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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: MamaDearest
Good post ... this whole thing is depressing me.

I weary of the demonization of President Bush by some posters ... and the unwillingness of some to think seriously about what it means to have Democrats restored to power.

But I'm also tired of Bush loyalists tossing labels like whack job, nut ball, Donner Party, and other epithets at patriotic, conservative Americans.

They are doing the President's cause no favors.

In fact, they are likely driving more people away from the GOP than the "unappeasables" they rail against.

481 posted on 05/10/2006 9:17:10 PM PDT by Oliver Optic
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To: Howlin
Who is "you guys" and what the hell are you talking about?

Misplace your happy pills again?

482 posted on 05/10/2006 9:18:01 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (George Allen's conservatism is as ephemeral as his virtual fence.)
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To: luvbach1

I agree... it's not that I don't want to teach the Republicans a lesson, I want to keep the RATs out much more. Desperately.


483 posted on 05/10/2006 9:18:22 PM PDT by Fudd Fan (DemocRATs- the CULTURE OF TREASON!)
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To: Armedanddangerous
Yep, what are we gonna do? Stay home and let the damn commies have America for eight years?

Oh no. Let's just keep giving up one principle at a time until there's no difference at all between the Democrats and us. Hang tight, we're almost there.

MM

484 posted on 05/10/2006 9:18:55 PM PDT by MississippiMan (Behold now behemoth...he moves his tail like a cedar. Job 40:17)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network
Lou Dobbs is a one topic wonder. When this issue shrivels up so does Dobbs just like Chrissy Matthews is to the "outing" of the Covert Double Super Secret CIA Agent Plame
485 posted on 05/10/2006 9:19:13 PM PDT by tobyhill (The War on Terrorism is not for the weak.)
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To: luvbach1

I saw the document too. And, frankly, I'd believe our Border Patrol over the Mexican government any day.


486 posted on 05/10/2006 9:19:32 PM PDT by ilovew (Democrat enablers are not conservatives.)
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To: Oliver Optic
In fact, they are likely driving more people away from the GOP than the "unappeasables" they rail against.

Indeed they are. They're no friends of a unified and motivated Republican coalition.

Which makes for some interesting questions about their true nature, don't it...

487 posted on 05/10/2006 9:19:32 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (George Allen's conservatism is as ephemeral as his virtual fence.)
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To: EternalVigilance

I'm not the drugger; that's you.


488 posted on 05/10/2006 9:19:32 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: maine-iac7
I have become convinced that these people are not so much disgruntled pubs but DU sleepers practicing the subversion that is a commie trait

That makes far more sense than conservatives who are so mortified that they will elect the most liberal people possible in order to "preserve conservatism."

489 posted on 05/10/2006 9:20:08 PM PDT by KJC1 (A 3 strikes you're out policy for hijacking non-immigration threads would be great)
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To: Howlin
I'm not the drugger; that's you.

That's the best you can do? You're slipping...

490 posted on 05/10/2006 9:20:14 PM PDT by EternalVigilance (George Allen's conservatism is as ephemeral as his virtual fence.)
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To: Oliver Optic
But I'm also tired of Bush loyalists tossing labels like whack job, nut ball, Donner Party, and other epithets at patriotic, conservative Americans.

You phrased that as though a Bush "loyalist" is separate from a "patriotic" conservative. I think you may want to rethink your admonition.

491 posted on 05/10/2006 9:20:35 PM PDT by Texasforever (I have neither been there nor done that.)
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To: SoCalPol
The trolls don't want to have a two sided discussion. they are on a mission and it ain't to find out facts.

You're right.

492 posted on 05/10/2006 9:20:40 PM PDT by onyx (Deport the trolls --- send them back to DU)
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To: onyx; Howlin

There is a breaking story out this evening claiming the NSA has full phone records on thousands of citizens as a database pool to search for foriegn contacts. Have any of you got a link. I am compterless tonight and am accessing this by cell.


493 posted on 05/10/2006 9:20:44 PM PDT by KC Burke (Men of intemperate minds can never be free....)
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To: MaineVoter2002

So now the President is responsible for the illegals marching?


494 posted on 05/10/2006 9:21:00 PM PDT by ilovew (Democrat enablers are not conservatives.)
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To: CedarDave
these marginal social issues

- abortion is a "marginal" issue.

You sound like a sleeper to me...

495 posted on 05/10/2006 9:21:20 PM PDT by maine-iac7 ("...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time." LINCOLN)
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To: SoCalPol
The trolls don't want to have a two sided discussion.

Funny you should mention that; there are emails floating around this forum today telling people to get off "our threads."

496 posted on 05/10/2006 9:22:03 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Doohickey
And I disagree with your disagreement. Shouldn't we be calling each other names or something?

You are stuck in a corner. I think you know it, too.

497 posted on 05/10/2006 9:22:12 PM PDT by KJC1 (A 3 strikes you're out policy for hijacking non-immigration threads would be great)
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To: steve1848

"Karl Rove, Bush's top political adviser, and GOP leaders are well aware of the problem and planning a summer offensive to win back conservatives with a mix of policy fights and warnings of how a Democratic Congress would govern. The plan includes votes on tax cuts, a constitutional amendment outlawing gay marriage, new abortion restrictions and measures to restrain government spending."

I see you don't mention the one issue that is primemost on conservative's minds, and that is illegal immigration. A Freudian slip on your part? Also, there will be no Karl Rove to plan a summer offensive, as Fitzgerald is going to indict him to render Rove inoperative in the mid-term elections. And it will be intentional on Fitzgerald's part to do so, and he will do it happily. Another example of Bush & Co. shooting themselves in their collective feet by appointing Fitzgerald in the first place. Fools.


498 posted on 05/10/2006 9:22:29 PM PDT by flaglady47
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To: Dems_R_Losers

Bye bye Bush. Bye bye GOP. We will find someone who will control these borders.


499 posted on 05/10/2006 9:22:40 PM PDT by daguberment (Celine Dion: 'Let them touch those things for once!!!')
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To: KC Burke

Where did you hear that?

I haven't heard that.


500 posted on 05/10/2006 9:22:49 PM PDT by Howlin
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