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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: chuckyd2

Interesting post. One wonders in a race between Zell Miller (D) and Rudy Guliani (R) just who these folks would vote for.


1,221 posted on 05/11/2006 10:29:32 AM PDT by trubluolyguy (I love coffee....I love it GOOD!)
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To: gatorbait
The DNC thank you card list?

Ouch! That had to leave a mark. To the point and very good. You can't tell me there are not demo activists in here helping this split along.

1,222 posted on 05/11/2006 10:29:49 AM PDT by daybreakcoming (If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. A. Lincoln)
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To: Plutarch
"Aw, I'm just funnin'. Certainly some other Loyal Bush Supporter can pick up OhioWfan's fallen standard, whilst OhioWfan gets much needed R&R."

Certainly some other Loyal Bush Supporter(or Loyal Republican Party Supporter)can pick up OhioWfan's fine standard...

There..all fixed.

1,223 posted on 05/11/2006 10:33:13 AM PDT by Earthdweller
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To: ohioWfan

"I can't even argue with that. Your conclusions don't make any sense...........and you never addressed the truly leftist position on the issue, and how Bush's position is NOT the same.
Please try again. The 'leftist' position on illegal immigration isn't even close to Bush's.
And blaming HIM for hurting our troops in Iraq is just bizarre. There's nothing to even grab onto and defend. It's a bizarre, baseless accusation."


Sure my conclusions makes sense. I made two of them. Are you sure you're not just trying to complicate what is really very simple, black and white, left and right?

1) On the right are those who are FOR effectively securing the border and enforcing the law, and AGAINST rewarding the illegal alliens with earned amnesty. Bush is clearly NOT on the right side.

Everything else IS "truly" left and much to my disappointment, that's precisely where we find President Bush.

2) This issue, thanks to the position taken by President Bush, has clearly divided the party, the consequences of which are overwhelming and difficult to accept..... and may result in a loss of the majority in November, may lead to impeachment, a forced surrender of our troops from Iraq, and a Democratic version of 'fighting the war on terror'. And you're right, if that happens, there is "nothing to even grab onto and defend".


1,224 posted on 05/11/2006 10:34:53 AM PDT by Kimberly GG
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To: verity

Provide your solution to the immigration and border problem.


1,225 posted on 05/11/2006 10:37:13 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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Comment #1,226 Removed by Moderator

To: chuckyd2

You sound like a troll to me.


1,227 posted on 05/11/2006 10:42:40 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: sinkspur

"Illegal immigration is not a "fighting" issue for me. I've had too much experience with illegals who worked their butts off after I couldn't get legal workers to do a job right."

Oh, I see. I just asked someone about that yesterday. I said that it just wasn't adding up and that the only reason I could think of for someone, especially a Republican, to be ok with breaking our immigration laws and, given all of the negatives associated with 12 million illegal aliens in this country, would have to be for very personal reasons, such as family (someone in or close to their family is an illegal alien) or they employee them.


1,228 posted on 05/11/2006 10:47:28 AM PDT by Kimberly GG
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To: Uncle Vlad
Tell me where I'm wrong. You can't.

You elect a Democrat congress and you'll get 11,000,000 illegals almost immediately legally eligible to vote.

The "earned amnesty" plan, flawed as it is, makes people work for and appreciate their ability to be a citizen and vote.

1,229 posted on 05/11/2006 10:48:20 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat ((I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!))
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To: Howlin
My thoughts exactly Howlin.

Been a member since April 25th 2006, only participated in one thread - this one- and every post is anti-Bush.
1,230 posted on 05/11/2006 10:48:51 AM PDT by AmeriBrit (ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION, IT INCLUDES TERRORIST SLEEPER CELLS!!)
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To: Earthdweller
can pick up OhioWfan's fine standard...

By standard, I was referring to the military emblem carried into battle. OhioWfan has set the standard down, while reposing from battle, and it needs to be picked up by another loyalist.


1,231 posted on 05/11/2006 10:49:31 AM PDT by Plutarch
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To: AmeriBrit; Howlin; chuckyd2

Sorry, forgot to insert chuckyd2 to my post to Howlin.


1,232 posted on 05/11/2006 10:52:27 AM PDT by AmeriBrit (ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS A WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION, IT INCLUDES TERRORIST SLEEPER CELLS!!)
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To: ohioWfan
There are a whole lot of posers around here, chiming in because they've hated the GOP all along.

I believe you're right. How else to explain all the calls for a democratic victory in November?

1,233 posted on 05/11/2006 10:55:25 AM PDT by Tokra (I think I'll retire to Bedlam.)
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To: Kimberly GG
I don't "employ" illegals, as I don't have a business.

But I used two crews (most of whom, I suspect, were illegals) two years ago to do the tile and general remodeling work on my house. I had two Anglo guys put down a wood floor. The difference in the quality of the work and the speed with which it was done was like night and day.

And the attitudes displayed when I asked for something to be redone or indicated I didn't like the way it was done were also different.

I also have a maid who, I suspect, is illegal. She does a better job than the Anglo maid I had to fire (for not showing up when she said she would), for the same money, and I don't have to listen to constant complaining.

1,234 posted on 05/11/2006 10:57:14 AM PDT by sinkspur ( OK. You've had your drink. Now why don't you tell your Godfather what everybody else already knows?)
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To: AmeriBrit

We've all seen this show before.


1,235 posted on 05/11/2006 10:59:29 AM PDT by Howlin
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To: Kimberly GG
"Everything else IS "truly" left and much to my disappointment, that's precisely where we find President Bush."

Doesn't look all that left to me..

The House legislation authorizes the building of a fence along parts of the U.S.-Mexico border.

What did Bush have to say about it?

"America is a nation built on the rule of law, and this bill will help us protect our borders and crack down on illegal entry into the United States," he said in a statement. "I urge the Senate to take action on immigration reform so that I can sign a good bill into law."

1,236 posted on 05/11/2006 10:59:38 AM PDT by Earthdweller
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To: Recovering_Democrat

"Earned amnesty?" The illegals are laughing! They broke the law to get in here in the first place--there's no real-world incentive to make them obey the law to become citizens. They'll just keep screaming "Gimme!" until they're given citizenship with no strings attached. This is an invasion, plain and simple, and the government doesn't care.


1,237 posted on 05/11/2006 11:00:36 AM PDT by Uncle Vlad
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To: trubluolyguy

Ihavenoprinciples.org?

I have no principles, because I want to keep Democrats out of power?

Here are a few principles I care about:

Peace through strength (yes, including border control)
Capitalism vs. Socialism (i.e. low tax/spending/regulation)
Pro life (abortion on demand is an abomination)
Right to bear arms (they better not try to take mine)
Freedom to live according to Religion (theis is where conservative principles came from)
Private property rights (see #2)
Strict Constructionist judges (affects all of above)

I realize the Republicans are not getting all of these conservative principles right 100% of the time, but I've been around long enough to see what happens when Democrats are in power, and it's not pretty.


1,238 posted on 05/11/2006 11:00:56 AM PDT by altoid
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To: Politicalmom
If you don't see any difference, then think about it a while...six years is a long time for people to earn the right to vote...they're going to be required to assimilate at least to a degree to stay legal...as they do that, a good number of them will begin to enjoy legal success, and many of those hardworking individuals will not turn to the Democrats--they'll become a part of society that doesn't believe in a handout.

The problem with "welfare", (in this case immediate amnesty) is that it creates an expectation among the recipients that they can continue to leach off society. Look at the tragedy of the Great Society. Even Pat Moynihan, a Democrat, acknowledged the demise of the black American family was due to the welfare state no longer making fathers "necessary". Now we have an underclass in the African-American community. I believe instant amnesty will send an immediate message to the illegals here: you're free and clear, period. You have carte blanche...just like in a previous generation, LBJ's Great Society sent an immediate message to the poor blacks in the 60s: your family structure isn't necessary--let the government take care of you!

If we give immediate amnesty to illegals, it'll cement that population into a "handout" mentality, too. We can avoid such a mentality, I think, by giving them an opportunity to earn citizenship--something the hardworking among them will appreciate. Think how different the world would be if, in the 60s, an "instant solution" wasn't offered to the poor--but instead, if they wanted help, they were required to work. The "big daddy Democrats" wouldn't have 90% of the black electorate now.

Just my thoughts, mom.

1,239 posted on 05/11/2006 11:02:19 AM PDT by Recovering_Democrat ((I am SO glad to no longer be associated with the party of Dependence on Government!))
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Comment #1,240 Removed by Moderator


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