Conservatives have a hard time dominating the GOP. A few reasons come to mind off hand:
1. The GOP elites are in the main not conservative, (as evinced by the article), are sort of appalled by conservatives, and like the status quo as it is. So they are part of the problem, a BIG part. Just as much as the Dems, since they offer little real alternative. Sort of like, would you like a really strong virulent poison, or a watered down mild poison that won’t kill you immediately but merely sicken you?
2. The media is part and parcel of the left, so the conservative message is harder to get out to the uninformed. Very hard, actually. Almost impossible other than a few voices such as Beck and a few others. And, of course, the internet. But since the majority of people apparently get their “information” from what used to be called the Main Stream Media, and hardcore leftists have a stranglehold on the MSM, where is the conservative message going to come from? Other than people like Beck.
Luckily, more and more people are finding news and views on the internet. That, of course, is why 0bama wants to control it.
3. Becuase the GOP keeps funding “moderates” and go-along to get-alongs, or nutcase ravers like McCain, or boring nothings like Bob Dole, or elistist one worlders like the elder Bush, or tax and spend guys like the junior Bush with too many financial and loyalty ties to the elites who are above the parties, conservatives who would otherwise vote “R” either don’t vote at all or vote third party.
If the GOP wants to get all conservatives to vote for them, by God! They better start serving up some conservatives to vote for.
There’s a little more to say:
Another reason why the GOP has so many moderates is simply because it takes moderates to compete and win in some districts - and the goal of the GOP is to compete as a national party.
For example, do you think that if we ran an ultra conservative to run against Barney Frank, the people of his hard-core liberal district in Massachusetts would vote for him?
We need more conservatives - especially at the TOP of the ticket - but we can’t get rid of a lot of moderates. If you want to win a majority, you have to have a lot of moderates. And all you can do is hope they vote with you in the “big” votes.
We might not be able to do much about your 1) and 2), but we CAN and SHOULD do something about your 3) - WE CAN FUND THE GOOD CONSERVATIVES AND STARVE THE LOUSY MODERATES WITH OUR DONATIONS.
But that means we have to GIVE donations.
Personally, I’m not going to give to either my Representative or the one in the nearest district - they’re the kind of moderates you speak dimly of. But I can give money to one of the good ones - like Michelle Bachmann, as one example. Or I can hold my fire and donate to a good conservative Representative or Senator in a tight race.
Other than give money, one of the things we can do is get involved in a local branch of Republicans. I often go to Republican Women’s meetings, which routinely has local Republican politicians. By going, you get a chance to speak out, and send the right message. Over time, you can “talk” a “pandering” moderate into becoming a “pandering” conservative - which I’ll take.
And then there’s the letter-writing campaign. If you think that the GOP is too moderate (which we could also describe as tepid, timid, or lukewarm), TELL them. Let them know that if they start acting like conservatives, they can count on you for the financial support they need to win, for instance.
In this sense, what I’m saying is FIGHT THE GOP TO FORCE THEM TO BECOME BETTER. And keep at it.
My mother proudly tells me just about every week that she calls her politicians every week. And, like me, she lives in California - so she knows she’s talking to Democrats who probably don’t give a damn.
She’s a fighter, and she’s not going to let politicians do their sleaze without letting them know how she feels about it.
We should be doing the same with Republicans. And we might actually convince THEM to shape up!!!