The Conservative Party?

Primaries are the time to do this. Too bad the RNC and the NRSC backed Lincoln Chafee over the real conservative, Steve Laffey in RI.

When I received a contribution request from Liddy Dole and the NRSC, I sent it back with NO MONEY and an explanation that I would now be sending all contributions directly to candidates after Dole and her committee torpedoed Laffey with $1M of comittee money.

There are a couple of conservative politicians in my state, that lost primaries this year, but they're young, and they'll get my support if they try again.

I sent a small check to help the most conservative Senator, Rick Santorum, who is a Democrat target this year. Too bad it looks as if he might lose. Bad for Penn. and bad for the country. The lesson is that, you pick yourself up and keep trying. I'm not too worried. It looks like Michael Steele will win in Maryland, and Jim Talent might retain his seat in MO. Even if Dems take the House, I don't believe they'll win the Senate.

I just find it difficult to believe that even the House will be taken by the Dems. There just can't be THAT many people who blindly vote Democrat after they have proved time and again how anti-American, and yes, UNPATRIOTIC they are.
Our brave troops need politicians that will support them fiscally and morally.

That has been one of my complaints. The present centrist approach gets votes, while those who stick to their principles get ignored or written off as radicals.

Rightmom:
After watching the interviews with Floridians in 2000, I am no longer shocked by anybody who goes in and votes straight party lines. What we see as un-American is not so to them. They have redefined tolerance with acceptance. They also vote for who and what will provide for their selfish indulgences at the expense of thers.

Echoing the above posts,well written essay.I've often believed that in modern politics,there's a group not officially represented,that being true conservatives.We currently have liberal dems and RINO republicans and so called independents that drift between the other two parties.Polical parties will do/say anything to get a vote yet when elected,do little for the country.What's missing is a real party that represents ethics,morals and decency that I feel a majority of people truely want and believe in.

We won't get any of that with the current crowd...

That is what both BrianR and I have been saying. I will vote for a person who represents my views. I will vote this year for Pete Ricketts against Ben Nelson and all Republicans but 2. But, if I had to vote for a Rino or for some of these big government Republicans, I would not just vote for them because of the R next to their name. I won't stay home, but I cannot vote for someone that I don't want in office.

If I may, though, and I think amplifying a bit on Husker's post, you touched on but didn't fully explore the one glaring exception: Reagan.

Reagan embodied true conservatism. He also won by the widest margins. I don't think that's a coincidence. The only things that came close were Nixon's trouncings of McGovern and McCarthy, and if you were old enough to remember those elections, you'd recall that compared to them Nixon looked like an ultra-conservative (that was the beginning of the Leftist hijacking of the Dem party).

The people want conservative -- i.e. "small government" -- governance. Given the choice, that what they'll vote for every time. As I've written in my blog, and the "Armey" piece confirms, the Rs have a problem nowdays because the electorate isn't voting FOR anybody anymore, they're casting their votes AGAINST something they like even less. It's hard to get anybody fired up about that.

As I see it, Rightmom is right. The primaries are the primary time to do this. The problem, and I believe Husker pointed this out a while back, the primaries are no longer really set up for a true showdown. They're more often a show of democracy (or republicanism) while the fix is already in. The trick is to find a way to actually make the primaries a true contest. One way, as noted, is to send money directly to candidates rather than to the RNC. But that's not going to do it by itself. We almost need a
C(onservative)NC within the Republican party. Any ideas out there on how we can make the primaries more competitive?

reminds me of the episode where Bugs Bunny is running against Yosemite Sam for mayor. The people didn't want either of them and voted for a third candidate, a mare.

You're always good for a perspective calibration, thank you.

It's me - Scottie. I can't seem to log on to TH tonite. Has anyone else logged off and back on this weekend? Trying to see if its my 'puter or the TH system is goofed up. If you log off and can't get back on, contact me at scottie1040@yahoo.com

Joshue, if you are on here, please check out the log in server, I think there's a problem there.

Thanks everyone,
Scottie

LOL

Bugs Bunny -- a great metaphor, when you think about it.

Or maybe not; it's late.

You pretty much said it all. I just HATE to commit my lazy DGAS self to a large sure to be frustrating job, but this election has convinced me it must be done. Pulling the points you and Flag and the other sharp posters have made together, two things stand out. One, conservatives do not control the Republican party. Two, the country has enough conservatives to take control. Reagan, through leadership, energized potential voters. With his passing, many dropped out, and the dismal performance of the DC rats has driven others away. Repudiation of the RNC and NRSC with polite notes saying why you are going to financially support only conservative candidates is an important start, as you note. More important is getting in the time at the local level, organizing and energizing the conservative voter in your area into a potent block to support attractive conservative candidates. Enough of these local organizations can soon have an impact at the state level. Its not hard in many areas, my district here in Florida is one, for any R candidate to get elected. The rub is they get elected and then move left. This is when the locals can whack the traitor in the primary, Even if we lost, the message will not be, and thus keep the rep on the right path. Black candidates in many areas are a potent conservative weapon. Black conservatives tend to be intelligent independant thinkers. They get to that point only by that kind of thought. Besides, they drive the left nuts, and double besides, drain off lots of knee jerk black votes. Flag, you ever thought of going into politics?

"Or maybe not; it's late."

Yeah. And the problem is there's never any mares around when you need 'em.

Drop by when you have a sec. I have a new post on my blog and, as always, would appreciate your comment.

As the baby boomers age and become more conservative, the Reagan agenda will again come to the fore. We are a population waiting for the "Man" to come forth. As Brian's blog points out, we probably don't know who the Republican candidate for 2008 will be yet (although I still say it's Newt). It will all come together soon: Man, Moment, Message.

The problem with people who claim they are too conservative to vote for Republicans, is they are played by their political enemies.

Like little babies who want their rattles, they are unable to "compromise their principles", but if they were more mature they could possibly see how the Democratic strategy was to put decoy conservative Dems out there in all the battleground state to capitalize on YOUR shortsightedness.

If you REALLY believe your own hogwash, you are in for quite an education in the coming months. I'm going to enjoy watching all this lunacy as you continue to stamp your feet and try to get "your principles" adhered to NOW.