Conservatives sitting out 2006 hurts the GOP’s right, not the RINOs

National Reviews ^ | May 15, 2006 | Jim Geraghty

[FairOpinion]

What’s really stunning is this absolute certainty of angry conservatives that A) Republicans will learn the right lessons from the defeat, and not, say, respond in a panic by embracing their inner RINO and flailing around for MSM approval and B) that the Republicans can easily win back Congress in 2008, just by stiffening their spines and pledging to return to their conservative roots.

I have my doubts on both counts. For starters, why would Republicans get the message that “we need to be more conservative” in a year that conservatives were knocked out?

In the Senate, a bad year for the Republicans would mean the loss of Rick Santorum (who has lifetime American Conservative Union rating of 88 out of a possible 100, and a 92 in 2005) in Pennsylvania, Jim Talent (93 rating lifetime, and a 96 in 2005) in Missouri, Conrad Burns (91, and a perfect 100 in 2005) in Montana and Mike DeWine (80 lifetime, only 56 in 2005) in Ohio. Of course, Ohio voters who sit this one out will replace DeWine with Sherrod Brown, who has a lifetime rating of 8 and 4 for 2005.

If the GOP base doesn’t show in Maryland, you get Ben Cardin (lifetime rating of 6, 2005 rating of 0!) or Kweise Mfume (lifetime ACU rating of 4) instead of Michael Steele.

Nice job, guys. Your effort to re-conservativize the Republican Party in Washington by staying home this year will have the effect of massacring the actual conservatives and empowering the moderates who you disdain. Perhaps we can call this counterproductive maneuver “RINO-plasty.”

Once the Democrats regain control of Congress, a GOP takeover is going to be exponentially harder than it was in 1994. You’re never going to catch the Democrats as flatfooted again.

[Fruitbat]

LOL...

The rash assumptions that some of you clowns draw are funny.

I wouldn't be excited about Dims controlling the House and Senate, but IMO the good would outweigh the bad over the long run. It would probably take a cycle for the organizational chaos to be overcome.

First of all, it ain't gonna happen, but I do wish more RINOS would be ousted in primaries.

[FairOpinion]

Thanks for taking the time to write your excellent post.

[patriciaruth]

We're pretty much on the same page. You think I'm a clown and I think you're possessed by the devil.

And that's about as close as we'll come to mutual esteem probably.

Have a nice day.

[Fruitbat]

LOL...

Of course you do.