Friday News Roundup - Domestic
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-11-09/friday-news-roundup-domestic
President Barack Obama is elected for another term. The U.S. House stays Republican and the Senate gains two Democratic seats. And the focus turns to avoiding the fiscal cliff. Diane and a panel of journalists discuss the week’s top national stories, what happened and why.
Guests
Ron Elving
senior Washington editor for NPR.
Susan Page
Washington bureau chief for USA Today.
Naftali Bendavid
national correspondent for The Wall Street Journal.
Friday News Roundup Video
The 2012 national elections ushered in a historic number of female legislators, including key wins by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Tammy Baldwin and Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. Ron Elving of NPR said the number of women running for office, the quality of their candidacies and re-election rates hit record highs, as did voter turnout among women. "I remember when I first start working for the United States Senate as a staff member in 1985, there was not a women's restroom on the level with the Senate chamber. They had to go to another floor, and there weren't that many to go there," Elving said. "So we have just transformed the Senate in that 30 year period." USA Today's Susan Page said studies indicate that female elected officials tend to seek alliances and common ground across party lines more than their male counterparts do.
Comments
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Hi Diane,
I would like your guests to comment on the election outcome in the House of Representatives. Government remains divided even though nationally, more votes were cast for house Democrats than house Republicans. Looking state by state, in places where Republicans controlled redistricting, more Republicans were elected than the vote totals might suggest! This seems deeply anti-democratic, to me. (Especially when some Republicans are claiming an electoral mandate based on their house majority!)
Thank you!
Dan Zaleznik wrote: "Looking state by state, in places where Republicans controlled redistricting, more Republicans were elected than the vote totals might suggest! This seems deeply anti-democratic, to me"
You might want to take a look where democrats controlled redistricting, Illinois for example. This is the way it has been done by both parties for decades. May I suggest a little more objective analysis.
Nothing to do with the above but a great article just the same.
"Why Hispanics Don’t Vote for Republicans"
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/332916/why-hispanics-dont-vote-repu...
What`s it like being a Florida voter? In 2000 the Republican Supreme Court took your right of voting away from you,and voted for you. This year your Republican Governor has created such a mess your votes still haven`t been counted. SWING STATE,REALLY? Sounds like your State is swinging from a Republican NOOSE !
Clifford wrote:
" Sounds like your State is swinging from a Republican NOOSE !"
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You must write for VP Biden. He is into chains and nooses. What is it with liberals? Even after they win the election and pick up seats in the Senate, they are still petty, petulant, pedantic and perfidious.
Your guests on Thursday’s show about the Republican Party's future perfectly exemplified the main issue facing the party: Namely, pathological self-denial. I’m a conservative independent male in my 50’s – supposedly the “sweet spot” for the Republican Party. I voted for Reagan and Bush 1. But your guests, and many Party members, seem incapable of distinguishing what they personally think the Republican Party stands for, and reality as determined by its actions in recent years. For example, one fellow said he didn’t understand R opposition to the Dream Act because ‘Republicans stand for opportunity, equality, and reward for hard work. That’s who we are.’ I hate to tell him, but no, that may be who YOU are but that’s NOT what the Party stands for now. It stands for exploitation of the poor. It stands for obstructionism. It stands for vilification of immigrants, particularly Latinos. It stands for voter intimidation and disenfranchisement. You can say all you want, but that’s what it does. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s admonition that R’s can no longer treat women as a “throw away” constituency sounds as if the R’s could win women back simply by paying more attention to them. But they don’t treat women as a throw away constituency, they treat them as chattel. So it’s like a rancher paying more attention to his cows: He may spend more time on the range but does he really see them as equal? These are basic issues that your guests either don’t recognize or want to gloss over with self-delusional pabulum like a child thinking they’re invisible because they’ve covered their eyes.
Until the many well-meaning centrist Republicans wake up to the fact that what they view or wish to see as the “Republican Party” no longer exists, that it has been co-opted by increasingly fringe ideologues, and deal with that REALITY head on, they are in a world of hurt going forward. Wake up, Republicans, and shout, “Dude, where’s my party?!”
Eyes Wide Shut wrote:
"Until the many well-meaning centrist Republicans wake up to the fact that what they view or wish to see as the “Republican Party” no longer exists, that it has been co-opted by increasingly fringe ideologues..."
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Mitt Romney, the ex governor of one of the most liberal northern states, is one of the "fringe ideologues?" Ridiculous! Why would Republicans want to mimic the Democratic Party line of bigger federal government and more free goverment stuff? Then there would not be any difference in the two parties. The Republican Party survived five Democratic President elections in a row. It can survive Obama's re-election. The question is will the country survive the re-election.
BTW: The liberals always complain about the lack of the "big tent" in conservative party politics, but the lame stream media and the usual liberal talking heads savage any minority that dares join the Republican Party. Liberals are tolerant of all opinions as long as they share them.
Current Republicans want a great big tent.....but hire bouncers and narrow minded ticket takers to keep everyone but The Chosen People out......and the Chosen are a select few. Give us your votes but leave your needs and ethnicity outside.
The Clowns are now in charge of their circus.
HonestAbe wrote:
"Current Republicans want a great big tent.....but hire bouncers and narrow minded ticket takers to keep everyone but The Chosen People out......and the Chosen are a select few. Give us your votes but leave your needs and ethnicity outside.
The Clowns are now in charge of their circus."
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Thank you for demonstrating the liberal nonsensical and hypocritical assessment regarding minorities in the Republican Party. Conservative minorities must first be subjected to some liberal notion of what it is to be a conservative and a minority before they can escape ridicule..and then they are ridiculed anyway.
Not to mention the flak that Hollywood actors receive from the usual liberal suspects when they dare to support a Republican candidate. There should be a mandatory tolerant management class for liberals.
No, Mr. Buster, I do not believe that Mr. Romney is a fringe ideologue. Rather, that he was necessarily co-opted by them in order to secure the primary nomination, and as a result he could not re-establish his bona fides as rationalist to the American public in time for the general election.
By the way, in case you missed it my point is one in favor of resuscitating the Republican Party, not attacking it. But thank you for your comments -- they completely validate my observations. I owe you a beer.
Google my asfoxseesit blog for how it played in Bama on Tuesday and the fallout for the Crimson Tide and Fundamentalist Baptists in Dekalb County
Norm Ornstein Fresh Air interview yesterday was stellar.
And I am reading the Joe Crespino book on Strom Thurmond. I posted on my alma mater Furman facebook wall today.
Hope DRshow has Emory's Crespino on soon. Google the review of his book at the New Republic
Phil A Buster wrote:
Not to mention the flak that Hollywood actors receive from the usual liberal suspects when they dare to support a Republican candidate. There should be a mandatory tolerant management class for liberals.
I'm sure this is only a one way street. I'm sure conservatives are so tolerant. At least in hollywood, conservatives are allowed to thrive economically:
Clint Eastwood
Bruce Willis
Kelsey Grammer
Gary Sinise
Patricia Heaton
Jon Voight
Sylvester Stallone
And that is just a small sample. Show us the same type of tolerance by the Christian Right. Or tell us what happened to Frum when he moderated or dared to criticize the right.
Matthew 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?
President Obama's 2012 electoral victory is widely attributed to his team's superior ground organization. The same was said for his Iowa win in 2008. In 2008 few pundits mocked Mr. Obama's community organizing background. I guess community organizing wins the day!
Concerning the Fiscal Cliff, the only path to a reasonable tax polivy is to let the Bush cuts expire. Then all further proposals would be tax cuts that would not violate the Norquist pledge which I believe is the greatest obstacle to a compromise.
I see we are still discussing the republican parties "problems". I have heard all the theories out there at nauseum as to why Romney lost, most of the time the reason for anything is the least complicated one. People want government handouts! What I see is excuse making, to say you supported Obama because he "understands" or I am "insulted" as a black person or I am "demonized" for being Hispanic, "marginalized" as a woman etc. etc.. GARBAGE! It's much easier on the ego and a lot less embarrassing to claim, "I'm a victim", than it is to say I want government handouts because life is just too much work. I see it in my own white family, I see it everywhere. Traditional values and ethics that have worked for centuries about work and family are almost dead.
"Traditional values and ethics that have worked for centuries about work and family are almost dead."
One wonders why you conservatives continue to bother....seems like the election was a resounding repudiation of your ethos.
It is obvious the Republican Party has to do some soul searching in light of national results on Tuesday. I am curious as to why no one in the Republican Party has the cajones to stand up to the Rush Limbaugh's, Glenn Beck's and other cowards who ruthlessly disparage Blacks, Latinos, Women and the Gay community. All form of re-branding by the party will only be window-dressing until they do some soul searching and find out why cowards like this are so popular among conservatives.
Teece Bowman wrote: "resounding repudiation of your ethos."
Pretty much that is what I said.
It could very well be that the republican party is reduced to the role of the permanent obstructionist, there might be no other choice if what I outlined is true.
Why does there seem to be no 'push back' from the moderate wing of the Republican Party? Is that wing so small now that it has not even a small voice? The current leadership and punditry for the Republicans still do not seem to understand what has happened. If I am a Republican (I am not by the way) I would be very afraid right now.
bpetryvt wrote:
Concerning the Fiscal Cliff, the only path to a reasonable tax polivy is to let the Bush cuts expire. Then all further proposals would be tax cuts that would not violate the Norquist pledge which I believe is the greatest obstacle to a compromise.
I'm a little surprised that any sane person would pledge allegience to Norquist. Since when is he the United States of America?
gary k wrote: "I'm a little surprised that any sane person would pledge allegience to Norquist"
I am surprised that any sane person does not recognize the unsustainable runaway government spending we have and does not see the Norquist pledge as the only viable remedy that the voter has.
Drshow & friends,
After all the media hype had raised the tension about how close election was to be, it was an enormous relief to those who believe the saner of the two parties won dramatically.
Still discouraging is the prospect of what will probably again be a "last second compromise” Dems will have to make with Cantor & friends in the House concerning "fiscal cliff". In previous negotiations, Dems have bent so far to the right in effort to get SOMETHING done, that what we may end up with will mostly please Norquist.
I believe if we choose too much austerity too soon, our economy may quickly begin to mirror failing economies in Europe who have chosen a similar path.
Isn't it wonderful to see that one person has all the answers to the problems facing the country and everyone else is wrong or wanting free handouts or............I don't know why he didn't run for President. LMAO
Other than "don't vote for Romney," Obama's campaign was essentially this:
Raise taxes on the rich
Support the environment with clean energy and more regulation
Support for gay marriage and gays in the military
Protect abortion
All of those are liberal positions.
In addition, two states legalized gay marriage and a third rejected making it illegal.
Sherrod Brown, outspent 3:1, won re-election.
Elizabeth Warren won.
Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay Senator, won. All are left-of-center.
Finally, two states legalized weed!
My question is when is the "liberal" media going to stop the hand wringing about the Republicans and start talking about the most liberal election in my lifetime?
just don't think Hispanics, gays or women should believe an about
face on these issues. They want to win elections they know they
alienate these 3 demographics why should they believe the GOP will be
genuinely concerned..show us by walking the walk...
Actually I think we should not be devoting a show to the party of fear and loathing . A show should definitely be devoted to what we the people want to see from BHO in a second term!!! Like a trillion dollars towards solar and wind not war!!!!
get that trillion from a new revenue source..
"My question is when is the "liberal" media going to stop the hand wringing about the Republicans and start talking about the most liberal election in my lifetime?"
Unfortunately the way these things go is that the liberals will now form a circular firing squad and blow every gain they've made between now and 2014!
Sorry, wish it weren't true but.....
Partisan Politics-
Find an example of either party doing anything to control the "unsustainable runaway government spending". It exists only as a Republican Party talking point when they can't do anything about it. Eight years of opportunity to do something about it resulted in a doubling of the national debt as the result of a tax cut promoted to return the expected surplus (it worked only too well) an unfunded war costing nominally $100 billion per year and an unfunded Medicare prescription drug plan. If you check the web you'll find that Republicans add more to the national debt than Democrats since WWII.
Didn't realize the Amazing Kreskin listened to Diane Rehm. When can I catch your show? Thanks Teece aka The Amazing Kreskin
Approximately 6 billion spent on this election and Dems hold the Presidency, the Senate and the Republicans hold the house with the Dems winning a few more seats in both the Senate and House. Does anyone know how the money breaks down for each seat won or lost. I know congress can create an amendment that would hold the US vs Citizens United in check. Do any of your guest think we will see anything done?
Also will we see any legislation pushed to standardize the Federal election system across the nation? Aye yi yi
Democrats have won the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 Presidential elections. Why is that not a clear mandate? How can some still claim that we are more conservative, and that the Republcan Party is the "natural fit" for most Americans?
Last night on the Rachel Maddow Show, Congressman Barney Frank said that if the 2012 votes had been applied to the 2008 district maps, the Democrats would control the House of Representatives. I want to know if this is true.