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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: EternalVigilance

I have no blinders on, EV. NONE.


1,141 posted on 05/11/2006 7:47:48 AM PDT by ohioWfan (PROUD Mom of an Iraqi LIBERATION Vet! THANKS, son!!.)
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To: SoCalPol
That's exactly right SoCal. We can be pushing Frist, and all our leaders to get moving, and do the job right.

Part of the SOLUTION...........not just griping about it on the Internet.

1,142 posted on 05/11/2006 7:53:39 AM PDT by ohioWfan (PROUD Mom of an Iraqi LIBERATION Vet! THANKS, son!!.)
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To: chuckyd2

1,143 posted on 05/11/2006 7:56:17 AM PDT by StAnDeliver (Wow. They're really coming out of the woodwork now...)
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To: VastRWCon

"Build a WALL or bye bye..."

Good luck getting there with the Democrats in charge and Hillary. I would have thought that 8 years of Bill Clinton would have taught you a lesson. Guess not.


1,144 posted on 05/11/2006 7:58:20 AM PDT by Deo et Patria
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To: Dems_R_Losers

A little perspective would go a long way with some of the posters on FR. Conservatives have finally accumulated enough power to be able to force a President to scrap his nomination of his good friend for Supreme Court justice, and you want to give that up by allowing the Democrats to win?

We have lower taxes, a better economy, a strong defense and a vigorous war on terrorism. We DO HAVE MUCH MORE TO DO, both on illegal immigration and reining in spending, but the answer is NOT to allow the Democrats to take charge.

I still am amazed that people here can take the "I'm staying home in November" attitude after having lived through 8 years of the Clinton presidency. The answer is to support more genuine conservatives and to root out RINOs, not allow the Democrats to GAIN power.

But I'm sorry, I didn't mean to let facts get in the way of a perfectly good temper tantrum.


1,145 posted on 05/11/2006 8:05:39 AM PDT by Deo et Patria
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To: eeriegeno

Great, so enable the libs to take over so all illegals will automatically get amnesty. Smart move there.


1,146 posted on 05/11/2006 8:06:44 AM PDT by Deo et Patria
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To: chuckyd2
If that means democrat victorys so be it. Ultimately, it will be conservatives who clean up their mess. I believe the Democrats will screw up the economy and we'll be fighting the "war on terror" in the streets of American after the Democrats retreat from Iraq. Also, Iran will acquire a nuclear weapon capability, the illegal immigration issue will finally explode (no pun intended), social security will implode and our reliance on foreign oil will become untenable.

So be it if all of the above happens??? Unreal. Btw, my post was simply stating the obvious. If A (sit out, vote 3rd party) then B (Rats win). It is not a threat, it is not a slogan, it is the obvious reality. There are many reasons to vote GOP, and you managed to list a number of them above, yet still suggest allowing a Rat victory by default.

1,147 posted on 05/11/2006 8:12:28 AM PDT by KJC1 (A 3 strikes you're out policy for hijacking non-immigration threads would be great)
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To: Peach; Tammy8

GREAT post, Peach!


1,148 posted on 05/11/2006 8:16:35 AM PDT by ohioWfan (PROUD Mom of an Iraqi LIBERATION Vet! THANKS, son!!.)
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To: S.O.L.
You're actually thinking of MOVING so that you can give a victory to the Democrats...........and you call yourself conservative??

(The whole world's gone mad!)

1,149 posted on 05/11/2006 8:19:06 AM PDT by ohioWfan (PROUD Mom of an Iraqi LIBERATION Vet! THANKS, son!!.)
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To: Havoc
You stated: "Neither party can be trusted in office for equally damaging reasons. Plain, simple and to the point. It's beyond time to finish what was started with Perot. It's time to start a new regime and take the country back from the monied interests."

I agree with you. It is time for action.

Just what to do is the question. Building a 3rd party takes money and dedication. I'm afraid before it was accomplished it would be infiltrated and hijacked.

I feel that internet solidarity can be a force that could reshape things.

Currently a ground swell of noise is about all we get from it. What is needed is a strategy to focus this emotion into an action plan.

I think targeting individuals who are currently in the game has the most potential. For starters identify incumbents from both parties that need to be removed. Identify candidates to be supported. Register independent and vote accordingly in the primaries of both parties.

Get the non-voters into the game. This has a lot of potential.

:)Easy Does It:)

1,150 posted on 05/11/2006 8:21:58 AM PDT by eazdzit (Register Independent CROSS OVER IN THE PRIMARIES!!! VOTE AGAINST CFR, NWO, GLOBALIST RepuboCrats !!)
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To: trubluolyguy
Hypothetical. Let's do something together, so that they DON'T ignore us.

We've been e-mailing and calling, but we can organize something bigger.

Have you ever been a political activist, tru? Have you ever actually WORKED for a conservative cause, or a strong conservative candidate? Have you agitated for change?

Well I have, and that's what I intend to do now.

Griping accomplishes nothing.

Are you with us, or against us? Are you a problem solver, or a girly man whiner?

Let's DO something.

1,151 posted on 05/11/2006 8:23:05 AM PDT by ohioWfan (PROUD Mom of an Iraqi LIBERATION Vet! THANKS, son!!.)
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To: Pedrobud
I agree it would be stupid to vote for Kerry or Hillary, but where the hell are the conservative policies we expected when Bush was elected.

Well, Bush never really campaigned as a conservative, for the most part. He was a "compassionate conservative".

It makes no sense to abandon "the GOP" because President Bush has done some things we don't like. He's not the guy up for reelection. What the GOP does nationally shouldn't really matter at all either when you're talking about Congressional races, because your vote should be based on the guys who are on the ballot in the particular races in which you are voting.

For the life of me, I can't figure out why how Arlen Spector or any other RINO votes should affect whether I'm willing to support a particular Republican in a race.

1,152 posted on 05/11/2006 8:26:34 AM PDT by XJarhead
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To: BigSkyFreeper
The GOP won't need you.

They've demonstrated that in spades.

You third party types will need the GOP.

I never said I was a "third party type". In fact, I said that I was going to vote Republican in November. But if it helps you to label people, go right ahead. One thing I'll never do, however, is "need" a political party.

1,153 posted on 05/11/2006 8:28:44 AM PDT by Doohickey (Democrats are nothing without a constituency of victims.)
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To: VastRWCon
Build a WALL or bye bye...

Bye bye to the GOP means Hello to the DNC.

1,154 posted on 05/11/2006 8:30:13 AM PDT by Tokra (I think I'll retire to Bedlam.)
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To: Dems_R_Losers

BS, I am hardcore and I aint leaving!


1,155 posted on 05/11/2006 8:31:05 AM PDT by JFC (W, I am with YA)
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To: Earthdweller
Yeah!!!, the crowd loudly yells from the sideline

LOL! Thanks. :)

I scrolled down the rest of the thread, and I still saw no productive discussion about what can be DONE about this.

Ideas germinating in my head.......

1,156 posted on 05/11/2006 8:31:29 AM PDT by ohioWfan (PROUD Mom of an Iraqi LIBERATION Vet! THANKS, son!!.)
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To: sinkspur

"These people have NEVER been happy with Bush and the Republicans in Congress, and they never will be."

That is so NOT true. I have supported President Bush 100%, including Dubai. You have no idea how pissed off I am that he would betray me and the national security of my country by NOT securing the borders and rewarding illegal behavior with amnesty.

If you agree with his position, I'd like to know why? Or are you just going along because it's what Bush says and you support him no matter what.


1,157 posted on 05/11/2006 8:33:40 AM PDT by Kimberly GG
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To: JFC; Dems_R_Losers; Jim Robinson
NO one who's hardcore is leaving.

Anyone threatening to leave is simply hardheaded. :)

1,158 posted on 05/11/2006 8:34:04 AM PDT by ohioWfan (PROUD Mom of an Iraqi LIBERATION Vet! THANKS, son!!.)
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To: ohioWfan

Amen....... and media is full of bologna


1,159 posted on 05/11/2006 8:35:59 AM PDT by JFC (W, I am with YA)
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To: Deo et Patria

"Build a WALL or bye bye..."

"Good luck getting there with the Democrats in charge and Hillary. I would have thought that 8 years of Bill Clinton would have taught you a lesson. Guess not."

It doesn't have to be all or nothing. I'm certainly not willing to throw out the baby with the bathwater just because Bush decided to take a leftist postion on this issue. There MUST be other Republicans who have their heads on straight and want closed borders and no earned amnesty.


1,160 posted on 05/11/2006 8:38:01 AM PDT by Kimberly GG
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