Jim Matheson Quotes
Blue Dogs have always acted in a bipartisan way. The Blue Dogs were the group in the Democratic side of the aisle that really pushed for the welfare-reform package that ultimately was signed into law in 1996.
2012 and 2013 with the Tea Party driving Republicans more to the right under fear of being attacked in their primary elections caused the handful to shrink to 2 or 3. The change stems from the historical fact that the majority of the Democratic racists (mostly of the South) were furious that their party, had passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ending legal segregation and institutional racism of the South. The Republicans implemented a “Southern Strategy” by using code words that endorsed Southern racism and this swung the formerly Democratic “Solid” South to the Republican side changing the balance of power for years. The conservative Democrats became Republicans changing the balance in that party. The conservatives starting purging the liberal Republicans and then drove many of the moderates out. Meanwhile, the Democrats, without their conservative wing from the South became more left wing and made things uncomfortable for the remaining conservatives. Just as Tama predicted there were few moderates left to cross over and vote with the other party. Congress became totally dysfunctional.
In 2011 nd 2012 a right wing extremist group—the Tea Party-were able to intimidate the Republican Congressional leadership to take the extreme partisan view that why would allow no significant legislation to pass as it might strengthen Democrat president Obama’s chances of getting reelected. Therefore there was to be no cooperation or even negotiations with the Democrats in Congress. Lugar a highly respected Republican Statesman, and expert on Foreign Affairs, followed his usual pattern of trying to develop legislation that would benefit the country. The Tea Party and some of the more partisan regular republicans then ran a candidate in the state primary election sending huge amounts of money to defeat Lugar who was a sure winner in the general election as he was very popular with all groups in Indiana ecept the right wing extremists, racists and fascists. Lugar never had the chance to win the election. He was defeated in the primary for working with Democrats.
At the time Congress was gridlocked in bitter hyperpartisan conflict. Most people called for more comity and bipartisanship and most politicians wanted more bipartisanship but blamed the other party for the rift. Mourdock,arguing for less bipartisanship and no compromise defeated Richard Lugar in the Republican Senatorial Primary election. Lugar, one of the most respected and effective Senators was a statesman who worked with any and all to find effective compromises to reach national solutions. The nation was so politically polarized that the Republican Indiana voters ousted one of their most senior senators because he was effective at developing national solutions. See {626717} and {302706} for other Mourdock outrageous comments. While this rhetoric won in the Primary, it lost him the general election in a state where Republicans had a strong majority and should have had the seat.
formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate
James David Matheson is an American politician who served as a United States Representative from Utah from 2001 to 2015. He represented Utah's 2nd district from 2001 to 2013 and its 4th district from 2013 to 2015 as a member of the Democratic Party. While in office, he was Utah's only Democratic congressman, and his district was one of the most Republican-leaning districts to be represented by a Democrat.
