Posted on 03/18/2006 5:57:16 PM PST by ChessMan
What have we accomplished that we, as conservatives, see as goals since 2000?
And no - this is not a "let's bash Bush" thread - it is an assessment thread.
Locally and nationally during the clinton years I was quite upset at how some things were going. From 'outcome based education' to Waco to Aldrich to new laws post-Okie City. I worked on a local level with Republican reps to defeat several items (OBE being one such item).
I would be remiss if I did not say I was somewhat disappointed in some areas (Locally in Ohio and Nationally) with how things are going.
Does this mean I would not vote republican in next election? Hell no.
But I am a manager (IT) and I employ quite a few people - many of whom I have personally picked for their positions. Each quarter I assess them - like I am hoping we can do now internally (ie - I would rather have a bad Republican than a good Democrat).
It's 2006 - how have our elected (read - Employed by us) officials done compared to how we think they should have done?
There are a lot of areas to grade on - War on terrorism, Shrinking government, less taxes, economy in general, trade, immigration, et al.
War on Terror - we have done more than the dems would ever do, we have taken action instead of feel good legislation.
Immigration - a D-, how hard can it be???
Personal liberty and freedom - a D- to an F: Come on, my 4 year old is searched at airports and wife is on watch list because of some mix up with SS#. Smoking is banned nearly everywhere, and I am sure we can all find other examples (although I would say most are in CA and in liberal bastions).
Shrinking Government? An F.
Dems would all be F- on all this, across the board. So I am not wanting a 'bash the republicans thread' but more a real assessment of what people here on FR think - where are we, where do we need to go, and who do we need to replace and with whom?
I have been a voting republican since 1984. Still am, will continue to. If you want to flame me for how long I have been here - well, this is a new name (lost old login from 2000) and I have no plans on helping dems - ever - because that is a losing cause no matter how you slice it.
But I think internally we have a lot of house cleaning to do - and from threads here I am guessing many here on FR think we do as well.
What is the problem, and why??? Why aren't we where we wanted to be by now?
My fear is the move to the middle - trying to appease all versus principle. Trying to make too many people happy while abandoning the core principles we hold. Why does this happen? How can we stop it?
Maybe I am just frustrated that even in today's world (we own the White House and Congress) we are not making the gains I had hoped we would.
Then again, maybe I am just not doing enough myself.
A+ for the justices
TROLL!!!!
Jk.
Yea i've been dissapointed with the growth of government in general and the border. I live on the border too(san diego) so i see the rampant illegal immigration.
B/B+ on tax cuts.
I'll give an A- for foreign issues and a D- for domestic issues.
What have any politicians done for us since 2000 that wasn't in their best interests?
Higher grade on foreign issues but a D to F on domestic issues. I will be voting in 2006 but I must admit I am far from being excited as I was in 2000 and 2002. I'm sure I will have to force myself to go to the polls. Knowing how I feel I cant help but wonder how many conservatives will stay home in Nov. 2006.
http://jednet207.tripod.com/PoliticalLinks.html
The problem is the GOP conservatives are not the majority in this country. We need the moderates and independents to win elections. Independents love our low taxes, but many want government programs also. The GOP is trying to cater to them with big government programs to stay in power. The other problem is about half the eligible voters bother to register to vote. Question is why don't the other half register? About 40 percent of the register voters do not vote in elections. Question is why don't these registered voters bother to vote? The GOP conservatives need to tap into this group of nonvoters (Perot manage to activate a number of them when he ran) to counter the independents and moderates.
My grades...
A- on court picks (would be an A+ but for Harriet Miers)
B+ on the economy
B on foreign policy (inconsistencies kill another potential A)
D- on budget issues
F on border issues
F- on media relations... he should have kicked some butt coming out of the gate, instead he's getting his own handed to him
A for tax cuts.
A for judges.
A for keeping the economy going in spite of katrina, 60 dollar oil, new competition from china and india, recovering from 9-11 and recovering from the internet stock bubble.
A for better integity in the stock market.
C for over spending.
C for mixed results in Iraq.
A for no terrorists attacks in the US, unlike spain, England, indonesia, Bali, india, pakistan, russia, etc.
Republicans have earned a D minus. If this was a theatre you should ask for your money back. Instead of less government, they have spent more than a drunken sailor with three whores on shore leave. Instead of more freedom they have delivered federal government enpansion at every level. They did not dismantle the UN (limb from stinking limb) when they had a chance - they rescued it so "they" could better influence it (short-term thinking). They even federalized airport security and the response to weather crises. They added a Prescription Drug plan for Seniors that the Rats can say is confusing and have a platform for progressive clarification over the years to come. They voted for the elimination of free speech in election cycles, right about the time when you'd think you'd need it.
Judges A- (deduction for Harriet Miers, and the number of Appeals judges languishing in committee)
Economy B+ (almost as hot as Angelina Jolie, if only the tax cuts were permanent)
Spending F
Illegal Immigaration F (I'm being pre-emptive on this on)
Alito and Roberts. Dan Rather gone. Ted Koppel gone. Tom Brokaw gone. Peter Jennings gone. Tom Daschle gone. Dick Gephardt gone. Tax Burden lowered to 16.3% of the GDP and government spending reduced to 19.8% of the GDP (lower than even Reagan's presidency).
A+ for integrity and the war in not having terrorist run up and down my block demanding my head!
Mind you, if they were in my area trying to take my head, they would not be alive themselves that long. :)
Small editing suggestion...
What have any politicians done for us since 1776 that wasn't in their best interests?"
I was trying not to speak ill of the dead.
Well put!
2. We have one more strict constructionist Justice on the SC than we did when Bush took office. If a Democrat had been in the White House this term we would now have only 2 strict constructionists on the court, and Stevens and Ginsberg would probably have retired by now in order to allow themselves to be replaced by younger and healthier liberals who would keep the court liberal for another generation or more.
I can think of many other good things the Republicans have done since 2000, such as allowing the AWB to sunset just for 1 example, but those 2 I mentioned are the most important to me.
You know what makes me wonder though - we have spent a lot but dems are still whining, one would think they would be happy with all that spending.
I shudder to think how much more spending there would have been had dems been in power.
But yes, it has been too much for my liking as well.
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