Republicans DeLayed: The GOP leadership deficit is one of ideas, not ethics

Opinion Journal (Wall Street Journal) ^ | October 1, 2005 | WSJ Editorial Staff

[Wombat101]

"I agree with your idea, but would expand on it by noting that the GOP has become a conservative marketing organization, not a conservative political party. Very good at marketing the idea of conservative ideas. But in no rush to actually implement them."

Ah, you nailed the present predicament of both political parties --- good public relations over good public policy. We have finally arrived at that point where form has trimuphed over substance.

Please note that it was always a foregone conclusion that if either party ever actually managed to implement what they said they stood for that there would be a revolt. We're down to scoring points on style because there are no points to be gained on efficacy.

Hence, you get republicans touting things like "No Child Left Behind" which has that warm-fuzzy liberal ring to it: it's short (less than four words) and thus easy to remember and repeat, deliberately vague, and entails an expansion of government and more wasted money. However, we did get that republican-focus-grouped language about "accountability" in there, and get to pound home all the conservative mantras about education being the key to success, etc, and so we fail to recognize it for what it is: ultimately-ineffective-democratic-claptrap-dressed-up-in-a-republican-wrapper.

But it got us elected and keeps us in power. Never mind that it's very existance and mechanism defies the term "conservative". It's a product of the political enviornment that republicans find themselves operating in, and I don't which is sadder: that we feel we have to behave this way or that we do.

[goldstategop]

The GOP has become the party of pork and big government. If we lose control of Congress next year or find our House margin slashed, it could provide a much needed wake up call to a complacent leadership. The mid-term elections are around the corner and DeLay's troubles are signs of the party's rot after a decade in power. What's saving the party for now is the Democrats' lack of ideas and move to the extreme Left but it shouldn't be counted on forever. At some point, the Republican leadership has a decision to make: what kind of America do Republicans want?

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[EveningStar]

Self-criticism is not necessarily "eating our ourselves." It took the Democrats many decades to reach the level of smug satisfaction and overconfidence that set them up for their defeat. It's taken the GOP less than 10 years to reach this point.

[Les_Miserables]

Well we'll get a look at his logic this weekend in Georgia. Midnight tonight the 15 cent Georgia gas tax the Gov Perdue waived two weeks ago gets reinstated. If the price elevates by the same amount and stays there maybe Armey was right.

[Les_Miserables]

I agree. If we count the successes of the Republican jugernaught there are too few. Tax cut (temporary at that and we still didn't get the death tax done.) PBA ban that is tied up in the Federal Courts, and maybe a constructionist SCOTUS justice. Of the three the latter is by far the most important but yet to be proven. The failures are too numerous to mention and we now risk going into the '06 elections with our biggest strength being how nasty the Democrats are...whadda deal.

[Sometimes A River]

It won't, b/c of competition.

And, ASSUMING they wouldn't lower prices, SO WHAT? Money in the hands of private entitites is ALWAYS better than money in the hands of Government.

Using his absurd logic, no sales tax decrease, or business tax decrease would ever be in order, because they would just pocket the difference.

Some "Conservative."

Excuse me while I puke.

[danamco]

Stop eating ourselves! Remember that we shouldn't have won without people like Rove and DeLay! We also have a lot of ideas. The problem is that our Congress hasn't realized our conservative agenda. The faster the better on taxes, justice (trials...), defense.


To all: Please remember they did the same to the grand architect of "Contract of America" bringing the Republicans to power in 1994, Newt Gingrich! David Bonier used all his efforts to bring down Newt with similar tactics and succeeded.The dims have NO ideas in the political arena, yet they call themselves "Progressive" and they uses this form of progressiveness on personal destructions of our elected officials because they cannot beat us at the ballot box anymore for lack of ideas that the American people can vote for. In opinion nobody have done more to further the Conservatives ideas than Newt Gingrich and Rush Limbaugh. Just think about it how the playing field today would look like if you DON'T have Rush 3 hours everyday for nearly 20 years of setting the liberal lies in prospective so most American can get their eyes opened every day and get the real truth we never get from the LSM!!!

[onyx]

Slash spending.

[EveningStar]

They can't do that. They might be mistaken for Republicans.

[gcruse]

nobody have done more to further the Conservatives ideas than Newt Gingrich...

...whom social conservatives slaughtered and hung from the rafters.  Now they bitch about a free-spending Congress. Wailing over lost wars is pathetic when you've killed your own generals.