The photo that could doom the Democrats

[beowolfe]

The Photo That Could Doom the Democrats - Page 1 - The Daily Beast

To understand why the Rangel scandals are so dangerous for Democrats, you need to understand something about midterm landslides: They’re usually composed of three parts. First, the other party’s activists are highly motivated. Second, your own activists are highly unmotivated. Third, independents want to burn Washington to the ground.

There’s nothing Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi can do about the first problem. The stimulus, the bank bailouts, the auto-takeover and the health-care push have convinced large numbers of aging white people that Obama is Mao Zedong, and they’re not going to change their mind anytime soon. The best response to the second problem is to pass health-care reform and give Keith Olbermann something to get excited about. But perhaps most crucial of all is responding to problem No. 3.

Independents are the most fickle, the most cynical, and the least ideological people in the American electorate. When they’re unhappy with the state of the country, they tend to stampede the party in power—less because they disagree on the issues than because they decide that the folks running government must be malevolent and corrupt. In Washington, congressmen violate ethics rules all the time. But when independents get in one of their sour moods, these infractions become matches on dry tinder. In 1994, the scandals concerning Rostenkowski and the House bank helped sweep the Gingrichites into power. In 2006, according to exit polls, the scandals surrounding mega-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Rep. Mark Foley did more to lose the GOP control of Congress than did the Iraq war. Pelosi became speaker, in fact, by running against the GOP’s “culture of corruption” and promising the “most ethical Congress in history.”

Now Republicans are hurling those phrases in her face. Democrats, who in April 2006 held a 17-point advantage as the party less “influenced by lobbyists and special interests,” have seen that margin dwindle to eight points, according to the Pew Research Center. The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee has begun running ads against Democrats who accepted donations from Rangel, and two of the party’s most vulnerable congressmen, Alabama’s Bobby Bright and New Hampshire’s Paul Hodes, have called for Rangel to step down as chairman. Call them the canaries in the coal mine.

An overweight, old, senator asleep at the beach? I don't see where that picture provides any additional fodder against the democrats or Rangel.

 

[keee keee]

Thank GAWD he wasn't shirtless and wearing a speedo!

where was his young male intern in his speedo? This losers time has come and it is time for him to go!!!!

 

[keee keee]

Now see here is the problem with you morons!!!

Look at the pics above very carefully..

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/5319/phony.jpg


That isn't Obama!! Since when does Obama have white hair and a mustache??

Talk about epic fail!! ROFL!!!

This will be the pic that dooms rebuttlicans!!

ROFL!!!

Damn that acid!

damn that is mean give the dog one of those cupcakes and quit teasing the little guy!!! he will wait till you are sleeping and turd on your floor or teabag you!!!

 

[Richard-H]

What the hell is so amusing about a congressman laying on a beach? C'mon grow up.

When I lived in the U.S.V.I. we'd always have congress people, senators and pentagon brass inspecting our operation...and do you know what they did afterwards?

They went to beach bars!

Just like everyone else.

And they'd see the same guy that they'd watched working the operation a 5a.m. in the morning, playin guitar in a country/rock band on the beach at 11p.m. at night....(that would be I)

And we'd all get drunk on rum!

Guess what?

They're human beings too.....

 

[RadiomanATL]

The Photo That Could Doom the Democrats - Page 1 - The Daily Beast

To understand why the Rangel scandals are so dangerous for Democrats, you need to understand something about midterm landslides: They’re usually composed of three parts. First, the other party’s activists are highly motivated. Second, your own activists are highly unmotivated. Third, independents want to burn Washington to the ground.

There’s nothing Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi can do about the first problem. The stimulus, the bank bailouts, the auto-takeover and the health-care push have convinced large numbers of aging white people that Obama is Mao Zedong, and they’re not going to change their mind anytime soon. The best response to the second problem is to pass health-care reform and give Keith Olbermann something to get excited about. But perhaps most crucial of all is responding to problem No. 3.

Independents are the most fickle, the most cynical, and the least ideological people in the American electorate. When they’re unhappy with the state of the country, they tend to stampede the party in power—less because they disagree on the issues than because they decide that the folks running government must be malevolent and corrupt. In Washington, congressmen violate ethics rules all the time. But when independents get in one of their sour moods, these infractions become matches on dry tinder. In 1994, the scandals concerning Rostenkowski and the House bank helped sweep the Gingrichites into power. In 2006, according to exit polls, the scandals surrounding mega-lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Rep. Mark Foley did more to lose the GOP control of Congress than did the Iraq war. Pelosi became speaker, in fact, by running against the GOP’s “culture of corruption” and promising the “most ethical Congress in history.”

Now Republicans are hurling those phrases in her face. Democrats, who in April 2006 held a 17-point advantage as the party less “influenced by lobbyists and special interests,” have seen that margin dwindle to eight points, according to the Pew Research Center. The National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee has begun running ads against Democrats who accepted donations from Rangel, and two of the party’s most vulnerable congressmen, Alabama’s Bobby Bright and New Hampshire’s Paul Hodes, have called for Rangel to step down as chairman. Call them the canaries in the coal mine.

Well.. Since the pic is, well.. Not Obama.. I think that kinda kills the credibility of the entire article..

I mean.. Seriously.. This is nothing but pure fiction and right wing smear campaign..

Nice job there dude..

I did like how all the righties followed right along without batting an eye.. Funny shit there!!

I gotta know, are you playing at being stupid, or are you really this stupid?

You quoted the segment of the article...why don't you try reading it?

 

[Rambunctious]

Thank GAWD he wasn't shirtless and wearing a speedo!

You just missed that spectacle, he had the speedo on earlier but his depends were showing.

 

[RadiomanATL]

The stimulus, the bank bailouts, the auto-takeover and the health-care push have convinced large numbers of aging white people that Obama is Mao Zedong, and they’re not going to change their mind anytime soon.

So, it's just large numbers of aging white people? LOL Yeah, okay.

Read the previous paragraph.

He's saying that aging white people are one of the conservative's activist bases.

 

[Thinman]

I don't think Charlie is in trouble (election-wise) either, but there are some names I see pop up that were usually considered safe party wins that are not-so-much anymore...

and sometimes housekeeping has to be done - at least that's what my wife tells me...

probably true about the safe party wins.. but is that the result of whatever scandal erupts or is it just simply anti-incumbant feeling on both sides of the aisle?

your wife is right, of course. but housekeeping is fine only if one is careful to only toss out the trash and leave the valuables.

I got rid of my wife. The air kept leaking out.

 

[hjmick]

Where's MajikMessed? I sort of expected an apology for his(her?) idiocy by now...


Fool.

 

[Father Time]

Aw I was expecting it to be a picture of Obama using a small child as a human shield against a sniper. You disappoint me. (Rep to anyone who gets the reference)

 

[hjmick]

Aw I was expecting it to be a picture of Obama using a small child as a human shield against a sniper. You disappoint me. (Rep to anyone who gets the reference)

The Dead Zone. Christopher Walken, Tom Skerritt, Martin Sheen, Brooke Adams. Based on the book by Stephen King.

 

[Father Time]

Aw I was expecting it to be a picture of Obama using a small child as a human shield against a sniper. You disappoint me. (Rep to anyone who gets the reference)

The Dead Zone. Christopher Walken, Tom Skerritt, Martin Sheen, Brooke Adams. Based on the book by Stephen King.

I never saw the entire movie (just the end), but I did read the book.

Anyway yeah that's it you get rep now.

 

[hjmick]

Aw I was expecting it to be a picture of Obama using a small child as a human shield against a sniper. You disappoint me. (Rep to anyone who gets the reference)

The Dead Zone. Christopher Walken, Tom Skerritt, Martin Sheen, Brooke Adams. Based on the book by Stephen King.

I never saw the entire movie (just the end), but I did read the book.

Anyway yeah that's it you get rep now.

One of his better books. That and The Stand. I just finished Under the Dome. It wasn't bad, a few too many political pot-shots for my taste.