GOP's Problems Much Bigger Than Bush

The Skinny: Republican Pollster Says Party May Have Grown Too Old And Too Conservative

(CBS)  The Skinny is Keach Hagey's take on the top news of the day and the best of the Internet.

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Young voters, Hispanics and independents are drifting away from the Republican party, and not even the end of Bush's bumpy tenure will likely help bring them back, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Recent voter surveys, including private polling done by a leading Republican strategist, suggest "Republicans face structural problems that stem from generational, demographic and societal changes and aren't easily overcome without changing fundamental party positions," according to the Journal.

The main reasons for drift include the "Iraq war, conservatives' emphasis on social issues such as gay marriage, abortion and stem-cell research, and a party-led backlash against illegal immigrants that has left many Hispanics and Asian Americans citizens feeling unwelcome," the Journal reports.

Longtime Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio conducted a major survey of his party's voters this year, and compared it to a similar one in 1997. He found his party had gotten much older and more conservative in the last decade.

In the current survey, 17 percent of Republicans are 18 to 34 years old, down from 25 percent in 1997. Republicans 55 and older constitute 41 percent of the party - up from 28 percent a decade ago. By 53 percent to 42 percent, Republicans say the party "has spent too much time focusing on moral issues" rather than economic ones.

Such trends, Fabrizio told the Journal, means the GOP is increasingly at risk of being seen "as very old-fashioned, very old and not in touch with the realities of today's society."

Falling Out Of Love With Republicans

Out-of-touch with the realities of a rapidly changing society was how Goldwater Girl Hillary Clinton came to see the Republican Party during her years at Wellesley College, according to a profile in today's New York Times.

The article focuses on the politically turbulent year of 1968, which spanned Clinton's junior and seniors years, as the cauldron of her transformation from Barry Goldwater-boosting Republican to anti-war Democrat.

But, like most Clinton profiles, along the way it picks up telling details to reinforce the public's current opinion of the candidate. For example, the bold graduation speech "whose public rebuke of a Republican senator won her notice in Life magazine as the voice of her generation" was handwritten, with crossed-out sentences and scrawled insertions. "Yet Ms. Rodham's words are neatly contained between tight margins," the Times notes, sounding the article's underlying theme.

Hillary was brilliant and ambitions, the kind of student "who wrote thank-you notes to the professors who helped her." While outspoken and blunt, she was "hardly a bombthrower." She also seems to be something of a goofball. She bought a dreadful pair of clunky, mud-colored shoes because she "felt sorry for them," she told a friend. A photo shows her in a knee-kissing pleated skirt may also help explain her preference for pantsuits.

Even as early as 1966, Clinton wrote a minister back home that her "opinions on most human conditions were being liberalized," and "the combination of bleeding heart liberal and mental conservative is the inevitable conclusion one arrives at after following and pondering political events."

The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "devastated" her, while witnessing the mayhem of the Democratic Convention in Chicago left her "shocked" by the brutality of protesters throwing rocks and police beating protesters.

Together, they left her politically committed, but as square as the toes on those dreadful shoes. In "Living History" she describes how she and her friend discussed the Chicago riots in the ensuring months how, if there ever was a revolution, "We would never participate."

"I was rooted in the political approach that understood that you can't just take to the streets and make change in America," she told the Times in an interview. "You can't just give a speech and expect people to fall down and agree with you."

Black Magic And Red Politics

Grave-robbing is on the rise in Venezuela, but not for the usual plunder of gold jewelry and dental fillings, the Los Angeles Times reports. These days, robbers want human bones to sell for big bucks to paleros, practitioners of a black magic cult related to Santeria whose rising popularity is spurred by a mix of faith and politics.

Although most Santeria followers steer clear of the use of human remains and Satanism, the paleros embrace them, using the bones in rituals to cast evil spells on enemies, according to the resident priest of a recently plundered cemetery.

Some anthropoligsts are blaming the weakening Catholic church for the spooky rituals, but others see causes that are more worldly. They say the government of leftist President Hugo Chavez is encouraging the rise of Santeria to counter the authority of the Catholic Church, which Chavez has viewed as his enemy.

Many church leaders are blaming the rise of Santeria on Cuba, which they way are exporting babablos - or Santeria shamans -- along with doctors, teachers and sports trainers to Venezuela as part of closer economic relations with Chavez.

In a television talk show, Chavez has denied that he was a believer in black magic, but he is known "to be a mystic of sorts," reports the Times. Some say he believes he is the reincarnation of 19th-century Venezuelan leader, Ezequiel Zamora.

It does make you wonder, though. When Chavez famously announced at the U.N. a year ago that President Bush was "the devil," was he speaking of the underworld through more intimate personal experience than anyone guessed at the time?

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[realpatriot1]

SgtRDS,

I have to agree with johnmarie, that kind of talk about other Americans isn''t helpful and only makes democrats who express it no better than what they condemn. I realize you aren''t dropping an actual bomb but inflammatory rhetoric didn''t work for Louis Farrakan or Sister Souljah and it''s just as counter-productive now.

My message to people on both the left and the right who use hate speech to make their points is this: get real! Whatever faction you don''t like isn''t going anywhere and like it or not we have to deal with one another, so we need to grow up and rise above the petty B.S. and deal.

[johnmarie2]

Terrapin78, I agree with your statement! I actually had a look at the Fabrizio study and Hagey seriously skirts on the main results that were found. But why would a liberal media seep that kind of information if it might actually (shock!!) make the GOP look NOT so bad?

However if you would like to take a look I''ve included the link, you may be pleseantly suprised at the findings. I know I was.

http://www.fabmac.com/7-07%20Elephant%20Looks%20in%20the%20Mirror.pdf

As for all the democrats talking about getting the GOP together and dropping bombs on them or wanting them to die?? Last time I checked, this country wasn''t full of radical members of Hezbollah and Hamas...but maybe that''s why the Liberals are against the war...they can sympathise with their cause.

Absolutely atrocious.

[sgtrds]

They''ve become the party of old inbred white redneck bible beaters. At least now all of those morons are gathered in one place, the GOP. Save the world by getting them all together for one big prayer meeting, then drop a nuke on the lot of them.

[homespunlady]

This way they will continue to vote democratic so they can continue to live off the sweat of everyone else. The Democrats do not work for the people, they word against the people.

Posted by nexgen99 at 11:30 AM : Sep 05, 2007

The only time a NEOCON sweats is when news on another of their scandals starts to leak out. Most of the TOP NEOCONS have already jumped ship.
Run Rats Run.

Speaking of scandals how about the bush friends - the Bin Ladens telling the victims of 9/11 they''re NOT liable since their close relative TECHNICALLY didn''t have stock shares in their FAMILY Business.
Nothing like messing over the 9/11 victims TWICE.

OH WELL, at least George''s flunkies got the BIN LADEN family out right after when NOBODY else could leave.
Maybe we can charge them a HUGE price for the PLANE RIDE out.
BTW, the Afghan/TALIBAN (Osama''s backers) POPPY CROP is at record high levels.
Who needs oil profits when DRUG PROFITS pay so Much better HUH?

[bobebenson]

"The simple fact is that the Democrats want to create a hole new class of socially dependent individuals that they can feed offer for years to come. They want to get back to the welfare days where large blocks of the population were dependent on welfare and social programs. This way they will continue to vote democratic so they can continue to live off the sweat of everyone else. The Democrats do not work for the people, they word against the people.

Posted by nexgen99 at 11:30 AM : Sep 05, 2007"


"create a hole new class of socially dependent individuals... HOLE new class?? NAW that''s the Republicans! :-)

[glossypan]

The biggtest hurdle will be to restore the losses incurred by the middle class and put a few dollars in a Treasury that has been looted to send offshore, mainly to Cheney/Halliburton in Dubai. Do you have any idea how much extra work the American taxpayers have had just to pay these war profiteers for their fraud? *** can take his deferred pay and stock options and be richer than most of the nations on the planet.

[nexgen99]

To all you DEM lovers, this is what your party is planning for you. Not more jobs, but less jobs.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-buffalo30jul30,1,5022434.story?coll=la-headlines-nation&ctrack=1&cset=true

[glossypan]

truthteller8.. misspelling your screen name was not meant to show disrespect. I did not check my post well enough before I published. Sorry.

[glossypan]

truthueller8.. sure hope you are correct but I am going wait until we have a Democrat in the Oval Office before I put my dancing shoes on. There is a lot of unaccountable electronic vote tabulating. Karl Rove and other despicable immoral cheetos who are willing to subvert the democratic process will be at work for the corporate candidates. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us. After the election, there is a huge mess to straighten up. It will not be easy.

[lars008-2009]

it''s working...
Couric: ''Real Progress'' In Iraq
Evening News Anchor Says Police Finally Making Inroads
http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_247203227.html
Majority in poll say U.S. can win war in Iraq
The poll shows 54 percent of Americans said the war is not lost.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=15533
Latest poll shows growing support for Iraq war policy
http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/08/latest-poll-sho.html
Analysis: Military Shows Gains in Iraq
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8QRMCU00&show_article=1
Bush''s war support rising?
The latest poll by United Press International/Zogby Interactive showed that 54 percent think the war is not lost, with respondents splitting sharply along party lines on that question.
http://www.zogby.com/Soundbites/ReadClips.dbm?ID=15553
GAO: Baghdad Failing To Meet Most Goals
New Report On Iraq Finds Baghdad Hasn''t Met 11 Of Its 18 Political And Security Benchmarks
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/04/iraq/main3231705.shtml

Porter ties U.S. withdrawal from Iraq to $9 gasoline
http://www.lvrj.com/news/9466252.html

[truthteller8]

So much for the once "invincible" Karl Rove, his puppet Bush and his permanent Republican Majority. The so-called "Party Of God" turned out to be little more than the party of racist and bigoted, closeted homosexual, insecure white men who seek out relations with other insecure men in public restrooms. "Conservative" Republican men blasted former President Clinton for his indescretions, all the while these moral hypocrites were committing their own.

For the sake of justice and truth in this country, may this party of self-righteous and arrogant charlatans finally wither away and die.

[donnie900]

Well, I''m not worried Don buddy. I got noth''n to hide. Except my repair bills.

[nottellin1]

That''''s where you Fascist have failed the most. You are pretty much hated by the planet because of your hatred and bigotry... Kinda hard for the party of the Civil Rights Act to do the things you folks wanted...doesn''''t mean they didn''''t listen though! Sieg Heil Bush
Posted by MCVet at 11:46 AM : Sep 05, 2007


OOOO Big words from a small minded person. ROFLMAO

[myidoncbs]

referring to something donnie900 said, mudrose falsely claimed, "One may not agree with what another says, but in America one has the right to say it."

No, there are specific laws that grant the Chimp in Chief special protection from anyone suggesting that he be killed. In fact, there are laws that protect everyone from death threats. It''s just that the secret service and the FBI take any threats directed toward the Chimp, or his puppetmaster, very seriously.

So, if there''s a knock at the door, donnie, you''d better look before opening. (Oh wait, never mind, they don''t knock.)

I''m a big supporter of "free speech", and I support donnie''s right to express his ideas, if he has any worth expressing. And ditto for all you dittoheads out there. But, don''t say I didn''t warn you.

[donnie900]

If you think thats "skating close to the edge" buddy, I got news fer ya. Skating close to the edge is visiting a library.

[geezer62]

It is sad to see the demise of the 2 party system. I have been voting for many years and always based my decision on the candidate who I felt had the most to offer. However, it seems to me that the REP party has been hi-jacked or purchased by big money and the religious right. This is not to say that the DEMS are squeeky clean...they aren''t. But I refuse to base my vote on issues that only divide us and are irrelevent to solving major problems like health care, environment, education, energy, ect. I am sick of smear campaigns and lies. It would be so nice to have a candidate that one could believe in. The only one that I feel good about is Ron Paul and the REPS will never let him have the nomination. So I guess it''s back to the lesser of two evils. So who will it be? A snake or a weasil.

[myidoncbs]

disidentman says, "CBS news once again doing their best to smear Republicans."

Smear, verb: to charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone

You don''t have to smear them! Their own words and actions reveal what they are, and what they are is not good. So, that''s not a "smear". Rather, it''s just a matter of exposing the reality of their situation.

So, sorry if the truth hurts.

[glossypan]

You probably would like Donnie - he is very creative and occasionaly somewhat on topic. I have to agree with MylDonCBS. It is a different time. Threatening on the net (and Donnie sometimes skates close to the edge) can have serious consequenses. We have to exercise some discretion. Hate to see the guys in the black Suburbans carry him away.

[donnie900]

I just thought all you old farttts were wonder''n what de younger generation was think''n..

[mudrose-2009]

I''''d hate to hear that you had been whisked away in the night, never to be seen again. (Though I''''m sure I''''ll never hear about it if it does happen.)

Posted by MyIDonCBS

Now, now, this is still America last time I looked. One may not agree with what another says, but in America one has the right to say it. Of course, unless hate laws are put on the books, then you better watch what you say, too.