by BooMan

John Fund
gives another example of just how out of ideas the Republicans are. He
runs through the standard formula detailing the recent special election
losses, etc. And then he provides the prescription for success in the
fall.

With John McCain at best an even bet to win the White
House, Republicans may enter the fall homestretch with the prospect of
losing the White House and sinking much further into minority status.
It would be better if congressional Republicans finally decided to
adopt a coherent message and a bold reform program for this fall's
elections. But an alternative may be to emulate their 1996 success and
make a direct appeal to voters to keep power divided so that Democrats
once again don't have a blank check.

That's right, while it would be ideal for the party to adopt a bold
reform message, they can alternatively go to the American people and
ask them to vote against the Democrats to keep the government divided.
'Please don't let the country be united, vote for us.' That's what John
Fund wants to use against the Politics of Hope. And what about that
bold reform package?

Although congressional Republicans have many gripes
about John McCain, they would do well to embrace some aspects of his
record: his pledge to veto all earmark spending, his record of opposing
corporate welfare, and his willingness to make bold free-market
proposals to reform health care.

This is very weak tea. An end to earmark spending would be a bold move,
but almost no one is going to believe it until they see it. Who votes
on earmarks anyway? The voter that cares about earmarks, cares about
the budget. But John McCain promises to keep taxes where they are or
lower then while keeping our troops in Iraq through his whole first
term. How is that going to help the budget?

As for opposing corporate welfare, I don't think John McCain has a good
record on that issue. But it is laughable to think that the Party of
Corporate Welfare is suddenly going to change their ways. Favoring
Corporate America is in the GOP's DNA. And where would they get the
money to fill their PACs?

And on the whole concept of 'bold free-market proposals to reform
health care', the Republicans are not going to gain any traction on
that whatsoever. Health care costs are skyrocketing at the same time as
energy and food prices are going up. The price of higher education is
insane. People do not want to hear about more corporate health
insurance. They want coverage they can afford.

I keep reading these post-mortem articles about what the GOP needs to
do, and they all share the same feature that they have no idea what to
do. John McCain is running on more war, bigger deficits, and no help to
the middle class. His idea of bold is merely admitting that Global
Warming exists. He doesn't even want a rape and incest exception to his
ban on all abortions.

The problem with Republicans is that we've seen them in power and they
don't do what they say they will do. They're awful at keeping us safe,
their foreign policy is a disaster, they can't balance the check book,
they prey on pages, beat their mistresses, troll men's lavatories for
dates, and have secret second families. They haven't overturned Roe v.
Wade, they haven't stopped gay marriage, they have done nothing to stop
illegal immigration, they haven't restored honor and dignity to the
White House, and they have divided, not united, the country. They have
failed at everything except letting the rich keep more of their money,
slashing environmental regulation, and letting their buddies loot the
treasury.

I don't think more of McSame is going to be a winning argument in the fall.