Stick With President Bush In November (Good Reasons NOT To Stay At Home) (My Title)

Worldnetdaily.com ^ | 01/31/04 | Henry Lamb

[NittanyLion]

The existence of the welfare state has never troubled me.

Given the fact that 15% of my pay comes straight off the top for Social Security, Medicare, et al, it troubles me. And that doesn't even address income taxes.

Surely you realize there are folks out there who could better use this money to pay for their own expenses?

If you're still okay with these programs, have you considered what will happen as the baby boomer demographic becomes eligible for them?

[chris1]

oThe President for all Americans will not be President much longer if he continues this garbage. The Demos will not vote for him, and if he keeps screwing THOSE that got him there, they will sit home and he will lose. I would like to feel supportive again, but what good is fighting terrorism if you fail to fight the wholesale sell out of the country. And for your information, I live in NYC area and know full well about the lessons of 9/11. I also know about the effects of illegal immigration, government waste fraud and abuse, etc. And I am telling you, whether you want to accept it or not, that W will have a harder chance at re-election if he continues to try to be a Liberal because Liberals will vote for Liberals and Conservatives will stay home. If you look at the margins W won by in many areas, it was very close. From my vantage point, he has not won over enough independant voters to take the luxury of screwing those that got him elected in the first place.

[zook]

We've been having brass monkey warnings in Happy Valley for about the last three weeks. The snow is deep and icy, especially on my roof. We may break 30 this week. Heat wave.

As far as bad estimates of costs go, I think there's no problem being critical of Bush. But that also means giving consideration to whatever reasons he offers for the mis-estimate. But, for me, that's a far different question from whether or not I should vote for Bush. I have no doubts about that, given the alternatives.

[goldstategop]

Yes, "low balling" the cost since if the President proposed it with the higher actual estimate last year, it would never have made it out of the House. A lot of conservatives are saying "we told ya so." And if anything the White House is stubborn in refusing to the see the error of its pressuring Republicans to go along with a benefit that will cost a lot more than $530 billion in the next decade. What has the base riled up so much is so much isn't the perception President Bush is trying to buy Democratic votes at the expense of conservative principles but that he won't try to make them happy by listening to THEIR concerns. It seems like the President wants to repeat his father's mistakes with regards to policy on just about everything but cutting taxes.

[NittanyLion]

A lot of you guys would say Bush is a liberal who talks like a conservative.

I mean no disrespect, but on many domestic issues he's acting like a liberal. I'd say in the aggregate he's slightly left of center on domestic policy.

I certainly don't want to discount all the excellent work the administration has done in foreign policy, but if we look at domestic policy, the facts demonstrate that Bush is not a conservative.

[Trteamer]

I like President Bush less and less every day now. I not only feel abandoned, but have been. I feel like puking, but instead will just hold my nose and vote for him again. That is all I must do. The alternative is worse, not a whole lot worse, but worse.

As far as the future of the Republican Party I think we are at a crossroads. If the conservative base gets active, vocal, and picky with our campaign contributions, we might stand a chance of reversing the direction we are headed. If the conservative base jumps ship, or doesn't raise hell for liberal voting then we are doomed.

I am going to go to my state convention and raise a lot of hell. I may just FReep my own Republican state convention.
I may picket outside, then go vote inside.

[zook]

We'll see. I'd argue that the Bush people are highly sensitive to the fact that about 35% of voters really "hate" Bush. I think they fear that were Bush to play the staunch conservative, it would be easier for the hate Bush crowd to influence moderate Dems and independents.

[goldstategop]

I encourage you and every one else to take a stand. Perhaps the White House is going to be seen as a lost cause but there's every reason for conservatives to stay active and engaged and fight for the soul and direction of the Republican Party. Even if it means crossing a sitting President. Cheers!!!

[steve50]

I hate to say this, but I know of many seniors who abose the medicare program and go to the doctors like you and I go to the bathroom.

Most of these elderly paid some of the highest tax rates this nation has ever seen on the promise that these programs would be there for them in there old age. It's not their fault the government wasted the money charged to provide them. Spent mostly on feel good programs the younger generation demanded.

[NittanyLion]

We've been having brass monkey warnings in Happy Valley for about the last three weeks. The snow is deep and icy, especially on my roof. We may break 30 this week. Heat wave.

It's been cold even here in Richmond for the last two weeks, although we did get into the 40s a couple days. I remember those long, cold winters...

As far as bad estimates of costs go, I think there's no problem being critical of Bush. But that also means giving consideration to whatever reasons he offers for the mis-estimate. But, for me, that's a far different question from whether or not I should vote for Bush. I have no doubts about that, given the alternatives.

Bush will receive my vote in November, assuming nothing major occurs between now and then. What the GOP won't be getting is my money or time. I think that's the serious risk regarding a demoralization of the base; a small percent will stay home but a much larger percent will not participate in activism. (The same activism which is credited with the 2002 successes.)

[Erik Latranyi]

STRATEGERY

Strategery, my friends is what this is all about----think

1)Immigration - Bush's proposal is a modest worker program. However, it does scare the Dems into proposing full, blanket amnesty --- thereby alienating them from the public.

2) Presciption Drug - The program steals a huge issue from the Dems where Bush can claim progress versus the Dems lip-service. It contains an experiment for medical savings accounts --- an experiment that can be enacted if we keep a Republican majority.

3) Education - Bush allowed Kennedy to write the "No Child Left Behind Act" and has funded the money. The Dems will look like typical bigger-spenders in comparison.

The bottom line here is politics. If we want to change course, we need to be the majority party for years to come, not for 2 years (remember, we barely have the Senate for the last 2 years).

Bush can campaign on the fact that he increased spending, kept his promises, protected senior citizens, funded education. America can trust conservatives.

That will become the death knell for the Dems. They will move farther left aka Dean in the future and the Republicans will be able to enact their agenda with strong majorities.

[chris1]

I agree 100%. I put up yard signs, phone calls, donations, and feel totally betrayed. The immigration thing to me is the worst disaster I could imagine from him. It exemplifies so many dirty, negative things about politics and about where he would take us. Let him take in a few illegals into his house and see what he thinks. Para continuar en espanol, please press duo. I have heard that phrase so often, it makes me vomit.

[Sloth]

Conservatives should realize that it takes 60 senators to prevail over the Democrats' filibuster.

False. It takes 102 testicles.

[FirstPrinciple]

They treat conservatives like the Democrat party treats blacks.

[NittanyLion]

False. It takes 102 testicles.

For a total of 104 in the Senate (don't forget to add Hillary's two).

[chris1]

Not even close, the marginal rate was high, but so few ever paid that. In real dollars, in doesn't even amount to a drop in the bucket. Someone who is 75 and been collecting for 10 years did not even pay close to a fraction of the amount he or she has taken out. Not even close.

[goldstategop]

You're right about all of this. We can't simply have these programs continue on auto-pilot. If we going to have a health care system and provide for people in their old age we've got to get away from the model government knows best. Empowering individuals and families is the answer. That's the only way we will be able to deal with the inevitable baby boomer demographic in the future. The big government welfare state won't be sustainable over the long run and neither the President nor the Democrats face up to the fact absent changes the only way to keep it running is to raise taxes or cut benefits or most likely, a combo of the two.

[Sloth]

Two? She's got a lockbox full of 'em.

[The Wizard]

no one is perfect....and republican that would stay home or do the unthinkable is a traitor....

[chris1]

Amen. The failure to recognize this fact is same of pushing the current mess. More expensive programs, less quality and accessibility of service.