Sunday Roundup: GOP in trouble?
(CNN) - On Tuesday, Democrat Travis Childers won a key Mississippi House seat against Republican Greg Davis. The district was thought to be a stronghold for the GOP, with the seat held by Rep. Roger Wicker since 1994.
The state’s governor appointed Wicker to the Senate seat of Trent Lott at the first of the year. Many in Republican circles are interpreting this loss, along with those of two other House seats in traditionally conservative districts, as an ominous sign for the November election.
Meanwhile, the congressional Democrats raised over $44 million for the upcoming campaign, while Republicans have only pulled in an estimated $7 million. And earlier this week, retiring Republican Rep. Tom Davis of Virginia sent out a memo calling the current political climate “the worst atmosphere we've seen since Watergate.”
On ABC’s “This Week” House Minority Leader John Boehner spoke with George Stephanopoulos about the chances for Republican gains in the fall.
(Full roundup after the jump)
“There's no question that the environment for Republicans is a difficult one,” Boehner said.
However, he was quick to deny any connection between the unpopularity of President Bush to his party’s odds of retaining their seats. “George Bush isn't on the ballot in November,” he asserted.
The Minority Leader also remained optimistic that voters will not turn against the GOP as they did in congressional elections two years ago. ”We learned our lesson after the 2006 elections,” Boehner said.
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CBS’ “Face the Nation” featured Florida Republican Governor Charlie Crist. When asked about the recent loss of three key House seats, Crist responded, “It's not a great trifecta.” As a way for the GOP to rebound in the fall, Crist advocated Republicans get their message back to a more positive trifecta: “lower taxes, less government and more freedom.”
Crist helped get the campaign of presumptive Republican nominee John McCain back on track with an endorsement before Florida’ primary. He is often mentioned as a possible running mate for McCain.
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Karl Rove stopped by the “Fox News Sunday” studio this morning to give his take on the state of the Republican party. The former adviser to President Bush offered advice to party leaders, emphasizing the need to “treat the arguments of the Democrats as substantive and get away from labels,” citing the recent loss in Mississippi as evidence of this failed strategy. Rove also suggested that Republicans “sharpen the contrasts with the failed promises of the Democratic Congress,” citing low approval ratings for congressional Democrats.
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Conservative radio talk show host and CNN contributor Bill Bennett spoke with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer about GOP mistakes on “Late Edition.” He told Blitzer that Republicans like Rep. Tom Davis are making a mistake by publicly admitting that the party is in trouble. “A lot of Republicans say we're in serious trouble, we're doing the wrong thing,” Bennett said. “They've got to stop behaving this way.”
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NBC’s “Meet the Press” had interviews with Democratic Virginia Sen. Jim Webb and a panel with former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee.
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Wow this is the first blog where I can relate to 95% of the bloggers. It is what it is. Americians are not stupid, nor evil within and without. We have seen. We have made up our minds. "We" will now choose. Yet remember this " We were never asleep. In WWII this was overlooked, In our war for Independance and freedom we had this saying. "Dont Tread On Me" This party has forgotten their true U.S. Flag pins. We are a free people, an we know we have a goverenment for the people, ruled by the people. Even if we have to wait eight (8) years too bring it back to the people
Experience counts! There is only one man who has presidential experience in dealing with our current economy and foreign policy: George Bush! Would you vote for him again? I think we need to qualify experience and not quantify it. Do we really want Clinton or McCain/Bush experience with all of its corruption and incompetence? Or would we settle for a lesser quantity with much, much higher quality? I do believe that as things get worse and worse, Americans will be forced to finally vote in accordance with their best interests rather than for those who pander to their intolerance, fear and bigotry.
And the Democrats just whistle by the graveyard as both of their "rock star" candidates tear the party apart. If "rock star" means strung out on drugs and adored by people for no apparent reason, then I guess Barack and Hillary fit the bill.
You people are so naive. Hillary is nothing but a liar who preys on the poor, uneducated, and elderly. Oh and did I meniton the feminist who would vote for HIllary because she's a women regardless of the fact she can't seem to tell the truth. Why do you think a majority of Americans have an unfavorable view of her?
I have news for all the people who say things like "People just aren't ready to vote for someone like Obama, so McCain will win"
Just because YOU don't like him, and some people you know don't like him, doesn't mean it is representative of the nation.
What I believe are the voters who came out and voted for Obama and gave him more popular vote than any other candidate in the race, Democrat or Republican.
What I believe is the polling that puts Obama ahead of McCain nationally.
What I believe is public opinion toward the republicans.
Just because YOU don't like Obama, doesn't mean he isn't going to win.
If you are willing to vote for McCain over Obama, because you are bitter Clinton lost, then you have no right to complain about ANYTHING in this country because you are only helping to make it worse.
So what "Jim"... should we have canceled the primary season back in January and handed Clinton the nomination then?
Should we throw all the votes away and give Clinton the nomination as an act of charity because all her supporters are threatening to vote for McCain.
You may be stalwart in voting McCain now, but come November 95% of those Clinton supporters will vote Obama.
If Clinton were more electable then she would have won THIS election. Unfortunately she didn't, we can't abandon the results now and give the loser the win.
"Charlotte" you are a simple minded fool. You aren't going to make a difference in the election. People like you make me sick.
You are a sore loser who can't stand that your weak candidate lost.
Clinton can't manage her own campaign never mind the country.
She is also a big time liar.
Once Clinton starts campaigning for Obama, her other, more educated, less ignorant supporters will come around and vote Obama. It took 3 months for them to get attached to Clinton, Obama has 6 months to get them back.
Obama WILL win.
We are all the ones in trouble. The reason Bush was able to screw up this country was he had a majority in congress and all legislation was green lighted. Now we are going to go the opposite way. Our taxes will go up. That is not too bad, but the ones that will benefit are not the poor. The people who make between 100K and 500K will see big breaks. If we put both houses of congress and the Presidency into one party's hand shame on us. It is and always has been a bad scenario. Bush, Carter, etc....... have we not learned. We get mad at a party, not the smart thing to do. We need to look at the individual's, not the party as a whole. Wholesale change is not a good thing.
Wow I can relate. It is what it is. Americians are working it out. We are not evil within and without. We have seen. We have made up our minds. "We" will now choose. Yet remember this " We were never asleep. In WWII we were overlooked, In our war for Independance and freedom we had a saying. "Dont Tread On Me" This party has forgotten their true U.S. Flag pins. We are a free people, an we know we have a goverenment for the people, ruled by the people. Even if we have to wait eight ( years too bring it back to the people
I'm going to vote for the person who's political ideology and values most closely resembles the mainstream/center of America. I have studied the BLACK LIBERATION THEOLOGY and have found that I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN COMMON WITH IT's TEACHINGS and/or BELIEFS. Further, it did not take me 20 years to realize this either. It is truly amazing that so many have either been fooled, have not researched what BLACK LIBERATION THEOLOGY stands for, or are just plain ignorant as it relates to history. Obama's BLACK LIBERATION beliefs are certainly not what this country was founded on. You shall see how wrong Obama is for America come November!
Bohmer is in error, Bush is on the ballot. Republican congressmen supported all of Bush's failed policies, sustained his vetoes, favored the wealthy, put this nation into deep debt and must answer for the deaths of 4,000 of our citizens in an unworthy war: this occurred on their watch and McCain is asking American voters to let in another Trojan horse to do more of the same.
Where were the Republicans when the world condemned Bush's follies? Where was courage,, opposition, independent thought and responsibility? The Piper must be paid.
Doesn't matter what the losers are saying and trying to do , stupid attacks and lies don't work anymore ... I'm a 58 years old white female that loves this country a lot but I'm not proud of it white this dumb president that took this nation to a non sense war and made us weak and vulnerable in the last eight years. So , I'm glad and happy that , for the first time in many years we're going to have an intelligent,high level culture president !!! Welcome president OBAMA !!!
"Don't be fooled. If you think the GOP is in trouble, you do not understand what you are looking at" – like the loyal, unthinking Republican who are blind in one eye and can't see out of the other!
The GOP had 6 years of unbridled power: Their legacy is war, 4000+ dead and 30,000 wounded, Walter Reed, Katrina and New Orleans, their leader reading My Pet Goat as the Twin Towers fell, illegal wiretapping, the country no more ready to prevent terrorist attacks but we all have to take of our shoes and belts ...
Recession, housing market a disaster, high gas prices, huge deficit, and scandal after scandal: Abramoff, DeLay, Cunningham, Ohio Repubicans, Vitter, Craig, Foley, and Dick H who protected him: Trent Lott – elected to 6 year term – served one before becoming a lobbyist –
and on and on ...
The GOP leadership of our country is symbolized by the Bridge to No Where while our real bridges collapse.
The Republican had their chance. They pi$$ed away. Too bad – so sad. The country is in a shambles and rational Americans know who did the dirty deed. NO second chances for the GOP!
They are so inept that the didn't know their new slogan was the same one used for an anti-depression drug ... or maybe they did?
The Bush family has used thugs like Karl Rove to do their dirty work for years. The GOP has stood by and let themselves be bullied by Rove and Tom Delay, not to mention a variety of officeholders who were elected to represent conservative values only to be perverts.
The GOP is going to get what the DEMs did in 94. It is about time.
I hope we never elect a lying, secretive, abusive group ever ever again. More damge has been done than we can imagine. How in the world does tax cuts and fighting a costly war translate into making the budget in the black. Only attack dog politics can make that work.
I pray that the DEms have the guts to sustain this push thru November.
What is amazing is that Bush still has 27% of the people approve of his job performance...I am sure all die-hard GOP.
GOP ....I hope you get what is coming to you!! Maybe Fox News can hire a bunch of you out of work losers
What did we get from 7 years of GOP, failed government, weak dollar, weak military (stretched out), high inflation, bad economy, high gas prices, high food prices, in hole with social security budget, high health care cost, jobs loesses, stupid foreign policy that is making our enemies stronger. What a mess.
I like Obama. I like his ideas about education and I agree with his policy in Iraq. I just can not support him because of his failure to vote for a ban on partial birth abortion. I can't vote for him and have the blood of hundreds of babies on my hands.
People are quick to bring up Rev. Wright because they can't find nothing else to pick on Obama about. But what about McCain's religious friends? How come no one ask McCain how often he goes to church, if he goes to church at all?
It's amazing that many preach about separation of church and state, yet religion has become front and center during the campaign with Rev Wright.
A TRUE Christian would know not to judge and let God handle Rev. Wright and move on. The key word is TRUE.
The GOPs troubles can be traced to three things: 1. George W. Bush, 2. Dick Cheney and 3. Donald Rumsfeld. I hear the Hague is a nice place to visit thi stime next year. Hope the three of them are looking forward to it.
Alice Newman Wow, You get it!! America is not about the him or her its about ME!!!!
McSANE IS AN INCOHERENT, INCOMPETENT, ARROGANT OLD GEEZER WHO WON'T STOP AT NOTHING!
HE AND THAT "IDIOTIC LUNATIC" BUSH BELONG TOGETHER – THAT IS THAT NEITHER ONE OF THEM IS FIT TO CRAWL UNDERNEATH A ROCK AND I DO BELIEVE WE ALL KNOW WHAT CRAWLS UNDERNEATH A ROCK!
NOW IF ONE CANNOT COMPREHEND THE ABOVE, THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU ARE NOT FIT TO CRAWL UNDERNEATH A ROCK AS WELL.
Why is anyone surprised that the GOP is in trouble when they're counting on McBomb to lead them out of abyss?
In trouble, yes, that is why they will lose the election this year. Can't be any more concise than that.
Corrupt through and through; Liars all; Deception, obfuscation, mud slinging, war mongering and utterly greed driven, all of them. G O P doesn't spell GOD, although they'd like you to think it does.
It certainly wouldn't break my heart to see the Republican party lose power in Washington and the rest of the country. It certainly wouldn't break my heart to see the christian right lose a strangle hold on Washington and the rest of the country. I may not like Republicans, however, they did serve a useful purpose and that was to control & curb spending & the socialist agenda that the Democrats bring with them. Over the course of the last few years, I've been a little dismayed with the open floodgates on spending, which the Republicans had always claimed they wanted to control. No, I won't be sorry to see the Republicans lose big in the fall.
Karl Rove needs to go to Washington and testify under oath – now analysis that.