Huckabee: GOP Could Become As "Irrelevant As The Whigs"

CNN Political Ticker:

Days after national Republicans launched a new campaign to broaden the party's outreach, former upstart presidential candidate Mike Huckabee says the GOP is at risk of becoming "irrelevant as the Whigs."

Read the whole story: CNN Political Ticker

Comments

[American50]

11:11 PM on 05/12/2009

These libs just keep watching as the federal government gets even bigger and bigger

But thats what they want!!!

[dhinds]

03:16 PM on 05/13/2009

Neither big nor little matters. What counts is getting the job done with whatever it takes - no more and no less.

A Socially and Ecologically Responsible Government that complies with it's Constitutional Mandate in the Public Interest and does so efficiently and honestly (something we haven't seen coming from a Republican Administration. That's what we've finally obtained and most of us are glad.

[AirForce Vet]

11:17 AM on 05/11/2009

HuckaBerry, you stated that the Republican Party could become irrelevant as the Whig Party. I hate to inform you, but I think they have already achieved the pinnacle of irrelevancy. You mentioned the Republicans could become a party of grey-haired old men sitting around the country club puffing their cigars, sipping brandy, and wondering what happened to the country. I disagree with you on your scenario of the Republicans. HuckaBerry isn’t grey-haired old men running this party (into the ground) now. The Republicans have been sitting around the country clubs for the years puffing on cigars and sipping the booze, and I know they weren’t worried about this country. They were and are more concerned about the size of their wallets. Nothing has changed for the relics of era gone by.

[Grunty1]

10:07 AM on 05/11/2009

Poor Capitalist789. Assigned to such a thread in its last moments...

[Capitalist789]

11:07 AM on 05/11/2009

SOCIALISM=Trickle up poverty.What the problem is the Left have never understood Economics.Your hero FDR is the reason this country is saddled with failed,or failing social programs,and high taxes.This Obama character is going to break this country in two.If half the states secede,I'm moving to the Capitalist half,and you can live in Obama land.

[dhinds]

08:53 PM on 05/12/2009

"This Obama character" you refer to is an extremely popular President of the United States of America who was elected by a vast majority, doing an excellent job putting the USA back on track, and you're on the wrong blog.

[HLL]

09:18 AM on 05/11/2009

Correction: The GOP IS irrelevant. Out of touch. Old thinking. So 20th century. So over.

[IntellectuallyHonest]

09:12 AM on 05/11/2009

The GOP is irrelevant.

[Capitalist789]

07:02 PM on 05/10/2009

This is great.Only 4% of the stimulus has been spent(most is back end,with infrastructure being the only stimulating factor)Do Liberals know what this means(probably not).The stock market has hit a natural bottom.The Bailouts(Bush/Obama) did nothing except waste tax money.We should be less a few auto companies and a few banks. This is Capitalism(the market only goes as far down as necessary to shake out the failed companies,and make more room for the next generation of business.Buy Oil and Gas stocks--Buy agriculture--Buy Ford only.If Obama would not want our money to buy all of Congress Hybrid Cars,Id buy stock in Green Tech(He actually don't want us to make money)He must think community organizers can pick Green Stocks better than the investers..HA HA HA

[ReedYoung]

12:57 AM on 05/11/2009

What do you think of Huckabee's statement about the GOP becoming as irrelevant as the Whigs?

Huckabee, quote:
"Throw the social conservatives the pro-life, pro-family people overboard and the Republican party will be as irrelevant as the Whigs," he said in reference to the American political party that largely disbanded in the mid 1800s.

"They'll basically be a party of gray-haired old men sitting around the country club puffing cigars, sipping brandy and wondering whatever happened to the country. That will be the end of the party," he said in the interview published Thursday.
/quote

How do you believe the Republican party can become relevant again? Is there a way to appeal to the mainstream of America but not "throw the social conservatives the pro-life, pro-family people overboard"? If so, how would you propose doing that? What do those "social conservatives the pro-life, pro-family people" have in common with the 74% of Americans who disapprove of Bush, and how do you plan to disassociate yourselves from his abject failure at policy making?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/bushs-approval-ratings_b_10291.html

[Capitalist789]

07:11 AM on 05/11/2009

I actually wish both sides would stop talking about abortion,gays,religion.miss America,Rush,The Palins,Global Warming,Global Colling,and Climate change.How about fixing the Economy first,then bicker over tea,about what is or isn't the responsibility of our government that has grown since the Great Depression.The last 8 years have been terrible,and the next 4 look worse.I don't even debate people on social issues,because its useless.Without a properly functioning Economic System we have nothing anyway.

[rich misty]

02:24 AM on 05/11/2009

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13496418

[rbenjamin]

06:55 PM on 05/10/2009

Huckaboy has fixated on the wrong irrelevancy. The only one that really matters is a political party composed of three philosophically antagonistic wings. The Establishment Wing favors global business backed by global military reach, the Libertarian Wing advocates low taxes & small gov. while the Social Issues Wing endlessly revisits abortion, homophobia & racism. Holding this bunch together requires an Inclusive, Big Tent Party, with enough people of color to get in a camera shot, lead mostly by old, white ostensibly heterosexual males, running a nanny state dedicated to individual liberties, discrete corporate favoritism, free enterprise for everybody else, a large professional military and all payed for by God Only Knows What Revenue Mechanism. Do you see the real problem now Huck? All three groups are essential to the GOP remaining a national political force, not just the social conservatives. The latter provide the troops and energy, but the Libertarians bring newish ideas and the Establishment ponies up corporate sponsorship & marketing skills. Discard any at your peril, but only the Establishment Wing actually cares about concocting a strategy for getting enough votes to remain a national, not a regional, party. It's the Social Conservatives and Tea Bagging Libertarians that want to ditch the Establishment, not the other way around. The GOP as we know it is a Frankenstein monster. Good luck fixing this.

[Capitalist789]

06:45 PM on 05/10/2009

The GOP needs to do nothing except what their doing.Obama would love for them to back his Budget,and assume half the blame(Not going to happen).This is a one term president.You can fool the masses,but you cant fool the math

[rich misty]

02:26 AM on 05/11/2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBzVbMi8C48

[maxfax]

06:31 PM on 05/10/2009

Rush is the leader, of course the GOP is irrelevant.

[Capitalist789]

07:13 PM on 05/10/2009

I Wish,Dig this.I spent 3 years studying business,and economics,so I could invest in the Stock Market(I was tired of making $70,000 a year).After I studied the different economic Theories(Mainly Capitalism/Socialism)and seen the different outcomes,I knew how to make money,and seen how one theory is better than the other at fighting poverty.I had heard of Rush since I was a kid,but I don't listen to the radio,watch movies,or American Idol.When I heard Rush speak at the C-PAC convention(I was Floored)He nailed everything on Economics,as to what I interpreted without ever hearing his show.Now I listen when I can.He is to smart to be in Politics.His intellect is way further advanced than any politician,could pray to be.

[maxfax]

12:15 AM on 05/17/2009

Would you be so kind to interpret?

[rich misty]

02:27 AM on 05/11/2009

http://www.newsweek.com/id/188279 - Page 4, bottom, it's a cult.

[maxfax]

12:18 AM on 05/17/2009

Thanks, Rush is full of hot air, btw.

[caterpol]

03:32 PM on 05/10/2009

Huck and his ilk need to put their money where their mouth is and create a third party already. The GOP, in recent history, has done nothing for the "family values" crowd but pay lip service----which ironically, for progressives, is a good thing.

In other words, if the GOP has ever been right about anything, it's been right about promising but not delivering on the social conservative agenda. They'd be toast if they overturned Roe v Wade and they know it.

And sorry, Huck, but if the GOP became the actual party of fiscal conservativism vs. social conservatism, they'd be MORE relevant, not less.

[AFAN]

02:48 PM on 05/10/2009

Now that Cheney has thrown Powell out of the GOP they might as well call themselves as the Aryan Party!

[DSOTM]

01:08 PM on 05/10/2009

Huckabee,

The dead man nailed to a cross you worship has no relevance in my life, I don't believe in Christianity, neither should our government. Read John Adams by David McCullough and get an education in American history.

You are free to practice whatever religion you want, but you are not free to shove your religion down my throat.

[Capitalist789]

06:36 PM on 05/10/2009

Explain how it is shoved down your throat

[trinidadgirl]

01:06 PM on 05/10/2009

I though they already were, in my world,at least. I just don't make the time to listen to their 'fake outrage and exaggerations, falsifications etc,etc, need I go on? Nothing they say or do makes sense.AND to boot, their faces now, since the mixtures of the new administration look too pale.There is need for more 'of colour' folks and folks with hues in that party.

[njgal4obama]

12:55 PM on 05/10/2009

The GOP is "at risk" of becoming irrelevent, like rotary phones are "at risk" of becoming obsolete.

[Capitalist789]

12:01 PM on 05/10/2009

Another point.Your looking for that next Clinton in Obama.Clinton voted with republicans 80% of the time(explains his success)The only Democrat policy he in-forced was raising taxes,and making the recession drag on.From that point on he lowered Cap Gains Tax,and voted with re pubs for Welfare Reform(the Dems hated it because it worked)gotta keep your voting base.

[ReedYoung]

12:23 PM on 05/10/2009

Whose taxes did Clinton raise? Did he increase tax rates for the middle and lower classes, or just those who receive the most from society?
[
The only Democrat policy he in-forced was raising taxes,and making the recession drag on.
]

http://www.truthandpolitics.org/top-rates.php
Clinton certainly raised the top marginal income tax rate. What did he do to other brackets?

[Capitalist789]

03:42 PM on 05/10/2009

No he raised all of our taxes,he raised the rich the most.Remember Democrats raise taxes.If Republicans had their way only ,We would pay very little taxes.

[Capitalist789]

03:48 PM on 05/10/2009

Its not what they take from society either.They earn it(some people on both sides are bad ,but you'll have that)Sometimes future millionaires go through a decade of low wages until their investments come to Fruition

[WowJones]

12:33 PM on 05/10/2009

Presidents don't vote.

[GreyWolfSC]

01:34 PM on 05/10/2009

Sure they do. There's nothing in the Constitution that removes voting rights from public officials.

[ReedYoung]

12:05 AM on 05/11/2009

I noticed that, too. Presidents don't vote *for legislation*. They either sign a bill or veto it. I supposed that what Capitalist Pig meant when he said "Clinton voted with republicans 80% of the time" is that he signed 80% of bills drafted by Republicans, or sponsored by Republicans, or which got one or more Republican votes, or some other meaningless, nearly all-inclusive "definition." Basically, I assumed the figure was made up from whole cloth anyway so I didn't mention it.

So, in conclusion, Presidents do not vote for legislation, they either veto it or sign it into law if the Congress passes it, so Capitalist789 didn't express itself coherently.