The GOP is Going Extinct in California (Lincoln: school, gated)

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Don'tcha just love self-inflicted wounds? And now Darryl Issa (I met and briefed him and his staff some years ago) is acting tough, dragging his knuckles, thumping his chest and ranting about hundreds of investigations against the Dems come the new session of Congress. It's the same crap Gingrich (Newtie) pulled that ultimately lost the Reps the Congress. They just don't learn from their mistakes.

A few things genuinely merit investigation, but political fishing expeditions are not why Congress was turned over.

I think this new crop of Republicans get it. Issa is the byproduct of being in a safe district, so he can afford to go extreme, to be the GOP version of Henry Waxman.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Yeah, let's use Hollywood as the measuring stick for the rest of the state...

The problem is that so many people are exactly that shallow. The Hollywood stars get on the campaign and all the star struck idiots decide to vote for whoever their favorite star recommends. That is of course why celebrity endorsements is big business.

Originally Posted by CarawayDJ

This thread is ridiculous. Both the GOP senate and governor candidates got just over 40% of the votes. That doesn't make them victorious, but it's a far cry from extinct.

Controlling the government needs only 51%. And it's not just this election, since not all offices were up for election.

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

The GOP isn't going extinct, but the candidates they nominate are awful...

They're making themselves irrelevant by running lousy candidates and standing behind lousy policies. The opposing party needs only a slight edge and they control the government.

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Don'tcha just love self-inflicted wounds?

I don't, not when it's the least objectionable side doing it. I didn't want Obama but the Republicans had to go pick McCain and Palin, in retrospect a ticket guaranteed to fail. Yeah, I know, hind sight is 20-20.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

The GOP isn't going extinct, but the candidates they nominate are awful. This is among the reasons why I voted for Prop 14. Candidates on both sides are the product of regional interests, no more starting in 2011.

Remember 2002? Grey Davis was a sitting duck, a governor who couldn't run for on their record for reelection, so who did the GOP nominate? Bill Simon
Never mind that Richard Riordan would have crushed Davis in the general election, but the CA GOP only wants "real Republicans" see.

"Real Republicans" - wealthy transplants who've never held office?

[RCCCB]

[quote=Lovehound;16633825]There's a problem with that. The government can't just decide to not participate in the retirement programs that they've promised (read "legally obligated"). If they can rescind government retirement programs then why not just rescind Social Security? My career failed due to the economy and I've been forced to declare early SS. If SS is rescinded then I'll be on the streets (soon, when my savings run out). I know this isn't about me but there's millions of people in my same situation. Maybe you too one day.
[quote]

The problem with obligations to unions is they were a monopoly paying mostly one party to grow them, their salaries and benefits. Just because there was no oversight regarding the obligations it put on taxpayers, just because they got away with these bad deals doesn't mean these crimes should be honored.

I think you fire in both State and Federal government all the employees not they can. Maybe get levels down to the percentage in government as part of a population based on a time prior to unions.
If the government union folks are worth what they are paid now, then let them try and get that wage in the real world, the private sector.

SS may not be there shortly from now. That is why it was only supposed to be part of your savings. If people didn't save anything and want to retire on SS, that is not going to be good for them. Nobody ever sold it as your full retirement package.

[BlackShoe]

Originally Posted by bluenoter

Maybe California needs a new liberal party to counter the Democratic Party

A party that is farther to the left than the current California Democratic Party? Is such a thing possible? Not much more room on that end of the scale. About the only thing I can think of would be the CPUSA, and the Democrats are getting pretty close as it is, in fact, the progressive wing is almost there.

[LexusNexus]

Originally Posted by californio sur

Muhammad Ali Hasan: Why the Republican Party Is Going Extinct

This is a very interesting article that points out why the Republican Party continues to fail in California and how this trend will spread across the nation. The GOP didn't win the nationwide 2010 election so much as the Democratic party lost it. There is very little affection for Republicans but rather lots of anger and frustration with Democrats.

But in California the anger with Democrats did not translate into a willingness to vote for Republicans; the worst of two evils was still Republicans no matter how ineffective Democrats are.

This article points out various reasons why the Republican Party is going extinct and it boils down to their continual alienation of various Americans. It was painfully clear in California that the Latino vote had a huge impact on why Whitman and Fiorina failed.

"However, in California, based on 2010 numbers, it is reported that 58% of California Latinos affiliate with the Democratic Party, while only 19% affiliate with the Republicans, a devastating 39% differential for the GOP".

So the Republican party has managed to make enemies with the fastest growing ethnic group in America. Add to that list of those who view the GOP as repulsive: gays and now Muslims. And Republicans become a group of old white evangelical Southerners; not in anyway appealing to Californians.

The sooner that the rest of the nation realizes that this is all the GOP represents, a modern day representation of those who fought to keep slavery, the sooner this nation can move forward. California is leading the charge as the most enlightened of states in this regard. Republicans are indeed repulsive and I'm proud to live in a state that recognizes that and votes this way too.

[.highnlite]

A party that is farther to the left than the current California Democratic Party? Is such a thing possible? Not much more room on that end of the scale. About the only thing I can think of would be the CPUSA, and the Democrats are getting pretty close as it is, in fact, the progressive wing is almost there.

This post, of course, has no basis in reality.

As well say the Republicans are fascists, they aren't, fascism is a political philosophy based on an intellectual foundation.

[SacTown11]

Originally Posted by californio sur

The ideology of the GOP that puts an emphasis on gay people and abortions is absurd in my mind since neither issue has anything to do with a secular world. That is my biggest issue with Republicans; they are hypocrites of the worst kind that repulse many many Californians and, therefore, the GOP is anemic and impotent here, which is good.

That is what I mean by being an ideologue. Just so you know what I mean when I use the term ideologue. Ideologue's, by virtue of their preconceived notions of specific groups/parties of people preclude themselves of ever examining their ideas for merit, rather the blinders are turned on and nothing constructive ever occurs other than yelling over each other. Just turn on MSNBC or FoxNews.

I am an ex-democrat (circa 1998-2001) and an ex-Republican (circa 2001-2008). Both parties have their valid points and absurd worldview's. I was not forced from the Republican party because of the religious right...I find the religious right to be less intolerant than those of the secular left. I left the Republican party because of their hypocrisy towards the role of government in the lives of its citizens. I left the Democrat party because of its stance that government is the only way to fix problems.

I began turning Independent in 2006 and fully revolted against the Republicans after TARP. Nothing the Democrats have done since 2008 have inspired me other than to convince me that I can never vote for a Democrat again. Tripling the Federal deficit, expanding the role of government and waging even more wars in foreign lands is not exactly what I thought I was voting for when I "voted the bums" out in 2008.

So I guess I am only nominally an Independent now...I voted for some third party candidates this past election, but it is plainly obvious that Republicans are the lesser of two evils when it comes to responsible spending, less government, and ending wars abroad - how ironic!

[bluenoter]

California is Progressing.

Originally Posted by Alexus

California is leading the charge as the most enlightened of states in this regard.

[sav858]

Originally Posted by Alexus

The sooner that the rest of the nation realizes that this is all the GOP represents, a modern day representation of those who fought to keep slavery, the sooner this nation can move forward. California is leading the charge as the most enlightened of states in this regard. Republicans are indeed repulsive and I'm proud to live in a state that recognizes that and votes this way too.

If Ca democrats are so amazing then why have they done such a horrible job at running this state? This is what I don't get. People are so proud we elect and continue to elect these CA democrats but what do we have to show for it? One of the highest unemployment rates? One of the worst public school systems? Some of the worst infrastructure? High taxes yet crappy public services? Annual budget deficits? A ton of illegal immigrants and all the problems associated with that? Not saying republicans have all the answers but why on earth are people so proud we elect these democrats when CA has a TON of problems right now and has for a while now. Not sure how this translates into "enlightenment".