Do Republicans Just Know How to Play the Game Better

I think the main reasons have been mentioned. In my opinion, it's a combination of:

1. Democrat voters being less inclined to accept at face value what the party feeds them
2. Poor leadership and "discipline" within the party
3. Republicans simply having no place to go but up in the last year

Obama's approval ratings were bound to drop like a stone. We all knew no matter what happened he was going to get dinged up on health care and be retroactively assessed ALL of the blame for Afghanistan. Those two issues were going to kill him from day one. My disspointment in him is that he continually tries to be all things to all people. I thought he was smarter than that and maybe the guy has a plan that I just can't see yet but I don't see any advantage to continually trying to bring people into the fold who are trying to destroy you politically. Obama needs to focus on his base (before he loses it) and make sure the Democrats start playing hardball with those within the party who are on board with the team's agenda.

 

Agreed. As a conservative I have to keep doing a facepalm at what goes on at the top.

 

Democrats lost the independents in this country with all the big changes/spending they are trying to implement.

The change people wanted was with the foreign wars Obama hasn't stopped, not with the domestic economy.

That's it.

 

I was assured by people on this site that it was only going to get worse as the Republican party became nothing but a regional party, representing only Southern white men.

 

Yeah, well all those southern white men go to the polls religiously while everyone else only does it when they are really, really motivated.

I really think a LOT of people in this country truly thought they did all they needed to do by against Republicans out when things went so bad. They're shocked that ousting the Republicans from Congress and electing a Democrat for President didn't magically fix things. And now they are all out of "hope" juice.

I can't count how many first time voters or first time in a long time voters that I met while voting for President last in 2008. It took a really bad situation and really inspiring personality to get them to the voting booth. They won't be back any time soon.

 

like "hope and change?"

 

Sure. That slogan is similar to what Republicans do time and time again. It helped get Obama elected. Unfortunately for him, now that he's in office, the fancy slogans/phrases have ceased and as a result, mouth-breathing Americans are beginning to dislike him because the other side (the right) has catchy slogans that they can relate to (or think they can; again, we're talking mouth-breathers here).

I'm sure you believe Obama's catchy slogan was BS, just as we believe a lot of the Republican phrases/slogans (death panels, etc.) are BS, too. Politics, as a whole, are BS.

 

I disagree that "we all knew". Realists did, but a lot of Dems (including many here) did not. This is why there is so much disillusionment among Dems and liberals. But being caught off guard by the sheer savageness of the health care battle and (IMO) ignoring the downsides in Afghanistan is their own fault. I still maintain that Afghanistan, almost by itself, can bring down Obama's administration and make him unelectable in 2012. I'm willing to bet more people will agree with this now than last July/August.

Things can swing a lot both ways between now and November 2010 & 2012. Health care will be behind us shortly. The economy, Afghanistan (Iraq, Yemen, Pakistan) and Haiti will loom very large in coming months and we have no idea how each of these will affect Obama in the next election. So much is still variable.

 

It would be nice if more people would see the bigger picture like yourself.

 

I certainly don't fancy the republicans, but I actually like the tea party movement. When Americans get out and support their cause, that is ALWAYS a good thing. Unfortunately many form their morals and beliefs the opposite way we should. I watch Fox/CNN, i voted republican/democrat, so therefore I must be a conservative/liberal and i must believe the party lines values. We shouldn't use Fox and CNN as a gauge to define party lines.

 

Won't matter anyways...

 

It's always great when people become active about things they believe in. It isn't always good when they are activists regarding things that are pure fiction, and they believe are real.

 

No. Of course not. Of the things Obama campaigned on, the economy was only one thing. People cannot point to anything Obama put into motion that has made things better, and people are still out of work in massive numbers.

What Obama has done with the troops (still in Iraq and Gitmo is still open) are in direct conflict with what Obama promised on the campaign trail.

As an aside, Obama also said that a rollback of some of the bankruptcy reforms was a top priority. When it came time for Congress to take action, the White House was silent and the bill died.

The perception is that he has failed to produce on many of his campaign promises. Not a good perception to have.

 

Your response is the exact point I was making. The Tea Party Movement was against big government, more taxes, Obama and the stimulus package. In your mind, you've associated exaggerated topics such as death panels to conservatives, so therefore, all conservatives believe in these "lies".

 

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As a conservative/independent I would say I was quite intrigued with Obama's message when he was campaigning. Most important to me was that the US was suppose to stop being the world's police and would start treating other countries more diplomatically. Bush did this country no favors with his foreign policy, ridiculous war/deficit spending and violations of people's personal freedoms. In my mind, those were the things I was hoping Obama would seek to 'change.'

 

In a word. . . YES!
The Democrats are a bunch of whiney spineless P*ssies!
The so busy trying to seem to be the 'better party' that they would
rather 'lose on principle . .than simply WIN!

Republicans win. ..they push their agenda
and all the demos do is b*tch about it

Reminds me of a Scene from Pirates of Silicon Valley

Steve Jobs: We're better than you
Bill Gates: HA! . . .it doesn't matter!

Rocket River

 

In Massachusetts?