Posted on 09/13/2006 7:29:47 AM PDT by Reagan Man
CONSERVATIVES are dreading the November elections. The Republican capture of the House of Representatives in 1994 was one of modern conservatism’s signal political accomplishments. Now the Democrats are poised to take back the House. If that happens, however, conservatives will find several silver linings in the outcome.
It would be worse for conservatives if Republicans actually gained seats. The Congressional wing of the party lost its reformist zeal years ago and has been trying to win elections based on pork and incumbency. An election victory would reward that strategy, leaving the congressmen even less interested in restraining spending, reforming government programs and revamping the tax code. Political incompetence and complacency, sporadic corruption and widespread cynicism: having paid a price for none of it, Republicans would indulge in more of the same.
Of course, that’s just a thought experiment. Almost nobody thinks that Republicans are going to pick up seats. The question is whether they will have a reduced majority or no majority. And outright loss might be preferable. A narrower House majority would most likely accomplish even less than the current one has. The party’s small moderate caucus would gain in power and use it to frustrate conservatives. With no conservative reforms on the horizon, congressmen would revert to the pork strategy.
A straight loss, on the other hand, would make the Republicans hungrier and sharpen their wits. Freed from the obligation of cobbling together thin majorities for watered-down legislation, Republicans would be able to stand for something attractive. Some conservatives worry that Republican officialdom will see defeat as a reason to turn left. But that didn’t happen after the last major Republican defeat in 1992. Then, conservatives were able to persuade the party that it had not lost power because it was too far right.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Ramesh in the NY Times? WTH?
I do agree that some Republicans have become too "complacent," doling out the pork.
This is just plain nuts.
PS But I also think it would be a disaster for the country if the Democrats won!
Howard Dean's lunacy is highly contagious.
Hmmmm.......Who says we're dreading the November elections? I say "Bring it On"! Dream on Ramesh!
Only Dimocrats win when they lose.
Funny. A few days ago it would've read - Everybody knows that Republicans are going to lose the House and the Senate.
Yeah, the ones who believe all the crap printed in the NYT.
It will be funny watching the ethno-centrists, tancredo fans etc.etc., on FR, all of the sudden become Ramesh's biggest fans.
Especially with his and howard dean's message that we win by losing.
this is their new spin. They see things slipping away, so they now need to convince us that we really WANT to lose power.....for our own good.
Continuing his logic, the author goes on to say that "If the allies had been kept off the beach at Normandy in 1944, they might have sharpened their skills and won the war faster."
His turban is on too tight. It's restricting blood flow to his brain.
LOL. I see that you have figured this out. I was listening to Howard Fineman this morning opining that Republicans are so darn mad they are just going to stay home in November. Wearing his wishful thinking on his left sleeve.
1) Give Kabul to the USA.
2) Give Baghdad to the USA.
3) Claim victory!
...they now need to convince us that we really WANT to lose power...
The problem the dems have is if someone wanted to teach the GOP a lesson, look what would replace it.
Sorry, the article could have been posted by conservatives right here on this forum for Republicans.
We have the same fight every election year.
Conservatives like myself get angry with liberal whack-jobs with an (R) after their name and Republicans on the website attack us with some sort of belief that Republicans should be in power even if they're left of Ted Kennedy in order to be in power.
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