# Time for the GOP to show their cards
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [November 6, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927 "2014-11-06T21:31:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2014, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/1 "2014-11-06T21:31:40Z")
With an R house and D senate very little got done. Each side blamed the other for the gridlock.
So in that way, it’s a good thing we now have an R senate. Now the republicans will have to pass actual legislation and we get to see what “repeal & replace Obamacare” means. It will also be interesting to see what an R budget really looks like.
And will they block Washington DCs pot legalization? On one hand we have the R “tough on crime”, and the old “gateway drug” logic and “think of the children”. On the other hand, R says there’s nothing worse than big government overriding the will of the people.
I predict much fun will be had at the 2016 election. Spin will reach new heights.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/2 "2014-11-06T21:44:50Z")
George Will, one of the most respected minds(at least to our side), has advice on what to do first:
> **[Opinion | First steps for Republicans](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-the-first-steps-republicans-should-take/2014/11/05/8c0c0fde-6529-11e4-bb14-4cfea1e742d5_story.html)**
>
> Start with six measures concerning practical governance.
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### Author:  [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/3 "2014-11-06T21:56:58Z")
Some of that sounds reasonable. Once upon a time I was a republican. Then the crazy took over the GOP. I hope the crazy will be purged and the R congress will pass sensible legislation. Even if Obama vetoes it, it will be a clear choice in 2016.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [November 6, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/4 "2014-11-06T21:59:08Z")
You can’t purge anyone in our party system. And I’m not sure about Will’s list. It looks focused on returning power to the legislative branch that was ceded to the executive during Obama’s first two years, but trying to abolish those agencies muddles that message and is bad policy to boot. The problem with CFPB and IPAB isn’t that they exist, it’s that they are not very accountable to elected officials. CFPB in particular isn’t even directly accountable to the President, it’s basically part of the Fed.
Another problem I’m seeing with Will’s suggestion is that the President won’t sign any of those. It’s possible that on two of them a veto-proof majority could be assembled. The media reports that relations between the President and Congressional Dems is at an all-time low. Establishing a good relationship with Democratic leaders and more moderate members could be advantageous. They you can get some things done without the President, and there is significant Democratic dissatisfaction with all of those items except CFPB.
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### Author:  [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/5 "2014-11-07T00:14:09Z")
> [@zwede](#):
>
> Some of that sounds reasonable. Once upon a time I was a republican. Then the crazy took over the GOP. I hope the crazy will be purged and the R congress will pass sensible legislation. Even if Obama vetoes it, it will be a clear choice in 2016.
I’m expecting two years of shutdowns, debt defaults, pointless ACA repeal votes, and impeachment hearings – all engineered by Ted Cruz, who will be undermining and backstabbing Boehner and McConnell at every turn.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/6 "2014-11-07T00:25:42Z")
Er, no. The Republicans won’t be able to resist doing some dumb things, but they won’t do all of them. ACA repeal is probably going to reach the President’s desk, just because it never has before. That’s fine, once. If ACA is indeed “growing in popularity every day” as Democrats contend, they should welcome a repeal on the President’s desk to veto. So no one should be complaining about that.
Shutdowns won’t happen. Never again. Impeachment is also off the table. Default was never on the table.
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### Author:  [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/7 "2014-11-07T00:59:27Z")
> [@adaher](#):
>
> George Will, one of the most respected minds(at least to our side), has advice on what to do first:
>
> [http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-the-first-steps-republicans-should-take/2014/11/05/8c0c0fde-6529-11e4-bb14-4cfea1e742d5\_story.html](http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/george-will-the-first-steps-republicans-should-take/2014/11/05/8c0c0fde-6529-11e4-bb14-4cfea1e742d5_story.html)
George Will???
> **[George Will - Still Recycling Classic Climate Change Myths for The Washington...](https://skepticalscience.com/george-will-recycling-classic-climate-change-myths.html)**
>
> In an opinion article for The Washington Post about the impending automatic budget sequestration in the USA, George Will inexplicably compared the situation to the long-debunked climate myth of an ice age predicted in the 1970s. In the article, Will...
> [@](#):
>
> In an opinion article for The Washington Post about the impending automatic budget sequestration in the USA, George Will inexplicably compared the situation to the long-debunked climate myth of an ice age predicted in the 1970s. In the article, Will argues that President Obama and American liberals are effectively “crying wolf” about the effects of the sequestration on the economy, and compares the situation to supposed predictions of impending cooling made in the 1970s.
> Reality Check - 1970s Scientists Predicted Global Warming
>
> In reality, a survey of peer reviewed scientific papers from 1965 to 1979 showed that fewer than 10% papers predicted global cooling while significantly more papers (62%) predicted global warming (Peterson 2008; Figure 1).
> [@](#):
>
> It’s difficult to understand why George Will keeps raising this climate myth from the dead. Perhaps he needed another 100 words to meet his quota. Perhaps he forgot the many times this myth has been debunked. Perhaps he wanted to add more controversy to his article.
>
> Whatever the reason, it’s very difficult to take George Will seriously if he can’t learn from repeatedly making the same mistake over a period of two decades. The lesson to be learned here – aside from “stop repeating a myth at least a few years after it’s been repeatedly debunked” – is that we should listen both to what climate scientists actually say, and their explanations for why they say it. Because unlike George Will, climate scientists know a thing or two about the climate.
George Will still misleads many of the Republicans with that lie, He even misleads the very likely Senate Republican leader: (Starting At 1:27)
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1kx39GNbcc)
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/8 "2014-11-07T01:01:13Z")
Well, that’s one of our big thinkers, so if you want to know what we’re thinking, you’ll want to keep up with him.
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### Author:  [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/9 "2014-11-07T01:08:55Z")
> [@adaher](#):
>
> Well, that’s one of our big thinkers, so if you want to know what we’re thinking, you’ll want to keep up with him.
Of course I did, and as the cite reports George Will has continued to recycle that lie **for more than 2 decades.**
BTW, that was not the only time he has looked like a dunce or a master misleader, and that misleader item is indeed something everyone has to keep up with.
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/10 "2014-11-07T02:21:42Z")
> [@adaher](#):
>
> Another problem I’m seeing with Will’s suggestion is that the President won’t sign any of those. It’s possible that on two of them a veto-proof majority could be assembled. The media reports that relations between the President and Congressional Dems is at an all-time low. Establishing a good relationship with Democratic leaders and more moderate members could be advantageous. They you can get some things done without the President, and there is significant Democratic dissatisfaction with all of those items except CFPB.
Will’s strategy seems to be the Republican majority in Congress should enact these laws and then see if Obama will veto them. If he signs them, great - Will thinks the laws are a good idea. But if he doesn’t sign them, Will figures this will be a winning campaign issue in 2016.
On that, I have my doubts. I don’t really see 2016 being fought over issues like a banking regulatory agency, a tax on medical devices, and an oil pipeline. These just aren’t Main Street issues. Arguing Obama obstinately vetoed legislation passed by Congress won’t necessarily sing either - Obama won’t be running in 2016. If Clinton (or whoever) distances herself from the vetoes, the Republicans are left with a non-issue. And it could backlash against the Congressional Republicans.
As I said in another thread, I think the smart move for the Republican in the next two years will be to work on bipartisanship (albeit with them in the driving seat) and get things done. They need to show the voters that they’re grown-ups and not just the party that fights Obama.
The biggest threat Obama can make right now is to return the favor. If he practices the same kind of blind opposition he’s faced for the last six years he can hurt the Republicans. He doesn’t have to worry about the cost - he’s retiring in 2016. But the voters can throw Congress out with him. If the Republicans don’t accomplish something in the next two years, they might see 2016 giving the House, the Senate, and the Presidency back to the Democrats.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/11 "2014-11-07T02:24:01Z")
> [@zwede](#):
>
> So in that way, it’s a good thing we now have an R senate. Now the republicans will have to pass actual legislation and we get to see what “repeal & replace Obamacare” means. It will also be interesting to see what an R budget really looks like.
Why would you think that? Mitch McConnell has already said he isn’t going to try and repeal the ACA. Boenher will probably put it up for another vote, but it doesn’t get past the senate.
> [@](#):
>
> And will they block Washington DCs pot legalization?
Perhaps that is actually something the GOP and Obama can agree on. Obama, as president, is no friend of legalized pot.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/12 "2014-11-07T04:30:46Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Will’s strategy seems to be the Republican majority in Congress should enact these laws and then see if Obama will veto them. If he signs them, great - Will thinks the laws are a good idea. But if he doesn’t sign them, Will figures this will be a winning campaign issue in 2016.
>
> On that, I have my doubts. .
The theme is that Republicans are trying to return power to the legislative branch, but I don’t see that as a particularly effective campaign message either. There’s no point in doing these things unless you can make them bipartisan, in which case the President might feel compelled to sign some of them or maybe his veto can be overridden.
But either way, Republicans need to find some partners, not do what they’ve been doing. Either the president or Senate Democrats will do just fine.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/13 "2014-11-07T08:28:02Z")
Sen. Mike Lee also has some ideas:
> **[Mike Lee's Plan To Fix Congress](https://thefederalist.com/2014/11/06/mike-lees-plan-to-fix-congress/)**
>
> Mike Lee, incoming chair of the Senate Steering Committee, lays out his five point plan to fix congress and restore trust, transparency, and empowerment.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/14 "2014-11-07T08:33:27Z")
Mitch McConnell speaks on what he plans to do in the first weeks, while also pointing out that when deals have had to be made with the President, he’s the one who made them:
> **[McConnell unveils plan to dismantle ObamaCare](https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/223048-mcconnell-unveils-plan-to-dismantle-obamacare/)**
>
> The GOP leader is vowing to attack the law piece-by-piece.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/15 "2014-11-07T08:34:54Z")
It looks like tax reform will be on the agenda as well:
> **[Chance for Tax Overhaul Is Seen in Shift of Power (Published 2014)](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/07/us/politics/republican-wins-may-lead-to-fiscal-deal-with-democrats.html?_r=0)**
>
> Tax restructuring, international trade and budget policy may offer common ground for Democrats and Republicans in President Obama’s final two years in office.
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### Author:  [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/16 "2014-11-07T13:06:55Z")
[Possible fed Washington pot legalization overthrow]
> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> Perhaps that is actually something the GOP and Obama can agree on. Obama, as president, is no friend of legalized pot.
Obama would probably sign it, but that’s not what I would find interesting. What I _will_ find interesting is how the GOP deals with the issue. Many of the repubs campaigned on the idea of an out of control federal government “showing big government legislation down people’s throats”. So the question is: Will they overrule 63% of the Washington DC voters and ban something that a majority of the people want?
I’m wondering if it will create a rift in the GOP?
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/17 "2014-11-07T13:29:17Z")
> [@zwede](#):
>
> [Possible fed Washington pot legalization overthrow]
>
> Obama would probably sign it, but that’s not what I would find interesting. What I _will_ find interesting is how the GOP deals with the issue. Many of the repubs campaigned on the idea of an out of control federal government “showing big government legislation down people’s throats”. So the question is: Will they overrule 63% of the Washington DC voters and ban something that a majority of the people want?
>
> I’m wondering if it will create a rift in the GOP?
The constitution is pretty clear on the issue, and SCOTUS has ruled in favor of the feds. I know you think there’s a big fat “gotcha” here for the Republicans, but the law and the constitution are both on their side, should they decide to act. The laws against pot have been on the books for about 100 years, so this isn’t some new “big government” program sprung out of the New Deal or the Great Society.
How would you feel if 63% of the people voted to have prayer in public schools? Or to lower the minimum wage below the federal level? Would you want the feds to stand back and say: Hey, if that’s what the people want!
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### Author:  [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/18 "2014-11-07T13:42:18Z")
What if they called on Harry to bring all the House-passed measure’s he’s been sitting on to a vote during the lame duck session?
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### Author:  [@zwede](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zwede)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/19 "2014-11-07T14:17:50Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#):
>
> The constitution is pretty clear on the issue, and SCOTUS has ruled in favor of the feds. I know you think there’s a big fat “gotcha” here for the Republicans, but the law and the constitution are both on their side, should they decide to act. The laws against pot have been on the books for about 100 years, so this isn’t some new “big government” program sprung out of the New Deal or the Great Society.
>
> How would you feel if 63% of the people voted to have prayer in public schools? Or to lower the minimum wage below the federal level? Would you want the feds to stand back and say: Hey, if that’s what the people want!
You’re misunderstanding me. I have no doubt congress has the legal authority to overturn the public referendum. Washington DC has a special status in that it is directly controlled by congress. What I will watch with interest is how R politicians who campaigned on “reigning in the out of control federal government” will vote. Hence the topic of this thread: The GOP will have to show their cards.
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### Author:  [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-the-gop-to-show-their-cards/703927/20 "2014-11-07T15:26:33Z")
> [@zwede](#):
>
> You’re misunderstanding me. I have no doubt congress has the legal authority to overturn the public referendum. Washington DC has a special status in that it is directly controlled by congress. What I will watch with interest is how R politicians who campaigned on “reigning in the out of control federal government” will vote. Hence the topic of this thread: The GOP will have to show their cards.
Republicans are not libertarians. Gay marriage and pro choice win polls in most places–Republicans still oppose them.
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