Monday, November 03, 2008
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The Future of the GOP: 5 Predictions...
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Posted by:
Matt Lewis at
9:32 AM
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While I am hopeful John McCain can pull this out tomorrow, it is never too early to begin thinking about the future of the Republican Party. Even if McCain wins, the GOP faces an identity crisis. But in crisis, there is opportunity.
Following are my five predictions for how we get the GOP back on track:
1. Republican politicians will make a comeback. The GOP bench, going forward, will be deep. It will include Romney and Huckabee (who have both been through a primary campaign), Sarah Palin (who has now been through a general election), and Bobby Jindal (who will have experience as both a congressman and as a governor). 2010 also offers opportunities. For example, we may have a Pennsylvania governor Pat Toomey! And don't forget Michelle Bachmann in MN... Growing young new conservative leaders is key, and in that regard, the future is bright.
2. Republicans will study how the Democrats re-built themselves after the 2004 elections. Post-2004, a few things happened: Howard Dean became Chairman and implemented a 50-state strategy, Daily Kos and MoveOn became more prominent, "insider" consultants like Carville and Begala became less important, "moderate" writers like Peter Bienart lost credibility, etc. ... Republicans will study the '94 Revolution, as well as the Democrats' turn-around, and replicate many of the changes (which I outline below)...
3. Republicans will elect a Powerful New GOP Chairman. While there are some very good state chairman out there -- Katon Dawson (SC), Tina Benkiser (TX), and Saul Anuzis (MI) come to mind -- my money is on picking someone who already has a large national profile, this time around. How about Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, or Fred Thompson? The new GOP Chairman will be the de facto face of the GOP, so it stands to reason we need someone with the stature, the intellect, and charisma to make some dramatic changes.
4. As the Peggy Noonans of the world continue to age (and become more and more out-of-touch), a new generation of conservative writers and bloggers will replace them, in print and on TV. New media will replace both the consultant world and the media world. In short, new media will replace the Bob Shrums and the Bob Novaks.
5. There will be an even starker difference between Republicans and Democrats. The NRCC and NRSC will replace their moderate Chairmen. Likewise, there will most likely be a new House Minority Leader in the future (is Speaker Cantor that far away???). Also, assuming Republicans lose some senate seats, we should at least take solace in the fact that these are mostly moderate seats. While we never want to lose Republican votes -- especially because of the importance of Supreme Court picks -- there is an up-side to being able to regain the GOP brand. Meanwhile, the Dems (who could potentially control the Executive and Legislative branches) will predictably over-reach and show themselves to be too liberal for the nation.
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Romney, maybe.
Gingrich & Thompson. I cannot understand TownHall's fascination and love affair with these guys.
Thompson seems a fine man but hanging on his every word and thinking he'll be a great leader going forward??
Gingrich, maybe he's a veritable Catherine Wheel of ideas, but self-destructive. The GOP needs someone who knows when and how to keep his mouth shut.
The GOP needs someone younger, and with less baggage. |
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If McCain loses - 2010 will be bigger than 1994 for Republicans. Obama wants to do what Jimmy Carter did from 1976-1980 in a slowing economy. We all know how that turned out. I will not even bother getting into how Jimmy Carter screwed up Iran and how Obama will likely do the same. Higher taxes and government regulation in a slowing economy is a recipe for disaster. |
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If the GOP will not be the party to stand up for the rule of law, national sovereignty, and the citizens, they will go the way of the Whigs. |
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Romney/Jindal 2012.
Both are turn-around experts. Both have turned hundreds or millions of deficits into hundreds of millions of surpluses. Romney's done it more than once.
Both are intelligent, articulate, knowledgable, with stellar character, integrity and positive reputations. Both are more conservative than Palin or Huckabee.
Yes, I believe along about 2010, the GOP will be looking for qualifications, not winks and kisses. |
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No matter what the Republicans do they will be totally discredited if they fail to repudiate the worst president since Truman.
Is it right to throw Bush under the bus? Heck, yes, because that's where he belongs. Who had done more to discredit the free market and limited government than GWB?
Another problem is that non-liberals have no ideas to offer and nothing upon which they agree except that liberals are wrong.
The religious right, who originally opposed bigger government when they saw it as threatening their religious practice, completely embraced it when they had the power of the state handed to them. The same people who fought for your right to educate your own child (home schooling) were enthralled by the power of state education and fell behind Bush's vast increase in federal control of local schools.
When the liberty wing of the party opposed Bush's massive spending increases and dubious warrantless searches they were quick read out of the party, leaving only the country clubbers and the cultural conservatives vying for power.
They then arrogated to themselves powers that no government should have foolishly believing that Acton's insight about the corrupting influence of power did not apply to them. Pork soared to new heights as Republicans began to think that only Kryptonite could stop them. The result is an Obama presidency.
The old Reagan coalition is dead. Power lusters and advocates of liberty cannot coexist under the same "big tent". Until that issue is resolved, expect another 40 years of wandering in a political desert. |
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Romney/Jindal 2012!!!
The smartest men in ANY room. |
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is really not about who the GOP ran this time, or who they'll run in the future.....
frankly, with the mind-set of this country at this time, it really doesn't matter....
the real issue is........how weak-minded and shallow the American voter is now....
a large par of the American electorate, I'm ashamed to say, has been hood-winked by an empty suit with a transparent resume'.....
anything Comrade Obama has attepted to accomplish up to now, is all based in Socialism (see redistribution of wealth, ACORN, etc)...
so until the people of America come to their senses, I see no real solution to this HUGE problem......
you , who have supported "The One", WILL reap what you have sown......
unfortunately, the informed voters of this country will pay the price also......
SAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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You should read "Truman," by David McCullough. It should change your mind about Truman being any sort of bad president. He, like Bush, got a lot of bad press. He was disliked by some in his own party because he was not an elite. He managed to outfox 'em all.
Now, Carter, is the Poster Boy of a Bad President!
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Remove the bigots and tell them they can stay only if they stop this idiot religious test.
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your logic is just not complete....
UNLESS history is re-written......
Goober Carter, by a landslide I might add, is the worst President in modern history......
impotence, personified!!! |
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Palin supporters are blind, deaf and dumb. Rednecks, dimbulbs and bigots. Sorry, truth hurts. We're fighting an uphill battle.
The National Review cruise is next week, Romney will be there. I'm guessing that he has far more support with most GOP bigwigs and pundits than Palin. But alot of them, like Rush aren't using their heads, if you get my drift.
Hopefully everyone will come to their senses about her, and about the bigotry that was allowed to flourish and in the end gave us McCain, and Obama. |
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For the foreseeable future, the catchphrase for Democrats will be "social justice", the notion that we should punish the rich for the social ills of society no matter how they came about their money or how they've used it. For Republicans, it will be "anti-corruption", as backroom deals, lack of transparency and using the power of government to enrich oneself and one's friends will become intolerable. With a Pelosi-Reid lead Congress, there will be plenty to rail against, and if Obama-the most corrupt presidential candidate I've ever seen-if elected, Republicans will be extremely busy. |
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I like the remark about Peggy Noonan Matt especially after her comments this morning about Republican operatives being "used up!" :) |
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I would be a huge supporter of a Romney/Jindal ticket if McCain loses. I have met both Mitt Romney and Bobby Jindal and too an immediate liking to both of them.
However - your shot at Palin supporters is way out of line as are most shot at the "Religious Right" and other "Faith Voters."
I personally care about the economy and taxes before any other issue. However, I have come to realize that "Faith Voters" also are huge supporters of less taxes and government regulation. They too care about the economy and want the government off their backs.
Word of advice - you are not going to get any "Faith Voters" to vote for Romney in 2012 or 2016 by calling them "dumb." That is no worse than some of the cheep shots some of the Evangelical voters said about Romney being a Mormon.
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If we back down on the voter fraud issue and let the left get away with this voter suppression response - we're history. |
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You are right, I apologize. I'll try not to do that again.
In my defense, I'm struggling for an answer as to why people don't care about Palin's record or poor performance.
I get that she is appealing. |
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phony!!! Who cares what she thinks???
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Palin has a real record as an executive and reformer, as opposed to Obama, who has no record at all! Hope that helps!! :)) |
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The thing is - I am a values voter, even though I care equally about all three legs of conservatism. They intertwine and are all important. I thought I was actually "in" the "religious right" and a valuabled team member until some of them told me Mormons aren't allowed to run for pres.
I hope everyone gets that. Mormons were mistreated in the primary, and we need people willing to stand up and say never again. We are the most conservative voters in the country. How about a little fairness, and some appreciation? |
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She has a very short record as an executive, and has her own problems with corruption. Apparently, she's great at pointing fingers, just not at herself. The rules don't apply to her. |
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We need to CHANGE the Republican party. Why would we want to reinstate the same obnoxious players who orchestrated this disaster? Apparently we need to find new blogging "conservatives" too.
You guys are so yesterday. All you are predicting is the demise of the GOP. |
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No matter who the Republicans nominate in the future, the noseholders will vote for him/her and dutifully promote the "apocalypse if the other guy wins" hysteria. And Townhall will sell their souls to be good myrmidons for their GOP masters. |
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I agree with you 100% the insults and shots taken at Mormons in the primary were way out of line.
If McCain loses the key thing for Romney will be the 2010 election cycle. He needs to raise tens of millions of dollars for Republicans in key races. If Obama wins 2010 will make the Republican gains in 1994 look small. If can build up a network of key supporters he will enter the primary season as the front runner.
As for Palin, I am a fan of hers. But if McCain loses, I believe she will be more like an Al Gore. Not that she will utter complete nonsense like Gore does and live a hypocritical lifestyle. What I mean is she will be a great fund raiser and big ticket dinner speaker, but will likely not emerge as Presidential candidate.
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Thanks for the optimistic spin, but!
On #1: Ok, sure, a nice lineup of potential batters on deck.
On #2: Not a chance! Just like I’ve heard all my life that Mexico will turn the corner in their next election cycle and actually get a respectable GDP, I’ve heard that Republicans will reform their propensity for electing dusty old codgers. Newt had his day in the sun, but no one of consequence past himself is listening anymore. And if they did, the media would drown them out, see #3.
On #3: I’ll take that bet. Republicans stand on principle, not on piety. They don’t respond to slick. They look for a reasoned plan, not sales tactics.
On #4: Yep, but without the kind of audience liberals will amass using the Justice Department to insure “domestic tranquility”, web sites like this will be marginalized. I love Amanda Carpenter and Mary Katherine Ham as much as the next guy. It’s after you’ve spent all your resources defending yourself in court those talents a will be sufficiently be tied down and overridden, see #5.
On #5: Oh it’ll be stark alright. The contrast between the parties will be determined to be so dire that it is seen as a threat to the new para-constitutional model set out by activist judges holding court to adjudicate the arena of socialist opinion.
Yes, I’m feeling rather melancholy as I write this while listening to another Obama oratory before those cheering masses.
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They must represent the citizens and not the employers of the illegal aliens. The Democrats are representing the foreign nationals in our country illegally, the GOP has been at bat for the employers. No one is representing the citizens. There will be a party that does stand up for the citizens if the GOP will not. They will go the way of the Whigs.
GOP-RIP |
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This isn't about people per se. It is about ideology. Many of the GOP senators and congressmen strayed away from Republican basic principles: smaller government; Cut entitlement programs; cut spending; lower taxes; protect the Constitution; keep our defenses strong; protect our freedoms; and so forth.
The GOP needs to return to the basics.
Teaching the GOP a lesson by electing socialists/marxists leading to communism is not the way to do it. Destroying our country as a way to express anger just does not make any sense. Placing all the power: presidency, senate and congress in one party's hands is a mistake that may never be corrected again. |
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Nice of you to change your name again - Kimberly/Giselle/Hazel/sarajane
Must be nice being isolated from the real world in your community college dorm room!
If Obama wins - you are going to get a crash course in the Carter era, which I doubt they teach at your half baked college. You should check out carbama on youtube!
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"2010 will make the Republican gains in 1994 look small."
Unfortunately, the stars aren't with you. Like this year, there are significantly more GOP Senate seats up for reelection in 2010 than Democratic. In 2012 the ratio reverses with a vengeance, as it must, but by then the Palin Crazies will have torn your party apart.
Of course all House seats are up for reelection each time, but I think you'll find that we're putting a pretty conservative bunch of Democrats in them this year. Rather more conservative than I'd prefer, but there it is. They'll be hard to unseat. |
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If the GOP wants to become relevant again it will at a minimum have to support taking action on four things.
1) No more tinkering with the tax code. Either go to a flat tax or repeal it outright. As for funding programs by the lost revenue, those programs need to be cut if not totally eliminated. Let the states run this stuff if they wish.
2) No more phony "free" trade deals that only benefit a few on Wall Street. The US needs to become a manufacturing economy once again for a number of good reasons. Two of them to reduce the trade deficit and to provide Americans with good jobs.
3) No open borders or amnesty for illegal aliens. Prosecute employers who use them. T.S. for Wall Street and the cheap labor lobby.
4) No more elective wars, particularly those advocated by the fascist Likud party. Anerica First for a change and to hell with everyone else.
Filling positions at the RNC with the same people who are responsible for the present mess is no more than rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
And this is for starters. |
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I can't believe I am writing this, but in general I agree with Matt. The GOP does have a strong farm system right now, and should have a fair number of strong candidates for the foreseeable future. Also, I generally agree that the RNC head position needs to be more of a high-profile chief spokesman position than it has been.
A lot of soul searching needs to happen and the party needs to put forth a positive vision of where it wants to take the country. For too long the Republicans in Congress have been working to not lose seats instead of working to win the clash of worldviews which is upon us. If we should learn anything from the election losses of '06 and (most likely) '08, it is that we are in the middle of a bareknuckle fight between starkly different views for the U.S. and that for the foreseeable future elections will be won by building a movement and having it crest on election day.
Lastly, while it will kill PC and many others on here, the GOP will need to work very hard to bring the social conservatives back to the fold. A lot of them seem to feel the GOP has taken advantage of their support and not really done anything to advance the causes near and dear to their hearts. Although Alito and Roberts are great, they may have a point here. Beyond that, this movement is changing somewhat and is going to need a more expansionist view of social conservatism to appeal to the next generation of social conservatives.
There's more to say, but that is already too much for one post.
JP |
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Why are we in the place we are, because everyone including repubs. seem to not understand the true job of the president is to protect and defend, both the constitution and the people of th USA, and George Bush has done exactly that, but this country although the greatest in the world , is also the most ungrateful as well.We are getting ready to elect a no body from chicago, who is a junior senator at best, if that, and his only true ties in his life are with the most radical and offensive in our society, and why do we do this, as my father used to say, TO CUT OFF OUR NOSES TO SPITE OUR FACE.We are so into blaming every one but ourselves for anything and everything, that the dems have sold us snake oil and we have bought it and will suffer now for it, and why, because no one seems to care about truth or honor or even reality anymore in this country and I fear for the future.This is not about party failure its about a country whos people have failed themselves and each other. They didnt demand the truth from the press, and they didnt demand open honest debate and they didnt find out who this man was, they are lazy and foolish and all will now pay .I am sad and worry for us and our friends around the world and in Isreal .This man is not someone to rely on and is not a man with either principals or loyality to any one but himself, GOD HELP US. |
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...should the democrats take control.
Conservatives have been defending the Republican castle for the past 8 years while King George and the "Maverick" were selling favors to democrats out the back door.
We have endured 8 years of endless haranguing by Democrats and the lib media. Let see how they like defending their castle against Rush, Sean, Laura, Ann, IBD, etc. non-stop for even the next two years.
This is why they are so keen on implementing the "Fairness" doctrine. They know they've painted a big target on themselves and will do anything to deflect our shots.
Should Republicans lose and Prop 8 lose, we have done a good job of pointing out what the liberals will do when they are in power.
With prop 8 for example they have been swearing up and down that they will not force Gay marriage teachings on children or threaten churches. They know we will call them out as soon as they try to to do so.
Barack claims not to be a socialist/marxist. But his every move will be scrutinized. Say he pulls out of Iraq too soon, raises taxes and punishes energy companies and corporations. The middle-east will go to hell, (Israel will be forced to attack) The economy will go into a nose-dive and the public will be ready to hang Barry and the entire democratic establishment.
If the Democrats can be disciplined and govern more like Clinton (a moderate). the Dems could enjoy 8 years or more of power. If they swing too far to the left, the Republicans will be back in power in two years, ala 1994. |
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Most of the GOP listens to what Obama says, while ignoring the fact that he has advisors who were architects of the economic recovery under Reagan, as well as the 90's. It's very likely that as Clinton did in 93, the tax hikes and middle income tax cuts will be sacrificed to ensure a growing economy.
I say this because depending on your enemy to make a mistake puts the initiative in your enemies hands - not yours. And, if there is no mistake, you have no path to success.
I, in turn, do not see a quick resolution for the GOP. Consider that both Palin and McCain support "a path to citizenship" for illegals, which translates as amnesty. This is a critical issue that divides the Base, from the GOP elite.
We then have the issue of free trade - but no one talks about an industrial policy. Instead, the elites talk only about free trade. And down that road we face a continued loss of manufacturing. And as we lose manufacturing - out dependency on other countries continues to grow.
Then, we have proposals to pay for health care - but not to deal with its cost - which at 17% today, is almost 2X that of other countries, and in 4 years is projected to be 20% of our total expenditures. Yet, we know that many people who vote for the GOP need that health care. They are not, after all, country club Republicans.
At the base of it all is a grand illusion. In 4 years, and most certainly in 8, the retirement of the boomers, which began last year, will crush the budget. We already spend 40% on SS, Medicare and Medicaid. And this issue will tear both of the parties apart. Because it cuts into the base of both parties. |
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Those are the twin pillars upon which the Republican party can be rebuilt to cement a national majority.
Subsidiarity: The National Government is the worst level of government to do anything. You get the least returns on the dollar, the most corruption, the worst signal-to-noise ratio, and the greatest level of incompetence. Only tasks that no other level of government or private citizenry can accomplish should be left to the Fed. We focus on foreign policy, national defense, secure borders, international trade, and that's about it.
Almost all Federal spending on Education, Fine Arts, and similar programs needs to be phased out so that private foundations and state governments can choose what to fund and what they can live without. It is not the tax-payer's burden to keep concert Harp players employed. It is not the Federal Government's bailiwick to dictate the curriculum of the schools.
Life: It is very simple, folks. Our Constitution and Declaration define Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness as inalienable rights. When the government condones the taking of a clearly innocent life within the law it has undermined the supposedly inalienable right to life. Without the right to life all other rights are likewise muted. A solid platform as the party that opposed Abortion as a violation of that inalienable right is a recipe for success.
A solid, unwavering plank to defend the right to life for the unborn presents an opportunity to all but monopolize support among the resurgent sphere of Roman Catholic Bishops, Cardinals, and Theologians hear in the United States. This is extremely timely considering the press in the Church to clarify Catholic moral teachings in light of the ignorant perversions of the likes of Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi in the public discourse.
You run those two issues as the alpha and omega of the Republican Party and you win elections. |
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Please let you prediction about Romney be true. May we get the chance again to vote for the sharpest, most successful, together guy to EVER run for president!!! |
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Romney wouldn't be a good choice. He's taken too many contrary positions over the years. He lost in the primaries because the voters didn't trust him.
If this is going to be a high profile position then it will have to be someone with a consistent record and someone with an appeal to core republican voters. |
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Romney has only changed his stand on life - nothing else. And he has a 100% pro-life record as governor.
All the accusations of flip-flopping is hogwash. He flip-flopped less than McCain, Huckabee and is more conservative than Palin.
She was a big porker as mayor and governor, was for the bridge to nowhere before she was against it, she is pro-amnesty, for regulating CEO pay and for more regulation of Wall Street. That may sound good right now, but in reality, who wants government to have that much control of private companies? I sure don't.
Kevin, Romney lost the primary because of open primaries, and bigotry. |
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Nick Stuart writes: Monday, November, 03, 2008 9:41 AM
"The GOP needs someone younger, and with less baggage."
Michael Steele is the man we need.
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PC writes: Monday, November, 03, 2008 11:18 AM
"In my defense, I'm struggling for an answer as to why people don't care about Palin's record or poor performance." "I get that she is appealing."
What exactly is the problem with Gov. Palin's record? Her poor performance? You judge an individual on a couple of interviews? If that is how we judge, then every single candidate/politician alicve and past should be labled a poor performer or incompetent, yes? Nevermind that since she took control of her image and message that she has more than shown her political savy and command of the issues.
Governor Palin will continue to get stronger and stronger as time passes. Win or lose she will be a powerful force in the years ahead.
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There will be many things over the next couple years that will benefit the GOP down the road, especially under an Obama administration. First the campaign Obama has run, while amazing from a political sense, is a recipe for political disaster when actually responsible for something. Being everything to everybody means that when you have to make decisions you will be making someone who supported you feel betrayed. Beyond that, with very little in their way, it will be time for the Dems to pay back some of their special interest groups, and this will anger many moderates and independents. They will overstep. Lastly, and possibly most importantly, much of the Dem majority has been built on attacking GW. Now they will be like the dog that finally caught the car, what are they going to do with it?
That said, the GOP needs to be rational and realistic. Much of what has been lost has been because those we elected proved too hypocritical. It's hard to tell people you're the party of family values when you have not pushed through anything significant and are having scandal after scandal. The GOP needs to make a clear statement of its principles and then before 2010 a statement of no 5-10 specific policy goals the party can rally behind. These should cross the whole spectrum of the party's base and should be expressed in a positive way. We have got to tone down the vitriol. We can be for securing the borders without alienating entire ethnic segments, unfortunately we've done a very poor job of that.
JP |
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As for specific people for future runs... Palin should go back to Alaska, finish a successful run as governor, win a senate seat and come back in 10 years, or so. Jindal needs to do much the same. They have the potential to be great, but need more seasoning. Romney would be a great choice for RNC chairman. It will upset many on here, but I don't think he will ever be President. He just does not play in the heartland. It has nothing to do with his faith. It has to do with the fact he comes across as being the poster boy for the country club wing of the party, which heartland conservatives detest and, more importantly, rightly, or wrongly, he comes across as manufactured and inauthentic. That is the kiss of death in the heartland. If Michael Steele can keep himself important for the next 4 years, he will be an interesting possibility in 2012. Most likely I think you will see him a bit further down the road. Huckabee will be a player in 2012. Mark Sanford could be an interesting candidate very soon. There are others I can not think of at the moment.
JP
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Mr. Lewis, I have to disagree. If we lose this election, the Rep Party has no future. We have a competent candidate running against the most undistinguished candidate ever put forth by a major political party. And if Cotton Candy Obama (all fluff and no non-Marxist substance) isn't a Marxist, then he is at least a Socialist. Since we now have about 40% of voters who pay no federal income tax, it is foolish to think that they will vote Rep and kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Therefore, the Reps will need more than 80% of the remaining 60% of voters to win an election. They might be able to do that in local elections, but it is unrealistic to think that they could do that in a national election. Once he is elected, the anointed one will make sure that the 40% who pay no tax will be increased as many more persons will be encouraged to depend on the government for their daily living. At one time the Ants could tell the Grasshoppers that the Ants would not part with what they had produced while the Grasshoppers played. Now the government will force the Ants to work harder and to give even more of their production to the Grasshoppers. From each according to their means and to each according to their needs. Get ready to stand in long lines for scarce food and consumer items as we become the same as the old Soviet Union, or the same as Cuba and Venezuela today. Be afraid, very afraid if Hussein Obama is elected.
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...the poster boy for the GOP is. All I care is that they are brazenly conservative. Look, there is nothing magic about it. Romney, Palin, Jindal,...I love 'em all. |
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The GOP needs work but it can't just go away if Obama wins, which I hope does not happen. We need GOP leaders that stand for lower spending, strong national defense, staying on offense in the War on Radical Jihadism, limited spending, etc.
Head of the GOP:
One of Three selections
1) Newt Gingrich
2) Fred Thompson
3) Michael Steele
Wildcard: JC Watts
House GOP:
1) Minority Leader-Mike Pence
2) Minority Whip-Eric Cantor
3) Marsha Blackburn
4) Jeb Hensarling
5) NRCC Chairman one of two: Tom Price or Steve King (someone with appeal to the Conservative base and won't shaft Michele Bachmann and others for Young of AK)
Wildcard: John Shedagg and Brian Bilbray
Senate GOP
1) Minority Leader Jon Kyl
2) Minority Whip John Cornyn
3) Conf Chairman Jim DeMint
4) Fill-in the Blank for Sec
5) NRSC Chairman Jeff Sessions (Great on amnesty, voted against the bailout, great on energy, strong on national defense). Can fire up the Conservatives.
If the Republicans want to get back to prominance, win or lose on Tuesday, they must make a big move to appeal to Conservatives. Sorry, John Boehner and Mitch McConnell have been great on the war and energy, but that's about it, for leadership.
As for Tuesday, don't look at the polls. Make sure you vote. The Press will say it's over midday. Let's make sure McCain/Palin are in the White House to stand up Pelosi, Reid, Schumer and company.
Look ahead to 2010, Reid, Schumer and Dodd are up for reelection. Those are challenges, but it's time we got candidates who can stand up to these Liberals and say, "No more. We want our country back. We don't for the government. The government works for us." |
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I disagree with you on Romney, and Huckabee.
Romney does play in the heartland. Huckabee won 31% of the south to Romney's 30%. Huckabee was limited to the south, but Romney had appeal in every region, and Romney won about half of all evangelicals. By the time he dropped out, he was the favorite of the base. And people have seen what he's done for the GOP since he dropped out. Rove said he's the most requested speaker, and he was the overwhelming favorite for VP.
Like I said, Huckabee has very limited appeal. Plus, he's a gaffe-machine. That's why he didn't do much campaigning after he dropped out. I don't think many people wanted him to campaign for them, and he didn't have the heart for it either, preferring TV.
People talk alot about Michael Steele, but I just don't see him getting much traction.
Right about Palin, though. She needs 10 years to get up to snuff. Too bad she doesn't realize it. |
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The problems with Palin is she's a little tent republican. She cannot attract a large tent. We'll never get anywhere with her because the rest of the country hates her. |
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The future of the GOP needs to be someone who can articulate the great ideas of the GOP to the American people. Romney would be great so would Newt. The GOP has the best ideas, but we don't articulate those ideas very well. Obama has been a great talker-liar, but he was successful. |
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I hope Romney is integral with the GOPs new direction. The reason we're going to get thumped in this election is because we've lost the moderate urban/suburban professionals. Reagan didn't lose them. We need them, and I don't think Palin brings them, I'm sorry I don't. She comes off just too parochially to well-educated centrists. Even with his crazy, loony-tunes pastor, Obama doesn't come off that way. Jindal doesn't, and Romney doesn't.
I like Newt a whole lot. He's one of our clearest thinkers, and he's ARTICULATE in a non-folksie way. He can't hold public office again because of his personal life though, which sucks.
Folksie sort of worked for Bush, but it's been a liability for our party. I'm with Brooks and Noonan on this. We need to stop purging the smart folks from our party, and playing such a populist message. McCain and Palin have played to that, and it's driven away moderates and independants.
We need to be the party of the smart guys again, not Joe the Plumber.
That, and we need to get our act together about the national debt, and a cogent economic platform. No nation has remained a military power without an economic base to fund it.
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Romney/Petraeus. I'll take Petraeus/Romney too, though. The talents of both men lie in being very intelligent, extremely intelligent, pragmatic problem-solvers. One has done it in the arena of business, elected government at the executive level, and the volunteer sector of rescuing the scandal-plagued Olympics. The other has done it in the military, on solving the task of fighting a faceless, uniformless enemy and winning. I like both men's personalities, records, temperment, and ability to present themselves and establish consensus.
I hope Petraeus has the ambition to get into the political fray and I can think of few combinations throughout history that are more compelling than Romney/Petraeus. The prospect of Romney alone has prompted me to sit this election out anyway ( http://bethemaverick.blogspot.com ), and well if he could persuade Petraeus to serve as Vice President in 4 years, well then, all I can say is lightspeed to 2012. |
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The third sentence ought to read:
The talents of both men lie in being very intelligent, extremely articulate, pragmatic problem-solvers. |
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The road to victory is a republican party with a populist libertarian edge. After 4 years of big liberalism I doubt big republicanism will be the answer. Romney will be the Washington/New York republican pick which will be the wrong way to go.
Romneycare...really...is that conservative?
The GOP needs a Palin or Jindal. It needs a real conservative that appeals to the working class. Romney cannot relate to those people or he would have been the nominee this time. |
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As for 2012, if Obama wins (which he hasn't yet); definitely have to consider Mitt Romney and of course, Sarah Palin (she saved this ticket to keep it this close and is still an awesome governor in AK), Bobby Jindal is doing great things in LA.
Huckabee, he needs to stick to his show and talking about the Fair Tax.
It will be back IF the GOP goes back to its roots of Conservatism. That's a big if.
Two more things, they could pick up two more governor's mansions in 2010, Rendell can't run in PA and the same with Grandholm in MI (thank goodness).
The GOP will come back, but they must develop a spine, communicate their message and stand up to the media and not appease them. That's the lesson of this election. You can't appease the Press Establishment in Washington. |
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All great GOP hopefuls, shining Stars, plus more conservatives who believe in America's greatness, the power of conservative ideals, values, loyal to Reagan principle legacy principles. They will follow suit and restore our hopes and dreams.
Romney indeed will be a great choice, I miss his smiling confident optimism. I sincerely hope Romney will stay in politics. |
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My vote's for a Romney-Jindal ticket, with Romney at the top. This way we get two former governors with outstanding executive experience; both are brilliant; both are party loyalists; both are articulate speakers; both, especially Romney, can raise money like crazy. |
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"Sarah Palin ... she saved this ticket to keep it this close"
In fact, the polls are showing that she's COSTING McCain about two percentage points in the vote. That won't make the difference, but it could have.
"Bobby Jindal is doing great things in LA."
Much though I'd like to have a fellow alum on the ticket, you have to realize that he's even more insane than Palin. He's also a creationist, after having been a bio major at the university where Ken Miller teaches (they never met) AND he does unauthorized exorcisms. (It's likely that Cheney will be long gone by the time Jindal gets there.) |
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I think you're exagerating the exorcism thing, but I don't have any problem with a person using his religious beliefs to thwart what he considers an evil influence. None at all, in fact, I applaud him for it.
Religion is about faith, and there's nothing wrong with using our faith and what tools we believe we have to make our lives better. |
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You can't quite say Romneycare is the boogeyman then claim Palin is a great governor in Alaska since her scant 20 months on the job there were filled with trying to get big government deals done and her own version of cronyism.
The fact of the matter is that she will have to repair her national image after they lose tomorrow, which they will because it's a bad ticket. Being on a ticket that loses a national election is not a good thing. If you're a Republican who loses in the primary, well then you can ascend to the nomination; however if you are on the national ticket and lose to a Democrat, you're done.
I'm not willing to write her completely off since I blame McCain for being stupid and wreckless enough to put someone to appeal to the culturalists who would vote for him anyway simply b/c the other guy is Obama, but she has had a couple glaring issues that are indefensible (getting stumped by Katie Couric for not being able to name even on reform McCain fought for and not knowing what the Vice President does in the event of a Senate tie, lol) that will stand in her way.
Honestly, the religious right, the culturalists--Huckabee, Palin, maybe Jindal--those are the people who have run us into the ground presently. If that's what you mean by common man, then what more men will have more in common in the immediate and long term future is voting Democrat. |
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"nothing wrong with using our faith and what tools we believe we have to make our lives better."
But the Catholic Church has RULES against it. It's forbidden for a layman to do an exorcism. If he won't obey the laws of his church, how can we trust him with the Constitution?
True, driving Cheney out would have made all our lives better. |
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The older icons of the GOP can have a role in the party's future, but the face of the new GOP should be younger, vigorous, and intolerant of stupidity, weakness and cowardice such has been shown by republicans these past 8 years. It's why the GOP is going to be utterly crushed tomorrow. This is the price of their incompetence.
In a crisis what's needed is leadership and inspiration, not management. Management is something you do after you've won the war. Sarah Palin provided the ONLY inspiration this year. She's the only reason why McCain's even within a few points of the communists. McCain showed himself to be a cluless punching bag, a circus pony doing tricks for his enemies on Letterman, SNL and Larry King. Those audiences hate him and never will vote for him. How stupid it was for him to grovel at their feet. No more!
The few remaining GOP in congress after this election will have nothing to do. Why not use their time to wage guerilla war and stymie the communists' agenda? Recall how the communists defeated the GOP even when the GOP had a monopoly on all branches of the government. Yet the GOP cowered before the Left and allow their enemies to control the agenda and the message.
My preference would be to only promote GOP leaders who have actually killed a democrat in single combat as was the tradition in ancient empires. Then we'd know we had real believers, not the Scott McClellans, Peggy Noonans and other turn coat whoares.
But that's just me. |
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When America is attacked again soon, it will be horrible. 911 will pale in comparison. The death tolls from the suitcase nukes will take months to accurately assess. The American People will search for answers to this holocaust. The press and both political parties in DC will predictably have an ecumenical Kumbaya candlelight vigils, set up memorials for the innumerable dead, tell heroic tales of the dying, lie to the American People about their culpability and play politics, put up investigative committees for political cover, and play the political blame game to milk it for what it's worth. The People will realize that both parties in DC LEFT THE BORDER WIDE OPEN for political expediency to satisfy their Corporate Johns on Wall Street and "K" street who finance their re-election campaigns. When it is discovered that these suitcase nukes and the terrorists themselves were brought in across our unprotected, unmanned Southern border, do you think for a minute that the American People when FACED WITH ANNIHILATION and lies, will re-elect either of these 2 parties to high office??? You can fooll some of the People sometimes, you can even fool all of the People sometimes, but you can never fool all of the People all of the time. Your game's almost up, DC! Long live the Revolution. |
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And I really feel like where we've gone wrong is by slanting too much towards the social issues. I'm not saying here that those issues should be abandoned. Not by a long shot.
But in terms of presentation, they don't sell well, or bring in independants. Our positions, though logically defensible (and I feel more sound), are easily defined as exclusionary or mean (think gay marriage, or telling women what they have to do with their bodies - never mind the body of the child growing within them, but I digress).
What I'm saying is that when we go to social issues, we're more likely to drive people away.
Economic issues matter every single election. And we OWN them. We're the party that cuts taxes, helps businesses grow, and ecourages investment. We just need to get back to our roots some with deficit spending, find a great spokesman who can articulate that positive, job-creating message, and I think we'll have done a lot of good towards reclaiming the center.
Honestly, Romney is the guy for that. Provided he can make himself a bit more approachable, come off a bit more like a normal guy, and we as a party can make our peace with his faith.
We need to grow the tent. We need to say to people, "We don't care what race or religion you are, we don't even care what party you are. We care that you want to empower the individual, and curtail government expansion into that individual's life."
William F. Buckley Jr. grew the modern conservative movement by driving out the conspiratorial crazies, and by having a vigorous intellectual appeal.
We need that again. |
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Romney/Jindal for 2012. This has been my thoughts ever since Romney was passed over as VP, no thanks to Huckabee. |
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Truman, as a favor to Stalin, agreed to round up 200,000 Russian deserters who were fleeing the barbarism of the Soviet Union and send them on trains back to Russia where many died in slave labor camps. What a guy!
He tried to nationalize the railroads, conscript strikers into the army to force them back to work, fired the best general in Army, allowed communists to control the entire eastern half of Europe and overrun China, left a skeleton crew of soldiers in South Korea inviting an invasion by a known psycho, Kim Il Sung (the father of the modern psycho Kim Jong Il). His administration had more communists than the Kremlin.
He left office in complete disgrace and it's a miracle that he wasn't forced into exile. He was by far the dumbest man to ever occupy the White House.
The five worst presidents of the last hundred and eight years are 5)Bush, 4)Truman, 3)T Roosevelt, 2)F Roosevelt and 1)Wilson. Carter, at worst, would be number 9 behind Hoover, Nixon and Johnson. He might have passed them if he had a second term but fortunately for us, Reagan denied that to him.
As bad as Obama will be he will not make to number one. Woodrow Wilson was in a class by himself. Anti-capitalist, pro World Government, and racist he got us into a needless war, nationalized 70% of the American economy to fight that war, re-segregated the federal government, implemented the first modern income tax, instituted conscription, established the Federal Reserve Board, imprisoned dissenters and threatened newspapers. He was also the first to engage in illegal wiretapping.
Wilson was the statist's statist, an American Mussolini who set a tyrannical standard that Obama can strive for, but will never achieve.
If you're wondering, the best three presidents were Coolidge, Reagan and Clinton. Coolidge was the best, Reagan close but still second, Clinton a decent third. |
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Mark this in your calender, no matter the outcome of todays election Sarah Palin will win the GOP primary in early 2012 in a landslide. Romney is not a conservative and won't get us anywhere, Huckabee having been a preacher will still be seen as too religious
She will tap Micheal Steele and they will get 500+ electoral votes |
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He better be careful where he steps.......
In any economy, good, bad, average.....
#1 Higher taxes equal less revenues........
#2 More unionization equals faster job flight from the US.
#3 Protectionist policies drive prices higher and eliminate competition, thus creating a mediocre company and workforce.
#4 Lack of choice in education will continue to drive the flight from public schools to private schools or homeschooling.
#5 Lack of competition in healthcare will drive mediocrity. (Ask Canada...who is losing medical professionals to other countries or to other professions.)
The people of the US are more willing to accept a tax code that they deem as fair (lesser of two evils).....not a tax code deemed as exessively punitive.
The higher the taxes on the "rich" the more creative their lawyers and accountants are at putting their money where the government cannot get it........
Either way....in 2 years there will be a referendum on whether the public really wanted the government to CHANGE TO A) Help you by staying out of your way..... or B) Do for you what you could have done yourself at 1/5th the cost.......
We will see.....if the goofy O is going to implement all the changes he proposes, his new motto will transform........
'08 Change we can Bleev In....
'10 Change...brutha can you spare some...
Enjoy those new Trabants.......! |
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PS.
Easy for the GOP to take the government back.
Go back to the roots of the GOP........
Smaller Government.
Lower Taxation.
Market Based Economics.
Government Accountability.
2 Issues that flamed this economy...
#1 Energy non-independence softies coming home to roost. In the name of environmentalism, the moonies in washington have choked meaningful energy creation in the US off to nil. Nothing.
For this do goodedness....we pay.
#2 Libberal moonies bowing to special interests to make housing loans easy....More liberal do goodedness gone bad. Where is the frog march of Frank, Dodd, Raines, Gorelick......Seems convenient that the old media has swept this under the rug........
2 issues that the Liberal Moonies want to blame everyone else for...........
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churches die.
They can no longer recongnize their core beliefs, refuse to stand and fight for them, and tolerate members in their midst who have differing principles.
They should learn from the Democrats. |
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rushshambula,
Ahem, Don't hold your breath. |
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This seems appropriate today:
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate;
I am the captain of my soul.
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are the words of some really idiotic and actually worrysome people and I am convinced that they are truely "oberman crazy" like sire munck and others, this I think may be my last time on this site, for I truely cannot stand this anymore.I am sickened by what I have had to read and the vile garbage and idiotic Facts thrown around by fools about exercisms and nutty things that these people could not possibly know about these men they defame, and the SOURCES they use are allways crapola when a thinking person goes there and reads that garbage and you others continue to give them credance by fighting or even acknowledging their exsistance. They should be totally ignored as if they were the fool from IRAN, and not given any value or response at all. GOODBYE . |
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I will work tiredlessly to to ensure her name never sees the light of day on anyother national ballot. She is a loser, a wash up and not ready for prime time now or in the furutre. She needs to go home, take care of her new grandbabie, as I am sure there will be more to come, knowing how loose the Palims are with morality. (Good for everyone else, bad for them).
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If you want to keep your country, you must stop voting for people who will not enforce the laws. |
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but not anyone else. Romney presided over the FIRST state to allow Gay Marriage. He presided over the FIRST state to have Socialized Healthcare. He presided over the FIRST state to provide a $50 copay for tax payer funded abortions. Even the Liberals couldn't get all this stuff done over the last several decades but Mitt got it done in less than 4 years.
As for RNC Chairman, I think Michael Steele would be a great choice if he doesn't run for Governor of Maryland. I think Chip Saltsman would be a great choice also, especially considering how he took a nobody with no money and almost got them elected as the Republican nominee while creating a spirited grassroots organization. |
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Mike said
"Smaller Government.
Lower Taxation.
Market Based Economics.
Government Accountability."
George Bush discredited these ideas by pretending he was practicing them while doing the exact opposite. The free market took the fall for what was caused by government intervention. Worse, Bush claimed that more intervention (the bailouts) would fix the problem.
Until the Republicans completely repudiate Bush and the rest of the big government Republicans the Democrats will remain in office. This means good-bye to Romney, McCain, Huckabee, Boehner, Gingrich and all the rest. Who does that leave? Palin? What has she made smaller? Jindal? Maybe, if he cuts spending, lowers taxes and doesn't succumb to the same corruption by power that brought down the rest of the post-Reagan Republicans.
The mess we have today happened before in 1932 when Roosevelt won by attacking Hoover's "laissez-faire" economics even though Hoover intervened continuously with things as dumb as the Smoot-Hawley tariffs and a huge increase in the top income tax rate from 28% to 60%.
It was 48 years between Roosevelt's election and Reagan's. My grandchildren will be on Social Security if it takes this long again.
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I respectfully disagree with you. If anything, our problem as a party is that we're looking at it TOO MUCH like a church, and driving out those who aren't "ideologically pure" enough.
That may be great to achieve monolithic thought amongst what remains of your party, but it isn't a way to make your PARTY monolithic in the government - which is the only way to get things done.
Being ideologues has shrunken our tent, and it's largely what's responsible for us getting trounced in this election.
Seriously, think about this: How outrightly religious did Reagan come off? He mentioned God, but he didn't seem denominational at all. A lot of our cantidates (ironically not McCain, but I would say Brownback, Palin, and Huckabee) all come off as very "denominational".
The more we come off as a "party guided by religion", the weaker we will become. That's the cold, hard fact. People can't agree on religion, so they won't agree with us.
That kind of feel to a cantidate is what's driving away more secular, urban professionals.
This problem comes into even sharper focus when you think about how many people actually affiliate themselves with an organized religion now, versus how many did then (28 years ago). If Reagan wasn't overtly religious then, why would we think that slanting that way now would prove successful?
We have to inject our political platform with a healthy dose of reason.
It's NOT church, and we need to stop thinking about it like it is. |
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I think there are things that must happen in order for the party to regain its footing.
1.)Abolish the open primary systems in each state where they exist.
Go back to the early primaries. We got McCain as a candidate not because Republicans supported him, but through Independents and Democrats voting for McCain. If not for the early open primaries, we would have had either of Romney or Juliani. We allowed outsiders to determine our candidate and it must not happen ever again. If you want to select the Republican candidate, register as a Republican.
2.)Never rely on the mainstream media to present our point of view.
Part of our downfall over the last four years was not being aggressive enough in defending and explaining our positions on key issues. This campaign cycle has shown without a doubt that it is impossible for Republican and Conservative ideas to recieve a fair shake in the traditional media outlets. Like Reagan before, the GOP must go around these dying outlets and embrace all of the new media. If the Dems employ the Fairness Doctrine, this will be all the more imparitive.
It is a dark time and we will be out in the wilderness, but like Churchill, when the people realize the mistake they have made we must be ready to pick up the pieces and lead again. |
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You couldn't have misunderstood my point any more than you did.
I am drawing a parallel, not suggesting that religion be the determinant of who belongs in the Party.
Your entire post reads like an apology for standing for specific principles. And THAT is why the GOP is getting trounced in the election AND not because they are NOT INCLUSIVE. Because they DON'T appear to stand for anything EXCEPT "getting things done".
The problem with that is that it is the Democrats who are setting the standard for what needs to "get done" and the GOP goes along with it.
With thinking like you are displaying (and I mean no offense) it is no wonder that many still don't understand the appeal of a Sarah Palin and why, until her inclusion on the ticket, McCain's campaign was dead in the water.
Because she does stand for something specific. And what she stands for is directly opposed to what the other party represents. |
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Apollo: Change is quick.....
Conservatives abandoned Bush and call him a failure based upon the fact that he threw his opportunities away. Opportunities to shrink government, reduce spending, reform Social Security, belief in American Exceptionalism, etc, etc. He actually thought that working across the aisle was going to garner him respect, and it never happened. Teddy got his No Child Act...then stabbed Bush in the back with the pen Bush used to sign it.
Liberals....well, they just hate whoever is not them...so by fact...even though Bush acted like a liberal in many respects......they just could not give him credit for it......they needed a premise to further their own cause..........
The only thing that the coming years will prove out is "who is a true conservative, who is not".
Actions speak louder than words!!! (for conservatism at least)
Change will come about more quickly since, the US is much more of a "NOW" society....News is on constantly.
Governments of the past always acted out of consideration of the country as well.
That is not true with the Liberal Democrats today. More interested in gaining and retaining power, they are servants of special interests ie trial lawyers, environmentalists, unions..and whomever will keep them in power.....nothing more.
There are also premises that need to be vetted...and the GOP needs to understand that conservatives can be cut from many clothes.....no one needs to walk in lockstep, but rather have a vision........of small government, low taxation, personal self determination, belief in the power of individuals and free markets.
If people are excluded for reasons other than the above...then it is at the peril of the GOP...as visions other than the above are ancillary. |
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"How outrightly religious did Reagan come off? He mentioned God, but he didn't seem denominational at all."
Are you F'ing kidding me? Why don't you try reading or watching something that actually deals with Reagan for a change, because obviously you haven't up to this point in your life? |
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"There are also premises that need to be vetted...and the GOP needs to understand that conservatives can be cut from many clothes..."
Last time I checked, about 70+ percent of all Americans are of the Christian faith. Granted, several do not vote their faith as demonstrated by casting their votes for Liberal Democrats. However, of the GOP base, about 80% would call themselves Christians. Some of those would also give up their morals and values if asked to do so by a Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani, because we have already seen it happen. The problem is, you are going to have about 50%-60% of the GOP base that will not compromise on their morals or their values.
So if what you say is the goal, looks like someone is going to be starting a 3rd party very soon because the GOP will be dead as we know it. |
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IMHO if the MSM were really fair and balanced, we wouldn't be deciding between McCain & Obama. I really don't think either of these guys would have gotten this far if everyone was given the truth.
This will be by far the biggest job for the Republicans to deal with. |
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I am a young Hispanic woman. I am a wife, a mother, a small business owner.
I am an immigrant, a fiercely patriotic and loyal American citizen.
I am involved in the political process. I am an informed voter.
I will speak loudly and strongly on the merits of the Republican party. |
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loud and clear! We have to present the arguement that this country was founded on equal opportunity, never equal outcomes! |
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Most African American voters are pro-life and most are anti-homosexual marriage. But they still ignore these social issues in order to see other parity in other issues they consider paramount. But after seeing a black liberal is no different from a white liberal, more African Americans will reconsider what is happening to their jobs and incomes after a few year of Obama and will be open to the GOP and we should see the beginning of a surge in the black conservative movement. |
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Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... Bachmann... ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... I know she provides some copy for Townhall Matt, but seriously, she's a total fruitcake even by GOP standards. |
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U must be drinking cool-aid to state that Bachman can be a governor of a progressive state like Minnesota!
GOP will win only when the venom on talk radio ceases. My gut is that the venomous talk radio has turned off many moderate GOPS away.
GOP, after this election, will be a small minority party based in the deep south and honestly speaking, in other backward areas like oklahoma, and some of the mountainous states. Whether we like it or not, innovations and seeds ofw ealth are created in the east coast, west coast, and midwest - Chicago, Minneapolis, Silicon valley, route 128, Los angeles, etce tc.
How can any youngster embrace a party which believes the earth sprang up 6000 years ago, and that the man and dinousar coexisted. GOP will do well only if they accept science, (they can accept religion and god also), they accept all are children of God, (how can GOP be a white old mens party when the demographics is changing), and start questioning their leaders. Until 6 months ago, all GOP senators and house members backed Bush on everything, including the blocking of the expansion of health insurance for children. People watch these. The reason why many GOP senators and house members will lose in this election is mainly because of them sticking with Bush on everything and not becaause of the economic collapse. And they have to get away from "tax and capital gains tax cut" as a solution for all problems. If tax cuts were so good, how come we are worse off now than under Clinton.
Whether GOP or Democrats, the only way representatives will get reelected is when their constituents feel that the government is on their side. |
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Today, like it or not, most people believe that government is the answer to all problems. It creates prosperity, it makes people wealthier (at the expense of others), it feeds the poor (and keeps them subservient), it provides medical care (or denies it).
This idea has permeated the culture unopposed by Republicans in their actions although some perfunctory verbal opposition was always provided (as a means of getting more pork into their districts after which they quickly signed on to bigger government).
Obama's plans will fail, and when they do that is when you yell loud and clear "the government is responsible".
Every mass transit program that cost five times what was advertised, every "alternate energy" source that doesn't come on line on time and costs ten times what coal costs, every increase in the welfare and unemployment rolls, every drop in the standard of living must be met with the firm statement "See? This is what government does!"
The laws of economics are on the side of free markets, its only Obamists and Bushies who don't want to believe it. The coming collapse presents an opportunity if we don't blow it by supporting the "go along to get along" Republicans.
Will it work? Who do you think would be up 10 points in the polls today if McCain had denounced the bailout as a pork laden giveaway to incompetent businessmen and then referred to it as "No Banker Left Behind?" His economic ignorance cost him the election. Let's not follow him or any other Republican lemming. |
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I apologize if I've misunderstood your previous posts. One reads so often on the boards here something to the effect of, "We need to purge the party of those people who don't subscribe to platform item A, B or C, then we can win again!".
Those types of posts I think are a red flag of what we're doing WRONG, not right. We need a broad coalition to regain our majority, and slanting MORE ideological, when we're already percieved by centrists as too dogmatic isn't a recipe for success in my estimation.
We need to reframe the social issues so they come off as more friendly, and start stressing them less than our economic message.
Everyone wants to be rich, not everyone thinks gays should be denied marriage (for example). |
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Fred Thompson is the choice!....
He is very wise/very intelligent and sees all angles. His last speech on Fredpac proves just
how much knowledge this man has. I missed him after the primary elections. He has a keen wit
about him/always getting the last word in/without the other person really realizing it!
That's a real politician. I love him! My whole family did/does.....I hope he plays a part in politics of the republican party for a long time to come! |
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Fred Thompson might be quite likeable and have a sharp wit, but judging by the lazy, half-hearted campaign he ran in the primaries, a leader he clearly is not. If he is the best name you can come up with, the GOP is in even deeper trouble than I thought. Plus he'll be 70 by 2012. |
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Andrew,
The liberal media and yourself are allowed your thoughts about Fred. He will be 69 in 2012(age is wisdom..... and
substance doesn't always match up with style. Fred has substance galore/and, his Tennessee style is genuine. On the campaign trail, maybe not the best place, but, behind the scenes, he's the man. He has a lot of conservative followers still in the Republican party and is called on a lot more for advice than you can ever imagine.... |
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Andrew, with regard to your comment, you are very shallow....you wouldn't know depth of a person if it was splattered all over you.....Fred has much more of a following than you can imagine. He wasn't lazy; he just saw the mud slinging coming and didn't want to engage in it....Our country is still just as divided as ever. We surely don't need a bleeding heart liberal in the White House. I am an Independant, not of either party. Fred doesn't have to sit in the White House to be of value to his country. Obama and McCain have wanted the job for a long time.....Mlou |
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