…………… we choose to learn from it. As I arrive home from the Savery, I can only think of General “Vinegar Joe” Stillwell, following the crushing defeat a much smaller Japenese force inflicted on the Allies in Burma in 1942. "I claim we got a hell of a beating," [said Stillwell] "We got run out of Burma, and it is humiliating as hell. I think we ought to find out what caused it, go back and retake it."
Keep our seats warm, we’ll be back.
20 comments:
In the military we used "After Action Reports" to evaluate and improve performances based on What happened (both right and wrong) and what will we change to improve.
Just as I nominated Ted for Polk County Leadership six years ago I believe Ted should be the State Chair to get Iowa moving in the right direction and hope Iowa Republicans make that reality.
The group game is important as very few watch debates as Democrats rely on "talking points" to get past the fact they lack cohesion or plans beyond "cut and run" and raising taxes. We must win these elections in the trenches.
Speaking of trenches, the campaign to oust Judge Pelton failed as he ratained his seat and avoided becoming only the 5th Judge in Iowa history to fall. Yet, the fact he lost in the county he calls home (49% in CLINTON) proves a few yard signs and an auto dialer are very effective when employed early. Pelton survived in Davenport (65%) thus demonstrating the lack of yard signs and only partial use of the autodialer gave him a reprieve. Furthermore, thousands of dollars in radio ads were less effective than yard signs. Finally, Pelton cruised (80%) in places we never reached with any media.
Republicans better pay attention to the ground game and win in the trenches. Ideas alone will not do it as you must get your message out to the voters.
It is time that the GOP in Iowa welcome back the moderates that have left the party due to the stench of CAFOs,fake family values,one issue christian wackos,and the take no prisoners style of governance. Throw in the fact that the GOP wants to give unfettered freedoms to businesses while prying into our bedrooms and lifestyles and it is no wonder that this rout happened.
People have figured out that tax cuts does not mean prosperity. Adults understand that taxes are needed to pay for services that the populace demand. Adults understand that governments are created to provide for and protect the populace. This version of the GOP sees government as a source of revenue for their business and hold the average guy in contempt.
We do not need your faux military analysis as current GOPers let others serve in the military.
The best thing for the GOP is to purge the party of your ilk so that we can return to a middle ground.
If I sound angry, it is because I left the GOP after 27 years when it became apparent that there was no place for moderates.
I would say we have not dumped the moderates as much as moderates have dumped themselves. Jim Leach was as moderate as they come and I guarantee the Right voted for him but where were those in the middle?
For conservatives we can take hope from the words of Vinegar Joe and relate it a common saying, "When the going gets tough the tough get going.!"
Liberals and fair weathered moderates would view the same situation in these terms, "When the going gets tough, cut and run with your eyes closed hoping for the best and if we only raise taxes everything will work out."
I will stand with Ted Sporer and see if we can save Iowa before we resemble a Pelosi style France.
As for Chet, what is he going to do without his talking points? He's the Governor elect and must start thinking for himself. I hope he rises to the occasion.
I say fine stand with Ted Sporer, it really went well didn't it. The use of Slogans and demonizing opponents must stop. it is time not to take our cues from Rush or Deace or any other uneducated, small minded celebrity but to listen to the populace. I suggest that you guys cut and run to some other party. listen to what Nussle said. He wants us to support the Governor so that as a state we can advance. The GOP has become the party of bullies with false swagger. They have become the party of Roy Cohn who used threats and intimidation for personal gain,power and pleasure. Don't worry about Pelosi, she can't due any worse than Hastert, Delay, Ney Cunningham, Bush or Cheney. Go ahead don't change and be left behind!
Carl,
Weak knees will not be missed.
Didn't the so called "non culture of corruption" Democrats just reelect the guy that got caught on tape taking $100,000 in a bribe with the marked bills in his home freezer? Didn't Barney Frank have an escort business running from his apartment by his boyfriend? How many Republican Congressmen resigned for affairs as a result of Slick Willy's impeachment trial?
My point is there is a huge double standard and Democrats are the kings of pointing fingers when they are the chiefs among the guilty.
Morning Ted,
Saw you on KCCI last night, didn't realize until then that we have the same haircut.
Also thought it was a little rough of KCCI to blindside you in mid-interview with the news that Lamberti had conceded.
Anyway, a few weeks ago you mentioned in a comment that you wanted to talk to me after Nov. 7th. Drop me an email when you've got the chance. I've got nothing but time for a while now.
KL
Sorry Ted but I forgot my "Sporer for State Chair" sign last night.
Seriously though...
Republicans lost because they no longer beleive in the superiority of their ideas. Because of this they resort to "We aren't as bad as Democrats" tactics to move voters. You can only go to that well so many times. This time, it backfired miserably.
Reagan and Gingrich showed us how to take back power, there is no need to reinvent the wheel here. We just need to find people who actually believe their own rhetoric.
If the coach of a football team does not make his players think that they are the biggest bunch of badasses ever to put on pads and make them believe that they can go out there and whip any team that shows up, how can he be an effective coach? (side note: McCarney will resign or be fired by friday.) He can't. If he doesn't believe in himself or his guys, he can't fire them up.
Same goes for politics. If conservatives do not believe in the superiority of their ideas, why should anyone else?
Good points Mohammed!
This election demonstrated the ineffectiveness of the "Vote Republican: We Suck Less" campaign strategy.
I'll take "Karl Rove is overrated" for $200, Alex.
You haven't heard much of me lately as I was tired of watching the Republicans cannibalize each other upon every opportunity.
I warn everybody: Republicans turned out their people in large numbers. None of the Republican candidates, leadership, volunteers and staffers (with a few exceptions nationwide) are to blame!!! The Independent voters voted for the Dems because they are angry about Iraq even though we would rather fight the savages on their own turf than have them come here! This is the best economy in my 27 year lifetime - but it's the war that bogged weaker souls down!
I'm so tired of watching the blame game. Last night was a nightmare! I'm jumping back into volunteer work!
Doesn't explain the Iowa House. They don't do a lot of national security there. Doesn't explain Nussle losing by 100,000 votes. You're going to have a tough time convincing me that Culver's blowout was an anti-war vote.
I think you're stuck on the wrong bit of military history here Ted. More apropos than Vinnegar Joe of last night's public de-pantsing of the GOP was Chesty Puller at the battle of Chosin Reservoir, who said:
"All right, the enemy are on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't all get away this time."
For that matter, that pretty much discribes the enemy in Iraq too. Coincidence?
After all, it's just this kind of determination despite all odds and despite the limp-wristed handwringers in the fact-based community which made Chosin Reservoir what it is today....which is to say part of North Korea.
hey anonymous@ 703 am
I can tell how brave you are by the way you don't sign your name. Typical! You were probably the type of punk that sucker punches their opponent then preens.
iowa what???
what are you talkig about.
our iraq comment is silly. The enemy isn't everywhere, they're i a few hard to find places.
Carl K hit the nail on the head. When a huge majority of the electorate say they felt this campaign cycle was the most negative in history, promising to come out "more aggressive" next time probably isn't a good political move, and capping it off with a swaggering, childish "keep our seats warm boys cuz we're coming back for them in two years" probably didn't impress ANYONE except the wanna-be neo-con sycophants who read this blog. If this complete and total ass-thumping teaches you anything, you should learn that America is sick and tired of the corrupt, fear-mongering, bullying, hypocritical, uber-partisan, crony-politics that is Republicanism in the "Rove era." Attacking democrats and Michael J. Fox for using his disease for political gain after Republicans literally lined up to dance around the lifeless body of Terry Schiavo a year and a half ago is hypocritical bullying at its best. And for Ted to run with the line of the pill-popping Rush Limbaugh brings the hypocrisy right to the top. By the way, who gives a flying ---- if Fox didn't take his meds before filming his commercials. A med-free Fox shows how ravaging the disease that will end up killing him truly is. The meds mask the reality that he's not long for this earth--and what time he's got won't be quality. It's the disease stupid! That's the point. It's a freaking hellacious disease. We need the research (and debating the effectiveness of the research is a separate issue from the political theatre of the commercials that Ted and Rush chose to pursue) to cure the disease. This blog serves as a textbook example of what Americans are sick of. This isn't the Republican party I want to belong to and apparently a lot of others feel the same way.
Why can't private drug companies with a profit motive research stem cells and save our tax dollars for issues of national importance?
MJK and the Dems believe government solves all problems and I believe government causes most problems.
Governments should stick to what they do well security and trade and we need to stop letting lefties vote money out of the treasury for their social whims.
Carl, since you ran from the only party doing anything in America other than whining I don't think you have to worry about sucker punchers. Instead I think you should watch out for those forgetting to give you a reach around in your newfound "Democratic" Party.
Hey, thanks to people like you they have the power now.
YAWN!! Was there an election? Did you miss us. Stop treating us like Deace's twin sister and maybe we'll come back. If not the Dems have a bunch of new guys (that won) that speak to us like people.See ya next time, maybe.
You know, I never cease to be amused by how the utter jackasses who post to our blogs always do so as "Anonymous."
We didn't dance around the grave of Terri Schiavo. Michael Schiavo, who won a judgement in order to provide for her support for life and then spent it to win judicial permission to kill her, did the dancing. Similary, Michael J. Fox danced all over our TV screens, "accidentally overmedicating himself" in state after state after state after he was rightly called on it in Missouri. All in support of a purely theoretical therapy which has never cured a single illiness, and in opposition to numerous approaches to treatment of his illness which hold more immediate promise, and don't require the extinguishing of a nascent human life.
The moral nihilists in both parties who are cool with the murder of the unborn and the weak and helpless as long as we don' spend a dime to help the other weak and helpless in our society make me ashamed to share a party with them. Trust me: I plan to exert every possible effort in the next two years to freeze you moral imbeciles out of the party of Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt,
With warmest personal regards,
Bob
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