# How will the GOP rebrand the party? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 18, 2008, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775 "2008-05-18T18:46:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775/61 "2008-05-20T03:25:20Z")
[QUOTE=tomndebb] \*\*sqink[/b … If it was a coding error, I can fix it. [/Moderating] [/QUOTE] Is speeling one of your fortes too? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775/62 "2008-05-20T03:32:53Z")
[QUOTE=focusonz] Let’s get it correct! The reps are big on security, someone has to be. [/QUOTE] Actually, no they aren’t. The Republicans if anything are worse at security than the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775/63 "2008-05-20T03:33:54Z")
[QUOTE=focusonz] All businesses reduce costs while increasing income . . . [/QUOTE] :dubious: Since when? ---
**Author:** ![Gozu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gozu/32/6615_2.png) [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775/64 "2008-05-20T04:32:43Z")
[QUOTE=focusonz] I support the ‘Fair Tax’. [/QUOTE] The fair tax is anything but fair. Those who advocate reducing government spending must realize that this is always done at the expense of the poor. If you want to do something positive, reform government programs that are not effective. Money exists to be spent. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775/65 "2008-05-20T13:19:38Z")
[House Conservatives to Offer Ideas for G.O.P. Message](http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/washington/20cong.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) > [@](#): > > A spokeswoman for Representative Roy Blunt of Missouri, the No. 2 Republican in the House, said the leadership was open to constructive suggestions from lawmakers. > “It’s healthy and good for our members to weigh in and put forward ideas,” said the spokeswoman, Antonia Ferrier. “That’s how we get the energy leading into November.” In other words, the purpose of putting forward ideas for the change America deserves is to achieve more votes come November. The GOP’s party before country attitude is definitely _not_ on the table. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775/66 "2008-05-20T20:39:32Z")
[QUOTE=focusonz] Let’s get it correct! The reps are big on security, someone has to be. The dems are big on gummint social programs, some has to be. A match made in heaven but a whole lot of trade offs amongst us mortals and some are eeeeeeeexpensive. [/QUOTE] IF the GOP wants to get it correct, they need to stop characterizing the Dems as “tax and spend” and own up to the fact that they will spend any amount of money on “security”–even taking from social programs to do so. They are no more small government than the Dems are–they just want the money to flow elsewhere. **Gozu** –excellent points. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775/67 "2008-05-20T20:48:56Z")
And then there’s the dog that didn’t bark in the night. I’m referring to the strange reticence on the part of the Pubbies with this whole gay marriage court thingy. How come they aren’t shitting themselves and setting their hair on fire? Wouldn’t you have figured they’d be on that like ugly on a Coulter? But reference \*\*Squink’\*\*s post on page one, the family values platform, and not one word about it? Lots of stuff lifted straight from the liberal wishbook, and squat all about the insidious fabulous. Whats up with that? ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775/68 "2008-05-20T22:49:44Z")
Um, they only get on their moral high horse when it’s expedient to do so? That’s my theory (time was, a lot, if not most, of the GOP was pro-choice…) ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2008, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775/69 "2008-05-21T03:47:14Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] I’m referring to the strange reticence on the part of the Pubbies with this whole gay marriage court thingy. How come they aren’t shitting themselves and setting their hair on fire? [/QUOTE] I think they might actually see such issues as a barrier to embiggening the party. It could be they’ll have to throw a bone to Huckabee this summer in order to keep their social conservatives on line. That’s a _dicey_ strategy! It looks like Boehner’s safe for now: [Expected fireworks fizzle, ranks close around Boehner](http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/expected-fireworks-fizzle-ranks-close-around-boehner-2008-05-20.html) The linked article contains some lovely GOP imagery of their situation: > [@](#): > > Policy Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) > > We’ve a tiger by the tail and he’s dumping on us. … House Republicans are a legislative minority tied to an unpopular, departing president during a ‘change’ election,” the memo stated. “Thus, we must stop feeding the kitty by waging a public ‘referendum’ on ourselves as Republicans; instead, we must wage and win a ‘choice’ election against Democrats.” as well as wild and crazy plans to prove to America that the GOP can deliver the change it deserves: > [@](#): > > He (McCotter) also called for more out-of-the-box strategies, such as proposing a theme of “Nancy Pelosi, the San Francisco Threat,” sung to the tune of the Rice-a-Roni jingle. I wonder if they’d get into copyright trouble over that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-will-the-gop-rebrand-the-party/449775.md?page=3)