WSJ Front Page: GOP Is Losing Grip On Core Business Vote-- 'The Party Left Me'

[TexasLawyer]

GOP Is Losing Grip
On Core Business Vote

Deficit Hawks Defect
As Social Issues Prevail;

'The Party Left Me'

By JACKIE CALMES
October 2, 2007; Page A1

WASHINGTON -- The Republican Party, known since the late 19th century as the party of business, is losing its lock on that title. New evidence suggests a potentially historic shift in the Republican Party's identity -- what strategists call its "brand." The votes of many disgruntled fiscal conservatives and other lapsed Republicans are now up for grabs, which could alter U.S. politics in the 2008 elections and beyond.

Some business leaders are drifting away from the party because of the war in Iraq, the growing federal debt and a conservative social agenda they don't share. In manufacturing sectors such as the auto industry, some Republicans want direct government help with soaring health-care costs, which Republicans in Washington have been reluctant to provide. And some business people want more government action on global warming, arguing that a bolder plan is not only inevitable, but could spur new industries.

Already, economic conservatives who favor balanced federal budgets have become a much smaller part of the party's base. That's partly because other groups, especially social conservatives, have grown more dominant. But it's also the result of defections by other fiscal conservatives angered by the growth of government spending during the six years that Republicans controlled both the White House and Congress.

The most prominent sign of dissatisfaction has come from former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, long a pillar of Republican Party economic thinking. He blasted the party's fiscal record in a new book. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, he said: "The Republican Party, which ruled the House, the Senate and the presidency, I no longer recognize."

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119127620102645595.html?mod=todays_us_nonsub_page_one

[whoneedstickets]

1. Hillary and the DLC (pro-business democrats), stand to gain from this..

..the problem will be whether our coalition can hold together with the growth of this segment.

[lvx35]

9. I think its good news.

The fact is that healthy workers are going to better than sick ones, and investments in things like are education and environment mean long term economic stability and growth for business. 99% of the business world doesn't identify with the folks getting no bid contracts to provide services in a war they are themselves perpetuating. The writing is on the wall here, and things are going to change.

[tblue]

2. Alan Greenspan can suck my toe. But this is good news. I'm glad not all rich Republics are idiots

[Hardrada]

3. They will go with Hillary since she is one of them.

[Froward69]

4. YUP sad but true.

[Forkboy]

5. And the hits keep comin'!

:bounce:

[Hekate]

6. KnR. Well, well, well. Guess who woke up and smelled the coffee...

Crippling federal deficits will do that to any true fiscal conservative.

Also, I've been wondering when the auto industry would start leaning on the Bush administration to chip in for workers' health care -- it looks like they've done so and Bushco is just too damned stupid to help out.

Hekate

[Raksha]

7. I've always believed that when the business community

finally decides it can no longer continue subsidizing our insanely expensive and inadequate health care system, THAT is when we'll finally see a universal single-payer health care system. And it looks like that day is rapidly approaching.

[TexasLawyer]

10. I hope that's right

There's business, but then there's BUSINESS, as in Bush's base-- big oil and military contractors-- who are making fortunes off the war.

[Hardrada]

14. I miss Molly Ivins talking about the "oil BIDNESS."

[DeepModem Mom]

8. K&R -- and questioning if an article like this will be possible after Murdoch takes control at WSJ.

n/t

[Johonny]

11. I think this was always the #1 question

When would every other industry accept the insurance company realize the business advantage to single payer state run health insurance? The dollar is weak, 1/6 of the nation has no health care, health care and energy costs are soaring, the stock market remains below expected levels and the war is boosting non-essential, non-sustainable industry at the expense of American infrastructure. Yeah I'd say Republicans are simple bad for the long term economic health of the country, unless your one of the very few Robber Barons that make it. But I guess every would be CEO thinks he's going to be one of the lucky few...

[Mountainman]

12. Because this is happening, it is a definite sign that we need to take a hard turn to the left

to capture the presidency!:sarcasm:

[kenny blankenship]

13. What a liar! You may say you don't recognize them, but I fucking DO!

I'd know this corrupt, spendthrift, warmongering, religiously fascist, sexually freaky but morally hypocritical "grand old" party anywhere along the line, from the days of Reagan 'til next week. THEY HAVEN'T CHANGED A BIT. They're simply more openly like what they've always been.



Greenspan is a fucking liar. He knows the Republicans have mortally disgraced themselves, and he knows it happened because America finally got a good look at Republicans and their Republican principles in power without any check from Democrats.