Purging of the Senate Republicans

[babylonsister]

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2012/05/09/purging_of_the_senate_republicans.html

Purging of the Senate Republicans


Nate Silver notes that of the 27 most moderate Republican senators who served in 2007, at most six will return to the Congress in 2013: John McCain, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Thad Cochran, Lamar Alexander and Charles Grassley.

"The other 21 have been ousted from the Congress in some way. Eight of them retired or have announced plans to do so. One, Craig Thomas of Wyoming, died in office. Another, Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, switched parties, then lost the primary election as a Democrat. Nine of them lost the general election as Republicans. And two were defeated in a Republican primary contest, not counting Ms. Murkowski, who lost hers in 2010 but won re-election anyway as a write-in candidate. In total, that's an attrition rate of 78 percent."

[msongs]

1. now that Paulites have hijacked repubs in AK Murkowski's time may be up as well nt

[Tx4obama]

3. But Murkowski isn't up for re-election until 2016.

[ingac70]

2. Lamar Alexander is NOT a moderate....

where do people come up with this shit?

[Bruce Wayne]

7. Not moderate, but most moderate.

It's like saying Curly was the sexiest Stooge. I mean, shit, McCain and Grassley were on that list too. I think in this case "moderate Republican" means either "from Maine" or "capable of momentary lapses into civility."

It doesn't mean "politically moderate" at all. If you want to say someone is politically moderate, by any reasonable scale, you would use the phrase "left of center Democrat."

[Mopar151]

12. Lamar Alexander is an idiot!

He thought wearing a wool flannel shirt while campaigning (in July) in NH would endear him to the electorate. It proved to most of us that he was a damm fool!

[jp11]

4. If this is mentioned in the media it is typically spun as hyper-partisan politics pushes

out moderates. Not that the republican party has swung so far right and continues to eat their own for working with democrats to govern when they get elected but that 'both sides' are doing this.

[Scuba]

5. "In total, that's an attrition rate of 78 percent." Not enough. Kick 'em all to the curb.

[1StrongBlackMan]

6. Except ...

Aren't they replaced by batsh!t crazy teapartygoppers?

How is that any better ... other than to give Democratic candidates clear shots at their batsh!t crazy?

[Scuba]

8. Replace them with Dems.

[1StrongBlackMan]

11. I would love to see that happen ...

but that is largely up to Democrats.

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. Beat me to it.

I should have read the thread before commenting, so +1

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. But they are being replaced by the likes of Rand Paul and Whatshisname Lee

and the other teahadists.