Comments on: The Rpvs Slide Into Irrelevance? http://www.frumforum.com/the-rpvs-slide-into-irrelevance Building a conservatism that can win again Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: sinz54 http://www.frumforum.com/the-rpvs-slide-into-irrelevance/comment-page-1#comment-51810 sinz54 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:57:13 +0000 #comment-51810 bloodstar: The main laws that entrench the two existing parties are the laws in most states that mandate "winner take all" of that state's electoral votes, even if no candidate receives a majority of that state's popular vote. As a result, a third party typically gets zero electoral votes, even if it wins a sizable percentage of the popular vote. (That's what happened with Ross Perot's third-party candidacy in 1992. He won 19% of the popular vote--not bad for a fledgling third party--but ZERO electoral votes.) If electoral votes were awarded proportionally in each state, it would then be possible for a third party to win enough electoral votes to deny either major party candidate a majority. Then those candidates would have a good reason to negotiate with the third party, giving it real leverage and visibility. So if you really want to give third parties a chance, start a movement in your own state to change how it awards electoral votes. bloodstar: The main laws that entrench the two existing parties are the laws in most states that mandate “winner take all” of that state’s electoral votes, even if no candidate receives a majority of that state’s popular vote. As a result, a third party typically gets zero electoral votes, even if it wins a sizable percentage of the popular vote. (That’s what happened with Ross Perot’s third-party candidacy in 1992. He won 19% of the popular vote–not bad for a fledgling third party–but ZERO electoral votes.) If electoral votes were awarded proportionally in each state, it would then be possible for a third party to win enough electoral votes to deny either major party candidate a majority. Then those candidates would have a good reason to negotiate with the third party, giving it real leverage and visibility. So if you really want to give third parties a chance, start a movement in your own state to change how it awards electoral votes.

]]> By: sinz54 http://www.frumforum.com/the-rpvs-slide-into-irrelevance/comment-page-1#comment-52800 sinz54 Fri, 20 Feb 2009 12:50:29 +0000 #comment-52800 The GOP is going to lose the so-called "Reagan Democrats" of Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, if the GOP keeps up this union-bashing. (And without those three states, the GOP cannot get enough electoral votes from the Red States to elect a President.) The Dems have trapped the GOP: After the Dems raised the specter of "card-check" (even if it's a bluff), the GOP responded reflexively with red-meat union-bashing rhetoric reminiscent of the 1940s. Those "Reagan Democrats" are mostly blue-collar working-class people, many of them union members. These folks typically have two bumper stickers on their trucks: "Proud to be American" and "Union YES!" It's one thing for the GOP to uphold the principle of the secret ballot. But when the GOP implies that unionizing is something that the Communist Party would favor, or calls union members "thugs" (as I've seen on other conservative blogs), they are driving all blue-collar working-class people into the arms of the Dem Party. Did it ever occur to the GOP that by insinuating that unionizing is Communist or thuggish, they just insulted every patriotic union member in America? The GOP is going to lose the so-called “Reagan Democrats” of Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania, if the GOP keeps up this union-bashing. (And without those three states, the GOP cannot get enough electoral votes from the Red States to elect a President.) The Dems have trapped the GOP: After the Dems raised the specter of “card-check” (even if it’s a bluff), the GOP responded reflexively with red-meat union-bashing rhetoric reminiscent of the 1940s. Those “Reagan Democrats” are mostly blue-collar working-class people, many of them union members. These folks typically have two bumper stickers on their trucks: “Proud to be American” and “Union YES!” It’s one thing for the GOP to uphold the principle of the secret ballot. But when the GOP implies that unionizing is something that the Communist Party would favor, or calls union members “thugs” (as I’ve seen on other conservative blogs), they are driving all blue-collar working-class people into the arms of the Dem Party. Did it ever occur to the GOP that by insinuating that unionizing is Communist or thuggish, they just insulted every patriotic union member in America?

]]> By: bloodstar http://www.frumforum.com/the-rpvs-slide-into-irrelevance/comment-page-1#comment-49745 bloodstar Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:14:34 +0000 #comment-49745 Maybe if we're lucky we'll find a way to take the Libertarian Party to a nice Center right position and send the Republican Party into the dust heap of history. I say this in frustration at the continued death spiral of the Republican Party as they continue down the path of culling the impure. It's a pity there are so many laws entrenching the major parties in place, otherwise I'm sure you'd see a much more serious effort to generate some sort of replacement for the Republican party underway. Maybe if we’re lucky we’ll find a way to take the Libertarian Party to a nice Center right position and send the Republican Party into the dust heap of history. I say this in frustration at the continued death spiral of the Republican Party as they continue down the path of culling the impure.

It’s a pity there are so many laws entrenching the major parties in place, otherwise I’m sure you’d see a much more serious effort to generate some sort of replacement for the Republican party underway.

]]> By: gerrysh http://www.frumforum.com/the-rpvs-slide-into-irrelevance/comment-page-1#comment-48655 gerrysh Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:57:51 +0000 #comment-48655 The days of believing that the troll has anything to do with the GOP never were. The days of believing that the troll has anything to do with the GOP never were.

]]> By: Bulldoglover100 http://www.frumforum.com/the-rpvs-slide-into-irrelevance/comment-page-1#comment-40356 Bulldoglover100 Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:24:27 +0000 #comment-40356 THANK YOU....this is what so many of us want and are growing weary of asking the GOP to provide. We want answers and help in fixing the problems in this country. The days of Karl Rove lies and twisting of the facts are over. The internet has made that "GOP tool" obsolete. People can, and do, checks facts these days all the time and when we get caught lying or twisting the facts? We get caught and lose votes. THANK YOU….this is what so many of us want and are growing weary of asking the GOP to provide. We want answers and help in fixing the problems in this country. The days of Karl Rove lies and twisting of the facts are over. The internet has made that “GOP tool” obsolete. People can, and do, checks facts these days all the time and when we get caught lying or twisting the facts? We get caught and lose votes.

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