I can't help but noticed that the Republicans have been trounced in a number of elections nationwide. I haven't done a full analysis, but considering that the unions won in Ohio, the pro-choicers won in Mississippi, the pro-illegals won in Arizona, and the Democrats held onto the Senate in Virginia...what are the GOP's chances in the 2012 election?
Unless the Republicans can shake things out by January they are in serious trouble. There are a couple of Republican candidates that are vindictive enough to run as a third party candidate after the Republican primary. IMO: Perry is one of these.
The Republicans have made the same mistake in the wake of their 2010 victory that the Democrats made after emerging triumphant in 2008. They assumed that the election results represented endorsements of their most extreme positions and attempted to enact them. The reality is that neither the hard line positions of Republicans or Democrats are supported by the majority of the electorate. To win elections both Democrats and Republicans need to win over the majority of Independent voters. In 2008 the Independents supported the Democrats while in 2010 they had become disillusioned with the Democrats and swung to the Republicans. It appears now the Independents are uncomfortable with the strong swing to the right that newly elected Republicans are taking and are withdrawing their support from them.
The 2012 election will be decided by the factors that have always been crucial to victory in national elections. The winner will be the party that best maintains the support of their core constituencies while at the same time convincing the majority of Independents that they are not extremists.
The Republicans have made the same mistake in the wake of their 2010 victory that the Democrats made after emerging triumphant in 2008. They assumed that the election results represented endorsements of their most extreme positions and attempted to enact them. The reality is that neither the hard line positions of Republicans or Democrats are supported by the majority of the electorate. To win elections both Democrats and Republicans need to win over the majority of Independent voters. In 2008 the Independents supported the Democrats while in 2010 they had become disillusioned with the Democrats and swung to the Republicans. It appears now the Independents are uncomfortable with the strong swing to the right that newly elected Republicans are taking and are withdrawing their support from them.
The 2012 election will be decided by the factors that have always been crucial to victory in national elections. The winner will be the party that best maintains the support of their core constituencies while at the same time convincing the majority of Independents that they are not extremists.
That's a pretty good assessment. My only problem is that no matter what party is vying for power, they must fool MOST of the people SOME of the time. By that I mean, Dems and Repubs are BOTH polarizing to their respective corners while Indys try to stay in the center...but they are not in the center....some are just as far right and left as dems or repubs. So the trick is to fool the indy's into voting one way or the other.
I'd see legislation denying voting rights to uncommitted or 'independent' voters. Make 'em take a stand....centrist dems can pull their party to the right and centrist Repubs can pull their party to the left. THe current situation is self-defeating.
I'd see legislation denying voting rights to uncommitted or 'independent' voters. Make 'em take a stand....centrist dems can pull their party to the right and centrist Repubs can pull their party to the left. THe current situation is self-defeating.
Location: On an Island in the west coast of New England
Posts: 13,133
Determining open or closed primaries must be under state control since the rules vary according to state lines. I still don't see the object of changing it since a person can only vote in one primary. I suppose an indy could cast a spoiler type vote working against a strong candidate in the opposite party he wants to vote for in the general election. I would say that would be the exception though rather than the rule.
__________________
Too busy with fishing to spend much time here.
We have an open primary system here which annoys me greatly. It means that someone who plans to vote Democrat, for Obama and Stabenow, who are running unopposed, can vote in the Republican primary.
I think the primaries should be restricted to those who are actually planning to vote for that party's candidate in the election.
__________________
Proud parents of our own "Daddy's Little Girls"
I heard Jesus He drank wine and I bet we'd get along just fine.
Messing around the voter registration and primary election laws won't do anything but PO people even more than they already are. The more politically malcontented people are, the more likely they are to elect radicals.
I value our country's political system because it's the best humankind has ever had, but to be honest, I've been growing tired of representative democracy lately. Seems like no matter what, you just can't win...that is, unless you're a tyrant, a thief, or an idiot.
Republican Prospects for 2012
