Headline is misleading. What really happened is that Focus on the Family had a moment of clarity, realized that Glenn Beck is a MORON, and pulled his story. They had to write a bunch of horseshiat about not trusting their own readers to be smart enough to read a story about a Mormon and interpreting it themselves, but that's the real reason.

The Republicans are still in shock - they found out that people really, actually BELIEVE in things like 'smaller government', tax cuts being tied to spending cuts and freedom. Oh, and that patriot act thingie - nobody liked it.

Anyways, it's a confusing time for the Republicans. they're trying to figure out how to talk to their base.

Yay for splintering!

There's an extra M in the headline.

Weaver95: Anyways, it's a confusing time for the Republicans. they're trying to figure out how to talk to their base.

They're trying to figure out where their base went, and why. The funny part is, we keep telling 'em, and they keep going, "Naaah, that's not it. *snaps* I've got it! We're not socially conservative enough!"

Dum dum dum dum dum

/hotlinked

Weaver95: The Republicans are still in shock - they found out that people really, actually BELIEVE in things like 'smaller government', tax cuts being tied to spending cuts and freedom. Oh, and that patriot act thingie - nobody liked it.

Anyways, it's a confusing time for the Republicans. they're trying to figure out how to talk to their base.

I see no evidence that a belief in smaller government had anything to do with this election. In fact, after the election polls showed that more people wanted government to do stuff now than ever before. The problem isn't that Bush's government was so big, but that it was so incompetent.

He's totally the wrong kind of extremist exclusive Christianist!!

Morm0wn3d.

The best part is going to be when they try to derail Obama's infrastructure plan. I can't wait to see how they convince Republican governors to give up their share of the pie.

Occam's Chainsaw: Weaver95: Anyways, it's a confusing time for the Republicans. they're trying to figure out how to talk to their base.

They're trying to figure out where their base went, and why. The funny part is, we keep telling 'em, and they keep going, "Naaah, that's not it. *snaps* I've got it! We're not socially conservative enough!"

God knows, i've tried to get through to the social conservatives that McCain's loss was partly their fault. And the Republicans in a general sense need to get rid of about 60% of their leadership. Most of the party organization is just too corrupt and none of us can trust 'em anymore.

I doubt anyone will do what's necessary to salvage the party though. I could be wrong, but I think the Republicans are going to spend at least 2 years trying to find a way to blame their losses on gay rights activists and completely ignore the folks yelling at 'em for greenlighting massive bailouts on wall street. farking morons.

*sigh*

At any rate, the mid term elections will give us our first indication of the actual state of the Republican party.

Weaver95: At any rate, the mid term elections will give us our first indication of the actual state of the Republican party.

It's a little unknown, but if you want to know the actual advantage Democrats had over Republicans, look to the House races. If you count up all the votes of all contested House races in 2008 (which excludes people who ran unopposed), the Democrats won by 15%.

That's bad news for the GOP.

To the Christian Taliban, every other religion is the same. Heathens who are going to hell. Catholics, jews, Mormons, everything falls under the category.

DamnYankees: I see no evidence that a belief in smaller government had anything to do with this election.

It did for the Republicans. It's a mistake to assume that Obama won because his (or the ideals of his party) are so popular. In fact, most of his ideals aren't shared by the majority of this country. Obama won because he simply had no opposition. McCain and the Republicans didn't even show up to the fight.

DamnYankees: Weaver95: At any rate, the mid term elections will give us our first indication of the actual state of the Republican party.

It's a little unknown, but if you want to know the actual advantage Democrats had over Republicans, look to the House races. If you count up all the votes of all contested House races in 2008 (which excludes people who ran unopposed), the Democrats won by 15%.

That's bad news for the GOP.

I know i'm not the only one that's disgusted with what's become of the Republican party. I just don't trust them anymore.

Weaver95: DamnYankees: I see no evidence that a belief in smaller government had anything to do with this election.

It did for the Republicans. It's a mistake to assume that Obama won because his (or the ideals of his party) are so popular. In fact, most of his ideals aren't shared by the majority of this country. Obama won because he simply had no opposition. McCain and the Republicans didn't even show up to the fight.

Again, I see no proof of this. I've seen actual data showing that more Americans wants more government involvement in problems than ever before. You are feel free to come up with your own theories as to why the election went as it did, but you need to back it up with data.

Well, I was going to come in here to make a joke about the comment that Mormonism is a cult, but the conversation is political and not religious, so I'm going to decide against it.

DamnYankees: Weaver95: At any rate, the mid term elections will give us our first indication of the actual state of the Republican party.

It's a little unknown, but if you want to know the actual advantage Democrats had over Republicans, look to the House races. If you count up all the votes of all contested House races in 2008 (which excludes people who ran unopposed), the Democrats won by 15%.

That's bad news... for the DNC.

FIFY LOL

Fricknmaniac: Well, I was going to come in here to make a joke about the comment that Mormonism is a cult, but the conversation is political and not religious, so I'm going to decide against it.

Mormonism isn't a cult anymore. No more than any other religion.

Weaver95: At any rate, the mid term elections will give us our first indication of the actual state of the Republican party.

At the moment, the Senate calculus favors the Democrats. Most the the Dems up for reelection are big names (Reid, Feingold, Dodd, Boxer, Schumer, Leahy, Inouye, Bayh, and others). The Republicans will push hard on Reid out of revenge for McConnell's narrow win, but I would be surprised if they pulled it off. Hell, the netroots would probably cheer if Reid went down in flames.

On the other side, you have two Republican retirements, one of which has a strong chance of flipping (Kansas) if Kathleen Sebelius runs. Murkowski (Alaska) is up and already seems to be sharpening the knives if Palin comes after her. McCain may be safe but who knows, the social conservatives may go after him with a vengeance. Missouri is flipping blue in general which could make things dicey for Kit Bond. Diaper Boy is up in LA which should be interesting. Arlen Specter may be another casualty of the moderate purge. The others are people I don't know very well but you have to think that the Democrats will go on the offensive and try to flip a few of them (maybe Voinovich in Ohio).

Mentat: The Republicans will push hard on Reid out of revenge for McConnell's narrow win, but I would be surprised if they pulled it off. Hell, the netroots would probably cheer if Reid went down in flames.

That's what I was going to say. If I had to pick on Dem to lose in '10, let it be Reid.

Weaver95: At any rate, the mid term elections will give us our first indication of the actual state of the Republican party.

Remember the incredibly short memory of the average voter. It'll come down to how the next two years go. The Repubs may very well pick up seats @ midterm because shiat continues to goes wrong, whether the Dems instigated it or not. I don't see Obama fixing the Bush clusterfark in 2 years.

Just for reference:

Geeze, Republicans are the PITA of political parties.

Weaver95:
It's a mistake to assume that Obama won because his (or the ideals of his party) are so popular.



Right...

Fricknmaniac: Well, I was going to come in here to make a joke about the comment that Mormonism is a cult, but the conversation is political and not religious, so I'm going to decide against it.

Religion and politics are like a jar of Goober. Sure, you can have separate jars of peanut butter and jelly, but you're just going to put them together anyway. The scoops from the top of the jar are going to be mostly peanut butter, and that's cool. And when you get to the bottom, it's gonna be mostly jelly, and you're going to want to open a new jar, but you're too lazy, so you deal with eating a mostly-jelly sandwich. You decide in the end, it doesn't really matter, because it's gonna get converted to poop anyway, and there are better things to complain about.

That said, the article itself was more religious than political.

In all fairness to Glenn Beck, I don't concur with his political thoughts, but I hold judgement on his religious views. I don't care for the Mormon faith and many others. But we do have freedom of religion in the USA. One can believe whatever religion wants to or not, so long as they don't force their religion down other people's throat.

Seems the headline is spot-on though.

/How's good is Glenn's book, "The Christmas Sweater" anyway?
//Anyone?

Weaver95: McCain and the Republicans didn't even show up to the fight.

AirForceVet: In all fairness to Glenn Beck, I don't concur with his political thoughts, but I hold judgement on his religious views. I don't care for the Mormon faith and many others. But we do have freedom of religion in the USA. One can believe whatever religion wants to or not, so long as they don't force their religion down other people's throat.

What do you mean "hold judgment"? Freedom of religion doesn't mean I can't think his religion is numbingly stupid.

JerseyTim: There's an extra M in the headline.

Winner.

The Mormons have surpassed Focus on the Family and American Family Association in cash - in a few years that will surpass them in influence (see Romney). I don't see the marginalization of Dodson as a bad thing. Unfortunately we now have to deal with the Mormons but at least they don't pretend to be victims.

/plus they are cuter

AirForceVet: /How's good is Glenn's book, "The Christmas Sweater" anyway?
//Anyone?

If everything I've ever heard him say is any indication, its for retards.

DamnYankees, Weaver95

Maybe you are both right. I think the Republican base strongly favors smaller i.e. less intrusive government, but after 8 years of bigger and bigger and more and more intrusive government under a Republican President and a Republican congress, I just don't think McCain was able to succesfully convince people that he was a different enough kind of Republican from Bush. With Obama's campaign succesfully grafting McCain/Bush into a synonim, and the RNC pushing the same tired social conservativism as a primary campaign platform, McCain just couldn't sell the promise of a return to fiscal conservative Republicanism. And once Palin hit the scene... well most moderate leaning Republicans (or at least the ones for whom social conservative agendas are low on their checklist) lost faith.

Obama got out extra voters on his side at the same time that McCain kept voters on his side home.

I had no idea that Glenn Beck was a Mormon. Not that it changes my opinion of him at all, though.

Say what you will about Beck, but Mormon trivia is often hillarious.

But but but... Mormons donated $20 million to help strip gays of their civil rights in the '08 election! Didn't that score them ANY points with their fellow Christian Fundamentalists?

It's fun watching the wingnuts turn their hate and intolerance against each other.

HE'S A MORMON?!?!?

DamnYankees: Fricknmaniac: Well, I was going to come in here to make a joke about the comment that Mormonism is a cult, but the conversation is political and not religious, so I'm going to decide against it.

Mormonism isn't a cult anymore. No more than any other religion.


All religions started as cults. If they survive long enough, they get upgraded to "religions."

The stuff Mormons believe in isn't any more insane than everything else in the Bible; the only difference is for the Mormons a lot of the crazy shiat happened 150 years ago, not 2,000 years ago.

I hate that whole "enemy of my enemy is my friend" shiat in times like this.

I'll make you a deal, FOTF, I'll be super-christy if you guys shut down PETA somehow.

AirForceVet: In all fairness to Glenn Beck, I don't concur with his political thoughts, but I hold judgement on his religious views. I don't care for the Mormon faith and many others. But we do have freedom of religion in the USA. One can believe whatever religion wants to or not, so long as they don't force their religion down other people's throat.

Seems the headline is spot-on though.

/How's good is Glenn's book, "The Christmas Sweater" anyway?
//Anyone?

I listen to his show sometimes, and while I know he is religious, I didn't know he was Mormon. Actually, i assumed he was catholic for some reason.

There's no hate like righteous religious hate.

Weaver95: I know i'm not the only one that's disgusted with what's become of the Republican party. I just don't trust them anymore.

You say that like you trusted anyone, ever.

shower_in_my_socks: It's fun watching the wingnuts turn their hate and intolerance against each other.

Well, religion enthusiasts who push for political power always assume that their sect's flavor will be the one to win. Abolish the separation of Church and State, and watch the Baptists rip into the Congregationalists, the Episcopalians rezone the Presbyterians as an Industrial Park, Protestants tax Catholics, and all of them hammer on the Jews, Bhuddists, Muslims, etc. as not being "real" religions.

It's easy to forget when there's lots of power to go around, but when it starts to run low and they have to fight one another for it, all these Godly Men will play just as low and dirty as any corrupt ward-heeler or machine pol.

bravian: The Mormons have surpassed Focus on the Family and American Family Association in cash - in a few years that will surpass them in influence (see Romney). I don't see the marginalization of Dodson as a bad thing. Unfortunately we now have to deal with the Mormons but at least they don't pretend to be victims.

/plus they are cuter

bravian: Unfortunately we now have to deal with the Mormons but at least they don't pretend to be victims.


Hey, I'll take magic-underpants Stepford Mormons over Repressed-homosexual-Born-again-holier-than-thou-Evangelicals any day.

shower_in_my_socks: The stuff Mormons believe in isn't any more insane than everything else in the Bible; the only difference is for the Mormons a lot of the crazy shiat happened 150 years ago, not 2,000 years ago.

Bingo. Plus, it's a lot easier to contradict bullshiat from 150 years ago - fairly reliable historical records are plentiful. 2,000 years back and we have to rely on Roman historians writing about Atlantis and whatnot.

ArbitraryConstant: Weaver95: I know i'm not the only one that's disgusted with what's become of the Republican party. I just don't trust them anymore.

You say that like you trusted anyone, ever.

I lol'd.

I find that odd, because James Dobson has been on Glenn's radio show numerous times.

DamnYankees: Yay for splintering!

When folks busily focus on differences instead of commonalities, what else can be expected? Deviation from the orthodox must be purged.