Losing in 2006 to win in 2008

for-q-clinton ^ | 3 Oct 05 | for-q-clinton

[malakhi]

Maybe 2006 is the year to vote for a 3rd party to send a message.

Third party types express this hope every election cycle.

[raybbr]

But we can win without you -- you cannot win without us.

What will you have to promise to the myraid special interest groups in order to make up the difference?

[PhiKapMom]

Exactly! The Bush/Republican bashers are out in force today I see. Let's see we will be hearing a lot of "I am never voting Republican again, I am not donating one red cent to the Republicans ever again, Losing will help in 2008, Republicans have sold us out in Congress" just to name a few.

I love it when some of the original Bush bashers that never were Republican say they are never voting Republican again because (fill in the blank)!

You nailed it IMHO!

[misterrob]

You won't win without limited government conservatives behind you. If they stay home at the mid-terms and next national elections then don't be surprised if the republicans lose their majorities as well as the White House.

[PhiKapMom]

You are being perceptive and rationale which are two traits not allowed by the doom and gloomer 3rd party folks pretending to be lifelong Republicans! You would think they would get a clue one of these that changing screen names and still bashing doesn't pass the smell test!

[airborne]

IMHO, the Republican Party has been infiltrated by the left.

Posing as 'moderates', they have slowly pushed the Party to the left.

Look at who is being talked about for 2008. McCain and Guilliani. Democrats in RINO skins!

The mere fact that they are being considered makes me ill!

Win or lose in '06 and '08, "my Republican Party" appears headed for extinction.

[Black Tooth]

I'm a conservative; just not a Donner Party Conservative.

Oh, so your party chose to die rather than survive? My condolences.

[HitmanLV]

The Conservative movement may benefit by losing the House and Senate in 2006.

You can't lose credibility in politics faster than suggesting its best we lose power short term to maybe gain power long term.

[pawdoggie]

I'm confused. First you say the Conservatives need to lose in 2006 to win in 2008. Then you say that you're talking about Conservatives, not Republicans. Last time I checked, there is a Conservative Party out there (at least in a few states), but to my knowledge Conservatives hold no (as in zero) US House or Senate seats. Since the alleged Democrat conservatives (of which there are a few), are not likely to band together with alleged Republicans conservatives (of which there are a few more), I don't see how Conservatives or conservatism are going to benefit by a Republican defeat in 2006. If such a coup d'etat were possible, it would create a clear Liberal Democrat Party plurality (which would equal a majority in Congress), leave a rump "moderate" Republican Party, and a (Congressional) minority Conservative Party that would find it practically impossible to form a coalition with (or even work with) one of the two larger political parties: in part because to compromise would be to do exactly that of which conservative critics accuse the Republicans, "compromising and selling out our principles", and in equal measure because both the Republicans (particularly) and the Democrats (generally) would be so upset about their defectors to the Conservatives that they would be in no mood to grant the Conservatives any voice in the affairs of government.

I also think that you grossly underestimate the amount of time it would take the new "Conservative" Republican Party to a. recognize its mistakes, and b. to "turn things around" with the American people. After the 1964 election debacle with the Goldwater Conservatives, it took 16 years for a Conservative Rennaissance (under President Reagan). After Mr. Reagan's former Vice President abandoned, and was abandoned by, conservatives, it took eight years of Bill Clinton to set things right. Once the Democrats regain control of Congress, the entire "mainstream" news and entertainment community will invest all their energy into convincing the Sheeple of America that they never had it so good. It would be criminally naive to think that you could turn that situation around in two years (even if two years were a "lifetime in politics).

[malakhi]

Supporting Spector over Toomey?

Toomey would have lost in the general election. Which probably would have suited the "win by losing" crowd just fine.

[malakhi]

I'm a conservative; just not a Donner Party Conservative.

LOL!

[Diddle E. Squat]

Maybe 2006 is the year to vote for a 3rd party to send a message.

Yeah, go ahead and form a 3rd party. Combine these two images and you'll have your Martyr party's symbol:

[Howlin]

Oh, so your party chose to die rather than survive?

In case you haven't noticed, "my" party is the one electing people to national office.

[malakhi]

Did you even read the first paragraph of the post?

I read the whole thing. I disagree with the thought process.

[af_vet_rr]

Have you ever had a job where you were the reliable one who consistently delivered, and it led to you being crapped on while the boss pandered to the lazy to try to cajole a little work out of them, simply because he needed people? That's how I feel as a conservative in the republican party. They keep fighting for the middle and screwing me because they THINK I will vote for them regardless.

Umm, wow, you've summed up how I feel at times.

It's not that I've left the GOP after over three decades of voting, supporting, and volunteering for them, it's more like they've left me.

I haven't changed any of my beliefs, and yet I'm now considered to be the fringe right-wing of the party, whereas I used to be a part of the mainstream GOP.

The fact that more and more over the past few years, I've referred to the GOP as "they" or "them", has clued me in to things.

[Black Tooth]

Then why the Donner party analogy? Apparently you don't know your history.

[Howlin]

If they stay home at the mid-terms and next national elections then don't be surprised if the republicans lose their majorities as well as the White House.

I'm sick to death of being blackmailed by you people; sick of it.

Stay the hell home; then we'll know exactly who to blam when the next Clinton is elected.

Hell, you'd probably LOVE it if she was.

[malakhi]

I’m not advocating that we campaign to lose

What do you call advocating "sending a message" by voting third party? (your #5).

[Howlin]

No, it's you who doesn't "get it."

[onyx]

They ate their own. DUH.