Posted on 10/12/2005 6:06:38 PM PDT by quidnunc
Try this for a picture:
The nation with a President whose Investor's Business Daily Leadership Index stands at 41, a 9-point plunge since August; Republicans, who during his presidency have rated him as high as 95, now rate him at only 79. Declining support for the American presence in Iraq. Deficit spending at record levels, with more to come for Katrina recovery. Gasoline at $3 per gallon, and big jitters over the prospect of winter heating bills double those of just a year ago.
-snip-
So what is it about this, perhaps the fastest fall in presidential approval?
The ideologization of the right.
For decades, a conservative ideology — a set of "correct" beliefs forming a lens through which one views reality — did not exist. The conservative movement, such as it was, contained former Communists and anti-Communists, free marketers and compassionists and private-sector welfarists; unionists (Ronald Reagan's "hardhats") and those driven by a commitment to the Taft-Hartley Law's section 14-B; Burkeans, traditionalists, libertarians, religionists, and believers in living one's life according to an individualized secular virtue; neo-con refugees from the liberal swamp.
The conservative umbrella kept the rain off all these disparates; the conservative tent had room for just about anyone.
Conservatives took over the Republican Party and drove it to political power. On their way to consolidating power, two things happened. (1) They demonstrated time and again that they were not particularly good at government — that in many ways they don't do the governing thing well, often not so well as liberal Democrats. (2) They coalesced around a set of views and values one generally had to embrace in order to have one's claim of allegiance to the conservative flag accepted.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at timesdispatch.com ...
Pragmatic Conservatism Is The Only Way for a Long Lasting Conservative Majority.
In other words more socialism just brought to you under a different name. Sheesh with guys like you around this country is done for.
"....and since then the GOP has won the Congress and state governorship since 1994 then the White House in 2000 and 2004."
And squandered nearly every opportunity as well as just about driven the GOP into the scrap heap of history.
Good lookin' out.....
not.
Well said.
Agree 100% on adding the word "comapssionate".
Agree 100% on adding the word "compassionate".
"Do you know the reason why 30% of conservatives are against the anti-Miers nomination? It is because they did not get the BLOODY battle that they were waiting for with liberals. They want a fight more than anything else. They want an openly know conservative judge so they will drive the liberals and the media insane and in raged with hate and they in turn will spew anger and hate toward liberals. Although there is over 80% chance of losing the war of Uetting the conservative judge on the Supreme Court because of liberal and RINO senators, but it seems that winning the war for them is not the goal but rather the emotional intensity of fighting a bloody war with the left."
ummmm, that would be a big fat "wrong"
speak for yourself, please.
The country has a bag over its head, and can't see anything but its own breath.
This, too, shall pass.
it's no more delusional this this gem:
""Do you know the reason why 30% of conservatives are against the anti-Miers nomination? It is because they did not get the BLOODY battle that they were waiting for with liberals. They want a fight more than anything else. They want an openly know conservative judge so they will drive the liberals and the media insane and in raged with hate and they in turn will spew anger and hate toward liberals. Although there is over 80% chance of losing the war of Uetting the conservative judge on the Supreme Court because of liberal and RINO senators, but it seems that winning the war for them is not the goal but rather the emotional intensity of fighting a bloody war with the left."
but at least I humoured you with a reply....
LOL
Baloney. Bill Clinton beat George H. W. "Read my lips" Bush. The stuff you are talking about is what lost the White House in the first instance.
Well ya see, some of the things that are important to me are blah, blah, blah to you...And yes, I am one of those 45% of Independants that voted for Bush to keep Gore and Kerry out of the White House...
I left the Republican Party when Big George pointed us toward the New World Order...And I'm proud of it...
And, as I said, without our vote, Kerry would be running the show right now...
You crack me up. As a self professed conservative centrist, the more that I see of the "toe the line or get out" crowd; the more likely it becomes that there will be a yang to Reagans ying. Right now my appraisal of the Republican party is that they can firmly say they are not liberal Democrats. That is about it.
Clinton was elected twice without ever getting more than 50% of the vote. His use of "triangulation" involved moving away from his own party and appealing more to the middle. Under Clinton, the Dems lost control of the House for the first time in 40 years and they were unable to get it back the rest of his term and during Bush 43's tenure to date. Clinton was a disaster for the Dem party.
Heh. Excellent point.
We need Zell Miller to return to the spotlight and explain all over again why the democrats have fallen into failure, this time for the benefit of the moderate democrat party. Ooops I mean the republicans.
But, my friend, GW is pi$$ing off most conservatives, not just 'ultra' conservatives who followed Buchanan. Meirs is the latest example of that and GW had the audacity to send his lovely wife out to the talk circuit to endorse his decision???? Then there is that little CFR bill that he signed that severely limited my rights to free political speech? Then there is the border that he refuses to close to illegal aliens? Then there is his unwillingness to place Katrina blame where it ought to be placed, at the hands of a certain governor and mayor? Then there is his unwillingness to do anything about the cost of energy which is going to cause heartache, if not illness, to many senior citizens in the coming months?
I voted for GW twice and am glad that I had a hand in keeping Gore and Kerry from the wheel. But when I ask myself if I am better off now than I was in January of 2000, the answer is clearly an 'absolutely not!' Then I ask myself, 'WHY'....
Laugh as much as you want, I stand by my post. The power of hate that is driving most on the left and some on the right is very destructive and it can lead to extremely irrational and destructive thoughts and actions.
I'll agree 100% on the spelling "comapassionate"
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.