Pa. Still Likes GOP, but Looks for Moderation

Real Clear Politics ^ | 3/5/07 | Michael Smerconish

[Sunsong]

But, but, but...it doesn't support the current FR groupthink so it cannot be credible!!

LOL. I see, nothing is credible unless it agrees with me(s).

[mmichaels1970]

The GOP also needs to be concerned about keeping Ohio. Ohio went straight RAT in the 06 mids. My candidate Ken Blackwell was trounced. I saw for myself at the polls tons of people carrying their little RAT candidate cards. If the GOP were able to pick up PA, I'm guessing we could probably squeak through with keeping Ohio. If not, PA and NJ would be a good offset to losing Ohio.

[Dave W]

Hilarious!!

[pnh102]

I have often wondered what rank and file democrats think of hillandbill's naked pandering to the black community.

They don't care. Democrats will vote for any Democrat candidate because for the most part, Democrats are on the receiving end of government freebies. The worst person in the world could run as a Democrat and they would still get a majority of the Democrat vote.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Moderation gave us the FDR SS scheme, moderation gave us welfare for those able to work, moderation gave us a bunch of cowards and moderations gave us the planned murder of the most helpless.
It is easy to fight socialists but moderation will sink America.
Moderation also gives us appeasement and help to our enemies!

[Sunsong]

I have often wondered what rank and file democrats think of hillandbill's naked pandering to the black community.

Interesting question. It sure seems that Bill is very, very popular with the rank and file. I don't know?

[mmichaels1970]

Democrats will vote for any Democrat

Hence, Ray Nagin.

[ShawTaylor]

"The GOP also needs to be concerned about keeping Ohio. Ohio went straight RAT in the 06 mids......If not, PA and NJ would be a good offset to losing Ohio"

Yes they would.
Remember President Bush barely managed to win Ohio in 2004, so Ohio been pretty close recently.
Thing is, right now we are strongly in contention in PA and NJ. If I were the RAS, I'd be seriously worried.

[bassmaner]

In a way it would ironic that Hillary needed to do that in order to win states that are blue(s). I'm not so sure that Hillary will be the dem candidate, though. She is blowing her lead at the moment and if she gets behind Obama - I'm not sure she will recover.

... Meanwhile ... Algore keeps the powder dry ...

Someone who knows Photoshop should graft Algore's head on Mr. Burns from the Simpsons, with the caption 'Exxxxcellent!' ...:^)

[bassmaner]

And the 2 US Senators from NJ.

[FreeInWV]

"Pennsylvania is really two states...."

Someone explained it to me once. They said PA was like New York on both ends and Arkansas in the middle.

[Sunsong]

... Meanwhile ... Algore keeps the powder dry ...

I would love to see Al get into the race(s). Maybe he's waiting to see if he gets the Nobel Peace Prize?

[RepublicanPOTUSin08]

Again, here we see evidence that Freepers don't WANT to win Pennsylvania. This is not Massachusetts we're talking about. This is Pennsylvania, a moderate state in the Great Lakes area. Freepers would seemingly prefer not to have to work with anyone north of where Mason meets Dixon anymore.

To this I have three replies:

1) Remember what Zell Miller said to the Democrats about being a national party no more because they gave the finger to the south? You Freepers who constantly give the finger to the north, calling them "Yankees" and whatnot, are also ensuring that the GOP will become a national party no more. You need to stop.

2) This is not 1860, we're not fighting the Civil War over again, so we're all just going to have to learn to get along. If you don't like it, deal. Northerners need to realize the south isn't full of slack jawed yokels. And southerners need to realize that everyone up north isn't a godless heathen bent on hellfire.

3) In an election, the more states/voters you can win, the better you do. It is a GOOD thing to pick a Republican who can win Pennsylvania, not a bad thing.

[TitansAFC]

---"The South is changing before your eyes and you don't even see it. This is not 2000 anymore."

And you as a new yorker have the insight on that, right?"---

It's the usual Rudophile crap: "The whole country is becoming decidedly more Liberal every election....blah blah blah....."

So basically, Texas will outlaw guns in a few more elections, and the Catholic Church in America will bless abortions. It's just a matter of time, don'tcha see?

We need to wise up and understand that in a few elections, we're going to need to run Jimmy Carter as a Republicans in order to defeat the Democrat nominee, Karl Marx, Jr. We can't stop the radically Liberalizing of the country, so we need to embrace it and come to terms with it in the hopes of slowing the process. I mean, we may lose everything domestically, but at least we'll have war!

Really, flashbunny, you need to understand that no mildly Conservative candidate will ever win again - EVER - the demographic of the country have changed too much. /s

[MinorityRepublican]

That's certainly true. Virginia is a swing state and has a potential to be Democratic in 2008 if the candidate is right.

[TitansAFC]

Welcome to Free Republic, a CONSERVATIVE website.

I see the Rudophiles are still recruiting. Wrong website, RudyPOTUSin08!

We would like some Northern states, and are in the process of winning WI, among others. If it requires nominating Liberals, we'll pass, thank you.

[flashbunny]

Yeah, my mistake. Odd that recently on FR there was a story about a new "castle doctrine" law being introduced in Tennessee by some DEMOCRAT lawmakers. Obviously that is a state where republicans would be turning cartwheels to vote for one of the most anti-gun politicians in the country.

I just can't understand the south like those sophisticated new york moderates can!

[Vigilanteman]

Pennsylvania-- 47th in the nation in job creation and working hard to be 50th.

[Sunsong]

Excellent post. Excellent points. Thanks.

Karl Rove had a strategy to play to the base and GOTV. He believed that he could win, just barely win, but win with that strategy. He lost the popular vote but won the elctoral college in 2000. He won it all in 2004 against John Kerry - one of the worst candidates the dems could have put up. He lost the House and the Senate in 2006. I don't think that's much of an endorsement for his strategy now that it is clear some 45 - 47% of the electorate identify themselves as independents.

Since 2004 - more people have become independents than have joined either party. That means, to me, that it is time to have a new approach, a new strategy. Rather than, as you say, writing off entire geographic areas - take a new look and see if some of those blue states can be picked off.

This info about PA is worth checking out and doing some further research on, imo. My view is that the candidate who has ideas is the one to watch. The candidate who simply says all the things he thinks the base wants to hear - may well win the base - but no one else. We are living in significant times. America is the only super power in the world! Everything we do and say matters. We need intelligent people with good ideas and the ability to inspire and bring in unaffiliated folks.

[penowa]

"Clearly, suburbanites are prepared to support a Republican presidential candidate who is tough on terrorists but moderate on social issues." That gets him most of the Republicrat vote in PA, but he won't get a big hunk of the rural-small town Republican "T," and he won't get the crossover pro-life Democrat vote which is also needed for any Republican to squeak out a win in PA. He's going to finish with less votes than Bush did in '00 or '04 if he's the nominee.

This is nothing but name recognition and voters who no zip about what his record is. If he gets the nomination, you can count on the union newsletters to pound him into the ground and they'll get all the help they need from local newspapers and local TV.