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The Center No Longer Holds [Why bad times for GOP do not mean good times for the Democrats] (NYT)
The NYT Sunday Magazin, "The Idea Lab" column ^ | Nov 20, 2005 | JACOB S. HACKER and PAUL PIERSON

Posted on 11/20/2005 12:19:50 PM PST by summer


Illustration by Project Projects

...Democrats constantly lament their financial disadvantage - and in an era in which money speaks louder than ever (and is more unequally distributed), their worries are understandable. But money is just one Republican weapon among many. Over the last decade, Republicans have rewritten the rules of Washington. From control of the agenda to the design of policies to the use of legislative procedure, they have used their ideological unity and the growing powers of the majority to simultaneously pursue conservative aims and avoid electoral fallout. You might call these measures "backlash insurance," because they protect Republicans against political outcry for doing things that aren't all that popular with a majority of Americans.

Of course, politicians have always tried to maximize credit and avoid blame. But the modern G.O.P. has centralized political control, allowing it to dominate the national agenda and dictate legislation in ways that would have been unthinkable even a decade ago. ... One lobbyist reportedly complained: "I always thought my job is to look out for my clients. Suddenly, I'm working for the Republican Party."

The result is a coordinated political apparatus skilled at designing and presenting even unpopular policies so that they don't set off alarm bells. ...

The Republicans have also proved adept at pursuing an aggressive agenda while protecting vulnerable seats against retaliation from the median voter. Consider a G.O.P. tactic that has come to be called "catch and release." After the leadership has assured itself that a controversial bill will pass, moderate Republicans are released to cast highly publicized votes of "conscience." ...

The beauty of the Republican network is that it is stronger than the sum of its parts. ...

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


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: analysis; dems; elections; future; gop; gopmajority; politics
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This is an interesting article, but I didn't agree with some of it. It gives the Dem leaders easy outs and excuses. For example, are you really going to try to convince me the Dem Party's problems stem from a lack of money? With their mega-donations? I find that hard to believe.

BTW, the excerpt I posted is from the middle of this article. Also, the authors' bios are as follows:

Jacob S. Hacker and Paul Pierson teach political science at Yale University and the University of California at Berkeley, respectively, and are the authors of "Off Center: The Republican Revolution and the Erosion of American Democracy."
1 posted on 11/20/2005 12:19:53 PM PST by summer
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To: All

However, I did find it fascinating to read an article without ANY talk of the "framing" problems of the Dem Party!


2 posted on 11/20/2005 12:20:38 PM PST by summer
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To: summer

They *framed* it as a Democracy, not a Republic of states which are also republics...

Libs lie at the premise. Never forget! ;^)


3 posted on 11/20/2005 12:25:58 PM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (SAVE THE BRAINFOREST! Boycott the RED Dead Tree Media & NUKE the DNC Class Action Temper Tantrum!)
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To: summer

The RAT party is on the endangered species list. Say goodnight, put one or two in a zoo for the sake of old memories. The rat has jumped the shark. Buh-buy.


4 posted on 11/20/2005 12:26:18 PM PST by hang 'em
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To: summer
-- Consider a G.O.P. tactic that has come to be called "catch and release." After the leadership has assured itself that a controversial bill will pass, moderate Republicans are released to cast highly publicized votes of "conscience."--

--this "G.O.P." tactic was old when the Demotraitors practised it all the time on the assorted gun-control and assault weapon legislation--

5 posted on 11/20/2005 12:28:24 PM PST by rellimpank (urbanites don' t understand the cultural deprivation of not being raised on a farm:NRABenefactor)
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To: summer; Southack

Southack, your terrific Republican Accomplishments list would speak truth to a lying power about GOP 'bad times' ...


6 posted on 11/20/2005 12:28:25 PM PST by The Spirit Of Allegiance (SAVE THE BRAINFOREST! Boycott the RED Dead Tree Media & NUKE the DNC Class Action Temper Tantrum!)
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To: summer
The beauty of the Republican network is that it is stronger than the sum of its parts.

The smarter leftists in this world understand that the Inet empowers Republicans because it empowers individualism.
7 posted on 11/20/2005 12:31:13 PM PST by Milhous (Sarcasm - the last refuge of an empty mind.)
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To: summer
re: With their mega-donations?)))

Isn't it laughable? I know a couple of drooling, raving libs in Austin who donated, between them, $40K (forty kay!) just to the Media fund.

Now, I donated a lousy $200 to the Swiftboats. I love this story--I get to laugh every time I tell it...Look who got their money's worth!

'Cause the mega-donations of liberals go where we would expect them to go. They buy entertainment for concubines, private jet rides, and the cash just gets snorted up some Ivy League gangster's nose!

8 posted on 11/20/2005 12:32:27 PM PST by Mamzelle (.)
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To: summer

Mainly because the article is just a rather lame, whiny attack on the Republicans. The "middle" this guy represents is really the Democrat mainstream, which appears to be increasingly unwilling to associate itself with the name "Democrat", much less the "L" word.


9 posted on 11/20/2005 12:34:21 PM PST by dr_who_2
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To: summer
If that graphic is true (the one with Republican "power") Why can't we get anything past. Why can the Dems hold us up on everything we try. This Iraq thing that happened in the house a few days ago was the first sign of a back bone for Republicans that I have seen in ages.
10 posted on 11/20/2005 12:36:35 PM PST by fish hawk (I am only one, but I am not the only one.)
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To: Mamzelle
Isn't it laughable? I know a couple of drooling, raving libs in Austin who donated, between them, $40K (forty kay!) just to the Media fund. Now, I donated a lousy $200 to the Swiftboats. I love this story--I get to laugh every time I tell it...Look who got their money's worth!

I love your story too.
11 posted on 11/20/2005 12:40:26 PM PST by Mount Athos
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To: fish hawk
If that graphic is true (the one with Republican "power") Why can't we get anything past. Why can the Dems hold us up on everything we try.

Ahhh elementary my dear Fish Hawk. Its because the party sold their testicles for power

12 posted on 11/20/2005 12:44:15 PM PST by Bommer (To Ted Kennedy - "Fat Drunk and Stupid is no way to go through life son!" - Dean Wormer)
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To: Bommer

Hey! I read lips (profile page) LOL


13 posted on 11/20/2005 12:50:08 PM PST by fish hawk (I am only one, but I am not the only one.)
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To: summer
Two guys whining that they don't like the Republicans in charge, how new from the NYT... Yaawwwn.
14 posted on 11/20/2005 12:52:37 PM PST by RJL
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To: summer
That is, perhaps, one of the longest whines I've ever read.

A brief summary follows:

Waaaaahhhhh, mommy! They're doing what we used to do!
Wahhhhhhhhh!

15 posted on 11/20/2005 12:54:02 PM PST by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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To: fish hawk
"Why can the Dems hold us up on everything we try. This Iraq thing that happened in the house a few days ago was the first sign of a back bone for Republicans that I have seen in ages."

In children's literature, popularized for adults by Eddie Murphy, the little dog has to bark, bark, bark...but the really BIG dog doesn't have to say anything at all...he just does what he wants.

That Iraq vote was the big dog doing what he wanted. The rest is all yipping by Democratic Party little dogs.

16 posted on 11/20/2005 12:58:14 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: Bommer
"If that graphic is true (the one with Republican "power") Why can't we get anything past. Why can the Dems hold us up on everything we try. Ahhh elementary my dear Fish Hawk. Its because the party sold their testicles for power"

And this is what that power has achieved:

Presidency of George W. Bush -- the first 48 months

 


President Bush signing a federal ban on Partial Birth Abortion

Banned Partial Birth Abortion

Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy

Stopped foreign aid that would be used to fund abortions.

Supported and upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals

Signed E.O. reversing Clinton's policy of not requiring parental consent for abortions under the Medical Privacy Act

Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty

Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court

Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California

Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules that would have shut down some home business in America


First Missile is Installed For NMD on July 23, 2004

Killed the U.S. - CCCP ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses


Built ten ABM silos in Alaska and California so that America has a defense against North Korean nukes

Killed the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty so that the U.S. can once again test our nuclear weapons

The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act (less romantically known as H.R. 5382) ultimately allows average Americans to hitch a ride on a civilian space craft at their own risk. The federal ban on such citizen travel was repealed by HR 5382 in 2004. The President signed that bill into law two days before Christmas.

President Bush pledged to Israel on 4/14/2004 that it could keep parts of the West Bank, giving international legitimacy to Jewish settlements there

Denied Palestinian refugees any right of return to what is now Israel, saying they should be resettled in a future Palestinian state instead

Part of coalition (Russia, Israel, EU, Palestine, USA) for Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace"

Pushed through THREE raises for our military

Increased Defense Dept funding which had deteriorated during the previous 8 years

President Bush's Grand Strategy (click here)

President Bush's Environmental Record - 2004 (click here)

Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit

Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers

Ordered Attorney-General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, NOT a leftist-imagined *collective* right


Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control (i.e. the International Ban on Small Arms Trafficking Treaty)

Signed the 2004 Omnibus Budget 1/26/2004 that now MANDATES that gun buyers' background check information be fully and permanently destroyed within 24 hours of the completion of the check, no matter what.

Repealed Gun Controls Against Active, Retired, and Off-Duty Law Enforcement Personnel Carrying Weapons Into Local and State Prohibited Zones (7/28/2004)

Enacted powerful tort reform legislation that moves many class action lawsuits from state to federal courts. Requires federal courts to hear cases where the amount of the dispute is more than $5 million, and when the defendant and any of the plaintiffs live in different states.


Disarmed Libya of its Chemical, Nuclear, and biological WMD's without bribes or bloodshed

Won an agreement that U.S. Navy sailors may now freely board thousands of commercial ships in international waters to search for weapons of mass destruction under a landmark pact between the United States and Liberia, the world's No. 2 shipping registry (signed Feb 11, 2004), and Panama 5/10/2004 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/11/international/americas/11ship.html).

Approves The First U.S. Counter-Intel Plan

Successfully executed 2 wars and rebuilt 2 nations: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50+ million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom...epitomized by their own free and democratic elections.

Provided Billions in aid, machines, and manpower to tsunami victims.

 

Executed a WAR ON TERROR by getting world-wide cooperation to track funds/terrorists (has cut off much of the terrorist's funding and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network)

Bush Administration diplomacy led to the 5/25/2004 peace accord that ended a massive 20-year civil war between Sudan's Islamic north and Christian south after two million deaths Click Here

  Delivered vital emergency aid to millions of survivors on multiple continents (e.g. Africa, SE Asia) of a devastating Tsunami caused by a 9.1 earthquake near Sumatra.

Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed

Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.

Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia

Initiated comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE was critical.
Created NATO's Rapid Response Force

Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the Presidency

Reorganized bureaucracy...after 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency: the Department of Homeland Security.

Initiated discussion on privatizing Social Security and individual investment accounts.

Improving govt. efficiency with .8 million jobs put up for bid...weakening unions and cutting undeserved pay raises. Wants merit based promotions/raises only.

Orchestrated Republican control of the White House, the House AND the Senate.

Killed the liberal ABA's role in vetting federal judges for Congress.

GWB signed an executive order enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision (re: union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes)

Turned around an inherited economy that was in recession.

Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.

Signed 2 income tax cuts ---- 1 of which was the largest Dollar-value tax cut in world history

Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains

In process of eliminating IRS marriage penalty.

Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people

Eliminated the Estate Tax (AKA "Death Tax") that was taking small farms and businesses from families


Signed into law the No Child Left Behind legislation delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations)

Reorganized the INS in an attempt to safeguard the borders and ports of America and to eliminate bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.

Signed trade promotion authority

Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men and women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa

Passed Medicare Reform (authorized $39.5 Billion per year for preventive medicine such as drugs and doctor visits as well as included a ten year Privatization option)

Urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits

Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims


Submitted comprehensive Energy Plan--awaits Congressional action (works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.)

Endorses and promotes The Responsibility Era ("In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else -- to one in which every single American understands that he or she are responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself. " -----this quote was too good to leave out)

Started the USA Freedom Corps

Initiated review of all federal agencies with a goal to eliminate federal jobs (completed September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of federal gov while increasing private sector jobs.

Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become The League of Nations ( in other words, completely irrelevant)

Nominated strong, conservative judges to the judiciary.


President Bush opened up an additional part of Alaska for domestic oil drilling. In 2004, the National Petroleum Reserve, an area west of the existing Prudhoe Bay field, was approved for new energy exploration and production.

Increased U.S. Oil Drilling Permits 70% Above Clinton-era

Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary clean-up of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.

As part of the national forests clean-up, the President restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges) and removed the need for an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.
New Forest Rules Gives States Power Over Federal Forests Inside Their Borders
Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

President Bush signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal Aliens
S. 1685, the Basic Pilot Extension Act of 2003, was signed by President Bush on December 3, 2003.
It extends for five years the workplace employment eligibility authorization pilot programs created in 1996. It expands the pilot programs from the original five states to all 50 states.


U.S. Forces In Baghdad


2nd Term Supplimental (incomplete)


Broke the Chinese Yuan to Dollar currency peg

CAFTA - President Bush signing CAFTA

Bolton to the UN

Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the second group of eight ABM silos in Alaska and California so that America has a land-based defense (in addition to our sea-based SM-3 and AEGIS systems) of 18 ABM's against North Korean nukes (note: China itself currently only has 24 -out of several hundred- nuclear ICBM's capable of reaching the U.S.)

Energy Bill (new tax cuts...after 5 years of opposition)

Immunity For Gun Manufacturers From Crime-Related Lawsuits

5% unemployment
3.4% annual (after inflation, 5.5% actual) reported GDP Growth

Syrian Troops forced to withdraw from Lebanon

Russians Troops Peacefully Withdraw From Georgia

Brought North Korea to the Negotiating Table and won their agreement to dismantle their Nuclear Weapons Program

Chief Justice John Roberts

Dramatically improved U.S.-India relations via a breakthrough nuclear agreement

Signed Bankruptcy Reform Into Law

Waived Make-Work Enviro Studies For New Oil Drilling

Full Immunity From Frivolous Lawsuits For Our Domestic Gun Industry
Click Here

Fed Chairman Bernanke

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1518385/posts
Iraqi's Thank America (Wow, this is moving!)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1518877/posts
Iraqi Kurds thank the United States for liberation in New T.V ads (From MoveAmericaForward)

17 posted on 11/20/2005 1:00:28 PM PST by Southack (Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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To: summer
I love the meaningless graphic, no explanation of any kind on what statistics the graphic is based on.
I too can draw two circles and label them any way I want.

Their whining about money is bogus too. Democrats have been very competitive in raising money and for many years the average Republican campaign donation has been smaller that the average Dem donation. The Dems are owned by the wealthy, not the other way around.
18 posted on 11/20/2005 1:02:49 PM PST by RJL
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To: summer
Consider a G.O.P. tactic that has come to be called "catch and release." After the leadership has assured itself that a controversial bill will pass, moderate Republicans are released to cast highly publicized votes of "conscience."

The Times is always eager to make out the Republicans as tricky inventors of dishonest political ploys. What they call "catch and release" is as old as parliamentary politics and has been standard in American politics since the founding.

It has always been accepted policies to let RINOs vote so as to please their constituents, unless their votes are absolutely needed. Then the leadership quietly tells the required number or RINOs to get on board. Since they don't usually need all of them, they allow them to take turns, according to their constituent needs.

The only thing that's new, contrary to the Gray Lady, is that folks like Lincoln Chaffee and, increasingly, other RINOs are no longer playing the accepted game. Several times in recent years they have shot down important Republican bills or helped the Democrats block them.

19 posted on 11/20/2005 1:11:36 PM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: summer

Are the Republicans really that brilliant? News to me.


20 posted on 11/20/2005 1:16:48 PM PST by Clintonfatigued (Sam Alito Deserves To Be Confirmed)
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