Are Republicans still a National Party?

[Soriak]

Duh, everyone knows the president is involved when it comes to planning pictures of Air Force One.

[tad10]

Originally Posted by Soriak

Duh, everyone knows the president is involved when it comes to planning pictures of Air Force One.

No sale. If I had tried to make the same defense for Bush (he wasn't involved) you guys would have been all over me like white on rice.

Originally Posted by Itzena

Plus, you know, the reason that Sebelius wasn't nominated until now was that Republicans were muttering and grumbling about her because she supports abortion.

Did Obama have other nominees that got ejected? Yes. Is the Senate controlled by Dems? Yes. Would Specter (who supports abortion) have voted for her no matter what? Yes. Was an HHS even a priority for Obama? Nope.

So again. No Sale.

You guys make excuses for Obama's fuckups that you wouldn't if Bush had done the same thing.

Hypocrisy, it's not just for dinner.

[I'm Rich Bitch]

Originally Posted by tad10

you're trying to draw an equivalency between one network (FNC) and ABC, NBC,CBS, MSNBC and PBS.

And one large newspaper (WSJ), two middling newspapers (Times/Post) and the AP, Reuters, and every other fucking newspaper in the United States.

Yeah those are exactly the same...

Wrong. I reject the Fox News/Brent Bozell talking point that the media is Left Bias. It is not. The Media Research Center of Brent Bozell has spent a lot of money and effort to sell the idea that the media is bias so that an entity like Fox News could be credible to Republicans.

The media is the media, however Fox News and the Murdock properties are RNC propaganda.

Please point to specific incidents of Left Bias in the media without using Liberal Commentators like Keith Olbermann. Of course Fox News promotes the notion that Keith Olbermann and Jon Stewart are the "Mainstream Media" yet reject the notion that Sean Hannity is the "Mainstream Media".

Notice that whenever a Republican mentions "Liberal Media Bias" they point to Keith Olbermann yet they say Keith Olbermann does not have ratings. How can you have it both ways?

[I'm Rich Bitch]

Republicans complain about the "Mainstream Media", yet:

April Ratings: FNC Beats CNN and MSNBC Combined

How's this for cable news domination - Fox News beat CNN and MSNBC combined in every hour from 6amET to MidnightET in both Total Viewers and the A25-54 demo for April 2009.

FNC had the top 11 cable news programs in Total Viewers and 12 of the top 15 in the demo. FNC is the #2 network in Total Viewers on all of cable.

From 9amET on, every program grew by more than 60% in the demo. The 5pmET hour, now occupied by Glenn Beck, is up 212% in the demo and up 128% in Total Viewers. Your World with Neil Cavuto is up 102% in the demo and up 60% in Total Viewers. On the Record with Greta Van Susteren is up 75% in demo and up 55% in Total Viewers. Also in demo: FOX Report is up 75%, Special Report 70%, The O'Reilly Factor 74% and Hannity 64%.

Fox & Friends has now been #1 for 90 consecutive months, Studio B with Shepard Smith for 80 consecutive months.

Why isn't Fox News part of the "Mainstream Media"? No Republican has ever answered that one question. Also, if the so called Bias Liberal Media outlets do not have ratings, then how can they influence a Presidential election?

Fox News is enjoying great ratings because Democrats are in power just as Rush Limbaugh did when Clinton was in power. Fox News and talk radio will do everything possible to keep Democrats in power. We are seeing the fruits of their labor. Republicans are so blind with hatred that they do not see the relationship between Republican media ratings and the lower ratings of the actual RNC. I betca David Axelrod unders that however and is using it to his advantage.

High ratings at Fox News = So Far, Obama Remains Popular With Public

WASHINGTON -- A hundred days into his presidency, Barack Obama's standing with the public remains high, increasing the odds he can enact his ambitious agenda. Most Americans like their new president, even amid some reservations about his policy goals, a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll finds.

For the Republican opposition, the poll had scant good news. By a wide margin, the public is more likely to blame congressional Republicans for any gridlock.

This is from your RNC rag the WSJ so you don't think it is from the Liberal Bias Media.

[AladainAF]

Why isn't Fox News part of the "Mainstream Media"?

I've always referred to the "Mainstream Media" as the big 3. Channels like CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc don't report news. They report opinion. The word "Media" in that phrase is certainly misleading though, no question.

[I'm Rich Bitch]

Originally Posted by AladainAF

I've always referred to the "Mainstream Media" as the big 3. Channels like CNN, MSNBC, FOX, etc don't report news. They report opinion. The word "Media" in that phrase is certainly misleading though, no question.

True but any Republican who says "Mainstream Media" will use everyone from Oprah to Keith Olberman/Chris Mattews to Jon Stewart and never mention Sean Hannity. That is my point.

Some Conservative blogs I visit cite Saturday Night Live as the "Mainstream Media".

Nixon started the whole "Mainstream Media" thing in the 70s to cover up his activities. John McCain and Sarah Palin used it as a fall back plan as well.

[Draegan]

Originally Posted by tad10

Did Obama have other nominees that got ejected? Yes. Is the Senate controlled by Dems? Yes. Would Specter (who supports abortion) have voted for her no matter what? Yes. Was an HHS even a priority for Obama? Nope.

Actually before the nomination goes to the Senate floor for a vote it has to pass through a committee, which in this case was the finance committee. The finance committee has 10 Republicans out of 23 members, 8 of which have voted down the resolution to put the HHS vote to the Senate floor. Eight Republicans are enough to stop the vote.

Idiot.

[Haus]

Originally Posted by I'm Rich Bitch

True but any Republican who says "Mainstream Media" will use everyone from Oprah to Keith Olberman/Chris Mattews to Jon Stewart and never mention Sean Hannity. That is my point.

Some Conservative blogs I visit cite Saturday Night Live as the "Mainstream Media".

Nixon started the whole "Mainstream Media" thing in the 70s to cover up his activities. John McCain and Sarah Palin used it as a fall back plan as well.

Should I mention that tried and true concept of the "vast right-wing conspiracy" and how well it's served more than a few democrats in the same way the "liberal media" bit has served republicans? Or is you "blind to my side" issue going to act up?

And so you have a better frame of reference when trying to pour the Haterade on the new conservative in town...

The only polling sites I see that consistently have reliable results IMO are Rasmussen Reports™: The Most Comprehensive Public Opinion Data Anywhere and the old reliable pew research folks. For meta-polling I like RCP. I highly recommend Rasmussen, his stuff is good, and his guest columnists tend to be a balance, although his banner ads (for those who see them) have a lot of right wing leanings lately. An interesting recurring theme he's noticed is the fact that more than Republican and Democrat more and more he's seeing the divide between the "mainstream" class and the "political" class of individuals. Interesting read.

Whereas I have watched Fox News, I also regularly watch CNN, and occasionally MSNBC although I don't really get into MSNBC. Have never liked Limbaugh. Liked Hannity and Colmes, but once it was just Hannity that lost me. Glenn Beck annoys the living piss out of me. I have noticed that commentators who really echo fiscal liberal policy and beliefs aren't as good at stirrup up crowds so don't tend to keep a national show long. There's a local guy in Dallas named Mark Davis who is pretty good. One funny thing I have noticed is that Fox is putting Dennis Miller on screen a lot. I think they're testing the waters for him to have his own show.

I don't consider things like SNL or The Daily show as news, but I do wonder with more and more people claiming to get their information from the Daily Show and with it having more and more serious guests at what point does he drop the "but I just make fart jokes" premise.

[Erronius]

Originally Posted by Draegan

Actually before the nomination goes to the Senate floor for a vote it has to pass through a committee, which in this case was the finance committee. The finance committee has 10 Republicans out of 23 members, 8 of which have voted down the resolution to put the HHS vote to the Senate floor. Eight Republicans are enough to stop the vote.

Idiot.

This pretty much.

Retrieve Pages

Spoiler Alert, click show to read:

Mr. REID. Madam President, that is very unfortunate, but I understand. I now ask unanimous consent, as in executive session, that at a time to be determined by the majority leader, following consultation with the Republican leader, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 62, the nomination of Kathleen Sebelius to be Secretary of Health and Human Services; that there be 5 hours of debate with respect to this nomination, with the time equally divided and controlled between the leaders or their designees; that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate proceed to a vote on confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius; that upon confirmation, the normal procedure of the Senate be followed and that following that we resume legislative session.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Is there objection?
Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, reserving the right to object, this nomination came out of committee yesterday. It was fairly contentious. It was not a party-line vote, but a number of Members on my side opposed the nomination. So at least for today, I am not able to enter into a consent agreement on a time specific to consider the nomination of Governor Sebelius. I object.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Objection is heard.
Mr. REID. Madam President, we need not quibble on the time. It came out Tuesday or Wednesday, and I understand people may want to look at this more closely. That is fine. It appears to me it wouldn’t do me any good or the Senate any good to ask for more time at this time. No matter what time I set aside, the Republican leader couldn’t agree now?
Mr. MCCONNELL. I would say to my friend, the majority leader, I cannot today agree to a time specific for consideration of this nomination.

What's funny, is that early on the Finance Committee wasn't concerned and all gave their approval. Sebelius vetoes an abortion bill in Kansas, and suddenly the Republicans dig their heals in. Even Steele got involved, most likely trying to appeal to Republicans by sounding concerned over her position on abortion and playing the hard line by asking Obama to withdraw the nomination if the Tiller deal wasn't addressed.

The congressional record shows pretty clearly that the republicans didn't want to play ball on Sebelius, they kept delaying and countering the Dems as long as they could.

[I'm Rich Bitch]

Originally Posted by Haus

One funny thing I have noticed is that Fox is putting Dennis Miller on screen a lot. I think they're testing the waters for him to have his own show.

Dennis Miller is great. He is entertaining, intelligent and rational. If all conservatives were like Dennis Miller, Democrats would be worried. However, rational, logical thinkers do not get ratings; Sean Hannity-type morons get good ratings. Dennis will never make it on Fox News and will never get ratings like Rush Limbaugh. Republicans prefer wingnuts, not the "intellectual elites".

A logical Dennis Miller could never beat something like Glenn Beck.

[chaos]

Originally Posted by tad10

No sale. If I had tried to make the same defense for Bush (he wasn't involved) you guys would have been all over me like white on rice.



Did Obama have other nominees that got ejected? Yes. Is the Senate controlled by Dems? Yes. Would Specter (who supports abortion) have voted for her no matter what? Yes. Was an HHS even a priority for Obama? Nope.

So again. No Sale.

You guys make excuses for Obama's fuckups that you wouldn't if Bush had done the same thing.

Hypocrisy, it's not just for dinner.

Dude, no. There are plenty of valid criticisms of Obama, this stuff is bullshit, and it would have been if it were Bush. "You guys" are probably capable of evaluating situations individually, rather than bleating the partisan line on every single action the man takes.

I didn't like Bush, but that was mostly because i disagreed with his foreign policy approach (some would call it "ham-fisted") and religion/personal freedoms/blah blah blah. There were enough big issues to disagree on, that I didn't have to get pissed off every time he went to clear brush at his ranch or some shit. It's silly. No reasonable person would imagine that he had any knowledge of some photo op, in fact I think that would raise pretty serious questions about his leadership ability if he was off planning photo shoots. As for Sebellius, you're acting like you don't know how the game is played.

Whatever, stuff like this was dumb when people did it to Bush and it's dumb when you are trying to do it to Obama. He didn't plan the goddamn photo shoot. If you want to hold him responsible for that, whatever I guess, it doesn't make much sense but I suppose you could do it.

[Lleauaric~EW]

Originally Posted by Haus

The only polling sites I see that consistently have reliable results IMO are Rasmussen Reports™: The Most Comprehensive Public Opinion Data Anywhere

rofl.

Sure, maybe on the electoral stuff they are good, but if you do not recognize the fact that Ras is the in house pollster for the Right, then you just cannot be taken seriously. Everything off election and into analysis is pretty much horseshit.

Rasmussen And Gallup: Skewing Obama's Approval? - The Atlantic Politics Channel

I know you like Ras, mostly because he is telling you what you want to hear. But the reality is that Steve Rassmussen is an outspoken conservative and a member of the religious right. He also knows where his bread is buttered, and part of that is keeping the Rubes happy and filled with info-soma.

Sure, the left has their version of Ras, but you would be just a big of an idiot if you claimed that one to be "consistently reliable", although you would correct if you wrote "consistently reliable to be full of shit".

[I'm Rich Bitch]

Originally Posted by tad10

You guys make excuses for Obama's fuckups that you wouldn't if Bush had done the same thing.

Hypocrisy, it's not just for dinner.

The problem is that Republicans only have manufactured issues like the teleprompter thing, that ridiculous tea bagging stuff you are doing, and other Coulter/Limbaugh/Beck/O'Reilly/Hannity-type bullshit.

Democrats bashed Bush because he sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to a unnecessary war based on blatant lies made by his administration, namely his Vice President. That is a big difference compared to the absolute nonsense we hear from Republicans about bowing, teleprompters, ACORN, "He gave an ipod to the Queen" and whatever the latest Drudge headline tells them to be outraged about.

There is a potential issue with the amount of spending that Obama is doing to fix the problems we have from Bush but the Republicans are like the boy who cried wolf. They yell and scream about so much absolute bullshit that when they have a valid issue no one listens. The way they try to bring up the issue is by some Fox News generated tea bag shit that no one outside of the wingnutisphere understands.

Until Republicans grow up, stop with the talking points about lower taxes and the Mainstream media, and put down the Mark Levin and Ann Coulter books, they will continue to sink into obscurity and possibly will cease to exist. But hey, all the RINOs will be gone. It is going to get much worse for the Republican party as the factors that cause them problems grow stronger. The biggest factor both literally and figuratively is Rush Limbaugh. If he dies before 2016 they may have a chance. The Republican party will remain in obscurity as long as Rush Limbaugh is alive. 2010 and 2012 will be another bloodbath. During that time, Rush will enjoy record ratings. He will become more and more extreme to keep his ratings and all the money it brings. Limbaugh is a cancer not only on the country but particularly on the Republican Party. He is killing it very slowly.

Every time a Republican yells "Socialism", their party shrinks by a fraction of a percent. The only good news I can see at this point for the Republican Party is that Rush Limbaugh does not look to be in good health. He may indeed die before 2016.

[Draegan]

I watched Hannity last night on Fox for shits and giggles. Holy fuck, I don't think I ever saw a live echo chamber before. Hannity would spout half truths and lies and he had some LAPD Detective just agree with everything he said and some hot broad add in a little crazy, then you had some random liberal laughing at them saying, "No.. not true... sorry what? ..No ..Shhh. Lol!"

Some woman actually said that Obama was the least popular president in the last 50 years or something.

I've heard Hannity's show on the radio but his Fox News show is out of control stupid.

[Heylel Teomim]

Yeah they've managed to spin one possible statistic of his popularity to call him the least popular president in 50 years. It's patently false, but plenty of folks will believe it.

It's becoming offensive. I never thought I would pine for the halcyon days of the Clinton impeachment, but honestly back then the Reps were being nicer.