When a quarterback has been sacked one time too many and begins to make mistakes under pressure commentators sometimes say that he is “hearing footsteps”. So are a number of Democrats after yesterday’s drubbing in Virginia and less-lopsided but devastating loss in New Jersey.
Vulnerable House and Senate Democrats want their leaders to skip the party’s controversial legislative agenda for next year to help save their seats in Congress.
In the run-up to the 2010 midterm elections, they don’t want to be forced to vote on climate change, immigration reform and gays in the military, which they say should be set aside so Congress can focus on jobs and the economy.
“It’s hard; the most important issue in front of us is the economy right now, and that’s where most of us really want to stay focused, the economy and jobs, that’s what our constituency is concerned about,” said Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D), who is facing a tough race next year in Arkansas.
Rep. Bob Etheridge (D), a centrist contemplating a run for Senate in North Carolina, helped Democratic leaders in the summer by voting for climate change legislation on the House floor.
He now wants Democratic leaders to narrow their focus on jobs and the economy.
“Three things ought to be the top priority: jobs, jobs and jobs,” he said.
The White House is whistling past the graveyard claiming the races mean nothing. Well, other than the fact that Obama put his personal mojo on the line for both Democrats – and it did not work. Corzine spend a lot of his own money and got handed his walking papers anyway.
They have a reason to hear footsteps right now.
What needs to happen – quickly – is that Republicans and conservatives have to figure out what the core issues they stand on will be – and where some flex is going to be allowed. Yes, I want the Republican party to hew more closely to many conservative beliefs. But I want to stop the Democrats from passing their nightmare for America most. That is the big issue for me. Let’s figure this out in a hurry.
Link via Memeorandum
Conservative voters face two issues. Conservative is no longer synonymous with Republican. The RNC hasn’t demonstrated anything that convinces me that they understand the need to return to their rumored conservative roots, nor does the party show any indication that they’re going to make any attempt to reign in my State’s two out of control aisle crossers (Snowe, Collins) or any of the others. So that’s the first hurtle. A bigger problem is that if you’re expecting the current leadership of the Republican party to make a valid attempt to define values and articulate those values in a party platform because they suddenly think Republicans might be able to win a few seats then their motivation is all wrong and the results will be pathetic, like always. Yet again a day late and at least a dollar short.
So while you get excited McCain, Graham and others are getting ready to sell out for some version of cap and tax and we might as well just close our eyes as the economy circles the bowl on it’s way down.
I have no faith in politicians they always disappoint.
Politicans pander to win elects; politicians are pandering to the Centrist Moderate voter.
The problem with the Centrist Moderate (fiscally conservative social liberal/libertarian) is they will NEVER get a fiscally conservative small government by voting for Big Spending social liberal/libertarians.
Centrist Moderate voters are always a disappointment; they really believe they can have all the cake in the world paying the cheapest price without ever gaining an ounce of fat.
Centrist have ruled for two decades.
Now look at the government;the cake is awful, over-priced and we’re all disgustingly obese in debt.
Big spending socially Liberal-libertarians would not get away with this madness without the help of the Centrist-Moderate voter.
It is the Moderate ‘middle-of-the-road’ voter who votes by what is culturally popular not what is fiscally possible who is the problem.
What is so disgusting about social liberal-libertarians is they then smugly blame the ‘religious right’ as the cause of the problem.
Repug could have won the NY-23 seat with a pro-choice, pro-gay marriage, pro-unions Dede Scuzafuzza and we would have continued moving forward with obese hogs helping Big Government Spenders drive the economy into the toilet.
Moderates need to choose; do they want to save their personal wallets, their homes, their jobs or are they going to allow themselves to be burned, looted and pillaged for abortion, same-sex union between opposite sex and union thugs?
Moderates did not choose wisely in the 2009 election; I have zero faith they’ll have the balls to choose wisely in the 2010 or 2012.
End tenure and protected-calls professors will be unable to indoctrinate so many useful idiot Centrist who only know how to raise their hand to fraudulent climate change legislation