OPINION - 2 More on the GOP

"Rick Scott may have proven toxic for Mike Hogan's mayoral campaign" by Abel Harding, Times-Union/Jacksonville.com 5/19/2011

As analysts dissect the Jacksonville mayoral race to learn what propelled Democrat Alvin Brown to victory over his GOP rival, one point continues to crop up -- Gov. Rick Scott is not very popular in Duval County.

"We were thrilled when he endorsed Mike Hogan," Dave Beattie told the Times-Union today. "Barack Obama is actually viewed more positively in Duval County than Rick Scott."

Beattie, who served as Brown's pollster throughout the campaign, said Brown wanted to run a Jacksonville-centric race, but benefited when Republicans would mention Scott.

The governor's disapproval ratings topped 51 percent in the polls Beattie ran of voters who turned out. Scott and Hogan's most fervent backers -- the tea party -- also fared poorly in the polling done throughout the campaign.

The most important issue on the mind of Jacksonville voters -- funding for public schools.

"It jumped from the third most important issue in January to the most important issue by April," he said. "It's a sign of what is going on in the Legislature."

Brown, who frequently reminded voters that his two young sons attend public school, clearly benefited from voters, even Republican voters, who had concerns about funding.

In a race where less than 2,000 votes determined the winner, unease over an unpopular governor may have led more than one Republican to support a Democrat. If Scott continues to fare poorly in the coming year, and if Republicans fail to recognize unrest over public education funding, 2012 could be a tough year for GOP candidates in Florida.

"How Do You Spell Sociopath? G-O-P" by Michael Payne, OpEdNews 5/21/2011

Excerpt

What is a sociopath? The definitions can get very involved and complicated but, in short, a sociopath is "a person with a personality disorder marked by antisocial behavior -- a person who has little regard for the feelings of others and manipulates them in order to get what he or she desires." It's a description of an individual "who has little to no sense of right versus wrong."

That's it; that description is almost a perfect fit for the hierarchy of the Republican Party -- an organization that has "little regard for the feelings of others" to the extent it is determined to eliminate any and all governmental programs designed to help Americans in need. Its objective seems to be, "let's strip social benefits for the American people so we can give more tax cuts to our corporate masters."

For now, we will restrict this sociopathic designation to the GOP hierarchy because of its obvious behavior patterns and not include Republican and Independent voters who have, unfortunately, allowed themselves to be influenced by the clever but vicious Republican agenda. However, if the twisted ideology of the G-O-P becomes deeply embedded in their psyches, then they will be in grave danger of assuming that same sociopathic identity.

I'm not inferring that the entire Republican hierarchy should be transported to the nearest asylum. Certainly not, at least not yet. We can't say with authority that those who lead this slightly demented party totally fit the description of that behavioral disorder. However, they are moving closer to it with each passing day as their actions, primarily in the U.S. Congress, are getting more and more hateful and mean spirited as they search for new ways to serve their corporate masters at the expense of the people.

The GOP agenda has no room for the needs of the people; it's designed to just let the people fend for themselves no matter how dire their situation might be. There is no need for wasteful programs such as health care for everyone, no need for Social Security or Medicare. Republicans care nothing about people. They are much more comfortable in the company of the largest corporations of America. In fact, we might say that the GOP has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Corporate America.

Some political observers say that, with their obsession to drastically cut back or eliminate entitlements, Republicans are committing political suicide. But could we possibly be that lucky? What should we bring to the celebration? I can hardly wait to send out sympathy cards to my Republican friends. If only that were true!

Did I hear it right, can it be true that the Republican Governor LePage of Maine is trying to roll back child labor laws in that state, to increase the hours they can work and reduce their rates of pay? What??

In recent months, Republican governors in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Texas, among others, have tried to pass legislation to eliminate the bargaining rights of unionized public workers including teachers, police and firefighters. Some have actually succeeded. They eventually might see to it that those who teach your children will be paid the minimum wage. That's how much importance they assign to education, a critical part of America's foundations.

And this is just for starters, see full article.