how'd that "let the conversation begin" work out for hillary?

Are you going to take this lying down?

'Dems fightin' words!

Er, Them's fightin' words!

Steve says he doesn't really know what this means. Actually, to me it's pretty clear:

1. The Republican Party knows its fortunes are sinking fast. 21% of Americans identify as "Republican"? They can read polls. They can also put a happy face on these numbers publicly, as they've been desperately trying to do lately, but deep down inside they admit to themselves they're in trouble.

2. They don't know why they're in trouble. They're clueless. They're trapped inside their own ideas, and they recognize that they're trapped. So they want to talk to people to get a clue. Hence, some sort of "conversation."

3. In the meantime, yes, they're unwilling to fight the culture wars anymore, but they are still trapped inside their own ideas, so until they talk to people, they keep spitting out the same-old, same-old.

4. I'm skeptical that this will work. Who will they talk to? And being trapped inside their own ideas, they will have a terrible time accepting new ideas. They know they need to change, but don't want to.

Should be interesting...

So, their healthcare plan involves something far better than what we have now, yet they haven't bothered telling us what it is? Or are we supposed to pretend that we don't currently have people waiting in line for healthcare while others go without proper care?

As it is, conservatives believe in financial-based rationing of healthcare, and would prefer to have lower standards for it than we currently enjoy. And if they've got some better plan to give everyone the healthcare they want without waiting, I think it's time they told us about it. Perhaps it's part of McCain's secret plan for winning the war.

I love the 'choose your own doctor' thing. Seriously, has anyone recently relocated and tried to become a new patient? You're lucky if the doctor is even taking new patients, and it's usually a crapshoot if they accept your plan.

All Americans deserve access to high-quality, affordable care. But such coverage cannot come at the expense of their ability to choose their own doctor and have access to the right care, at the right time, in the right setting without waiting in line while sick

Wow, this sound like supporting universal health care to me! I wonder how they will twist to mean the same old system with more tax cuts thrown on top.

Who is going to come talk to them? The same ole crazy wingnuts. And they have nothing but the culture war crap. "Choosing doctors" shows how out of touch with the lives of real americans they are. As those above have pointed out, we don't really get much choice. And we have little info for making the choice anyway. Jeez.

Look like the beginning of acceptance that the culture wars are no longer, and never again will be, a winner for them. So now they begin to seriously examine their relationship with people who are Republicans because of the culture issues.

Yes, Eric, why not begin the "conversation" with the American people by lying to them right off the bat?

This is a set of goals, not policies. What's more, the points about the economy, education, and energy independence are vague enough that they could have been written by the Obama administration. Probably the points about national security and healthcare as well, although of course one thing the Obama administration recognizes is that huge numbers of Americans can't choose their doctors under our current system--i.e., the system the free market has given us.

So far, so good. They're at least trying to be bipartisan enough to make a show of aligning their goals with the President's. The problem, of course, is that Obama has plans to meet those goals that the majority of Americans have indicated that they're willing to try, while the Republicans have--tax cuts and stale rhetoric.

But hey, if they've concluded the way to beat Obama is to imitate him, I'm cool with that. I remember back in 2004 a lot of us were complaining that the Democrats weren't going to win any elections by campaigning as fake Republicans, so it's nice to see the shoe on the other foot.

Shorter:

Economy: tax cuts
Healthcare: what problem?
Education: no child left behind
Energy: drill baby drill
National Security: private sector no bid invasion

Yawn.

So this is just like their "alternative budget" -- vague, pointless, saying the same old things they've said for 30 years but in a different way, etc. -- but without the circles and lines and images of white families.

Um ... okay.

Keep it up, GOP! You'll be the new Whigs any day now ...

.

Thomas C. uses the word "talk" several times.

Mentally substitute the word "listen" and gauge the effect.

Here is what I find fascinating about the NCNA's policy framework, every one of their five key areas of interest can be and should be answered with progressive solutions.

"Economy: Real Solutions for Economic Recovery: As the country battles through the worst economic crisis in a generation, we must remain focused on the foundations and institutions that have made us the most prosperous people in the world and the ideas that create jobs and grow our economy...."

This one is simple. What created this crisis? Allowing the banks and investment houses to merge and breaking down walls and regulations that were erected 60 years ago to protect the populace from exactly the same kind of graft, thievery, and corruption that sunk the economy the second time. Our banking and investment institutions were the envy of the world until we let them operate without rules and without oversight. Whatever happened to the party of law and order.

"Healthcare: Building a 21st Century, Patient-Centered System: ...All Americans deserve access to high-quality, affordable care. But such coverage cannot come at the expense of their ability to choose their own doctor and have access to the right care, at the right time, in the right setting without waiting in line while sick...."

The overhead of the average for-profit insurance company is about 25-30%. The overhead for Medicare is about 3%. Enuf said.

Education: Preparing Our Children to Succeed: A high-quality education should not be dependent upon a parent's income or address.... We must return power from Washington to parents and well-paid teachers who know what's best for our children.

This could have been written by the teachers union. Distribute tax dollars equally among school districts regardless of the wealth of the community? How egalitarian. Some might say socialist. Pay teachers well? Yes, please. Stop mandating stupid tests handed down from Washington. Scrap the No Child Left with a Brain Act.

Energy: Solutions for Energy Independence: ...We must implement a comprehensive energy policy that includes traditional fuels, alternative energy, and conservation resulting in affordable, reliable domestic energy....

We have already got traditional fuels. Get some solar panels up, some wind turbines and inflate your tires.

National Security: Defending American Liberty and Freedom: The threats posed to our nation are more varied and evolving more than perhaps at any other time in our history. Modern communications, technology and the proliferation of weapons of all types have empowered our enemies and those who support them....

So for a varied approach, you might want to consider something other than a 500lb. bomb. Diplomacy? Egads!

I touched on this before, but it becomes even more clear with this framework. This is nothing more than a marketing push. Not just rebranding, but an attempt to foster the 'success' factor, the marketing ploy that states perceived success generates success. You want to see that new Wolverine movie because everybody else is seeing it -- or so the Marketers would have it.

They'll set up these town meetings...carefully selected groups of people will be allowed to attend. These self-selected opinions will then be trotted out as the 'voice of Americans'

The line of marketing then attempts to generate a "herd mentality" by playing to feelings of ostracism.

You know, if this is just the same old Republican agenda, then they've gotten awfully shy. What struck me is how vague and content-free these points were.

They don't mention tax cuts, just sorta obliquely hint at them. They don't attack socialized medicine explicitly. They don't attack teachers' unions, though you can read through the lines and sorta see that they are hinting.

In short, whether it's rebranding or just hot air, they don't even dare name their own substantive agenda, much less the buzzword hot-button issues that they've relied on since the 1990s. This isn't 'culture war' Republicanism, to be sure...but it isn't even Reagan Republicanism either.

If this is as explicit as the old bulls dare to be, then I'd say that the Republican party has really lost the linguistic, rhetorical and framing war, and will continue to tear itself to pieces between the true-believers (who want the culture war stuff plus the Reaganite red meat), and the ones who realize that actually naming their goals is a major hindrance to retaining much power at all (who will therefore face ongoing cries of 'RINO, RINO').

This is a change, never mind it's what Obama promised during the campaign.

Economy: we must remain focused on the foundations and institutions that have made us the most prosperous people in the world and the ideas that create jobs and grow our economy....

Healthcare: All Americans deserve access to high-quality, affordable care.

Education: Preparing Our Children to Succeed

Energy: conservation resulting in affordable, reliable domestic energy.

National Security: Modern communications, technology and the proliferation of weapons of all types have empowered our enemies and those who support them....

Seriously, when did republicans start talking about conserving energy, weapon proliferation, universal health care, and creating jobs ?

This is pathetic, Obama is popular, his agenda is popular and the republicans think by mentioning each and every one of his ideas they are going to magically be competitive again. OK. Apparently they don't even understand their own party, much less their target audience.

Energy Conservation, I still can not get past that.

And, happening at the same time, ads from, presumably, concerned insurance companies portraying Canada's health care system as so flawed to routinely leave people to die on waiting lists for state care. Yes, it sometimes happens. Not often, but we are underserviced in some places of this country when there aren't enough heart surgeons or cancer specialists. When it does, there is outrage, pages of newspaper editorials, and the PM on his feet answering questions in the House while the health ministers scramble. Ticks me off that they never mention that there are more people without insurance in the US that there are people in Canada. What about the people who die because they can't afford treatment or are denied treatment by their insurers? I'm assuming these health care providers will look to the Republican party to protect them from the evils of socialized medicine. Looks like business as usual.

BTW, I'm interested in health care US style as, until recently, the last 2 heads of the Canadian society for physicians and surgeons were strongly in favour of what we call privatized medicine, aka the US system. No health care for me if that happens. We now have someone who's in favour of our system and preventitive medicine.

It's remarkable how reactive this is. It's not a Republican agenda, but a Republican effort to respond to Obama's agenda. It's hard to believe they are going to make much progress that way.

Hm, well, I agree that its a "marketing ploy" but I'd like to point out that to be any kind of effective it is going to cost a huge mort 'o money. This would truly be retail politics at its most expensive and the only people who are going to do really well out of it are the marketing, focus group, and advance men. Its simply going to cost a huge amount to get this organized and publicized in any meaningful way. If its not done right its just going to cost a bunch of money and not have the desired effect. And its highly likely to just cost a bunch of money and have no effect, or appear ludicrous. Essentially, taking the marketing metaphor seriously, they are trying to market old coke in new coke bottles when everyone hates the taste anyway. Can't really see that this will work out well.

aimai

"[I]t's not a rebranding effort. What this is, is an attempt to engage and begin a conversation with the American people."

Here, Eric---let me translate that for you:

"[I]t's not a rebranding effort. What this is, is an attempt to engage and begin a NEW AND IMPROVED BIG LYING SACK-O-SH*T with the American people."

There. All fixed.

They didn't even bother to blow the dust off this crappy piece of crap.

1.  Why do Republican leaders think we need (or even want) a "New America"?  We already live in the freest, most open, richest, most diverse, greatest country in the history of the world, governed under the longest-lasting written law existent on the planet.  Granted, in 2008 we desperately needed big change in the way we governed ourselves, but why is the leadership of the Republican Party calling for a "New America"?  Maybe they really do want Texas to secede and set up a new country.
2.  One of the internet falsies that made it around last fall quoted Obama as saying "America is the greatest country in the world-now help me change it."  I'm certain one could find all kinds of quotes from Hannity, Beck, et al. deriding that quote (false as it was).  One imagines they won't be saying similar things about the NCNA.
3.  Interesting that Jeb Bush thinks we need a "New America."  If I'm not mistaken, his older brother (on whom he never passed up a chance to heap praise) was the president of this America until 101 days ago.  Is he really admitting now that his brother was that incompetent, that he so screwed up the country that only 3 months later we need a brand new one?
4.  Obviously, the real name for this effort is (or should be) "National Council for a New Republican Party."  That truly is what we need, because the Republican Party we have now ain't worth two hoots and a holler (as we say in Lower Alabama).

"Healthcare: Building a 21st Century, Patient-Centered System: ...All Americans deserve access to high-quality, affordable care..."

This is another example of Republican bait-and-switch tactics. They've demonstrated repeatedly that they either don't recognize or care about problems with our health care system. So, we know from experience that if Republicans regained power, they wouldn't do a damn thing about it--despite what their brochures might say.

Comparing the repubs to Whigs doesn't seem to fly. The Whigs were destroyed by an issue (slavery) that they could never agree on amongst themselves- it split them. The repubs are being destroyed by their stands on issues that they all agree on.

Eric, the American people are just not that into you.

I just think they're trying to get them some of the popularity of the NCAA tournament.

Once again though, a day late and a dollar short.

Really? McCain is the best they have to trot out there? But I thought the fundamentals of the economy were strong. Why do we need to change anything?

"...Hey, activists in the GOP base, is sounds like the Republican Party is trying to throw you under the bus. Are you going to take this lying down?..."- Benen

Shame on you Steve. Now you're uninvited to the tea parties.

No Change...just buffing that turd and calling it by another name.

I laugh to myself everytime I read comments like this and then all the liberal comments that follow. You folks have every right to enjoy the power you have right now. The American people have kept you out of power or on the edge since 1980. Now, thanks to a bad economic situation, you were able to get the 4% you needed to get elected. Jimmy Carter and his folks talked then like you do now...Bill Clinton thought he was setting up a permanent Democrat majority, too. More Americans believe what Republicans believe..you know its true. That is why you work so hard to control the education system and government. You can force what you believe on us.. and when you go to far (as you will, you always do)..we will have another Republican majority. If you screw this up bad enough.. maybe it will last for sixty years. Enjoy your day in the sun while you can.

"A high-quality education should not be dependent upon a parent's income or address.... "

Buy that's pretty eglatarian for the GOP. Are those vouchers going to afford tuition at Groton?