Krauthammer Gold

Krauthammer gold:

Why to vote for the GOP instead of staying home

If you are a conservative voter, the quote below is a must read.  It is the most cogent argument that I have yet seen against conservatives staying home for the midterm elections.

Via Jim Geraghty at National Review's Campaign Spot":

Ask yourself, why should Republican governors take the political hit of opposing the Medicaid expansion when A) grassroots conservatives ignore them or pretend they don’t exist or B) self-described conservative Republicans who most strongly oppose the Medicaid expansion proudly announce they’re not going to vote?

It’s fair to fume at the “Democrats win, therefore we must be more like Democrats to win” philosophy, but if Republican voters stay home, the electorate that is guaranteed to show up shifts to the left. After a few cycles of conservatives declaring “I’m staying home because the candidates aren’t rightward enough for my tastes,” it makes absolute sense for Republicans to try to be more like Democrats, because self-described conservative Republicans announce they’re not going to vote.

That's right.  If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.  As I've always said, it's going to be a lot easier to hold the feet of a conservative representative to the fire and get him to listen than to do the same with a liberal Democrat (as a conservative).  A Republican you can shift right with pressure.  The only direction a Democrat can shift is leftward.  Always.

People don't hate Congress

The GOP has a hold on the Congress and that isn't about to change.  Liberals frequently now decry that the Congress has a lower approval rating than the president.  This was true of the previous president as well.  But here's the open secret.  Most sitting representatives and senators are going to get re-elected.  It's not because of money.  It's not because of special interests.  It's not because of gerrymandering.  Sure, these all impact Congress to some degree.  But the real reason they get re-elected, liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, is because they are not hated by 90% of their own electorate the way the highly misleading Congressional approval rating indicates they might be.

Friday Musical Interlude - Theme For Great Cities

A Simple Minds instrumental piece from the early 80's.

Thursday Hillary Bash - Month long haitus for elections

As with the Wednesday Warren Warning, yesterday's scheduled Thursday Hillary Bash as well as upcoming ones have been put on hold for the next several weeks to concentrate on the upcoming midterm elections.  Both features will resume in November.

If you are curious as to what either potential Democratic candidate for president has stepped in, or tracking their strategic maneuvering, these are the two pieces to watch.  They'll be returning the week following the midterm elections.

For now, it's more important to focus on the fierce urgency of winning back the Senate from Democratic malfeasance and neglect.  That said, the Friday Musical Interlude will continue as planned, because those are fun and easy. 

Wednesday Warren Warning on hold

Since this is the last month before the midterms it seems prudent to focus on the Senate opportunities for the GOP.  Somebody should focus on it since the GOP and the big donors seem a bit aloof about the whole thing.  In any case, barring any important Elizabeth Warren news, the regular Wednesday feature will be  on hold until November.