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 ...
BTW -- I saw the Minuteman rally on tv today. Very interesting stuff.
How many thousands were there?
Looked to be several hundred on both sides of the issue. Emotions very high.
About five times as many minutemen as pro-illegal counter-protesters.
Ok that could mean 5 minutemen and 1 counter protester. Was Simcox there?
I don't know, I didn't see it. Only heard a couple of radio reports and read an article on it.
I assumue he was.
They need to come on FR where everything is calm.
Most significant was the fact that one speech threatened the formation of a populist party.
Gobbles must be so proud!
So true......
Yeah that is where this is headed. When I saw Buchanan and Keyes connections I figured it is just a prelude to forming the mystical 3rd party many are dreaming of. It has nothing to do with immigration legal or otherwise.
Yep, you're an adhom anklebiter. A parasite as it were - offereing nothing to the occasion but filling your egos gullet by attacking others in absence of anything useful. When you have something useful to the conversation to offer, let me know. I otherwase "cannot abide useless people.." - firefly.
LOL
You need to burp.
OUCH!
If some credible looking demagogue stands up and promises:
To shut the borders
Stand up for the "middleclass"
Pull back from globalization
Enact fiscal responsibility
He'll get some votes.
It pains me to agree with you on this point. But at this point in time third party votes are a waste of time.
Exactly so.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.