Angela

“McCain has made a big issue of patriotism and “Country First” and then he selects a vp choice who knows little of foreign policy or national security and instead once belonged to Alaska Independence Party whose slogan is “Alaska First.”

Will the press please ask McCain if this is how he defines patriotism and putting “Country First” by selecting someone who even recently, as governor, willingly addressed a fringe group advocating secession?”

1.) Whites –
2.) Social conservatives
3.) Fiscal conservatives
4.) Southerners/Westerners
5.) The Rich
6.) Religious voters
7.) Small town/ Rural Voters

The problem with this coalition is that these people have vastly different
Expectations of the role of government, and in this increasingly diverse country,
this particular grouping can't continue to deliver electoral victories.

1.) Whites – By 2042 (http://www.nypost.com/seven/08142008/news/natio...)
whites will be in the minority in the United States. They will
still be the largest ethnic group, but no longer above 50%… And the fact that almost half of whites vote Democratic can't be a good sign for the Republicans. If not for the (real or perceived) racism in their party, they could really make gains in the minority communities where many Blacks and Latinos (especially older) are very socially conservative.

2.) Social Conservatives – This is mostly the older Boomers and their parents. As this group ages and dies off, the younger Boomers (born after 1960) and Generation X/Y will become the pivitol voting blocks. This age group trends more liberal in their social philosophy (Exhibit A: Obama Voters) and are less likely to oppose abortion or gay marriage. This group also doesn’t carry the scars of the civil rights movement, which has entrenched many older Boomers on one side or the other.

3.) Fiscal Conservatives – Bill Clinton's economy destroyed the old stereotype of “tax and spend” liberals. Bush's mishandling of the economic policy has plunged the economy into a recession with record deficits. Many attentive Republicans have taken notice and will not vote for more of the same.

4.) Sotherners/Westerners – As Southern/Western states (through migration mostly) have gotten more diverse and urban, voters have tended to vote more Democratic. A few examples are North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, and Nevada. If these traditionally red states are in play, the Republicans are in really big trouble.

5. The Rich/Corporatists – These guys have done really well under Bush, and he really caters to them. The problem is that there aren't enough of them to make a large enough voting block for a return on the political capital he spent courting them. Sure, they donate and provide much needed financing for campaigns, but because of the campaign finance laws they're influence is somewhat checked.

6. Religious people – White Evangelicals are coming to the realization that they are being used by the Republicans for votes and volunteers while receiving nothing legislatively from the people they put in office. The three main things they wanted from Bush when he got into office was:
1.) Legislation concerning prayer/creationism in schools,
2.) A Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage
3.) The overturning of Roe v. Wade (They'll give lip service, but the Republicans will NEVER overturn Roe v. Wade – They'd lose 2/3 of women's vote immediately, and they know it).
None of this has been accomplished, with gay marriage becoming law in some states (not to mention the outing of gay Republican leaders). They also saw the disdain the GOP had for Mike Huckabee, who many felt was one of their own. The message many of them got was “help us win this election and we’ll see you in four years.”

7.) Small town/Rural voters – This is a GOP mainstay, and one of their most loyal voting blocks, but again, they're numbers are small, plus now there is some influx of Latinos into many rural areas. This group too sees that while the GOP are quick to demonize “limousine liberals”, most of the top GOP, NRA, political pundits and religious leaders live that same lifestyle. These people may live in small towns but they aren't stupid.

Starting with Clinton, the Democrats have moved to the middle, while the GOP find themselves staking out the far right positions in this country (hence the Sarah Palin nomination). If the Republicans can't find it in themselves to purge the racists and greedy corporatist outsourcers from their midst, they're going to go the way of the Whigs.

Personally, I'm just gonna quietly sit back with my bowl of Orville Redenbacher's and see what other skeletons come tumbling out.

Angela

“McCain has made a big issue of patriotism and “Country First” and then he selects a vp choice who knows little of foreign policy or national security and instead once belonged to Alaska Independence Party whose slogan is “Alaska First.”

Will the press please ask McCain if this is how he defines patriotism and putting “Country First” by selecting someone who even recently, as governor, willingly addressed a fringe group advocating secession?”

Angela

“McCain has made a big issue of patriotism and “Country First” and then he selects a vp choice who knows little of foreign policy or national security and instead once belonged to Alaska Independence Party whose slogan is “Alaska First.”

Will the press please ask McCain if this is how he defines patriotism and putting “Country First” by selecting someone who even recently, as governor, willingly addressed a fringe group advocating secession?”

1.) Whites –
2.) Social conservatives
3.) Fiscal conservatives
4.) Southerners/Westerners
5.) The Rich
6.) Religious voters
7.) Small town/ Rural Voters

The problem with this coalition is that these people have vastly different
Expectations of the role of government, and in this increasingly diverse country,
this particular grouping can't continue to deliver electoral victories.

1.) Whites – By 2042 (http://www.nypost.com/seven/08142008/news/natio...)
whites will be in the minority in the United States. They will
still be the largest ethnic group, but no longer above 50%… And the fact that almost
half of whites vote Democratic can't be a good sign for the Republicans. If not
for the (real or perceived) racism in their party, they could really make gains in the minority communities where many Blacks and Latinos (especially older) are very socially conservative.

2.) Social Conservatives – This is mostly the older Boomers and their parents. As this group ages and dies off, the younger Boomers (born after 1960) and Generation X/Y will become the pivitol voting blocks. This age group trends more liberal in their social philosophy (Exhibit A: Obama Voters) and are less likely to oppose abortion or gay marriage. This group also doesn’t carry the scars of the civil rights movement, which has entrenched many older Boomers on one side or the other.

3.) Fiscal Conservatives – Bill Clinton's economy destroyed the old stereotype of tax
and spend liberals. Bush's mishandling of the economic policy has plunged the economy into a recession with record deficits. Many attentive Republicans have taken notice and will not vote for more of the same.

4.) Sotherners/Westerners – As Southern/Western states (through migration mostly) have gotten more diverse and urban, voters have tended to vote more Democratic. A few examples are North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, and Nevada. If these traditionally red states are in play, the Republicans are in really big trouble.

5. The Rich/Corporatists – These guys have done really well under Bush, and he really caters to them. The problem is that there aren't enough of them to make a large enough voting block for a return on the political capital he spent courting them. Sure, they donate and provide much needed financing for campaigns, but because of the campaign finance laws they're influence is somewhat checked.

6. Religious people – White Evangelicals are coming to the realization that they are being used by the Republicans for votes and volunteers while receiving nothing legislatively from the people they put in office. The three main things they wanted from Bush when he got into office was:
1.) Legislation concerning prayer/creationism in schools,
2.) A Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage
3.) The overturning of Roe v. Wade.
None of this has been accomplished, with gay marriage becoming law in some states (not to mention the outing of gay Republican leaders). They also saw the disdain the GOP had for Mike Huckabee, who many felt was one of their own. The message many of them got was “help us win this election and we’ll see you in four years.”

7.) Small town/Rural voters – This is a GOP mainstay, and one of their most loyal voting blocks, but again, they're numbers are small, plus now there is some influx of Latinos into many rural areas. This group too sees that while the GOP are quick to demonize “limousine liberals”, most of the top GOP, NRA, political pundits and religious leaders live that same lifestyle. These people may live in small towns but they aren't stupid.

Starting with Clinton, the Democrats have moved to the middle, while the GOP find themselves staking out the far right positions in this country (hence the Sarah Palin nomination). If the Republicans can't find it in themselves to purge the racists and greedy corporatist outsourcers from their midst, they're going to go the way of the Whigs.

1.) Whites –
2.) Social conservatives
3.) Fiscal conservatives
4.) Southerners/Westerners
5.) The Rich
6.) Religious voters
7.) Small town/ Rural Voters

The problem with this coalition is that these people have vastly different
Expectations of the role of government, and in this increasingly diverse country,
this particular grouping can't continue to deliver electoral victories.

1.) Whites – By 2042 (http://www.nypost.com/seven/08142008/news/natio...)
whites will be in the minority in the United States. They will
still be the largest ethnic group, but no longer above 50%… And the fact that almost half of whites vote Democratic can't be a good sign for the Republicans. If not for the (real or perceived) racism in their party, they could really make gains in the minority communities where many Blacks and Latinos (especially older) are very socially conservative.

2.) Social Conservatives – This is mostly the older Boomers and their parents. As this group ages and dies off, the younger Boomers (born after 1960) and Generation X/Y will become the pivitol voting blocks. This age group trends more liberal in their social philosophy (Exhibit A: Obama Voters) and are less likely to oppose abortion or gay marriage. This group also doesn’t carry the scars of the civil rights movement, which has entrenched many older Boomers on one side or the other.

3.) Fiscal Conservatives – Bill Clinton's economy destroyed the old stereotype of “tax and spend” liberals. Bush's mishandling of the economic policy has plunged the economy into a recession with record deficits. Many attentive Republicans have taken notice and will not vote for more of the same.

4.) Sotherners/Westerners – As Southern/Western states (through migration mostly) have gotten more diverse and urban, voters have tended to vote more Democratic. A few examples are North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, and Nevada. If these traditionally red states are in play, the Republicans are in really big trouble.

5. The Rich/Corporatists – These guys have done really well under Bush, and he really caters to them. The problem is that there aren't enough of them to make a large enough voting block for a return on the political capital he spent courting them. Sure, they donate and provide much needed financing for campaigns, but because of the campaign finance laws they're influence is somewhat checked.

6. Religious people – White Evangelicals are coming to the realization that they are being used by the Republicans for votes and volunteers while receiving nothing legislatively from the people they put in office. The three main things they wanted from Bush when he got into office was:
1.) Legislation concerning prayer/creationism in schools,
2.) A Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage
3.) The overturning of Roe v. Wade (They'll give lip service, but the Republicans will NEVER overturn Roe v. Wade – They'd lose 2/3 of women's vote immediately, and they know it).
None of this has been accomplished, with gay marriage becoming law in some states (not to mention the outing of gay Republican leaders). They also saw the disdain the GOP had for Mike Huckabee, who many felt was one of their own. The message many of them got was “help us win this election and we’ll see you in four years.”

7.) Small town/Rural voters – This is a GOP mainstay, and one of their most loyal voting blocks, but again, they're numbers are small, plus now there is some influx of Latinos into many rural areas. This group too sees that while the GOP are quick to demonize “limousine liberals”, most of the top GOP, NRA, political pundits and religious leaders live that same lifestyle. These people may live in small towns but they aren't stupid.

Starting with Clinton, the Democrats have moved to the middle, while the GOP find themselves staking out the far right positions in this country (hence the Sarah Palin nomination). If the Republicans can't find it in themselves to purge the racists and greedy corporatist outsourcers from their midst, they're going to go the way of the Whigs.

Personally, I'm just gonna quietly sit back with my bowl of Orville Redenbacher's and see what other skeletons come tumbling out.

Personally, I'm just gonna quietly sit back with my bowl of Orville Redenbacher's and see what other skeletons come tumbling out.