On your war stance I'd think you'd be a classical vote for Libertarian candidate Gray Johnson but you fear immigration which as a good Libertraian he doesn't ... However, there is NO MONOLITHIC CONSERVATIVE position on war, there are conservative interventionists and there are liberal non-interventionists. The issue cuts across all poltical outlooks. I don't know why you all seem to have the urge of declaring all your personal values as the only "conservatives" possible. Or would you say that Nuke-them Barry Goldwater was not a conservative? Most important: As a socialist I agree with your analysis of the Middle East.

To claim that Nixon crowd were liberal Republicans does not reflect history. Nixon's crowd were mostly moderate Republicans with some liberals and some conservatives reflecting the composition of the GOP. George Romney was rather a moderate, liberals were rare such as Javits, Weicker, Cliff Case and some others. Noxon was square in the center of the party.

delen, by all means, what have your posts to do with Buchanan's article?

Conservatives don't like to hear it but electoral success and with it the possibility to at least partially reach some conservative goals, is to accept that compromises with slightly less conservative Republicans are necessary. More than forty years of observing U.S. politics have seen a steady turn of your country in ever more conservative waters. Quite a remarkable success, as I hate to admit, but reading and listening to the current discussion, far too many conservatives seem completely blind to their own success story. The times of conservatives as outcasts and victims of mainstream disdain have long passed but apparently most of them have so comfortably established themselves in their role of victims that they moan about coming doom.

rape and transracial pregnancies, he favored it. Ther fact that Nicon was as anti-gay as he was anti-Semitic, was less due to principles and far more to the prejudices of his time. With minorities constantly growing, the attempt to turn the GOP into the party of whites will lead it into minority status. It might be in the mold of Nixon's Southern strategy which Reagan bought into by launching his 1980 election campaign in Philadelphia, MS but it would bely all its attempts to portray itself as a post-racial party, or Lincoln's GOP of racial integration. Also, it would be blind to the fact that socially, Latinos are quite conservative and would grow much more into GOP territory if people weren't so darnedly fixated on "anti-immigration."

Mr. Buchanan in a suprisingly sober language paintsa grim picture for the GOP's future. However, with a flawed anaylsis and an even more flawed suggestion on how to solve it, he misses opprtunities for a right of center GOP. "Once the principled position is yielded, where do we draw the line? At what point does constant accommodation cause True Believers to depart?" Mr. Buchanan, was Richard Nixon's majority really based on "principled positions"? I remember very well the Reagan wing of the GOP chafing under Nixonian pragmatism. While touting law and order, Mr. Nixon was far more liberal in domestic social programs than the current president. Nixon might have worried about abortion allowing more permissiveness but in case of rape

Oops, I apologize, I got it wrong. Better hit the sack ...

Basset Hound writes: "No one is arguing that gays can be killed so that another person can extricate himself from an embarrassing situation." So much for a "pro-life" platform ...

Reading this thread I almost got the feeling that my ungodly, agnostic ways are the reason for my pro-choice position. Therefore, it almost took me by surprise to read a diversity of opinions on the issue by different and within different religions. (http://www.pewforum.org/Abortion/Religious-Groups-Official-Positions-on-Abortion.aspx) You should also note that Romney's position does allow for exceptions in case of rape and incest. Ryan has adapted to his new position as No 2 on the ticket. From my knowledge of U.S. history, presidents, once elected, let party platforms be party platforms. I think I recently heard Reince Priebus say something in this respect ...

As I wrote at 6:55 pm, Mr. Akin's misstep put the Republican take-over in jeopardy. There are some unforgivable one-time political errors. Don't get me wrong: I'd rejoice if Mr. Akin stays in and Ms. McCaskill regains her seat. Do you see what I mean?

This of course still referred to Mo4. On the other: I wonder if among conservatives it is morrally correct to entice someone to take his own life ....