Are the Republicans still conservative? (My title)

There is a widening gap between the values of Washington Republicans and America's conservative base. I have had two very different running conversations this year. The first is with inside-the-beltway Republican politicians. They tell me things are going fine and they’re doing the best they can. The other conversation has been with conservative activists all across America. They tell me how bad things look. They say it appears the politicians don’t care about freedom anymore.

Activists get involved because they want to make a difference. They hold core beliefs and values and are willing to sacrifice their time and money to advance these beliefs. They’re willing to organize their neighborhoods, develop phone banks, distribute literature and mobilize voters. They do really important work. But rhetoric and spin is not their thing – they’re involved in the process because they want to see results. And, right now, they aren’t seeing results.

President Bush remains remarkably popular with the conservative base. I sense people view him as a decent and honest man, and like all Americans, conservatives support the commander-in-chief. But there is uneasiness with some of the decisions of the “Bush Administration.” In particular, the farm bill and steel quotas have frustrated conservatives because they want to see the size and scope of government reduced – not expanded.

More worrisome, if you are a partisan Republican, is the growing frustration of the conservative base with the generic “Republican Party.” Take away President Bush’s personal popularity, and there is genuine anger and disappointment with the performance of the Republican Party.

Government is growing right now – at every level and in almost every area. That is a factual statement and it upsets the conservative activist base.

Social Security is headed towards bankruptcy and the Republican Congressional Committee is advising Republican congressional candidates not to talk about the issue. That is a factual statement and it upsets the conservative activist base.

The activists I talk with can’t believe Republicans would allow liberal demagogues to get away with scaring seniors citizens, let alone scaring Republican candidates. When politicians who are on record supporting personal retirement accounts flip-flop in the heat of battle, activists quickly become disillusioned.

Activists know, like most Americans, that the current structure of Social Security is unsustainable. Because they care about public policy, they have read the policy papers and the reports. The activists believe personal retirement accounts provide the only viable alternative to tax increases and benefit cuts.

And, here is something else conservative activists believe: That Republican politicians know Social Security is going bankrupt and personal retirement accounts provide the only viable solution to tax increases and benefit cuts.

So, when a Republican politician flip-flops on Social Security reform, the activists don’t view it as a change of heart based on facts. They see it as a political sellout caused by the unwillingness of the politician to fight for his or her core beliefs.

As I said, conservative activists do really important work. Precinct walks, phone banks, literature drops, voter mobilization – the work that makes a big difference in off-year elections. But it’s voluntary work. These dedicated citizens have complete lives and other obligations. They do the volunteer work on behalf of freedom because they’re motivated and they think they can make a difference. When their leaders let them down, activists stay home, and that hurts freedom.

Political leaders running political campaigns can make their own decisions about strategy. Elected officials make their own decisions about how and when to fight for freedom. On the other hand, their decisions have consequences – and from the conversations I’ve been having all year with our best activists, it appears the politicians have decided they don’t need their base. The problem is that on Election Day this November, the conservative base may decide they don’t need the politicians.

I did not stay home. I actively supported Bush throughout the election and I still support much of what he has done during his term. I have been a state delegate for years and am a member of our Republican Executive Council.

I actively support true conservatives, but I refuse to tow the party line for RINOs. The problem is the machine supports only RINOs and the grassroots candidates who have the ~~vision~~ balls to promote a true conservative view are not allowed to play. I (and many others) am tired of being treated like that old uncle who is invited to have Thanksgiving with the family and then is seated with the children. My understanding of party politics at this time:

“Sure, you can work for us, but don’t expect us to actually represent you or your viewpoints at any level.”
“When you start contributing real money, rather than just your time, we might listen.”
“You can’t expect to roll back decades of abuse in one election.(The liberal agenda will advance full speed, but at least we have republicans in office.)”
“As soon as we reach point X (define as you please), we will start pushing a conservative agenda. Really, Really, REALLY!”

I am just tired. I busted my ass for a great conservative candidate only to have us beaten at State through Machiavellian machination. I support a local congressional candidate who will probably lose his race because the party won’t support him. (He replaced a RINO in the primaries. Therefore, he is not worthy of party support—IE dollars.)

I am voting R in November and I am praying for a Senate majority. However, if that happens, I want to see serious conservative advances at every level. I require real reductions in government (not cuts based on projected growth, but reductions of existing budget and staffing). I expect constructionist appointments to every Federal bench. And I demand real pro-life legislation: an end to partial birth abortion, Roe on the trash heap, and activists working at state level where the abortion issue belongs!

If these things do not occur, than I will join the rest of the radicals and actively work to destroy the two-party system. And it won’t be hard—Republicans love to eat their own and they really suck at marketing!

I appreciate the effort that you have made for the conservative cause and for the country. As long as you are active and voting, I think you are part of the solution. As I said early in this thread, even a vote for a conservative third-party candidate sends a message. I persuaded a friend in a swing state to vote for President Bush in the 2000 election, but I voted for Pat Buchanan in protest because I was in a state where I knew that President Bush would win.

I've also been active for real conservatives at the primary level. I think that supporting these people is the best thing that we can do for the country and the party. I wish more people who claim to want conservative change would do as you have done.

WFTR
Bill

Thanks for your posts. I am not a pie-in-the-sky Christian conservative. I believe moderation is a great theme. But I also believe most conservative positions are moderate. The Republican party just needs to wake up to the fact that PR is politics.

They constantly fall for the left's tactics and battle in the field of the left's choosing:

Abortion--we aren't "anti-choice"; we stand with the 90% of Americans who do not believe abortion should be used as birth control.
Education--we are not "anti-education"; we just want local control and accountability.
Social programs--we are not "anti" anything, we are for responsible use of tax dollars and we support free enterprise. (That's FREE ENTERPRISE, not "big business." Something many Republicans could take to heart before they regulate small business out of existence.)
Federalism is not a four-letter-word; it is the pillar upon which our Republic was built. (Of course, we would have to substitute a fifth-grade definition of the term, so even Rosie's audience could understand its benefits.)

Our goals are not extremist. They make sense to people. We only lose when we have wooden candidates who look like they just rolled out of a Brooks Brother’s showroom and speak like used car salesmen. Americans do not like mashed potatoes, they like personalities. We win when we have young, good-looking candidates who are comfortable with media and believe in what they say. But, I look around the party and I see Bob Dole redux.

Without fresh blood, the party will die. And the reason is not abortion—gens X and Y are actually more pro-life and pro-family than the preceding ones. They are more libertarian in many areas, but they are natural conservatives: They don’t trust the government; they care about family; they want good jobs and they love our country (even though their education robbed them of a true understanding of what makes it great.)

Anyway, thanks again. I am not always a curmudgeon; most of the time I am just a SOB. :)

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