Republicans need to make room for moderates

Seattl P-I ^ | 01/16/2004 | Gov. Christine Whitman

[Dog Gone]

That's a rather bizarre assessment. My experience with "evangelicals" leaves me with the impression that they ALSO tend to favor smaller government, states' rights, fiscal responsibility (balanced budgets, etc.) etc. etc.

In the GOP, you find far more people who are one-issue voters among the social conservatives, primarily on the issues of guns and/or abortions. They'd vote for a Democrat or worse who shares their view over a Republican who didn't. We see it here every election cycle.

You're certainly correct that many "evangelicals" share the fiscal responsibility philosophy, but when you're prioritizing issues, the social issues generally come first.

In that context, the comment isn't bizarre at all.

[Dan from Michigan]

For those that don't know me or my stances...I would fall under the RINO category, but I am a partisan Republican that espouses limited government, fiscal conservativism and responsibility and a strong national defense. I don't mind paying taxes, but I HATE to see waste of any kind. I cherish the environment and support fair, legal immigration and support Choice in most things from school, guns, lifestyle, that does not hurt other people

That sounds like a libertarian leaning republican more than a 'moderate'. I have no problems with them and have a strong libertarian streak myself.

That's a lot different than the gun grabbing, tax loving moderates like the Jersey crew who sabotaged Bret Schundler's campaign.

[Willie Green]

In the GOP, you find far more people who are one-issue voters among the social conservatives, primarily on the issues of guns and/or abortions.

Perhaps.
But even then, I have more in common with the "one-issue-voters" with passionate conservatism than I do with mantra-chanting 'bot cheerleaders who constantly make excuses for abandoning conservative principles.

[Dog Gone]

Yes, those of us who have been around here long enough to understand where you're coming from won't disagree with that.

You're no RINO. Of course, you're no Republican, either, as we well know. Who are you supporting this November now that Buchanan destroyed the Reform Party? Do you have a candidate?

[Willie Green]

Of course, you're no Republican, either

Actually, I am, once again.
Nevada election law is different than Michigan, so it made sense to register GOP when I moved so I would be eligible to participate in the primaries.
I'll have to see who's on the ballot when the time comes.
A week or so ago I saw a thread that discussed a GOP primary challenger to Bush somewhere up in New England, but I don't know much about him yet. I voted for Alan Keyes in the primary the last time around. But I'm willing to consider 3rd parties, such as the Constitution Party. And I can always write-in my own choice: PJB or Keyes or Tom Monaghan or William R. Hawkins or Alan Tonelson or...

Well, I can easily come up with quite a few names that I can seriously cast my vote for as a write-in whether they're actually running or not.
I'd rather cast my vote for somebody that I respect than somebody where I'd have to hold my nose and pick the lesser of two evils. I just don't have the stomach for that anymore. Even if "my" write-in candidate loses, at least I can sleep with a clear conscience.

[Dog Gone]

You're far more of an idealist than I am, Willie. I want my vote to affect the outcome.

Your approach has a lot going for it, also, and if it makes you sleep better I'm not going to criticize it as a personal choice.

[tpaine]

"I am a partisan Republican that espouses limited government, fiscal conservativism and responsibility and a strong national defense.
I don't mind paying taxes, but I HATE to see waste of any kind. I cherish the environment and support fair, legal immigration and support Choice in most things from school, guns, lifestyle, that does not hurt other people.
Morality should be taught from the home and the pulpit, but not legislated by politicans. Tolerance and diversity should be key as everyone has a story and a right to live the American Dream.
-Abram-

---

You're a constitutionalist..

Typically, FR's single issue radicals are raking you over the coals.. -- Forgive them, they know not what they do..

[Willie Green]

You're far more of an idealist than I am, Willie. I want my vote to affect the outcome.

Oh, I don't know that I'm an "idealist".
But I am firm in my convictions...
And sooner or later there comes a time when you gotta draw a line somewhere.

I was 19 when ratification of the 26th Amendment enabled me to first register GOP. That awesome right must've made quite an impression on me because I've always taken it very seriously. It's just that in the 33 years since then, the GOP has continually drifted leftward and I grew tired of being sold-out and back-stabbed.

I cherish my vote too much to disgrace it with a "protest vote" for Mickey Mouse or some other such idiocy. But as long as I can at least write-in the name of an actual person whose opinion I respect, it doesn't even matter to me whether they're running or not. I'll won't throw away my vote on somebody who has lost my respect.

[speekinout]

I would fall under the RINO category, but I am a partisan Republican that espouses limited government, fiscal conservativism and responsibility and a strong national defense

I'm in the same category. I probably don't agree with you on everything, but I do get called a RINO.
I've never figured out exactly who it is who gets to define what a "true Conservative" is. But the people who seem to know always find me lacking on one issue or another. :-)

[Spiff]

Moderation in the protection of liberty is no virtue; extremism in the defense of freedom is no vice. - Barry Goldwater

Screw the moderates. - Spiff

[Jorge]

Riiiiiiiiight! If spending is any indicator, then BILL CLINTON is more conservative than G W Bush! The Republican party is infested with liberals (and G W Bush is among them).

If spending is your ONLY indicator, then you might be right.
But only if you ignore all the other issues GW Bush is super conservative on.

[Kevin Curry]

Whitman's the one who wants to bring in the "darkies" as two-year indentured servants to clean her toilets. She may be a compassionate racist, but she's a racist nonetheless.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

LOL!

[Willie Green]

But only if you ignore all the other issues GW Bush is super conservative on.

Bush and education: 'Compassionate' follies

[xrp]

Spending is the direct evidence of him NOT being "super conservative". Case in point:

Taxpayer money going to fight Africa AIDS.

Increase of the Dept of Education budget (the Dept would be eliminated by a conservative)

Increase in Dept of Agriculture subsidies

Money for "faith based" charities

Money to promote marriage

About the only conservative thing George Bush has done is cut taxes. A true conservative would cut the federal budget by a couple of hundred billion dollars as well.

[Lazamataz]

Republicans need to make room for moderates

Keerist! That's all they got in that party these days! Any time I object to massive prescription drug benefits or universal health care insurance or renewing the assault weapons ban, I'm told to sit down and STFU.

Then I'm told it's strategery.

I guess 'strategey' is code-speak for becoming a liberal.

[NH Liberty]

What happened to this article? I've tried everything to find it, but it seems like the article is no longer available on the Seattle P.I. site.

Do you happen to have a copy of the whole thing?

Thanks.

[Pietro]

"Morality should be taught from the home and the pulpit, but not legislated by politicans."

An amoral society is impossible. Ours will be either moral or immoral.

While it is true we cannot, nor should we, try to legislate morality, we certainly can, and do, give immorality a green light. And then we wonder; whatever happened to civility?

Fiscal responsibility is important, but in the absence of a strong moral foundation it's absolutely worthless. I would ask you to consider the costs of abortion, the costs of sexual saturation, the willful distruction of traditional families and traditions in general. We're not living in a laboratory, the decisions we make have real long term, often irreversible consequences.

Consider well your priorities, what value is there in gaining the whole world and yet losing your immortal soul? That is the question facing our nation, and sadly, a large portion of the population doesn't even posess the wit to measure its dimensions.

[Abram]

Bizarre...the conservatives of the Party must have deleted it.:o) Sorry, I did not save the article. The P-I is communist run so it surprises me that they did not keep the piece up longer than this.

[Abram]

I appreciate your take, but the Founding Fathers established the Constitution to keep a clear delineation between church and state. Just because there is a truly "secular" government does not mean that it is immoral. Righteous men/women can lead the country based on the tenants of morality and honest living...but forcing people to believe or follow one way of thought is no better than the mullahs of Iran. We differ in thought...this is human as I really don't believe that you will meet to people that believe exactly the same in their hearts anywhere.
Keep religion in the homes and churches and morality in life..the workplace, and the government, but don't force me to live your set of morality. We need a basic foundation of what is right and wrong and let people live/grow based on the tenants that their heart leads them.
I would not want your Christian ideal to override my Christian ideals that are probably very different from each other...but what if I were Jewish or Muslim? Is your right more right than mine? Who's right is going to be legislated?