GOP May've Overplayed Gambling Bill Hand (drip drip drip

[wakeme2008]

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Gambling-Politics.html

November 3, 2006
GOP May've Overplayed Gambling Bill Hand
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Filed at 11:00 a.m. ET

NEW YORK (AP) -- A Republican-sponsored effort to clamp down on Internet gambling may turn out to be a bad bet for the GOP.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which President Bush signed into law Oct. 13, has infuriated many voters who enjoy betting on sports or playing poker online, analysts said.

..cut..

But with Republicans already on the defensive over the Iraq war, budget deficits and the congressional page scandal, the gambling law is the latest issue that could steer voters away from the GOP.

''I've been a loyal Republican for over 30 years, and I'm quitting the party I once loved,'' said Jim Henry, 55, who lives outside San Francisco. ''Not because of the Mark Foley scandal or Middle East policy. But because the Republican Party wants to stop me from what I love to do: play poker over the Internet.''

..more at link....

[soothsayer]

1. yeah, baby! Abramhoff never would have let this happen, had he

been around (bless him!)---I'm glad they're going to feel the heat of this move!

[VegasWolf]

6. My guess is this is an Abramhoff sponsered bill. If one can sit at home and

gamble online, who needs the Indian Casinos?

[torrentprime]

16. Someone fact check me on this

But that's what makes this so ironic: Abramoff kept this bill from passing in the past, because he represented gambling interests who didn't want a ban going through. As soon as Abramoff fell out of Washington, the bill proceeded, at the behest of casinos, to further monopolize their industry.
So losing Abramoff hurt Republican faithful too...

[alcibiades_mystery]

21. Casinoes LIKE online gambling

It builds interest in casino gambling among those who might not otherwise do it.

The casinoes don't like this law, and were against it.

[requiem99]

2. And this bill from a party controlling all 3 branches of government and claiming to be deregulatory

[Beetwasher]

3. Every Little Bit Helps

n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Y'know, I've occasionally enjoyed small-stakes poker, but the thought

just hit me that gambling is a prototypical Republican activity. It consists of a bunch of people sitting around a table trying to skin each other out of money while contributing nothing useful to society.

[DoYouEverWonder]

14. While contributing nothing useful to society.

Great metaphor.

Useless airbreathers.

[RamboLiberal]

5. I love it, love it, love it

For a party that preaches about the "nanny state" of Democrats! Hah! I'm not an internet gambler but it's my damn business if I want to blow some money online playing blackjack or have to schlepp hundreds of miles to go to a casino with gaming tables. And yes I do enjoy playing blackjack and I have the self-control to not blow my money. I have thought about playing online - but now I can't thanks to the Repuke nannies.

GOP overstepped on this one!

[SoCalDem]

9. And they have to know how much lobbying by the "big guys"

played into this last minute legislation..

[Stand and Fight]

7. Ha, ha, ha!

Fools. They ought to have known that this would backfire on them. They really ought to learn the lesson of not getting involved in trying to legislate morality. It serves them right.

[BlueManDude]

8. small gummint my ass n/m

[BattyDem]

10. Average Americans don't like "Nanny Laws"

Infringing on the people's right to make "moral" decisions for themselves will ALWAYS piss them off! :evilgrin:

[Canuckistanian]

17. I was just going to say that

Aren't RWingnuts always complaining about the 'Nanny State'?

[yellowcanine]

11. Looks like the Republicans are now officially the "nanny party." George Will

used to love to call the Democrats that. I notice he hasn't done that much lately.

[William Bloode]

12. I've seen it at the gym.

Lotsa big repuke muscle heads there. Many of them had a cow because they can no longer make bets on fights. And i do mean a meltdown.

[TheWatcher]

13. It's all fine and good if it costs them votes but I am NOT losing perspective

it doesn't mean the tide is changing for the better necessarily. The Voters being swayed away aren't doing so because they are being enlightened, but because their toys are being taken away.

Particular example: Jim Henry.

''I've been a loyal Republican for over 30 years, and I'm quitting the party I once loved,'' said Jim Henry, 55, who lives outside San Francisco. ''Not because of the Mark Foley scandal or Middle East policy. But because the Republican Party wants to stop me from what I love to do: play poker over the Internet.''

So you only decide to bail because they took your Poker away, Jim? Sorry, you still sound like a piece of garbage to me. After all they have done to destroy this country, and you didn't bat an eye supporting them until they took your Poker away? Yes, what a True American you are.

Stories like this make me cynical as to whether any true tide is changing in this country.

Maybe a lot of these people are disenchanted not because they are waking up, but because "Their football team is losing, and they want a coaching change."

Maybe I've become too cynical, but the mentality and reasoning of a lot of my fellow countrymen is completely and utterly absurd.

[freeplessinseattle]

19. yes, but, what drew them to the GOP in the first place?

some people don't really think about a whole set values, there's maybe one or two things that inspire them to vote, or they have just always identified with a certain party bc their family and peers do. for instance, how many people vote repug simply bc of the "Dems will tax you to death" meme? these types don't really study issues or have any deep seated values, but can often stay with a party choice for a long time until their peers start to shift-this guy's decision to not vote repug may have also been swayed by shifting opinions of people around him. while he was ticked about the gambling law he might have not have moved out of his comfort zone if he wasn't seeing it happen with his buddies.

[rodeodance]

15. hey, whatever it takes is fine by me!

[Mabus]

18. Thank you

I posted that the GOP would lose votes over this ban the day it went into effect and I got "pooh-poohed" by others. My husband played on-line poker and there were a lot of pissed off players chatting about it the night before.

[alcibiades_mystery]

20. We all said that here weeks ago

The dumbasses at the New York Times are finally figuring this out? When this bill was passed, I got at least 50 group emails from the guys I play the weekly game with, and their friends, and their froiends, and their friends. It was never-ending, and everyone was SUPER PISSED. This happened at just the time that the Foley scandal was breaking, so I think a lot of the political geniuses in the country mistook X for Y. The problem for the GOP is that this affected thwe real lives of one of their core constituencies: white middle class males ages 25-35. These guys think that the GOP is all about taxes, and they hold their noses about the stupid Christian stuff, A) because they're kinda homophpbic anyway, and B) because they think that the social lunatics on the right can't really change the society. Then these douchebags make online gambling impossible, and suddenly it's like "Hey, wait a minute motherfucker. I voted for you guys so you could kill some Arabs and lower my taxes, not so that you'd be bringing the fundies all up in my grill!" (White guys these ages grew up on gangsta rap as a weirdo cathartic racial compensation).

Every time I got one of these emails I responded as follows:

Thank your GOP controlled Congress, caving to the Christians. So much for smaller government, fellas...

I got a lot of "Last time I vote for these fuckers" in return.

Part of the Democratic wave is be pushed by this imbecilic, nanny state law.

[Thickasabrick]

23. LOL - Thanks for the update from your weekly poker buddies - my

favorite part:

"Hey, wait a minute motherfucker. I voted for you guys so you could kill some Arabs and lower my taxes, not so that you'd be bringing the fundies all up in my grill!" (White guys these ages grew up on gangsta rap as a weirdo cathartic racial compensation).

Describes most of the white repubs I know too.

[Toots]

22. This pretty much defines Republicans to a tee

It is as if they only want to regulate what you do in your own home. This is like prohibition only that you can drink in any club or bar or restaurant or while traveling but just not at home.:crazy: They don't want to stop poker or gambling in any establishment only from your own home. They want absolute control over your lives while giving free reign to Corporations or any huge money interests. I wonder if these are the type of people Jesus threw out of the temple, or were they Democrats that want to bring health care to people?