National Council for a New America

[ciphergoth]

The National Council for a New America "is a group of Republican Party members that is aimed at rebranding the party" that met for the first time this month. This is how fucked they are:

• Sarah Palin has accepted their invitation to join, when she's everything they need to rebrand away from
• And the Family Research Council hate them anyway before they've barely opened their mouths.

The Republican party appear to be tied to a boat anchor and sinking fast. *crosses fingers*

Comments

[fizzyboot.livejournal.com]

I will laugh, very much, when they lose in 2012.

[webcowgirl.livejournal.com]

I'd love to have it be like the last time we totally lost a party and a new one had to form. I think the last time this happened was when the Whigs disappeared around the time of the US Civil War.

[damerell.livejournal.com]

Wikipedia to the rescue - I was all ready to tell you they live on as the Liberals / Alliance / Liberal Democrats / etc. but I spotted which Whigs you mean.

I am reluctant to get too enthusiastic - I remember hoping the Tories would sink out of sight and the LDs would become the Opposition. Fat chance.

[lovingboth]

Alas, while that's a nice thought, this is a bit like pointing at Mrs Thatcher in 1978 and saying the Tories are doomed because of her.

She doesn't appeal to us, but she doesn't have to in order for them to win.

[ciphergoth.livejournal.com]

The two situations seem very, very different to me - could you draw out the comparison in more detail?

They don't have to appeal to us, but they do have to appeal to more than 30% of the electorate, and that's where they're in trouble.

[lovingboth]

A winner-takes-all system rewards candidates who polarise the electorate, iff they can get enough people to vote for them. This is what Thatcher managed to do and I suggest it's what Palin can do.

2008 was a 40 year record turnout at just over 60%. Getting 30% of the electorate to vote for you would have won every other recent US election, because the other guy would have got less.

I reckon even McCain would have beaten Democratic nominee J Random Whiteguy. Given that Republicans seem to have genuinely wanted Clinton to win the nomination because of how many people hate her, I suspect he'd have beaten her too.

Were I an evil Republican, I would:

a) Make sure there's a green/left candidate capable of getting 3-5% of votes that would otherwise go to the Democrat. Get some rich backers to persuade Nader to run again on a 'Obama's not done enough for the environment' platform.

b) Make sure the Republican ticket includes someone who will get conservatives out voting for you. If that means Palin, swallow hard and think that you managed to deal with Bush Jr.

c) Start fixing things / 'Obama's letting you down' campaigning in Florida, Ohio and other close large states.

d) Be prepared to wait until 2012 to win if the economy is going very well by then.