2006 Shocker: Republicans Have A Good Day
November 17, 2006 at 4:47 pm
A final word of thanks to Truth Laid Bear for organizing blogger conference calls with the GOP candidates for House leadership posts. A wonderful service, and an impressive accomplishment.
From those calls — and from the results today — we know the following:
- In the 2006 elections, John Boehner did the best job possible with the hand he was dealt. On his call, he was supportive of the White House — the GOP caucus wants a “win” in Iraq, he said — but 2006 was a rotten environment for Republican congressional candidates. Boehner is still a relatively fresh face as a House leader and is a good communicator — both qualities the GOP needs to win independents and the purples.
- The most improved winner was Roy Blunt. He beat expectations. On his call he laid out a specific plan for defeating freshmen Democrats — and named names of Dem targets. That’s what an aggressive Whip should do. Word from sources inside the room say that in yesterday’s caucus presentation, Blunt’s plan for putting Democrats on the defensive blew away his opposition. And we saw the result today.
- Joining the team is Adam Putnam, another young GOP fresh face who looks great on TV and knows the medium. Contrast that with Deborah Pryce, who had a distate for doing TV – wasting a chance for the GOP to woo moderate women and many others. (She recently walked out of a CNN interview. And Time magazine reported that one Pryce ad even misspelled her name as “Deboarah.”)
Some may have wished for an entirely new team. That may not be in the GOP’s best interest during the upcoming rebuilding season. That said, Mike Pence got a great groundswell of support and definitely will be one to watch in the future.
Yesterday was a setback for Nancy Pelosi. Today was a step forward for Republicans. Time will tell if the GOP can sustain this rare tail wind.
ed said,
November 17, 2006 @ 5:50 pm
Don’t make the mistake of assuming a bad day for Pelosi is a bad day for the Democrats.
Ric Locke said,
November 17, 2006 @ 9:26 pm
No. But a bad day for Pelosi is a bad day for Moulitsas, Lamont, and Murtha, and that’s a good day for me, even if it isn’t necessarily a good day for Republicans.
Regards,
Ric
section9 said,
November 18, 2006 @ 12:16 am
Pelosi is in a real bind. She has to put Alcee Hastings at intelligence because she can’t swallow her pride over Jane Harman and the Black Caucus is making this a Condition of the Sale. Now the New York Times Editorial Board, usually a reliable stooge of the DNC, is up in arms about Alcee.
Too bad, so sad. Dems tripping over themselves already. Wait till Mitch McConnell and Trent Lott get through with them. Pelosi will be begging for Condi’s whip.
Acksiom said,
November 18, 2006 @ 3:18 am
It hasn’t been too shabby for us intactivists, either — this time, our entry in the poll of questions for the candidates wasn’t summarily censored, and those voting have been allowed to consider it throughout the whole process.
Not only that, but as of this post, it’s actually received more positive votes than any other question, and it would be in 1st place now. . .if the voting system’s security and design flaws weren’t being abused through sockpuppet “Delete” votes — see for yourself: http://truthlaidbear.com/gop_qvote.php?id=277
It would have taken 1st place last time, too — in fact, it actually did, once it was resubmitted, with the votes and comments made prior to its removal scrupulously reproduced. But NZ Bear summarily censored it yet again at the close of voting, and so the most popular question of the previous poll apparently was never presented to the interviewers or the candidates.
Miguel said,
November 18, 2006 @ 4:36 am
A bad day for Pelosi is a good day for Republicans.
Paul A'Barge said,
November 20, 2006 @ 12:54 pm
You can put all the lipstick you have available on that pig, but given the choices that Repubs have made since the 2006 elections (Boehner, Blunt, Martinez, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Lott, Rove, McCain being taken seriously etc), I’ve already made my 2008 decision to sit it out.
Yes, American loses if DHIMMIcRATs win, but if we have to swallow this in order to convince Rockefeller Republicans (can we start calling them McCain Republicans, or maybe Arlen Specter Republicans), then gulp, gulp, gulp.
Quin said,
November 20, 2006 @ 1:01 pm
HOW-ard, HOW-ard, HOW-ard. (As the fictitious Howard Cosell’s mother used to say on Saturday Night Live). How COULD you do this to your fans? John “Pac-man on the House floor” Boehner and Roy “Three Hour Arm Twister for Big Entitlement” Blunt, presented as reasonable choices? Oh, the humanity! Oh, the insanity! Oh, the pusillanimity! Oh, the asi……. [this message interrupted so that Mr. Hillyer could be given a sedative.]
:)