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Head Strong: Ignoring suburbs doomed the GOP To win Pa., it must appeal to moderates.
Philly.com ^ | November 9, 2008 | Michael Smerconish

Posted on 11/09/2008 3:37:09 AM PST by gusopol3

Head Strong: Ignoring suburbs doomed the GOP To win Pa., it must appeal to moderates. By Michael Smerconish - Inquirer

Inquirer Currents Columnist

If retail politicking alone determined the election outcome in Pennsylvania, McCain-Palin would have won in a landslide. Speaking on MSNBC election night, Gov. Rendell joked that the GOP ticket had spent so much time in the state that he was thinking of assessing them with a state income tax.

(Excerpt) Read more at philly.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: Pennsylvania
KEYWORDS: advertising; bho2008; mccain; pa2008; pennsylvania; suburbs; vichyrepublican
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To: Cricket24
I was shocked that that many people who are mostly Republican voted for him

That's a consequence of voters believing that the mess we are in was caused by the Republicans, as well as the failure of the elected Republicans to live up to their name. Why bother electing Republicans if they overspend and expand government when you can elect Democrats who are real pros at doing it? Why vote for McCain if his position on the bailout is the same as Obama's?

And finally, why vote for a guy who says he'll tax your health insurance, offset by some tax credit. Everybody knows that within ten years the tax credit will be gone, or phased out with income, but the tax on the value of your health insurance will remain -- and counting health insurance as income would push you up into a higher bracket and cost you money.

What kind of a Republican makes a vital part of his campaign platform raising taxes -- on your health insurance of all things?? Oh, I forgot, a "Maverick" like John McCain.

41 posted on 11/09/2008 5:26:15 AM PST by freeandfreezing
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To: gusopol3

The age old aregument of moving to the center is bogus. Sarah Palin is proving that argument wrong as we speak.


42 posted on 11/09/2008 5:30:49 AM PST by rodguy911 (HOME OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE--GO SARAHCUDA !!)
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To: sirchtruth

For sure,he was and is a lousy candidate.


43 posted on 11/09/2008 5:31:32 AM PST by rodguy911 (HOME OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE--GO SARAHCUDA !!)
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To: bitterohiogunclinger
Absolutely, we need to purge the rinos first and than adopt a Reganesque/conservative party platform, stick to it and not waiver.
44 posted on 11/09/2008 5:34:31 AM PST by rodguy911 (HOME OF THE FREE BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE--GO SARAHCUDA !!)
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To: gusopol3

Smerconish is a Democratic operative. He pushed for McCain to win the primary and when McCain won, he switched support to Obama. He was among those who derided Palin.


45 posted on 11/09/2008 5:37:14 AM PST by bvw
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To: freeandfreezing

the next Republican candidate will have to cut through the ever more complicating and tightening knot with something like the fair tax.


46 posted on 11/09/2008 5:38:06 AM PST by gusopol3
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To: gusopol3
"Moderates" are the political equivalent of the French.
"Moderates" are the human equivalent of a Post Turtle.
"Moderates" are like a Deer caught in your headlights.
"Moderates" are all destined to be Road Kill.

"Moderate" is a dirty word.

47 posted on 11/09/2008 5:38:23 AM PST by Condor51 (Obama believes in Saul Alinsky. I believe in Sun Tzu.)
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To: gusopol3

No, the Reps should be pursuing white blue collar Dems.


48 posted on 11/09/2008 5:38:38 AM PST by kabar
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To: bvw

he’s also going to be one of the big losers of the election, as his audience listens to Bill Bennett.


49 posted on 11/09/2008 5:39:50 AM PST by gusopol3
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To: Mobile Vulgus
Smash-mouth is pro-gay, pro-abortion, pro-murdering Terri, pro-sending Elian to Cuba, and pro-Obama.

If he is not registered Democrat he certainly is close enough in all practical effect.

50 posted on 11/09/2008 5:40:29 AM PST by bvw
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To: Lucius Cornelius Sulla

I dismissed this radio talk show lawyer long ago. West Chester University and Lincoln University gave us Democrat representatives in Harrisburg when they went all D for Obama. The consequences of this will be a real shame for the people of Pennsylvania. More Vince Fumo like political thuggery from Rendell Philly gang. The ongoing trial in Philly for Vince Fumo will hopefully put that arrogant crook in jail for a long time. They ought to get rid of that GOP chief in Chester County. He is useless. He has committee people openly working for Democrat candidates.
They are still on the committee


51 posted on 11/09/2008 5:44:42 AM PST by oldironsides
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To: gusopol3
Well, 990 AM Philly needs to get a bigger wattage. They seemed to have improved their engineering and/or equipment in the past year -- the signal would go to almost zero in spurts and then come back, but this year I haven't seen that. I can pick up 1210 AM philly from almost Fort Lee NJ to near on Harrisburg PA, and south to Hagerstown MD, and east to AC. 990 seems to have at most half that spread.

Recently -- and happily -- I managed to pick up 770 AM NYC at Levin time just east of Harrisburg.

52 posted on 11/09/2008 5:49:01 AM PST by bvw
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To: bvw

hey, I’m not telling you anything about Bill Bennett am I? You are the one who wold me about WNTP several weeks back . I am at the far reaches during drive in AM, can’t hear everything without fade-outs, static, but didn’t a woman named “Gwen” call and was she Smerconish’s mother?


53 posted on 11/09/2008 5:50:07 AM PST by gusopol3
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To: bvw

atmospherics make such a day to day difference in reception, don’t they? Heck, I remember getting a strange TV broadcast (over the air days) when I lived in VA. It was a Connecticut station!


54 posted on 11/09/2008 5:53:57 AM PST by gusopol3
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To: Owl_Eagle; brityank; Physicist; WhyisaTexasgirlinPA; GOPJ; abner; baseballmom; Mo1; Ciexyz; ...
Hey Smerconish, how's that Fairness Doctrine looking?

You think Mumia might get a pardon?

You voted for Obama. You supported Obama. You helped get Obama elected. One reason Obama won the suburbs is because people like you didn't tell people on the fence about Obama's less flattering side.

Smerconish is a miserable failure.

55 posted on 11/09/2008 5:55:25 AM PST by Tribune7 (Obama wants to put the same crowd that ran Fannie Mae in charge of health care)
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To: gusopol3

My simple opinion is this. After a couple of years of BO, the GOP won’t have to “appeal to moderates.” The GOP will only have to offer “change.”


56 posted on 11/09/2008 5:56:19 AM PST by Malesherbes (Sauve Qui Peut)
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To: gusopol3
The Republican Party already appeals to “moderates”. That is why we have gotten our collective @sses kicked the last two elections.
57 posted on 11/09/2008 5:56:48 AM PST by LiberConservative (Typical white guy)
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To: Spktyr
Hm, wasn’t it the moderates who managed, ran, and planned the entire 08 presidential campaign, promising they could deliver the centrists and independents?

How’d that work out again?

****

Before you try to appeal to indies and the moderates, first you MUST get the support of the base. Failure to do so is like building a house without a foundation - it doesn’t stay standing for long.

That pretty well covers it.

58 posted on 11/09/2008 6:04:28 AM PST by org.whodat ( "the Whipped Dog Party" , what was formally the republicans.)
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To: Malesherbes
After a couple of years of BO

fly in that ointment, he'll still be blaming Bush.

59 posted on 11/09/2008 6:04:42 AM PST by gusopol3
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To: beagleone
I find it interesting that Oklahoma and Tennessee voted Redder than ever in the midst of the loss.

They voted that way because that is what they are, try looking at the historical voting record.

60 posted on 11/09/2008 6:06:38 AM PST by org.whodat ( "the Whipped Dog Party" , what was formally the republicans.)
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