[Tarpon]

Conservatives did not lose either, the lose get tabbed to the leader. It’s surprising after Gov Palin was picked how well the down ballot races have gone.

[RedStateRocker]

Conservatives did not lose the election (well, in a sense we all may lose far more than an election), the Republican Party did. An incoherent message, poorly delivered, “fighting this war with the tactics of the last war”. No one cared or cares about Ayers, no one cared or cares about a middle name, what people cared about was an incredibly stupid administration that promised a cakewalk in Iraq, hired people like Paulsen who ARE the problem, threw money at problems like drunken Democrats and acted like America was the only country in the world who mattered. The administration of President Bush lost the election.

[imfrmdixie]

This is what is bothering me. There is such a true need for the opposite party to the one that has been elected, and that being conservative versus liberal. It seems that the conservative issues have been lost in an identity struggle within the Republican party. The Repubs have long been considered serving the conservative role but, as evident by the choice and selection of candidates this election, that has been pushed to the wayside in order to make way for some new trend. However, whatever direction the GOP is trying to go it has not used a political GPS and has wandered aimlessly with no ultimate goal or destination. It seems, to me (and I am far from a political mind) that the GOP needs to determine exactly what type of party it is and I think that is where our role is valuable. We need a conservative party that is united but our union needs to incorporate the current American lifestyles. Old fashioned conservative values don’t seem to sell to the overall public. How can we strengthen our conservative party and modernize it to meet today’s standards? How can we promote conservative issues and make them attractive? To give up conservative values at a time this country is being pushed into socialism means, to me, the destruction of America as any of us knows her. Conservative issues are vital to the political process in our country. Perhaps we need to focus on insisiting that the GOP remain conservative and not whatever it is the party has been trying. Perhaps we need a new breath of air in the GOP leadership as well as looking toward new candidates. Maybe we even need a new conservative party and break away from the GOP. Am I making any sense?

[skully]

This is about which wing will dominate the GOP. The McCain/Rockefeller Liberal wing or the Palin/Reagan Conservative wing. IMHO their tying to pin the loss on Palin to cover their own ineptness, and keep Conservatives on the sideline in the party still. The McCain wing's emergence is what brought us to this mess. In 2010 the GOP better run more Conservative candidates or they've lost my vote. Will vote Conservative line only where candidate not backed by either party. I'm getting pretty comfy by my campfire out here in the wilderness...I'll wait.

[Swing_Thought]

Excellent piece of writing. My favorite line:

Allow me to quote Reagan one more time. "Man is not free unless government is limited."

Thanks for the link.