Posted on 09/21/2012 8:43:12 AM PDT by xzins
Mitt Romney's comments about 47 percent of Americans being dependent on government and locked in to vote for President Obama highlight a fundamental reality in American politics today: The gap between the American people and the political class is bigger than the gap between Republicans and Democrats in Washington, D.C.
Romney's remarks are the GOP equivalent of Obama's notorious comments about small-town Pennsylvania voters bitterly clinging to their guns and religion.
Both Romney and Obama highlighted the condescending attitude that political elites hold of the people they want to rule over. A National Journal survey found that 59 percent of political insiders don't think voters know enough to have meaningful opinions on the important issues of the day. That's a handy rationalization for those who want to ignore the voters and impose their own agenda.
In the nation's capital, this gap creates bigger problems for Republicans than Democrats. Democratic voters tend to think that their representatives in Congress do a decent job representing them. That's because Democrats are a bit more comfortable with the idea of government playing a leading role in American society. However, 63 percent of Republican voters believe their representatives in Washington are out of touch with the party base.
Establishment Republicans in Washington broadly share the Democrats' view that the government should manage the economy. They may favor a somewhat more pro-business set of policies than their Democratic colleagues, but they still act as if government policy is the starting point for all economic activity.
Republican voters reject this view. They are more interested in promoting free market competition rather than handing out favors to big business. They detest corporate welfare and government bailouts, even though their party leaders support them.
The GOP base sees government as a burden that weighs the private sector down rather than a tool that can generate growth if used properly. Ninety-six percent of Republican voters believe that the best thing the government can do to help the economy is to cut spending and free up more money for the private sector.
The Republican base is looking for someone like a 21st century Ronald Reagan, who will display his faith in the American people. The Washington Republicans are more comfortable with politicians like George W. Bush, Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney. Though the establishment has dominated the party since Reagan left the White House, the 2012 election could well be the end of the line.
If Romney loses in November, the Republican base will no longer buy the electability argument for an establishment candidate. From the view of the base, the elites will have given away an eminently winnable election. Someone new, from outside of Washington, will be the party's nominee in 2016.
If Romney wins and does nothing to change the status quo, the economy will falter. He will end up as the second straight one-term president, and the nation will desperately be searching for an authentic outsider in 2016.
If he wins the White House, the only way for Romney to succeed will be to side with the nation's voters and throw out the club in Washington. That will be great news for the country but bad news for political insiders on both sides of the partisan aisle.
Ras is right....if Romney doesn't win Washington Establishment Republicans...aka RINO's are toast....they still might be even if they win due to rise of the Tea Party's growing influence.
Romney will stick with the GOP elites - that’s all he knows.
I don’t think the GOP will change if Romney loses - they didn’t change after McCain or after Dole, etc.
ahh, ok, I understand now.
The candidate so many conservatives refused to lift a finger to help, the candidate so many conservatives not only refused to vote for but worked to convince others to not vote for him, the same candidate so many conservatives claim is the same as the marxist Obama......should he lose, those same conservatives will be upset.
Gotcha.
I’m reading it differently. I’m seeing Rasmussen say that in the same way as Obama is disdainful of “bitter clingers” that Romney is disdainful of “entitlers”.
He then goes on to say that’s an indication with both Obama and Romney that they think they’re smarter than the rest of us.
I do think Romney is an elitist. I think the same of Obama. The believe themselves elite for different reasons. Romney thinks so because of his blue blood, financial wealth, and educational credentials. Obama thinks he’s the repository of ultimate truth.
The Great Clinton’s Telecommunications Act of 1996 was at least as damaging to America as the 17th Amendment.
He solidified Big Media as America’s enemy, to be counted on to say in unison whatever Democrats (Big Media’s Big Love) want to be said.
Just about all Democrats and not a few Republicans congratulate themselves for not being willing to call Big Media a liar, especially when it’s not obviously directly related to THE current presidential political race.
It figured your peddling this rubbish !
Another divide and conquer and it’s over post from YOU !
Who do you work for ????
Ras is a DC insider moron and his polls are now worthless
After this pathetic hit piece was cooked up to help
Scotty win favor with the Obama media !
Now I know his POlls mysterious switched from
+1 R to +1 Dem last month !
“If Romney loses, he will be the most hated man among conservative voters.”
I’m sure not looking forward to another ohole-kissing fawning “concession” speech by a “Republican”.
I thought about that bait and switch possibility too, but Scott is getting an earful out there from conservatives and has his finger on the pulse of a fact.
Never again in this generation will conservatives split and disassemble in a primary to get ambushed by the money, strategy and power of the Establishment.
Someone on many occassions has told Scott that and regardless of his own motivations, he has lumbered into writing the truth.
We may have roped a dope here, for once.
Find shade and a cool drink.
makes sense to me. the man in the street doesn’t have to
deal with the special pleaders and lobbyists shilling for
their pet causes.
You are correct. People still don’t see the scam of the political Punch and Judy puppet show.
If Romney loses how anyone feels about him will be irrelevant. The GOP will be toast. The Tea Party will go rogue and become the REAL opposition. The Pubbies will become the Whigs.
I think the GOP insiders know this, and are beginning to experience daily underwear soilings.
Rotflol!
Not only could I not have said it better, I couldn't said it at all, and you did say it.
Yep, the very same will be upset. :>)
Rotflol!
Not only could I not have said it better, I couldn't have said it at all, and you did say it.
Yep, the very same will be upset. :>)
As if. Hah.
lol.
Palin.
Freak much?
Another typical kill-the-messenger reaction from the terrified tossing their tomatoes.
Do you not think there are going to have to be some rats start to jump the listing Obama ship to get this thing done? If not now, when?
ditto, gator man
It was all over 30+ years ago when we substituted debt for productivity in order to maintain an illusion of wealth and maintain living standards to which we had become accustomed.
The smartest guys in the room (bankers) seized this opportunity and rode the Ponzi till it inevitably collapsed. Knowing it would eventually collapse, due to a combination of exponential math & diminishing marginal returns, is another key facet of their advanced strategic planning.
The sheeple simply have no clue - they are hopelessly behind the OODA loop. It makes no difference who is elected - the ship has sailed and our nation's appointment with destiny is proceeding apace.
The next steps are price controls, rationing, service caps, mandated contributions (via taxes & insurance - see Roberts' decision) and structured inflation. With the purposeful stripping of remaining assets and die-off of (white) boomers, combined with the continued flood of immigration and non-family births, the 99/1 pyramid will firmly be in place.
The question one should be asking themselves, similar to what Germans & Japanese in 1944/45 had to decide, is when to face reality and jump to the other side. Not to D or R, but whether to help & enable the fascist regime in order to make it through the bottleneck.
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