Rush Limbaugh Has It Wrong

Logic Times ^ | 11-9-2006 | Dan Hallagan

[Logic Times]

Rush Limbaugh has it wrong. He stated Wednesday that "[c]onservatism did not lose, Republicanism lost last night. Republicanism, being a political party first, rather than an ideological movement, is what lost last night." (here) This statement – a statement echoed by Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and other conservative pundits to whom a nation of shell-shocked conservatives turned for cathartic analysis – fails a simple test. If the electorate was demanding conservatism, then why did strong, principled conservatives lose? Incumbent conservatives such as Rick Santorum, George Allen, J.D. Hayworth and Curt Weldon to name a few. Superb conservative newcomers such as Ken Blackwell and Michael Steele.

The actions of the electorate last Tuesday was an indiscriminate firing of Republicans, not a thoughtful weeding out of RINOs. It is true that Republicanism lost on Tuesday, but it lost in all its forms – and that included the exact form of strong, clear conservatism that the movement desperately needs.

[Echo Talon]

And he sure as h*ll better vote the way he is told by Pelosi and Kennedy if he wants more than one term.

Yep, just ask Joe Lieberman who wouldn't have won if it wasn't for Republicans.

[TWfromTEXAS]

marked

[Sunsong]

In the end social conservatives, libertarians, and business/fiscal hawks all need each other to win.

Yes, that right and the GOP must appeal to a majority of voters. To win you need over 50% of the electorate. That means that those without party affiliation - the middle and the independents must like us and trust us more than they like and trust the dems.

[FreeReign]

Author is going to have to come up with some better examples.

Exibit "A", the House.

Republican Incumbents Who Lost in the House:

Jim Ryun (KS) - ACU rating 98
J.D. Hayworth (AZ) - ACU rating 98
Richard Pombo (CA) - ACU rating 97
Chris Chocola (IN) - ACU rating 95
Gil Gutknecht (MN) - ACU rating 94
Charles Taylor (NC) - ACU rating 92
Mike Sodrel (IN) - ACU rating 92
Melissa Hart (PA) - ACU rating 91
John Hostettler (IN) - ACU rating 90
Don Sherwood (PA) - ACU rating 87
Anne Northup (KY) - ACU rating 86
Clay Shaw (NC) ACU rating 82
John Sweeney (NY) ACU rating 77
Jeb Bradley (NH) ACU rating 71
Charles Bass (NH) ACU rating 71
Curt Weldon (PA) ACU rating 70
Sue Kelly (NY) ACU rating 65
Mike Fitzpatrick (PA) ACU rating 60
Nancy Johnson (CT) ACU rating 47
Jim Leach (IA) ACU rating 43

Vacated Republican seats lost

DeLay (TX) ACU rating 95
Beuprez (COL) ACU rating 93
Green (WI) ACU rating 88
Nussle (IA) ACU rating 86
Ney (OH) ACU rating 86
Foley (FLA) ACU rating 78
Koly (AZ) ACU rating 74
Boelert (NY) ACU rating 40

Democrat Incumbent seats lost

None.

Mostly conservatives lost in the House. Many examples of it listed above.

[Sunsong]

If I had may way we would fire and jail every one of them--90 percent of whom are lawyers--on both sides of the aisle, and replace them with carpenters, farmers, auto mechanics and nurses.

It would be wonderful if more people realized just what lowlifes so many politicians are (on both sides of the aisle). Congress never takes responsbility for anything. That is not a recipe for attracting the best or even those who demonstrate a level of excellence. The government is too big, too powerful and too attractive to those who want power and money.

[Sunsong]

You win the prize.... because you placed your finger on the real problem; dumbed down society, just what the Clinton's envisioned when they were running things down in Arkansas. Bill Hemmer commented this morning Fox was getting more hits on Britney Spears divorce than on the election results.

Why doesn't the GOP produce some effective and interesting education spots? Why not some effective and interesting PR about why limited government is in the people's interest? And why don't individual conservatives learn how to be persusive and talk with their neighbors and friends?

[FreeReign]

Conservatives didn't lose, they just didn't VOTE.

Either,

A. Conservatives stayed home.

B. The electorate isn't as conservative as we wish.

C. A combination of the two.

Any of those scenarios isn't good.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Good points... I do talk with my neighbors and friends, problem is most of them are conservatives just like me. My sister homeshooled her kids, they are in college and doing great as human beings. There seems to be two choices these days, homeschool or private school.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Someone tried to say on FOX this morning the conservatives lost in a landslide of 7 million? Where did that number come from? I thought the number of votes that separated GOP from DEMs in close races was something like 55 thousand votes.

[Mr Rogers]

In the case of Hayworth and Allen - their opponents were running as conservatives.

Webb was Reagan's SecNav, and ran as a conservative populist. Allen was hurt by a poor campaign and incredible media bias, but Webb's victory was hardly a call for liberal government!

Hayworth's opponent imitated Hayworth's positions on some issues, and ran as a conservative democrat untouched by the corruption in Congress. Hayworth may yet win that race, but if he loses, it won't be due to his conservative positions.

Even Santorum was hurt by having an opponent who ran on A) his Dad's name, name, name, and B) pro-gun, pro-life, fiscal conservative.

Admittedly, their elections put hard core liberals in power - but they hardly have a mandate for liberalism.

And I think the dems will soon find Webb to be a very mixed blessing. A year of his company might make them wish Allen had won!

[FreeReign]

Someone tried to say on FOX this morning the conservatives lost in a landslide of 7 million? Where did that number come from? I thought the number of votes that separated GOP from DEMs in close races was something like 55 thousand votes.

Please see this.

In the House races alone, the Demon-rats beat the Republicans by almost 2 million.

Not sure how it tallied in the Senate, Governors and other local races, but 7 million may be correct.

It was a terrible election.

[Arizona Carolyn]

Thanks for the link. I missed it somehow.

[Fledermaus]

I'd try google...I've heard several talk show hosts reading from them but I forget the name of the company that was hired.

Try looking for articles on the exit polls being "quarantined" all day so they wouldn't supposedly leak. Rush, Sean, Levin and others talked about it. You might find links to the actual results.

[Fledermaus]

Here is the company that did them. I'd try the news sites for results:

http://www.exit-poll.net