[NapRover]

Sen. Dick Lugar is losing his seat after 6 terms. Indiana is showing that is back to red, RINO's are not wanted.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/08/politi...ent=My +Yahoo

[Domi]

I cringe at the thought of the House and Senate being made up of nothing but far left and right wingers but we are rapidly approaching that day.

[HistoryBuff]

Originally Posted by Domi

I cringe at the thought of the House and Senate being made up of nothing but far left and right wingers but we are rapidly approaching that day.

Domi, I couldn't agree more. As a fourth generation Republican, I an saddened by the defeat of Lugar as he believed in what this country needs most of all: Bi-partisian agreements.

Unfortunately, we are headed in the opposite direction. We are headed to a polarized government where nothing CAN get done because both sides have their far side nuts in charge.

Unfortunately the far right side of the Republican party, spured by nuts like Limbaugh, Hannity & Beck, think they can control the government and pass their agenda. And when they can't...they back themselves into a corner and refuse to discuss any "compromise." (and don't get me wrong, the far left members of the Democrats led by Pelosi and that lady from Florida are just as bad...the only difference is they don't have near as many seats right now as the Right wing Republicans.)
There is a great website called "270 to Win" and you can use it to look at scenerios for the Presidential election and the Senate elections. It will also allow you to flip states to see how many seats Republicans can win in the Senate.
I have looked realistically at the elections and flipped states to who I think is likely to win the Senate seats. It is pretty much a given that Republicans should win a majority in the Senate BUT there is no way for them to get to 60 seats. The most optimistic map I have made for Republicans show them with only 55 at the most. Without 60 seats, the Democrats will do the same delaying tactics that the Republicans have done during this term and the Senate will grind to a halt as it is currently. Will Republicans use the "nuclear option" and get ride of the Fillibuster?? Only if they want to look really stupid. (and remember...they won't always have a majority).
Looking at the Presidential race... it looks to be close and, unfortunately, I feel Obama may win a second term. If there is a Republican controlled Congress and Democratic President, it will be total gridlock as Republicans will not have enough seats in either house to over ride the veto.

So that brings us back to Lugar and members of Congress like him.... compromise would be needed but the radical members of both parties will not allow that to happen.

I fear this election is going to leave the country with its worst government in history and will lead us to total collapse due to its inability to compromise and work together.

The other problem is that neither party has a strong enough leader to stand up and say this is how it needs to be done. Obama has become a big chicken... afraid of making anybody mad. He won't compromise because it will upset the far left of his party. He won't use the entire power of the Presidency to put forth his parties entire agenda because it will alienate the Independent voters. So he is stuck in the middle. The only thing he is doing is making the situation worse by encouraging class warfare. Stop talking about the "rich Americans" and the "poor Americans" and refer to all of them as "Americans." By attempting to pit the classes against each other all he is doing is further pushing both sides away from the middle and away from potential compromise.

[BGFalcons82]

Oh wait....I thought the Tea Party was "over"?? It's best days were in the past. The Tea Party has no more clout.

Uh-huh. Keep sayin it. Another RINO bites the dust..and another ones gone and another ones gone..another one bites the dust.

[bethere]

Originally Posted by BGFalcons82

Oh wait....I thought the Tea Party was "over"?? It's best days were in the past. The Tea Party has no more clout.

Uh-huh. Keep sayin it. Another RINO bites the dust..and another ones gone and another ones gone..another one bites the dust.

ooops. i predicted this months ago, and i reminded you guys of it as recently as a couple of days ago. i did it in the context of the reality that this nominee will cost you guys the senate.

haha.

you are executing your own people.

[jimmacqueen]

Originally Posted by BGFalcons82

Oh wait....I thought the Tea Party was "over"?? It's best days were in the past. The Tea Party has no more clout.

Uh-huh. Keep sayin it. Another RINO bites the dust..and another ones gone and another ones gone..another one bites the dust.

Well, we'll see. The more likely outcome is that Indiana will send a Democrat to the Senate in Lugar's seat. I think some of you have mis-read this result. Old, white, rich men no longer will rule Indiana come November.

[majorspark]

Sometimes these guys never want to go. Serve your time and move on. They get so entrenched in Washington politics and the power that surrounds it they just can't give it up. The article said he has not lived in Indiana since 1977.

Guys like Robert Byrd and Strom Thurmond were practically drooling in their wheelchairs as members of the senate. Thurmond at nearly 100 would pass out at his desk on the senate floor. There last years their aids were running the show. They are running nothing more than a name.

Good for the people of Indiana.

[bethere]

Originally Posted by majorspark

Sometimes these guys never want to go. Serve your time and move on. They get so entrenched in Washington politics and the power that surrounds it they just can't give it up. The article said he has not lived in Indiana since 1977.

Guys like Robert Byrd and Strom Thurmond were practically drooling in their wheelchairs as members of the senate. Thurmond at nearly 100 would pass out at his desk on the senate floor. There last years their aids were running the show. They are running nothing more than a name.

Good for the people of Indiana.

orin hatch is next!

c'ya!

haha!

[majorspark]

Originally Posted by bethere

orin hatch is next!

I am ready for some of these long serving senators to go. But I think Hatch hangs on.

[bethere]

Originally Posted by majorspark

I am ready for some of these long serving senators to go. But I think Hatch hangs on.

i think he goes down because nevada is a caucus state and the ron paul people/tea party people are organizing heavily there to get a majority of the delegates for the convention.

it'll be low turnout because the candidate has already been decided and this is a state that nominated angle in a low turnout primary last time.

with the service union in las vegas etd. i think nevada is in play for the democrats.

take it from someone who knows. the lower profile the election the more important the field operation is. the tea party has a better organization than the incumbent, but the dem state party and the service union have a better organization statewide than the tea party.

when you 'retire' hatch you will also retire all of his staff, and those are the only gop brains who are left in that state who has ever won statewide in a general election. multiple media markets, any state is a tough thing to grasp unless you have already established contacts in and out of the media and the party.

[fbgom]

Originally Posted by bethere

i think he goes down because nevada is a caucus state and the ron paul people/tea party people are organizing heavily there to get a majority of the delegates for the convention.

it'll be low turnout because the candidate has already been decided and this is a state that nominated angle in a low turnout primary last time.

with the service union in las vegas etd. i think nevada is in play for the democrats.

take it from someone who knows. the lower profile the election the more important the field operation is. the tea party has a better organization than the incumbent, but the dem state party and the service union have a better organization statewide than the tea party.

when you 'retire' hatch you will also retire all of his staff, and those are the only gop brains who are left in that state who has ever won statewide in a general election. multiple media markets, any state is a tough thing to grasp unless you have already established contacts in and out of the media and the party.

Clearly I don't have the same grasp of political issues as some of the "experts" here, so please enlighten me on how this relates to Orrin Hatch, the Senator from UTAH?

[NapRover]

Well the French and Greeks just showed that controlling debt is not popular at all. So I'm guessing a sizeable portion of Americans will follow their lead, while the rest of us, watching the world slide into a recession over it, will try harder to mobilize the vote to reverse the trend somehow. Lugar certainly wasn't going to help. If Hatch won't help, dump him too.

[o.a.b.]

Originally Posted by NapRover

Well the French and Greeks just showed that controlling debt is not popular at all. So I'm guessing a sizeable portion of Americans will follow their lead, while the rest of us, watching the world slide into a recession over it, will try harder to mobilize the vote to reverse the trend somehow. Lugar certainly wasn't going to help. If Hatch won't help, dump him too.

As George Carlin once asked- " If every country is broke,Where did the money go ? " If you want to blame Obama,look at the total global scene.He didn't spend the francs and drachmas--he didn't set up the lenient trade policies with a COMMUNIST China--he DID re-invest money in American companies--but alas,those big bad unions are even more evil than the Commies.The economy is atilt because the world's RESOURCES,not its money are being stretched to the limit.Republican answer : Those who have the least need to sacrifice more while we draw our obscene salaries and speak of smaller less government.Moronic,ludicrous,and the perfect oxymoron.Unless Republican leaders slash jobs at the top and the salaries afforded them,they are but a gong in the wind.Take note,Mr. Boehner and Mr.Kasich.On the other hand,GWB re-invested in money handlers--who creates jobs ? Those doing the work or those keeping score ?

[HistoryBuff]

Three of the greatest "victories" in foreign affairs in the last 50 years have taken place because Presidents went against the beliefs of their parties and put the good ahead of political victories. John F. Kennedy was willing to go to war and put the country on the verge of war with the Soviets during the Cuban Missle Crisis > Democrats generally believe in "talk" and compromise to defuse situations instead of military action. Richard Nixon open discussions with and visted Communist China when his party had Communists and used the red scare & Eisenhower Doctrines toward US Policy. Ronald Reagan, the hero of the Republicans, who once called the Soviet Union an "evil empire" changed his stance and went against his party to work with Gorbachev toward peaceful relations and arms reductions.... and that led to the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Soviet Union.

That is the kind of leader that this country needs... someone who is willing to stand up to the far outside factions of his party and say: "nope, we are going to try it another way and work together." Obama and Santorium are not those type of people. My hope is that Mitt Romney might be since he is not far right Republican. (and I hope he stays moderate!)

[triton]

Lugar is probably the last of the Nixonian-type Republicans you'll see. By that I don't mean corrupt, but centrist. For all of the smearing of Nixon, his record is truly centrist.

[jimmacqueen]

Originally Posted by triton

Lugar is probably the last of the Nixonian-type Republicans you'll see. By that I don't mean corrupt, but centrist. For all of the smearing of Nixon, his record is truly centrist.

Correct. But it is mis-reading this result to think it is positive for either the Tea Party or republicans. Indiana always wanted middle of the road conservatives like Lugar and Quayle. A move towards the extreme right in republican candidates just opens the door for a more centrist Democrat to take the seat.

[triton]

Originally Posted by jimmacqueen

Correct. But it is mis-reading this result to think it is positive for either the Tea Party or republicans. Indiana always wanted middle of the road conservatives like Lugar and Quayle. A move towards the extreme right in republican candidates just opens the door for a more centrist Democrat to take the seat.

Sounds like you're describing Evan Bayh. What happened to him? The room moderates in both parties is shrinking. Remember Lieberman's last election?

[NapRover]

Originally Posted by triton

Sounds like you're describing Evan Bayh. What happened to him? The room moderates in both parties is shrinking. Remember Lieberman's last election?

Bayh, sick of the increasing polarization, retired in 2010. Not that he couldn't come back though.

[jimmacqueen]

No big loss, as Lugar was also a nut case, but Indiana republicans have put another nut case on their ballot:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...6pLid%3D159050

[fbgom]

Originally Posted by jimmacqueen

No big loss, as Lugar was also a nut case, but Indiana republicans have put another nut case on their ballot:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...6pLid%3D159050

Care to elaborate on what made him a "nut case"? Seemed to have the respect of colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Is it simply the "R" behind his name?