Five Things you should know today, November 12, 2012

Good point (0.00 / 0)

Deval Patrick's Department of Public Health played a significant role in this scandal, focusing on social issues instead of doing their job.

Right, we've got to remember that it's the Democrats who have been "focusing on social issues."  So Edfactor's diary a few days ago kind of leaves that out. HE wrote "When someone is asked, in 2030, what happened to our culture, what will they say?" He completely leaves out the most obvious one: we only cared about gay rights and transgenderism and erasing gender roles and making everyone approve of homosexuality and gay marriage. It's social conservatives who are saying, hey guys, the world is falling apart and there are more important things than eliminating gender and marriage rights. It's pretty clear who the scapegoats will be in 20 years, and I think it's unfair.

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by: John Howard @ Mon Nov 12, 2012 at 16:52:11 PM UTC

Orrall Republicans (0.00 / 0)

Ryan Fattman & Keiko Orrall are the future of the party.  They won because they work hard to serve their constituents and treat their public service as even more than a full time job.  The Republican establishment should learn what it means to be a real Republican.

Blogger Motto:  The blog is mightier than a 12 gauge shotgun.

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by: cdplakeville @ Mon Nov 12, 2012 at 18:24:07 PM UTC

We need to get back "Webster's" seat!!! (0.00 / 0)

"Work is the essence of Man."

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by: Karl Marx @ Tue Nov 13, 2012 at 11:49:42 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

I wish we could run Ryan Fattman in every district (0.00 / 0)

However, Fattman can get 70% because he represents the third most conservative district in the state.

But here's why the Mass GOP is pathetic. Scott Brown took 60% of the vote in 2010 (Sorry, the 2012 data isn't ready yet) in 48 districts, we hold just 27 of them. If we could solidify the "Base" Districts, we'd need just 6 more seats for 54. We already have two districts where Brown scored less than 60% (O'Connell and Beaton). With the exception of guys like Ryan Fattman, we don't even know how to piece through victories on our own turf...

(R)- Outside 495

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by: MerrimackMan @ Mon Nov 12, 2012 at 18:33:45 PM UTC

The sky *did* fall (5.00 / 2)

Rob -

It is too bad that the gravity of what happened is not obvious to you, as it is to everyone outside the Republican activist core. You predicted that we would gain seats in the House this year. You predicted a hard-fought Scott Brown win. You thought Tisei could do it, though you weren't optimistic. You thought our home state governor could beat President Obama. I doubt you would have predicted Sean Bielat going from a 12 point loss in 2010 to a 25 point loss in 2012. I doubt you would have predicted the margins that Sheldon and Golnik lost by. Praise Ryan Fattman all you want. He's a hell of a guy and I am a huge fan. But him and Jim Lyons are the exceptions that prove the rule, not the model for the far-less-friendly other 75% of the state.

Worse than that, there is a now a national consensus that positions on abortion, gay marriage, and immigration are now killing us. Also that we are too old and too white in a diverse America. Nowhere in America are these bigger problems than here. And look at the acknowledgment! Several negative stories in the Boston Globe. Holly Robichaud losing her composure and blasting the voters like a petulant child.

So what would you consider the sky falling? Losing every house and senate seat and a suicide bombing of Merrimac Street by an Occupy Boston protester?

We have passed a tipping point. The Massachusetts electorate and the National GOP have been slowly moving apart for years now. What finally happened in 2012 is that they are now so far apart, that even talented, well-funded candidates cannot create a winning coalition to win higher office anymore, no matter how far they distance themselves from the noxious brand.

What you don't realize is the incredibly negative effect on morale this will have on Republicans everywhere. You don't even see what losing statewide relevance will do to our media coverage, our fundraising, and our image. The middle-of-the-road people will abandon us. Lots of activists won't see the point of sacrificing family time to help anymore. We will actually accelerate into being something like the green party, where winning is no longer the goal for the vast majority of races. For example, look how few seats were even contested this year! Do you think we will now have more people willing to waste their time? No - we will have fewer candidates. Sure, you might get lots of sacrificial lambs. But we will become a party of sheep.

This is why, if the MassGOP is to have a future, we must break from the culture of the national party and build something new. (Forgot to mention, I have spoken to some CRs and YRs. If we adopt the national party platform tomorrow, they have told me they are done.)

But if we do rebuild something more inclusive and distinct from the GOP, it will be something guys like you will like - eventually. But we will have better government. And that was what the damned party was for in the first place, not to wage a religiously-inspired culture war.

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by: edfactor @ Mon Nov 12, 2012 at 23:07:47 PM UTC

excellent comment (0.00 / 0)

Thank you

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by: StartedoutRepublican @ Tue Nov 13, 2012 at 09:30:06 AM UTC

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Great analysis. Unfortunately the raw meat crowd (0.00 / 0)

doesn't get this critical reality-based concept you boldly state: "If the MassGOP is to have a future, we must break from the culture of the national party and build something new."  

"Work is the essence of Man."

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by: Karl Marx @ Tue Nov 13, 2012 at 11:50:53 AM UTC

[ Parent ]