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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: Texasforever

BTW -- I saw the Minuteman rally on tv today. Very interesting stuff.


1,741 posted on 05/12/2006 10:36:06 PM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: durasell
BTW -- I saw the Minuteman rally on tv today. Very interesting stuff.

How many thousands were there?

1,742 posted on 05/12/2006 10:37:10 PM PDT by Texasforever (I have neither been there nor done that.)
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To: Texasforever

Looked to be several hundred on both sides of the issue. Emotions very high.


1,743 posted on 05/12/2006 10:38:52 PM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: Texasforever

About five times as many minutemen as pro-illegal counter-protesters.


1,744 posted on 05/12/2006 10:38:54 PM PDT by NapkinUser (http://www.vasquezforidaho.org/)
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To: NapkinUser
About five times as many minutemen as pro-illegal counter-protesters.

Ok that could mean 5 minutemen and 1 counter protester. Was Simcox there?

1,745 posted on 05/12/2006 10:40:11 PM PDT by Texasforever (I have neither been there nor done that.)
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To: Texasforever

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.


1,746 posted on 05/12/2006 10:42:16 PM PDT by NapkinUser (http://www.vasquezforidaho.org/)
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To: durasell
Looked to be several hundred on both sides of the issue. Emotions very high.

They need to come on FR where everything is calm.

1,747 posted on 05/12/2006 10:43:28 PM PDT by Texasforever (I have neither been there nor done that.)
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To: Texasforever

Most significant was the fact that one speech threatened the formation of a populist party.


1,748 posted on 05/12/2006 10:43:40 PM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: Dems_R_Losers
What utter codswallop!

Gobbles must be so proud!

1,749 posted on 05/12/2006 10:44:57 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: woofie

So true......


1,750 posted on 05/12/2006 10:45:45 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: durasell
Most significant was the fact that one speech threatened the formation of a populist party.

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.

1,751 posted on 05/12/2006 10:46:16 PM PDT by Texasforever (I have neither been there nor done that.)
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To: Texasforever

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.


1,752 posted on 05/12/2006 10:46:55 PM PDT by Havoc (Evolutionists and Democrats: "We aren't getting our message out" (coincidence?))
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To: Chena

LOL


1,753 posted on 05/12/2006 10:47:09 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: Havoc

You need to burp.


1,754 posted on 05/12/2006 10:47:26 PM PDT by Texasforever (I have neither been there nor done that.)
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To: mystery-ak

OUCH!


1,755 posted on 05/12/2006 10:48:40 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: Texasforever

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.


1,756 posted on 05/12/2006 10:49:47 PM PDT by durasell (!)
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To: durasell
Yes he will. He won't get enough to win BUT he will get enough money to live comfortably between elections.
1,757 posted on 05/12/2006 10:51:40 PM PDT by Texasforever (I have neither been there nor done that.)
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To: Texasforever
"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 pains me to agree with you on this point. But at this point in time third party votes are a waste of time.

1,758 posted on 05/12/2006 10:52:41 PM PDT by blackbart.223 (I live in Northern Nevada. Reid doesn't represent me.)
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To: durasell
And ensure that the damned Dems win back power...into perpetuity.
1,759 posted on 05/12/2006 10:53:17 PM PDT by nopardons
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To: Texasforever

Exactly so.


1,760 posted on 05/12/2006 10:53:49 PM PDT by nopardons
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