Incoming House GOP Leader: My Party Is No Longer "Relevant"

Washington Times :

Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, poised to ascend to House Republicans' No. 2 leader this week, said the Republican Party in Washington is no longer "relevant" to voters and must stop simply espousing principles. Instead, it must craft real solutions to health care and the economy.

"Where we have really fallen down is, we have lacked the ability to be relevant to people's lives. Let's set aside the last eight years, and our falling down in living up to expectations of what we said we were going to do," Mr. Cantor told The Washington Times in his district office outside of Richmond. "It's the relevancy question."

Read the whole story: Washington Times

Comments

[tigerakabj]

1. Eric, we saw you wave Pelosi's letter in our faces saying she "hurt your feelings" and then take you bailout toy to go home.
2. We are not just going to forget about Katrina, Iraq, near-economic collapse, Guantanamo, and Lord-knows what else. Every election that comes up we will remember that.

[sonomarc]

Yes - Cantor was first in line to complain. Came off as a spoiled sissy who did not know how to share his toys and who hogged the spotlight. And now he wants us to forget about the last 8 years? Sorry, pal.

[Roy49]

Don't forget about 9/11. Nobody wants to say anything but EVERYBODY KNOWS there were no terrorist flying those planes/missiles into the Towers and the Pentagon. If that were the case why did every single piece of the Twin Towers vanish? Why did New York destroy all the evidence? You never, under any circumstances destroy the evidence of the most horrific crime of the century...ever! It should still be under investigation. We are like sheep being led to the slaughter. It is our right to question the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfled administration to include that do-nothing Rice. Bush should have been impeached and nobody did anything! And Rumsfeld ran...went resigned and went AWOL. Now Bush and Cheney are going to get away with mass murder and nobody's going to do anything - not even Pelosi. Americans have no right to complain if we can't police up our own crap!

[urbanscorpio88]

Sir, Abraham Lincoln must be turning over in his grave, I do not think that this was what he imagined.....

[That One]

And this wuss is the new GOP House Leader , No wonder your party is no long relevent..My guess is the republican game plan for the next 2 years is to obstuct Obama with out looking like obstructionists so they can say “we told you so.” They don’t want to help. Their only goal is power at all costs.Ni matter what is cost or hurts the average Americian.

[human2008]

A relevant party can not have a VP named Dick Chenny not to mention a president called George Bush - again you go for a VP candidate named Sarah Palin. You need some literacy in your leaders. Your party is rooted in a few southern states - which is not a good signal. Take the next 12-16 years and figure out how your party can be appealing to moderate and independent voters. People like Karl Rove can win you one election by a margin of a few votes - no more than once. Your party need to win people over - not scare them to win elections.

[Georgia1992]

After what your prez and v.p. did to the American people by trying to take this country down destroy the constitution, etc. I have no use for the GOP. They still spew out the same "old" rhetoric.

[emily00011]

Don't be so hard on yourself! There will always be a certain group of bible-thumping, anti-abortion, white supremacy, anti-science/intellectual/environment, narrow-minded types that will buy into your half-truths and reality distortions. Besides, you got Sarah Palin on your side!

[StillIRise]

LOL. Great post.

[jeffp26]

My heart bleeds for all of these lying thieving republicans.

If they love this country, let them pay for the war they stuck us all in.

[felinetta]

Your party is irrelevant because:"the right wing wants to be able to bully, steal, pressure/control others, manipulate, lie, take advantage of others, never share, be greedy as they can, get something for nothing, and do it as much they want to the least among us with no consequences. Conservatism creates nothing, it preys upon others creativity, and well-being. Conservatives seek to keep the authoritarian status quo the same. Conservatism is a greedy arrogant feudal belief system, it relies on perpetuating over-obedience to authority and an unjust social hierarchy. Conservatism encourages bullying, ignorance and blind faith, for that is the republican base. It relies on people believing humanity is evil 100% and that the weak and improverished are inferior and thus are treated as lessors. This kind of hierarchical culture ultimately is anti-life, anti-love, and anti-compassion and anti-social contract. "-- Benjamin Disraeli

[Mull]

Disraeli rocks. As true now, as it was when he said it.

[Wiserone]

Duh!! Mr. Cantor and his posse had to loose an election, any elections/seats, to finally realize this fact the Rethug party has become irrelevant??

[IowaKid]

But the fact remains until attitudes change they can look to going downhill. After all the American do have a little say so. I think they all need to get there acts together. Democrats and Republicans after all I thought they was suppose to work for the people of this country. Somewhere and some how sight has been lost in this effort.

[nellie]

You have so many people on your hatelist, there's no one left to vote for you.

[StillIRise]

Good point, nellie.

[evekendall]

Great comment.

[AmericasWarrior]

Once they realize you win on solutions and ideas, rather than making people fear your opponent, they will be on their way to salvaging that wreck.
Making your supporters afraid of your opponent only force them to use the one thing you seem to dispise...technology. This allows them to find out that the things you say about him/her are pant on fire false, and label you as a liar in their eyes. If you have no real solutions, step up and say so. But spouting the same ol right wing principle two word phrases that throw your base into an orgasmic frenzy wont get you anywhere.....

Low Taxes
Limited Government
Pro Life
Pro Gun (whatever that means)
Traditional Marriage

Cant you just hear the rightwing lurkers scream excitedly with those phrases?

[Colmore]

"Set aside the last 8 years"?? WHAT?? The country is on the edge of a precipice and he wants us to set it aside? No, we want accountability for the last 8 years. Repugs. were in control most of that time, then fillibustered any kind of advancement. McConnell thought it was funny to tie up the senate with an aide reading a 500 page bill. They acted like spoiled brats, and took the country down. They believed Rove when he said they would be in the majority for the foreseable future, and he was WRONG. By the way, if this guy thinks the repubs. are "irrelevant" why doesn't he cross over, to the party that is going to repair all the damage? Why would anyone want to belong to a failed party?

[fireW]

Mr. Cantor is sadly wrong. Unfortunately, as long as human nature subscribes to the dubious characteristics of greed, bigotry, moral relativism, and ignorant narrowmindedness there will always be a political party to address them. As such, as long as flaming jerks inhabit the Earth, the GOP will be relevant to them and a refuge from reason.

[Hoosierbrad]

This guy talks with a lot of sense! Its too bad the rest of the Repubs will ignore him.

[LemonMeringue]

Cantor fails to acknowledge, while suggesting the GOP find solutions, that the GOP created all the problems. All of them.