Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

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
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 1,841-1,853 next last
To: Unmarked Package; All

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1629748/posts?page=34#34


41 posted on 05/10/2006 7:32:25 PM PDT by Howlin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 32 | View Replies]

To: Dems_R_Losers
He said Democrats are beginning to look better to him. "I'm really dead against Bush at this point.

This guy wasn't a Conservative or a Repub in the first place if Dems look better to him.

42 posted on 05/10/2006 7:32:36 PM PDT by jazusamo (-- Married a WAC in '65 and I'm still reenlisting. :-)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VastRWCon
Build a WALL or bye bye...

A wall solves nothing....in fact there already are walls along long sections of our borders....

When the reality is all these polls are already behind the curve....our base is already coming back together...and we will only continue to do so up until Nov -

Our soldiers alone who are off fighting on distance shores deserve a hell of a lot more then for us to allow the ilk of the anti-military, anti-America, anti-success in the WOT Democrats to hold a majority in Congress. Our GOP base will not allow that - We will not put our narrow political views on a few issues above that of our fighting men and women.

We will not allow that to happen. We will not help in sticking that knife in their backs. Which is exactly what will have been done to each and every one of our soldiers if we allow the DEMs to gain a majority in congress.

43 posted on 05/10/2006 7:32:49 PM PDT by SevenMinusOne
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Chena

In a big sort of way.


44 posted on 05/10/2006 7:32:49 PM PDT by Howlin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: MJY1288

I don't spend as much time here as you do, most likely, but I don't agree with you on this. This president has been EXTREMELY disappointing to many of us who two years ago would have walked through a wall for him. I posted this article because I found it totally accurate, especially that last paragraph in the excerpt above. This presidency exists because conservatives were convinced twice that this president would hold the line on spending and keep the country safe. Rove and company really did think they had a floor of about 35-40% hard core Republican support below which they could not fall. Yet even the Washington Post feels it safe to trumpet the fact that spending has set a RECORD for increases in the last five years. And the country may be safer from terrorists from Afghanistan and Iraq than it was five years ago, which is great and important; but meanwhile we're being invaded from the south and this president is doing nothing but urging us to sit back and take it.


45 posted on 05/10/2006 7:32:53 PM PDT by Dems_R_Losers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Dems_R_Losers
Prez isn't up for re-election. The issue is, do the Republicans in congress get it and support the base. If they do, no problem.
46 posted on 05/10/2006 7:33:02 PM PDT by JasonC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SouthernFreebird
If your so worried about it then I suggest you make sure the GOP hears our warning. There is still time to show us they want our votes, if they choose to ignore it then it's on them if Kerry or Clinton walks away with it.

If the Rats take over, I'll remember that you voted for them, either directly or indirectly.

47 posted on 05/10/2006 7:33:19 PM PDT by KJC1 (A 3 strikes you're out policy for hijacking non-immigration threads would be great)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: M203M4
The media read websites like FR, and they can see all the talk of staying home, supporting Democrats, supporting third parties, favoring impeachment.

The Post and others are in full scale reinforcement of conservative discouragement: "It's no use voting. Bush is at 31%, he can never recover, Republicans are turning on each other."

It's about voter suppression now, and it's working.

On FR, the bitching and bellyaching is ongoing from the Donner party.

After the election, if the Dems are elected to the House, the bitching and bellyaching will continue.

These people have NEVER been happy with Bush and the Republicans in Congress, and they never will be.

48 posted on 05/10/2006 7:33:25 PM PDT by sinkspur ( OK. You've had your drink. Now why don't you tell your Godfather what everybody else already knows?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: You Dirty Rats
put an end to the Iraq war Who besides liberals is asking for this?

I for one think it's gone on way too long. And I'm a conservative and a Vet.

49 posted on 05/10/2006 7:33:57 PM PDT by org.whodat (Never let the facts get in the way of a good assumption.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: AmeriBrit

Inside that excellent link you provided:

Since President Bush took office, agents have apprehended and sent home more than 6 million people entering the country illegally - including more than 400,000 with criminal records.

Federal, State, local, and tribal law enforcement are working together. More than 600,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended through the Arizona Border Control Initiative last year - an increase of more than 50 percent over the previous year. The men and women of our Border Patrol have made good progress - but we have much more work ahead, and we will not be satisfied until our agents have full control of our border.


50 posted on 05/10/2006 7:34:07 PM PDT by Peach
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: VastRWCon

This is a 30 year problem and they should come up with effective policy in dealing with it. Top priority is keeping more illegals from getting in, lower priority is throwing the ones already in out or converting them to legals.

They are not going to round all of them up and throw them out so you can forget that option. But they will go after the businesses that hire illegals which will dry a lot of it up. It will be a combination of round some up and earned amnesty for the rest.

They are not going to build a publicly financed wall. It's not going to happen from a political standpoint because opponents would demogogue it "Mr. Bush tear down this wll ...". So that ain't gonna happen. However, The Minuteman and other orgs will build some walls which will help. The feds will increasingly send in more guards and perhaps troops to shut it down.

So I think the issue will be slowly addressed over time. It will never be fully addressed perfectly. I'm just not falling for this dem manufactured issue to divide the base. A 30 year old problem suddenly gets turned into a crisis. Give me a break.


51 posted on 05/10/2006 7:34:11 PM PDT by plain talk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: M203M4

Again?

Oh, man, they just eat this stuff up, don't they?


52 posted on 05/10/2006 7:34:15 PM PDT by Howlin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Dems_R_Losers

President Bush has been disappointing on some major issues, but I'll always be tremendously grateful for his pro-life stance (which for me was of utmost importance).


53 posted on 05/10/2006 7:34:36 PM PDT by Cedar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: VastRWCon


A set of FENCES is easier to see through and shoot through.


54 posted on 05/10/2006 7:34:58 PM PDT by Paladin2 (If the political indictment's from Fitz, the jury always acquits.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: sinkspur

The media read websites like FR, and they can see all the talk of staying home, supporting Democrats, supporting third parties, favoring impeachment.

The Post and others are in full scale reinforcement of conservative discouragement: "It's no use voting. Bush is at 31%, he can never recover, Republicans are turning on each other."

-

Bush could turn it around on a dime.

WHY DOESN'T HE??


55 posted on 05/10/2006 7:35:41 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Peach
The border trolls who go thread to thread are already visiting this one, I see.

One of them hit a thread about a kid in Texas with rabies, FGS. Nothing's off limits, apparently.

56 posted on 05/10/2006 7:35:41 PM PDT by CFC__VRWC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Peach

That says alot, Peach. Seems some don't get far from their chosen bridge these days. ;)


57 posted on 05/10/2006 7:36:09 PM PDT by Chena (I'm not young enough to know everything.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: Howlin

Well, is it time for a re-fresher course yet....should I bring out the facts?


58 posted on 05/10/2006 7:36:19 PM PDT by mystery-ak (Army Wife and Army Mother.....toughest job in the military)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]

To: Porterville

LOL!


59 posted on 05/10/2006 7:36:52 PM PDT by Howlin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: CFC__VRWC

Oh so if you're not in favor of voluntarily ceding the Southwest United States to a foreign nation - that makes one a troll?

And the Minutemen are, I suppose, "vigilantes"?


60 posted on 05/10/2006 7:37:18 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 1,841-1,853 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson