Why Republicans should be blamed for the government shutdown

[josephpalazzo]

Funny when people constantly rant against inflation when it's been around 2-3% for the last 10 years.

http://www.rateinflation.com/inflation- ... ation-rate

[LikelyToBreak]

It doesn't really matter who gets the blame.  A year from now in November, the incumbents will get re-elected.

From://http://theweek.com/article/index/244008/if-congress-is-so-unpopular-why-do-lawmakers-keep-getting-re-elected

Last year, 90 percent of House incumbents won re-election, according to OpenSecrets, despite polls pegging Congress' approval rating at around 20 percent heading into Election Day. In 2004, voters sent fully 98 percent of incumbents back to Washington even though a majority said they disapproved of Congress' job performance.

So, you see most of the electorate doesn't really give a rat's ass about what Congress does.  They vote for name recognition or team D or team R.  So both parties can grandstand all they want and not worry about it.

[PopeyesPappy]

It doesn't really matter who gets the blame.  A year from now in November, the incumbents will get re-elected.

From://http://theweek.com/article/index/244008/if-congress-is-so-unpopular-why-do-lawmakers-keep-getting-re-elected

Last year, 90 percent of House incumbents won re-election, according to OpenSecrets, despite polls pegging Congress' approval rating at around 20 percent heading into Election Day. In 2004, voters sent fully 98 percent of incumbents back to Washington even though a majority said they disapproved of Congress' job performance.

So, you see most of the electorate doesn't really give a rat's ass about what Congress does.  They vote for name recognition or team D or team R.  So both parties can grandstand all they want and not worry about it.

The problem here is while the majority of people are not satisfied with the performance of congress as a whole, they think their own representatives are doing a good job.

[josephpalazzo]

It doesn't really matter who gets the blame.  A year from now in November, the incumbents will get re-elected.

From://http://theweek.com/article/index/244008/if-congress-is-so-unpopular-why-do-lawmakers-keep-getting-re-elected

Last year, 90 percent of House incumbents won re-election, according to OpenSecrets, despite polls pegging Congress' approval rating at around 20 percent heading into Election Day. In 2004, voters sent fully 98 percent of incumbents back to Washington even though a majority said they disapproved of Congress' job performance.

So, you see most of the electorate doesn't really give a rat's ass about what Congress does.  They vote for name recognition or team D or team R.  So both parties can grandstand all they want and not worry about it.

The problem here is while the majority of people are not satisfied with the performance of congress as a whole, they think their own representatives are doing a good job.

The problem is with gerrymandering: the Republicans have fashioned their district in such a way they do not have to fear of losing to the Democrats. In fact, they mostly fear they will be primaried by someone more radical from their own. It's a perfect recipe for the radicalization of the GOP. And I don't think there are enough moderate Republicans who can offstage this situation.

[LikelyToBreak]

PopeyesPappy wrote:

The problem here is while the majority of people are not satisfied with the performance of congress as a whole, they think their own representatives are doing a good job.

True, because the local press gets many of their stories from the incumbent.  And since the incumbent, or more likely his/her staff actually write the story it will come out showing them as heroic.  

For instance, the Rep's story will be how he/she heroically stood up to the majority.  The Dem's story will be how they heroically didn't give in to the unyielding minority.  

Thus, the congressional incumbents will most likely be re-elected, no matter what they do.  Well, murdering your pregnant intern might get you booted out, but they don't get caught doing that very often.

[LikelyToBreak]

josephpalazzo wrote in part:

The problem is with gerrymandering: the Republicans have fashioned their district in such a way they do not have to fear of losing to the Democrats.

You sound like you don't think the Democrats have ever done the same thing.  Whichever party is in power at the time when the boundaries need drawn, do the drawing.  Which in most cases is the Democrat party, since they tend to be in power more often then the Republicans.

[mykcob4]

josephpalazzo wrote in part:

The problem is with gerrymandering: the Republicans have fashioned their district in such a way they do not have to fear of losing to the Democrats.

You sound like you don't think the Democrats have ever done the same thing.  Whichever party is in power at the time when the boundaries need drawn, do the drawing.  Which in most cases is the Democrat party, since they tend to be in power more often then the Republicans.

Not true. The fact is that Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersy, Michegan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Texas and most if not all the southern states have been systematically gerrymandered by the republicans. Therefore we have people that are elected at the local level, House reps, that are radicalized. They don't fear being opposed by a fair election with a Dem. They only fear being primaried out by a tea party radical.
Until the districts are redrawn fairly the dynamics of the House will not change. The republicans will be consumed by more and more radical reps that win the local primaries but are completely out of touch with reality and this nation.
And that's why it isn't the fault of the Dems for this partisan bickering.

[josephpalazzo]

josephpalazzo wrote in part:

The problem is with gerrymandering: the Republicans have fashioned their district in such a way they do not have to fear of losing to the Democrats.

You sound like you don't think the Democrats have ever done the same thing.  Whichever party is in power at the time when the boundaries need drawn, do the drawing.  Which in most cases is the Democrat party, since they tend to be in power more often then the Republicans.

Not true. The fact is that Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersy, Michegan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, Texas and most if not all the southern states have been systematically gerrymandered by the republicans. Therefore we have people that are elected at the local level, House reps, that are radicalized. They don't fear being opposed by a fair election with a Dem. They only fear being primaried out by a tea party radical.
Until the districts are redrawn fairly the dynamics of the House will not change. The republicans will be consumed by more and more radical reps that win the local primaries but are completely out of touch with reality and this nation.
And that's why it isn't the fault of the Dems for this partisan bickering.

Gerrymandering is a worldwide phenomenon. But in particular in the US, it was enshrined by the SCOTUS in 2006 in a landmark decision in the case of the state of Texas, allowing state legislatures to redraw and gerrymander districts as often as they like. And since the majority of states are in the hands of the GOP governors, and control nearly five times as many districts as Democrats, the GOP has had a greater hand at it.

[LikelyToBreak]

As far as Democrats never Gerrymandering, I only need one example to show they do.
Here it is://http://www.swingstateproject.com/diary/8251/hyperpartisan-democratic-texas-gerrymander

The Democrats are not God-like.  They are humans like the rest of us.  Party bickering goes on so as to fool the country into believing we have some say in what goes on.  We don't.  Get over it or do something about it.  Just quit with the Democrat worship.  They will change nothing of significance. They get their orders from the same people that give the Republicans their orders.

[hillbillyatheist]

why the republican should be blamed? because they fucking planned this shit all along, right before 2010 take over of the house.



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/0 ... l=facebook

[josephpalazzo]

why the republican should be blamed? because they fucking planned this shit all along, right before 2010 take over of the house.



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/0 ... l=facebook

Good post, HBA. Yet there are some who still believe that both parties are to be blamed. Go figure.

[Colanth]

why the republican should be blamed? because they fucking planned this shit all along, right before 2010 take over of the house.



http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/0 ... l=facebook

And why?  If they had a good reason (good for ultraconservatives, at least) it would be understandable.  Not forgivable, but understandable.  But to do it just to do it?  That smacks of sedition, which even a congressperson shouldn't be immune from being charged with.

[Jason Harvestdancer]

josephpalazzo wrote in part:

The problem is with gerrymandering: the Republicans have fashioned their district in such a way they do not have to fear of losing to the Democrats.

You sound like you don't think the Democrats have ever done the same thing.  Whichever party is in power at the time when the boundaries need drawn, do the drawing.  Which in most cases is the Democrat party, since they tend to be in power more often then the Republicans.

Watch out.  JP thinks that's a racist comment.

[Jason78]

Good post, HBA. Yet there are some who still believe that both parties are to be blamed. Go figure.

Latest opinion polls show that the majority of voters are pissed off with the republicans dicking about.

[josephpalazzo]

Good post, HBA. Yet there are some who still believe that both parties are to be blamed. Go figure.

Latest opinion polls show that the majority of voters are pissed off with the republicans dicking about.

Thanks for the link. The numbers are quite revealing:

American voters oppose 72 - 22 percent Congress shutting down the federal government to block implementation of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll released today.
 
Voters also oppose 64 - 27 percent blocking an increase in the nation's debt ceiling as a way to stop Obamacare, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University poll finds.
 
American voters are divided on Obamacare, with 45 percent in favor and 47 percent opposed, but they are opposed 58 - 34 percent to Congress cutting off funding for the health care law to stop its implementation.
 
Republicans support the federal government shutdown by a narrow 49 - 44 percent margin, but opposition is 90 - 6 percent among Democrats and 74 - 19 percent among independent voters.

The problem with the GOP, and in particular the Tea Party, is that their position is not based on reality, but on an ideology. Also they know that once Obamacare is fully implemented, the American people are going to like it, and for many, this will be a game changer making them to vote for the Democrats for a lifetime-- in the same way that Johnson's Civil Rights Act of 1964 made the South switch from Democrats to Republicans. So it's going to get uglier and uglier.