Comments on: The latest punch line in GOP politics

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:49:15 +0000

Yeah McDonnell has certainly fixed our transportation needs, spent the much needed money on infrastructure and has us on the path to pay back the pension fund. And his work in setting the clock back for women’s privacy and reproductive choice is oh so stellar.

Gilmore gifted us with the car tax imbroglio that we are still suffering from in many localities and divided this state in ways many thought never would happen.

Great work conservatives!

By: dave

dave — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 08:30:16 +0000

Unemployment looks good in Va. because of the hundreds of thousands of federalo govt. jobs in Northern Va. and Tidewater. The budget deficit problems under McDonnell have been solved by 1.8 billion dollars in federal stimulus money, by borrowing ogver 5oo million from the state empl;olyees retirement fund, by kicking the transporttation issues down the road for the next governor to solve, and by dumping a lot of the costs for state mandated services onto local governments who are now having to deal with the shortfalls by cutting services or raising taxes.
Schools and police protection have been weakened by layoffs of personnel and both of those services face further reductions in the upcoming budget years due to the state’s failure to live up to its obligations. Tuition at state supported colleges and universities is going higher each year as the sate cuts back the percentage of its contribution to those programs while still adopting mandates thatincrease costs. This is in effect a form of taxation. What McDonnell and general Assdembly Republicans have been successful in doing is pulling the wool over people’s eyes with their bragging about balanced budgets and claims of not increasing taxes
which are specious at the very best.
As for the other states whose Republican Governors have done such a fine job, the economies in Ohio and michigan would have been sunk without Obama’s auto bailout and federal stimulus dollars to balance their budgets. The Republican Governor of Fla. has openly acknowledged that the stimulus program and federsl monies bailed out his state. In Wisconsin, unemployment has worsened and the state has lost jobs under the stellar leadership of the union busting Walker and their schools have also suffered from significant layoffs.

By: Art Hill

Art Hill — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 04:34:41 +0000

Jim, I want to personally thank the Republicans for helping to elect Obama.
I trust they’ll keep up the good work for years to come. (And thanks for the laugh!)

By: alan

alan — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 02:30:57 +0000

Yes Sandi, Virginia is suffering under Gov. McDonnell’s leadership – our unemployment is well below the national average and businesses are seeking to relocate here.

Jim Gilmore ran for giovernor as a conservative but then tried to seek unity with liberals and was not successful when later running for the senate as a moderate.

By: Jim Lucas

Jim Lucas — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 01:47:21 +0000

#5 “…. but I will give you that McDonnell and Gilmore both proved to be conservatives and Virginia is still suffering for it.”

How so?

Unemployment? Budget deficit? Education? Increased taxes? Services? Police protection?

All of these, and other indicators will not only come & go by objective &/or subjective standards…..but please….show me the “suffering”.

The ironic truth is that by most standards VA & other states had improved conditions with GOP govornors. Thus resulting in less sense of urgency to boot Obama. (VA, OH, FL, NJ, MI, WN…).

By: Sandi Saunders

Sandi Saunders — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:21:17 +0000

It appears the TP/R Party is not going to take advice from anyone, not even the voters. I still cannot fathom what, besides his rhetoric, made Reagan a conservative. I have no idea who could claim GW Bush was a conservative either, but I will give you that McDonnell and Gilmore both proved to be conservatives and Virginia is still suffering for it.

By: Christina Nuckols

Christina Nuckols — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 00:02:42 +0000

Gilmore didn’t do that well in his last campaign against Sen. Mark Warner.

By: alan

alan — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 23:12:57 +0000

I don’t believe that the GOP will be seeking advice from the editorial board at the Roanoke Times. This would be akin to Abraham Lincoln taking his cues from the KKK. This paper rarely commends the GOP for anything and rarely has a negative word to say about the democrats. I cancelled my subscription back in 1984 when they endorsed Walter Mondale over Ronald Reagan.

The purpose of the convention is to nominate a Republican candidate so only Republicans will participate. On the other hand anyone, including the left-leaning editorial board, can vote in a primary. If the GOP had taken your advice and only nominated what you consider to be a moderate, then Ford would have been elected in 1976, Dole in 1996, McCain in 2008, Romney in 2012, and Bush reelected in 1992. The GOP does much better when they nominate genuine conservative candidates like Reagan, GW Bush, McDonnell, and Gilmore.

By: 89Hoo

89Hoo — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 20:10:18 +0000

Gary, they do not. Neither do Democrats (witness more quantitative easing).

By: Gary

Gary — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 18:04:02 +0000

Well said, I agree 100%. Do Republicans not give any credit to Einstein’s stupidity saying (something like doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results?)