Comments on: The Eroding GOP Base http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/ Exposing the ugly truths about the Bush Administration. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:10:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1.3 by: The Mahablog » Shattered http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-365596 Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:53:51 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-365596 [...] A couple of weeks ago Paul Krugman wrote that the Republican Party is not getting the big donations from Big Corporations that it has in the past. Krugman wrote, According to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics, in the current election cycle every one of the top 10 industries making political donations is giving more money to Democrats. Even industries that have in the past been overwhelmingly Republican, like insurance and pharmaceuticals, are now splitting their donations more or less evenly. Oil and gas is the only major industry that the G.O.P. can still call its own. [...] […] A couple of weeks ago Paul Krugman wrote that the Republican Party is not getting the big donations from Big Corporations that it has in the past. Krugman wrote, According to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics, in the current election cycle every one of the top 10 industries making political donations is giving more money to Democrats. Even industries that have in the past been overwhelmingly Republican, like insurance and pharmaceuticals, are now splitting their donations more or less evenly. Oil and gas is the only major industry that the G.O.P. can still call its own. […]

]]> by: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-336285 Sun, 21 Oct 2007 01:39:47 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-336285 Doug -- that's fine, but that's not even close to what Huckabee is proposing. He's bought into something like Neil Boortz's "fair tax" nonsense.For information, "<a href="http://www.mises.org/story/1975" rel="nofollow">There Is No Such Thing as a Fair Tax</a>" "<a href="http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2007/08/the-deceptive-p.html" rel="nofollow">The Deceptive Presentation of the FairTax Proposal</a>" "<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/06/pf/taxes/consumptiontax_0510/" rel="nofollow">Just how fair is the 'FairTax'?</a>" "<a href="http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/oct/01/na-fairtax-is-pure-fantasy/?news-opinion-commentary" rel="nofollow">FairTax Is Pure Fantasy</a>" <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R7BOV3A3ZPR2F/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm/"> review of the FairTax book</a> Doug — that’s fine, but that’s not even close to what Huckabee is proposing. He’s bought into something like Neil Boortz’s “fair tax” nonsense.For information,

“There Is No Such Thing as a Fair Tax”

“The Deceptive Presentation of the FairTax Proposal”

“Just how fair is the ‘FairTax’?”

“FairTax Is Pure Fantasy”

review of the FairTax book

]]> by: Doug Hughes http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-335377 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:42:17 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-335377 Barbara, I have always wanted to run some numbers on a consumption tax. As I see it, a deduction card could be issued which would exempt a consumer/family from tax on food/essentials up to a dollar amount they would be qualified for based on their income/family size. Business in America has gotten a free ride on taxes because THEY can write &#38; rewrite the tax code to suit their situation. Under a consumption tax, they would all have to kick in, and it's about time. Untangling the tax laws will be all but impossible, and Dems are as susceptable to campaingn bribery as Republicans. I am NOT a fan of Huckabee, but that does not make a consumption tax a bad idea. Barbara, I have always wanted to run some numbers on a consumption tax. As I see it, a deduction card could be issued which would exempt a consumer/family from tax on food/essentials up to a dollar amount they would be qualified for based on their income/family size.

Business in America has gotten a free ride on taxes because THEY can write & rewrite the tax code to suit their situation. Under a consumption tax, they would all have to kick in, and it’s about time. Untangling the tax laws will be all but impossible, and Dems are as susceptable to campaingn bribery as Republicans.

I am NOT a fan of Huckabee, but that does not make a consumption tax a bad idea.

]]> by: Raenelle http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334346 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 14:47:50 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334346 I heard someone speculate that the reason Huckabee isn't doing all that well is that he is consciously running a campaign sans rage. He's supposed to have said something to the effect that, if you want a hater, it's not me. So, the speculation goes, while Huckabee might match the "values" crowd value for value, he doesn't match their mood, or he doesn't feed their sense of victimization. The "values" voters are less about what they're for, and more about what they're against, and Huckabee doesn't satisfy that. I heard someone speculate that the reason Huckabee isn’t doing all that well is that he is consciously running a campaign sans rage. He’s supposed to have said something to the effect that, if you want a hater, it’s not me. So, the speculation goes, while Huckabee might match the “values” crowd value for value, he doesn’t match their mood, or he doesn’t feed their sense of victimization. The “values” voters are less about what they’re for, and more about what they’re against, and Huckabee doesn’t satisfy that.

]]> by: c u n d gulag http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334263 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:25:02 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334263 I don't think I need to tell you what's been trickled-down on me... I don’t think I need to tell you what’s been trickled-down on me…

]]> by: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334255 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 13:11:38 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334255 Mel-anon -- Huckabee's tax plan doesn't seem all that "moderate" to me. His <a href="http://www.mikehuckabee.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Issues.View&#38;Issue_id=5" rel="nofollow">web site</a> says "I am running to completely eliminate all federal income and payroll taxes. And do I mean all - personal federal, corporate federal, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, self-employment." He wants a national consumption tax -- yeah, I can see why business would run away from him, screaming. The "Fair Tax" scheme is more nonsense from the same ideological idiots who still believe in "trickle down" economics. Mel-anon — Huckabee’s tax plan doesn’t seem all that “moderate” to me. His web site says “I am running to completely eliminate all federal income and payroll taxes. And do I mean all - personal federal, corporate federal, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, self-employment.” He wants a national consumption tax — yeah, I can see why business would run away from him, screaming. The “Fair Tax” scheme is more nonsense from the same ideological idiots who still believe in “trickle down” economics.

]]> by: c u n d gulag http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334240 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:49:30 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334240 Republican's of every (prison) stripe are starting to realize that their coalition of the gullible, stupid, mentally unbalanced, unempathetic, incompetent, and violent is unraveling like a cheap, Chinese-made suit. And the unholy alliance of the "holy" is getting a reality check. The Religious Right (RR) is finally waking up and smelling the BS. Good. They've been wallowing in it for decades and flinging it at the rest of us when we try to speak some truth to them and the rest of the country. How does the medicine taste, boy's? I just wish I had some poo to fling at you. But you know what? I don't need to. I can stay above the fray. You'll fling enough of it yourselves - enough to fertilize this once great nation with the decayed fecal matter that were once your "idea's." That said, don't discount these evil, hateful bastard's for one second. They may yet find some new unbuggering Fallwell, who isn't on meth, to lead them out of the new wasteland. The RR needs a new RR (Ronald Reagan). Republican’s of every (prison) stripe are starting to realize that their coalition of the gullible, stupid, mentally unbalanced, unempathetic, incompetent, and violent is unraveling like a cheap, Chinese-made suit.

And the unholy alliance of the “holy” is getting a reality check. The Religious Right (RR) is finally waking up and smelling the BS. Good. They’ve been wallowing in it for decades and flinging it at the rest of us when we try to speak some truth to them and the rest of the country.

How does the medicine taste, boy’s?

I just wish I had some poo to fling at you.
But you know what? I don’t need to. I can stay above the fray. You’ll fling enough of it yourselves - enough to fertilize this once great nation with the decayed fecal matter that were once your “idea’s.”

That said, don’t discount these evil, hateful bastard’s for one second. They may yet find some new unbuggering Fallwell, who isn’t on meth, to lead them out of the new wasteland.

The RR needs a new RR (Ronald Reagan).

]]> by: mel-anon http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334212 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:39:26 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334212 Huckabee is considered too much of a fiscal moderate to get the financial backing of the business wing of the Party, of which all the big Christian right groups are auxiliary members. Republican Jesus doesn't like taxes, either. Huckabee is considered too much of a fiscal moderate to get the financial backing of the business wing of the Party, of which all the big Christian right groups are auxiliary members. Republican Jesus doesn’t like taxes, either.

]]> by: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334206 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:34:22 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334206 <i>Huckabee would be the best choice for the RR, but he is unelectable and therefore, they won’t back him. </i> What makes somebody "electable"? What made Dubya "electable"? He became "electable" because various moneyed, influential factions decided, sometime in the late 1990s, to make him "electable." So they started a buzz campaign to build him up and sell him to the public as some kind of moderate, reasonable, not-crazy conservative. Which of course is several light years away from who he actually is, but never mind. The conservative Powers That Be decided he was their guy, so they put their money and influence behind marketing him. The point being that if the same people put their money and influence behind Huckabee, he'd be "electable" tomorrow. Huckabee would be the best choice for the RR, but he is unelectable and therefore, they won’t back him.

What makes somebody “electable”? What made Dubya “electable”? He became “electable” because various moneyed, influential factions decided, sometime in the late 1990s, to make him “electable.” So they started a buzz campaign to build him up and sell him to the public as some kind of moderate, reasonable, not-crazy conservative. Which of course is several light years away from who he actually is, but never mind. The conservative Powers That Be decided he was their guy, so they put their money and influence behind marketing him.

The point being that if the same people put their money and influence behind Huckabee, he’d be “electable” tomorrow.

]]> by: Bucky Blue http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334079 Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:12:01 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2007/10/19/the-eroding-gop-base/#comment-334079 Huckabee would be the best choice for the RR, but he is unelectable and therefore, they won't back him. Which tells you where there 'values' of the values voters really are. I suspect that the line between the conservative protestants and conservative catholics has all but been erased and the RR would have loved to seen Brownback get some momentum so they could back him. The simple fact is that anyone who (whom?) the RR like is anethama to the rest of the country and could not get elected. It's as if Marxist/Communists made up a large portion of the Dem. party. How do you nominate someone Lenin and Trotsky would like and not alienate the rest of America? Huckabee would be the best choice for the RR, but he is unelectable and therefore, they won’t back him. Which tells you where there ‘values’ of the values voters really are. I suspect that the line between the conservative protestants and conservative catholics has all but been erased and the RR would have loved to seen Brownback get some momentum so they could back him. The simple fact is that anyone who (whom?) the RR like is anethama to the rest of the country and could not get elected. It’s as if Marxist/Communists made up a large portion of the Dem. party. How do you nominate someone Lenin and Trotsky would like and not alienate the rest of America?

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