I think this has been one of the unintentional side effects of computerized district lines. By making the vast majority of congressional districts "safe," moderates of both parties have effectively been eliminated from the House.
At this time, this is far worse for the Republicans, as their far right extremists are more vocal and more radical than those on the left. That could always swing the other way, but for now it has put the GOP out on a limb.
There's a big disconnect between the national party and individual lawmakers. The national party wants to make Hispanic outreach a priority. Yet the House has effectively killed the Senate immigration bill. Go figure ...
The current Tea Party faction of the GOP is like most politicians self serving. They are perfectly willing to cut the throat of the national party to remain popular in their own districts. The majority of the Tea Party congressionalidiots were elected in districts where Obama lost by 23% of the vote. The Affordable Care Act is wildly unpopular in those districts. Due many to the effects of gerrymandering those congressionalidiots are secure in those districts.
Who does the Affordable Care Act help the most? Women and Hispanics who are more likely to be uninsured than your typical white male. Who does the national GOP need to appeal to the most to win national elections? Women and Hispanics. So by shutting down the government and possibly threatening to refuse to raise the debt ceilings over Obama Care these rocket scientists are alienating the very groups the GOP needs to court. Makes sense if you are a lemming.
To be honest, barring a Democratic or economic meltdown, I don't see any Republican getting elected president real soon. By veering so far right, the party has cut its throat with the national electorate, and stunts like the current government shutdown are just making a bad situation worse.
Christie might have the best chance in a general election, but he's most likely too "liberal" to win the GOP nomination.
Rand is probably about as good as any of the rest. He looks and sounds more electable than most of them, and he brings his dad's political machine to the table. Ted Cruz is actually doing Rand a big favor, because by taking the lead as the most extreme right-wing Tea Party senator, he's letting Rand avoid that role.
But I imagine Rand's unconventional ideas would be exposed in a presidential race.
This is very interesting and shows that Rand Paul is quite seriously planning on a run for president. I say this because he is a Libertarian. Libertarians generally feel that laws restricting freedom of any kind are no business of the government. They are anti-drug laws, anti-laws that restrict pornography, prostitution. They believe that the government has no business not only in the bedroom but anywhere else in your house. That he would come out with an anti-gay diatribe means he is courting the conservative Christian flank of the Republican party throwing his Libertarian beliefs out the window to foster his political ambitions. Meanwhile, back in Texas, Ted Cruse has at least gotten most of the rest of the country to forget our idiot governor and instead focused the attention on our idiot senator, namely Ted Cruse. Gosh politics are fun.
Stupid is what the Republicans in Congress are doing. We are watching a major political party committing political suicide right before our eyes, and most of them are too freaking self-absorbed to notice. They are guilty of the same folly as the Romney campaign, except on an even grander scale: They are just listening to their own echo chamber of Fox News, Rush Limbaugh and the Tea Party, and ignoring the 90 percent of Americans who are telling them what a horrific job they're doing.
BTW, Rand is no prize, but he's by no means the worst of that rotten bunch. Start with that slimeball Ted Cruz. Hard to believe that he is such an egomaniac that he actually thinks he could be elected president.
At this time, this is far worse for the Republicans, as their far right extremists are more vocal and more radical than those on the left. That could always swing the other way, but for now it has put the GOP out on a limb.
There's a big disconnect between the national party and individual lawmakers. The national party wants to make Hispanic outreach a priority. Yet the House has effectively killed the Senate immigration bill. Go figure ...
Who does the Affordable Care Act help the most? Women and Hispanics who are more likely to be uninsured than your typical white male. Who does the national GOP need to appeal to the most to win national elections? Women and Hispanics. So by shutting down the government and possibly threatening to refuse to raise the debt ceilings over Obama Care these rocket scientists are alienating the very groups the GOP needs to court. Makes sense if you are a lemming.
Christie might have the best chance in a general election, but he's most likely too "liberal" to win the GOP nomination.
Rand is probably about as good as any of the rest. He looks and sounds more electable than most of them, and he brings his dad's political machine to the table. Ted Cruz is actually doing Rand a big favor, because by taking the lead as the most extreme right-wing Tea Party senator, he's letting Rand avoid that role.
But I imagine Rand's unconventional ideas would be exposed in a presidential race.
BTW, Rand is no prize, but he's by no means the worst of that rotten bunch. Start with that slimeball Ted Cruz. Hard to believe that he is such an egomaniac that he actually thinks he could be elected president.