol’s piece this morning, which argues that Republicans must kill the Senate immigration bill, because the alternative “would divide and demoralize potential Republican voters” in 2014."
     Here's my premise on the GOP. I continue to think immigration reform is a good bet to pass. However, on most other issues the GOP is not going to moderate but dig in and double down. It was quite ironic that Rick Perry and pro-life conservatives were complaining that Wendy Davis' filibuster was somehow cheating-after all the majority wanted Perry's vile anti abortion bill so it was very wrong for her to thwart the will of this majority. 
    At the national level, that's Mitch McConnell's bread and butter. In fact, the GOP will likely try to continue to be competitive through anti democratic means. They're strategy is a three legged stool. 
     1). The filibuster in the Senate
     2). The gerrymander in the House
     3).  The conservative SJC handing them down gems like weakening the Voting Rights Act to make it easier to pass anti voter laws in GOP states. 
      Their agenda is minority rule. In other words, they've learned nothing from 2012. This is not good news-unless you're a Democrat, in which case you have many more elections like 2012 to look forward to. 
     
      


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