Posted on 11/08/2006 6:49:46 PM PST by MWS
I posted this on another thread, but I decided it needs a thread of its own. If you don't like what I have to say, just let it die... no use bumping up junk with negative responses.
Conservatism does not lose. When it comes down to brass tacks, I firmly believe that Americans want conservatism. If the Republican Party has lost, it has been insofar as the Republican Party has left sound conservative principle.
What I am going to say is going to make me quite unpopular around here. I'm certainly not a "troll" though... I've been here since May 2001 and was VK when VK was just becoming "cool". I have no love of Liberals or Liberalism - I've never voted for a Democrat in my life.
I think, however, that it is of the utmost importance that we, as Conservatives, evaluate wherein we have deserted the Fundamental Principles of Conservatism. Now, I know that one's first impulse is to jump to questioning RINOs, moderates, and "Liberal Republicans"... but such thinking is every bit as much flawed as blaming the MSM or the Democrats. That's a "blame others" approach, and that's not what we, as Republicans, do.
The fact is, we, as the "Republican Base", have deserted Conservative Principle, at least insofar as the perception of the American people are concerned. Perception matters. I'm not saying that any of us have stopped being Conservative, but rather that we have not shown how what we have supported over the past few years has been connected to fundamental Conservative thought.
For example, Conservatism isn't about building governments in other countries. President Bush ran on that in 2000. Now, necessity arose due to 9/11 where we had to build governments in both Afghanistan and Iraq. While it was necessary, one cannot argue that it is traditional Conservative Principle, unless one argues that 9/11 spelled the end for such principles. As far as many Americans are concerned, we've been using approaches similiar to those embraced by the Democrats - "the Government solves problems".
Don't misunderstand me - I'm not saying that's what we've actually done, merely that somehow we've allowed that impression to get out to the American people. We've allowed the American people to get the impression that the Republican Party stands for nation building, warrantless wiretapping, imprisonment without trial, stealing candy from babies, ETC. That's NOT what we're about. Heck, it's not even what we've been doing the past several years. But that is the impression we've allowed to get out, and perception is everything. Somehow or another, the Democrats have trumped us in appearing to be the "conservative party" on these issues.
We have ourselves to blame here. Not the RINOs, not the "moderates", not the "liberal Republicans" or the "MSM"... we screwed up. I firmly believe that each and every person here is of a strong enough character to admit that fact so that we can take the blame on our own shoulders. We have got to act more Conservatively... and when we do, we need to make a better explanation to the American people WHY what we do is in accordance with true Conservative principle.
I made the comparison on another thread, and I'll make it again. This is equivalent to buying a brand new refrigerator, stocking it with food and beer for Thanksgiving, and having it break down the night before. Now, one can get p***ed off, and rightfully so, especially when one is cleaning up the mess. But eventually, the man with character realizes that he needs to fix the fridge and make new plans for the next night. Wallowing in problems and blaming others is the Democratic approach to problems - Republicans self-examine and fix the damn thing.
So let's fix this problem so it doesn't happen again in 2008!!!
I just have my opinions and wanted to put them down.
I think the main lesson was that you can't fight a pc war and expect the country to stick with that approach indefinitely. Patton said it - "Americans love a winner." They want to hear how we're going to win, and they want to see results. For whatever reason, they weren't hearing that or seeing that, and the upshot is they fired the Republicans.
btt
When we started the war in Iraq, we had the will and the means to win.
The liberals and the MSM fought a war against the war, and they've won.
Now it's up to them to tell us how they're going to protect us.
Me?
I think the next shooting war is going to be in this country...
What do you mean, "WE", Kimosabe?
I joke, but you underestimate the opposition.
Right. We're to blame. We've been the only ones making the case for Iraq while the leadership hid and claimed the Dems were patriotic and Islam is "peaceful".
I think we did damn well considering we got NO help from them for years.
I think the next shooting war is going to be in this country
Next time don't elect a RINO to be president. GW told us what he was going to do, with his no child left behind. 11 ADDITIONAL billion to Ted Kennedy to write it & get credit for it. Then he & Rove were so cool he advocated the Sr. prescription drug plan, etc. Now what do you think his underlings in his party are to do? Vote against these. No, the bubbleheads just cheered at the signing. Look at the mess the pubbies have themselves into in Kalifornia. This idiot governor has set the party back 20 yrs. It really doesn't matter. There is no possible way that this corrupt "Two-Party Cartel" is going to allow any other party to flourish & they are going to screen each & every candidate to bow to either the union thgs or big business - neither who have our interest at heart. The oligarcy is alive & doing its job.
I firmly believe that Americans want conservative leaders who lead as conservatives! Not politicians who run around like chickens with their heads cut off, blaming other conservatives for their failures!
Don't believe me? Name the conservative leaders who fought conservatism? Then, name the liberal leaders who fought liberalism (forget Lieberman and Zell, they are rare exceptions)?
It's no wonder that they confused the hell out of the conservative base!
We tried. We were on our own with few to help us.
But it seems to me that we must have tripped up somehow... if we were making as good and as strong a case as we thought, it should have convinced more voters. We can either blame the voters for "just not getting the point" or we can blame ourselves for somehow failing to get the point across to them in a convincing manner.
I DON'T like thinking like this. But we, as Conservative Republicans, ARE the Party of the American People. I firmly believe that we represent their aspirations for this country, when they actually sit and think instead of reacting according to emotion. When we lose, we must sit and consider how we failed to get our message across, not on the ways by which others failed us.
It is this approach that has always been our greatest strength as conservatives, and it is this approach that will lead us to fix our mistakes so we can be victorious in two more years!
What do you propose or suggest?
To strike a note of discontent, to strike out not at the leadership, but at the led, is a bit disingenuous, is it not?
I am not striking out at you, but at the problem we now face.
Bush has not been a successful leader (domestically), because he has abandoned that which brought him here......... a longing for true conservatism, even if wrapped in a "more appealing" package.
Many here refuse to vote for some Rhino's (McCain, Guiliani come to mind), but considering the opposition, what choice do we have?
What we need, is leadership, across the board, that recognizes this weakness.
What we need, is another Ronald Reagan................
I'll tell you guys something.
It took Democrats years to see even SOME of their mistakes after their brutal defeat in '94. Even as far as that's concerned, they've still missed the mark on much of what makes them fail as a Party.
We as Republicans are catching onto our mistakes after one day. We're going to adapt, and we're going to shock those that doubt us in the next election.
This is what distinguishes us from them. They go home and sulk and cry. We go home, vent a little, and then think about where we went wrong and what needs to be fixed.
They are overconfident even as we speak. They are going to be overconfident for the next two years, expecting that the situation can only get better for them.
They are going to be "shocked and awed" by how badly they fail in 2008, mark my words.
Seems like a ripe time for the
Libertarian party to seriously engage.
And you're right, of course.
Unfortunately, I wish I had the solutions, but I'm not certain I do. I just know that we as Republicans are smart enough to sit down and think regarding wherein we have failed... and I have faith that there are those smarter than myself whom will figure out the solutions.
I don't believe for an instant that this was a failure of conservative policy. As Rush pointed out, the Democrats successfully ran on conservative platforms... or at least what appeared to be conservative platforms.
What I believe we, both we the led and our leadership (which has failed us and has paid the price), must do is take a step back and make a firm assessment of what we have done since 2001 that has been in accordance with conservative principles. We must humbly admit wherein we have failed, no matter how painful it may be, and we must formulate sound reasons insofar as we have been loyal to conservative principle where the American people have failed to see our actions as such.
This cannot be done by one man, or even a dozen - it must be done by all of us as Conservative Republicans whom care about the well-being and the future of this country. It is a collective effort on the part of us all... I don't think it can be delegated to our so-called "leadership".
I can respect Libertarians and the Libertarian Party, but I'm a Republican - a Conservative Republican. I'm proud of that fact. I WANT to see the Republican Party flourish and acheive all that it can.
Our system has always leaned towards favoring "two parties", and perhaps that's simply a reflection of reality's "dualities", so to speak.
Personally, I'd prefer those two parties to be the Republican Party and the Libertarian Party than the Libertarian Party and the Democratic Party.
I firmly believe that Republicans and Libertarians need to work together to bring that reality to pass. First things first, however - we need to collectively take out that third party that calls itself "Democratic" before anything else.
I sure hope not...
I mean, it'd be a massacre.
Dem Dems got no guns! ;)
... I don't think it can be delegated to our so-called "leadership".
The focus is always on the "Leadership" be it the American voter, MSM, or the World.
We Conservatives need be more active in communicating our will to our representatives, as well we must raise the level of consciousness of our "Leaders" when we see them straying from that which is our will.
You know, this thread is a prime example of why I am proud to be both a Conservative and a FReeper.
It takes character to be willing to examine and admit mistakes, and I knew that so many of you here have that sort of character in you.
THIS is the reason I don't despair - we're not going to LET the Democrats screw things up over the next couple of years. We learn from our mistakes swiftly and move to fix them.
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.