Comments on: GOP Not Ready to Lead?

By: Art Deco

Art Deco — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 23:24:53 +0000

There are likely individual members of Congress and small collectives within the Republican caucus that retain an interest in promoting alternatives in public policy (some of those speaking in after hours sessions on C-SPAN on medical insurance I think are among them). Considered as a whole, the Republican caucus has lapsed into vacuity, and Mr. Boehner is as responsible as anyone. Kevin Williamson offers some thoughts here.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NGM0ZmJlZmU0Yzg2YjM5YmIzM2M1YzEyN2JmNDcwODA=

By: Scott H. Payne

Scott H. Payne — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:33:15 +0000

Gotcha. Well, whether he’s right or not and whether he’s influential or not, I still thought his comment was candid and for that I’ll give him (perhaps meager) points.

By: Koz

Koz — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:12:55 +0000

Not so much yours as his. Though now that I come to think of it, he might obtuse enough to genuinely believe it. To actually accomplish things in Washington will require GOP Congressmen to confront things that Steele has in general ran away from. More than that, Steele is really in no position to give anybody advice on anything. In contrast to Howard Dean, eg, no one really cares about his opinion including (I’m guessing) you.

By: Scott H. Payne

Scott H. Payne — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:52:08 +0000

So your argument is that no matter what I say I’m commenting in bad faith…

By: Koz

Koz — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:44:22 +0000

The “principles” which are conveniently laid out in his new book, which AFAIK nobody has read. Somehow I doubt you would see this the same way if it were Rush Limbaugh or Hannity himself for that matter.

By: Scott H. Payne

Scott H. Payne — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:51:40 +0000

I’m pretty agnostic as far as Steele goes. He seems genuinely torn between trying to chart a new direction for the party and feeling hewn to its base, which, I think, results in some off-kilter behaviour at times. But, honestly, as far as political answers in media go, I found Steele’s response to Hannity about the future of the GOP to be precisely as I described it, “refreshingly candid”. I got the sense that he really was speaking his mind.

By: North

North — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:58:18 +0000

You are a patriot Jay. No doubt about it.

By: Jaybird

Jaybird — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:54:45 +0000

If I knew it’d guarantee a second term and gridlock, I’d provide the necessary to make sure we could have another Ken Starresque investigation.

By: Koz

Koz — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:30:31 +0000

“Refreshingly candid”? There’s not very many people who take Michael Steele seriously, and frankly I doubt if you’re one of them.

By: North

North — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 17:23:06 +0000

I’m sure that’ll be some consolation to him Jay. Though considering how his base will probably want to run him out of town on a rail if he doesn’t deliver something significant with the supermajorities he was handed I don’t know if he’d want to make that trade.

We’ll see though. It seems to be past most of its’ hurdles, warts and all.