The Real Progressive

If you’ve been listening to the right wing rhetoric you would believe that Democrats should head for the hills this November. This midterm, blue districts will turn red. Red districts will turn redder. President Obama should be packing up the family and his dog, Bo, in advance of 2012. The red march in on!

All right calm down before you start stock piling food and medical supplies, the GOP must overcome some serious obstacles before they can claim victory in November.

1. The Tea Party Split. They are either a blessing or a curse to the GOP. These days they are leaning more on the curse side since they are more likely to be vote splitters this November.

For example, embattled incumbent Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is facing heavy opposition from conservative talk show host, and Tea Party candidate, JD Hayworth. Down in the polls, McCain called on his former VP running mate, and Tea Party darling, Sarah Palin, to stump for him. She did, but though the TPs love her, they’re still voting for Hayworth because he’s their kind of crazy … I mean conservative.

If more TP candidates win the Republican nomination, it just may cause usual Republicans not to vote and sway independents to the more moderate Democrats. If the TP candidate does not get the Republican nomination, TP candidates are willing to run on their own ticket and take their votes with them. A boon for a struggling Democrat candidate.

2. Party of Hell No! Oh NO! I’m sure that in his head that it sounded pretty good but when Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) went off with his Hell No! rant I had to laugh. Seriously??? This is what the GOP is going to run on???
It was just one more joke to add to what the GOP stood for: Got Zero Plans, to Hell No!!! But no to what? … Better Health Care…. Reform on Wall Street … Nuclear Arms Treaties …Tax cuts for the middle class, jobs bills to get America working. Seriously??? So, Hell No I’m not coming to your party. Sounds irrationally angry and kind of lame.

3. Health Care. So on the eve of the House passing the Health Care Reform Bill, Republicans were swearing up and down and in front of every microphone they could find that they were going to “repeal the bill”. It made the base and Tea Baggers giddy at the prospect. That is what they were going to run on for the November sweep.

But when people started finding out what goodies and common sense reforms were in the hated bill, the Republican mantra became “Repeal and Replace.” Replace with what? All of the really good GOP plays are already in the bill. So then the mantra became “we’ll just tweek the bill” All that hoopla over tweeks? The closer we get to November and the more people find out how they are going to benefit from Health Care Reform, the more popular it and the Democrats will be.The GOP is painting itself into a corner.

Stay tuned for Part II.