Posted on 11/09/2005 4:50:09 PM PST by zbigreddogz
Let's just be honest about it: 2005 was a disaster for Republicans and conservatives.
No, we never really had a chance in Jersey, even though it looked like it, but we got beaten even worse then we should have.
Kilgore blew the Virginia race. Yes, Warner's popularity was big, and yes, it's an off year election, and no, Bush isn't at the height of his popularity, but this race was mainly Kilgore's fault. Why did this happen though? What made him think he could run Hitler ads and piss off the NRA and get away with it?
California was almost a complete disaster. We lost every initiative. Sure, we made the Unions blow their wad to beat it, but they got what they paied for.
Washington State was a disaster too. I-912, repealing the outrageously expensive gas tax hike to fund undefined, unaccountable transportation projects appears to have lost, and King County Executive Ron Sims, who essentially fixed the last Governor's race for Christine Gregoire (D), was re-elected as well.
Sure, there were bright spots. Bloomberg coasted to re-election (yes, I know he's a RINO on a lot of issues, but he's still FAR better then NY D's.), we won the Mayor's race in San Diego, which isn't a small matter, and the Manchester, NH mayor's race is very interesting too, seeming as how Kerry, Biden and such campaigned for the D.
But all said and done, it seems to me that this was a much worse year for us then 2001. This is like 2003 was for the Dems. Sure, they got a few neat things (Lousiana Governor's mansion, although I think they regret that now, and Philadelphia Mayor's race), but overall, it was a good year for us going into a very important year. It seems to me, we need to think of the implications of this year, and figure out what do to from here.
I don't think I'm being overly pessimistic, I'm not. I don't think the Dems are going to get either house back next year, but to make sure they don't, I think we need to reflect a little. These aren't simple 'Drive the RINO's out!' questions, or 'Run more moderates' or any such BS. Top down, what do we need to do differently?
Thanks for that little insight.
I wouldn't be worried about the Hackett scare in a vaccume, but that, coupled with everything else, cannot be good news.
It's not doomsday, but it's not good news.
The county originally named in 1852 for William Rufus King, Vice President for President Franklin Pierce.
I hope you are right. Without paycheck protection, I'm not sure the Unions really do have a spending limit.
That said, what initiatives are we gonna put up in '06? The same ones again?
The Democrats promise to govern like conservatives to capture the middle, and then they govern to appease their leftist base.
I'm not so sure that's all that different from what the pubs have been doing.
I think part of the reason for the concern is not just the results per se, but that they were lackluster, and everybody knows there is a foul mood out there among the electorate on the right.
To say everything is ok, go back to sleep is not a winning strategy. And I am not saying you are doing this, Marcus, but it is all over the thread.
Good points!
Thwacked?
Thwacked is when the cricket guy protects the things
and hits the ball. Thwacked is what Babe Ruth hit
the ball into the stands or over the wall.
We didn't get thwacked. The Dems held onto two
governorships and Gov Arn (I can't spell his last
name consistently) didn't have anyone supporting
him who had money who could match the unions.
We got a Texas governor and defeated the Dem
baloney about reform that was gerrymandering.
Now what?
We charge full bore into the breach and light
fires under our Senators and Congesscritters
and make them pay a price for their limp-wristed
efforts. We do the same to the President when
he doesn't hold to our principles--otherwise, we
ride behind him and protect his back.
We keep punching ahd kicking until the Dems
go down. They will go down.
And, for gosh sakes, we yell at the limp-wristed
conservatives who are always screaming and running
and cowering in fear, to get off their lilly livers
and get involved and get some cojones.
THAT's what we do now.
Yeah, the Republican party needs to go back to being the party of lower taxes and small government instead of being the tax cut and spend like crazy party. That would be good for starters. People want to hear Republican politicians talk about cutting waste and shrinking the government again. Or is that just something political parties pay lip service to when they aren't in power?
Democrats holding onto governorships doesn't make for a thwacking. Californians voting for idiocy is their usual bent...look at their pathetic senators.
I won't wring my hands because negative nincompoops are crawling out of the woodwork and posting vanities encouraging me to soul-search.
The way people are leaving California, it may end up the only nonenglish speaking state in the union.
I strongly disagree with the concept that we got thwacked(it was a push). But, we seem to have lost the cohesiveness that was shown in earlier elections. A lack of a central enemy will do that.
Somehow I just don't feel thwacked.
Here in Rochester, New Hampshire, the conservative won as mayor over a long-time liberal hack. Baines won in Manchester. Good stuff.
Justice Russell M. Nigro, who got 49 percent of vote Tuesday, was the first statewide judge to be turned out of office in a yes-or-no retention election in the 36 years such elections have been held.
A Democrat, Nigro received strong support in and around his native Philadelphia but was overwhelmed by lopsided margins in south-central and southwestern regions of the state, where opposition to the pay raise was concentrated.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1518621/posts
Yeah, stop messing with the NRA!
Hackett is from Ohio right? If so, those props last night would have been a great chance to follow through. Didn't happen.
Gray Davis spent years dragging it down with his corruption and the rest of the country went unaffected. Beyond that, like the corrupt goofballs in Louisiana, Gray Davis managed to move most of the population out of state. They had enough of his shenanigans and they don't want to go back. I can't say I don't blame them. California is a lost cause, and I don't know why you're getting emotional over nothing.
There you go. That is why they won.
They'll take every win they can get.
Even with candidates right of their "base."
Why not?! Make them defend again.
Excellent
On that I agree. But the wise thing to do is not fear to be ourselves, but to stand up, proclaim our goals and pursue them.
We are are own worst enemy when we try be friends to the bastards that continually stab us in the back and smile while doing it.
Bush is to worried about being a friend, and not admitting or showing his true conservatism.
Also excellent
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