Posted on 01/31/2004 12:41:27 PM PST by jimkress
Had dinner with an old friend last night, a long-time Republican political operative who – in 1981 – talked me into taking a sabbatical from journalism and going to Washington as a press secretary to Congressman Paul Findley.
He’s been a Republican all his life. Grew up in a GOP family. Served more than one term as a county chairman as well as a Republican National Committeeman.
So it surprised me when he opened the dinner table conversation with: “I’m not going to vote for George W. Bush in November. I may vote for John Kerry if he’s the Democratic nominee.”
Strange things can happen in this world. Joe Gibbs can come out of retirement to coach the Washington Redskins one more time. Hell, the Carolina Panthers might even win the Super Bowl. But when a lifelong Republican tells me he might vote for John Kerry, I wait for a voice to start saying “you’re entering another dimension…next stop – The Twilight Zone.”
“I’m a Republican because I believe in less government, of letting states make the decisions that affect our lives,” he said. “I believe in a balanced budget. But my party no longer believes in any of these things. I can’t be a part of what I think is destroying this country.”
His comments echo what I have been hearing after three weeks on the campaign trail. Republicans are fed up with an administration that has created the largest federal bureaucracy ever, with record deficits and with increasing federal power and control over our lives.
But they’re not just fed up with George W. Bush, they’re fed up with a Republican-controlled Congress that passed the largest, most pork-laden transportation bill in history, that abandoned its promise to impose term limits and that broke most of the promises of the 1994 “Contract With America” that gave them control of Capitol Hill in the first place.
My friend’s theory: “You know the old bromide that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely? Well, my party has taken it step further. Absolute power leads to madness. It makes me, a Republican, long for Democrats back in control. That is pure madness but I can’t help it.”
I’ve been around politics as a journalist or an operative for nearly 40 years and the dissension within the GOP is the worst I’ve ever seen. At a Republican caucus earlier this week, California Republican Congressman Chris Cox headed a group of conservative members who told Speaker of the House Denny Hastert that a GOP Congress was being undermined by Bush's actions in the White House. One member reportedly said a GOP Congress could deal more effectively with a Democrat in the White House than they can with Bush.
“At least we know what to expect from a Democratic President,” he said.
I've been here far longer than you !( check my sign up date )
I'm NOT a " disruptor ".
Your "intelligence " ? ROTFLMSO
You're all of 27 and imagine you know what's what, understand politics,and haven't a clue about anything you're complaining about.
As to my supposed " traitorous innuendos ", I suggest that you look up both words in a dictionary. You neither understand either word, nor how to use them, kiddo.
And finally, you fringers are a MINORITY on FR and the owner of this site, is FOR re-electing this president and dead set AGAINST you fringers going third party. Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it. :-)
I don't doubt they had a plan in the pipeline -- as I've said, IMO it's out in the open sooner rather than much later.
NOBODY expected Dubya to advocate an Amnesty Plan because it's patently liberal. Did you??
All it would take for unity among Bush supporters to be restored is for a few simple answers from Mr. Bush himself . .
President George Bush - stand before the people of this nation and tell us Cochise County is the sovereign territory of the United States of America and is not under foreign invasion.
President George Bush - stand before the people of this nation and tell us you are using all means within your power to ensure Cochise County is free from illegal migrant invasion.
President George Bush - stand before the people of this nation and tell us the national, social, political, and economic interests of this nation come before any other nation, including Canada and Mexico. And including special interest groups who under the table continue to sponsor illegal immigration by hiring illegal migrants.
President George Bush - stand before the people of this nation and tell us we mean more to you than the migrant invasion coming across our borders.
President George Bush - stand before the people of this nation and tell us the truth.
Nothing but the truth. The truth is, you haven't done this. And it remains to be seen that you intend to.
The principal on which America was founded is that minority right, no matter how small the minority, would be protected. The Bill of Rights, you know.
You're just too damned small to accept anyone's viewpoint but your own.
And I think Jim encourages debate. He has never indicated any desire to limit free and open discussion, as long as the intent is positive. AAMOF, that's what FreeRepublic is all about.
"Grassroots Republicans"?
I don't believe for one minute that most of those who are "furious" with Bush are genuinely conservatives or were even Republicans to begin with.
Otherwise they would give him credit for the long list of conservative accomplishments he's racked up while in office.
I'll take Mr. Bush and keep hounding him, my House and Senate members about how,where and when they are screwing up.
I'can still work will Mr. Bush.
Unless the President comes to his senses in the next 270 days or so and revokes his Amnesty Plan, we may have our answer.
Will someone, anyone who supports Dubya's 'Amnesty For Illegals' scheme please explain how and why this is good for the United States of America?
Hell, yeah!! What are you bringing??
By who? And what were the lies?
Don't even try saying George Bush lied, because he simply repeated what our intelligence said, what Clinton said, and Gore, and Kerry, and Hillary and most of the Dems in Congress, and the United Nations, the Brits, the Iraqis, Saddam himself and the intelligence agencies of France, Germany, Russia, and most nations who were opposed to the war.
Those who are accuse Bush of lying to manipulate us into that war are the REAL liars.
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