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Right Needs Expansion, Not Dismemberment
American Spectator ^ | Matthew Sheffield

Posted on 11/09/2012 1:48:46 PM PST by RatherBiased.com

Political losses are interesting to watch. Generally speaking, the left and the right handle them differently.

Too often, the tendency of the right is to talk about how certain groups are holding the rest down. Primarily the debate is between those who favor social conservatism and those who favor economic conservatism. Each group insists that its approach is the correct one to get back to a ruling majority vote.

There certainly are quite a few larger problems facing the conservative movement. Right now, particularly among Hispanic, black, and Asian voters, the conservative side has a number of trends that do not favor it. The electorate remained, as it has been historically, more Democratic than Republican.

Fundamentally, however, fingerpointing is not the correct approach. For that, conservatives would do well to learn from their rivals on the left. Liberals handle political losses quite differently. Generally speaking, left-wingers focus on what they did wrong and how to fix it rather than try to cast off who is to blame. Aside from some quibbling between the hardcore communists and the New Democrat types, you simply do not see people calling for expulsion of Hispanics, chastening of gays, or repudiation of government unions. This communitarian approach has been a core part of how leftists have operated for centuries. The old French leftist phrase "pas d'ennemi à gauche," no enemies on the left, has been something they live by to this day.

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism
KEYWORDS: conservatism
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1 posted on 11/09/2012 1:48:54 PM PST by RatherBiased.com
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To: RatherBiased.com
Primarily the debate is between those who favor social conservatism and those who favor economic conservatism

I like both. Those who don't like both, should leave

2 posted on 11/09/2012 1:54:27 PM PST by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: RatherBiased.com
"Generally speaking, left-wingers focus on what they did wrong and how to fix it rather than try to cast off who is to blame.

This is complete nonsense. When Bush won in 2004, the gays over at DU were throwing a fit because they were getting blamed for the loss. They were screaming, "What, were supposed to get back in the closet?"

We lost because we (a) didn't get out the vote, (b) were short on time, (c) had a "1%" candidate in a time of economic turmoil who spoke in terms (i.e. bailout bankruptcy) that the average voter did not understand, and (d) had a media that let Obama off the hook on Benghazi and Sandy response

3 posted on 11/09/2012 2:00:55 PM PST by opticks
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To: opticks

Not to mention the fact that the candidate was picked from the top down in some sort of smoky-backroom deal probably a full year prior to the convention, then systematically rammed down the throats of the party grassroots... that’s no way to win friends.


4 posted on 11/09/2012 2:22:06 PM PST by Oberon (Big Brutha Be Watchin'.)
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To: RatherBiased.com
I remember when Senator Lott commented about Senator Strom Thurmond’s run for president in the late 1940s — a comment at 100-year-old Thurmond’s retirement party. Something about how much better it would be if Thurmond had been elected president.

There were calls from many — including Republicans — to rid the party of Lott and all paleocons. IT NEVER, NEVER, NEVER STOPS.

5 posted on 11/09/2012 2:30:09 PM PST by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: RatherBiased.com

To the headline: ok ok no dismemberment let’s just eviscerate them.


6 posted on 11/09/2012 2:30:50 PM PST by svcw (Why is one cell on another planet considered life, and in the womb it is not.)
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To: RatherBiased.com

Obama will go a long ways in the next 4 years to expanding the left-——but it might be too late.
There may be nothing left to expand for.


7 posted on 11/09/2012 2:31:15 PM PST by Venturer
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To: Venturer

Sorry I meant to say he will go a long way to expending the right.


8 posted on 11/09/2012 2:32:16 PM PST by Venturer
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To: RatherBiased.com

I think these articles are all crap. Without an honest press, it doesn’t matter what the Republican party says or does. We have a state run media, and “the state” won.


9 posted on 11/09/2012 2:32:19 PM PST by aimhigh
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To: Oberon

There was no smokey backroom - what happened was that five conservatives ran in the primary, dividing the conservative vote and creating vicious infights between their supporters. The same thing happened in Missouri - Akin only won because two Tea Party candidates entered the primary.

I know that de-centralization is a core ideal of conservatism, but we sometimes go too far - we have to buckle down and agree on single candidates.


10 posted on 11/09/2012 2:34:51 PM PST by JerseyanExile
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To: RatherBiased.com; GeronL

When the Republican Party was formed in the 1850s, the goal of the Party’s founders was to abolish slavery and restrict the role of government in economic and social life.

Since the Democratic Party is now about giving away Free Stuff, we should be about promoting the liberty and the responsible use of that liberty.

We must return to being a party about goals and not just getting particular people elected to office.


11 posted on 11/09/2012 2:37:54 PM PST by SatinDoll (NATURAL BORN CITZEN: BORN IN THE USA OF CITIZEN PARENTS.)
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To: RatherBiased.com
I remember Mitt's father and the internationalist Rockefeller Republicans.

Rockefeller Republican George Romney and the Goldwater, et al. modern conservative movement..

July 8, 1964

GOP Warned To Beware Of Extremist May Destroy Republicans: Romney Reject infiltrators and purveyors of hate, said the Michigan governor . . . .

Move the little rectangle slightly up and to the left to see story.

THEY NEVER, NEVER, NEVER STOP!

IIRC most Rockefeller Republicans never supported Goldwater against LBJ.. and often echoed LBJs lies about Goldwater.

12 posted on 11/09/2012 2:41:35 PM PST by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: Oberon

Um, I don’t believe it happened that way.

Mitt Romney bought the GOPe. I suspect with careful scrutiny we’ll find he financially supported a great many RINOS through money given to the GOPe. And I believe if you look very closely, we will see the Bush family’s finger prints all over the transactions as well.


13 posted on 11/09/2012 2:45:38 PM PST by SatinDoll (NATURAL BORN CITZEN: BORN IN THE USA OF CITIZEN PARENTS.)
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To: Oberon

Wrong—one can not defeat a foe by becoming like them. We keep trying to do this—and we will continue to lose. No future in Communist-Light.


14 posted on 11/09/2012 3:02:05 PM PST by Forward the Light Brigade (Into the Jaws of H*ll)
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To: Forward the Light Brigade

I’m afraid you’ve lost me there. How is it “becoming like the foe” to let an honest conservative run an honest race?


15 posted on 11/09/2012 4:19:36 PM PST by Oberon (Big Brutha Be Watchin'.)
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To: SatinDoll

With some help from BHO and complicity from Romney and the RINO establishment, via indirect channels. BHO identified GOP candidates, running in the primary, who would be a threat to one of his voting blocks/bases if they won the nomination,i.e. Cain, Bachman. Then implemented a plan to have them lose the primary because, as shown by his razor thin “win” even a few percentages of a lost voting block would have cost him the election.

Cain- threat to BHO’s black voting base

Bachman- threat to his white female voting base

Gingrich- not necessarily a threat to his base but a threat to his entire campaign strategy. Gingrich, despite his flaws, would attack BHO on the real issues and make BHO have to provide answers to the issues instead of using carnival acts and sideshows to dodge them,like BHO did.


16 posted on 11/09/2012 4:24:34 PM PST by CharlesMartelsGhost
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To: RatherBiased.com

To hell with national politics. Conservatives need to figure out a way to organize enough to oppose a sidewalk tax at the local village council meeting. Until you conservatives learn how to organize, you will lose every national presidential election. Liberals are miles ahead of you in organizing.

Gee, how do I know that? Because I spent nearly 20 years in local politics, and I couldn’t beg enough of you conservatives to get off your fat asses to attend a village council meeting.

How many of you conservatives have a constitutional sheriff in your county who supports the 2nd Amendment?

You cheer for Sheriff Arpaio in Arizona, but you won’t go find and support your own Arpaio at home.

Geez, people, organize enough to oppose a sidewalk tax in your own bloody community.


17 posted on 11/09/2012 5:21:02 PM PST by sergeantdave (The FBI has declared war on the Marine Corps)
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To: CharlesMartelsGhost

Excellent analysis. I think I agree.


18 posted on 11/09/2012 5:40:12 PM PST by kabumpo (Kabumpo)
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To: CharlesMartelsGhost

The time is here for a turnaround.

Too bad it was not with Romney, but that was questionable from the beginning.

We need a new party, or a re-start. No more whining, and no more quitting.

Fight and win.


19 posted on 11/09/2012 5:44:09 PM PST by Cringing Negativism Network (America doesn't need any new laws. America needs freedom!)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

And BUY AMERICAN.


20 posted on 11/09/2012 5:44:50 PM PST by Cringing Negativism Network (America doesn't need any new laws. America needs freedom!)
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