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Why I'm a Democrat
Conservative Punk ^ | August 4, 2006 | Robert Jones

Posted on 09/13/2006 9:12:10 AM PDT by hoppity

Remember the "Republican Revolution," remember "The Contract With America" of 1994? Newt Gingrich nationalized the congressional elections by appealing to Americans' distaste for Bill Clinton's fiscal and social liberalism and swung fifty-four seats from the jackasses' to the elephants' camp. Gingrich's young Turks were champing at the bit to finish the job Reagan had started.

A dozen years later, the Republicans have made a farcical shambles of the Reagan revolution: The term limits they promised never seemed to materialize (they all voted for term limits, technically, by spreading their votes among a handful of competing bills, none of which conveniently carried a majority), and their one major policy victory -- Welfare reform -- became Bill Clinton's public relations victory, because Gingrich and company bitterly obsessed over whether the Clinton administration would get the credit.

(Excerpt) Read more at conservativepunk.com ...


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KEYWORDS: conservativepunk; dramaqueens; robertjones
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I discovered this website a couple of years ago... probably from someone here at FR. Saw the page in my favorites folder and decided to check it out again. Found this commentary. Don't agree with all of it, but he makes some interesting points.
1 posted on 09/13/2006 9:12:10 AM PDT by hoppity
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To: hoppity

The Republicans have been an embarrassment since Bush took office on doing anything to control spending, but becoming a Democrat to fight that is like sticking a knife in your eye because it itches.


2 posted on 09/13/2006 9:14:19 AM PDT by Always Right
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To: hoppity
But, the final straw came in 2002, when the LP party hacks sabotaged the congressional career of Rep. Bob Barr (R-Ga.), the best friend they ever had in Congress

I stopped reading there. Bob Barr, as anyone who's read his comments since he lost his congressional seat, is a wackjob.

3 posted on 09/13/2006 9:15:19 AM PDT by Darkwolf377
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To: hoppity
But, being a Republican these days means always being disappointed.

So are Cubs fans. That doesn't mean they suddenly say they are Cardinals fans.

4 posted on 09/13/2006 9:15:42 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: Always Right

Sorry, I had to do it.

5 posted on 09/13/2006 9:16:22 AM PDT by Andy from Beaverton (I'm so anti-pc, I use a Mac)
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To: hoppity

You almost caught some friendly fire with that title.


6 posted on 09/13/2006 9:17:06 AM PDT by cripplecreek (If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can't it get us out?)
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To: hoppity
Newt Gingrich nationalized the congressional elections by appealing to Americans' distaste for Bill Clinton's fiscal and social liberalism and swung fifty-four seats from the jackasses' to the elephants' camp.

No he didn’t. He appealed to Americans’ love for a positive message and a plan.

7 posted on 09/13/2006 9:17:27 AM PDT by TankerKC (Step Back! Doors Closing.)
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To: hoppity
Added keyword dramaqueens.
8 posted on 09/13/2006 9:18:17 AM PDT by dighton
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To: cripplecreek
You almost caught some friendly fire with that title.

Yeah, I thought about that. I guess I like to live dangerously.
9 posted on 09/13/2006 9:19:36 AM PDT by hoppity
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To: hoppity
This guy is a Catholic who is a Deist and is for the legalization of prostitution? I don't think so...
10 posted on 09/13/2006 9:20:09 AM PDT by frogjerk (REUTERS: We give smoke and mirrors a bad name)
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To: hoppity
Certainly, I can imagine leaving the Republican Party. It's far from perfect.

However, in their current configuration, I simply cannot conceive of myself turning to the Democrats.

11 posted on 09/13/2006 9:21:10 AM PDT by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: IGNORANCE ON PARADE)
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To: hoppity

"heir one major policy victory -- Welfare reform -- became Bill Clinton's public relations victory, because Gingrich and company bitterly obsessed over whether the Clinton administration would get the credit."

Who cares about the credit?
Welfare Reform succeeded brilliantly and is proof that conservative reforms work.

No mention btw is mentioned of Bush's efforts on behalf of Social Security reform, which, if implemented, would be as big a benefit to the country as Welfare Reform.


12 posted on 09/13/2006 9:25:25 AM PDT by WOSG (Broken-glass time, Republicans! Save the Congress!)
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To: Always Right

Boy, ain't that the truth!!


13 posted on 09/13/2006 9:25:58 AM PDT by GW and Twins Pawpaw (Sheepdog for Five [My grandkids are way more important than any lefty's feelings!])
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To: Always Right
I like the euphemism, it describes it well. And I for one, would never choose to be a democrat.
However, ,my biggest problem with the GOP that bothers me fiercely, is this:
...they don't have the guts to ram anything down the Democrats' throats. They have the votes to back Bush up if they wanted to kick some ass in the Middle East as well as other issues, but they act as though the Democrats are in the majority.
14 posted on 09/13/2006 9:28:43 AM PDT by Lucky9teen ("War is about killing & destroying their property, not about covering your asses in a conf. room")
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To: Lucky9teen

Today's GOP are mostly Centrist refugees from the Democratic Party who have left because the Rats have gone so far to the left. They have squeezed out the conservatives in the party.


15 posted on 09/13/2006 9:29:56 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: dfwgator

Democrats vs. Republicans = I see it as black getting blacker and white getting whiter and the gray area is starting to disappear. Just my $.02


16 posted on 09/13/2006 9:31:10 AM PDT by Lucky9teen ("War is about killing & destroying their property, not about covering your asses in a conf. room")
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To: hoppity

"The wholesale expropriation -- and then, betrayal -- of Ronald Reagan's legacy by the Bush administration is appalling. Watching Bush squander the good faith America's conservative electorate placed in him has become too disheartening to take any longer."

Sounds like Michael Weiner to me. No thanks.


17 posted on 09/13/2006 9:31:40 AM PDT by pissant
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To: dighton

Drama Queen.

Because the Republicans act too much like Democrats on occasion, which he opposes, he will become a Democrat so he will never be disappointed by how bad things get. Nuts.

Bad logic meets bad taste in a bad end.


18 posted on 09/13/2006 9:34:23 AM PDT by WOSG (Broken-glass time, Republicans! Save the Congress!)
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To: hoppity

It ain't what happened with the Contract since a lot of it was passed some declared unconstitutional after passing.

It is what has happened since then with a GOP president
Uncontrolled spending
No secure borders
Letting the democrats roll them time and time again ( 911 commission--Sandy Berger--Forged documents )


19 posted on 09/13/2006 9:36:11 AM PDT by uncbob
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To: TankerKC; hoppity
Newt Gingrich nationalized the congressional elections by appealing to Americans' distaste for Bill Clinton's fiscal and social liberalism and swung fifty-four seats from the jackasses' to the elephants' camp.

Newt Gingrich did not do anything. He went out on the steps of the congress for 15 seconds of air time. No one paid a bit of attention to him until the Media totally surprised by the democrats loss of the house, came looking for a reason. Newt was there with the Contract with America.

But where was Newt in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, and 2004? It took a lot more than all the Contract with America crap to hold the house in 2000. Remember... GORE WON THE POPULAR vote .. but the Democrats did not come close to winning the house.

The facts are the Republicans won control of enough state houses that they were able to Gerrymander a majority of the house districts. It is pretty simple... put as many Demorats as possible into a few House seats where they will win by 70 Percent to 30 percent. Put the remainder of the seates in districts where the Republicans advantage is 54 to 46.

I will give you ohio as an example. In 1980 the Democrats controlled this state and they got to redistrict. And guess what! They made 1/3 of the seats very very Republican and 2/3 of the seats mildly Demoratic. They won 2/3 of the Ohio seats.

Then in 1991 the Republicans gained control of a majority of state houses, includeing Ohio and they proceeded to gerrymander Ohio to their advantage. As a result Ohio went from a 2/3 to 1/3 Democrat state to a 2/3 to 1/3 Republican state. Ross Perot screwed the situation up in 1992 or we would have won the house as Clinton was winning the Presidency.

All Newt did was what he always did.. he was there to take the credit. And as is the usual case when men take the credit for things they didn't do, no one stood up for his horny butt when the chance came to kick him out of the House.

20 posted on 09/13/2006 9:47:37 AM PDT by Common Tator
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