Posted on 11/08/2006 8:24:41 AM PST by A.Hun
The election is over, and the Republicans lost. I did not think the electorate was this foolish, and expected a large turnout to help Republicans. For the first time in recent history, that was not true. Many of the previous base of the Republicans voted the other way. My hopes of even gaining seats were dashed.
Many wish to blame President Bush and the war in Iraq. The MSM certainly helped the Dems make it their center argument, and put a national face on local elections. However, both pro war and anti war Republicans lost. Being a critic didn't help Lincoln Chafee. The war in Iraq is a large reason for our defeat because it turned out Dems, but not the primary one.
Lack of communication by all the Republicans has also been sighted as a reason for our losses. Having debated this point over the last year with many people, it is evident that our message was fractured. However, if you look at our robust economy, even with constant pushing by the Republicans, the majority of Americans obviously feel it is doing poorly. That shows the power of the Drive By Media. Not one single good economic story was run without some bad news or interpretation to balance it. The net effect has been a huge propaganda coup for the Dems. The MSM still rules the airwaves in the US, and until more conservative media develops, the MSM will be nothing but a force for liberals. They reinforced every lie offered up by Dems, and ignored the Republican responses.
But these are issues that remained the same from 2004. The fact is, our defeat rests with the so called "conservative base". After the win in 2004, I feel that conservatives became greedy and narrowly focused on pet issues, believing they were owed attention because of their help in electing GWB.
Many "conservatives" moaned for two years that the Republicans and the President were too moderate, and that they would make them pay at the polls. Big spenders, weak on the border, didn't care about the ports, and had the audacity to nominate Harriet Miers were the push button issues. Egged on by most "conservative" pundits from Buchanan to Hannity, they believed they had the right to demand and be given their way. When that didn't happen, they apparently carried through on their threats, and either voted Libertarian or Democrat.
This is sad because the Republican party was rebuked for a party that will spend more, forget the border, unionize homeland security, and block the nomination of anyone to the right of Ginsburg. The constant harping of the "more conservative than thou" did nothing more than help surrender their beliefs, something they are going to be reminded of constantly for at least the next two years.
The argument that this will teach the Republican Party a lesson to be more conservative rings hollow, as the most conservative members of the House just got bounced. The only message average sheeple got was that Republicans were too far to the right and paid for it. That means that "conservatives" have cost America the war on terror, our tax cuts, the honor of our troops, and countless things yet to be seen.
Whether "conservatives" like it or not, our nation is governed by a democracy that depends on politics and compromise to survive. In 2006, the Republican party is the only conservative party we have, and mislead "conservatives" just threw it, and a lot more, away. But, of course, they have their principles. Right now, those and a quarter will buy a cup of coffee for Nancy Pelosi.
It depends on your definition of conservative. There are many conservatives well pleased with the Republicans, did vote for them, and will vote for them again.. Many here would call them moderates. Everywhere else, we are right wing nuts.
I don't think the conservatives voted for the other side.
Its possible that they didn't vote.
I would like to see some statistics on whether some conservatives stayed home because they didn't want to be a part of "staying the course" which has been a mantra for iraq until recently. the economy is not a factor, but perceived corruption is. Associating with the Abramhoffs caused more damage for people being fed up. But, still people go to polls to vote on local and state issuess, along with the federal elections. I don't think they just went in, voted on local issues, and left the other choices not picked. If a percentage of drop-off votes of conservatives not voting in the local elections match the national level, then this would mean they stayed home.
Only because of Jimmy Carter. I was there, and Reagan was never a hard right conservative. Never.
He built his campaign and Presidency on national defense, cutting taxes, and deals with the Dems.
This "analysis" is crap.
The Stupid Party lost because they neglected, or didn't care about, their base and issues of concern to that base.
In addition, the MSM has been on the warpath since the campaign of 2000. I have not seen anything like this phenomenon in my lifetime (and I lived through the reign of His Slickness). Of course it had a big effect.
Really?
Did conservatives "leave" W when he pimped the Pills for Grandma entitlement?
Did conservatives "leave" W when he had a virginal veto pen up to the single veto he did this year?
Did conservatives "leave" W when he pandered to the Hispanic population, pimped a guest worker program and denigrated the Minutemen watchdogs on the border?
Your "analyis" is fatally flawed by your bias.
Sorry you feel that way....sometimes the truth hurts.
I would like to blame the MSM, but they are not as powerful as they were in the days of Reagan.
You are blinded. You just lost ground on everyone of those issues. No border reform now, increased social spending are in the cards now.
I've heard enough whining about the Prescription Program. He campaigned on it, it has cost less than originally thought, has been popular, and literally, the elderly don't have to choose between food or prescriptions.
Veto your own party's spending bills? Yeah, right. Foolish.
The Stupid Party is who "lost ground."
I've heard enough whining about the Prescription Program. He campaigned on it, it has cost less than originally thought, has been popular, and literally, the elderly don't have to choose between food or prescriptions.
What planet are you from? The Pills for Grandma is running more than twice what was originally projected (and sold) to the American People. And if Grandpa needs food so he doesn't starve and still get his medications, send me his address. I'll mail him some.
I listed more than one issue Hun.
It has been Bush and Rove who have devistated the Reagan conservative movement with their POLICIES.
How hard would have been to police the curruption?
How hard would it have been to win the occupation intead of mananaging it?
How hard would it have been to secure our borders in the interest of national security?
Not very hard, had they chosen to set the right policies.
They had a majority.
The MSM, does not set policy, Bush and Rove set POLICY.
It is the Policies that failed conservatives, Not the MSM
You will have to prove that with a link. I don't think you can.
The Stupid Party is who "lost ground."
No, stupid conservatives lost ground.
There has been virtually no corruption in the Whitehouse. It is not the Executive branch's responsibility to police the House and the Senate.
The occupation of Iraq has been misrepresented. Our casualties have been extremely low for such an operation. No one could know what exactly it would take to leave there, and it was delegated to the military as it should be. I watched McNamara micromanage Vietnam and lose it. The permanent government is only 6 months old in IRaq, and the training just now nearing completion of the Iraqi forces. Expectations in Iraq are just too high for anyone to meet them.
I wish GWB had closed the borders on 9/12, but he didn't. I feel that he needed the manpower to hunt down Al QUeda already here. At that time, the borders were hardly an issue.
My argument for two years that people wanted the moon, and GWB did not have the ability to deliver it. Instead of realizing what was involved, I believe a lot of conservatives reacted in the wrong way.
By the way, I don't think any of GWB's policies have failed, they just haven't had the time to succeed.
Don't agree with that at all.
That the GOP are runaway big spenders is wrong. By GDP, Bush's biggest increase in discretionary spending was in the military. The bulk of the increases in the budget have been entitlements that the Republican Party has had no chance to change, other than welfare reform.
http://www.cbo.gov/budget/historical.pdf#search=%22cbo%20historical%20budget%20%22
See Table 8 for discretionary spending.
The border issue was a political loser. Yesterday proved that, so many strong border conservatives lost.
This guy has the same problem....a disconnect from reality. Not being able to tell the difference from what he wants and what was possible.
Twelve years, several of them with both a Republican WH and a Republican Senate, and they didn't have a chance?
Your point is well taken. Conservatives have always influenced the modern Repub party, but the Repubs cannot win with just conservatives yet.
Conservatives have to realize that they have to take what they can get. That is harsh, but that is the way it is in this nation today.
Yesterday proved it.
Never had a large enough majority to end filibusters. For eight of those years, Clinton would have vetoed it, and they certainly never had two thirds to support an override.
You act surprised? I'm sure you saw the same thing I did. GWB just talked about reforming SS and was trashed.
Well, if you put it that way, I guess the Republicans really did look a lot like Dems.
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