Fred Barnes: Turnout Is Destiny (Karl Rove's new assignment is to get the faithful to the polls)

The Weekly Standard ^ | May 1, 2006 | Fred Barnes

[Christian4Bush]

bump for tomorrow

[Politicalmom]

Yep. I am voting on immigration this time around. Not to mention I don't WANT the government fooling with health care!!

[nopardons]

No, I've been a member of FR a very long time. This isn't "pessimism" on my part, it's the logical conclusion, reached after reading posts from the same old UNAPPEASEABLES and the newer members of their claque. What I stated IS just they way it is.

What those who are now venting their spleen, on this thread, are ignoring, is that this is not a presidential election. It is also a truism, as I have stated on this thread and many others, that even though most people really HATE all Congresscritters, when all is said and done, they like their own...or at least, they will keep electing them over and over and over again.

[A Balrog of Morgoth]

We'll see, I guess.

[greene66]

It makes me cringe to say this (after being such a Bush enthusiast for so many years), but if the Pres keeps pushing this blasted amnesty notion of his, I don't think I'll really give a damn about his political fate following the mid-terms.

[nopardons]

Noooooooooooooooooo...I don't want to "see" what happens here, with the damned Dems owning at least the House and then, the White House, just to prove to you that I am correct!

I know what it was like here, in '97 and '98 and in 2000.

[mbennett203]

"Bush can get a two-fer. Cut taxes by 10% and cut government spending. The tax cut WILL help with the cost of gas. He's got the WOT. How about the War on Socialism?"

My word, it's almost like you expect the "small-government, low taxes and anti-socialism" party to, (gasp!) Horror of Horrors(tm), govern like a small-government, low taxes and anti-socialism party!

[Politicalmom]

I suggest you take another look at the latest FR poll if you believe that.

[MaineVoter2002]

He never even got very much of a majority LOL! Now you're using DU tactics to argue your point. Using those tactics I guess Bush was impeachable after the 2000 election. lol Well, as a young adult I knew about Clinton's problem with his zipper. It was well known. I didnt even have cable at the time. I voted for Bush, but because of the issues. I agreed with Bush so I voted for him. But it was well known about Clinton. I really dont think we should go around impeaching our leaders based on whether or not they are faithful to their wives. Especially when it's a Hillary! Oh God! If they break the law, then they should face criminal charges after their term ends (unless that crime is stealing the election). If they steal an election then they have to be thrown out and hopefully executed for their crime. You see? Every little thing Bush is accused of by the left now (in their eyes) is an impeachable offense now. And now we are told to vote for a Spector over a Zell Miller because we dont want Bush to be impeached. We have to vote for an "R" over a "C" to keep out the "D" even though the "C" believes more in the constitution than maybe the "R" that's really a "D" in "R clothing". Good way to destroy not only the republican party but the nation. You want to save the GOP? Hold them responsible. Look for results. We see the democrat party has been losing power because they failed to do that with their leaders. We're better than that. That's what got us here in the first place. If we send a message to the GOP that we will vote for them no matter what...why would they improve? But it will be a false sense of security that will cost them elections. So, tough love is always better. Clinton had sex scandals during the time he was governor. It was known. I dont care if he won because of a 3rd party Perot. I dont care if he one by 1 vote. He won! That's irrevevent. He WON! That's all that matters. He won. The American people (stupidly) voted for him. The republicans impeached him. So now the standard is set. I dont support it because I dont support Bush being impeached...Bush was elected by the American people and just barely in 2000. But he won! Period. He should not be impeached. He did nothing to be impeached.

[SunnyD1182]

You are completely wrong. And the stated goals of FR are to get rid of as many Dems, as is humanly possible, through the electoral process.

If you disagree with this, as you appear to, then you are in disagreement with FR and most of its membership; not to mention the owner of this site.

Our goal is not to destroy Democrats. They're not aliens or terrorists. We may disagree with them fundamentally on policy, which is why we should be running people who implement a conservative agenda. This Congress has done jack s**t to promote that agenda, so what's the difference between them and the Democrats? Not much of anything, except a party designation.

Sorry guy, but I'm not going to keep on handing power to the Republican Party if it's going to be a bunch of Democrats. Better off getting Democrats in Congress, so at least there's a stalemate in government. If we can't get the GOP to enact less government, we'll create our own lack of government, by creating a stalemate where nothing can get done.

That's hell of a lot better than anything the GOP has done in this Congress so far.

Also, quit speaking for the membership of this site and the owner of this site. I'm sure there are thousands of members on this site who disagree with you, some of whom have posted in this thread. You are not the authority of Free Republic; hell, I don't even know who you are. So quit acting like it.

The Republicans will get my vote if they act like Republicans on the key issues. If they don't do that, they don't get my vote. It's that simple, and I'm sure THAT is the true position of FR.

[TAdams8591]

Getting the faithful to the polls will be impossible if the administratin doesn't wake up about crucila issues like immigration.

The Bush administration seems doggedly determined to stick with their current immigration policy and they will pay a huge price in November that may end with the Presidnt's impeachment.

Furthermore, they had better understand conservatives are not as easily manipulated as they once were.

[nathanbedford]

Bingo!

[OKIEDOC]

Fred, you Washington guys keep missing the point.

We the base (mostly me) are upset with immigration, border security and the lack of our representatives to push through an energy bill that would take down these gas prices.

Why aren't we drilling in ANWAR and on the Florida and California coasts.

I am tired of the run a way spending for pet congress critters projects..

I am tired of every time a new bill is proposed to do something about spending, the cuts are always where it hurts the little guy the most.

I am sick of all the allegations, counter allegations and leaks from the people who work for MY GOVERNMENT.

I am upset with a lack of strong leadership from top to bottom.

I am sick and tired of Republicans selling out and running from just about every fight involving American traditions.

I'm sick of this thing called conservative compassion.

Compassion for what, people who want to destroy my way of life.

Mr Barnes, I would ask that you not start the engine if you don't plan on putting the car in gear.

[janetgreen]

Rubbish. Bush could do a LOT MORE for the party by dropping his Shamnesty proposal and enforcing exisitng immigration laws at the border and at employers

He won't. His heart belongs to Vicente Fox. He doesn't give a crap about what's happening to America.

[nopardons]

No I'm not. It's a fact, Clinton never got 50% of the vote; President Bush did.

It may have been "well known" to people in Arkansas, but it wasn't all that well known across the country and the MSM did everything in its power, in '92 to shield him.

In '96, his sycophants didn't care and Dole wasn't enough to get enough supposed conservatives to vote; no matter how much they hated Clinton. The old cut off your nose to spite your facers stayed home.

Clinton was NOT impeached because he can't keep his pants on. Good grief...if THAT is what you believe the impeachment was about, then you know NOTHING about it!

I give up....you don't know nor understand this stuff. And at this hour, I am NOT going to give you even the Cliff;s Notes version. Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesh...I give up.

Oh yes, and LEARN HOW TO MAKE PARAGRAPHS!

[nopardons]

You've never read the front page of FR, I guess. GO READ IT!

Our goal IS SO to destroy the Dem! They are the enemy within and in some respects, afar greater threat to America and her people, than al Qaeda.

The fight, for conservatives, is in the primaries. It is there, that we have the only hope of getting more conservatives into position to be elected; however, we DO still need a majority, in both Houses, so a few moderates are tolerable.

Frist is a disaster. I said that during the time of the Lott debacle.

The House hasn't done that bad a job, but the Senate IS a mess. On that point, I will agree.

If you don't think that there are any differences between the damned Dems and the GOP, then you are willfully ignoring the differences.

I'm not a "guy"; but, you are political naif, who doesn't know and doesn't want to know how politics works and what reality really is.

[SunnyD1182]

Our goal IS SO to destroy the Dem! They are the enemy within and in some respects, afar greater threat to America and her people, than al Qaeda.

Don't attack my political aptitude if you're going to make absurd statements like the above.

It's pieces of trash like you that give the DNC and the liberal left perfect ammunition to attack conservatives and Republicans with.

Our goal is not to destroy the Democrats. Our goal is to promote a conservative agenda and enact policies that meet that end. Republicans should not exist solely to beat Democrats- they should exist to promote policies that are better than those of the Democrats. Enough of this "vote Republican just because they're not Democrats" crap. The Republicans have to give people a reason to vote for them, not a reason to vote against the other guy.

Remember, John Kerry tried the "vote for me because the other guy is worse than me" tactic back in 2004, and he got trounced. We shouldn't be doing the same thing in '06.

[cva66snipe]

Fred does not mention immigration because he's about as much out of touch as the GOP. Fred propably thinks that right before the election, the GOP will throw a few bones to conservatives and they will turn out in droves. Fred, u need to get out the beltway more often.

Fred's liberal co-host on Fox News and Fred sound almost alike these days. Fred sees Karl as a solution and not part of the problem which is Fred's problem also.

[KantianBurke]

"Our goal IS SO to destroy the Dem! They are the enemy within and in some respects, afar greater threat to America and her people, than al Qaeda."

What say you Mr. Robinson? Does the man in charge of FR agree with nopardon's ascertion that the Dems are equivalent to if not worse than Osama?

[nopardons]

It's not an "absurd" statement at all and that you think it is, says a very great deal about you.

I stated, quite clearly, what the founder of FR says one of FR's missions and goals are. He recently posted a thread to that effect; reiterating his position and FR"s. If you don't like/agree with it, take it up with Jim Robinson.

Oh goody...a personal attack; how charming. LOL

But seriously, it is political naifs, like you, whom the Dems adore. You further their agenda, you give them aid and comfort when election time roles around, and you try to divide us here; not to mention making Conservatives look like emotional idiots.

You can't "promote a conservative agenda and enact policies that meet that end" by simplistically and hysterically posting to FR; damning all elected GOPers out of hand and/or not voting for the GOP candidates.

We don't live in a nation that has a conservative majority.

The majority of the populace doesn't even vote; though the dead do in some places.

I never said that the sole purpose of the GOP is to beat the damned Dems, but if they don't, then getting anything done, is an impossibility.

Don't mix apples and oranges and please DO try to grasp more of what's reality, than you do. THINK; just don't vent your spleen. And for GOD'S sake, learn some facts.