Palooka, a definition - Prize fighter who agrees to throw fights for the short term easy payoffs, bum, loser.
I had an epiphany today, or more specifically, I've had a decades long epiphany brought into that most acute clarity that can only occur when an outside influence accidentally refocuses the lens through which life is viewed. When reading an article on Governor Rick Scott's latest attempt at pandering to the non existent world of moderates, ie., capitulating on the Medicaid and Medicare expansion provision of the Obamacare monstrosity, which was actually struck down by the Supreme Court, an insightful fellow who travels the internet under the moniker, Buzzsawmonkey, wrote the following.
I’m tired of the Palooka Party always taking a dive for the guaranteed short money.
There it is, the reason why Republicans have lost the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 Presidential elections. They are the Palooka Party. Rick Scott was not the only recently elected Republican Governor to break a specific promise to his voters with this particular action. Taking the same action were Governors, Kasich of Ohio, Dalrymple of North Dakota, Martinez of New Mexico, and Sandoval of Nevada. I wish to be wrong here, but feel certain that more will follow. Bear in mind that this all plays out simultaneously as almost every Democrat Senator, Representative, and cheer leader who supported this monstrosity of a nation killing law are backing away from responsibility for its passage just as fast as their crooked little legs will carry them. So, for those of you reffing this fight at home, the people who passed this steaming pile of legislation are trapped against the ropes by its self destruction. Fear not oh fans representing the political left. Five supposedly conservative Republican Governors have agreed to take that political dive in order to receive the short end money which they believe to be reelection during their next campaign. They'll happily take the blame for this steaming pile of legislation if it means survival past 2014.
This is not the first time we've faced this with our chosen candidates though, is it? The words, "gang of fourteen," still brings a bad taste to my mouth. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe routinely voted with the Democrats in every crucial vote with clear partisan divisions throughout their entire careers. It just so happens that for all of those little meaningless votes, they went with the caucus leaders so as to boast a high percentage of voting with their party. John Boehner's fumblings during his tenure as House Speaker are already the stuff of legend. Ours is the Palooka Party, and we're getting tired of this universal truth. It isn't just Obamacare's implementation, Bush's judicial nominees being filibustered, the constant deals that give us massive spending increases today for the always promised but never delivered future cuts ten years from now that anger us. The simple fact that we as Republican voters hold pretty simple criteria when deciding for whom we will vote. We, meaning most of us, choose to support candidates who will deliver us smaller government, reducing the regulatory environment, lower taxation rates, reduced government largess, uphold a strict interpretation of our Constitution, (Second, Ninth, and Tenth Amendments included,) and a foreign policy that promises to project American Strength and exceptionalism rather than weakness and mediocrity. When these Republican politicians courted our votes as candidates, they all promised, without fail to uphold those very principles. The anger is that as soon as the short term money becomes available, the dive is taken, without pretense and seemingly without exception.
As angering as that is, it is worse when victory is at hand. I'm not talking specifically about the Romney dive which happened shortly after the first debate during the last election. I'm not even specifically thinking of the McCain led gang of fourteen that came up with that weak compromise that saw a fight in the Senate which was clearly going to be won by Republicans negotiated into a stunning defeat over the Bush judicial nominations. It is about all of these things. These five Palooka governors have taken the certain implosion of the Obamacare law, and rejuvenated the viability of something America would be much better served in allowing to die the horrible death it deserves. The problem is, this is not an isolated incident in Republican politics, but something that we have come to expect as inevitable. We are the Palooka Party, plain and simple. No matter how many times these guys promise us that they get it, and they're going to be different some how, the dive is what we get.
After elections recently, we've seen increasing amounts of hand wringing from the establishment of the GOP. Soul searching as to why voters are increasingly turning their noses at the party which professes to be advocates for smaller government. Reasons are hashed out on Sunday talk shows, fingers are pointed, and truthfully speaking, none of them has the slightest clue. The reason is really quite simple. After watching this game play out for the better part of three decades now, we people who make up the Republican base are starting to get the clue, the dive is eminent. We are tired of pulling defeat from the jaws of victory, tired of Palookas taking our money and diving, tired of voting for what is promised, and handed something else entirely.
Take a good look at the cartoon above. Realize that it may be the single most accurate piece of journalism seen this decade, and then repeat to yourself three times aloud. We lost an election to that. Wring your hands all you want Palookas, the answer is not in slick messaging, pandering to the moderates, or even outreach to specifically targeted interest groups. The answer is in your mirror. Stop being Palookas, and start sticking to the principles you've espoused. The only thing you've not tried yet, imagine that.
Comment
Comment by Whitehorse on February 25, 2013 at 3:37pm Dennis, always room for other's thoughts. If I disagree with you & you with me, that's OK.
If we could get rid of parties, that would be great - however, that would require everyone to believe exactly the same thing on everything. As long as individuals have differences, we're going to gravitate & shake out normally into generally 2 competing sides.
Where we see extensive, huge corruption involving political parties is either situations where there is single party dominance or multiple parties competing. We know about the corruption in single party areas; in multi-party areas, the party bosses have all the power. If a representative wins, he or she is beholden to the party completely; not the voters.
Comment by Dennis L. Kolb Sr. on February 25, 2013 at 2:09pm HERE IS A HARMLESS PICTURE FROM, ' TOWNHALL.COM ' ,THAT I RE-POSTED FIRDAY 22, 2013..
Comment by Dennis L. Kolb Sr. on Friday:
"This is the most transparent administration in history."
THEN I POSTED A STUDY AN, F.B.I. PROFILER , THAT FOUND THAT POLITICANS HEVE 'MANY' OF THE SAME TRAITS AS SERIAL-KILLERS.
I POSTED ' MY THOUGHTS', BACKED BY , 'GEORGE WASHINGTON'S OWN WORDS, FROM HIS; ' FAREWELL ADDRESS TO THE NATION', ON POLITICAL PARTY INVOLVEMENT AND CONTROL OF OUR GOVERNMENT.
A POSTED A DIRECT QUOTE FROM; PRESIDENT JAMES GARFIELD.
FROM THEN ON, MOST COMMENTS ARE FROM THE SAME BASIC PEOPLE, DEALING WITH ME, MY COMMENTS, AND THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS!
IF ONLY THEY ALL WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO 'ACTUALLY READ' EVERY WORD OF MY COMMENTS, AND FROM THOSE TAKEN FROM RECORDED HISTROY!
PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON SAID; POLITICAL PATIES, IN CONTROL OF OUR REPUBLIC, WOULD CAUSE; ' HORRID DESPOTISMS ' TO OUR NATION!
WE HAVE TWO POLITICAL PARTIES IN ' COMPLETE CONTROL ' OF OUR GOVERNMENT!
NO MATTER HOW ONE VOTES, YOU WILL ' ALWAYS ' BE VOTING, THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS!
AGREE, OR DISAGREE, THIS HOW I SEE POLITICAL PARTIES BASED, ONLY ON WHAT I WITNESSED IN MY 64 YEARS ON THE PLANET, AND WHAT ' RECORDED HISTORY ' HAS TAUGHT ME!
PS; I NEVER CALLED THE REPUBLICANS; LAZY AND STUPID IN ANY OF MY COMMENTS?
BUT THE POLITICAL PARTIES AND WHAT THEY BRING THE AMERICA, IS!
PLEASE LEAVE ROOM FOR OTHERS THOUGHTS!..... THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!
Comment by Whitehorse on February 25, 2013 at 12:42pm Dwight, you are correct. I expect that from the Left. I expect them to be stupid.
I expect us to be smarter. I expect us to not agree with the left that our people are evil, maybe not as evil in our eyes as theirs are, but evil nonetheless. &, isn't "evil" relative when your only choices are evil? When there is no real right & wrong, only "perceptions???"
Comment by Dwight M. Schmitz on February 25, 2013 at 12:22pm Whitehorse - Calling republicans evil (or racists or any other derogatory name) is part of the liberal hypocrisy. The left gets all in a tizzy whenever anyone dares to even imply any criticism of them, yet they have no problem engaging in even the basest name calling of conservatives. Look at Rush's comment about Sandra Fluke compared to what people like Mahar, Olberman, etc. were calling Sarah Palin. Our children are taught in school that conservatism is wrong and evil, but if we dare criticize the school system, then we're heartless, evil, greedy, racist, etc., etc.
You're right, in addition to calling out some of the liberal lies, we also need to let those who speak the truth know that we support them.
Comment by Whitehorse on February 25, 2013 at 11:38am Dennis,
Perhaps Howard Dean & the Left in this country have no problem dumbing down the language & the meaning of words; I do. I'm a conservative/lilbertarian/federalist. I believe there is real evil in the world. Calling Republicans evil is lazy & stupid. I'm a Republican by choice & I certainly am not evil - nowhere near perfect, but not evil.
Republicans need stronger leaders who have the guts & backbone to stand up to the bullies on the left - & we in the conservative grassroots need to be intelligent & take the time to support them, have their back when they do. We have to be smart enough to see who is doing right & who isn't.
Comment by Cold Warrior on February 25, 2013 at 1:02am Dwight,
You are correct, sir.
In case you are interested, here's my presentation to the Glendale, AZ Tea Party February 11, 2011 talk to the Glendale, AZ Tea Party Patriots back in February of 2011. I don't sugar coat the message:
http://youtu.be/-dSd8kjPz5Y
http://youtu.be/ZtjCYAzzjUA
http://youtu.be/jQmfH_1I06A
http://youtu.be/Z5SKp9WDLkI
http://youtu.be/CAQUYI0SWB0
Thank you.
Cold Warrior
Comment by Dwight M. Schmitz on February 25, 2013 at 12:46am We may all need to accept the fact that we need to get out of our "comfort zone." While I may not like to be on the phone for hours a day, maybe that is what I need to do. While someone else may not like going door to door making personal contact with strangers, maybe that is what we need to do. Previous generations risked their lives for us. We should do the same for our children.
Comment by Cold Warrior on February 24, 2013 at 11:12pm Dennis,
Great quote from Garfield.
That's my point.
As you know, every two years "we the people" have the power to replace the entire House of Representatives.
Yet, despite how bad things are, RINOs like Boehner and Cantor win their primaries. In Cantor's district, sometimes as few as 7 per cent of Republicans turn out to vote.
In Ohio, in Boehner's district, turnout has been a little bit higher in the primary: about 20%.
Here's an article I wrote about the "Boehner problem" and how to fix it:
http://www.unifiedpatriots.com/2011/03/20/want-to-change-john-boehn...
Thanks,
Cold Warrior
Comment by Dennis L. Kolb Sr. on February 24, 2013 at 11:03pm "Now more than ever before, the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature.... If the next centennial does not find us a great nation ... it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces."
James Garfield, the twentieth president of the United States, 1877
Comment by Cold Warrior on February 24, 2013 at 10:45pm From Thomas Paine:
"These are the times that try men's souls.
The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will,
in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country;
but he that stands it now,
deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered;
yet we have this consolation with us,
that the harder the conflict,
the more glorious the triumph.
What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly.
Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods;
and it would be strange indeed,
if so celestial an article as Freedom
should not be highly rated."
From Abraham Lincoln:
To divide their county into small districts, and to appoint in each a subcommittee, whose duty it shall be to make a perfect list all the voters in their respective districts, and to ascertain with certainty for whom they will vote. If they meet with men who are doubtful as to the man they will support, such voters should be designated in separate lines, with the name of the man they will probably support.It will be the duty of said subcommittee to keep a constant on the doubtful voters, and from time to time have them talked to by those in whom they have the most confidence and also to place in their hands such documents as will enlighten and influence them.
It will also be their duty to report to you, at least once a month, the progress they are making, and on election days see that every Whig is brought to the polls.
Thank you.
Cold Warrior
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