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 ...
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.
I stopped reading there. Bob Barr, as anyone who's read his comments since he lost his congressional seat, is a wackjob.
So are Cubs fans. That doesn't mean they suddenly say they are Cardinals fans.
Sorry, I had to do it.
You almost caught some friendly fire with that title.
No he didnt. He appealed to Americans love for a positive message and a plan.
However, in their current configuration, I simply cannot conceive of myself turning to the Democrats.
"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.
Boy, ain't that the truth!!
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.
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
"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.
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.
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 )
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.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.