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Hard Core Republicans Are Fleeing President
The Washington Post ^ | May 11, 2006 | JIm VandeHei and Peter Baker

Posted on 05/10/2006 7:15:13 PM PDT by Dems_R_Losers

Disaffection over spending and immigration have caused conservatives to take flight from President Bush and the Republican Congress at a rapid pace in recent weeks, sending Bush's approval ratings to record lows and presenting a new threat to the GOP's 12-year reign on Capitol Hill, according to White House officials, lawmakers and new polling data.

Bush and Congress have suffered a decline in support from almost every part of the conservative coalition over the past year, a trend that has accelerated with alarming implications for Bush's governing strategy.

The Gallup polling organization recorded a 13-percentage-point drop in Republican support for Bush in the past couple weeks. These usually reliable voters are telling pollsters and lawmakers they are fed up with what they see as out-of-control spending by Washington and an abandonment of core conservative principles more generally.

There are also significant pockets of conservatives turning on Bush and Congress over the their failure to tighten immigration laws, restrict gay marriage and to put an end to the Iraq war and the rash of political scandals, according to lawmakers and pollsters.

Bush won two presidential elections by pursuing a political and governing model that was predicated on winning and sustaining the loyal backing of social, economic and foreign policy conservatives. The strategy was based on the belief that conservatives, who are often more politically active than the general public, could be inspired to vote in larger numbers and would serve as a reliable foundation for his presidency. The theory, as explained by Bush strategists, is that the president would enjoy a floor below which his support would never fall.

It is now apparent that this floor has weakened dramatically and collapsed in places.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: adolescents; borderlist; bush; bushbots; conservatives; gopcheerleader; sickofrinos; wetoleratenodissent
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To: Peach
The borders are hardly wide open

I couldn't even get past that, Stevie Wonder himself could see through the whole in our borders.

1,121 posted on 05/11/2006 6:29:00 AM PDT by SouthernFreebird
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To: SouthernFreebird

I can see why you wouldn't keep reading, the facts might get in the way of your mantra "the borders are wide open".


1,122 posted on 05/11/2006 6:30:18 AM PDT by Peach
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To: verity

That's what third party conservative (if one's state has that ballot certified), as well as "None of the Above" spots are for. I encourage every Republican to vote for any Republican candidate who has a demonstrated record (if in office) of supporting the cause of border security, or also any Republican candidate (not in office yet) who is firmly in support of these principles.


1,123 posted on 05/11/2006 6:31:17 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo (Closing the border to Mexico is not a matter of money nor resources, but simply the "will" to do it.)
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To: Dems_R_Losers

(are planning a summer offensive to win back conservatives with a mix of policy fights and warnings of how a Democratic Congress would govern.)

The question is: Why wait till the summer? What were they doing the last 5 years?


1,124 posted on 05/11/2006 6:32:07 AM PDT by winner3000
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To: maxter
Informative and civil response. Thank you.

And Thank You! I appreciate your comment. The same person tried to bait me further down the thread. I simply told him I would no longer respond to him and for him not to post to me again. So far he has not, so I may be rid of him. I did pick up a new tagline, though.

1,125 posted on 05/11/2006 6:37:07 AM PDT by CedarDave (Sleeper trolls are like cicadas - emerge in the heat and contribute nothing but loud annoying noise.)
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To: Peach

Been there, done that meanwhile I see our streets full of foreign lawbreakers demanding the same rights that I a law abiding citizen of the United States enjoys by the blood of my ancestors while this president gives it all away.

And more importantly I'm overwhelmed in a sea of law breaking, brown people speaking spanish... and you trying to convince me there's no problem. You should get out more.


1,126 posted on 05/11/2006 6:40:00 AM PDT by SouthernFreebird
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To: SouthernFreebird
Wow, with all the devastating fallout of us not voting you'd think someone would care enough to start enforcing our laws...

Bud you are trying to be too smart by half....while sticking a knife into our soldiers backs in the process. That speaks volumes about yourself not the asinine process of Wash D.C.

Lastly the notion that nothing is happening at our borders is 100% BS! There is much more happening in terms of WMDs, dirty bombs, profiling then can be openly talked about (and for very good reasons...NS reasons). Think NSA Op that was outed and this Country is less safe because of it -

Furthermore the notion that no one is being turned back that tries to cross the border is additional BS! Over 5 million have been turned back in the last 5 years.....and a large % of those we are here "illegal" now.....crossed the border with a "workers permit" for X amount of time...and then failed to return back....which is 100% wrong (without question)....but the notion that they are all infiltrating our borders is BS.

Again, is there an immigration problem. Of course. A 40 year problem in the making (or 20 year depending on how you want to look at it). But to suggest that gives reason to stick a knife in the back of our soldiers is complete foolishness and d*mn wrong.

Have this fight in 08 during the primaries.

1,127 posted on 05/11/2006 6:41:41 AM PDT by SevenMinusOne
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To: SouthernFreebird

I boil this crowd down to one of the following:

1. Are illegal themselves;

2. Hire and profit off of illegals;

3. Hope to profit off of illegals;

4. Have illegals in their family;

5. Hire illegals to perform daily services for them;

6. Are hoping for a few crumbs off the table of our noble king.

7. Live in a lilly white hood with zero illegals standing on the corners and streets.

8. Just plain dumb.


1,128 posted on 05/11/2006 6:47:01 AM PDT by chris1 (I)
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To: DevSix



Frankly I wouldn't consider an end to this war as sticking a knife in the back of our soldiers. They follow orders, when ordered to fight they fight when ordered to come home they come home. I'm pretty sure the Dems will give them a ride back home and not just leave them as we did the POWS... now that was a knife in the back.


1,129 posted on 05/11/2006 6:48:43 AM PDT by SouthernFreebird
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To: chris1
Yeah some chik on here last night thought it was hilarious that my neighborhood has turned into little mexico with poultry running all over the place. It's shameful what is being allowed to be done to our beautiful Country.
1,130 posted on 05/11/2006 6:52:39 AM PDT by SouthernFreebird
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Wow, this is getting ugly.


1,131 posted on 05/11/2006 6:54:27 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: Dems_R_Losers

It's the border stupid!


1,132 posted on 05/11/2006 6:57:23 AM PDT by KansasConservative1
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To: DevSix
But again, this is not the time to stick a knife in the backs of our soldiers over this issue - Our GOP base must come together and not help to put into power the ilk of the anti-military, anti-America, anti-success in the WOT Democrats into a majority in Congress.

I don't think that I have done anything of the sort. I'm not one who has said that I will not be voting Republican, but they had better be paying attention. I don't think it is the conservatives that need to move to the center to come together as a party.

When Republicans run as conservatives, they win. When their actions and votes are motivated in seeking approval from the media pollsters and the liberal Washington party circuit, they will lose.

Good info on the spending as a % of the whole picture.

Beating our heads against the Republican "machine" is making the conservatives crazy.

We HAVE to get their attention. I'm not a single issue voter, but out of control domestic spending and government growth is very high on my list.

We don't seem to have their attention yet and just the POSSIBILITY that they may lose their coveted positions of power seem to be the only language they understand. Nothing like a little pressure to sharpen one's performance. I just hope it works.

1,133 posted on 05/11/2006 7:03:14 AM PDT by listenhillary (The original Contract with America - The U.S. Constitution)
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To: Dems_R_Losers
Not only hardcore
I consider myself a relatively moderate conservative
( atheist, could not care less about Gay's , don,t care much about abortion )
My real " litmus test issue " being the war,immigration and gun control
All of which are somewhat related anyway
But I am very disappointed by the GOP lackluster performance at this stage
1,134 posted on 05/11/2006 7:04:47 AM PDT by 1903A3
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To: Dems_R_Losers

Not this one.


1,135 posted on 05/11/2006 7:05:19 AM PDT by YourAdHere (Bradypalooza. Available at Amazon.Com)
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To: ohioWfan

The question is, tru..........are you with us, or against us? Do you want to get something done, or not?



Of course I want something done. The difference as I see it is that when they ignore you, you will continue to support them and vote for them.


I am not to be taken so easily for granted.


1,136 posted on 05/11/2006 7:10:19 AM PDT by trubluolyguy (I love coffee....I love it GOOD!)
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To: VastRWCon
Build a WALL or bye bye...

bump to the top!!!

1,137 posted on 05/11/2006 7:10:50 AM PDT by meema (I am a Conservative Traditional Republican, NOT an elitist, sexist, cynic or right wing extremist!)
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To: maine-iac7

That's why I posted it instead of using a link...


1,138 posted on 05/11/2006 7:22:09 AM PDT by mystery-ak (Army Wife and Army Mother.....toughest job in the military)
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To: Peach

There are only a few posters who call for President Bush to be impeached, it is unfair to paint everyone who cares about the issue with the same brush. There are those who are "out there" on every hot topic.

President Bush has added fuel to the fire, with his "vigilantes" and "jobs Americans won't do" statements, as well as his silence when those that are pro-illegal march in the street with flags of another country, while claiming the Southwest is theirs and they are taking it back.


1,139 posted on 05/11/2006 7:37:38 AM PDT by Tammy8 (Build a Real Border Fence, and enforce Immigration Laws!!!)
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Comment #1,140 Removed by Moderator


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