Why have the Republicans tried to avoid offering an agenda of their own all these years?

[Cal33]

Why do you think the Republicans have been "The Party of No" all these years?

Because the main right-wing corporate credo is to cheat, steal, and rob every last
red cent from middle-class Americans - by hook and bycrook. And this includes
stealing from their own Republican middle-classes, which they are only making use of
for their own benefit.

Now, they couldn't very well tell this truth, can they? Hence their lies, which are
for the most part meant to fool their own followers.

The Democratic leadership is wise to the above, and try to devise ways and means
to put a stop to the right-wing crooked business. And the main agenda the
right-wingers can offer is to say "No" to the Democratic agenda.

They have nothing to offer the American people. And if they told the truth about
what they really have in mind, they'd lose most of their own people who are now
supporting them.

If some form of democracy continues to exist in our country long enough, the so-called
present-day "Republicans" will only self-destruct in time. They deserve nothing else
As Abe Lincoln once said, "You can't fool all the people all the time."

I think it's bad enough that they've already been fooling too many people for so long.
What does this say about all those who have been, and are still being, fooled?
It makes me furious sometimes that so many of us are so incapable of seeing what is
in front of our noses. How could anyone be so mindlessly gullible -- and for so long!!!

Are they human beings, or merely robots going about in their programmed motions?!

I say there are too many Al Capones holding high positions in business corporations as
well as in government. Al Capones always see to it that the lion's share of profits will
flow into their own pockets. And to hell with the people. That's why our nation is in
the mess it is. We are being ruled by murderous gangsters.

[Tippy]

1. They don't want to take responsibility for designing an agenda

[Cal33]

4. I think they can NOT design any agenda that's truly their own without revealing themselves to be the

lying, dishonest and corrupt crooks that they really are. Some weeks ago Newt Gingrich, when
asked by the talk-show host why Republicans lied so much, said openly that people wouldn't
vote for them if they told the truth.

Republicans are only into things for their own benefit. They have ZILCH to offer the nation.
That's why they can't "design any agenda" without revealing what they are really up to.
And what they are really up to is what they want to avoid revealing. Nobody would vote
for them, if they did.

[bemildred]

2. Two reasons:

1.) Their agenda, if made explicit, will not get them elected, as was just demonstrated.

2.) In US politics, anything you do will piss someone off, and their electoral position is so bad that they cannot afford to piss anyone else off. This is also why they rely so much on money, dirty politics, and election trickery.

[Cal33]

5. Yes. The Repubs. have already siphoned off everything of value for themselves. There isn't

anything of value left for anyone else. Now, they couldn't very well say that openly, could they?

I don't understand how come they don't see that such a philosophy of life (one of total selfishness
and greed) could only lead to self-destruction - given enough time.

[bamacrat]

3. I really don' think they have one.

If you look like you are doing your job you can keep it for a while. If people don't see you work, only take your word at it then you can go even further. Hopefully PBO will make them publicly expose their plan. Their party is shrinking. I can't wait until there is really just a Republican party so the Dems have someone to run against.

[Cal33]

9. Their agenda is to enrich themselves at everyone else's expense. That's the only

agenda they know, but it's also one that they can't admit to having or talk about.
If they did they'd lose all of their supporters. The only ones left supporting them
would be crooks like themselves.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. Because their policies are unpopular. They can never fully come out and say what they really want.

They have to dupe Americans into supporting them.

Case in point: These Republicans governors lied their way into office in 2010, never stating that they would after unions, pass draconian abortion laws, and do the bidding of Koch Bros.-backed ALEC.

[meow2u3]

7. Now the rethugs are resorting to heavy-handed, criminal tactics to hold on to power

Cases in point: the state governmnents of Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are occupied by GOP gangsters, hellbent on flouting the Constitution to install corporate thugs into power.

They can no longer use tricky word play to deceive the people into backing their oppressive agenda, so now they're using force because the people have caught on to, and are no longer fooled by, their dog-whistle politics.

[Texin]

8. Simple really: if you don't state the agenda upfront, you don't have to defend it.

I think the likes of the Scott Walker, Snyder and Kasich pretty much say it all. They never went to the the statehouses saying they were going to gut collective bargaining. They may have had the overall favor of a majority of voters on this issue, but a rethug doesn't get elected in states like WI, MI and OH without drawing Democratic crossovers. Many of the Dems (and shockingly, some rethugs too) are also members of unions and they wouldn't have viewed any idea of "reforming" collective bargaining, i.e., gutting labor union representation, favorably. Their votes might have meant the difference in any or all of these races. By stating your stands and your intentions, you're going to draw fire from opposition. Keeping the cards close to the vest, or simply stating that you're "not planning at this point" to take on a particular issue lends plausible deniability about any charge the opposition might lob your way.

[bobclark86]

10. Good point...

but I think it's just easier to crap on other people's ideas than to be creative.

[Cal33]

11. There are lots of people who simply vote the way they've always voted -- and it has been so

in their families for generations. But some intelligent people would want to know
what they are voting for. I guess these latter are outnumbered by the former.