A Time for Candor and Optimism

FlashReport ^ | 11/7/08 | Bill Simon

[Realpolitiker]

"So now, rather than the proverbial crying over spilled milk, we must again become the party of ideals, ideas, and innovation. Instead of spending time criticizing the McCain campaign, which would have had to have been virtually perfect to have a chance of success in a hostile national environment, our attention is better focused on the future and steps that might be taken now.

"So, bearing this principle in mind, let me focus on these three important areas; ideals, ideas, and innovations."

[Realpolitiker]

Simon argues that the GOP must return to its core ideals. He believes that limited government is the central tenet.

The ideas put forth by the GOP should be "strong, clear and effective public policy". The GOP should operate as a "shadow government" that offers "concrete ideas that are well-articulated not the tired rhetoric of shallow political talking points . . . our own credible solutions with supporting empirically based data."

Innovation: he argues that we must make better use of technology. Our policies themselves must do this (e.g., energy and healthcare solutions). We must also catch and pass the liberals in our use of the Internet to disseminate our ideas (e.g., Free Republic) and to raise funds. At the same time, we need "good old-fashioned party building" in states like California and New York.

What say you?

[ilgipper]

I think it is time we freepers figure out how to use the internet to communicate with others, instead of talking to each other. I sat here well informed this year through FR and radio. We need to change people’s perspective on things in their lives, and we do not do it talking to each other.

[SoConPubbie]

So now, rather than the proverbial crying over spilled milk, we must again become the party of ideals, ideas, and innovation. Instead of spending time criticizing the McCain campaign, which would have had to have been virtually perfect to have a chance of success in a hostile national environment, our attention is better focused on the future and steps that might be taken now.

Rather contradictory statement in the very first sentence.

Unless we spend time critiquing the failures of McCain and his campaign, we learn nothing.

More "Can't we get along" crap from a moderate leaning GOPer.

[SoConPubbie]

By the way, Bill Simon is another of those "Big Tent", "Compassionate" "Bush" Republicans.

I for one want them off the national stage.

[PzLdr]

We should become the party of ‘No’, with a program of total non-cooperation and obstruction. After the Dims crash and burn, with no one to pin it on other than themselves, the GOP can run, and elect a can of soup for any office.

[Free Vulcan]

Our local party will be doing that very thing.

[ggekko60506]

Quite frankly this statement is vague, platitudinous and cliche-ridden and most of all is too vague on the policy side. We have lost the two election cycles because of a gradual but strong trend of the Reagan Democrats back toward the Democratic party.

Calls of “back to Reagan” are not going to fix this. It will certainly help the party of fiscal discipline to reclaim that mantle but doing this will not fix the underlying problem.

The failure of the Republicans resides in their signal failure to stop the Democrats war against manufacturing and infrastructure. In a time economic stagnation the Reagan Democrats are voting what they perceive to be their pocketbooks even given the reality that this perception is tragically deluded. The Democrats give the economically aggrieved a big hug and and a little bit of welfare while simultaneously conducting war against business.

A new Republican manifesto must address the era of economic insecurity with freedom solutions rather than recycled socialism that the Democrats are offering. The only people in the party who seem to have a grasp on these issues are Newt Gingrich and Thaddeus McCotter. We need to take their ideas and turn them into a unified set of proposals.

If Reagan was on the scene today this approach would be his emphasis.

[Grunthor]

The GOP won unprecedented power earlier this decade, promising to govern a certain way and promptly went back on their word. There is nothing at this pouint that the GOP can do to regain power. They must simply wait for Hussein and the Dhimmicrats to mess up even worse than “our” party did.

[Realpolitiker]

Glad somebody brought up the “party of No” idea. Here’s a “party of No” blog post to check out: http://snipurl.com/55xbi [sultanknish_blogspot_com]

I posted the article above to get a discussion started, not because I agree with everything the author wrote. It has a few nuggets, however vague. As pointed out, the author is suspect because of his past associations.

Can the GOP be a “party of No” and simultaneously rebuild itself?

[Realpolitiker]

Along those lines, here is an interesting new website: http://rebuildtheparty.com/