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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: philoso12
'He wont do anything about the other leaks '

He is President, not King.

201 posted on 05/10/2006 8:06:40 PM PDT by mathluv (Bushbot, Snowflake, Dittohead ---- Bring it on!!!)
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To: bushsupporter30
I think we have Rosanne Barr posting here. She called herself a Goddess of some kind too.
202 posted on 05/10/2006 8:06:44 PM PDT by Texasforever (I have neither been there nor done that.)
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To: ilovew



Yeah, but his party is and they are running out of supporters fast.


203 posted on 05/10/2006 8:06:53 PM PDT by SouthernFreebird
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Comment #204 Removed by Moderator

To: Doohickey
I think you broken-glass Republicans should put your noodles to together and figure out a better reason to vote Republican than "Democrats are worse". They certainly are, but that particular tactic only works on people who resist doing any of their own thinking (a.k.a. liberals).

I think you missed my point. My argument is not "vote for GOP because they are better than Rat." My argument is that if GOPers vote 3rd party or sit out, they are in effect voting for what they despise the most. No one can say that is not a fact.

205 posted on 05/10/2006 8:07:11 PM PDT by KJC1 (A 3 strikes you're out policy for hijacking non-immigration threads would be great)
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To: Chena

It scared me. Can you imagine this country with that group in charge?


206 posted on 05/10/2006 8:07:32 PM PDT by maxter (To our elected leaders: It's all about spending and securing our borders.)
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To: Jorj X. McKie
This place has carried Bush-43 water without reservation from the get-go.

So who were you before you sneaked back in?

207 posted on 05/10/2006 8:08:10 PM PDT by Texasforever (I have neither been there nor done that.)
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To: WOSG

There are a lot of judges up for votes in the next few weeks. This could get interesting.


208 posted on 05/10/2006 8:08:23 PM PDT by mathluv (Bushbot, Snowflake, Dittohead ---- Bring it on!!!)
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To: SouthernFreebird

Maybe from the immigration zealots who insist on hijacking every thread on FR and probably never voted GOP anyway. But for the rest of us, we have no intention of letting the rats take over.


209 posted on 05/10/2006 8:08:27 PM PDT by ilovew (Democrat enablers are not conservatives.)
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Comment #210 Removed by Moderator

To: SouthernFreebird
I won't be bushwinked again.

Apparently you were -- you DID vote for him twice, didn't you?

The President's is keeping his position the same as when he was elected. It is HILARIOUS to see people get so bent out of shape because the President is doing what he said he would. Perhaps you should have voted for the candidate who promised machine guns and land mines at the border. I believe that John Kerry and John Edwards had a plan for that.

211 posted on 05/10/2006 8:08:55 PM PDT by You Dirty Rats (I Love Free Republic!!!)
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To: Jorj X. McKie
I can tell you're a newbie, you signed up two weeks ago to give mne an idiot lesson about FR

Thanks, but no thanks

212 posted on 05/10/2006 8:09:12 PM PDT by MJY1288 (THE DEMOCRATS OFFER NOTHING FOR THE FUTURE AND THEY LIE ABOUT THE PAST)
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Comment #213 Removed by Moderator

To: Dems_R_Losers

It's the Post, you'll need a second source on that.


214 posted on 05/10/2006 8:09:24 PM PDT by Doctor Raoul (Liberals saying "We Support The Troops" is like OJ looking for the real killers.)
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To: mystery-ak

re# 83

OK other than THAT what has he done? I'm kidding!

I am a Bush supporter and maybe the bickering is managing to tip me against the administration. There are some HUGE issues the Republicans need to address. More Rove window dressing and sleight of hand isn't going to do it for some conservatives.

It's sad that the Democrats can say with somewhat of a straight face that they were more fiscally responsible under Clinton. That was with Republican House holding his feet to the fire and the dot com stupidity showering billions of new tax dollars into the treasury.


215 posted on 05/10/2006 8:09:48 PM PDT by listenhillary (The original Contract with America - The U.S. Constitution)
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To: WOSG

Obstruction is a party platform (Bela Pelosi's words) for the DUmocrats, and all they've got (unless you count the mystery "plan" that they go on and on about without any detail).


216 posted on 05/10/2006 8:09:55 PM PDT by RasterMaster (NO MORE "BIG TENTS" - ALL YOU GET ARE CLOWNS AND CIRCUS FREAKS!)
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To: SouthernFreebird
Eyeroll... so put me on 'The List'.

LOL. It went from a "threat" to an "eyeroll." And "The List"...a truly lib quality of self-victimization, lol. You are totally ridiculous.

217 posted on 05/10/2006 8:09:57 PM PDT by KJC1 (A 3 strikes you're out policy for hijacking non-immigration threads would be great)
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To: Regicide

Then I doubt you voted GOP anyway and I'm not terribly concerned about what you think.


218 posted on 05/10/2006 8:10:07 PM PDT by ilovew (Democrat enablers are not conservatives.)
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To: Pedrobud
Vote Republican. If the Dems take over anyway the message will have been delivered to the RINOS. And if Republicans pull it out of the fire, maybe the close call will chasten them.
219 posted on 05/10/2006 8:10:43 PM PDT by luvbach1 (More true now than ever: Near the belly of the beast in San Diego)
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To: KJC1
My argument is not "vote for GOP because they are better than Rat." My argument is that if GOPers vote 3rd party or sit out, they are in effect voting for what they despise the most. No one can say that is not a fact.

This implies that the voting process is flawed. I agree. Noone should ever have to use a vote to vote against someone. It is ridiculous. But I would guess that that occurs very often.

There are two solutions that I can think of: 1) Instant Runoff Voting, and 2) better accountability in the primaries.

220 posted on 05/10/2006 8:11:18 PM PDT by burzum (A single reprimand does more for a man of intelligence than a hundred lashes for a fool.--Prov 17:10)
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