BREAKING NEWS: Democrat Kathy Hochul wins special election for US House seat in NY — AP

msnbc ^

[gusty]

Wrong. The politicians are just a symptom of the problem. We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us. The people are the problem. We have to be honest with ourselves. Look around. Do you think the fat slobs riding their motorized chairs down to the 7-11 to buy lottery tickets are interested in personal responsibility, hell no. Everybody wants something for nothing. That is the truth today. This election is significant. It means that we are headed for the cliff, and the brakes are gone. There is no hope. The majority is a bunch of goat ropers and freeloaders. We are all destined to drive our cars with our handicapped sticker down to the government office to pick up our government checks which we will then spend on lottery tickets.

[headstamp 2]

See 93

[FredZarguna]

I am probably in, or near your demographic group and would tend to agree. Unfortunately, the polling does not support us -- although I haven't seen the actual question, so I'm withholding judgement. But I believe a poll by Rasmussen (who is 100% solid) found even 58% of TP'ers do not believe Medicare should be cut. That's very discouraging.

[ncalburt]

My sister is a MD and knows the long term damage of Obamacare on Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

She decided to vote but she is fed up with the GOP being such COWARDS and thinks the Bonehead has no real interest in stopping Obamacare.
She is probably right since K street wants Obamacare and Bonehead / Cantor are owned by K street.

[headstamp 2]

I concur with you. These things are all in the timing it seems. Lee’s swan song wasn’t very long ago. We are also talking about a House District worth of voters. Must have been a real turn off.

[dfwgator]

We’ve got the government we deserve.

[ncalburt]

She is MD and ticked off and terrified of the New Medicare death panel that Bonehead allowed to be funded in the Pelosi budget !

[Siena Dreaming]

I've always thought the Foley Page scandal breaking just before the election was a much bigger effect in getting Pelosi the speakership than a lot of people believe

I've thought this for years.

Judging by the over-the-top reaction here on FR over that faux scandal, I still think the MSM succeeded in getting a LOT of conservatives to stay home.

Conservatives were outraged by the gay GOP congressman, so they helped elect a Speaker from gay San Franciso. What a world.

[ncalburt]

Bonehead is a K street puppet .
Nothing will get done with the K street addict in charge.
Obamacare will never be defunded by this clown.
GE, Siemans, Kaiser, 3M, and Big Pharma all have huge money invested in Obamcare.

[firebrand]

People on the Jersey Shore are not this stupid. They defeated their fake tea party guy in November.

[ncalburt]

WHY do we end up with the GOP leader who is K street’s best buddy and has ZERO interest in hiring top notch Madison Ave PR people !
Bonehead needs to be replaced now.

[FredZarguna]

If a person who watches no TV except news (Fox and CNN) and listens to talk radio all day and scans FR a few hours a week missed it, how effective do you really think it was?

My point stands.

The Republicans should stop saying "stop scare mongering on entitlements." That's a passive message. Instead they should scream: "Here's the fact: absent action, these programs will collapse on a biblical scale. We have a plan. The President is supposed to be America's leader. Where is his plan? The fact that he has no plan is one more example of his incompetence. He will not lead on the issue. He will not even take the advice of his own Presidential Comission. Like the Gulf oil debacle, we are watching the signs of his inaction wash ashore, while he goes golfing. When he isn't golfing, he's on vacation. Time to clock in, Mr. 'Present.'"

[Scott from the Left Coast]

Ryan should not have put a plan forward until the Dems did , now we have seriously screwed up and this will be played for next year.

And with this you have put your finger right on the complete failure of America...its political system (that has turned into socialism) that requires that no one ever solves any problem, just piles on debt and kicks the can down the road until total collapse occurs in mayhem and destruction. The Democrats in the Senate haven't passed a budget in more than two years...why? Because if they ever go on the record as FOR something then they can be destroyed, as everyone is against everything in America except pooping skittles out of Unicorn's asses.

So the Democrats have learned to never go on the record on anything and play the politics of personal destruction and culture "coolness" and since they are hip and tolerant, they win.

And America is over.

[cherry]

yeah....those great patriotic third party voters....have loved them so much since the Perot days...

keep it up folks....we'll get another 4 with the skinny dictator...

[sickoflibs]

RE :" We have a plan. The President is supposed to be America's leader. Where is his plan? The fact that he has no plan is one more example of his incompetence. He will not lead on the issue."

That is a good argument. Republicans need to be more effective at pointing that out, but them running on protecting Medicare benefits last year gave them an uphill battle.

[cherry]

yeah....those great patriotic third party voters....have loved them so much since the Perot days...

keep it up folks....we'll get another 4 with the skinny dictator...

[ncalburt]

I think it showed the GOP has disastrous leaders who have intentionally ignored the message of the 2010 midterms ,think its K street spending as usual, and people stayed home !

[FredZarguna]

The Republicans are the only people actually protecting Medicare. That is what we need to say. Forcefully and loudly, and we need to repeat at every opportunity: "The fundamental responsibility of the Congress is to pass a budget. In 2010, the Democrats refused to lead on this fundamental issue. They failed to do their ONE job. Now they refuse to lead on the question of entitlements. Criticism is easy. Leadership is hard. Where is Barack 0bama? Nowhere to be seen."

Again, The Stupid Party occasionally produces a star:

Rubio to Geithner: voting to raise the debt ceiling absent structural change is the real path to insolvency and default.

[sickoflibs]

I agree, medicare is always very dangerous territory.

If it was me I would have proposed a plan with a consumer choice between the privatized Ryan plans and a scaled back traditional medicare option, for EVERYONE, not protecting special voters.

For one thing you cant protect all those over 55 with everyone else footing the bill later getting thrown of the ship. How is a future 67 year old going to get private insurance when those a few years older are part of a massive medicare pool to demand low prices? It's like those under 55 are thrown off the cruise ship into the ocean(after they retire) told to swim on their own, to protect important voters OVER 55 on the cruise ship.

You also need a public option (tradional medicare and medicaid) for those in nursing homes with no assets. There is no private option for them. Their private option is you-know-what, 'Soylent Green Going Home'. Republicans are making believe they dont exist and it is backfiring. That is a bigger problem than you may know.

Something huge like this would have to be phased in to allow market (and political) forces to work, no way around it. And it would have to be sold to voters.

Lastly I will judge Republicans on what they accomplish, if they lose in 2012 without getting anything significant into law that doesnt work for me.

[Deagle]

Well, if the polling is correct, we are doomed anyway. I choose to believe the when the crap hits the fan, even the elderly folks will finally wise up.

I at least have hope but not so much for my generation it seems... Myself, I will continue to fight for the ideals that the Tea Party espouses.... I hope you do the same..