Is the GOP Disorganized?

absent core, whetted finger aloft trying to determine the direction of the consensus breeze. A "moderate Republican" is a "moderate" in a red state or district. Think Arlen Specter, penultimate iteration.

The GOP will lose with or without "moderate Republicans". The GOP is without enough true conservatives with two testicles to rub together. Thus, America is toast.

quote: " A "moderate", Patrick, is someone
absent core, whetted finger aloft trying to determine the direction of the consensus breeze."

Sorry, but that's just a ridiculous statement. Most people who either consider themselves "moderate" or are called thusly by others simply happen to disagree with whatever is considered party orthodoxy at the time. Someone who is a consistent free market capitalist on economic issues is easily derided as a "moderate" if he or she happens to believe in, say, gay marriage or have "pro-choice" tendencies. Often, those of us like myself with libertarian tendencies are mistakenly referred to as "moderates".

The folks I know who consider themselves "moderates" aren't absent a core, nor are they wishy-washy and looking for consensus; rather, they just don't toe the party line on things considered "conservative". Now I would accept that many of them are inconsistent in the application of a political philosophy, but I would say the same about most "conservatives" as well -- those who speak of the evils of big government spending programs but then favor the expansion of government control over private activities, like, for instance, internet poker.

As a self-described free market capitalist, I eschew the term "conservative" for that reason -- I don't like government intrusion whether it comes from the right or the left, whether done in the name of progressivism or "family values". But unfortunately both "conservatives" and "liberals" are all too willing to use the power of the government to control our lives, to enact an agenda -- they just have different shopping lists. "Moderates" just tend to take items from both lists.

Drpete's point of view is closer to that of Rush. I agree more with Semper's view of a moderate.

I consider myself a moderate because I do not view moral issues such as gay marriage, abortion, and so forth as important national issues. I believe they should be decided by the states. I could also support gay marriage if they protested their cause a bit more respectfully. I do not like it when a group is obscene or disrespectful to others, like gays protesting at a church.

You make a good observation. The last election is portrayed by the Democrats as a referendum on policy. The last election actually turned on organization and information technology.

My experience is similar to that of many others. A letter to a Congressman on a policy issue, unacknowledged and unanswered. A call to the party not returned for weeks. Obama presented people with the opportunity to be a part of something and that is important both to people personally and for the purpose of winning elections.

I'd venture to say if you asked most right leaning voters how to get involved in electoral politics, most wouldn't have an answer.

It is disappointing that Michael Steele and many others have paid so little attention to this.

I would like to see a little more constructive conversation in these blogs and on radio about being more competitive in election organizing. Conservatives, especially have come to understand their role to be keep quiet and send a check.

There exist no such thing as a moderate conservative. There does exist four group minded people in this country: 1)Socialists (25%): 2) Conservatives (40%): 3)"A' Kissing" Moderates (15%) : 4)Americans who don't give a damn (20%)! Those politicians who claim to be Conservative have done little, to nothing about publishing an All American Platform that speaks to our country's need to return to a Democracy based upon Laws... A Republic! Our Country is not dying, it is the Will of the People that is joining the ranks of the uncaring.

There exist no such thing as a moderate conservative. There does exist four group minded people in this country: 1)Socialists (25%): 2) Conservatives (40%): 3)"A' Kissing" Moderates (15%) : 4)Americans who don't give a damn (20%)! Those politicians who claim to be Conservative have done little, to nothing about publishing an All American Platform that speaks to our country's need to return to a Democracy based upon Laws... A Republic! Our Country is not dying, it is the Will of the People that is joining the ranks of the uncaring.

By definition, being moderate is being spineless. Its closest cousin in wordsmithland is mediocre. Beware of anyone being preceded by the modifier moderate. It simply means the soul has no core principles with which it lives by and fights for.

The adage, old but most definitely true, is if one finds nothing worth dying for, then he does not find anything worth living for.

Being a "moderate conservative" is like being just a little bit pregnant. You would not know, cannot really be sure, if you have a living fetus or just a hunk of meat(with or without lipsticks). So what does it matter if you abort it or carry it to term? It would not make a the slightest damn difference, except respecting your ad hoc convenience.

It is in this respect that I found Sarah Palin a breath of fresh air in politics. She seemed to have been the first politician in the national scene to live by his principles, no matter the inconvenience something entailed.

The most important valuable contribution by the McCain campaign to the nation is introducing Palin to the national scene.

There should be a set of principles which made you a self-professed conservative? Pray, tell what are the principles which make you a moderate?

By definition, being moderate is being spineless. Its closest cousin in wordsmithland is mediocre. Beware of anyone being preceded by the modifier moderate. It simply means the soul has no core principles with which it lives by and fights for.

The adage, old but most definitely true, is if one finds nothing worth dying for, then he does not find anything worth living for.

Being a "moderate conservative" is like being just a little bit pregnant. You would not know, cannot really be sure, if you have a living fetus or just a hunk of meat(with or without lipsticks). So what does it matter if you abort it or carry it to term? It would not make a the slightest damn difference, except respecting your ad hoc convenience.

It is in this respect that I found Sarah Palin a breath of fresh air in politics. She seemed to have been the first politician in the national scene to live by her principles, no matter the inconvenience something entailed.

The most important valuable contribution by the McCain campaign to the nation is introducing Palin to the national scene.

There should be a set of principles which made you a self-professed conservative? Pray, tell what are the principles which make you a moderate?

I am a registered independent because I cannot stand party-line talking points. I cannot tolerate anyone giving me guidelines on how and what to or not to think.

someone who would say that he has "pro-choice TENDENCIES." (my emphasis added) A true conservative is foursquare for liberty. A liberal-leftist-socialist-fascist is foursquare for tyranny and license.

Political parties and affiliations are unrelated. A "moderate" claims to be conservative about some things, but liberal about others.

Patrick, "gay marriage" is an important national issue because a bucketload of Americans are passionate about the subject -- both pro and con -- and because a gaggle of elected politicians are "moderate" (i.e., absent core, ready to pander) about it.

If you employ license or tyranny, you can easily support banning gay marriage. If you employ the liberty test, it becomes clear. If two consenting adults agree that the want to marry, they may; it's an unalienable right, and the government's sole role is to defend and protect that right.