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You can NEVER Separate the Republican Party From the Conservative Movement
January 23, 2009 | Welcome2thejungle

Posted on 01/23/2009 10:06:00 AM PST by Welcome2thejungle

While it is true that there are many people who consider themselves more conservative than Republican (like me)and others who are more Republican than they are conservative, the fact remains that the Conservative Movement and the Republican Party are joined at the hip. Fortunately, with a few exceptions like the pair of GOP senators from Maine, liberal Republicans are virtually an extinct species. This trend will continue as long as the gravity of the GOP continues to shift towards the South and the West.

I know some conservative activists have long been fed up with the GOP and have look toward alternatives such as the miniscule Libertarian, American Independent, and Reform Parties. If history is any guide, such individuals will be relegated to the sidelines and Twilight Zone of American politics. We have always had pretty much a two party system--that's where the action is, like it or not.

Let me make an analogy if I may. I am a practicing Catholic. Several years ago I was stunned and appalled by the size and scope of the pedophile priest scandal which shook our church to its very core. Rather than leaving the Church in total disgust, I decided to get MORE active in it and do whatever I could to rehabilitate it. I have since become a 4th degree Knight of Columbus and a eucharistic minister at my church and I am involved in other church related activities as well. That was my instinct. Not to walk away, but to try to make things better and turn things around.

I dare say we conservatives should adopt the same attitude towards the Republican Party. While it is true that we still do have RINOs among our ranks, the GOP remains by and large a fairly conservative political party with a rich tradition and history much like the Catholic Church itself which is the oldest Christian church on earth tracing its lineage to SS Peter and Paul.

It is true that the Catholic Church has been beset by scandal in its long 2,0000 year history and the recent pedophile priest scandal was among the most horrendous. But it is also true that all institutions, no matter how great or glorious or ancient or well intentioned, are inhabited by flesh and blood sinful humans. Wicked men can be found in all institutions, the Church, the military, the Party, corporate America, the police department, you name it. One difference between conservatives and liberals is this: All too often the liberals will try to use a scandal to bring down or weaken a great institution such as the Catholic Church or the Republican Party. In my home town of Los Angeles I personally witnessed the liberals destroy one of the finest big city police departments in the entire nation over one unfortunate incident. Now the LAPD has been effectively marginalized to such an extent that our police officers cannot even inquire if a suspect is in this country legally when making an arrest.

The simple fact remains that like it or not, the Republican Party is the only national institution of its size capable of effectively opposing the radical socialist agenda of BHO and the Democrats in Congress. The question is this: Should we build up the Republican Party and make it an effective fighting force against the forces of Obamaism, or should we head of for the exits an go our own separate ways? I myself could no longer leave the Republican Party than I could bear to leave the Catholic Church. I've decided to stick it out and fight with every fiber of my being and every ounce of strength I have left. What about you?


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1 posted on 01/23/2009 10:06:01 AM PST by Welcome2thejungle
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To: Welcome2thejungle

When a Republican shares my support of the constitution I will vote republican...when a Republican supports the Rat’s view of the constitution, I will vote for someone else. If the Republican party wants my vote, then they will run people that support my view.....very simple. NO MORE RINOS.


2 posted on 01/23/2009 10:13:02 AM PST by rightwingextremist1776
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To: Welcome2thejungle

Yesterday I decided to run for office locally. I found myself telling a friend “We can’t just leave the government to be run by the ‘grownups’ anymore. We ARE the grownups.”


3 posted on 01/23/2009 10:13:08 AM PST by autumnraine
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To: Welcome2thejungle

I received a call from the RNC today soliciting $300 to renew my membership to help oppose Obama’s policies. I asked exactly who in the RNC leadership was actively opposing anything Obama is doing, and I received this “well, changes are being made, etc”. I told them to call me back when the McCain wing of the party had been thrown out of leadership positions and the party returns to its conservative roots. I hope everyone follows that example instead of blindly giving to the moderates and neocons.


4 posted on 01/23/2009 10:15:08 AM PST by Ikemeister
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To: autumnraine

That’s the spirit!


5 posted on 01/23/2009 10:18:10 AM PST by Welcome2thejungle
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To: Ikemeister
You can NEVER Separate the Republican Party From the Conservative Movement

Then why do McCain and his fellow RINOs like Lindsey Grahamnesty have to keep trying?

To paraphrase Dick Cheney, 'F*** McCain and the horse he rode in on.'

6 posted on 01/23/2009 10:19:15 AM PST by Vigilanteman (Are there any men left in Washington? Or, are there only cowards? Ahmad Shah Massoud)
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To: Welcome2thejungle
Fortunately, with a few exceptions like the pair of GOP senators from Maine, liberal Republicans are virtually an extinct species.

I sure do wish you were correct on this pont, but oh well.

7 posted on 01/23/2009 10:20:39 AM PST by Travis T. OJustice (Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy.)
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To: Welcome2thejungle
I've decided to stick it out and fight with every fiber of my being and every ounce of strength I have left. What about you?

If they run candidates that believe in small government and restoring the Bill of Rights, I'll vote for them. If not, I won't.
8 posted on 01/23/2009 10:21:06 AM PST by mysterio
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To: Ikemeister

I’ve told them several times to call back when they can distinguish themselves from the demoncrats. This ain’t my fathers Republican party.


9 posted on 01/23/2009 10:22:15 AM PST by Travis T. OJustice (Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy.)
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To: Welcome2thejungle

‘The question is this: Should we build up the Republican Party and make it an effective fighting force against the forces of Obamaism, or should we head of for the exits an go our own separate ways?’

This isn’t ‘the’ question in my view. Its obvious that is exactly what we need to do.

‘The Question’ is what do we do with the Rockerfeller RINO’s that rarely pass up a chance to undermine the Conservatives that make up the real ‘political muscle’ in the Republican Party?

You all know who I’m talking about...the one’s that just finished leading the party and the nation off the Moderate cliff into at least two years of Oblivion. The one’s that believed John McCain actually had a large base of support among...Moderates and Independents...which as we know today voted overwhelming for Obama, in contrast to us Conservatives that simply despised McCain but voted for him anyway.

Before you go into combat, you make sure those with you are actually ‘up’ for whats to come.

Moderate/RINO’s are not ‘up’ for this fight with the most liberal government we’ve seen in 70 plus years folks.

They are the Republican Party equivelent of the French in World War II. McCain will play the part of the Vichy regime, Lindsay Graham is doing his best Neville Chamberlain ‘Peace in our whine’ imitation as we saw yesterday.

As long as the best political weapon for the Democrats remains Moderates/RINO’s...I don’t see how we can fight the battle.

Watch and see who from the GOP pops up to blast any House Republican protesting the insane ‘economic stimulus bill’ which is anything BUT a stimulus package, folks.

Until the party puts these tepid Republicans on notice, this will continue.


10 posted on 01/23/2009 10:24:02 AM PST by Badeye (There are no 'great moments' in Moderate Political History. Only losses.)
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To: Welcome2thejungle

You saw a conservative republican? Where???


11 posted on 01/23/2009 10:24:29 AM PST by null and void (We are now in day 4 of our national holiday from reality.)
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To: Welcome2thejungle

Much as RINOs try....

< STFU RUDY>


12 posted on 01/23/2009 10:27:53 AM PST by Uncle Miltie (Dissent is Patriotic. Palin 2012!)
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To: Welcome2thejungle

There are TONS of “leftist”, RINO Republicans at the local and state levels all over the northeastern states as well as at a variety of political levels in many other parts of the U.S., so this idea that “leftist” Republicans are extinct is truly way off the mark. I would prefer that all Republicans, at all political levels, are truly conservative on all of the issues, but it really continues to not be the case.


13 posted on 01/23/2009 10:28:09 AM PST by johnthebaptistmoore (Conservatives obey the rules. Leftists cheat. Who probably has the political advantage?)
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To: Ikemeister
I love sending the RNC nasty notes back to them in prepaid solicitation letters.
14 posted on 01/23/2009 10:29:01 AM PST by TexasCajun
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To: Welcome2thejungle

Hear hear and well said.

The fact is that conservativism as a party needs many players with different roles. We need people who generate ideas, we need others who evangelize them, and we need people in public office who implement those ideas in legislation.

The only conservative successes in legislation we have had in recent decades have ALL been from Republican office-holders. welfare reform (under Gingrich), Bush tax cuts, Roberts and Alito appointments, etc.

The Republican platform is a strong one: Prolife, for limited Govt, for strong defense, for pro-growth low-tax economic policies, for traditional values. Because of the sad fact of the pull of the ‘people’ in other directions, some officeholders ‘lose their way’ in a vain attempt to follow the ‘will of the people’. We cannot fix that by taking our marbles and going home. We ARE the people too, and we fix that by: Kicking out underperforming officeholders in primaries (GOP) and general elections (vote GOP and kick out Dems).

Not all of us agree on all matters, but the old truism applies: UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. If you let minor differences divide you from others with whom you share common ground, then you will both end up powerless and victims of the agendas that you both will disagree with.

We should further point out that - HALF the conservative battle is defeating the left, and MOST of what the left wants is embodied in the Democrat party agenda. So simply DEFEATING THE DEMOCRATS is an issue as important for conservatives as any other. We will be reminded of the dangers of Democrat rule daily how that liberalism is running amok in Washington DC.

The ONLY SOLUTION FOR THIS IS A REPUBLICAN RESURGENCE. There is no other. Third parties are pipe dreams.

If you have some issues and are not happy with GOP on it, create a ‘splinter group’ that tries to influence the GOP in your direction. This is what the gay rights groups have done, the prolifers (NRTL) and pro-aborts (NARAL), the gun owners (NRA), etc. Join the special interest group that represents you.

There are certain personality types who will insist on perfection, who will insist on someone who agrees with them 100% before they support them. Since the only person who does this is yourself, I urge such personalities ... to run for office!


15 posted on 01/23/2009 10:31:06 AM PST by WOSG (Oppose bailouts, boondoggles, big Government, bad economy.)
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To: rightwingextremist1776

If you exclude every elected Republican official that ever voted against one of your pet projects (as YOU define them: RINOS)...you’ll be a party of 1.

We are ruled by “majorities”...not the far right...not the far left. To think otherwise is a prescription for failure. The Country is too big...and too diverse. The Party will ALWAYS welcome a wide range of thought...an no amount of grousing will change that.

Anyone who votes with us over 50% of the time...is welcome. Them’s the rules!


16 posted on 01/23/2009 10:31:31 AM PST by taxlady
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To: Vigilanteman

“Then why do McCain and his fellow RINOs like Lindsey Grahamnesty have to keep trying?”

It’s our job to fix such things in the primaries, to keep the Republican party true to its conservative platform and our conservative ideal.

We f’d up in 2008, but I believe that it was in some ways ‘cleansing’ - we always got heat from RINOs that the cure for the GOP was to run
‘winnable’ moderates....

In the 2008 Presidential primary, they ‘won’ the argument.

We can now use 2008 and John McCain as a poster child for why that is wrong and false.


17 posted on 01/23/2009 10:33:53 AM PST by WOSG (Oppose bailouts, boondoggles, big Government, bad economy.)
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To: Vigilanteman

To paraphrase Dick Cheney, ‘F*** McCain and his little Mini-me clone, Lindsey McGraham !!.’


18 posted on 01/23/2009 10:34:17 AM PST by TexasCajun
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To: Welcome2thejungle
"The simple fact remains that like it or not, the Republican Party is the only national institution of its size capable of effectively opposing the radical socialist agenda of BHO and the Democrats in Congress."

Capable, perhaps, but are they WILLING?

Uhhh..no.

19 posted on 01/23/2009 10:34:17 AM PST by Designer (We are SO scrood!)
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To: Welcome2thejungle
Great. Another stupid vanity by a newbie telling us how important the Republican Party is to conservatives.

Just what we need...

Yea, that's sarcasm.

The Republican Party has done a damned fine job of screwing the conservative movement over. F them.

L

20 posted on 01/23/2009 10:34:30 AM PST by Lurker ("America is at that awkward stage. " Claire Wolfe, call your office.)
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