Why Have Republicans Achieved Success in the States but Not Federally?

Wow, and I thought the "blame Bush" routine was getting old after 4 years. Whitman left office over 12 years ago. Since then there have been THREE democrats as governor including Corzine, a disgusting criminal who thoroughly ran the state into the ground. This is the same scumbag who "lost" $1.6 billion of his customers' money. I'm not claiming Whitman was anything special, I wasn't in NJ at the time and nobody I know who was liked her. I'm just pointing out how ridiculous it is to blame her for the destruction that 3 consecutive democrat governors did to that state after her.

The bonds were FORTY YEAR bonds so they still have 28 years to go. She mortgaged the future of the state. This is the reason that Gov. Christie has had to make drastic cuts and make proposals like privatizing the NJ Turnpike/Garden State Parkway and adding tolls to Interstate 80. Christie's ratings as governor were low, before hurricane Sandy.

... I didn't do it (so I don't care )

So Republicans spend out of the money they HAVE (or that they PLAN to have), while Democrat just SPEND & 'have faith' that Big Daddy will give them the money they need?

Yes, for the most part. There are exceptions on both sides of course. My experience here in my state with the present Republican governor, who is somewhat stymied by the legislature be under Democrat control, and the previous governor who was a Democrat points in that direction. The Democrat governor had been preceded by a Republican who had gotten the finances of the state in very good order and had managed to reduce wasteful spending. When the Democrat came in the first thing he did was to get the budget of the office of the governor doubled. Part of his reason for this was so he could hire a bunch of people who were in his control and that he could use later in his laughable attempt at running or president. The state is still suffering from his spending. If he had not been governor and hadn't done so much wasteful spending than the great financial shape that his predecessor Republican governor had left to him with have stood the state well during the recent recession. But the spending of the Democrat meant that the recession took a much greater toll on the state than it would or should have.

Yep, 'your eyes get bigger than your stomach' when you aren't filling YOURSELF anymore!

Bob, what about the number of people living off the government in red areas like those who receive farm subsidies? When you get paid not to plant your crop by the US taxpayers isn't that living off the government? They all vote republican by the way, because republicans support their federal subsidies, and federal crop insurance. "If more states were to adopt proportional voting for national elections it would make for closer electoral collage elections." In other words: If we GERRYMANDER the electorial college, like we have at the state level, we will actually win elections. Sounds like someone is trying to play GOD with our election system!!!!!

"Weel Done! Sister Suffragette!"

Aren't Presidents limited to two terms now?

Believe it or not there are good politicians. This is especially true at the state and local level where they are not so disconnected by the people they govern and represent. When my wife's insurance company refused to pay for the birth of our son, it was a politician, Alex Sink, who fixed the problem. A year later when the insurance company did a "take-back" where they retroactively choose not to pay, it was another politician, Jeff Atwater, who made them pay. When a friend of mine was told that her college major was cancelled, and all her credits towards that major would be treated as "electives", it was a politician, Pamela Lampitt, who hounded the college incessantly until they had my friend's credits apply to a different, similar major so she could graduate. Trust me, there are good politicians who really do want to help people and will literally jump at the opportunity to solve problems when it's within their power. I have a lot of friends who tell me it's a waste of time to call politicians when they have these problems. Those that take my advice are often pleasantly surprised. For the record, good politicians, especially at the local level, don't give a crap what your party affiliation is, nor do they let their own get in the way of helping people. The three occupations you listed are all noble careers, but none of them would have had the power to fix the issues I listed above.

I guess Rob is talking about situations in which people 'need money' to fix their problems, and--not to say politicians WOULDN'T make such sacrifice--but I wouldn't WANT a politician to forsake their own 'survival'-money to clear-up some extra debt I've got hanging over my head