Death of the GOP

[Tommy]

maybe this is just a bit of wishful thinking but if this war runs thru the 2008 elections its really gonna hurt them

they could lose the presidency and a lot more seats in congress
it could take a decade or two before they get control back


and I think Global Warming could also kill off the party in 20 or 30 years
by that time their will be no doubt what is going on with carbon emissions and I think people will remember what party did everything they could to downplay and put doubt in to the minds of Americans

its possible they will be seen as the party that sold out to big oil and forever doomed the environment

[allvegas]

The war is hurting the Administration, has been for a few years. Subjective on my part but it would seem there just wasn't a 'Plan'. We all want the troops back but we also don't want the Nursery of terrorist taining camps Al Qaeda had in the 90's. Al Qaeda wants those training camps back. But, with no concrete (current) plan this'll hurt the RNC for decades.

Schools still out on Global Warming. Is it here? (Yes!) Are we causing it? (Depends on which expert you ask) Are we aggravating it? (Yes!)
Is it all about oil? With a $40 Billion quarterly proffit in one quarter @ Exxon, it's difficult to think otherwise. Where the President really failed (This is my personal conviction). The White House and the Congress should have formulated a comprehensive 'Energy Policy & Program' no less than 5 to 10 years years ago. A program that's at least the magnitude of the 'Manhattan Project' in todays dollars. Why didn't they do this? We need energy research and development to cover the next 200 years.

Will they be seen as the party selling out to 'big oil'? I'd say yes.

[Linkster]

On your first point - I doubt that any terrorist camps have been proven in Iraq - as a matter of fact Saddam was totally against Bin Laden and his followers (although at the time the name Al Quaeda hadnt been made up yet) - and hung many of the terrorists as they were in opposition to his political party - most of the camps were in Afghanistan and Pakistan(where most still exist)

As far as a comprehensive energy policy - first you have public opinion that wouldnt allow the cleanest types of energy because of lack of education and too much hype from uneducated press - namely nuclear
Second you have the biggest donors to politicians (both Dems and Reps) being auto manufacturers, standard energy source producers etc. that would withdraw their donations if the government really came out with anything that needs to be done - a good example of what happens when you do is the European Union and Japan where currently projected minimum fuel standards for autos sold is at least 45 mpg and the average is actually a little higher than that. The second part of that problem is that in order to finance something like that you have to raise fuel consumption taxes like other countries have done which the politicians in the US are hesitant to do

Big Oil - well - theres not much you can say other than as long as the other problems exist - they will keep making whatever they can :)

[Mr. Blue]

I think you're too optimistic about the demise of the GOP. The core of the GOP will always be loyal, that core group is far more active and diligent in letting their voices be heard than the Democratic core.

Look at '04, there's no way that Bush should have won that election. In fact any democratic candidate should have been able to beat him in a landslide, but that didn't happen.

Why? You can blame everything from Gay Marriage to John Kerry being a piece of driftwood, but there was no way in hell the Democrats should have lost that election, yet they did.

'06 elections put the liberal face of Pelosi and Reid up front, but they picked up seats with Blue Dog Democrats that are so leaning towards the center they almost look like Republicans (Support Gun Rights, NRA, some even are pro-life).

Either America is becoming more conservative or the liberal base is just not going out to vote...perhaps it's a combination of the two.

[Bill]

William F Buckley just wrote an editorial saying that he is starting to think that the GOP would not survive the effects of Bush and Iraq.

And I was also just reading that for the first time in something like twenty years the GOP is falling way behind the dems in fundraising.

[allvegas]

On your first point - I doubt that any terrorist camps have been proven in Iraq - as a matter of fact Saddam was totally against Bin Laden and his followers (although at the time the name Al Quaeda hadnt been made up yet) - and hung many of the terrorists as they were in opposition to his political party - most of the camps were in Afghanistan and Pakistan(where most still exist)

As far as a comprehensive energy policy - first you have public opinion that wouldnt allow the cleanest types of energy because of lack of education and too much hype from uneducated press - namely nuclear
Second you have the biggest donors to politicians (both Dems and Reps) being auto manufacturers, standard energy source producers etc. that would withdraw their donations if the government really came out with anything that needs to be done - a good example of what happens when you do is the European Union and Japan where currently projected minimum fuel standards for autos sold is at least 45 mpg and the average is actually a little higher than that. The second part of that problem is that in order to finance something like that you have to raise fuel consumption taxes like other countries have done which the politicians in the US are hesitant to do

Big Oil - well - theres not much you can say other than as long as the other problems exist - they will keep making whatever they can :)

I didn't want to make a 2-page dissertation of it. We went into Afghan, and the terrorist camps scattered, into the hills, Pakistan etc. But if you remember, the 1st few days of the Iraq War, they found some TCamps up in the Northeast which quickly fled into Iran. Not many, a few. No one is kidding themselves. Al Qaeda doesn't want us to deny them camps anywhere. Is this a big deal on the Iraq Issue...No! Iraq was done wrong. But, if Al Qaeda develops a healthy suite of camps, they'll be much better trained, and worse, their planning to get at us will be more robust.

On the Energy issue, I agree with you (101%). What you're writing about is the reason we don't have a National Energy Policy. All I'm saying is 'We Need One', and badly. I was a systems engineer on DOE programs for 22 years. I designed the first (at that time the largest) 3-Meg Watt solar power system, and modular high temperature gas reactors ect. etc. Oil dependency is plain stupid, and stems from Washington impotence and greed.

Didn't mean to ramble on. We all could write volumes on this stuff.

[Bill]

I designed the first (at that time the largest) 3-Meg Watt solar power system...

Which one was that? One of the thermal systems?

[allvegas]

No, it was a 27 acre, photovoltaic-cell based, 3-million watt solar power system. I designed the system to make-up power during daytime (of course) operation of very large rotating machinery at a DOE facility. It is very expensive, was more of a pilot project to prove it could be done. Photvoltaics are (right now) fairly expensive, availability limited, inefficient, and get more expensive if you incorporate a solar pointing system (to track the sun from horizon to horizon) to maximize output.

I trust I answered your question, and thanks for the question.

[kres24GT]

maybe this is just a bit of wishful thinking but if this war runs thru the 2008 elections its really gonna hurt them

they could lose the presidency and a lot more seats in congress
it could take a decade or two before they get control back


and I think Global Warming could also kill off the party in 20 or 30 years
by that time their will be no doubt what is going on with carbon emissions and I think people will remember what party did everything they could to downplay and put doubt in to the minds of Americans

its possible they will be seen as the party that sold out to big oil and forever doomed the environment


The GOP has alienated two of their biggest bases.
They have alienated limited government/libertarian voters by becoming another big government/entitlement party.
And they have alienated the religious right with Rudy being the front runner for their nomination.


if Rudy wins the Republican nomination, their party is dead.

[imgonnaeaturlunch]

maybe this is just a bit of wishful thinking but if this war runs thru the 2008 elections its really gonna hurt them

they could lose the presidency and a lot more seats in congress
it could take a decade or two before they get control back


and I think Global Warming could also kill off the party in 20 or 30 years
by that time their will be no doubt what is going on with carbon emissions and I think people will remember what party did everything they could to downplay and put doubt in to the minds of Americans

its possible they will be seen as the party that sold out to big oil and forever doomed the environment
I love the sound if it. You mean no more Lindsay Graham & his 1950 style of dress & mindset. Or no more Trent Lott or the rest of these GOP clowns from the south & midwest. Awwwwwwwwwww, what a shame.

[Tommy]

well i didn't mean that Trent Lott and Ann Coulter would just vanish into thin air. I meant it more like they would just be irevelent

the party's voice might just get get harder to hear

Allvegas

I had an idea for solar power but a lot of people roll their eyes at it
ya know those emergency power systems that come in those huge tool boxes, We use to call em trim boxes when I fixed elevators
http://www.generac.com/


those cost like 6 thousand plus another 1500 for the transfer switch
plus another 500 to 1000 for wiring etc etc

most power companies have a solar rebate system
my power company LIPA gives 50% with a limit of 45 thousand

instead of getting an emergency generator
you install a small 20 thousand solar system
with the rebates and tax things it ends up costing you 8 to 9 k

if the power goes out you live off what you generate during the day and sleep in the dark at night :-)

but this system provides some of your electric all year long
its saving you money every day

the emergency system only works in the rare occasions that the power goes out