A Wake-Up Call for the G.O.P.

[elleng]

from Mark Sanford, a Republican representative from South Carolina.

'My South Carolina district hadn’t voted for a Democrat in 40 years. What happened?

In sports, the team that loses is the team that studies the game-day tapes the hardest. In the military, it’s called an after-action review. Businesses that don’t examine loss die.

But somehow in politics, it’s different. Too often, political figures simply blame the other side — or at least someone besides themselves.

I know this firsthand. In June, after winning three straight elections to the House of Representatives from South Carolina, I lost my primary race to Katie Arrington, who in turn lost last week’s general election to Joe Cunningham, a Democrat. After the general election, Ms. Arrington immediately blamed me for her loss because I did not endorse her.

While it’s human nature to blame someone, what happened here is far bigger than any postelection spin, given that it has been more than 40 years since a Democrat has held this seat, which runs along South Carolina’s coast and leans Republican by 10 points. In fact, there was not a more conservative district in the country to flip to the Democrats.

For this reason, I think the race offers a chance for conservative soul-searching. . .

But three things made this race different — things that could prove instructive for Republicans, if we choose to look at them. . .

One, the environment matters to voters. As a party, we have somehow forgotten that conservatism should apply to more than just financial resources. Being conservative should entail being conservative with natural resources, too. . .

As Republicans, we’ve drifted from our roots. The party, in fact, has a remarkable legacy on conservation and the environment — and this race suggests we should recommit ourselves to it.

Two, financial irresponsibility proved a drag. Even in a hyperpartisan world, you still need reasons for traditional conservatives like myself to show up. It’s got to be more than the blue team is bad.

One of the underpinnings of the Republican Party has long been financial responsibility, but here, again, the party has drifted. The president has done very little to trim the size of the federal government or entitlement spending . . .

Third, civility is important. What happened to Ronald Reagan’s notion of being a happy warrior? Like his policies or not, he was pleasant. He smiled. He joked. He played to optimism rather than fear. He and Tip O’Neill, the Democratic speaker of the House, had a famously strong working relationship despite their political differences.'>>>

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/opinion/a-wake-up-call-for-the-gop.html?

[louis-t]

1. They could start by saying Nazis are bad.

Yes, that would be a good start.

[mr_lebowski]

2. Wow ... let me just state for the record that if all GOPpers seemed as thoughtful as Sanford here

I wouldn't hate them all so freaking much.

That said, MARK, we're really not overspending on 'entitlements' ... which are much more properly called "EARNED BUT DEFERRED BENEFITS". They're actually a freaking pittance is the truth. And that 'spending' is actually wonderful for the economy, pouring capital into a myriad of important sectors.

And 'trimming the size of the Federal Government' is not a worthy end in itself. Trimming WASTE is ... but trimming 'just to trim, on principal'? No, that's not a worthy goal. It's a 'talking point', that's all.

Additionally, Obama 'trimmed' (last I read) around 250,000 government jobs during his term. Did that get the GOPpers to love him? Of course not. Then again, all most of them ever 'heard' ... was the exact opposite, despite the actual statistics and facts. But even if they had the facts, it wouldn't have changed how they felt about him.

Bottom-line, the despicable nature of Trump got damn near every Democrat off the couch and to the polls, but didn't inspire as many Republicans to do the same.

Trumps over-the-top dickishness and overall incompetence in terms of the job at hand ... failed to inspire 'your' voters ... like it did 'ours'.

[lagomorph777]

6. "Entitlement" is a perfectly fine word, corrupted by the GOP.

We earn these things and we are entitled to them. Billionaires are not entitled to steal the benefits that we have earned.

[marble falls]

9. The biggest entitlements go to corporations in defense, big oil, big corn.

[lagomorph777]

11. Those are corporate welfare, not entitlements.

[marble falls]

12. Like I said.

[Cartoonist]

3. Keep sleeping and losing

He still doesn't get it. I didn't read anything there that would turn things around for repubs.

[SCantiGOP]

5. My ex-Governor

He is a decent guy, but he is one of the hardcore libertarians in the GOP who, while slightly better than the racist fascist wing of the party, still represent a significant threat to our liberty and values. He honestly believes that government is the problem and that - except for defense, police and a judicial system - the private sector is better at everything than the government can be.

He is basically in the mold of South Carolinians from the 1850s, but with a 'kinder, gentler' dose of racism. They don't hate black people, they just don't give a shit about anyone who is poor or who has suffered in an unfair society that didn't give them the tools to compete with the aristocratic class that he grew up in. They believe that God established society and put the right people in charge, and we will always need an underclass to serve the rulers, so social programs are a waste of time and in no way an ethical endeavor for a free society.

He spoke of growing up on the family farm when he ran for Governor, he just didn't go out of his way to explain that the 'family farm' was a non-productive several thousand acre ex-Plantation.

He isn't evil like Trump or McConnell, he is just a relic of our old pre-FDR society that needs to be put out to pasture.

[Midnight Writer]

7. What bullshit. Republicans are the party of "Financial responsibility". Reagan-Atwater were civil?

[SunSeeker]

8. Thank you. And don't forget Hoover and Bush sent our economy over the cliff.

The GOP is the party of fiscal IRRESPONSIBILITY.

And liars.

[hatrack]

10. Ah, yes, Reagan "Happy Warrior" crap- two words: Philadelphia, MS