ERIC CANTOR *LOSES* PRIMARY!!!

[bedstuy]

I think there are two lessons here:

1.  Republicans need to repudiate immigration reform completely and double down on white fears about brown people.  This means Rubio and Jeb Bush are not good 2016 candidates for that and they may lose for that reason.  The Republican Party is moving towards a populist message of blaming our problems on non-WASPs.  

2.  You can't just have crazy policies, you need to show that you're crazy.  You can't just talk about how Obama is a member of Al Qaeda, you need to be drenched in flopsweat and hoot and holler like baboon in heat.  You need to seem like a dumb, angry redneck with no respect for anyone and no real social graces.  

[bedstuy]

I think there are two lessons here:

1.  Republicans need to repudiate immigration reform completely and double down on white fears about brown people.  This means Rubio and Jeb Bush are not good 2016 candidates for that and they may lose for that reason.  The Republican Party is moving towards a populist message of blaming our problems on non-WASPs.  

2.  You can't just have crazy policies, you need to show that you're crazy.  You can't just talk about how Obama is a member of Al Qaeda, you need to be drenched in flopsweat and hoot and holler like baboon in heat.  You need to seem like a dumb, angry redneck with no respect for anyone and no real social graces.  

You'll look back at this in horror when it actually happens.

If you don't like racism and emotional, illogical rhetoric aimed at the lowest common denominator, why are you a Republican?

[bedstuy]

Some of these comments make me laugh. Yes, how dare someone run against a Jewish Republican, as if that was the main issue of the campaign.

As a Jew, to me the greater issue is, how dare a Jewish man serve in the Republican leadership in the first place.  The Republicans in Congress are so far from Jewish values that I don't understand how any Jewish person would support them, much less lead their party in the House.

[bedstuy]

More coded anti-Semitic rhetoric from Brat:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/05/14/

This guy must really know his religion.  Remember when David fought the Roman Empire?  I think that was in the book of Robert Zemeckis where David used a modified Delorian to go into the future and help the Jews fight Rome.

[bedstuy]

You have day to day discussions with people. At school, work, in your home, friends, family. The consensus, even among Obama voters (many of whom have buyers remorse for the second term) they all can agree that they want Obamacare gone, or they hate the IRS, or Government spending is out of control, ect ect. However, there is a sense that no matter who wins the White House or Congress...nothing changes.

Yes, I heard a lot about this supposed buyers' remorse from Obama voters that was supposed to manifest in 2012. How did that turn out again?

For what it's worth, many people simply voted for Obama over Romney because they personally liked Obama more, which trumped their view that Romney was more aligned with their views on the issues. People wanted the candidate who they felt cared about them.

So, there wasn't necessarily buyers' remorse, but it seems that there were more complex undercurrents to why Obama defeated Romney, and why the President's support has weakened after his re-election.

I think a clear majority of people agree with Democrats on economic policy like taxes, healthcare and education.  I don't think it's even close.  Democrats have always had an advantage there and it's not really changing except in terms of Republicans getting more doctrinaire in their beliefs.

The big divide is on social issues and social-class/race issues.  Republicans basically use those issues to manipulate the lower/middle class into scapegoating people and getting worked up about nothing. 

[bedstuy]

I think a clear majority of people agree with Democrats on economic policy like taxes, healthcare and education.  I don't think it's even close. 

What are you basing this belief on?

From a WaPo poll last month:

Minimum wage
Trust Dems more: 49%
Trust GOP more: 34%

Health care
Dems: 43%
GOP: 35%

Economy
Dems: 41%
GOP: 38%

Helping middle class
Dems: 52%
GOP: 32%

Not that I buy 100% into this poll, its just one of the more recent ones.

That's not the right polling question for my point because it's based on party and not ideology.  I think if you asked straight up ideological questions, Democratic positions would poll even better.

Here's a poll on taxes:  People support the Democratic position on taxes 2:1. 

Here's a poll that said that 67% of people believe in global warming.

Here's a poll that shows people support Democratic spending priorities by a huge margin.

[bedstuy]

Some of these comments make me laugh. Yes, how dare someone run against a Jewish Republican, as if that was the main issue of the campaign.

As a Jew, to me the greater issue is, how dare a Jewish man serve in the Republican leadership in the first place.  The Republicans in Congress are so far from Jewish values that I don't understand how any Jewish person would support them, much less lead their party in the House.

This is grossly offensive, to try and say that someone of a certain religion can not serve in any leadership he damn well pleases.  Shame on you.

I did not say he can't serve on Republican leadership in the House.  I said he's not living up to Jewish values and he's an embarrassment to Jewish people.  I think as Jewish people we have certain responsibilities to make this world a better place, specifically to help poor people, focus on education and practice kindness.