Grayson Leading in REPUBLICAN Primary. Hey Blue Dogs, Pay Attention!
Grayson Leading In REPUBLICAN Primary
First Posted: 03- 4-10 02:51 PM | Updated: 03- 4-10 03:14 PM
Ryan Grim
Republicans like a politician who stands up for what he believes -- even if he believes the Republican Party is populated by a bunch of "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals."
The candidate leading the Florida GOP primary to determine who will take on Rep. Alan Grayson, the Democrat who represents the Orlando-based district, is none other than Grayson himself, according to a poll paid for by his campaign. Grayson is a freshman congressman who has drawn scorn from the GOP and has quickly built a nationwide following of progressives.
The poll has Grayson leading the 13 Republicans -- among Republicans -- with 27.8 percent of the vote. The congressman who mocked the GOP health care plan by saying that it amounts to telling people not to get sick and if they do, to die quickly, received more support than all of the Republican candidates combined.
No GOP candidate scored above 3.7 percent; 57.7 percent said they were undecided. Grayson did particularly well with women, undercutting the notion that referring to a Washington lobbyist as a "K Street whore" would turn female voters away. (Grayson later apologized for the word choice.)
The poll was conducted on Feb. 26th. There were 324 respondents, all registered Republicans in Florida's eighth district. The poll was conducted by Middleton Market Research.
Naturally, the national GOP establishment dismissed the results -- "This is the most bogus thing I've ever seen in my life," said Andy Seré, Regional Press Secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Grayson told HuffPost that some of the support comes from Republicans who appreciate that he speaks his mind, while some is due to his far-superior name recognition. But the poll also found at least one area where Republican voters thought favorably of him.
In 2009, Grayson, who carries a copy of the Constitution with him, passed a resolution calling on schools to teach the document for one week in September each year.
Over half of the Republicans polled said that they were more likely to vote for Grayson because of the resolution. He has distributed tens of thousands of copies of the Constitution throughout the district, including one to each high school senior. This September, he said, he plans to go to high schools and teach the Constitution personally in the district.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/04/grayson-leading-in-republ_n_486090.html
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If this doesn't give a lesson to fuggin' middle of the road blue dogs, I don't know what will.
First Posted: 03- 4-10 02:51 PM | Updated: 03- 4-10 03:14 PM
Ryan Grim
Republicans like a politician who stands up for what he believes -- even if he believes the Republican Party is populated by a bunch of "knuckle-dragging Neanderthals."
The candidate leading the Florida GOP primary to determine who will take on Rep. Alan Grayson, the Democrat who represents the Orlando-based district, is none other than Grayson himself, according to a poll paid for by his campaign. Grayson is a freshman congressman who has drawn scorn from the GOP and has quickly built a nationwide following of progressives.
The poll has Grayson leading the 13 Republicans -- among Republicans -- with 27.8 percent of the vote. The congressman who mocked the GOP health care plan by saying that it amounts to telling people not to get sick and if they do, to die quickly, received more support than all of the Republican candidates combined.
No GOP candidate scored above 3.7 percent; 57.7 percent said they were undecided. Grayson did particularly well with women, undercutting the notion that referring to a Washington lobbyist as a "K Street whore" would turn female voters away. (Grayson later apologized for the word choice.)
The poll was conducted on Feb. 26th. There were 324 respondents, all registered Republicans in Florida's eighth district. The poll was conducted by Middleton Market Research.
Naturally, the national GOP establishment dismissed the results -- "This is the most bogus thing I've ever seen in my life," said Andy Seré, Regional Press Secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Grayson told HuffPost that some of the support comes from Republicans who appreciate that he speaks his mind, while some is due to his far-superior name recognition. But the poll also found at least one area where Republican voters thought favorably of him.
In 2009, Grayson, who carries a copy of the Constitution with him, passed a resolution calling on schools to teach the document for one week in September each year.
Over half of the Republicans polled said that they were more likely to vote for Grayson because of the resolution. He has distributed tens of thousands of copies of the Constitution throughout the district, including one to each high school senior. This September, he said, he plans to go to high schools and teach the Constitution personally in the district.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/04/grayson-leading-in-republ_n_486090.html
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If this doesn't give a lesson to fuggin' middle of the road blue dogs, I don't know what will.
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This is good news!
Thanks!
March 4, 2010 10:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
This made my day, Icky...thanks!
Side note: As one who often calls the Capitol a whorehouse, I didn't find the K St. whore comment to be offensive at all.
March 4, 2010 11:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
You shouldn't ever call a politician a two-bit whore, because they are liable to smack you over the head with a big ol' bag o' quarters.
March 5, 2010 6:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
The only thing I feel bad about is for disparaging the poor whores. At least they are doing it to keep a roof over their head, not 6 or 7 of them...
March 5, 2010 10:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great post, but I hate to tell ya no data matters to the Blue Dog assholes. They are themselves political whores. If we can get rid of them our country would be better off than if we got rid of the Republicans. At least the Republicans are honest whores who admit who they are and what they're all about. The Blue Dogs are just a pack of dishonest whores who claim to be for the people but are really just Republicans disgused s Democrats.
March 5, 2010 12:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, so its grandstanding. I like it!
I grew up with a Republican father and I know he would like the guy. People in the town I grew up in, go to evangelical mega-churches and hate "liberals" as much as any of their ilk, but there are two things they all respect; conviction and the Constitution.
I think the guy is spot on.
March 5, 2010 1:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Grayson is very good at grandstanding.
I think he's spot on, too (even though he's thick with AIPAC.... but I digress).
I don't think the blue dogs will 'learn' from this... but I think this should be shared with as many middle of the road dems as possible.
March 5, 2010 8:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Had no idea about his AIPAC connections. That won't cost him in Florida, but could bring scandal for him down the road.
Things aren't looking good for Jane Harman this year after her AIPAC spy scandal.
March 5, 2010 12:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Won't cost him in Florida". Frankly, in his district, I don't think you could really represent the constituents and not have positive relationship with AIPAC.
March 5, 2010 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is FLORIDA after all. Like I said, he'll have to be clever not to let them paint him into a corner (or worse). Their moneybags are very tempting I'm sure.
It seems many in Congress have already been entranced by the lure of their "charms".
With old Rahm Limbaugh running the White House, it seems Obama is not immune either.
March 5, 2010 4:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
One wonders if Plouffe and Axelrod are aware of these poll results. Too bad Grayson's remarks hadn't been made, and the poll hadn't been conducted, a year ago when the whole HCR debacle began.
March 5, 2010 10:35 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is the question. Who is controlling Obama's political message and why are they such wimps? I assume Jarrett, Plouffe, Axelrod & Rahm (in no particular order). They must know that getting fired up would help, but they choose not to for some reason. Also, I think Obama himself suffers from the misapprehension that he is a Transformative Figure. The One. Well, he's not. "Playing nice" with Republicans is a recipe for Democratic disaster. (Paul Krugman today hammers this home... He throws in some hilarious lines too...)
March 5, 2010 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Why are they such wimps? Because that is what they are. They cannot be something they are not.
Every one of the people you mention is a careerist political hack whose primary goal is their own promotion and advancement. They have no actual moral or political convictions. All they have is whatever set of objectives makes sense in their world of divvying up the government goodies to the various interests feeding at the public trough. The last thing people like that will ever do is act in a way that will displease those special interests because the largesse of the special interests for themselves is what they seek in return for allowing the special corporate interest pigs to feed at the public trough under their watch. And very sadly, Obama himself is also a careerist hack with no real convictions. One need go no farther than the history of his first year as President to see this is the case. He isn't being misled by his advosors. They and he are in perfect synch when it comes to their wimpiness and lack of backbone.
March 5, 2010 12:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
oleeb: Agreed that his lack of convictions is deeply frustrating, and Democrats will pay a price for it in November. But I do think he has a team that focuses on politics, and a team that focuses on economics, and both teams have let him down. But yes, I agree, he chose those teams and he wants to be this convictionless shapeshifter walking through the minefield instead of a tank plowing through DC. He wants to be a "Ruthless Pragmatist." I just think that being pragmatic for the sake of pretend bi-partisanship is what has sapped his political capital.
March 6, 2010 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Also, I think Obama himself suffers from the misapprehension that he is a Transformative Figure."
That's hilarious! It really is. Countless people on the Left claim that Obama can do and get whatever he wants IF he really wanted to, if he just gave a speech or something and its he that thinks he is The One? Do I need to remind you of the blogs written here and elsewhere about the profound disappointment some of you have felt that Obama was not the one that YOU all thought he was? Sorry, Obama is not the one that suffers from that delusion. Even his opponents fall into that trap.
I'm a strong supporter of the president, but he is just a man and there is no such thing as The One. No one you can list dead or alive was/is The One. And yes I mean the usual Lib heroes like FDR and Alan Grayson.
March 5, 2010 1:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I don't know why. But I do know Obama is totally sucking. So what's your take? That somehow with more power than republicans had, simply the act of being a democrat means Obama should accomplish less of his stated goals than the republicans did under Bush? Like democrats are the short-bus party?
Understand, my complaint is not the speed with which the agenda is being approached, it is the actual mechanics of the triangulated-to-death crap legislation democrats are not even trying to make decent before they pass it. It seems they hold the notion we're so stupid as long as there is a big stack of papers with a good title, regardless of what's in the bill, we'll chalk that up as a "win". If he went half as fast but achieved more of the campaign promises, I'd be twice as happy.
Maybe it's that democrats have great ideas, but just aren't fit to lead. So far, it's been like turning the nation over to that kid who always got the wedgie and lost their lunch money. Now, their mommy will say "You are special" ... but everyone suspects the kid is just a special-caliber of putz. Maybe establishment democratic supporters are simply resigned to being total losers, but geez that's a hard sell for the rest of the nation who (sticking with the schoolyard analogy) would like to get laid sometime before middle age.
Usually the kids grow past it and establish viable interaction skills and a certain level of social parity(a process which usually involves standing up to the bully) ... here's to hoping for the democrats.
March 5, 2010 4:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
VivaAmerica!: I'm a huge supporter too, and I know this isn't easy, but I'm tired of eating $hit and being told to like it by the Democrats.
I have to criticize Obama for 1) picking bad people to be in his administration (Summers, Geithner, Judd Friggin' Gregg (almost)) and thinking he could create some intellectual alchemy from a team of rivals, and 2) always waiting to the last moment to respond and pull himself out of a mess. Examples: Mass-SEN, taking a position on Health Care, DADT... Financial Reform isn't even going to happen. And how about that Mortgage Relief Program? That was and is a collossal failure. Telling supporters to wait for relief from the abuses of the big banks does nothing but destroy hope that Democrats stand for anything. I really think he's waiting until it's just about too late to come in and give a big speech to try to save the day (i.e., earn back his political capital).
I'm asking Obama to "Get-In-The-Fight"! Not mediate. Mediation is for middle-managers and divorcees; Presidential politics is about fighting, winning, and reveling in the confusion and sadness of your vanquished Republican enemies.
No, it's not pretty, but it's the only chance the Middle Class has for survival.
March 6, 2010 5:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
They're not wimps. AND They're definitely not DEMOCRATS.
March 5, 2010 4:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
Tells us all about it after the election, when he is an ex-congressman.
March 5, 2010 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Boy. If the GOP hopes to pull that off, they are going to need to get one little thing: A candidate. So far, nobody viable will run against him ... and the GOP is growing short on time.
This one has become a republican Pipe dream. But hey ... if the GOP can be suckered into pouring resources there, far be it from me to disabuse you of the fantasy.
March 5, 2010 3:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought it was kind of fun. hahahahaha
One thing I do know is that nation wide, they hate this hero of mine.
IT MAKES ME FEEL AWFULLY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD INSIDE.
March 5, 2010 7:45 PM | Reply | Permalink