Since the election, the "rebranding" of the GOP has become the PR story du jour among the wurlitzer set. Jose Antonio Vargas examines attempts to advance the wingnutty ball:
"In this Internet era, it’s not enough to run a campaign, you need to lead a movement — that’s what Obama did," she continues. "If you look at their site, their online videos, their online ads, everything they did, it wasn’t about ‘me, myself and I.’ It was about ‘we’ and ‘us.’ "
Well, wouldn’t it be all candy and flowers if the GOP has learned to look past the "I’ve got mine, screw you" trickle on philosophy and contemplate the "we" of the world.
Except they haven’t.
Reading up on the fall of Freedom’s Watch (shorter version: the economy is smacking the snot out of right-funding billionaires, too, these days — oh, the wingnut welfare horror!), I noticed this little gem from one of Nevada’s top GOP stalwarts:
Rogich believes the GOP should eschew divisive social issues and moralistic scolding, emphasizing pragmatism and fiscal responsibility instead.
"The answer will be a reasonable sense of moderation," he said. "We all read the same public opinion polls. There is a new group of educated men and women coming into the mainstream now, and we’re losing those people."
Note no changes in policies, merely a shift in PR rebranding emphasis. Frank Luntz advised Republican leadership to frequently utter words like "accountability" and "efficiency," as though the Bush years and their GOP-centric results never even happened. What a farce.
Same thing in the Vargas article, anything Gingrich and his ilk utter, and pretty much everything that has dribbled forth from the GOP Congressional leadership. To wit:
“What I’m saying to the new president and the new administration: ‘Do big things, and do them in the center, and you’ll be surprised at how much support you might have,’ " he said at the news conference.
Otherwise, McConnell warned, his party would stand together and block a far-left agenda.
“You’re likely to have very significant unity among Republicans," he said.
Feel that change? That kumbaya? That spirit of cooperation and bipartisan fantasy come true? Me neither.
The GOP wingnuttery set has been founded on a top-down, orders from above hierarchy for ages. Time will tell if their new esprit de corpse revives the stagnant reaches of independence and freedom as honored concepts. Color me skeptical that this is anything but an attempt to get their colors done and a switch from winter to spring on the outside.
Beauty is as beauty does. Or in this case, likely doesn’t.
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Christy!
I might be because I’m not fully awake yet, but in reading your piece, my eyes read “Grinch” instead of Gingrich. Ha!
LOL ‘Tis the season. *g*
Yep, the same ol’ Rethug mantra: do things our way and we’ll all get along.
Keep it up, Rethugs. In 2010 we’ll take 20-30 more of your seats.
OT, but did you read that Ann Coulter had her jaw wired shut? (Holding my lips so as to not laugh so loud I wake the dog.)
The problem with Rogich and his moment of sanity is that the base base of the GOP isn’t going to spend $50 million to promote pragmatism. But they’re already spending millions promoting Palin, in their “Thank you, Sarah” ad campaign.
that looks like one of the world’s tinier violins.
so, newt says he sees 20-30 significant thug players in the next election. that’s a big number. who might they be?
Christy,
Their top-down model and mindset are just one of the things I will be thankful for this holiday season. They are tone-deaf to the music of the times, and like Nixon on “Laugh-In” saying “Sock it to me” – people have somehow been vaccinated against their phoniness. Authoritarians just can’t modernize – they are always on the wrong side of history.
Wishing your family a joyous holiday, even if in this economy many won’t have such a big feast(or it will be the only one for many of us for awhile).
Took me forever to find one small enough. *G*
As my sonnyboy says, cry me a river, build me a bridge and get over it.
Oh, yes and imagine having enough D seats that we can afford to dump some of the lamer ones and still have the Votes!
Off to swim in the great capitalist cesspool. I’ll be thinking of all the greedy Rethugs whose portfolios are worth about as much as my 16yo pickup and of all those working folks whose 401(k) and other pension plans are worth about the same, thanks to those greedy Rethugs.
Be good to yourselves, and all other living things.
Namaste
Bipartisanship is only for the left.
If the Republics hope to emphasize pragmatism and fiscal responsibility, they will have to pretend that they never had years and years in control of Congress and the Presidency. They will need lots of new faces talking to the media to try to pull this off.
Hope you have a nice day, sweets.
gotcha beat by 3 years on my ford pickup. makes me smile that the thugs might have to sell one or two of the houses and/or boats.
How does one break one’s jaw? Ya either get punched or fall on yer face. Did she get so hammered at a reichwingnut party that she forgot to put her hands out when she took a dive?
It would be nice if bipartisanship is all that’s left.
G’morning everyone. Sun is shining in MN and the Franken/Coleman recount goes on. 506000…506001…506002…506005…ooops! Start over.
It’s ripe all right.
Not at all. Notice how all the Rubinites are now the economic saviors.
My FIL was fixing a neighbor’s garage door. The spring snapped, causing the cable to knock his wrench out of his hand and into his jaw. ON the bright side, he lost 20 lbs on the chocolate milkshake diet.
she might have put on too much weight.
I don’t see Satann doing anything heavier than lifting a martini glass. Maybe she and Ann Althouse oughta get together. The Dynamic Duo.
They’ll be rebranding the Rethug Party, of course.
Christy, not for the first time, it occurs to me that one of the massive tasks Democrats must undertake is to educate the masses about what it is Democrats believe and why. About social justice. About (heaven forefend) the link between social justice and the New Testament. The Greed Machine is hopeless. Those folks will have theirs at any cost. How, though, to reach the average Republican/Independent/fence-sitter/ambivalent folks? Know what I’m getting at here? As usual, please feel free to interpret me to myself! *g*
My fave part of all of this was the Frank Luntz “magic words” presentation to the Republican Governor’s Association. I have a word for Frank — “Katrina.”
CHS is underestimating the erotic power that such language will have on David Broder.
Maybe a heavy dose of reality slapped her upside the head? (I hope that doesn’t count as fantasy violence — I couldn’t help myself.)
Might start with Obama.
You know, it would be nice if Democratic politicians practiced the values that we’d like, too. That whole “watch what we do, not what we say” bit applies to them as well. What I’d really like is some serious action, with concomitant consequences and results, on truly democratic ideals and policies.
Guess we’ll see what we get in a few short weeks…
No better time than the present. Nothing wrong with being fiscally conservative while at the same time being socially progressive. We have to show how the two are not only compatible but function quite well together.
Oh, no. I’m not. *G*
if now now then when could dems make those arguments. yes, keep up the education process. bama still has lots of $$$. shrub has made a gift to us in a way.
shorter Rogich – We’re not quite up to speed on this whole honesty and accountability gambit, we want you on it kid !
first thing comes to my mind is that she got in the wrong persons face and in person. things happen when ya run your mouth ya know.
Maybe Dems need to start by educating themselves/ourselves? What’s our mission statement, our vision? I’m guessing there are as many versions of that as their are Dems. A very democratic approach, but makes it mighty hard to brand and sell the product. Just sayin’.
The Republican Party (not Republican voters) is all about marketing, and has been ever since Nixon figured out how to turn a sow’s ear into a silk purse through the magic of television. As the party of the rich and entitled, they have to sell their crummy product to the poor and the unentitled. Billions of dollars of marketing research has gone into learning how to make people buy stuff they don’t need and otherwise don’t want. When I read or listen to the Republiks, its all about branding. They could give two shits about actually doing anything beyond enriching themselves and, for their rabid supporters, screwing the DFH’s one more time for the Woodstock travesty.
I wonder when or if anyone will start calling them on their game. They don’t stand for anything except their desire for power.
gahhh — t-h-e-r-e
btw, Obama is supposed to hold a presser today on the economy at 11 am CT. Thought folks might want a heads up…don’t know more than that at this point.
a single speech by him yesterday sent the market up. seems people on cnbc are more optimistic today as well until paulson has a presser.
Hi Christy,
Here is a link to a Des Moines Register article about the Republican party being in disarray. Note the tone of the Radio Host of our Right Wing 50,000 Watt AM Radio station. I do not believe the fundies are going to allow the GOP to frame their positions in a more “moderate” tone.
things happen when ya run your mouth ya know.
Why, yes I do know that. *g*
Haven’t read much here. But I love the Luntz thought that words should help after 9 years of a near illiterate W trying to convince us of lies and crazy stuff with bad humor like looking for the WMDs. Some of us may have brains that are permanently scrambled. I never understood why W could not get some sort of remedial training in the use fo words. It’s not as if he did not have resources. Yep, words should fix it all now…Right. But they are reassuring and a pleasure to hear.
You were right the first time – their
I have always given Obama credit for his speaking abilities.
“frequently utter words like “accountability” and “efficiency“
Hah. Well there’s the problem. Plural.
1) The GOP got “Luntz’d.” Rather like getting “Munson’d.”
2) Uttering is not the same as being; hell, it’s not even close to pretending to go through the motions. Being accountable and being efficient actually require more effort than open one’s mouth and uttering words. Today’s GOP is incapable of recognizing this critical difference, let alone bridge the gap between talk and walk.
I guess it should be 8; just seems alot longer.
Off to do stuff.
Pragmatism, for Republican economic conservatives, means continued uncomplaining acceptance of the hokus-pokus of the religeous right because they provide the mass ignorance necessary to win elections.
the real money is on the extreme right. there is a chance that they will drive the thugs right off the cliff. i’m all for it.
See, I don’t think it’s all about calling them on their game. I was absolutely rabid about wanting Obama to smack down his detractors (both inside and outside the party). To call ‘em out on their crap. But by and large, he took the high road and got to Scotland afore any of ‘em. I think most American people are fed up and rising right now with steel toe to the groin politicking. “Don’t tell me what’s wrong with the far side until you can tell me what’s right about us.” Then compare and contrast. Blue books coming atcha.
Yeah, something tells me that Luntz’s “magic words” strategery has lost a bit of its luster. And yet? They invited him to speak at the Republican Governor’s Assoc. meeting anyway, didn’t they? Old tricks die hard, apparently…
But not the second time. Editor {{{blushes}}} at her grammatical stinky.
Isn’t that the very definition of “crazy”? Doing the same things over and over again and expecting different results?
I picture a crowd of aged, wrinkly white people wearing too much polyester, muttering like actors do in warm-ups before going on stage.
Somehow I think the word “watermelon” uttered repeatedly would have been more effective than uttering “accountability” and “efficiency”.
At least there’d be fewer syllables to manage.
I am right there with you. The sooner the better.
1,835 DAYZ AND THE KILLIN’ GOEZ ON AND ON AND…
Citizen Hardin Smith and the Firepup Freedom Fighters:
I think it’s important to keep and eye on what’s happenin’ in the fascist party and their electronic and publishin’ Whurlitzer, but I’m more interested in the actual numbers comin’ out on the economic front and the bail out cutting edge. What I mean is, if a majority of the first trillion or so of the bailout goes directly to the money laundry institutions and not back to the middle class or the consumer, then the oligarchy will not suffer and there will be a cashe of cash that will grow expedentially as the greater economy grows. This means that the same folks who brought us the crashes of 1929 and 2008 will not only be profiting again from their original larceny but they will have the money ta rebuild their political machine in the image of the old one. Therefore, at some point Obama’s gotta direct the traffic of the real cash bein transferred and hit the pots of cash bein’ re-consolidated to transfer back to the workin’ and middle classes. If he doesn’t tax the wealthiest within the first two years, then all he’s gunna do is have us all workin our asses off so that the fascists ken fleece us again in 40-50years.
KEEP THE FAITH AND PASS THE AMMUNITION, THE BASTARDS AREN’T GONE YET!!
Words do matter, though. Challenge: In 25 words (more or less), say what it is that Democrats/liberals/progressives (mix and match) stand for/believe.
Imagine the joyous dynamics of the GOP Gov. Assoc. for a moment. An audience including Sarah Palin, Charlie Crist and Bobby Jindal…all jonesing for their next Iowa foray, sitting there with trusted aides scribbling furious notes about Luntz’s magic words.
Jeebus, what a mental picture that is. The ego interaction alone is enough to giggle about…
I picture a crowd of aged, wrinkly white people wearing too much polyester, muttering like actors do in warm-ups before going on stage.
I started to get my back up at this, but then realized that I wear just the right amount of polyester.
yes, yes. let’s have a contest. of course, might take me couple of days to put together 25 words.
Note to Sarah, Charlie and Bobby: In Iowa the only magic words we know are “higher corn prices” and on Saturdays in the fall “Go Hawks!”
yep, “insanity”. einstein said it.
Im just too tempted: Can Sarah read? ;)
Speaking of contests…I never heard the winner of the GWB biography one. That was during the 2nd fire and we lost our power. Does anyone remember?
Haven’t announced it yet — was saving it for Thanksgiving week for a laugh for everyone.
Citizen californiarealitycheck:
“the real money is on the extreme right. there is a chance that they will drive the thugs right off the cliff.”
The reconsolidation of the fascisty party as a viable election force will not happen until the wealth of the oligarchy is taxed back into the economy. I am NOT sanguine about lettin the oligarchy regenerate their cash flow with the economic recovery money…and anyways, the 3 hundred pound gorilla in our living room is what happens if our newly elected leader expires in office.
Sounds cool to me.
I really want those cookies.
My personal favorite, conveniently mine, was “Strings Attached”.
yes, we have to take their money away. in every way. that is their power.
paulsen speeking now. market will tank.
Speaking of contests, a good one might be who can take the place of the American icon of the left – Alan Colmes.
Gosh, it is going to be tougher than replacing Lombardi in Green Bay. It might take a generation.
Jane’s up
The Republican party has held the U.S. from joining the rest of the western industrialized world since the early 20th Century. They have opposed nearly every progressive legislation from child welfare to social security. The sooner they go the way of the Whigs the sooner the U.S. can move forward.