I hate them, but the damn GOP know how to support their base!!!!

[KansasVoter]

I wish we had 10% of the guts and tenancy that they do.

They are idiots and assholes but if you were a GOP supporter you would know they were going to push their agenda, no matter what popular opinion is.

[obxhead]

1. It's worse than that.

They can energize their base to gotv etc while at the exact same time fucking them over completely.

[truebrit71]

12. That's the part that never ceases to amaze me...how they get folks to vote against their own..

...interests is one of the greatest political feats of all time..

[emulatorloo]

13. They are so good at confusing people on the tax issue. "Dems are going to raise your TAXES!!!!"

um, no. Not unless you are a millionaire. And you aren't. You don't even know that Obama cut your taxes.

[galileoreloaded]

15. Actually, it doesn't surprise me at all....

I think if you look hard enough, it really comes down to shared sacrifice and a longer term view.

Not defending, just analyzing what I see.

[kctim]

19. It shouldn't amaze you

YOU know what is in your best interest, THEY don't.
THEY know what is in they're best interest, YOU don't.

Accept that simple fact and it would be neither amazing or great.

[RainDog]

2. sad but true n/t

[frazzled]

3. I think rather their base knows how to support them

Think about the 8 years of the Bush administration and the years of Republican control of Congress. The base, oh so devoted to fiscal responsibility, did not mind that their Republican legislators were "spending like drunken sailors," that Bush rammed through deficit skyrocketing legislation like the tax cuts, the (unpaid for) prescription drug plan, or the war in Iraq.

They swooned when their guy initiated endless new TSA regulations (including, yes, pat downs of an intrusive nature) ... but are up in arms over the TSA now.

The Republican base (despite recent Tea Party inroads) does not criticize its own. It internalized this ever since Reagan made it a leitmotif of the party in the 80s. We do.

[pampango]

9. Mostly agree, but their base does critcize its own during primary season, but then closes ranks

and supports repub candidates in the general election and while in office. If the mainstream repub beats a tea bagger in the primary, the baggers don't go "third party" or "let's sit this one out" on the party. And while the repub is in office (like Bush), indeed they "don't criticize their own".

I'm not sure that most Democrats are willing or able to do the same. And perhaps we shouldn't be but that does limit our ability to have the same effect in our party that the tea baggers have in theirs.

[snot]

4. True, if by "base" you mean billionaires. If you mean people in the lower classes,

then it would be more accurate to say Repubs know how to brainwash them.

[KansasVoter]

10. So only Billionaires are voting for them? Get real!!!

[emulatorloo]

14. The top 2% cant elect any body by themselves. Although they can certainly fund the LIE ADS

Republicans are so good at

- obsfugating the issues
- appealing to the lizard brain (guns gays god)
- and lying.

[peace13]

5. They only support the top percent of their base.

They send the rest to a living *ell. That should be noted.

[DenverDad]

6. It's frightening, really.

A simple case of the evil leading the stupid. They've really tapped into the hatred that fuels their base.

[AnArmyVeteran]

7. They don't support their base, they delude them ...

Right wingers are building gallows, totally unaware they will soon be hung on them.

[NorthCarolina]

8. Democrats honor principle over politics.

Therein lies the difference.

[OHdem10]

16. What principle?????

[JVS]

18. I've seen a lot of dishonoring of principle over the last 10 years

[Individualist]

20. DLC Democrats don't.

They honor "pragmatism" over principle. (Pragmatism: enabling neocons.)

[NorthCarolina]

22. I was referring to Democrats, not DLC New Dems. nt

[Poboy]

23. "Democrats honor principle over politics."

Are you referring to our reps? If so, this is a pathetic joke.

[mmonk]

11. They create it. Their base is manufactured consent.

The Democrats on the other hand it seems, work to fool their base until it doesn't work any more and then they lose through alienation of our base.

[stray cat]

17. Actually they have been dissapointed but are smart enough to vote against dems

[proud2BlibKansan]

21. They aren't supporting their base

They are able to convince their base they are supporting them when in reality they are supporting the billionaires who fund their campaigns. But your average every day next door neighbor who always votes GOP is not supported by the republican party. Not even close.