What Happens to Republican Morale if Obama Gets The Nod?

[DrFunkenstein]

With the exception of Huckabee, none of the GOP candidates is more comfortable speaking from the Gospel (ala MLK, the way it was meant to be). Christian activists are trending away from the monolithic and divisive culture of anti-abortionism and such, and more towards protecting the environment, health care and fighting global poverty.

Obama can say he was against the war from the beginning and force the GOP candidate to align himself with Bush and Cheney. They apparently didn't recognize a "dumb war" when they saw it.

Obama represents change in a change election cycle. Obama knows how to talk to the Monday Night Football crowd. He has a level of frankness about his own humanity and shortcomings that is miles away from Bill Clinton's inhalation difficulties and Guiliani's refusal to even mention that he has a family (let alone Romney's whole paranoid android thing).

The only thing that is giving conservatives anything resembling blood in their veins is the prospect of returning back to the good ole' culture wars of the 90's. Obama totally obliterates that whole divide and brings people together after people have grown so tired of being divided. We want to go back to that time after 9-11 when everybody was pulling together in a common struggle. Unfortunately, Giuliani gave up on that sense of unity a long time ago.

Beyond that, no one could say that Obama wouldn't be able to negotiate major health care and environmental reform through Congress because it was mired in the culture wars of the 90's.

I have to think that putting Obama up as the candidate would have the distinct sound of a big giant balloon deflating for the Republican party.

[MethuenProgressive]

1. The evangelical wing would applaud.

Obama's already made it clear he stands with them.

[madrchsod]

5. the white evangelicals will have nothing to with obama

most of black evangelicals will vote for who ever the the democratic candidate is. not all evangelicals are of the same beliefs. i could be called a evangelical by some and others would claim i don`t believe in the "lord"

[dugggy]

20. You are thinking everything in terms of race..

Have you experienced personal racial prejudice to be so paranoid
about race? This is 21st century America. This is the country which
freed slaves over a century ago and passed extensive civil rights
legislation 5 decades ago. None of the European countries are so
progressive.

[provis99]

28. haven't been in the South lately, have you

thats where the white evangelicals tend to congregate. They still say down there, Sunday morning is the most segregated time of the Southern week. White Christian fundamentalists might vote 5% for Obama, tops.

[dugggy]

29. Nope, I spent 37 years in midwest and 9 years in NW

but I have made several trips to Alabama & Texas.

[avrdream]

36. 16 years in South Carolina for me.

Let me tell you, racism is alive and well (excuse the use of the word) in Southern America.

Would Republicans cheer? I don't know. They don't seem to be putting out as much negative crap about him as they are about some of our other candidates. Is this because they WANT to face him or because there isn't a whole lot of negative stuff to be found? I'll leave that up to others to decide.

[Clintonista2]

2. I truly believe that they are hoping for an Obama nomination

They know he doesn't have the experience to take on the RW machine.

[MannyGoldstein]

3. You So Funny

Clinton has won exactly zero victories against the RW machine - other than two elections against third-tier Republican candidates in a very blue state. She has never won a legislative victory that she actually fought for.

[neutron]

12. But Barak Hussein

will take the red states. Yup.

[Zueda]

7. He sure is getting plenty of RW machine noise

:shrug: from Hillary...And so far handling it very well.

[1corona4u]

Yes, so you could say...

a vote for Obama, is a vote for the republicans. As I found out today at dinner...

[themaguffin]

43. Not all Dems can be the get out the vote poster that Hillary would be for the GOP

[bluestateguy]

4. They will go after him with the same ferocity as they would against Hillary

These people believe that the White House is a God-given right of the Republican Party. They don't like people who stand in the way of that.

With Barack as the nominee, while he is constantly speechifying about love and unity and togetherness, the Republican Attack Machine will be ruthlessly savaging him. And that shit works in campaigns, whether you like to admit it or not We've already seen how slow an ineffective this rookie is at hitting back with the same vigor, and hitting back in a timely manner.

There will also be whispering campaigns meant to play the race card (a favorite GOP tactic since 1964), e-mails, robo-calls, flyers, YouTube videos. And they will do it in a way that keeps their nominee's fingerprints off of it.

They will constantly refer to him as Barack Hussein Obama. Over and over again, and then feign innocence when anybody calls them out about it.

This guy is not ready for the prime time of a general election campaign, even though I'm sure he'd be a fine president.

[Democrats_win]

13. Yep. Swift boating to insure the GOP can continue to undermine America.

[Colobo]

24. Barack's not only ready to beat the shit out of Republicans in the GE,

but he is also ready to lead America into prosperity.

[1corona4u]

25. How is he going to lead us

"into prosperity"?

[msongs]

34. unless yer glbt, or democratic - you know, those people obama says have no faith nt

[Hawkowl]

45. Willie Horton times 10

The despicable shit that the republicans will throw at Obama would make this the dirtiest campaign in modern history. Perhaps you are too young to remember the Willie Horton ads that sunk Dukakis. Or do you remember the disgusting push poll against McCain in the 2000 primary calling his adopted Bangladeshi daughter an illegitimate black daughter? I think Obama would lose the entire south, Indiana, Missouri, and quite a few border states just on this country's vicious racism alone. He will have an uphill battle indeed. A true test of character.

I think Obama is the rethuglicans second choice for dem nominee. Doesn't mean we should give a rat's ass who THEY want at all. The whole question in the OP is stupid. Dems can't win by doing what rethuglicans think. Period.

Vote your conscience and let the chips fall where they may.

[neutron]

27. Daily Kos is throwing off people who state what you just said

You'd better believe Obama's full name will be used at all times on Pox News.

[Basileus Basileon]

6. Stays about the same.

Plus: No possibility of a Clinton presidency.
Minus: No chance to run against Clinton.

[BenDavid]

8. The gop would rejoice. I have nothing bad to say about Obama

But seriously, experience, knowledge, etc. etc. and the only team to win back-to-back presidential campaigns since FDR, (the team that beat war hero Bush and war hero Dole) is my choice ...WHO do you think the super-racist GOP wants to run against? It's sad but true.

Ben David

[Zueda]

17. Let's talk experience...

Let's take a look at their backgrounds before politics.

Do you really fell that someone who was a corporate defense lawyer for Wal-Mart can better represent the Democratic party better than someone who was a civil rights lawyer and a lecturer of constitutional law?

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

19. The question concerned republican reaction, not objective qualifications

[Zueda]

21. I was addressing the statement not the question.

However I do address the question further down thread.

[paulk]

39. HRC was not a "corporate defense lawyer" for Walmart

she was the first female member of their board of directors, back in the day when Walmart was still a half way respectable company. Her achievements at Walmart were positive in terms of the environment and women's rights.

It is a typically cheap and disingenuous comment you make in attacking her.

[Zueda]

41. What did she do at Rose Law Firm then?

Mop floors? I don't think so. She was the first woman partner of Rose Law Firm.

...Among Rose Law Firm's major clients were Wal-Mart and Tyson Foods.

on edit: and when was Wal-mart a respectable company? Was it while Sam Walton, In 1985 began a program designed to stem the 'tide of communism' in Central America by promoting capitalism and privatization.

[paulk]

42. she was not, as you state, a "corporate defense lawyer" for

Walmart. She was a member of their board. You don't get to move the goalposts.

And guilt by association is a tactic typically used by those who don't have a legitimate argument to make.

[Zueda]

44. You still fail to answer my question...

What did she do at Rose law firm? This was before she was a board member.

[Name removed]

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[Zueda]

47. tsk tsk, Your anger and refusal to answer says alot.

My question has everything to with your attempt to hide the fact that she was a corporate defense lawyer for Wal-Mart while she was partners with Rose law firm. And I'm only trashing the Goldwater Girl DINO and any other Dem who bases their campaign on capitulation.

Simply put Hillary is to Walmart as Cheney is to Haliburton and therefore "Free trade" is to Clinton as Iraq war is to Cheney.

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Their Morale Will Remain In The Basement

They're retiring from Congress in droves, they know the jig is up. Unlike some other candidates, Obama doesn't have any gaping flaws for the Rethugs to leverage - all they can do is stay depressed.

[1corona4u]

10. I don't think he will...

Today, there were 22 of us for Thanksgiving dinner. Out of that 22, all of us are either Dem or Ind. Not one of them or myself, will vote for Obama. Most said if he gets the nod, they will vote republican. Mitt Romney to be specific. This has been my worry all along with Obama....and I'm sure all of my family and friends are not unique in their thinking. Of course I preached Biden all day too.....

[spag68]

32. How can

a room full of dems. vote for a corporate hedge fund rethug like rumy rommy? Not very good dems. are we.

[1corona4u]

40. Some are Dems and some are Ind's.

The just won't vote for Obama. There are a couple that may not vote at all, if he is the nominee. Only they know what their reasons are, and I did not question them, other than to ask why Romney.

[neutron]

11. They'll love Barak Hussein

Like the right wing, he is for nuclear power.

I'm still trying to figure out how everyone is so sure about a man they
do not know well.

Bush's mantra was also about giving America a fresh start.

[1corona4u]

16. Boy you got that right...

It always amazes me when I point something out to an Obama supporter, and they say; "I didn't know that"...and I say, then you don't know your candidate.

[JohnnyLib2]

14. Morale would not be good.

However, YOU should get a DUzy for the most amazing topic heading for a long time! :kick:

[hyphenate]

15. Absolutely none of that would be taken

into context at all by any repubs. Their sole and most powerful aim will be to vote against a black man--simple, direct and to the point. The majority of repukes will vote against him simply for that one and only prejudice. And let's face it--Hillary Clinton will be the same anathema to any and all repukes--she is a woman: nothing else will matter.

We should know by now that good ole boys will vote for the most inappropriate candidate available if the alternative is to vote for Obama or Clinton. Their minds are so deprived of any other thought than having a woman or a black man running the "good ole US of A." as being a potentiality. Let's face it--they're warped beyond what we can expect them to be.

[Zueda]

18. Tennessee is probably just as racist as any other...

southern state and look how well Ford did even after the RNC started running the "Willy P Horton"-like ads.

Folks...racism is not tolerated as well as it once was.

on edit: Besides... anyone who would vote against someone due to their color would already be voting Republican anyway.

[ClarkUSA]

22. They'll say, "Oh shit" as GOP moderates vote in droves as Obama Republicans.

Remember, Obama came in third at the first Iowa Republican straw poll and his name wasn't even on the ballot.
He polls consistently as the Democratic candidate most likely to get crossover votes from fed-up moderate
Republicans and right-leaning independents, so we're looking at the candidate with the longest coattails in
the general election's down ticket, too.

Also, in recent head-to-head match ups, Obama outperforms all candidates, including Clinton, by a wide margin:
http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReportEmail.aspx?g=2d211d2a-ee13-40ab-8455-5a70b9b55bfe

Which makes Obama the most electable general election candidate. And the GOP knows what a transformational
candidate Obama will be, which is why Tom DeLay, Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove and George Bush think she's so
terrifically qualified to be president.

Sure.

[mtnsnake]

23. I can't wait to see what happens to Republican morale after he's President

but only IF he gets the nod, which he very well could.

[dpbrown]

26. It goes through the roof

They get to energize their base against letting a black man become President.

[illinoisprogressive]

30. Frankly, I am more than ready for an end to the whole era of dysfunction

[illinoisprogressive]

31. I think Obama showed how he handles republican attacks with the Hillary story last week.

[msongs]

33. repubs vote for him in primaries and against him in the general nt

[Tellurian]

35. For now, Obama is a tool. A tool to defeat Hillary..

If he is successful, he will be victimized and defeated handily in the General. That is, if he refuses to capitulate to the Neocons. If he capitulates, he will be another Republican puppet representing himself as a democrat in name only. IOW, nothing will change the status quo will be intact.

[Perry Logan]

37. At least no one can accuse DUers of being too optimistic.

[Name removed]

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