a question from george

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2008
a question from george
10
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 12:46pm
Does the Republican Party Need a Dr. Phil Moment?

November 05, 2008 12:37 AM


Mccain_080306_main John McCain wasn't able to persuade a majority of voters that he would lead the country in a different direction than President George W. Bush -- who is at record-high disapproval ratings.


The last time a Democrat won over 50 percent of the vote like Barack Obama did tonight was Jimmy Carter in 1976.


Tonight we interviewed Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn, on ABC who suggested the Republican Party needs to re-evaluate after this election it's philosophy and how it reaches out to African American and Hispanic voters.


He said the party needs a "Dr. Phil moment." What do you think?


What should the GOP do now?


--George Stephanopoulos


http://blogs.abcnews.com/george/2008/11/does-the-republ.html

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2007
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 1:33pm

I don't want this to sound snarky cause I really mean it.


I am tired.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2007
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 1:46pm

The Republican strategy for years has been a "you're either with us or against us" focus on creating a single message (drill, baby, drill; cut and run) that is both emotional and polarizing. Divide and conquer is the fundamental strategy, which is okay when times are good, because people will just jump on the bandwagon (even if they were manipulated to buy a ticket). But when things are not going well, its easy to see that all this strategy did was fracture the party into lots of pieces.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-15-2008
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 1:47pm
I really think this might be a huge problem....because so many do think that Obama can fix it all. He can't....and I know it. I think he can help...I think we can move forward. But he isn't a miracle worker. We are facing dark days..and tyring to overplay an advantage in the house could be disasterous. I hope he moves forward with caution and makes the best of his presidency. That's all I can do.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-24-2008
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 2:06pm

I understand what you are saying.


Also, really, it will take everybody there - it's no time to just sit back and watch the other guy try to fix things.

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2007
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 2:39pm

I would agree with this, but really that is what people did with Bush didn't they?!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2007
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 2:41pm

"Also, really, it will take everybody there - it's no time to just sit back and watch the other guy try to fix things."


I agree with you on this, but there are alot of people who have not been "beat up" for the last 8 years who are fresh and ready to go forward with the Obama doctrine.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-15-2008
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 3:09pm
I do understand....I really do. I do disagree that Bush did the best he could. BUt...I really dont' want to argue. YOu are correct that it is up to Obama to prove that he has earned the trust so many put in him. He has to earn the trust of the rest of the people..or fail as Bush has. As the saying goes.....actiosn speak louder than words. So we have to see what the future brings.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 10-01-2008
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 3:12pm

>>I would agree with this, but really that is what people did with Bush didn't they?! They did place ALL blame for everything on him and wanted/expected him to "fix" it.

I hear where you're coming from, I really do. But I honestly believe that Bush's isolationism created at least some of that problem. I know that no one here knows me from Eve, but I pride myself in being a collaborator. I'm a big-time lefty who lived in Virginia until I was nearly 40 years old -- I didn't have much choice. *smile* I honestly believe in the diversity of our two-party system. (I'd actually like to see more than two parties.)

I was offended by Bush's attitude that he could do no wrong. I don't blame Republicans for it. I don't blame conservatives for it. I hold him and his administration personally responsible for that "you're completely with me or you're completely against me" ideology.

I have resisted the temptation to hang on to the idea that he "stole" the 2000 election. I just didn't see how a grudge would help in any way. I didn't like how he spoke, so I read his speeches. (I figured it was my problem, not his.) I was worried about his delayed reaction to 9/11, but I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I completely disagreed with the Iraq War, but I still hold Democrats and Republicans in Congress responsible for their role in getting us into that mess. (I can say the same for wire-tapping, the Patriot Act and No Child Left Behind.)

I can say with a clear conscience that I tried. And I believe that Bush and his administration let me down. I'm not a registered Democrat or Republican. I get how democracy works, and I believe whole-heartedly that whoever is president is MY president. But it was clear that Bush was going to go his way regardless of what the rest of the country -- Republicans included -- thought. He seemed to sneer as he disregarded the opinions of those with much more experience than he.

I don't place all the blame on Bush. But darn it, if he's going to take credit for things that were collaborative rather than done in isolation, he gets the blame. And if he's going to act without collaboration, he needs to be man enough to take the blame.

I know that others view the last eight years very differently, and that's okay. We all have biases, including me. But I did want to explain why I do hold Bush responsible for much of the mess that we're in. (Or more accurately, why I hold his administration responsible.) He can't have it both ways.

Mission accomplished.

Laura

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2007
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 3:44pm

We do understand eachother :)


And I do truely hope that he can accomplish the tasks ahead of him.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-26-2007
Wed, 11-05-2008 - 3:47pm

very well stated Laura :)