The Republican Party, which has usually gone to its “veterans” to find its Presidential nominee (George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole, John McCain, Mitt Romney)—the only recent exception being George W. Bush (a clear cut mistake)— is now putting forward its “youth brigade” of four political leaders born in the early 1970s, meaning they would all be between 45 and 47 when running for President in 2016.
This “youth brigade” may be appealing in appearance, and in the ability to speak well, but none of them have the vision nor the understanding of where America is moving in the second decade of the 21st century!
The four in order of birth are:
Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas
Senator Marco Rubio of Florida
Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana
Ryan had his exposure as the Vice Presidential running mate of Mitt Romney, and came up wanting in many respects, plus his destructive plan to destroy Medicare and Medicaid.
Ted Cruz has only been in the Senate for little more than a month, and already, heads are shaking and eyes rolling at his total inability to impress anyone that he has any understanding of what is happening in America.
Marco Rubio, himself the grandson of an “undocumented” immigrant, who was allowed to stay because he was Cuban, the only Hispanic group given special treatment by the US government in the 1960s and beyond, has shown that he is not aware of science, has a closed mind on many social matters involving women, is unwilling to challenge the far right of his party in any serious way, and is gaining a growing ego about his abilities, based on the attention he is receiving, including Time Magazine having a cover this week, calling him the savior of the GOP, this right before he gives the response to the State of the Union Address of Barack Obama next Tuesday evening. The burden on him to be impressive next week is now extremely heavy.
And Bobby Jindal had the chance to prove his ability, when he responded to the Obama State of the Union Address four years ago, and came across as a total failure and embarrassment.. And his lack of compassion about the poor, the sick, and the disadvantaged in his state, one of the most backward of all of the 50 states, does him no favor. Additionally, he has said the Republican Party has to stop being the “stupid” party, and then goes ahead and does “stupid ” things in his state, that make him look less than intelligent and able to handle the Presidency, and understand the life of real people, other than the wealthy!
Three of these four members of the “Youth Brigade” are “minorities”—Cruz and Rubio, both Cuban Americans, and Jindal being the son of parents from India. But to say that their ethnicity “qualifies” them to be President is preposterous—as Cuban Americans represent about THREE percent of Hispanics and Latinos, and Cubans have a heritage of totally different views and voting patterns than others who are from Latin America; and even Asian Americans, whether from India or other parts of South Asia, or those from East Asia and the Far East, also voted an even higher percentage for the Democrats than Hispanics and Latinos—73 percent, compared to 71 percent!
If the “Youth Brigade” is thought to be the hope of the GOP to turn things around for the party, the leadership will learn over the next four years that they are sadly, and tragically, misguided!
Wow, it is amazing how there is always a post on a progressive site that confirms every single one of their prejudices and mindset. This is a classic, anyone who is a “minority” (I detest that word) and is not a leftist progressive Democrat, is, simply put, an idiot. LOL! The left is so predictable. But what else can we expect from people who believe that “they” are the only ones who have an “understanding” of what is happening in America. If you are an American of Black, Mexican, Cuban, Asian, Brazilian, Pakistani, Indian, Argentina, Colombian, Venezuelan, Ecuadorian, Chilean, Uruguayan, Puerto Rican, Nicaraguan, Honduran, Salvadorean or any other national or racial origin, and you happened to be a conservative/classic liberal, you are disqualified. You vote against you interest. You are insulted on the major networks, called a racist,bigot, uninformed and a traitor to your “class”. Furthermore, not all “Hispanics” vote Democrat. The Mexican – Americans traditionally always voted Democrat. The percentage of Hispanic-origin people in the United States who were of Mexican background in 2010 was 63%. Another 9.2 percent were of Puerto Rican background, with 3.5 percent Cuban, 3.3 percent Salvadoran and 2.8 percent Dominican. The remainder was of some other Central American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origin. So actually it is the Mexican – Americans who support and have always supported Democrats,yet the media and the left puts us all in the same bag! Only in this recent election have the descendants of Cuban-American voted for Democrats. This is logical since many of them were born here and have not experience the not only lack of freedom but the economic misery of the socialist progressive utopia of Cuba. The rest is achieved through the education system in the US which tends to produce well behaved and obedient Democrats. Finally I find it amusing to read a Democrat write that “ethnicity” is not a qualification for the Presidency (and I agree).But it was the only qualification the then “moderate” Senator Barack Hussies Obama had in 2007! He had never produced a single legislation of importance, he had never even governed a small town,or been a union leader, never managed a single shop/store/business in his life, he had not even produced a single research paper or book of significance, nor was he a legal scholar whose lecture was sought out. All he was , was a community organizer and he was and is very “articulate” as then Presidential candidate Senator Joe Biden remarked! And that was sufficient to qualify him for the Presidency. I think this article from the liberal LA Times explains it in part. http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-ehrenstein19mar19,0,3391015.story So in the end, according to you, only progressives Democrats are qualified to be President , because only they “understand” what is happening in America. All others should be trashed.
No, Juan, I did NOT say minorities are only “qualified” if they are Democrats!
What I said is that these particular three examples, plus Governor Nikki Haley of South Carolina, have “sold out” to the elite, and show no concern for anyone who is not well to do!
They all come across as too far right wing to be elected, although Rubio is trying to change his image, but it will not work. Sure, he COULD be the 2016 nominee, far more likely than Cruz, Jindal, or Haley, but he will NEVER win, as the Hispanic-Latino vote, and not only Mexican, will vote Democratic for certain by close to the same percentage. And Asian Americans have been ignored, but look at how they voted two percent higher than Hispanics and Latinos for Obama.
Trying to reshape the Republican image by rebranding will not work, as America is not in the mood to go back to Calvin Coolidge or Benjamin Harrison. And since Herbert Hoover and William Howard Taft are both seen as “too” progressive, and everything Eisenhower, the ‘Good” side of Nixon, and Ford, and father Bush promoted, is repudiated, and even Reagan believed in things that the present GOP does not, there is no way that the Republican Party can redeem itself until it is totally cleansed of right wing weirdos who want to bring us back to the Gilded Age laissez faire mentality! And Ryan and Rand Paul are even more disastrous as possible nominees!
The ONLY hope for the GOP, and even he would have a difficult time, is to nominate former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, the only sane leader in the party, but you and I know that is not going to happen. There is more chance of a snowstorm in Miami!
What you consider far-right is actually very moderate and center right in my opinion. The issue is that Obama and Democrats have gone so far to the left that what was left is now considered by the media, establishment , intellectuals and Hollywood as center! You only name those who happen to be conservatives and if they are minorities it is unforgivable! You name Huntsman, a LIBERAL! In other words someone who will continue to take the Republican party to defeat.
You talk about “prejudice” and “mindset”, but did you EVER think that you are doing exactly what you accuse me of?
And sorry to tell you, but Obama is no great progressive way to the left, but actually a “moderate” slightly left of center progressive, who has brought change, but disappointed many of his supporters because they would want more change, but he is extremely pragmatic and realistic, and knows he cannot accomplish everything, any more than any President can. What he has done and proposes to do is NOT radical, just portrayed that way by the TRUE radicals, the right wing of talk radio, Fox News Channel, and the Michele Bachmanns, Steve Kings, Paul Brouns, Rand Pauls, Ted Cruzes, Paul Ryans, Mike Lees, Pat Toomeys, Marsha Blackburns, etc of the GOP–and the former extremist members, such as Allen West and Joe Walsh!
Obama said he wanted to “fundamentally” transform the US. He said it not I. He set in motion the biggest change in the US economy regarding healthcare, a change that is setting in motion the ultimate elimination of private healthcare to be replaced by a universal centralized healthcare system. He himself explained his vision a few years ago. I even posted the video where he said exactly that. The fact that he does not do things right away but takes his time, puts his pieces in place, like in chess, does not change his nature. If he did things right away and openly, like most of supporters wish, he would be rejected and would fail. But by doing things slowly, a little over here a little over there, he will achieve the goal. It doesn’t matter that all the fruits of his work will not be seen at the end of his term, but he has laid down one more brick in the left agenda for another leftist in the future to go even further. That is why the press, the intellectuals , the party and Obama himself always try to portray him as a “moderate”. He is the “common sense guy”, the pragmatic etc etc. Thus all dissent can be qualified as extreme. As wanting to go back to the 19th century, as hating the government, as anarchist, as out of touch blah blah blah. Unfortunately the Republican establishment has been able in the last 2 yrs, together with the media, to exclude conservatives/classic liberals. We did not have a candidate that confronted Obama on ideological terms. We did not have a candidate who spoke of freedoms and rights to oppose Obama’s egalitarian views. When the message was about freedom, liberty, individual rights and economic freedom, like in 2010, the Republicans won.
As an example of how the country changed. Here we have an American citizen, Jane Strum, asking a question to the President of the United States that would have been unimaginable a few years ago. Jane Sturm: “My mother is now over 105. But at 100, the doctors said to her, ‘I can’t do anything more unless you have a pacemaker.’ I said, ‘Go for it.’ She said, ‘Go for it.’ But the specialist said, ‘No, she’s too old.’ But when the other specialist saw her and saw her joy of life, he said, ‘I’m going for it.’ That was over five years ago. My question to you is: Outside the medical criteria for prolonging life for somebody who is elderly, is there any consideration that can be given for a certain spirit, a certain joy of living, a quality of life, or is it just a medical cutoff at a certain age?â€
Obama: “I don’t think that we can make judgments based on people’s ‘spirit.’ Uh, that would be, uh, a pretty subjective decision to be making. I think we have to have rules that, uh, say that, uh, we are going to provide good quality care for all people. End-of-life care is one of the most difficult sets of decisions that we’re going to have to make. But understand that those decisions are already being made in one way or another. If they’re not being made under Medicare and Medicaid, they’re being made by private insurers. At least we can let doctors know — and your mom know — that you know what, maybe this isn’t going to help. Maybe you’re better off, uhh, not having the surgery, but, uhh, taking the painkiller.†Now, besides Obama’s response, the fact that an American citizen would ask the President if the government , if he would let her mother live, , is an extraordinary change in mindset!! Unbelievable! “Mr President she has such a joy for life will you take that into consideration!” Yet few in the media found anything wrong with that!!! This does not happen in a free country, in a country of free citizens. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-dQfb8WQvo
This has enlightened me as to why we’re fighting with Juan: http://www.governmentisgood.com/articles.php?aid=9&p=1
Excellent article White Southern Christians Progressive! Thank you for sharing it here on PP.
Juan you must have a signal on your computer LOL that alerts you as soon as anyone posts here on PP. It’s almost comical!. I knew it wouldn’t be any times after this entry by Dr. Feinman that your troll antenna would be twitching…LOL! You’re just too predictable. An of course I think all of us just waited with baited breath for you to educate and enlighten us poor, dumb progressives of the error of our ways, the folly of our thinking and beliefs. Talk about amusing…YOU are very amusing and serve as our nightly entertainment. The fact is, you are just too typical of conservatives today. I have lived long enough to see the changes in your party…and it’s indeed sad. As much as you will refuse to recognize and admit it…the Republican party is singing it’s death knell and are too blind to recognize it.
You party has lost two presidential elections, seats in congress and the senate. In 2 years I predict the Democrats will again take the house. You want to know why? It’s not rocket science. Americans are getting sick of you! It’s getting so bad but none of you have the guts or brains to admit it. Your party lacks broad appeal and your extreme ideology (I don’t care how much you debate the point with Dr. Feinman!) is destructive to this country! You can’t seem to find a candidate with half a brain to run for the presidency, you consistently demonstrate you don’t give a damn about average, middle class Americans, you are anti-education, anti-women‘s rights, bigoted, racist, homophobic, delusional fools. And oh by the way Juan,, YOUR condescending attitude toward Dr. Feinman as well as the rest of us, is demonstrative of that and is insulting.
By the way, I am also a retired university Professor…. in Nursing, so your views and those of the right wing are so egregious to me and my beliefs in our humanity, I find it so distasteful, cruel and selfish ..
I also find you are liars. Your comment referring to President Obama’s statement about making judgment based on spirit is a total distortion of his words. The transcript is available. I suggest you Google it. The person who said Obama made this statement is Rep. Dan Lungren, R from California. Lungren was referring to remarks by President Obama made during the ABC News’ June 24, 2009, special, Questions for the President: Prescription for America. Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer were the interviewers.
Now pay attention Juan… in reading the transcript it’s clear Lungren was distorting President Obama’s words. Typical Republican strategy! Pres. Obama did indeed bring up the example and their families possibly having to choose between a pill and a pacemaker at some point. He did it as a hypothetical example Juan while he was emphasizing that the government role in health care should be to provide background information so that patient and doctors better sort through the difficult, end-of-life issues facing all of us. Now I am warning you Juan…I am also a Hospice nurse….you do no want to get into a debate with me on the importance of patient education on end-of life issues!!! Sarah Palin made a mockery of this issue lying and fear mongering people into thinking it was government death panels he planed to use and insulted the hell out of millions of us health care providers who believe strongly that this is a vital, extremely important part of our job! Palin lied over and over and you right wingers ate it up! Anytime you want me to get specific, I will be more than happy to educate you.
Back to the statement… The conversation started when Ms. Sawyer introduced Jane Strum a daughter caring for her mother, Hazel, 105 yr old. Ms. Strum stated that when her Mom was 100, the Dr. told her her heart was not able to function adequately without a pacemaker. Both Mom and daughter were willing to take the risk of surgery and implantation of the pacemaker if it gave Mom more good years. Initially, a cardiologist said he didn’t think the risk outweighed the benefits…..BEFORE he had even met Hazel and saw her joy in life. I can tell you, this Dr.s initial hesitation was right in line with what 95% of cardiologists would agree for a 110 -year-old woman with a significant arrhythmia. Ms. Strum’s asked the President this question, “Outside the medical criteria for prolonging life for an elderly person, is there any consideration that can be given for a certain spirit, a certain joy of living, quality of life? Or is it just a medical cutoff at a certain age?â€
After joking that he would love to meet her Mom and “find out what she is eating,†President Obama said, “I don’t think we can make judgment based on people’s spirit. That would be a pretty subject decision to be making. I think we to have to have rules that say we are going to provide good, quality care for all people.â€
Every health care professional would agree with this statement! And it’s not just the cost that should be considered. The criteria is such that risk and benefits, possible patient outcome, and empirical evidence data supporting the benefits or risks of treatment. President Obama made it clear he did not in any way believe nonmedical bureaucrats should be making these decisions! For your information Juan, in the current managed care arena…that’s exactly what occurs! The decisions are often taken out of the hands of the doctors and patient, and made by the insurance company. They refuse to pay for the treatment….which can be catastrophic to families! The insurance companied use a plethora of strategies to deny reimbursement. I have seen it over and over, so don’t tell me Obama or Liberals want to make those decisions for people. It’s already being made! Want to go a few rounds with me on this one?….bring it on.
I won’t repeat the rest of the transcript…you can Google it yourself…but just so you and the rest of the readers understand..President Obama never indicated government should make medical or end -of-life decisions. What he was saying was exactly what the AMA, NLN, and every other medical and nursing organization says… Patients and families deserve to have all information available to them to make decision about themselves and their loved ones. Only they can make the final decision and in in fact we are constantly encouraging patients and families to consider Living Wills as early as possible…while they or their loved one are able to make these decisions for themselves. Hey Juan…do you have a Living Will? If not I suggest you do. It’s a smart decision and something every American should be educated about and have the opportunity to do. This is what the ACA encourages! Not the stupid death panels of Sarah Palin’s sick brain or that the rest of the conservatives would have people believe.
President Obama made what I think is the absolute best statement during that interview, “All we are suggesting and we’re not going to solve every difficult problem in term of end-of-life care. A lot of that is going to have to be, we as a culture and as a society starting to make better decisions within our families and for ourselves. But what we can do is make sure that some of the waste that exists in the system (and I can tell you Juan there is a huge amount!) that is not making anybody’s mom better, that is loading up on addition tests or additional drugs (thank you managed care!!), that the evidence shows is not necessarily going to improve care or quality of life, that at least we can let doctors know and your mom know that, you know what? Maybe this isn’t going to help. Maybe you are better off enjoying the quality vs. quantity of lifeâ€. He went on and stated the decision should be made between the doctor, the patient and the family and that hospitals and all health care providers are NOT going to be told what they can offer, what treatment they can provide, or what decisions should be made. This is accomplish by educating patients and families so they have the tools and knowledge to make the best decisions……exactly what every doctor and nurse will tell you . You right wingers have lied and fear mongered this health care issue to the point that you have lost the support of huge numbers of health care providers. Finally, Americans are finding out the utter deception, manipulation of facts, and fear mongering that has spewed from your party and they are angry….very angry. You better be prepared. The tide is turning on you and you are about to be hit by a tsunami that will knock your party out of office for a decade or more. You think 2012 was a statement by America…..just wait! You will be flattened in 2014…and then 2016.
I think it’s absolutely hilarious how many of the extreme right wingers…. Like Paul Ryan, Marko Rubio, Bobby Jindel, and others… are trying to back peddle their horrible right wing ideology, hideous legislation , and utterly stupid statements…life legitimate rape…bigotry and racism because they realize…they were kicked to the curb…and this Juan..is only the beginning or your party’s demise.
I don’t know who authored this statement, but boy do I whole heartedly agree with itâ€
“In the long arc of human history, conservative always amounts to selfishly opposing programs in order to preserve a status quo that works only for them.â€
Maggie, I am sitting on the sidelines here, but I am in total awe at your detailed, experienced discussion on health care, more than I would possibly know. There is nothing like a skilled nurse to give us all the facts and realities, and I salute you for doing so, and educating all of us! Thanks so much!
Maggie: I believe I have never been condescending to Ronald. Neither have I insulted anyone as you constantly do with me. It is so sad that you are so full of hatred and intolerance towards those who don’t think like you. Your attitude doesn’t seem pretty “liberal” to me. Maybe that is the attitude that people like you have, people who are so intelligent, wise, with super analytical powers and a train of thought that is superb. You know, as I read you post I understand more and more Obama. No wonder he is so obnoxious and detests dissent. You are just like him. Although he is more politically correct, or dare I say sly! As for the Obama and Strum conversation I specifically stated the besides Obama response the mere fact that the question was made seem unbelievable to me. Asking the question whether the government , that is Obama’s appointees will take into consideration her mother’s spirit and joy for life seems unbelievable to me. As for the death panels , again take your grievances to Paul Krugman, the is the liberal economist who said the solution will be a combination of “death panels” and taxes. To finish off I will just post Dr Benjamin S. Carson’s keynote speech at the National Prayer Breakfast. He is a world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and his speech pretty much represents more or less our conservative/classic liberal values. He spoke in front of Obama.The speech is priceless. I am waiting for the left wing to start insulting him and calling him an “uncle Tom”. After all his life represents the antithesis of progressive world view. And by the way he proposes an excellent solution to our healthcare system. Of course government looses control and the common average little guy is empowered.Can’t have that in progressive utopia! http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4353213 Enjoy!!LOL!
Way to go Maggie! 🙂
“We The People” – libertarian viewpoint: http://www.winningprogressive.org/we-the-people-part-i-what-are-we
“We The People” – conservative viewpoint: http://www.winningprogressive.org/we-the-people-part-ii-who-are-we
The problem with those elected congressional Republicans is that they are not divorced from their party. Now they could try to run a presidential con game, like those in the 2010 midterms won by Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, to come across as someone earthy and/or harmless … and then turn around, after elected, to cause damage to the public sector and working class (while sucking up to and propping up their wealhy owners). But on a national scale, it’s not the type of policy that will sell.
It also doesn’t help that the changing demographics are working against their party, and that movers-and-shakers in the GOP tried to manipulative the allocation of electoral votes in blue states and the new bellwether Virginia. (Good thing that state’s Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, didn’t bite.)
It would be foolish of a Ted Cruz and a Marco Rubio to try and pedal the worn out philosophies that today’s GOP mistakenly assume had epitomized a 1980s Ronald Reagan. (Reagan raised taxes. Numerous times. Look it up!) The key problem with the Republican Party is that their platform is terrible. And If you can’t connect with the majority of American voters (as has been the case with five of the last six presidential election cycles), the only solace will be with gerrymandering congressional districts with hopes that John Boehner gets to continue his run as speaker of the House.
Very well expressed, D! Thanks!
In my view either of the four men noted would easily be a better president than the highly unqualified current White House resident, the worst since Jimmy Carter and the most divisive since Lincoln.
“We The People” – progressive viewpoint:
http://www.winningprogressive.org/we-the-people-part-iii-why-are-we